Photography

Tmbrooks75

I am embarking on a new hobby, photography. Looking at buying a Canon 60D. Opinions? Suggestions? What sort of lenses do you use? like? Lets start a discussion.

daves160

What will you be using as subject matter?

A good portrait lens is the USM 85mm 1.8
This lense will not vignette or distort and has a nice wide aperature.

A good all around zoom is the IS USM 17-85mm. This is just a really good lens that will fill almost every need. Unless you want a super zoom, or very fast lenses(L type)

You can spend a heck of a lot more on L type lenses, or you can get some cheaper ones too. Those two I mentioned will serve you well though.

Look in to getting some UV and polarizing filters as well

Tmbrooks75

I still have LOTS to learn about this field. As for subject matter, I am varied at this point. I have about 5 friends that have said they would model for me to give me some practice at that. I love taking landscape pics and really like macro photography a lot. I love seeing details in the little things in life.

Just about everyone I have talked to said I should get the nifty fifty 50mm 1.8.

Would love to get into sports photography down the road. That lens is just way outa my price range right now.

Havent delved into learning about filters yet. how often do you use them?

ATT949

One thing to keep in mind — the camera that you pay $1000 for (for example) will be worth $500 in two years.

I've owned cameras since the late 60's (I started when I was a kid) and even sold cameras for a while as a teenager. Technology makes cameras "obsolete" very quickly. Yes, they still do what you bought them to do but new cameras and top of the line cameras come at a significant price premium.

I bought a Nikon D200 a few years ago. Excellent camera with features that I want and use but the price has plummeted.

If you're going to spend any serious coin, put money into lenses, not into camera bodies. I bought a Nikon 105 macro that cost me $700 and it's now worth about $800 used. Jut checked Amazon - the price has continued to rise:

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_5_8?url=search-alias=aps&field-keywords=nikon+105mm+f+2.8g+ed-if+af-s+vr+micro-nikkor+lens&x=0&y=0&sprefix=nikon+10


Insofar as brands - I've owned Yashica, Olympus, Pentax, Canon, and Nikon cameras. They're all good quality. My take on Canon vs Nikon - both have excellent picture quality, more lenses than you'll ever use, and features galore. from what I've read about Canon, they're not as usable as Nikons. In contrast, Nikons are easier to use but when you get into "measurbator" territory, Canon's have better image quality than Nikons.

One site I like (he's a heretic) is kenrockwell.com

The most important photography page on the internet:

http://www.kenrockwell.com/tech/notcamera.htm


Well, one of the most… :-)


Ken shoots Nikon and Canon digital but he also dabbles with other cameras and formats.


Oh, like the other poster said, get a UV filter and leave it on the front of your lenses. I've recommended that for years (decades) and it finally paid off a few years back when a door handle hit the filter and cracked it instead of hitting the front element of the lens.

tiptoeketo

Get yourself a nifty 50...1.8

Tmbrooks75

man, after reading all that Ken Rockwell stuff..... I dunno. It makes a lot of sense, now I am just discouraged.

Puffins1958

I have a Canon G11, and LOVE it, although it does not have a GREAT zoom lense. The color is picture perfect.

beeny83

I have a Canon 50D and a Canon 1100D I also have a 50mm 1.8 prime lens which is pretty much only used for portraits I also have a 17-85mm IS USM which is my live on lens and a 70-300 IS USM which I use for landscapes if I need the zoom, I also have an 18-55mm lens its cheep and well crappy to be honest so I don't ever use it. As your just starting out I would be getting the 50mm 1.8 and the 17-85mm IS USM or you could always get the 18-200mm.

If your not wanting to break the bank then stay away from the L series lenses, they are great lenses but your not going to get much out of them until you know what to do with them.

Good luck and have fun!!

daves160

Lots of good stuff here. I have an old 20D and I still love it. It doesn't measure up to the newer models, but still takes amazing photos.

The 60D is a good body, and will give you lots of good years and pictures. Don't worry about the latest greatest stuff. If you want to get 1 good lens, then I still suggest the IS USM 17-85mm. I will do everything you are wanting to do, and then some; a 50mm lens has little in the way of versatility.

Focus on learning the techniques and how to manipulate the shutter speed and aperature to get what you want in your pictures. Learn about composition and contrast, then build on that. Don't let the tecno-babble scare you. Just go out and shoot and have fun.

Tmbrooks75

The lens that comes with the camera is a EF-S 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 IS how does that compare to the one you mentioned? better? worse?

dalgirly

I just picked up photography as a hobby --- my bf does it, so figured it would be nice to do something together.

I bought a D5100 Nikon and absolutely love it. I bought a Nikon because my dad has old Nikon lenses that work with it. But I absolutely love it. (And I got 300$ off + free lens).

Tmbrooks75

having never had a DSLR before, I am not partial to either brand yet. I picked up the 60D and the D5100 at the store and the 60D just felt better in my hands. I couldnt try out the D5100 cause the battery was dead so I only got to play around with the 60D. It seemed cool for the 3 minutes I got to use it.

daves160

Cannon makes a great camera. I prefer them over the Nikon. But that is only my personal preference. Nikon is a great camera too.

To answer the earlier question, The lense you got with the camera (18-200mm) is an OK lens as far as Cannons line up. The 17-85 is higher quality, and when you have shot enough, you can definitely see and feel the difference. Lens speed, clarity, vignetting, lens aboritions, etc.

My thought on the long zooms for digital is that they are not necessarily needed as much due to the ability to greatly enlarge the image without much loss of sharpness(as long as it was in focus).

The lense you have will do fine to learn and grow on.