What accesories with my new D30?

After doing a lot of research and listening to all of you blow the D30's horn over and over I have finally made the decision to get one. Will probably go out and get it this coming weekend. There are dozens of electronics shops here in London's Tottenham Court Road and the nice thing is, they all have to compete with each other so you can really bargain for price. My Sony camcorder was £1400 at high street shops and I eventually got it for £900 at one of those shops.

Canon UK has a promo where you can get one of the following free when buying a D30:
28-105mm f3.5/4.5 USM Mk2 Lens
Or
SPEEDLIGHT 550EX Flashgun

Seeing the flashgun is about £30 more expensive I have decided to take that as my free gift. The downside is, I'll have to wait a month for Canon to send it to me so it's a month only using the onboard flash. Do you guys think I'll survive?
Then I was thinking of getting two lenses:

Looking for a good all-rounder, something I can shoot close up with, maybe portraits, maybe something with macro functionality, maybe something with a wide angle. i.e. something for shooting general stuff. How about the 28-105mm f3.5/4.5 USM Mk2 that Canon is offering as a free gift? Is that a good primary lens, or are they giving them away because it's not a popular lens and there's something wrong with it?

For a second lens I was thinking the EF 75-300mm f4/5.6 USM MK3. Is this a good choice for shooting wildlife or action?
I want to get the 1GB microdrive - good choice?

Guys, I'm no expert and really need your advice. It's a lot of money and I don't want to waste it by buying the wrong stuff.

I was also thinking about getting the vertical grip, but I reckon it's not THAT important for now so maybe I should wait. What do you think?

Thanks for the advice.

Nicholas J said:

After doing a lot of research and listening to all of you blow the
D30's horn over and over I have finally made the decision to get
one. Will probably go out and get it this coming weekend. There are
dozens of electronics shops here in London's Tottenham Court Road
and the nice thing is, they all have to compete with each other so
you can really bargain for price. My Sony camcorder was £1400 at
high street shops and I eventually got it for £900 at one of those
shops.
Canon UK has a promo where you can get one of the following free
when buying a D30:
28-105mm f3.5/4.5 USM Mk2 Lens
Or
SPEEDLIGHT 550EX Flashgun
Seeing the flashgun is about £30 more expensive I have decided to
take that as my free gift.

Click to expand...

That'd be my choice too.

Nicholas J said:

The downside is, I'll have to wait a
month for Canon to send it to me so it's a month only using the
onboard flash. Do you guys think I'll survive?

Click to expand...

Yup. For me, I don't use flash that much, unless I'm in a very poor-lighted room where ISO 800 + f/2.8 is not usable. Plus, the onboard flash is pretty good too.

Nicholas J said:

Then I was thinking of getting two lenses:
Looking for a good all-rounder, something I can shoot close up
with, maybe portraits, maybe something with macro functionality,
maybe something with a wide angle. i.e. something for shooting
general stuff. How about the 28-105mm f3.5/4.5 USM Mk2 that Canon
is offering as a free gift? Is that a good primary lens, or are
they giving them away because it's not a popular lens and there's
something wrong with it?

Click to expand...

Many people would suggest 28-135 IS f/3.5-5.6 as the perfect starter lens. It's pretty good for macro, and the 135mm end may be good for portraits too. But due to the multiplier factor, it's not so much of a wide angle lens (28 becomes 44). The IS can be a real life-saver too.

Nicholas J said:

For a second lens I was thinking the EF 75-300mm f4/5.6 USM MK3. Is
this a good choice for shooting wildlife or action?

Click to expand...

Is this the IS version? If yes, a lot of people have been complaining about its softness. Personally, I don't have any experience with the lens. For longer zoom, I have the 70-200 f/4 L. For the price and performance, it's really hard to pass.

Nicholas J said:

I want to get the 1GB microdrive - good choice?

Click to expand...

Yup. Again, a lot of people use the 1GB with no trouble. I have the 340MB, but sometimes need more storage.

Nicholas J said:

Guys, I'm no expert and really need your advice. It's a lot of
money and I don't want to waste it by buying the wrong stuff.
I was also thinking about getting the vertical grip, but I reckon
it's not THAT important for now so maybe I should wait. What do you
think?

Click to expand...

The D30 itself is already bulky for my small hands, so I find no need to add the vertical grip. But the extra battery storage and the more comfy vertical orientation may be nice for you. But I wouldn't classify it as a must-buy item.

Nicholas J said:

Thanks for the advice.

Click to expand...

