A Basic Set Of Gear

S

SilentG180

Suspended / Banned
Messages
55
Name
Mike
Edit My Images
Yes
I have just managed to get hold of my first DSLR on the second hand market (Canon EOS 350D + EF 17-85mm Lens), I also aquired a remote shutter switch and tripod at the same time and I am now looking at what I should be getting hold of next.

Can anyone recommend the sort of things that should be included in a basic kit i.e. filters, a couple of other lenses to cover larger variety of situations etc. Not got a huge budget so looking for gear that will produce half decent results without breaking the bank
 
If you're a newcomer, then you should spend some time (a lot of time) using what you've got first. 17-85 is a very versatile range. When you've exhausted that, you'll know what you need.

Most people go for a medium tele-zoom next, or a super-wide. Then you need a decent flash, maybe a low f/number prime, perhaps something for macro, and some filters to play with. Plenty of time for all that when you're ready and not necessarily in that order :)
 
Depending how well you know about controlling your camera, and as suggested by Richard, use what you have to good extent until you've got the knack of it.

However, if you're new into photography, I'd strongly suggest you buy a good book on mastering exposure and use your camera on manual mode until you grasp that concept.
 
Wail said:
Depending how well you know about controlling your camera, and as suggested by Richard, use what you have to good extent until you've got the knack of it.

However, if you're new into photography, I'd strongly suggest you buy a good book on mastering exposure and use your camera on manual mode until you grasp that concept.
Click to expand...

+1 for a book I brought several books and searched the Internet and still am.
 
HoppyUK said:
If you're a newcomer, then you should spend some time (a lot of time) using what you've got first. 17-85 is a very versatile range. When you've exhausted that, you'll know what you need.

Most people go for a medium tele-zoom next, or a super-wide. Then you need a decent flash, maybe a low f/number prime, perhaps something for macro, and some filters to play with. Plenty of time for all that when you're ready and not necessarily in that order :)
Click to expand...

^^this^^

Use the equipment you have fully and you will find that as you improve there will be kit that you naturally progress into.
 
The best investment now I think is time taking photos because then I think you'll descover what you'll need instead of spending money on something you may not use. Items such as a lens cloth, rocket blower etc are always useful.
 
SilentG180 said:
I have just managed to get hold of my first DSLR on the second hand market (Canon EOS 350D + EF 17-85mm Lens), I also aquired a remote shutter switch and tripod at the same time and I am now looking at what I should be getting hold of next.

Can anyone recommend the sort of things that should be included in a basic kit i.e. filters, a couple of other lenses to cover larger variety of situations etc. Not got a huge budget so looking for gear that will produce half decent results without breaking the bank
Click to expand...

Walk before you run.. it's cheaper and you dent less lamp posts.

There's a lot of very good photographers that have never used anything beyond the kit they started out with. If I'd followed this advice myself I might be a better photographer for it, I'd certainly be a less poor one having not spent so much on gear that sits in the box (cheap medium telephoto, cheap fast prime, cheap filters.. ..).

Give yourself several months to get a feel for things, decide that what you've got is right for you before you turn it into such a huge investment you daren't risk changing your mind. And when you come across something you want to do but can't you'll have a better idea of what you might need next.
 
Hi Mike, welcome to the forum and congrats on your purchase. When I got my first dslr I went for a 550D with the 18-55 IS kit lens. However, what I wanted to shoot mainly was aircraft so I knew I needed something longer than a 55mm focal range.
I'd been taking photos with bridge cameras for a good while before getting the 550D so I went for a zoom straight away. I got a 75-300 MkIII which was practically useless so I sold that on and bought a Tamron 28-300 VC which was excellent for what I wanted at the time with the budget.
I now have a 7D and 5D2 and half a dozen lenses ranging from 24-500mm so I'm pretty well covered for everything I shoot now. Whole point of my ramble is, if you know what you want then go and get it. If you spend 6 months taking photos with 1 lens only and it's either too short or too long you wont enjoy it as much, so have a think of what you want to do and go for it.
 
Go out and use your camera, enjoy yourself and in a few weeks you'll have a better idea of what you a) need and b) need - they are rarely the same thing.
Just because you see some nice photos taken with filters you shouldn't rush out and buy them for yourself until you are sure you need them - I speak from experience. Likewise with lenses, take your time, be sure of what you want, then buy right and buy once.
 
I meant to say a) need and b) want, sorry!

Please can we have an edit feature on the android app?
 
