Which len or lenses do I require.. ? Pls assist.

Hi All

I am newbie to DSLR world. I love photography and have done a lot of photography with basically point-and-shoot camera but now I am very keen to go the next.

I am planning to buy Canon 550D, but confused with what sort of Len or lens to buy?.

What sort of photography I will be doing:
(1) Natural Landscape
(2) Flower
(3) Birds and Animals
(4) Friends and Family (indoor and outdoor).

I love taking close-ups and panoramic shots.

Please advise :
(a) Which Len or lens to buy
•18-55mm IS (this comes with the single len kit)
•18-55mm IS & 55-250mm IS ( twin lenses kit)
•17-85mm IS
•50mm

(b) Do I require filters? If yes which one.

(c) Lastly, I guess Canon 550D is the right choice or Canon 50D ? I don’t intend to use it for video but I guess having a feature is good idea.

Thanks for reading and I really appreciate your comments.

Cheers
Sho

( I am really learning a lot on this form, thanx)

I would suggest starting simple and adding lenses once you have decided what you need - there's no rush to get everything at once.

I don't personally know any of the lenses you mention, but the reviews on this site suggest that the 18-55 IS is a good performer and has decent close up (macro) capability - I'd start with that.

Generally speaking the fewer the digits in the model number the more "upscale" the camera from Canon. The xxD series generally have more robust build quality than the xxxD series, and are aimed at a slightly more demanding user.

I wouldn't bother with any filters to start with - you certainly don't need them for "protection" no matter what the sales staff try to tell you.

Good luck!

Kevin

ipsearch said:

Hi All

I am newbie to DSLR world. I love photography and have done a lot of photography with basically point-and-shoot camera but now I am very keen to go the next.

I am planning to buy Canon 550D, but confused with what sort of Len or lens to buy?.

Click to expand...

For starters, lens is the singular form of the word (unless you're a brit, then it's "lense"), "len" is nothing.

ipsearch said:

What sort of photography I will be doing:

Click to expand...

Each of these subjects has a "typical" sort of lens that people use

ipsearch said:

(1) Natural Landscape

Click to expand...

People tend to like wide angle lenses for landscape photography, but they aren't strictly necessary.

ipsearch said:

(2) Flower

Click to expand...

For close up flower shots you will probably need what is called a "macro" lens, though again, you can probably do well enough at first with a normal lens

ipsearch said:

(3) Birds and Animals

Click to expand...

You will probably need a fast telephoto lens for this. These can get to be VERY expensive.

ipsearch said:

(4) Friends and Family (indoor and outdoor).

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The normal lens will do fine here, though indoor you may want something faster than what you will get with the kit lens, so a normal prime would work well.

ipsearch said:

I love taking close-ups and panoramic shots.

Click to expand...

ipsearch said:

Please advise :
(a) Which Len or lens to buy
•18-55mm IS (this comes with the single len kit)
•18-55mm IS & 55-250mm IS ( twin lenses kit)
•17-85mm IS
•50mm

Click to expand...

I dont know much about canon lenses, so I'll let other people talk specifically about these choices, but the twin lens kit along with the 50mm will get you well on your way to start off.

ipsearch said:

(b) Do I require filters? If yes which one.

Click to expand...

No, you don't REQUIRE filters, and personally, I wouldn't recommed trying them until you get more familiar with what you are shooting and what filters would actually give you. Eventually, you may want to get a polarizer, some ND filters, and maybe some GradND filters, but you can do without at first.

ipsearch said:

(c) Lastly, I guess Canon 550D is the right choice or Canon 50D ? I don’t intend to use it for video but I guess having a feature is good idea.

Click to expand...

Some suggestions -

Sigma 10-20mm (older version) - you won't need a fast lens for scenic work
This will cover broad vistas and allow you to get some good depth for impact

Canon 15-85mm - a better lens than the 17-85 optically and will cover your 'friends & family' pictures but it also starts wide enough for scenic work. A good 'general purpose' lens.

Sigma 150mm Macro. Excellent lens for flowers and smaller creatures. It also gives to a fast lens for portraits and other applications using differential focus.

Canon 70-300 IS (or if you can afford it the 100-400L) for your wildlife photography. The 100-400 is the classic birders lens but the 70-300 is quite good alternative - much lighter but not so much reach.

The 15-85mm would suffice for flower pictures and you could get some extension tubes to use with it for close up work if a macro lens is. The 15mm end is equivalent to 24mm on a 35mm camera and as such would be wide enough for some scenic work, allowing you to get some foreground interest into scenics. This might be the first lens to get.

What the 15-85 lacks is enough telephoto reach for wildlife photography, so if that is important to you the next up would be either the 70-300mm (The 100-400 is a better option but expensive ) Some may advocate one of the 70-200 f4 or f2.8 lenses used with teleconverters but these are also very expensive and you'll still want more reach. The Canon 70-300 IS is a very nice lens and the best value for money in this range.

