Upgrading my kit (canon)

[Adam_B]

Hello folks, i dont post very often but make good use of the search

Anyway, with xmas coming soon i was thinking of upgrading my kit. Im at Uni for the next 2 and a half years studying BA Hons Photography and currently im edging towards people and documentary styles rather than big landscapes etc.

Current kit is a 400D with the kit lens, the 50mm f1.8 mk2 (think thats what its called) and a tamron 55-200. I know my lenses are towards the bottom end of the scale but at the time it was more about learning with what i could afford.

So where do you reccomend i go in terms of upgrading what i have? new body, lenses? I dont really have a budget as im not sure what things cost if that makes sense!

Cheers, Adam

 

[StewartR]

What is it about your current gear that you think is holding you back, and why? Answer that, and the direction of your upgrade becomes clear. And if you can't answer it, save your money.

 

[Adam_B]

Just fancied some shiney new things that might be usefull

 

[alexnail]

The 400D is a very capable camera. If you dont know you need to upgrade it, then you dont need to upgrade it. The 50mm 1.8 is a very good lens, it is cheap, it looks cheap, it feels cheap, but it takes great images.

One thing that strikes me about you lens lineup is that you dont ahve a wideangle or anything even close.

I would look to get a wideangle lens. A canon 18-55 is a great starting point. There was one for sale here for £25 today and that would be great to play with and you can sell it on for the price you bought it at.

You may wish too look at a wider fast prime, probably 24mm.

At any rate, dont rush into it, work out what you need first.

Alex

 

[PD_BARBS]

Its really difficult to answer this question without knowing what your budget is and what kind of shots you like to take.

So to try and answer it I will tell you what I did. I bought my 400D about 9 months ago and quickly decided I need more reach than the 18-55 kit lens offered. So my first upgrade was to get a lens with abit more reach, so I bought a second hand canon 28-105 for £90, which to be fair I was very happy with great pictures, nice colours. I then found I missed something at the wide end, so bought a Sigma 10-20 as I mostly take landscpaes £250 second hand.

I also added the nifty fifty which you have, for portraits more than anything else and a Tamron 70-300 for that extra reach (hardly ever used).


I am now looking at better glass, so just added the Tamron 28-75mm F2.8 for indoor shots as the 28-105 was struggling indoors. So I will be selling my 28-105 soon to cover this.

Basically what I am saying is invest in lenses before body and buy based on what you like to shoot, there is no need to cover the full focal range unless you will use it. You can take a gamble as more often than not you will make more money back reselling.

But if you want versatility look at the 28-200 or something equivalent.