Im buying a DSLR and would like some advice from the PSB Camera buffs.

[02keilj]

Ive recently bought a telescope and have been enjoying checking out the stars. Ive also been using my dads 400d while im visiting for photos of the night sky and its something I would really like to get in to. While my main interest in getting a DSLR is to take lots of night shots with long exposures (and eventually get a telescope lens mount) I also would like to learn a lot more about photography in general so I can start taking decent photos.

As it is I am willing to spend about 2k all up. Maybe a bit more.
I've pretty much decided on the Canon 600d as it seems like a decent camera and has some good reviews. The flip out screen will also be very useful when it is mounted to the telescope and viewing angles become difficult. My main question is on lenses and accessories.

Do I buy a 600d kit and get the 2 standard 18-55 and 70-300 canon lenses with it for about 1000 bucks and then spend another 1000 on a decent lens or should I buy the body and lenses separate which would allow me to maybe get 1 or 2 decent lenses instead of 1 decent and 2 standard kit ones?

I understand I need a fast lens for night time use so was checking out this one
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...o_cart_title_1
Its 1000 dollars with free/cheap shipping. The fact that its 17-55 should mean it could entirely replace the stock 18-55 with the advantage of the f/2.8? This combined with the 600d body would total around 1700. I also would need a tripod/camera case/spare battery/car charger etc but that can be acquired quite cheaply. so would have 300ish to play around with for another lens, more if I wait patiently and save a bit more.

Ive heard a lot of people say get a UV filter to protect the end of your lens but others say not to as you lose colour contrast. What are some other accessories I should be budgeting for and what should I stay away from?

Thanks in advance

02

EDIT: Forgot to ask, whats the deal with the 2x telephoto adapter and the macro adapter in the kits like this one? http://www.amazon.com/Canon-75-300mm...6517718&sr=8-6

I imagine they are just a cheap way to get macro shots out of a standard lens?

[Captain Starfish]

The f/2.8 is worth paying the money for and, yes, it will replace the 18-55.

Don't bother with a UV filter unless you're in the habit of grinding your lens into beach sand. Do invest in:
- Microfibre cloths and lens clean fluid/spray from a spectacles shop
- Allow $300 or so for a decent tripod, it saves you from pending $500 in cheap, shitty tripod after cheap, shitty tripod and then giving up and spending $300 on a decent one anyway.
- Spare batteries.
- Car charger.
- 1.4x (not 2.0x) teleconverter: the 2x are just way to nasty on your autofocus and will soften your images like crazy. 1.4 is about as far as you want to push it. The canon one isn't cheap but it is full function and works well.

You'll also need, of course, a filter screw adapter for the end of your lens to the 'scope.

A timer trigger for controlled bulb release would be good for your application too - kickstarter has a project looking to deliver a pretty snazzy one soon.

[Harro]

I use a Canon 40D and a Tamron lens for most applications:

Tamron -18-270mm F/3.5-6.3(Model B008)

But this wont be very good for pictures of the heavens. For this I use :

EF 50mm f/1.8 II - Lenses - Canon Australia

50mm fixed focal. The 50mm is probably a little long, but it still comes up with some nice shots. Its also around $150 bucks, so its a great little fun lens on the cheap.

All up - $800 odd dollars on some awesome Lenses, both the Tamron and the Canon Lens are superb.

*Disclaimer - Photography is generally highly subjective, your desired results may be very different to mine *

[02keilj]

The f/2.8 is worth paying the money for and, yes, it will replace the 18-55.

Sounds like will skip out on the kit

- Allow $300 or so for a decent tripod, it saves you from pending $500 in cheap, shitty tripod after cheap, shitty tripod and then giving up and spending $300 on a decent one anyway.

My dad has a decent tripod and im sure he rarely uses it anymore...I might try steal it, if not Ill put some cash aside for a good one.

- Spare batteries.

Is buying 3 or 4 cheap knock offs worth it on eBay? I have a cheap knock off for my point and shoot canon which ive been using for extremely long exposures and time lapse photography which seems to do the trick.

- 1.4x (not 2.0x) teleconverter: the 2x are just way to nasty on your autofocus and will soften your images like crazy. 1.4 is about as far as you want to push it. The canon one isn't cheap but it is full function and works well.

So I guess its really just to get the zoom when you cant afford a bigger lens at the time? Might have to do some more reading I think.

