Accesorizing ones order?

First of all I would like to thank all of you who helped me decide which would be the best lenses to accompany my 30D. Now all I need to do is to take care of the details. That means... Memory Cards, Flash, Tripod?, Batteries, Extenders, UV filters, Polarizing filter, carrying case, warranty. All those little details that have to be decided upon before I can place my order. I’ll put a sub thread for each topic within this thread so that you can help me with what you know about! Thanks so much!

I have already been advised to get either Sandisk ultra II or Sandisc extreme III memory, and since the psaug code at B&H gives a discount on the extreme III types, I'll probably get a couple of those. So is there any size limitation on the cards that the 30D can accept? They have 1, 2, 4 and 8 gb size cards, I was thinking of getting two 4gb ($360) or 1 8gb ($342). Unfortunately I moved too slowly to get the sandisk rebate as well, or I could be getting the 8gb for $292, but such is life. I was also recommended to get the Sandisk image mate compact flash read/write SDDR-92... is everyone on agreement on this card reader as well?

I know nothing about these canon flash, except for the price. 580 ex is $360 - $30 rebate and the 430 ex is $240 - $20 rebate, so only $110 difference... in what situations would one of these flashes be preferred over the other? I have read in other threads that the flash can use its own battery pack... is that true for these flashes? What is that external flash battery pack called so that I can look it up to price it? Is there anything else that I should consider when it comes to choosing a flash?

Again, I'm a blank here. I read a thread where someone was asking about tripods with his maximum weight being the use of a 70-200 f/2.8 lens and someone pointed him in the direction of a $450 solution that he seemed happy with. I will also be getting this lens, IS version, but hope to pick up the 300 f/2.8 IS in a year and a half or so... if I can save up for it, so with a lens of this size what would be a good recommendation for a tripod. I would like it to be able to be carried on short hikes.

I was advised to get at least 2 extra BP511-A batteries. B&H lists these at $50 each... how many hours of use is this battery rated for? Are there longer life batteries available as well that are compatible with the 30D? Is it recommended to get the digital charger to maximize the life of the batteries? Can the camera/digital chargers accept 120 v or 240 v? What is everyone's opinion on third party batteries?

I want to get a 1.4x to go with the 70-200, and I read in the photozone review that the 300 f/2.8 IS takes well to the 2x extender as well so when I buy that lens I'll get the 2x with it as well. When I looked up these extenders on B&H, though, there were quite a number of third party extenders as well as the canon extenders. Canon’s were $285. I'd just be getting the 1.4x now, but what is the opinion regarding canon, or third party?

B+W UV filters are said to be the best time and again but there seems to be three choices for 77mm filters? The B+W 77mm UV Haze 010 (MRC) Multi-Resistant Coating Glass Filter Extra Wide (95mm Front) = $125, the B+W 77mm UV Haze 010 (MRC) Multi-Resistant Coating Glass Filter Slim = $113 and the B+W 77mm UV Haze 010 (MRC) Multi-Resistant Coating Glass Filter = $80. I assume that the first is for wide-angle lenses, what about the other two? All the zoom lenses that I want to start with are 77mm. I’m also considering picking up the canon bargain lens, 50mm f/1.8, would you recommend no filter at all for this lens because the lens is cheaper then a good filter? Or would you recommend getting the Canon 52mm UV Haze-1 Glass Filter for $11? Same goes for the lens hood for this lens? Is it worth getting the Canon ES-62 Lens Hood with HD Adapter 62Lens Hood for $24, or is it best to forgo these accessories on such a cheap lens?

Assuming that B+W makes the best polarizing filters as well, a B&H search for B+W 77mm polarizer filters reveals ten choices, many of which cost the same amount? Which is the one to get?

30D & 4/5 lenses, flash, tripod and other accessories. Needs to be durable and safe for international travel. The 300 f/2.8 comes from B&H with its own travel trunk, so don't worry about that lens. The biggest lens that will be carried with the camera is the 70-200 f/2.8 IS. Once we move back to Kenya it can be very dusty, so if the case/bag can be air tight, that would be great! In 3-5 years (when my wife returns to the US to do her dissertation), I hope to buy a full frame camera and a few more lenses to be shared between the two bodies, so I'm not sure if I should plan now and buy a case/bag that can accompany two camera bodies and 8-10 lenses, or if I should just buy a second case/bag for the second camera and split the lenses between them according to which are best for ff and which are best for crop?

After reading numerous threads, I feel very comfortable in being able to clean the sensor and other parts that may need cleaning by following any of the extremely useful guides that people have posted. I have already book-marked many of them and intend to cut and paste all that useful information into a locally hosted guide on my computer, before I head back to Kenya, where internet access is not that good. Is it most likely that if there are any problems with the body and lenses that I'll be able to detect and remedy these problems within the first year? Or would it be recommended to get an extended warranty? Also, since I will be living in Kenya primarily from 17 months from now onwards, has anyone ever tried using an international warranty from a country as politically dilapidated as Kenya? I can understand insuring this expensive camera (the lenses), that is for sure, but as far as warranty is concerned, I tend to feel that it might be so difficult to make use of a warranty from Africa that it might just be best to self teach myself to do the basic maintenance, and then to thoroughly check my gear before I leave and to have any defects remedied in the first year so that I would not have to use any type of international warranty? Does anyone have any experience or advice on this subject?

