my kit is not the best, so my pictures are rubbish!!

Robbo

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Right, it has come to my attention that my pictures I take with my 450d and weak consumer lenses are rubbish. Having read through some posts I have decided that I cant take good picture unless I get a 1D VI with a bunch of L lenses, so I have decided to sell my car to help fund this as my family and home take up to much money from me. How selfish.

So basically, I need to best lenses, or my pictures wont be good, and no other consumer lens will manage to do decent picture because Canon forgot to put an L after it.

TBH, not everyone on here has lots of money saved, or spare, to afford thousands on lenses or other kit.

This is my hobby, I cant afford to just go out and buy a lens for a thousand pound, and to save that money to have it spare, would take me a year or so, as I have other priorities in life, like looking after my family's needs.

I'm getting a bit fed up of always having consumer lenses being slated, and that you must have an L lens or it will look ****.

I would like to believe the images I get from my kit are fairly good, without having to have 'the best' most expensive lens as nothing else will cut it. baring in mind this is a hobby I have had for 6 month.

I have included a few pictures below, please tell me what you think, all shot with canon 450D and will state lens above the picture.

If you can please tell me what way an L lens would have improved the picture, that PP couldn't and if it would be justified to pay the price difference.

Sorry about the rant, but some times I feel that my pictures aren't ever going to be good, or good enough because of my kit, and I, or anyone else shouldn't have to feel like that. At some point I have been told I need to upgrade from these 3 lenses.

Canon kit lens 18-55 IS
Flour-1.jpg


Canon kit lens 18-55 IS
G2-1.jpg


Canon 60mm macro - fly on grass
test-8.jpg


Canon 60mm macro
Final-6.jpg


Canon 70-300 IS USM

Very first go with this lens and at sports photography. Very harsh sun in the rugby one, and a poor muddy bg :lol:
SeatonRugby3-2.jpg


AlneCricket2-2.jpg
 
Keep the car - it'll take you to nice places to photograph. Sell the family - over the course of a year, they'll cost you way more than cameras and lenses.
 
These look very nice - but technically - as far as the lenses go - hard to tell much at these small sizes. I suspect they'll be fine larger too - all taken in good light or controlled conditions. If you're happy with them - then forget what anyone else says!
 
Keep the car - it'll take you to nice places to photograph. Sell the family - over the course of a year, they'll cost you way more than cameras and lenses.

I like the way you think lol (off to change the locks)
 
Just sell your family and your car and be done with it. You know you want L lenses really ;)

I get where you're coming from, and the pics you've posted serve your point well (though they are only small)

I really like the watch shot by the way, would you mind me asking how it was lit and/or post processed?
 
Awwwwww maaaaate :hug:

Totally agreed with you.
All my favorite work is from the kit lens.

Yeah I want better glass, but only faster glass reall for shooting low light and maybe sharper shots.

But it's not a must! My best selling photo was taken on a Fuji-finepix would you believe??
 
Nothing wrong with them for me! I would be pleased with results like that. I think that sometimes we are too critical with our own work and try to achieve to much!
A friend asked me to take some pics of a presentation of a poem to a museum. I took 15-25 pics some of which I deleted imediately. The others I processed but still thought they were 'missing something' I sent them to the interested parties saying I would re-shoot if they wished, but they were over the moon with them! even asked me to do some other stuff in the future! Ones mans meat and all that!
No, I didn't get paid, I'm an amature. Yes I did get credits for my pics, and I'm more than pleased with that!
 
will post the 800 sizes....give me a min.

I'd love to see them at 800px but I doubt even that size will tell much more about how sharp they are - you only start to see real difference when you get to really large sizes at high (not screen) resolution. Just relax - I'm sure they look great.
 
Don't worry about it Robbo, sometimes I feel the same and it's better off to be in your frame of mind that some of the pillocks (on the forum and in the real world) that you're describing. That flour shot is awesome, as is the gecko. Goes to show it's not about what you've got but how you use it ;)
 
No, I didn't get paid, I'm an amature. Yes I did get credits for my pics, and I'm more than pleased with that!

I'm not going to comment - plenty comments on other threads to deal with this!
 
There are plenty of non L lenses that are fantastic - and there are lenses out there better than the top NIKKORs and Ls.

generally speaking with a glass you get what you pay for, so if you drop thousands on a glass it will be better than a glass that cost 200 quid.

The main thing it seems that hikes the prices up are aperture speeds. Fast teles for instance generally don't come in 'cheap and cheerful' forms, so are expensive and usually very high quality. It would be nice to have fast glass that is also cheap, a la Canon's nifty fifty - but unfortunately it don't work like that. Good glass is almost always fast glass, and fast glass is expensive glass.

Canon's less expensive Ls are still great but are unfortunately slow as a dog - f/4!

I also forgot to mention - your pictures are great, but judging by a lot of the threads you post, you have upgradeitis.
 
Just sell your family and your car and be done with it. You know you want L lenses really ;)

I get where you're coming from, and the pics you've posted serve your point well (though they are only small)

I really like the watch shot by the way, would you mind me asking how it was lit and/or post processed?

was lit off camera flash from the left I think with diffuser. And processed from raw image, not really sure what I done tbh it was a while back.

All look mighty fine to me mate tbh, i love the lizard/gecko 1 especially, it belongs on the fron of a reptile magazine.

Cheers mate :-)
 
Do you want to keep the car and feed the family?

