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lydiarose

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hello
i would like to join the big bad world of dslr cameras and have been looking at the Canon 650D, infact i pretty much have my heart set.

i have read lots of reviews and done quite a bit of research and it seems that the 18-55mm kit lens you get with it isnt really worth getting so i want to get the 50mm 1.8 instead (nifty fifty?)
eventually when i scrape enough cash together i will get the 18-135mm lens... (or the other way around)

as i am completely new to this, could anybody give me some advice as to what else i have to buy.. i have seen things like filters or uv filters? i dont know what they are and whether or not i should get one.. also can anyone recommend any decent, but cheap, bags.

i know people will shout at me saying well tell us what you want to use it for but im looking for a good all round camera, for holidays, friends.. maybe a bit of nature. who knows!

thanks for your help
 
If your just getting into photography you'll want:

650d- or any similar one
50mm 1.8- good iq for the price and good in low light
18-135mm- good starting place and has good focal length range. You might want longer eventually but this is a good place to start for fairly little money (£150-£200).

Unless your shooting somewhere sandy, salty or with lots of debris flying around don't worry about uv filters on these lenses as they are relatively cheap.

Then get a bag to keep it in.

If you want to shoot scenery in low light then get a tripod.

Get some lens cleaning clothes and maybe a rocket blower / lens pen.

When you start dropping serious money on gear you need to know what kind of area you want to shoot.

Welcome to TP btw.

Any questions feel free to ask.
 
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lydiarose said:
hello
i would like to join the big bad world of dslr cameras and have been looking at the Canon 650D, infact i pretty much have my heart set.

i have read lots of reviews and done quite a bit of research and it seems that the 18-55mm kit lens you get with it isnt really worth getting so i want to get the 50mm 1.8 instead (nifty fifty?)
eventually when i scrape enough cash together i will get the 18-135mm lens... (or the other way around)

as i am completely new to this, could anybody give me some advice as to what else i have to buy.. i have seen things like filters or uv filters? i dont know what they are and whether or not i should get one.. also can anyone recommend any decent, but cheap, bags.

i know people will shout at me saying well tell us what you want to use it for but im looking for a good all round camera, for holidays, friends.. maybe a bit of nature. who knows!

thanks for your help
Click to expand...

Welcome to TP :)

My advice would be, get a 650D by all means, but don't dimiss the standard 18-55 kit zoom. It's a very versatile lens that you can have a go at most things with, it's better quality than many give it credit for, but most of all it's a bargain, especially when purchased with a camera.

If you want to swap it, make sure you get an equally good deal, or get it anyway, see how you get on, then maybe sell it on for pretty much what you paid. There are lots of of alternatives, but a decent upgrade in terms of image quality will cost a few hundred quid.

50 1.8 is another bargain lens, but a bit of a one trick pony. In terms of what you get in the picture, it will be exactly the same as the kit zoom when set at 50mm, the difference is it's f/1.8 which is good for shallow depth of field effects (eg portraits with blurry backgrounds) or shooting in low light, but not much else!

Learn first, buy extra lenses/flash etc when you know exactly what you want to do.

PS millions of bags out there, most of them good and cheap. Depends what you want, but they're like handbags - not sure how many I've got but it's into double figures and I use three of them regularly.
 
wow,thanks for your replies!

okay well im glad my decisions arent offending too many people, i was expecting you to tell me the camera was wrong or lenses were bad ideas

i think i will get a tripod eventually, but until i decide what i actually want to do with the camera then my cat will probably be my model :cool:

will have a look on ebay for bags, cloths and spare batteries
 
no camera is perfect :P but everyone has an intended use and a budget
650D is a great piece of kit i think
the kit lens is far better than the kit lens I got with my 350D 7 years ago!

look into, when budget allows.
50mm 1.8 great lens, <100 quid
55-250mm IS around 100 quid 2nd hand
tripod, you can get a basic plastic one for around 30-50 quid
decent speed on a SD card
bag
insurance maybe?
flashes? well very very very handy, but if you can't spring for one, what about a mounted diffuser for about £5 on ebay?
batteries? great but unless you're on a mission ,your normal battery should be really good.
filters? not essential yet but handy, protect your lens and if you're into landscapes very handy

p.s...welcome :)
 
Is there much of a benefit in the 650D over the 600D?
Touch screen aside...
 