A timer trigger for controlled bulb release would be good for your application too - kickstarter has a project looking to deliver a pretty snazzy one soon.

Ive got a wired remote I can use, plus I found this today. There seem to be a lot of programs for computers that can connect and control the camera via USB too so these would work good on a netbook when I am outside.

But this wont be very good for pictures of the heavens. For this I use :

EF 50mm f/1.8 II - Lenses - Canon Australia

50mm fixed focal. The 50mm is probably a little long, but it still comes up with some nice shots. Its also around $150 bucks, so its a great little fun lens on the cheap.

I did see this and was considering getting it as well since It was quite cheap and im sure could deliver some nice pictures. If I was to get the 17-55 then the 50mm prime would still have the extra f-stop plus the added clarity from a prime? Im thinking I should try and find a decent zoom lens to start off with as well so I might have to readjust my budget. Got any suggestions for a decent zoom?


Thanks for the info guys. Im still probably 1 or 2 months of being able to afford it all but I would like to plan what Im getting before the money comes in haha.

[Tiger1]

If you planning on taking photos of the stars and other space stuff I would recommend buying an old school manual telephoto lens such as a 180 mm 2.8 or 300 mm 2.8 or
400 mm f4 or similar.
It probably wont cost the earth and it wont have any of the auto features but who cares, simply set the focus to infinity and open the aperture to its maximum and start firing away.
Some of these old lenses have beautiful optics and clarity unmatched by zooms. Eprey is a good place to do some research but like everything else when buying secondhand.....
Inspect the buyer before inspecting the item.

[drifter]

you can get a protection filter that is clear instead of UV.

buy your body and lenses separate, you wont use your kit lenses once you buy usm or L glass.

[02keilj]

If you planning on taking photos of the stars and other space stuff I would recommend buying an old school manual telephoto lens such as a 180 mm 2.8 or 300 mm 2.8 or
400 mm f4 or similar.
It probably wont cost the earth and it wont have any of the auto features but who cares, simply set the focus to infinity and open the aperture to its maximum and start firing away.
Some of these old lenses have beautiful optics and clarity unmatched by zooms. Eprey is a good place to do some research but like everything else when buying secondhand.....
Inspect the buyer before inspecting the item.

Im after something much smaller than 180mm to capture more of the sky. I have the telescope for anything that needs zooming the 17-55 will be useful for most other pictures I would be interested in taking for now but I do plan on getting a larger lens in the future

you can get a protection filter that is clear instead of UV.

buy your body and lenses separate, you wont use your kit lenses once you buy usm or L glass.

Cheers, ill look out for one of them

[Barfridge]

Don't you just attach the body directly to a telescope, with no lens inbetween??? Of course you'll need an adaptor.

[02keilj]

Don't you just attach the body directly to a telescope, with no lens inbetween??? Of course you'll need an adaptor.

Yes, but I will be taking wider angle shots most of the time so thats why I will use the 17-55 on a tripod. Im heading outside since it is darkish here in tassie now. Will see what shots I can come up with using dads camera.

[Kingy]

Most people have covered it, but my only comment would be the 17-55 is considered (I believe) to be the top of the line EF-S lens... so if you want that, then go for it, but another lens with similar quality is this one:

Canon EF-S 15-85mm f3.5-5.6 IS USM Lenses

The 15 gives you a little bit more wide angle which will be good for the sky shots and alot longer for general everyday use. The downside is the speed.. Only 3.5, however this is not a problem for night shots when you are going to be setup on a tripod anyway.. saves you about 300 which you can put towards other lenses or better tripod, etc.

Also consider the Sigma 30mm 1.4 rather than the 50mm.. it is fast and on a crop sensor gives you wider angle for you indoor/night shots. Otherwise maybe get the Canon 10-22 and go real wide angle.

[Kingy]

Oh BTW.. here is a review of the 15-85, plus you can also see comparisons with other lenses on photographic tests...

Canon EF-S 15-85mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM Lens Review


Also if you do like the 17-55 f2.8, then the Tamron 17-50 is also supposed to be very sharp and quite a bit cheaper than the Canon.

[02keilj]

Thanks for those links Kingy, ill check them out.

[nemo]

I've bought glass out of Hong Kong from both of these site and have not had a probem

fyi - digialrev shiped via fedex xpress and dwi ship through toll xpress

DigitalRev

digital cameras, digital slr cameras, video cameras - DWI australia online store.