No problem! Good luck

Hi, Nicholas

Nicholas J said:

After doing a lot of research and listening to all of you blow the
D30's horn over and over I have finally made the decision to get
one. Will probably go out and get it this coming weekend. There are
dozens of electronics shops here in London's Tottenham Court Road
and the nice thing is, they all have to compete with each other so
you can really bargain for price. My Sony camcorder was £1400 at
high street shops and I eventually got it for £900 at one of those
shops.
Canon UK has a promo where you can get one of the following free
when buying a D30:
28-105mm f3.5/4.5 USM Mk2 Lens
Or
SPEEDLIGHT 550EX Flashgun
Seeing the flashgun is about £30 more expensive I have decided to
take that as my free gift. The downside is, I'll have to wait a
month for Canon to send it to me so it's a month only using the
onboard flash. Do you guys think I'll survive?

Click to expand...

You may survive the wait. Good decision, however.

Nicholas J said:

Then I was thinking of getting two lenses:
Looking for a good all-rounder, something I can shoot close up
with, maybe portraits, maybe something with macro functionality,
maybe something with a wide angle. i.e. something for shooting
general stuff. How about the 28-105mm f3.5/4.5 USM Mk2 that Canon
is offering as a free gift? Is that a good primary lens, or are
they giving them away because it's not a popular lens and there's
something wrong with it?

Click to expand...

I recommend the 28-135 IS for starters. It's one of the best lens bargains out there today.

Nicholas J said:

For a second lens I was thinking the EF 75-300mm f4/5.6 USM MK3. Is
this a good choice for shooting wildlife or action?

Click to expand...

If you need a long lens, I suggest saving up for a 100-400 IS L. Worth its weight in gold IMHO.

Nicholas J said:

I want to get the 1GB microdrive - good choice?

Click to expand...

I suggest going for a couple cheap 256MB CF Type I's first. Microdrive (I have a 1GB) seems to perform well for me but I always have a little worry within me when using it because of occasional problems I've read about. If my images are critical, I always use the Type I's. This is an opinion that may well be in the minority.

Nicholas J said:

Guys, I'm no expert and really need your advice. It's a lot of
money and I don't want to waste it by buying the wrong stuff.
I was also thinking about getting the vertical grip, but I reckon
it's not THAT important for now so maybe I should wait. What do you
think?

Click to expand...

My advice is to always go for the best, regardless of initial cost. I'd rather do without for awhile in order to ultimately have the best. That way I don't ever have regrets. Again, just my own approach to important purchases.

Nicholas J said:

Thanks for the advice.

Click to expand...

You're quite welcome.

Mike Flaherty

--Mike Flaherty

Hi

I'm seriously thinking of buying a D30 before Xmas (as the offer runs out on the 24th) My local camera shop offered a free grip and the Canon deal (which I would use to get the flash also) His price is 1799 inc Vat so if you get it any cheaper please let me know.

Nicholas J said:

After doing a lot of research and listening to all of you blow the
D30's horn over and over I have finally made the decision to get
one. Will probably go out and get it this coming weekend. There are
dozens of electronics shops here in London's Tottenham Court Road
and the nice thing is, they all have to compete with each other so
you can really bargain for price. My Sony camcorder was £1400 at
high street shops and I eventually got it for £900 at one of those
shops.
Canon UK has a promo where you can get one of the following free
when buying a D30:
28-105mm f3.5/4.5 USM Mk2 Lens
Or
SPEEDLIGHT 550EX Flashgun
Seeing the flashgun is about £30 more expensive I have decided to
take that as my free gift. The downside is, I'll have to wait a
month for Canon to send it to me so it's a month only using the
onboard flash. Do you guys think I'll survive?
Then I was thinking of getting two lenses:
Looking for a good all-rounder, something I can shoot close up
with, maybe portraits, maybe something with macro functionality,
maybe something with a wide angle. i.e. something for shooting
general stuff. How about the 28-105mm f3.5/4.5 USM Mk2 that Canon
is offering as a free gift? Is that a good primary lens, or are
they giving them away because it's not a popular lens and there's
something wrong with it?
For a second lens I was thinking the EF 75-300mm f4/5.6 USM MK3. Is
this a good choice for shooting wildlife or action?
I want to get the 1GB microdrive - good choice?
Guys, I'm no expert and really need your advice. It's a lot of
money and I don't want to waste it by buying the wrong stuff.
I was also thinking about getting the vertical grip, but I reckon
it's not THAT important for now so maybe I should wait. What do you
think?

Thanks for the advice.

Click to expand...

Also, I would say that if your looking for a good portrait lens buy a 50 1.8 and a good close up filter, this becomes a superfast 80mm macro lens of unparralleled quality.

