About to buy my first DSRL, what other stuff do I need?

Hello. I am about to buy Canon 50D as my first DSLR. What kind of extra stuff i should buy with it? Bags, batteries, filters, cleaning, tripods and stuff like that.

hiall said:

Hello. I am about to buy Canon 50D as my first DSLR. What kind of
extra stuff i should buy with it? Bags, batteries, filters, cleaning,
tripods and stuff like that.

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Hi hiall, you first need to decide on your budget. Since the 50D has just been released, it's price is quite steep at the moment. You should compare its new features against the significantly cheaper 40D and decide if you can live without them. If you spend less on the body, you can spend more on some good lenses.

You should decide what subject matter you want to shoot before considering the extras. If you're only shooting in bright daylight you can do without a tripod (but if youre getting one make sure it's a solid metal support, and not a cheap flimsy one!)

You'll want to get a blower bulb/rocket blower to clean the sensor and the lenses. A microfibre cloth is also important. A few 4GB CF cards are a must as you don't get one with the camera.

Finally, make sure you buy a lens with it!

SolidTripod said:

Finally, make sure you buy a lens with it!

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Outstanding advice ;-)

Wait until you know what you need before spending much more. Of course you need some memory cards and, if you plan to shoot a lot, a spare battery. A cheap blower brush to clean dust off the lens. That's about it to start with.

Anything else will depend on what you do. landscapes? A tripod, for sure. Indoor pics of kids? An external flash, or a wide aperture lens. Even a bag will depend on how much gear you accumulate - if you get one now it might be too small in 6 months, so if you do want one get a very cheap one to start with. Similarly with lenses... there are so many possibilities so wait until you know what you want, spend some time getting to know your camera first.

Good luck! (I wish I had a 50D...)
--
Mike