Haven't you heard that the body works perfectly well with one Kidney and probably be ok with just one eye for the viewfinder, so get that retina sold too

So which L lens do you fancy first then or you could buy an equally expensive EF-S 17-55mm IS?
(sorry, but that really is better than the kit lens and you would notice the difference even with your one good eye)
 
I'm not going to comment - plenty comments on other threads to deal with this!

:shrug: Not quite sure I know what you are saying here! :shake:
 
I also forgot to mention - your pictures are great, but judging by a lot of the threads you post, you have upgradeitis.

upgradeitis?

as in I dont want to upgrade or I want to?

I feel like I 'should' upgrade from comments I read, not that I necessaries 'want' to.
 
Do you want to keep the car and feed the family?

Haven't you heard that the body works perfectly well with one Kidney and probably be ok with just one eye for the viewfinder, so get that retina sold too

So which L lens do you fancy first then?

hmmm one kidney you say? lol
 
was lit off camera flash from the left I think with diffuser. And processed from raw image, not really sure what I done tbh it was a while back.

Ta mate. I really do like that for some reason. Looks even better at 800 too
 
upgradeitis?

as in I dont want to upgrade or I want to?

I feel like I 'should' upgrade from comments I read, not that I necessaries 'want' to.

upgradeitis. Mean that you want to upgrade even although you might not need to.

I've got it! I just upgraded to the Canon 50mm f/1.4, but I didn't need to.
 
upgradeitis. Mean that you want to upgrade even although you might not need to.

I've got it! I just upgraded to the Canon 50mm f/1.4, but I didn't need to.

ahhh ok lol....well yea I would love some of the top end stuff...but totally out of my reach.. lol
 
I think the shots are spot on, it just goes to show it's the person behind the camera that counts. Most of us don't print above A4 so it's not imperative to have the most expensive lenses for the casual hobbiest. L series lenses are great, but they wont make you a great photographer.
 
I think the shots are spot on, it just goes to show it's the person behind the camera that counts. Most of us don't print above A4 so it's not imperative to have the most expensive lenses for the casual hobbiest. L series lenses are great, but they wont make you a great photographer.


dont get me wrong, I can totally see the good side to and L lens for more 'pro' people, larger image, high usage from the lens etc.

, but for cases where people do this for a hobby a few times a week and made to feel their kit is inadequate to produce good pictures. At the moment I use my pictures for use on computers/ friends/local stuff all on computers. And print the odd A4 off that I am happy with to slowly build a portfolio.

If I ever get the the stage where large images or money is involved where I might need the extra umpfh of an L lens or better body then fair enough.

but I just feel some times people forget that this is a hobby for a lot of people.
 
Robbo mate, what's happening to you??? My first piece of advice is to stop pixel peeping, it's a miserable, fruitless exercise that only gets in the way of actually taking photographs... Are you stuck in a bit of rut at the moment and feeling a bit "off" with it all or are you still enjoying your togging??
 
Robbo mate, what's happening to you??? My first piece of advice is to stop pixel peeping, it's a miserable, fruitless exercise that only gets in the way of actually taking photographs... Are you stuck in a bit of rut at the moment and feeling a bit "off" with it all or are you still enjoying your togging??

I still love it mate, there are a few things happening at the min stopping me to getting out as much as I like to, hence not many picture posts lol.

Its just reading through various post which make me feeling like my kit is 'not good enough' and down to my own fault becoming paranoid my kit is pants, so that my pictures arent as good, leading to me researching everything slowly becoming crazy :cuckoo:

lol...I need a slap yes I know.

my main problem since I was a kit.....I am a total extreme perfectionist!
 
Expensive lenses won't improve the style or character in your photos.

They may make a difference when pixel peeping your photographs when blown up and printed at A2 but then anyone pixel peeping at that size print is to close.

Quality in the size you have shown looks fine to me and I believe they will look fine at A4 as well.

Remember all cameras take good shots. It is you however, that make them great.
 
Best idea would be to find the people who told you that your shots are carp because you need a better lens, kidnap them, and sell THEIR kidneys... both of em, if you want. :)

Maybe it's just me, but I read the Original Post as a subtle two fingers to the gearheads, rather than a heartfelt need to swap kit... Of course I could be wrong :shrug:
 
Best idea would be to find the people who told you that your shots are carp because you need a better lens, kidnap them, and sell THEIR kidneys... both of em, if you want. :)

Maybe it's just me, but I read the OP as a subtle two fingers to the gearheads, rather than a heartfelt need to swap kit... Of course I could be wrong :shrug:


OP? can you put than last bit in real thicko words? :lol:
 
I'll advise people to upgrade if they are expecting to shoot a wedding in low light with slow lenses but other than that I agree with a lot of what has been said.

You get good results and long may that continue, talent is not dependant on just kit :)
 
Cheers AliB.....Like I say I do understand reasons for upgrade for certain things etc,
 
Not just weddings . . . but if you're shooting as a hobbyist then you can walk away if you can't get the shot - if the light isn't there - whatever - different if it's your job.
 
Not just weddings . . . but if you're shooting as a hobbyist then you can walk away if you can't get the shot - if the light isn't there - whatever - different if it's your job.

Surely your aloud to just walk out half way through a wedding if its a dull day? or get everyone to stand still for 1/2 a second lol
 
LOL - hadn't thought of that - next time it rains on a shoot I'll tell the picture editor I didn't want my shiny D3 to get wet and I just went home! :)
 
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