Hi Mike

If you only have the 17-85 lens, I'd recommend looking at a telephoto lens, this would give you a very good focal range.

The Canon 55-250IS is a belter of a lens for the money and fits nicely with your lens. If funds allow the Canon 70-300IS is a cracker of a lens and certainly worth a look...

Hope this is of help...
 
I was at this stage a year ago. I would say have a think about what you want to photograph, and have a look at what photo opportunities are available around you too.
 
going against the grain a bit here.... :lol:

join a camera club or go on some TP meets - lots of friendly people and you will see lots of different types of images, pick the ones you like best and make friends with the photographer... they might invite you out with them, and might allow you to try out their stuff.

Go and make friends with your local camera shop... I live near a London Camera Exchange, and now don't tend to shop anywhere else as I get 1st class service from them... they sometimes have shows (LCE Southampton one coming up in April) where you can go and try things out, and they're a very helpful and knowledgeable lot (other camera shops are available ;)

or look around to have a bit of cheap fun with 2nd hand or budget stuff...
Try out a Raynox D250 filter for some macro stuff - £35ish I think? you'll be amazed at some of the stuff you can achieve with it
Try out some welding glass - great for long exposures (silky water, moving clouds etc), there's a thread on here somewhere called 'welding glass shots' and you can make use of your tripod and remote release.

Above all, have fun with your kit! :)
 
rob-nikon said:
I was at this stage a year ago. I would say have a think about what you want to photograph, and have a look at what photo opportunities are available around you too.
Click to expand...

What is near you or what you want to photograph is going to affect what equipment you buy. As a beginner you can easily make the mistake of buying things you don't need or rapidly out grow of.

I would suggest getting 2 lens, a short focal zoom (something like 17-55) and a medium zoom (something like 50-250 or 70-300). They will cover most of the focal range you need as a beginner.

A bag to keep it in maybe a good idea. Get one that fits your equipment in and that's got room to grow into. Something that is big enough to also store a coat or food in is good idea (great for days at the zoo etc). Lowepro are good make, go to a shop and see what suits you. I got a lowepro flip side 300 due to the back opening being more secure. I wish I had brought he 400 now as I can only fit in the camera gear.

Get a tripod only when you think you need one, then buy something thats at least middle of range. red snapper tripods get good reviews on here and dont break the bank. Tripods again depend on what type of photograph you want to do (a pan and tilt geared head may be no good if you decide you want to do wildlife that moves fast).

A rocket blower or lens cloth is also useful for removing dust or fingerprints.


The above equipment would allow you to try all different types of photography and find out what interests you. I wouldn't bother buying any accessories like filters, to be honest they are pointless until you know where you really want to go in photography. If you keep away from accessories then you will be able to sell the camera and lenses and get a larger percentage back when you upgrade.

Libraries are a good place to borrow books from, you can read different ones from different authors. I found Ross hoddinott "digital exposure handbook" good, it's small enough to fit in the camera bag and take it with you. Websites like Cambridge in colour are good sources of information too.

Best thing is to get out, take photos and enjoy yourself. Don't worry about equipment, the most important thing is the person behind the camera. You will then find out what you type interests you and then you can start to specialise in that area.

I wish someone would have advised me when I started out, I've got filters and small bags that I now don't use. I was lucky to sell my first camera and lenses for roughly what I paid for it 2 years later, but I hate to think how much money I've wasted buying things I now don't use.
 
Hi Mike,

i'd stick with just the lens you have for a few months at least. I'd start with a few accessories for cleaning, a rocket blower and a couple of lens cloths and a lens pen. As you have just the one lens, you will probably keep your sensor quite clean, but if you find spots appearing in your shots, a sensor cleaning kit is a lot cheaper than getting your sensor cleaned.

A spare battery and memory cards are always handy. If you find yourself taking a lot of landscape pictures, have a look at a circular polarising filter.

If you want to start learning flash, i'd recommend a third party flash like one of these and a wireless trigger

After using your kit for a few months and learning about your preferences, you'll get an idea as to what lenses you may need. There's no way of knowing beforehand which you'll want, be it a fast standard prime, macro lenses, telephoto, wide angle or a faster standard zoom.


Enjoy taking pictures!
 
Get yourself the book "Understanding Exposure, 3rd Edition: How to Shoot Great Photographs with Any Camera" by Bryan Paterson.

I wish I had before I started taking lots of disappointing images during the first year of having my camera :)
 
Gordonmac said:
Get yourself the book "Understanding Exposure, 3rd Edition: How to Shoot Great Photographs with Any Camera" by Bryan Paterson.