Nicholas J said:

After doing a lot of research and listening to all of you blow the
D30's horn over and over I have finally made the decision to get
one. Will probably go out and get it this coming weekend. There are
dozens of electronics shops here in London's Tottenham Court Road
and the nice thing is, they all have to compete with each other so
you can really bargain for price. My Sony camcorder was £1400 at
high street shops and I eventually got it for £900 at one of those
shops.
Canon UK has a promo where you can get one of the following free
when buying a D30:
28-105mm f3.5/4.5 USM Mk2 Lens
Or
SPEEDLIGHT 550EX Flashgun
Seeing the flashgun is about £30 more expensive I have decided to
take that as my free gift. The downside is, I'll have to wait a
month for Canon to send it to me so it's a month only using the
onboard flash. Do you guys think I'll survive?
Then I was thinking of getting two lenses:
Looking for a good all-rounder, something I can shoot close up
with, maybe portraits, maybe something with macro functionality,
maybe something with a wide angle. i.e. something for shooting
general stuff. How about the 28-105mm f3.5/4.5 USM Mk2 that Canon
is offering as a free gift? Is that a good primary lens, or are
they giving them away because it's not a popular lens and there's
something wrong with it?
For a second lens I was thinking the EF 75-300mm f4/5.6 USM MK3. Is
this a good choice for shooting wildlife or action?
I want to get the 1GB microdrive - good choice?
Guys, I'm no expert and really need your advice. It's a lot of
money and I don't want to waste it by buying the wrong stuff.
I was also thinking about getting the vertical grip, but I reckon
it's not THAT important for now so maybe I should wait. What do you
think?

Thanks for the advice.

Click to expand...

Which camera shop offered you a free grip ??

Neil Buchan-Grant said:

Nicholas J said:

After doing a lot of research and listening to all of you blow the
D30's horn over and over I have finally made the decision to get
one. Will probably go out and get it this coming weekend. There are
dozens of electronics shops here in London's Tottenham Court Road
and the nice thing is, they all have to compete with each other so
you can really bargain for price. My Sony camcorder was £1400 at
high street shops and I eventually got it for £900 at one of those
shops.
Canon UK has a promo where you can get one of the following free
when buying a D30:
28-105mm f3.5/4.5 USM Mk2 Lens
Or
SPEEDLIGHT 550EX Flashgun
Seeing the flashgun is about £30 more expensive I have decided to
take that as my free gift. The downside is, I'll have to wait a
month for Canon to send it to me so it's a month only using the
onboard flash. Do you guys think I'll survive?
Then I was thinking of getting two lenses:
Looking for a good all-rounder, something I can shoot close up
with, maybe portraits, maybe something with macro functionality,
maybe something with a wide angle. i.e. something for shooting
general stuff. How about the 28-105mm f3.5/4.5 USM Mk2 that Canon
is offering as a free gift? Is that a good primary lens, or are
they giving them away because it's not a popular lens and there's
something wrong with it?
For a second lens I was thinking the EF 75-300mm f4/5.6 USM MK3. Is
this a good choice for shooting wildlife or action?
I want to get the 1GB microdrive - good choice?
Guys, I'm no expert and really need your advice. It's a lot of
money and I don't want to waste it by buying the wrong stuff.
I was also thinking about getting the vertical grip, but I reckon
it's not THAT important for now so maybe I should wait. What do you
think?

Thanks for the advice.

Click to expand...

Click to expand...

How big a difference does the IS lenses make? They are much more expensive. Are they realy worth the money?

£159.00 EF 75-300mm f4/5.6 USM MK3
£499.00 EF 75-300mm f4/5.6 USM IS
------------
£344.00 difference - is it worth it ?

£239.00 28-105mm f3.5/4.5 USM Mk2
£379.00 EF 28-135mm f3.5/4.5 IS
-----------
£140.00 difference - is it worth it ?

Money's not THAT big a problem, but why spend extra money if it won't make a big difference if it has IS or not.

I may sound stupid, but I realy don't have much knowlege of lenses so help me out.

Thanks

Mike Flaherty said:

Nicholas J said:

After doing a lot of research and listening to all of you blow the
D30's horn over and over I have finally made the decision to get
one. Will probably go out and get it this coming weekend. There are
dozens of electronics shops here in London's Tottenham Court Road
and the nice thing is, they all have to compete with each other so
you can really bargain for price. My Sony camcorder was £1400 at
high street shops and I eventually got it for £900 at one of those
shops.
Canon UK has a promo where you can get one of the following free
when buying a D30:
28-105mm f3.5/4.5 USM Mk2 Lens
Or
SPEEDLIGHT 550EX Flashgun
Seeing the flashgun is about £30 more expensive I have decided to
take that as my free gift. The downside is, I'll have to wait a
month for Canon to send it to me so it's a month only using the
onboard flash. Do you guys think I'll survive?

Click to expand...

You may survive the wait. Good decision, however.