DizMatt said:
..........650D is a great piece of kit i think
the kit lens is far better than the kit lens I got with my 350D 7 years ago!....
Click to expand...

The kit lens will probably be more than adequate, this was taken with my original 350D and it's kit lens, so I would start with that, perhaps a 50mm f1.8 for low light, then save up for some good glass. The Canon 15-85 is an excellent general purpose lens for a crop sensor.

I35_G2266.jpg
 
HoppyUK said:
My advice would be, get a 650D by all means, but don't dimiss the standard 18-55 kit zoom. It's a very versatile lens that you can have a go at most things with, it's better quality than many give it credit for, but most of all it's a bargain, especially when purchased with a camera.
Click to expand...

Quite right - I don't know why so many people are so ready to dismiss the kit lens - perhaps it's just a kind of snobbery or perhaps they just assume that because it comes with the camera it's worthless - in fact, used properly, it's an excellent lens.

50mm 1.8 is another bargain lens, but a bit of a one trick pony. In terms of what you get in the picture, it will be exactly the same as the kit zoom when set at 50mm, the difference is it's f/1.8 which is good for shallow depth of field effects (eg portraits with blurry backgrounds) or shooting in low light, but not much else!
Click to expand...

Totally wrong - the 50mm f1.8 is an excellent lens the optics of which can beat almost all "L" glass lenses and at a fraction of th price!

It is very small and made of plastic hence very light but can produce excellent pictures and is VERY versatile:

http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?p=5154182#post5154182

it is also a very good macro lens when coupled with extension tubes or even a set of cheap close up filters from Ebay:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/20926615@N05/sets/72157625975281497/

Learn first, buy extra lenses/flash etc when you know exactly what you want to do.
Click to expand...

Once again quite right - learn what you and your camera can do with the kit lens first then, if you need to, gradually extend the lenses as you need.

BTW I now only have THREE lenses in all for my FF camera - the 50mm f1.8,
the 28-135mm IS USM lens (an absolute cracker of a walk-about lens, very sharp, quite cheap, and I definitely wouldn't be without it!), and the 70-300mm L IS USM lens which I mainly use coupled with Kenko extension tubes for close up shots of insects and bees, wasps etc:

http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?p=4693317#post4693317

The only other thing I would say is avoid EF-S lenses if you can, not because they are bad, but they can only be used on crop cameras so if you ever go to FF they can't be used.

.
 
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petersmart said:
d say is avoid EF-S lenses if you can, not because they are bad, but they can only be used on crop cameras so if you ever go to FF they can't be used.
Click to expand...

Balderdash. Possibly the worst advice you can give a newbie.

Buy the best lens for the gear you have now, not for something that you may buy sometime in the future. If you ignore EF-S lenses then you ignore some of the best lenses Canon makes, like the 17-55 and 10-22.
 
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Have to agree on the kit lens don't discount it! I keep that vey lens in my bag as a just in case!


The nifty fifty is great for low light and DOF but being a prime obviously has fixed focal length.
You mentioned in your post folks would say it depends what you want to use it for well it sort of does.

As others have said get used to using the camera first. Get your hands on some photography mags for beginners and get some ideas and tips from them, you'll prob find there's things in there you want to try and gradually build your kit from there.

When you do eventually start to build your kit second hand is prob the way to go without losing a shed load of cash if you find the kit isn't right for you.

Hope you enjoy your adventure. :-)
 
I agree with the view here that you should use the kit lens.

You say you are "... completely new to this...".

If that means completely new to photography then learn about aperture, shutter speed and ISO, how they relate to each other and the effect each can have on the final image.
Even if you know about the photographic principles, just go out with your camera and take load of shots before thinking about another lens.