These two lenses would do all you want and then you could add a dedicated Macro and a wider lens later on if you want to.

Regards

The only filter I would invest in would be a circular polarizer. This will be especially helpful for landscapes.

--

And I will agree with those who said "start simple".... because all those other 85 lenses Canon makes will still be available for purchase next week, next month, next year, and probably ten years from now.

The biggest mistake you can make right now is buying an expensive lens you don't need simply because someone else on the internet told you to. What works for their type of shooting may not work well for you.

Just buy a 550D with the kit lens. Make sure you get the IS version.

As you use the camera more, and learn more about using a DSLR, then you will know which lens you need to buy next. The telephoto zoom kit lens isn't a bad lens either, but if you use telephoto a lot you might want something better. If you are an occasional telephoto shooter, then it might work fine for you.

As far as filters go, a circular polarizer comes in very handy. There are a few situations where ND filters can be very useful too. But you probably won't need one of those for a long time. Color correction filters are completely unnecessary and Haze UV filters are a subject of hot debate. Some say they are good for protecting your lens. Others (myself included) think this is sheer nonsense.

--
Marty
http://www.fluidr.com/photos/marty4650/sets/72157606210120132
http://www.flickr.com/photos/marty4650/sets/72157606210120132/show/
my blog: http://marty4650.blogspot.com/
Olympus E-30
Olympus E-P1

dradam said:

For starters, lens is the singular form of the word (unless you're a brit, then it's "lense"), "len" is nothing.

Click to expand...

Please, that's an incorrect assumption.. There is no evidence that this is a British usage. Check the profile of folks using that variation, mostly it seems a U.S. phenomenon.

In Britain its lens (singular) or lenses (plural).

Regards,
Peter

sherwoodpete said:

sherwoodpete said:

For starters, lens is the singular form of the word (unless you're a brit, then it's "lense"), "len" is nothing.

Click to expand...

Please, that's an incorrect assumption.. There is no evidence that this is a British usage. Check the profile of folks using that variation, mostly it seems a U.S. phenomenon.

In Britain its lens (singular) or lenses (plural).

Click to expand...

Yes, it was an assumption. However, in my experience, the people that seem to use it most tend to be European. I only said British because you folk love to "misspell" things (tell me, what colour is that lense) and I certainly meant no offense.

Thanx mate for the awesom advise, I will go for basic kit lense + circular polarizer + ND filer.

Do you think Canon 550D is a good choice ?

( hahah... len % ^ ?, I should have check it before posting my question on the forum).

Cheers
S

The 550d is a fantastic camera. It's also smaller and lighter than the 50d which makes you that little bit more likely to actually carry it around with you.

I agree with the general sentiment to start with only one general purpose lens, with one modification: I think it's ok for a beginner to upgrade from the kit zoom to a higher-end standard zoom with more range, if they have a large budget and wish to. Something like the 15-85mm would be a very good first lens if one can afford it—and one that very few people will ever truly outgrow (you may want more lenses in the future to compliment it, but you might never want to replace it).

The budget thing is important, because a beginner should anticipate that if they get into photography seriously, there will be more costs in the future , so saving money is a good strategy.

So, looking at Canon's current lineup, I'd suggest any of these lenses to a beginner as their first lens (prices are as listed at Canon's website):

• 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS ($200)
• 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS ($500)
• 17-85mm f/4-5.6 IS USM ($600)
• 18-200mm f/3.5-56 IS ($700)
• 15-85mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM ($800)

Of those, the 18-200mm and the 15-85mm are the most versatile. The 18-200mm has a pretty good telephoto reach, while the 15-85mm has more wide-angle capability, and the USM motor. Those two, of course, are also the most expensive choices on that list.

ipsearch said:

Hi All

I am newbie to DSLR world. I love photography and have done a lot of photography with basically point-and-shoot camera but now I am very keen to go the next.

I am planning to buy Canon 550D, but confused with what sort of Len or lens to buy?.

What sort of photography I will be doing:
(1) Natural Landscape
(2) Flower
(3) Birds and Animals
(4) Friends and Family (indoor and outdoor).

I love taking close-ups and panoramic shots.

Please advise :
(a) Which Len or lens to buy
•18-55mm IS (this comes with the single len kit)
•18-55mm IS & 55-250mm IS ( twin lenses kit)
•17-85mm IS
•50mm

(b) Do I require filters? If yes which one.

(c) Lastly, I guess Canon 550D is the right choice or Canon 50D ? I don’t intend to use it for video but I guess having a feature is good idea.

Thanks for reading and I really appreciate your comments.