Mike Flaherty said:

Then I was thinking of getting two lenses:
Looking for a good all-rounder, something I can shoot close up
with, maybe portraits, maybe something with macro functionality,
maybe something with a wide angle. i.e. something for shooting
general stuff. How about the 28-105mm f3.5/4.5 USM Mk2 that Canon
is offering as a free gift? Is that a good primary lens, or are
they giving them away because it's not a popular lens and there's
something wrong with it?

Click to expand...

I recommend the 28-135 IS for starters. It's one of the best lens
bargains out there today.

Mike Flaherty said:

For a second lens I was thinking the EF 75-300mm f4/5.6 USM MK3. Is
this a good choice for shooting wildlife or action?

Click to expand...

If you need a long lens, I suggest saving up for a 100-400 IS L.
Worth its weight in gold IMHO.

Mike Flaherty said:

I want to get the 1GB microdrive - good choice?

Click to expand...

I suggest going for a couple cheap 256MB CF Type I's first.
Microdrive (I have a 1GB) seems to perform well for me but I always
have a little worry within me when using it because of occasional
problems I've read about. If my images are critical, I always use
the Type I's. This is an opinion that may well be in the minority.

Mike Flaherty said:

Guys, I'm no expert and really need your advice. It's a lot of
money and I don't want to waste it by buying the wrong stuff.
I was also thinking about getting the vertical grip, but I reckon
it's not THAT important for now so maybe I should wait. What do you
think?

Click to expand...

My advice is to always go for the best, regardless of initial cost.
I'd rather do without for awhile in order to ultimately have the
best. That way I don't ever have regrets. Again, just my own
approach to important purchases.

Mike Flaherty said:

Thanks for the advice.

Click to expand...

You're quite welcome.

Mike Flaherty

--
Mike Flaherty

Click to expand...

Nicholas J said:

How big a difference does the IS lenses make? They are much more
expensive. Are they realy worth the money?

Click to expand...

The money and value / cost ratio is a personal question depending on finances etc., and no one can advise you.

I have the 28-105 usm (not is) and find it a great lens for the D30. I've had it for years on different bodies, and consider it my "first" lens.

I've just bought the 75-300 is, and am impressed with it. I prefer it to the non IS version enough to spend the extra, as 300 time 1.6 is too much to hand hold without very good lights. It is on the soft side compared with the more expensive lenses, but I could send you a sample ot two if you are interested.

I like the microdrive, and rely on it all the time. I'm still waiting for the 553x from canon (so much for 28 days) but find the onboard flash suprisingly good inside.

Guy Watkins

Nicholas....

A 50/1.4 lens will give you some of the sharpest pictures from your D30 (yes the lens does make a difference !, noticable from my old 24-85 3.5/4.5 USM). Also a sturdy tripod is a must for those Xmas family photo's (and a cable release in lo-light conditions or where you need a small aperture to increase DOF). I prefer CF memory cards to microdrives, I don't fancy loosing a bag of irreplacable photo's when I knock the camera !.

Richard.

Nicholas J said:

After doing a lot of research and listening to all of you blow the
D30's horn over and over I have finally made the decision to get
one. Will probably go out and get it this coming weekend. There are
dozens of electronics shops here in London's Tottenham Court Road
and the nice thing is, they all have to compete with each other so
you can really bargain for price. My Sony camcorder was £1400 at
high street shops and I eventually got it for £900 at one of those
shops.
Canon UK has a promo where you can get one of the following free
when buying a D30:
28-105mm f3.5/4.5 USM Mk2 Lens
Or
SPEEDLIGHT 550EX Flashgun
Seeing the flashgun is about £30 more expensive I have decided to
take that as my free gift. The downside is, I'll have to wait a
month for Canon to send it to me so it's a month only using the
onboard flash. Do you guys think I'll survive?
Then I was thinking of getting two lenses:
Looking for a good all-rounder, something I can shoot close up
with, maybe portraits, maybe something with macro functionality,
maybe something with a wide angle. i.e. something for shooting
general stuff. How about the 28-105mm f3.5/4.5 USM Mk2 that Canon
is offering as a free gift? Is that a good primary lens, or are
they giving them away because it's not a popular lens and there's
something wrong with it?
For a second lens I was thinking the EF 75-300mm f4/5.6 USM MK3. Is
this a good choice for shooting wildlife or action?
I want to get the 1GB microdrive - good choice?
Guys, I'm no expert and really need your advice. It's a lot of
money and I don't want to waste it by buying the wrong stuff.
I was also thinking about getting the vertical grip, but I reckon
it's not THAT important for now so maybe I should wait. What do you
think?

Thanks for the advice.

Click to expand...

I think my dealer was a pound cheaper for the same offer plus an extra battery. I got mine last week and have gone for the speedlight 550x as well. Or at least I have posted the promo offer form today as he finally managed to get hold of the forms. I was hoping I would be getting the flash before Christmas. I might have to beg and plead with them a bit.