You asked about bags.

I use this one -

http://www.7dayshop.com/hama-track-pack-190-camera-bag-backpack-rucksack-ref-103705?q=rucksack&sl=sl

It holds

DSLR + kit lens,
70-210mm zoom lens,
50mm lens,
few filters,
blower,
lens cloth,
camera manual,
spare battery and charger,
phone charger,
a pair of 10x50 binoculars, and
has a bit of room left for a drink.

However, there are lots of other bags, eg
http://www.redsnapperuk.com/camera-accessories/Bags_And_Backpacks.html

Dave
 
I've got to disagree with the comment about not bothering with UV filter because the lens are cheap!

As a newbie the last thing you want is to ruin the glass of a lens and as you are getting to know the gear for the first time silly mistakes can be made.

These lens are not cheap.. They are merely the cheaper options. What is cheap is a UV filter that will protect the glass of a lens!
 
hollis_f said:
Balderdash. Possibly the worst advice you can give a newbie.

Buy the best lens for the gear you have now, not for something that you may buy sometime in the future. If you ignore EF-S lenses then you ignore some of the best lenses Canon makes, like the 17-55 and 10-22.
Click to expand...

Well they are excellent lenses but at a cost of around £600 each I doubt if they're relevant for someone who is getting his first DSLR camera.

.
 
petersmart said:
Well they are excellent lenses but at a cost of around £600 each I doubt if they're relevant for someone who is getting his first DSLR camera.

.
Click to expand...

But at least more relevant than the prospect of spending much more than that on a full-frame camera, which was your idea.
 
HoppyUK said:
But at least more relevant than the prospect of spending much more than that on a full-frame camera, which was your idea.
Click to expand...

Not at all - there are many S/H FF cameras for sale at less then that - I bought my 1Ds MkII in the classifieds here for just on £1000 and it's an excellent camera.

.
 
Good to see people backing the kit lens. The range provided by an 18-55 kit lens is very useful and a much better option than having a 50 1.8 if only having one lens.
Use it for a while and then get a better idea of what it is missing for you so your next lens can be bought based on experience and needs.

There is a reason that the 18-55 lens is pretty standard across the different camera manufacturers.
 
Hi

As has been said, don't dismiss the 18-55IS kit lens, it's a good lens and gets you shooting with your new Camera - yes there are better lens out there, but then they are also more expensive. The price of the kit lens when bought with the body, is relatively low, so I'd def get it.

As others have suggested, the 50mm F1.8 is relatively cheap and worth a look at. The 55-250IS is a great lens, especially for the low cost.

Whatever you decide, enjoy it ...

Looking ahead, if you decided to sell the Camera on, it can be easier to sell with a lens, than without.
 
petersmart said:
Not at all - there are many S/H FF cameras for sale at less then that - I bought my 1Ds MkII in the classifieds here for just on £1000 and it's an excellent camera.

.
Click to expand...

well considering the op is going to be trying to scrape enough money to buy an 18 - 135 lens , i doubt she is going to want to blow a grand on a second hand body
 
donutagain said:
well considering the op is going to be trying to scrape enough money to buy an 18 - 135 lens , i doubt she is going to want to blow a grand on a second hand body
Click to expand...

That reply was made in the context of it being suggested that it was better to buy two lenses which together come to around £1200.00.

And naturally I would not consider telling the OP to spend such sums of money until she had a real need for the equipment which I why I included the 28-135.. IS USM lens which I have used since the days of my 350D and still use on my 1Ds MkII.

.
 
petersmart said:
That reply was made in the context of it being suggested that it was better to buy two lenses which together come to around £1200.00.

And naturally I would not consider telling the OP to spend such sums of money until she had a real need for the equipment which I why I included the 28-135.. IS USM lens which I have used since the days of my 350D and still use on my 1Ds MkII.

.
Click to expand...

