Help me buy a lens please!

A while back I bought a little Canon PowerShot SX210 IS and loved it. I still do love it. I was going to get a more expensive camera at the time because I did have the money. However I opted for the smaller camera because I thought it would be easier to carry around with me wherever I go. It has a 14x zoom which I notice I use a lot. I found I really love taking zoomed in detailed pictures of my snakes and bugs. I really like going outside and taking zoomed in pictures of tiny bugs on plants in my yard (who would of guessed I'd like that so much?).

Anyway I have decided to upgrade because even though my little camera does a good job, the pictures are not as crisp as I would like. I can't do anything but auto focus which I hate. A lot of times I'll try to take a picture and no matter how hard I try the camera focuses on something other than what I want.

Here is a prime example of auto focus frustration!


Other times it takes perfect pictures!


So now the choice for the new camera is Canon EOS Rebel T3i and I'm wanting to know for how I take pictures should I get the 18-55mm lens or the 18-135 lens? I know I could change lens later. However right now It would be too expensive as it's cheaper to buy the lens with the camera. I've read a few reviews and I am still stuck. Some people said the 18-135 lens didn't take as good pictures. I don't really understand since I am new to photography. I just like taking pictures and I want really detailed pictures!

Anyway, if you managed to read all that and give me your opinion I would really appreciate it.

Forgot to add just in case it wasn't apparent. I use the crap out of the micro setting!

Here's a toad just for the heck of it!

The 18-55 mm is the better lens. Many folks find the the 18-135 won't produce acceptable photos except between f/8 and f/11.

It all depends on what you are interested in. Personally I would buy the camera with the shorter lens and buy a good telephoto later (since I'm into wildlife photography). And if macro is your thing then save up for a macro lense, there are lots of lense options out there which can be a bit overwhelming. I myself am stuck choosing between two macro lenses 100 mm (perfect for insect photography - so my research tells me); one has IS (image stabilization) the other does not, of course the IS one is sooo much more expensive than the non IS.

Hope that helps some

Amanda

Buzz and I shoot with the Canon P&S (SX20 & SX30) and with the Canon SLR. We have an 18-55 lens and a 75-300mm IS lens. Personally I think if you are doing macro photography the most I would stick with a lens that lets you get as close as possible to the subjects - there is a Canon macro lens that goes down to 8-10mm but it can be expensive so we opted to keep using the SX20 which has great macro capability. I also like my SX30 because it has a 35X optical and I did not have to buy the expensive telephoto lens to tote around with the SLR. It is all on personal preference but I love my P&S over the SLR due to cost and easiness of carrying in the field.

Thanks for all the help. I bought the camera with smaller lens. $599! I'll probably buy more lens once I lean more and get a feel for how the camera works.

There is a great rebate deal on Canon and Nikon for the holiday season. You might want to check online or with whom you bought it from and see if they have the rebate.

Canon rebates are instant.

The following Canon lenses are pretty good buys for those on a tight budget:
Canon EF 50mm f1.8
Canon EF-S 18-55mm f3.5-5.6 IS
Canon EF 50mm f/2.5 Macro
Canon EF-S 55-250mm f4-5.6 IS

I sent my T3i back for the T4i because it was the exact same price and it has a touch screen!!! I did get the smaller lens. I also found a flash kit for around $100 that has pretty good reviews that I may get later on.

Thanks for all the help.

Added Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 to my wish list. As soon as I get my refund from the other camera I'll probably be getting this. It's a hundred dollars more than the f/1.8. However it has a focus ring and from viewing examples of pictures taken with both. I liked the ones with the f/1.4 better.