Nicholas. I don't know if you are under the impression the 1G Microdrive is one of the items on the promo offer as I don't think it is. You can choose from the Speedlight 550EX, the EF28-105 lens,A Lexar 160MB CF card, Extender EF 1.4X, Extender EF 2.0X, PB-E2 Power drive booster or the ES-E1 EOS link software and cable. I doubt the last item is any good to the D30. The offer covers the D30, EOS1V and EOS3. There is a link to the full offer information here
http://www.canon.co.uk/media/promo/eos_free_accessory/eos_accessory_promo.pdf

Bob.

Neil Buchan-Grant said:

Nicholas J said:

After doing a lot of research and listening to all of you blow the
D30's horn over and over I have finally made the decision to get
one. Will probably go out and get it this coming weekend. There are
dozens of electronics shops here in London's Tottenham Court Road
and the nice thing is, they all have to compete with each other so
you can really bargain for price. My Sony camcorder was £1400 at
high street shops and I eventually got it for £900 at one of those
shops.
Canon UK has a promo where you can get one of the following free
when buying a D30:
28-105mm f3.5/4.5 USM Mk2 Lens
Or
SPEEDLIGHT 550EX Flashgun
Seeing the flashgun is about £30 more expensive I have decided to
take that as my free gift. The downside is, I'll have to wait a
month for Canon to send it to me so it's a month only using the
onboard flash. Do you guys think I'll survive?
Then I was thinking of getting two lenses:
Looking for a good all-rounder, something I can shoot close up
with, maybe portraits, maybe something with macro functionality,
maybe something with a wide angle. i.e. something for shooting
general stuff. How about the 28-105mm f3.5/4.5 USM Mk2 that Canon
is offering as a free gift? Is that a good primary lens, or are
they giving them away because it's not a popular lens and there's
something wrong with it?
For a second lens I was thinking the EF 75-300mm f4/5.6 USM MK3. Is
this a good choice for shooting wildlife or action?
I want to get the 1GB microdrive - good choice?
Guys, I'm no expert and really need your advice. It's a lot of
money and I don't want to waste it by buying the wrong stuff.
I was also thinking about getting the vertical grip, but I reckon
it's not THAT important for now so maybe I should wait. What do you
think?

Thanks for the advice.

Click to expand...

Click to expand...

I know about a guy that wants to sell two lenses.
28-135mm macro (3.5-6.6) IS USM EF and
75-300mm (4-5.6) IS USM EF

He wants £600 for the two and new they are about £900 for the two. He says they're less than six months old and without a scratch. I don't know the guy. You think I can trust him or should I just pay the extra £300 and buy them new?

Guy Watkins said:

Nicholas J said:

How big a difference does the IS lenses make? They are much more
expensive. Are they realy worth the money?

Click to expand...

The money and value / cost ratio is a personal question depending
on finances etc., and no one can advise you.

I have the 28-105 usm (not is) and find it a great lens for the
D30. I've had it for years on different bodies, and consider it my
"first" lens.

I've just bought the 75-300 is, and am impressed with it. I prefer
it to the non IS version enough to spend the extra, as 300 time 1.6
is too much to hand hold without very good lights. It is on the
soft side compared with the more expensive lenses, but I could send
you a sample ot two if you are interested.

I like the microdrive, and rely on it all the time. I'm still
waiting for the 553x from canon (so much for 28 days) but find the
onboard flash suprisingly good inside.

Guy Watkins

Click to expand...

Guy Watkins said:

I like the microdrive, and rely on it all the time. I'm still
waiting for the 553x from canon (so much for 28 days) but find the
onboard flash suprisingly good inside.

Guy Watkins

Click to expand...

Guy.

I rang 01869 331741 today to discover if the 'Canon D30 offer' could be delivered before Xmas and was told there had been a backlog on 550 flashguns, but that Canon had now delivered and they were being sent out tomorrow.

Hope this helps..--PaulJ

Bob

I am aware that the microdrive is not part of the offer. you must have missunderstood me.

Is the offer only valid for specific retailers or can you buy anywhere, even online?

Bob Lister said:

Nicholas. I don't know if you are under the impression the 1G
Microdrive is one of the items on the promo offer as I don't think
it is. You can choose from the Speedlight 550EX, the EF28-105
lens,A Lexar 160MB CF card, Extender EF 1.4X, Extender EF 2.0X,
PB-E2 Power drive booster or the ES-E1 EOS link software and cable.
I doubt the last item is any good to the D30. The offer covers the
D30, EOS1V and EOS3. There is a link to the full offer information
here
http://www.canon.co.uk/media/promo/eos_free_accessory/eos_accessory_promo.pdf

Bob.