[T.G]

Hey guys I'm overseas at the moment and have found a 550D eos for $750 and a 50mm lense for $110 Is this good value or am I better of buying in australia?

The camera is to be used in my wife and I's hair salon to take nice head shots of the work the girls do for competitions and promotional work, pretty close up and a good flash, we might look at buying some flood light style lights if it does a better job.

I'm new to the camera dslr world only using point and shoot before. Is the camera above something I even need or is it the totally wrong sort of camera?

Is their any good duty free camera shops in Bali or at the airports, I'd love to claim it on tax and have a warranty but I guess it all depends on the prices and what you guys recommend, (my Internet access isn't great over here)

Thanks in advance
Tom

[Slice]

$110 sounds about standard for the nifty fifty. The 550D sounds a little pricey if it's just the body. Pretty sure they are selling them cheaper here in oz even with GST.

[Akzle]

two-cents time

dont use microfibre to clean shit you've dropped in sand. invest in a blower brush, once all the grit is off, then you may microfibre for your lenses, i would never use it on your mirror/prism. just. dont.

perhaps you'd benefit from a local night-class college course or something, just to wrap your head around all those dials and buttons (you can always learn more...),
elsewise they have buildings known as "libraries" which is where they kept information before google. nip on down to one and get a book on photography basics (or advanced?) for SLRs

filters can be used for many things, although these many things can be digitally reproduced after the fact. though if they still make them, i find shade 3-4.5 filters good for high contrast (b+w) work, while still giving a pretty natural look.

generally the higher the zoom range of a lens, the lower the quality will be at either of those zooms -- they make elements to give the best results across the range which is always a compromise.

depending what you end up shooting, fixed zoom lenses may be more effective, although less practical. although not really a problem with the bayonett fittings (compare old m42 screw threads. now they were fun.) someone recommended tamron. they're good. sigma also.
the problem with a lot of new plastic lenses (cannon and nikon both) is that they now glue elements in, rather than clipping them in, which means the manufacturing tolerances have decreased as they no longer need to be as precise.
(so don't buy cannon lenses unless you have to)

with the amount you're looking to invest in hardware, it will be the lenses that let you down.

"a fast lens for night time" i don't understand this. if you're doing skygazing or want to do some star-trail shit you'll actually want higher aperture and long (LONG) exposure times. (lower apertures= less focus/more blur)
fortunately your camera is smarter than you, and you can set it to aperture priority and it will work out the exposure.
you'll also need to develop an understanding of ISO -this adjusts how sensitive your CMOS is to light which will affect the noise in your images.
you also probably have a "bulb" feature so invest in a remote and you can have some ten minute, half hour, 5 hour exposures. (low aperture, low ISO... you'll work out why quite quickly)

i can only comment from experience, but back in the day when it took a chemist to devolop your photos, and a facebook account didn't qualify you as a "photographer", i had no problem with a 2x teleconverter, even behind a fixed 300mm lens. this may be different with your model, and/or digital technology, so listen to someone with experience. (as above?)

best of luck and enjoy

[Akzle]

oh, and batteries, if it's not going to concern you weight wise, get one of the grip-style ones. they'll give you all day shooting...

[Dragunov-21]

two-cents time

dont use microfibre to clean shit you've dropped in sand. invest in a blower brush, once all the grit is off, then you may microfibre for your lenses, i would never use it on your mirror/prism. just. dont.

A wide appetite doesn't mean a fuzzier image, per se, just that you have a lower depth of field. This can be a good thing if you want to contrast a face with it's background by reducing the depth of field, blurring the background.

perhaps you'd benefit from a local night-class college course or something, just to wrap your head around all those dials and buttons (you can always learn more...),
elsewise they have buildings known as "libraries" which is where they kept information before google. nip on down to one and get a book on photography basics (or advanced?) for SLRs

filters can be used for many things, although these many things can be digitally reproduced after the fact. though if they still make them, i find shade 3-4.5 filters good for high contrast (b+w) work, while still giving a pretty natural look.

generally the higher the zoom range of a lens, the lower the quality will be at either of those zooms -- they make elements to give the best results across the range which is always a compromise.

depending what you end up shooting, fixed zoom lenses may be more effective, although less practical. although not really a problem with the bayonett fittings (compare old m42 screw threads. now they were fun.) someone recommended tamron. they're good. sigma also.
the problem with a lot of new plastic lenses (cannon and nikon both) is that they now glue elements in, rather than clipping them in, which means the manufacturing tolerances have decreased as they no longer need to be as precise.
(so don't buy cannon lenses unless you have to)

with the amount you're looking to invest in hardware, it will be the lenses that let you down.

