Which Lenses for my Canon T3i/600D?

A 50mm can be very good for what is likely to be a fraction of your total uses. It should not be on the shopping list until you have gotten more useful stuff first and replenished your money.

You missed the opportunity to get a good price on the 18-55mm IS by buying it in a kit with the T3i, like you shoulda but didn't.

You missed the opportunity to get the T5i in a kit with the 18-135mm STM, which would have been a very good use of $1000. Now a 18-135mm STM would cost you more, and your T3i would not correct its chromatic aberration. You can get an older model 18-135mm, which has more deficiencies in sharpness.

At this point, probably a decent choice with your budget could be the 18-55mm IS and 55-250mm IS.

Or

Put aside the telephoto, and get a Sigma 17-70mm f/2.8-4 DC Macro OS HSM $450. Sharper than the other choices, versatile enough for now, and it is probably the only choice that makes you look smart for having bought a T3i as body-only.

Then start saving another $170 for a decent tripod.

Your camera has 18 MP, and that will magnify the optical deficiencies of 18-200mm, 18-250mm, or 18-270mm lenses.

All of the lenses you have listed here are pretty slow from an apearture standpoint and not great in low light with the exception of the 50mm 1.8. I prefer lenses with continous apeartures with 4.0 being the highest and 2.8 my favorite. They are more expesive but I would rather have a few really good lenses then a bunch of slow lenses. Check out some of these lenses as examples.

Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM

Canon EF 24-105mm f/4 L IS USM

Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM

Canon EF 70-200mm f/4 L IS USM

Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM

Before you buy any lenses ask yourself what kind of shooting do you want to do? If you are going to do portrait type work stick with prime lenses and not zooms. If you are doing a diversity of things the 24-105 F4.0 is a very nice walking around do anything lens.

If there is something you want to do but very rarely rent and do not buy. If you are not sure I would rent some different lenses and see if they work for you. I would only buy a lens if I knew that I would use it a lot and it would cost more to rent it then buying it. Getting in touch then with what you want to do will be a huge factor in determining what to buy. Buy those lenses first and get quality over quantity.

Start with the 18-55mm - Combo 1 is a good idea if you put the 55-250mm in a cupboard for 6 months and concentrate on the 18-55mm.

I own a 50mm, but seldom use it,I use 18-55/55-200mm far more often.

Unless you're looking at the 75-300mm (diabolical) image quality isn't a problem with any Canon lens.

I wouldn't bother with the 50mm lens for now; a zoom will be far more use to you.

I would go for a Canon lens, rather than a third party. Probably the 18 - 135 which will cover most of your needs until you become more familiar with the camera and can then decide where to go from there.

18-55 50 55-250. The lens you select are long zoom lens I don't recommend those18--135. Suggest you choose only 18-55 as start. Youl will know what kind of lens when you handle it. You needn't purchase all of them at one time.

Both Canon 18-135mm are the winners, it just depends if you will do video with auto focus (in that case, get the STM version) and if not, the cheaper one.

Here's a Canon Lens Guide - http://www.the-dslr-photographer.com/how-to-buy-ds...

Good luck!

I have the Tamron AF18-270mm f/3.5-6.3 Di II VC PZD AF Lens for Nikon on my D90. It has done everything that I have asked it to do. Recommended.