Neil Buchan-Grant said:

Nicholas J said:

After doing a lot of research and listening to all of you blow the
D30's horn over and over I have finally made the decision to get
one. Will probably go out and get it this coming weekend. There are
dozens of electronics shops here in London's Tottenham Court Road
and the nice thing is, they all have to compete with each other so
you can really bargain for price. My Sony camcorder was £1400 at
high street shops and I eventually got it for £900 at one of those
shops.
Canon UK has a promo where you can get one of the following free
when buying a D30:
28-105mm f3.5/4.5 USM Mk2 Lens
Or
SPEEDLIGHT 550EX Flashgun
Seeing the flashgun is about £30 more expensive I have decided to
take that as my free gift. The downside is, I'll have to wait a
month for Canon to send it to me so it's a month only using the
onboard flash. Do you guys think I'll survive?
Then I was thinking of getting two lenses:
Looking for a good all-rounder, something I can shoot close up
with, maybe portraits, maybe something with macro functionality,
maybe something with a wide angle. i.e. something for shooting
general stuff. How about the 28-105mm f3.5/4.5 USM Mk2 that Canon
is offering as a free gift? Is that a good primary lens, or are
they giving them away because it's not a popular lens and there's
something wrong with it?
For a second lens I was thinking the EF 75-300mm f4/5.6 USM MK3. Is
this a good choice for shooting wildlife or action?
I want to get the 1GB microdrive - good choice?
Guys, I'm no expert and really need your advice. It's a lot of
money and I don't want to waste it by buying the wrong stuff.
I was also thinking about getting the vertical grip, but I reckon
it's not THAT important for now so maybe I should wait. What do you
think?

Thanks for the advice.

Click to expand...

Click to expand...

Click to expand...

I've had my D30 less than a week, and once I get all of the accessories, this is what I'll have. Note, my lens and flash stuff I already had, as a result of owning a film Canon SLR. Here's what I have, and here's what I've got on order. Once I complete this list, the only thing I'll be wanting is a better long lens. There's a lot of talk on this list about the 100-400L, but I've always liked the 70-200L with extenders. I'd have a hard time choosing.

HAVE:

D-30 + grip + 2 batteries: This came from the dealer as a kit. I have reasonably large hands, and I'm used to using a film Canon SLR with a grip, so this setup felt natural right from the start.

28-135 IS USM , 28-105 USM, 20-35 USM, 80-200 MM lenses: Of these, historically (with my Film camera), I almost exclusively used the 28-136 IS USM, once I added it to my collection. However, after this last weekend, the 20-35 will start to see more action. Scenic shots just aren't very wide from the 28 on the IS lens. I've yet to compare the 20-35 and 28-135 over their mutual range, to see which does better in scenics. (There's just too many things to test...now that testing is "free"). My older 28-105 doesn't take pictures as well as the 28-135, and the 80-200 MM is too slow and also takes poor pictures. My wife can even tell the difference and questions why I still have either...I don't know...laziness?

550EX flash, off camera cord, Stroboframe: This is my indoor setup. Indoors, when taking family group shots, or even head shots at focal lengths beyond 100mm, I found that I consistently got red-eye, until I went off camera with the flash. Since 50% of my photo's are indoor's and of people, it was important to me to fix this problem. This setup has. It's a typical wedding photographer setup, and it looks overkill and family functions, but the pictures speak for themselves.

Bogen tripod: The cheap/small one. It gets my camera to eye level at full extension. Works fine, for this ametuer. Combined with the flash/frame, I can take some pretty decent group shots, or set it up put myself in the photo.

Rebate:

1GB Microdrive + 3rd battery: A 3rd battery should nearly eliminate battery worries (If I get these before 1/1/02 I'd be surprised...like your flash).

On order:

128 MB CF Card + USB CF Card reader: The 16 MB CF card is a joke...3 RAW Pics and i'ts full. Also, retrieving images from the camera attachment is slow for RAW (it's ok for JPEG), and it's difficult to detach the cable. Removing the CF Card is much easier. I'm thinking the CF Card will get me over the hump this month, until the microdrive gets here later this month. Also, if the USB reader still isn't fast enough, I'll get a firewire reader.

Epson 1280 printer + lots of paper: I want to be able to print.

RS-80 remote shutter: I'm getting too much camera shake on my long exposure night time pics with the on camera shutter (I could use the timer, though...just thought of that as I typed...something for tonight!). Plus it's another nice thing to use for group shots. The added mobility helps encourage the kids to focus on their presentation and not the actual picture taking. And it makes it easy to let a 3rd part snap pics with you in the frame. The wireless remote was just too expensive, or I'd have ordered that as well.

I guess you can tell that pictures of people are pretty important to my list of accessories. Like I said, that's at least 50% of my photo's, and even more important to me, it's the 50% I care about the most.

