Photographers, A Moment Of Your Time, Please.

Started by Big Black Shed, December 02, 2008, 08:45:03 PM

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Big Black Shed

I'm looking at Digital SLRs. I'm very tempted by the Canon EOS 450D. Also, I'm unsure of which lens size(s) to go for. 18-55mm and a 55-200mm zoom?????

Pearls of wisdom, please.
It's not the winning or even taking part. It's the arsing about that counts.

wickedwitch

Hiya BBS, well i'm just a happy amateur ... i have a Canon EOS 30D. i usually use  the 18-55 and the 75-300 zoom (which i love) and i have a 10-20 wide angle that doesn't get out  much!  i used the zoom for the marillion shots on the site but its not too good in low light.

hope that helps a bit. xx

Big Black Shed

I'm very much an amateur. I just fancy expanding beyond what my "snappy" camera can do.

The lens I've seen quoted with the camera have been  f/3.5-5.6 for the 18-55mm and f/4.0-5.6 lens for the 55-250mm.

Are these similar to your lens's. Just for comparision really. So I can tell what sort of results I can expect.

(Of couse, I'll have to "find" some talent first and then be able to compose a photo. I shall be a LONG way behind, compared to your efforts. Being colour blind isn't going to help :?  :? )
It's not the winning or even taking part. It's the arsing about that counts.

wickedwitch

well its not written on my lens for the 18-55 but its usually around the 4 mark. the zoom is 4-5.6 as is the WA.  i think thats right anyway. i'm not very technical. i just see stuff, focus and hit the button.

on a more positive note i did manage to find out how to work the layer button in photoshop this weekend... its only taken me about 2 years!

if you want some decent free imagine software, i use www.picnik.com.  Register with them for free, upload something and have a play. Any good stuff i have on my site is probably due to hitting a combination of the right buttons !!

x best of luck and i look forward to seeing your results x

Tricky

BBS,
I'd point you in the direction that I tell everyone who asks about cameras: //http://www.dpreview.com/
That said, although they're extremely 'in-depth' with their camera reviews they're rather light on lens reviews.
I'm only a rank amateur (and not nearly as good as Witchy) but I've been taking photos for over 25 years, so have a few (fake) pearls to offer.

Megapixels: Don't worry about the odd mpix here or there - 12 won't look much better than 10 (or even 8).

Lenses: Buy the best you can afford.  See //http://www.photozone.de/ for good reviews of a wide range of lenses.  You may find a single 'superzoom' more useful than the traditional standard zoom + telezoom pairing (but this tends to go against my statement about quality)  :?  But there are some relatively expensive 'stretched' standard zooms that are good allrounders.
See //http://s390.photobucket.com/albums/oo350/TrickyDicky_photo/Summers%20End/ for pics taken with my Sigma 17-70mm f2.8-4.0

Bear in mind that cheap 'kit' lenses are almost universally poor at wide open apertures.

Budget to buy a tripod.  Or at least a monopod.  If you want to do any sort of landscape, portraiture, closeup or night photography some form of support is invaluable.

I'm sure that someone like MikeEvs (who knows what he's doing) will be along soon to tell you more.
When the future\'s looking dark, we\'re the ones who have to shine...

codex

I personally hate to switch lenses (i had a canon 18-55mm and a canon 70-200mm), so i bought myself a 18-250mm Tamron lens for my Canon 400D.
 
No regrets here  :D

check here
F[size=85]inally[/size] F[size=85]ound[/size] F[size=85]rost*[/size]

wickedwitch

mmmmm tasty x

oh lordy, it occurs to me that i'm getting excited about a gear thread. damn damn damn

Tricky

Quote from: "wickedwitch"mmmmm tasty x

oh lordy, it occurs to me that i'm getting excited about a gear thread. damn damn damn

NO! you must resist.
You've obviously got a natural 'eye' for a good picture.  Don't let the pursuit of more gear get in the way of that  :)
I, on the other hand could waffle on about MTF, Nyquist limits and hyperfocal distances, but have to work really hard to actually take a pleasing picture.
Out of thousands of pictures taken over the years, I'm only really pleased with a few dozen.
I suspect its a geeky bloke thing  :(
When the future\'s looking dark, we\'re the ones who have to shine...

Rudy

Quote from: "wickedwitch"mmmmm tasty x

oh lordy, it occurs to me that i'm getting excited about a gear thread. damn damn damn

Never mind that, did you know that recently the beaver (Castor fiber) was returned to Scotland after a 400-year absence.  Beavers are two primarily nocturnal, semi-aquatic species of rodent, one native to North America and one to Europe. They are known for building dams, canals, and lodges (homes). They are the second-largest rodent in the world (after the capybara). Their colonies create one or more dams to provide still, deep water to protect against predators, and to float food and building material.

(WW-Thought I could chip in and restore (dis)order before you took gear excitement too far ;) ).

Pedro

Quote from: "Rudy"Never mind that, did you know that recently the beaver (Castor fiber) was returned to Scotland after a 400-year absence.
Dam, that's a long time, wooden chew say?
"Putting food on the table is more important than 7/8"

Brom

Quote from: "Pedro"
Quote from: "Rudy"Never mind that, did you know that recently the beaver (Castor fiber) was returned to Scotland after a 400-year absence.
Dam, that's a long time, wooden chew say?

Right Pedders you've gone toooo far this time. I'm gonna lodge a complaint.
I am out of the office. Messages can be left with Mr. C Lyons on 020 7722 3333

Rudy

Quote from: "Brom"
Quote from: "Pedro"
Quote from: "Rudy"Never mind that, did you know that recently the beaver (Castor fiber) was returned to Scotland after a 400-year absence.
Dam, that's a long time, wooden chew say?

Right Pedders you've gone toooo far this time. I'm gonna lodge a complaint.

But wood it matter?

Gandalf1986

Quote from: "eponymous"
Quote from: "Rudy"
Quote from: "Brom"
Quote from: "Pedro"
Quote from: "Rudy"Never mind that, did you know that recently the beaver (Castor fiber) was returned to Scotland after a 400-year absence.
Dam, that's a long time, wooden chew say?

Right Pedders you've gone toooo far this time. I'm gonna lodge a complaint.

But wood it matter?
Gnaw-k it off or I'll pelt ya.

Revolution... IN BEAVERS!

Courtesy of Meshuggah's "Future Breed Machine" misheard lyrics...
You talk
You think you own me
You miss the point completely
These things I do they\'re not for you
I\'m sick and I\'m tired
Leave me alone...
[/b]

Time flies like an arrow, fruit flies like a banana. - Pedro

Pedro

"Putting food on the table is more important than 7/8"

wickedwitch

thats fine. just keep your hands to yourself! x