What about this starter kit?

[Hoomer]

Hi, i love to travel and take pictures; mainly of landscapes, monuments and people.
Until now i used a Canon ixus 50 camera but the magnified photos, even in maximal resolution aren't that great so i decided to buy a new kit.
And i'm thinkin to buy:

1- Camera: Canon EOS 400d (was in doubt betwenn this and sony a 1oo and nikon d80, but i prefer the canon to the sony, don't realy know why and compared to the nikon i think it isnt woth the peice difference of 200 euros)

2- Memory card: 2 CF extreme III 2 GB (instead of 1 4Gb, in case i loose or break one. And the little price difference justifies these cards compared to the ultra II, even if the speed diference isnt that noticible)

3- Memory Card reader: Sandisk ExtremeMate (to take maximum advantage of the extreme III crads, transferrin the photos to the computer)

4- Tripod: Joby Gorillapod SLR Zoom (it's more "adjustable" than a standard tripod so i can put it on a tree or door; and its better to transport than a standard big one; SLR Zoom because it supports to 3kg, so i can freelky upgrade the lenses in the future without worries)

5- Bagpack: Tamron Adventure 9 (usefull because i can put in a laptop and other stuff like books, pda, etc when im traveling)

6- Camera Armour: Made Silicon Armour (so the camera is protected even when im using the gorillpod in "strang" places)

7- Lenses: im going with the standard canon lens (18-55mm) so i can adapt and explore the camera while im a newbie and discover my future preferences

So, what do u think?
I'd apreciate some suggestions,
Thanks a lot,
Hoomer

 

[RobertP]

Welcome to the forums.

Your list is all personal choices and only you know the reasons behind those choices.
I don't own any fast CF cards and I've yet to be in a situation where i'd filled the buffer and was waiting to take the next shot. if it ever happens then I might consider spending extra on fast cards.
The Gorillapod strikes me as a novelty item. It may have a few unique uses but a standard tripod has got to be better.
Can't imagine having a rubber skin over the camera either. Sounds very impractical.
The kit lens can be very good considering the price (mine is) and has a good range for general shots.

 

[mobilevirgin]

If you want to do portraits, then get a Canon 50mm 1.8 lens, eg http://SPAM/2xnkz7

Its £50 well spent. And buy some more memory

 

[chrisiow]

You seem to have put a lot of thought into it and it seems a good place to start, now you need to decide where to buy it all.

 

[Hoomer]

mobilevirgin - i'm no expert but hasnt that lens a very small depth range (so only the face, for example, is in focus)??

As for the total price for all this, i've been surfing the net looking for the best prices and i will cost me about 900€ (about 1200 US$)

 

[Lufbrarunner]

mobilevirgin - i'm no expert but hasnt that lens a very small depth range (so only the face, for example, is in focus)??

You can alter the aperture to gain more DOF