"a fast lens for night time" i don't understand this. if you're doing skygazing or want to do some star-trail shit you'll actually want higher aperture and long (LONG) exposure times. (lower apertures= less focus/more blur)
fortunately your camera is smarter than you, and you can set it to aperture priority and it will work out the exposure.
you'll also need to develop an understanding of ISO -this adjusts how sensitive your CMOS is to light which will affect the noise in your images.
you also probably have a "bulb" feature so invest in a remote and you can have some ten minute, half hour, 5 hour exposures. (low aperture, low ISO... you'll work out why quite quickly)

i can only comment from experience, but back in the day when it took a chemist to devolop your photos, and a facebook account didn't qualify you as a "photographer", i had no problem with a 2x teleconverter, even behind a fixed 300mm lens. this may be different with your model, and/or digital technology, so listen to someone with experience. (as above?)

best of luck and enjoy

A fast lens is one that gathers light quickly (ie low f-stop/wide aperture available). A 1.4 fitty would be a good option, or a 1.2 if you have a little more to spend.

[Captain Starfish]

Hey guys I'm overseas at the moment and have found a 550D eos for $750 and a 50mm lense for $110 Is this good value or am I better of buying in australia?

The camera is to be used in my wife and I's hair salon to take nice head shots of the work the girls do for competitions and promotional work, pretty close up and a good flash, we might look at buying some flood light style lights if it does a better job.

I'm new to the camera dslr world only using point and shoot before. Is the camera above something I even need or is it the totally wrong sort of camera?

Is their any good duty free camera shops in Bali or at the airports, I'd love to claim it on tax and have a warranty but I guess it all depends on the prices and what you guys recommend, (my Internet access isn't great over here)

Thanks in advance
Tom

Remember that duty free is only gonna save you 10% these days, consider carefully whether this is worth it compared to having local support and warranty.

Nifty fifty - as mentioned, about standard. Got mine for about that at Leederville Camera House (who are one of the cheaper ones in Perth).

I would not use a 50mm lens for hair/head portraits, it's too damned wide. Wide angle lenses mean you shoot closer to fill the frame. Shooting closer means the perspective is very different - stuff in shot centre and closest to the camera get exaggerated and expanded relative to stuff on the periphery and further away. So faces look chubbier and will dominate the image.

You're going to get much better proportioned images by using a 100mm lens and shooting from further away. Canon's latest 100mm or 105mm macro is also said to be an awesome portrait lens - razor sharp, well behaved etc and also able to take awesome pics of little stuff. Otherwise some kind of zoom 75-200 or something like that.

For portrait/hair lighting I'd recommend at least 3 flashes - one to expose the backdrop, one from behind and high to light up the hair, and one from in front, to the side and high to do the main face light. Add a white or silver reflector panel on the side opposite the main light for fill flash. You'll also need stands, flags (to stop unwanted light spill from the background light), reflector/umbrellas, triggers and so on. Kits are available on eBay but remember - cheap and nasty ebay light kits give pretty cheap and nasty results.

Another alternative is two battens from Bunnings (strip flouros), one either side running vertical and level with your model's head, just slightly forward, with a flouro "bulb" above them and snooted (put the bulb at the top of a cardboard tube with the bottom open) to pin it on their hair. You'll need to adjust colour balance for the flouros and use a higher ISO / longer shutter speeds but it will be hell cheaper and let you line everything up in the continuous light before you squeeze the trigger.

[Kingy]

$110 sounds about standard for the nifty fifty. The 550D sounds a little pricey if it's just the body. Pretty sure they are selling them cheaper here in oz even with GST.

Yep.. this.... ^^^^^

$538 (Body Only)
Canon EOS 550D DSLR Camera(BODY) - ($538.85)RYDA Cameras

Cheaper even with $15 postage and proper local Canon warranty.

That price is even cheaper than DWI I notice.. though it does say awaiting stock...

But personally I would not trust some shop in Bali... either buy Grey from reputable Hong Kong website or local. Especially as the 550D is a run out model..