Personally i would shop around, there is nothing that says you have to buy everything at one stop shop from BH, or any store. Personally i think sandisk are way overpriced. I had 2 (lost 1) and it was not better or faster then my ridata from the EGG. i bought 4 from the egg which were 2 gigs each and only $54 too. Now before people say they are bad and they dont hold up, or that they dont transfer as fast, from what i can tell, i dont notice any difference. I guess what im saying is look around you might be surprized how som eof the lower cost cards perform. they have less marketing but are virutally the same thing.

i bought my extra batts from sterlingtek and they have great batts. they were only 15 and they last longer then a canon one. I have to say though that batteries in general in the 30D last forever, scary how long actually. But dont be married to everything Canon

avoid slim mount filters as you cant put your lens cap on. I went with a basic B+W Kaeseman Circ. Pol. I really enjoy it, thought my dad put a nasty scratch in it when he went to mexico. It was 165ish when i bought it. Look at Singh Ray and Heliopan as well. i Havent used there stuff but it seems good. also if your in the market graduated ND filters might be of some use, i plan on getting a set of Lee filters myself.

I have a - Bogen / Manfrotto 3021BN Tripod (Black) with 322RC2 Grip Action Ballhead (RC2 Quick Release) - Supports 11 lb (5 kg). Its nice i guess. Does what i want and need its a little awkward i guess carrying it around but i suppose all tripods will be. I would really like to get a Kirk BH-1 or a RRS BH-55, both are about 450 a piece and a nice tripod like a gitzo. I guess ill get that when i make the big show.

my combo works well for what i do, and supports all the lens ill buy in the near future.

Flash : the 580EX has extra range (almost 1 stop), faster recharging, ability to use external battery pack, and can act as a wireless master. And buttons that are easier to press. If you don't need those features, get the 430EX.

Batteries : I'm using SterlingTek as well. Unless you're a very heavy user, one extra battery is enough. You may want to get a SterlingTek recharger though. The Canon charger occasionally refuses to recharge my SterlingTek. The symptoms : when I plug in a battery, the charger blinks once, twice, three times, stay solid. When I put battery into camera, it shows half charge.

The solution : I unplug the battery, with the charger still plugged in, and re-insert it into charger. Try that a couple of times. If it still fails, discharge the battery in the camera (someone suggest leaving LCD on, auto-off disabled, until battery runs down) and recharge. Or get a 3rd party charger.

i have never had a problem with my batteries from sterlingtek charging on my canon charger. Ill have to watch out for that. Thanks for the heads up

Hello Ryan,

I'm using B&H as the benchmark, but once I know exactly the package I want, I do intend to call all of the reputable dealers and see how they match up. Adorama, B&H, Canoga... etc. But I'll start with B&H and if they can prove to at least match the best price with other camera dealers who show good results with resellerratings and the better business bureau, then I'll go with them because a lot of people in this forum, have promoted B&H as an extremely reputable dealer, especially if something needs to be returned or if a problem is encountered. The reason why B&H is listed in my post so much is because I was using them to determine costs, because of their respected reputation in these forums. I do hope to give B&H my business if they can prove to be fair and professional with me. I also do intend to give all my business in this first order to one store, because that is the best way to save on shipping costs. If I split my order between three different places, for instance, I'd end up paying three times as much in shipping because typically the cost of shipping does not increase that much with additional items, vs completely different dealers.

As for card speeds, I was sent to this page:

http://www.robgalbraith.com/bins/multi_page.asp?cid=6007-8478

and I must admit that the relative speed of the cards is very similiar (the top 17 are all at or over 6 mb/sec). Sandisk does quite well, but there are also a few other contenders that I'll price match if others recommend that their experiences have been positive. For insance your Ridata brand has its Pro 150X 2GB card, which ranks 4th on the speed charts, and now that you confirm that this brand has served you well (confirming that it is not just fast, but is also reliable), I will price match it as well compared to any other brands that rank well and are recommended by people in this forum.

Thanks a lot for your input,

Erick

I just read the reseller ratings for sterlingtec and they rated very well. And their batteries are a bargain compared to the Canon alternatives. Thank you so much Ryan and Lenny for pointing me in the direction of this alternative. I will definitely take this store into consideration for my battery and charger needs. I suspect that for my uses in Kenya I would probably actually like to buy even more then two batteries, because recharge opportunities are not always present. Has anyone ever travelled with a Sterling Tec charger before. Does it handle 240v current acceptably? Thanks again for the tip on these batteries.

Lenny,

Thanks for pointing out the differences between the two flash types in your response down below. I'm just in the learning phase, but I see no reason to limit my future uses by choosing the 430ex, when the 580ex is only $110 more. So let me get that increased range (almost 1 extra stop), and the ability to use a battery pack/charge faster, have the ability to have it act as a wireless master. Is there anything else that I should know about flash systems in the immediate future, short of buying studio lights, which I do not intend to do at this juncture.

Thanks for your assistance,

Erick

I had a whole bunch of camera flash articles bookmarked, but my Firefox commited seppuku and took out my Profiles directory, and I neglected my backups for a while, shame on me. But I believe this is one of them:

http://photonotes.org/articles/eos-flash/

According to the article, 580EX can tilt down for macro shots (very slight angle - 7 degrees IIRC) and has a built-in catchlight panel.

The only other thing I can think of about flash is that you may want to build or buy a diffuser (lots of opinion around about which diffuser is best). Search these forums. Everytime someone brings up sto fen vs. lightsphere, there'll be a long discussion.