I wish I had before I started taking lots of disappointing images during the first year of having my camera :)
Click to expand...

Waste of money. The op would learn more asking questions, posting pics and getting critique on here.
 
I wouldn't say it's a waste of money, especially if you can borrow a copy from your local library for nothing. the book is worth a read, but I didn't really learn a huge amount from it compared to what I've learnt by taking photos, getting critique, and asking questions.
 
Last edited:
fracster said:
Waste of money. The op would learn more asking questions, posting pics and getting critique on here.
Click to expand...

Really?

It's often quite nice to do some of the learning yourself - without the social interaction and subjective opinions of others; a bit like your subjective critique of Understanding Exposure - "Waste of money".

Hmmm, constructive :)
 
fracster said:
Waste of money. The op would learn more asking questions, posting pics and getting critique on here.
Click to expand...

It's easy to forget how useful something very basic and to the point can be when everything is new.

I'd also recommend Understanding Exposure as a starting point to get familiar with the basic exposure controls. You'll probably out-grow it very quickly, and then you can go on to explore the use of the histogram and exposure-to-the-right via online guides and tutorials.
 
Gordonmac said:
Really?

It's often quite nice to do some of the learning yourself - without the social interaction and subjective opinions of others; a bit like your subjective critique of Understanding Exposure - "Waste of money".

Hmmm, constructive :)
Click to expand...

Our Frac is not the only one to think Understanding Exposure is not the best book out there. Those people that actually do understand exposure often share that view.

The book was originally written for film. Then there are the surreal Sky Brothers thing, and Mr Green Jeans. He recommends shooting everything on a colour balance set for shade, and cites the histogram as the second most useless thing to be found on a modern camera (after white balance).

How it is possible to write an entire book about exposure without even mentioning the histogram or blinkies (highlight warning) - which together are the most useful exposure tools - is a bit beyond me.
 
HoppyUK said:
Our Frac is not the only one to think Understanding Exposure is not the best book out there. Those people that actually do understand exposure often share that view.

The book was originally written for film. Then there are the surreal Sky Brothers thing, and Mr Green Jeans. He recommends shooting everything on a colour balance set for shade, and cites the histogram as the second most useless thing to be found on a modern camera (after white balance).

How it is possible to write an entire book about exposure without even mentioning the histogram or blinkies (highlight warning) - which together are the most useful exposure tools - is a bit beyond me.
Click to expand...

Agreed. It's probably quite handy if you live in Calif. but otherwise his default settings don't really work in this country. The concept of permanent Cloudy WB will leave you with coffee coloured skin half the time which looks like gunk. Apart from which, if you are shooting in RAW, WB is a guide rather than a preset.

If you can nab a copy from the library it's worth browsing through, but I wouldn't spend money on it.

Apart from the very basics, which I learnt from a Blue Crane DVD, I've learnt more from this forum (and DPR a few years ago) than anywhere else.

The key is to read, read and then read some more. Work out who knows what they are actually talking about (as opposed to those who are spouting some second hand received 'wisdom') and then put that knowledge into practice.

Once you are comfortable with the photos that you are producing then put some carefully selected ones up for robust C&C and be prepared to accept what is said- unless you consider the comment to be blatantly wrong, or missing your intentions.

Exposure for natural light is probably one of the easier aspects of photography. The harder parts are composition, artistic input and learning what subject matter turns an average shot into an exhibition piece; ie what to frame and when to hit the shutter.
 
Last edited:
SilentG180 said:
...Canon EOS 350D ... a remote shutter switch
Click to expand...

One thing I've found very useful over time is the ability to fire the shutter from slightly further away... example when freezing my stots off taking long exposures using a remote release... the ability to make it more remote by addition of a 5m extension (so I can hide in the lee of a building/similar and still fire the shutter)

Should be about £2.50-£3 tops at Amazon or eBlag.
 
There are some good books for your camera model to explain all the controls, try and avoid shooting in full auto and try and use the creative controls "P" "Av" etc, good luck and enjoy
 
Ath$rton said:
im new to talk photography but i was looking a macro lens second hand for canon anyone know where to look and see where one can be bought ?

matt
Click to expand...

Hi Matthew

You'll probably get more response starting a new thread re this ...

The sigma 50mm is well worth a look at, ESP if you don't need the extra length for bugs
 
Perhaps submit some photo's on sites like this and ask for critique, it should point you in the right direction.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top