--sdb

Nicholas J said:

After doing a lot of research and listening to all of you blow the
D30's horn over and over I have finally made the decision to get
one. Will probably go out and get it this coming weekend. There are
dozens of electronics shops here in London's Tottenham Court Road
and the nice thing is, they all have to compete with each other so
you can really bargain for price. My Sony camcorder was £1400 at
high street shops and I eventually got it for £900 at one of those
shops.
Canon UK has a promo where you can get one of the following free
when buying a D30:
28-105mm f3.5/4.5 USM Mk2 Lens
Or
SPEEDLIGHT 550EX Flashgun
Seeing the flashgun is about £30 more expensive I have decided to
take that as my free gift. The downside is, I'll have to wait a
month for Canon to send it to me so it's a month only using the
onboard flash. Do you guys think I'll survive?
Then I was thinking of getting two lenses:
Looking for a good all-rounder, something I can shoot close up
with, maybe portraits, maybe something with macro functionality,
maybe something with a wide angle. i.e. something for shooting
general stuff. How about the 28-105mm f3.5/4.5 USM Mk2 that Canon
is offering as a free gift? Is that a good primary lens, or are
they giving them away because it's not a popular lens and there's
something wrong with it?
For a second lens I was thinking the EF 75-300mm f4/5.6 USM MK3. Is
this a good choice for shooting wildlife or action?
I want to get the 1GB microdrive - good choice?
Guys, I'm no expert and really need your advice. It's a lot of
money and I don't want to waste it by buying the wrong stuff.
I was also thinking about getting the vertical grip, but I reckon
it's not THAT important for now so maybe I should wait. What do you
think?

Thanks for the advice.

Click to expand...

sdbelt said:

Epson 1280 printer + lots of paper: I want to be able to print.

Click to expand...

You might want to order an MIS refill kit also, that's what I did for my 1280.

My Canon RAW shots print so beautifully that I now have more 8x10 prints than I did in my 35 previous years of photo shooting!!

JohnM said:

JohnM31499 said:

Epson 1280 printer + lots of paper: I want to be able to print.

Click to expand...

You might want to order an MIS refill kit also, that's what I did
for my 1280.

My Canon RAW shots print so beautifully that I now have more 8x10
prints than I did in my 35 previous years of photo shooting!!

Click to expand...

JohnM-

Thanks for the suggestion. I too hope to have more 8x10's than ever. As well, I'll be able to do those 13x19, which I've never done.

Question: How long can I expect my "stock" ink to last? In the next week I want to print 100+ 4x6 Christmas cards. Am I asking too much, or should I be fine? I've done a little ink research, but not a lot, so any info would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance,

--sdb

I have the Epson 1280 and have gone through 1 set of color ink and 1/2 set of black ink for about 30 8x10s.

A guess estimation is twice as much for the 4x6s.

So for 100 4x6s, you probably want 2 sets of color and 1 set of black.

-Tuan

sdbelt said:

JohnM said:

sdbelt said:

Epson 1280 printer + lots of paper: I want to be able to print.

Click to expand...

You might want to order an MIS refill kit also, that's what I did
for my 1280.

My Canon RAW shots print so beautifully that I now have more 8x10
prints than I did in my 35 previous years of photo shooting!!

Click to expand...

JohnM-

Thanks for the suggestion. I too hope to have more 8x10's than
ever. As well, I'll be able to do those 13x19, which I've never
done.

Question: How long can I expect my "stock" ink to last? In the
next week I want to print 100+ 4x6 Christmas cards. Am I asking
too much, or should I be fine? I've done a little ink research,
but not a lot, so any info would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance,

--sdb

Click to expand...

Paul Joy said:

I rang 01869 331741 today to discover if the 'Canon D30 offer'
could be delivered before Xmas and was told there had been a
backlog on 550 flashguns, but that Canon had now delivered and they
were being sent out tomorrow.

Hope this helps..
--
PaulJ

Click to expand...

I'll let you know....

Thanks!

The accessory offer is from Canon UK, not the dealer. All you need is the dealers stamp on the promotional form along with a receipt and your choice of gift . The reason I got the Progrip and battery thrown in for the price is that I hunted down the cheapest in one of the mags. He was determined to match it rather than loose a sale like that.

Bob

Nicholas J said:

I am aware that the microdrive is not part of the offer. you must
have missunderstood me.
Is the offer only valid for specific retailers or can you buy
anywhere, even online?

Bob Lister said:

Nicholas. I don't know if you are under the impression the 1G
Microdrive is one of the items on the promo offer as I don't think
it is. You can choose from the Speedlight 550EX, the EF28-105
lens,A Lexar 160MB CF card, Extender EF 1.4X, Extender EF 2.0X,
PB-E2 Power drive booster or the ES-E1 EOS link software and cable.
I doubt the last item is any good to the D30. The offer covers the
D30, EOS1V and EOS3. There is a link to the full offer information
here
http://www.canon.co.uk/media/promo/eos_free_accessory/eos_accessory_promo.pdf

Bob.