I think you can split hairs over who said what in what context but you said avoid E-FS lenses and that is poor advice, the 10-22 and 17-55 being the examples talked about, both really excellent and can be bought second hand and then sold little loss.
 
petersmart said:
That reply was made in the context of it being suggested that it was better to buy two lenses which together come to around £1200.00.



.
Click to expand...

cant find a post with anyone suggesting to buy two lenses costing £1200 .
although someone did suggest dont ignore certain lenses , anyway nuff said
:)
 
Welcome to the forum :)

Body

The 650D is an excellent choice. Body only, brand new can be had for under £500 and you might find used bodies in very good condition in the classifieds. With the 18-55 kit lens, it can be had for just under £530.

http://camerapricebuster.co.uk/prod.php?n=CanonEOS650Dwith18-55mmISIILens&p=2889

Lens

You can get the kit lens for just an extra £30 when you buy it bundled. That is excellent value for a lens that is not all that bad. A few things to remember:

- The kit lens is pretty slow (slow = small aperture) which means it may not be the best lens for indoor use in low light conditions without flash.
- As a walkabout and travel lens (mostly outdoor use), it is not a bad lens at all
- You can take excellent photos with the kit lens if you know how to work around its limitations. But be aware that it is built to a price. There are much better lenses out there but they will cost significantly more.
- It has a basic DC motor for focusing. Not particularly fast or accurate and is not likely to be suitable for focus tracking (AI Servo)

The 50mm f/1.8

- I owned one a while ago and I had a love/hate relationship with it
- Optics are pretty good and stopped down, for static subjects, it will give you excellent results

3280894859_1d4d40dc33_o_d.jpg


3281715266_a7f1b88d22_o_d.jpg


- It has the world's worst focusing system. It really is complete and utter c***. Which means your success rate when shooting wide open will be low - especially while shooting moving targets like kids
- It's pretty cheap so it's a good lens to have a play with. However, until your skills improve, I wouldn't use it as a main lens.

UV Filters

- Please save yourself some grief and don't bother with them. They are utterly useless in every possible way imaginable.
- They will NEVER improve your photos
- They are likely to reduce the quality of your photos in certain conditions
- Sometimes, UV filters can confuse the AF system
- They can cause flares and some weird effects in photos (again, under certain lighting conditions)
- The argument that it "protects" the front element: The front element is not as fragile as you might think. With a reasonable amount of care, your camera and lenses will last a very long time.

Other Lenses

- I've heard very good things about the 18-135mm. Slightly pricey.
- The 17-55 is very good but incredibly expensive
- The new(ish) 15-85 appears to be a good lens (again, expensive)
- The 55-250 is an excellent telephoto zoom
- The 10-22 - tons of fun to be had!
- 60mm macro - one of the best macro lenses for APS-C
- The Sigma 30mm f/1.4 - brilliant lens. Till the time I upgraded to a 5D Mark II, it was my most used lens (on a 400D).
- The 85mm f/1.8 - brilliant lens. My current favourite.

Other Accessories

- Microfibre cloths - will keep your camera and lenses clean
- A few fast SD cards - instead of investing in a single, high capacity card, get two or three lower capacity ones. Buy the fastest you can afford and stick with established brands.
- One extra battery - doesn't have to be genuine Canon, there are third party batteries available
- If you can afford it, an external flash that can tilt and swivel. It will completely transform your indoor photography. Look for a used 430EX in the classifieds.
- Software: The bundled DPP is very good but if you want to be more creative, invest in a copy of Lightroom 4 or Photoshop Elements. Both can be had pretty cheap.
- A decent bag to hold all this!

Good luck :)

Cheers
 
highpriest said:
Welcome to the forum :)
The 50mm f/1.8....Which means your success rate when shooting wide open will be low - especially while shooting moving targets like kids
Click to expand...

All I will say to that is that I have taken hundreds (if not thousands) of pictures of children in my own family with this lens and available light and it's a cracker! :

http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?p=5154182#post5154182

And with the one I have focusing is fine and not nearly as slow as many people seem to suggest.

.
 
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