Neil Buchan-Grant said:

Nicholas J said:

After doing a lot of research and listening to all of you blow the
D30's horn over and over I have finally made the decision to get
one. Will probably go out and get it this coming weekend. There are
dozens of electronics shops here in London's Tottenham Court Road
and the nice thing is, they all have to compete with each other so
you can really bargain for price. My Sony camcorder was £1400 at
high street shops and I eventually got it for £900 at one of those
shops.
Canon UK has a promo where you can get one of the following free
when buying a D30:
28-105mm f3.5/4.5 USM Mk2 Lens
Or
SPEEDLIGHT 550EX Flashgun
Seeing the flashgun is about £30 more expensive I have decided to
take that as my free gift. The downside is, I'll have to wait a
month for Canon to send it to me so it's a month only using the
onboard flash. Do you guys think I'll survive?
Then I was thinking of getting two lenses:
Looking for a good all-rounder, something I can shoot close up
with, maybe portraits, maybe something with macro functionality,
maybe something with a wide angle. i.e. something for shooting
general stuff. How about the 28-105mm f3.5/4.5 USM Mk2 that Canon
is offering as a free gift? Is that a good primary lens, or are
they giving them away because it's not a popular lens and there's
something wrong with it?
For a second lens I was thinking the EF 75-300mm f4/5.6 USM MK3. Is
this a good choice for shooting wildlife or action?
I want to get the 1GB microdrive - good choice?
Guys, I'm no expert and really need your advice. It's a lot of
money and I don't want to waste it by buying the wrong stuff.
I was also thinking about getting the vertical grip, but I reckon
it's not THAT important for now so maybe I should wait. What do you
think?

Thanks for the advice.

Click to expand...

Click to expand...

Click to expand...

Click to expand...

Yeah I know the offer is from Canon. I already printed out the form.
Just found a online store that has d30, grip, battery and 1GB MD for £2187.
Is that more than what you paid?
I think I'll take that price and go bargain in Tottanham Court Road.
What do you think?

Bob Lister said:

Bob

Nicholas J said:

I am aware that the microdrive is not part of the offer. you must
have missunderstood me.
Is the offer only valid for specific retailers or can you buy
anywhere, even online?

Bob Lister said:

Nicholas. I don't know if you are under the impression the 1G
Microdrive is one of the items on the promo offer as I don't think
it is. You can choose from the Speedlight 550EX, the EF28-105
lens,A Lexar 160MB CF card, Extender EF 1.4X, Extender EF 2.0X,
PB-E2 Power drive booster or the ES-E1 EOS link software and cable.
I doubt the last item is any good to the D30. The offer covers the
D30, EOS1V and EOS3. There is a link to the full offer information
here
http://www.canon.co.uk/media/promo/eos_free_accessory/eos_accessory_promo.pdf

Bob.

Neil Buchan-Grant said:

Nicholas J said:

After doing a lot of research and listening to all of you blow the
D30's horn over and over I have finally made the decision to get
one. Will probably go out and get it this coming weekend. There are
dozens of electronics shops here in London's Tottenham Court Road
and the nice thing is, they all have to compete with each other so
you can really bargain for price. My Sony camcorder was £1400 at
high street shops and I eventually got it for £900 at one of those
shops.
Canon UK has a promo where you can get one of the following free
when buying a D30:
28-105mm f3.5/4.5 USM Mk2 Lens
Or
SPEEDLIGHT 550EX Flashgun
Seeing the flashgun is about £30 more expensive I have decided to
take that as my free gift. The downside is, I'll have to wait a
month for Canon to send it to me so it's a month only using the
onboard flash. Do you guys think I'll survive?
Then I was thinking of getting two lenses:
Looking for a good all-rounder, something I can shoot close up
with, maybe portraits, maybe something with macro functionality,
maybe something with a wide angle. i.e. something for shooting
general stuff. How about the 28-105mm f3.5/4.5 USM Mk2 that Canon
is offering as a free gift? Is that a good primary lens, or are
they giving them away because it's not a popular lens and there's
something wrong with it?
For a second lens I was thinking the EF 75-300mm f4/5.6 USM MK3. Is
this a good choice for shooting wildlife or action?
I want to get the 1GB microdrive - good choice?
Guys, I'm no expert and really need your advice. It's a lot of
money and I don't want to waste it by buying the wrong stuff.
I was also thinking about getting the vertical grip, but I reckon
it's not THAT important for now so maybe I should wait. What do you
think?

Thanks for the advice.

Click to expand...

Click to expand...

Click to expand...

Click to expand...

Click to expand...