Cheers
Sho

( I am really learning a lot on this form, thanx)

Click to expand...

start with the 18-55IS kit lens and maybe the 55-250IS Both are sharp and inexpensive. The 550D has video and a newer sensor, the 50D has a higher "burst rate" and other features but no video.

Guys help

I am now getting confused. Should I go for Canon 60D ? Somehow I am not able to justify why.

New is good (probably) & it has got better body then 550D ...

Ur take

Cheers

ipsearch said:

Guys help

I am now getting confused. Should I go for Canon 60D ? Somehow I am not able to justify why.

New is good (probably) & it has got better body then 550D ...

Ur take

Cheers

Click to expand...

The 60D has a better body, faster FPS "burst rate", buffer, etc. but they both have the same sensor and video capabilities. If you think you will shoot a lot of sports and action shots the 60D may be the better choice

Thanx everyone for your suggestion. Just got Canon 550D with twin lens kit. 18-55 & 55-250 IS.

It great. Just a last question. I guess I should choose the file format as RAW ?

Cheers
S

ipsearch said:

Thanx everyone for your suggestion. Just got Canon 550D with twin lens kit. 18-55 & 55-250 IS.

It great. Just a last question. I guess I should choose the file format as RAW ?

Click to expand...

It really depends on how critical your needs are.

The 550D is a great camera, and you will get very good results.
But if you want the best possible results then you probably need to shoot raw.

That's because the jpeg engine of every DSLR is applying algorithms to determine the best possible settings and adjustments for exposure, color, and levels. And around 95% of the time, these will be hard for you to beat by doing it yourself. But the other 5% of the time, you actually can do a better job than your jpeg engine can.

I suggest you start out shooting jpegs, then look at your results. If you are happy with them, then keep it that way. If you think you can do better, then switch to shooting jpeg+raw. Then process the raw files yourself and compare them to the camera produced jpegs.

At first you will probably be frustrated that you have invested all this effort and ended up with an image that was no better than the camera produced jpeg, but don't give up. Keep trying. By using raw files you will be able to rescue those difficult shots taken in poor lighting.

In fact, considering how cheap file storage is today, you might want to always shoot in jpeg+raw, so you can revisit files in the future and improve your own jpegs when your processing skills improve.

Or, on the other hand, if you are happy with your jpegs, then just shoot jpegs and enjoy taking photos without making a job of it.

I shoot jpegs almost exclusively unless it's for something really important.

But you should try it for yourself and see if you prefer having the extra control raw processing gives you.
--
Marty
http://www.fluidr.com/photos/marty4650/sets/72157606210120132
http://www.flickr.com/photos/marty4650/sets/72157606210120132/show/
my blog: http://marty4650.blogspot.com/
Olympus E-30
Olympus E-P1

I was in your position in 2006 and I bought a 2-lens kit with about the same reach as the Canon 18-55 & 55-250 kit. I learned TONS about photography over the following 4 years with that kit, and never had trouble with "lens lust" * until I got good enough to start to print really big.

My advice:

1. Get the Canon 550D with the two lenses -18-55 and 55-250. There's no such thing as "too much reach", sorry. If you want to get schooled, set either one at a specific length and shoot with only that length all day - it's very revealing.

2. Get a multi-coated polarizing filter - I've used a $25 linear polarizer for years with great results.

3. Get couple of multi-coated lens-protection UV filters (again, ~$25 each) - when you're starting out, these take a lot of anxiety out of protecting the front element of the lens, and you can practice cleaning on them - once they're ruined you'll still have pristine lenses.

4. Get a good tilt-swivel flash - the Canon 430 EX II is popular. Tilt-Swivel is really important, unless you just want washed-out snapshots.

5. A decent tripod and head - the Slik U212/Quick-release pan-tilt head combo is cost effective and the tilt-swivel head means you can use it for videography as well as stills.

6. A good field camera bag like the Tamrac Velocity 6 or 7. If the camera is not quick to your hand, it's not going to get used.

7. The usual accessories; 3-4 memory cards, a couple of generic batteries, a lens cloth, etc.

You'll be set for many years.

(*LENS LUST - a state of unrequited envy regarding the sharpness, bokeh, depth of field and/or range of an inordinately expensive hunk of glass and plastic.)

ipsearch said:

Thanx everyone for your suggestion. Just got Canon 550D with twin lens kit. 18-55 & 55-250 IS.

It great. Just a last question. I guess I should choose the file format as RAW ?

Cheers
S

Click to expand...

shoot in RAW, start out in "P" mode and choose the center focus point, single shot with evaluative exposure. Then experiment with the "creative" modes like Av (aperture priority) Tv (shutter priority) and read and learn !

I am already learning a lot for all the advice I am getting on this forum.

Is it ok to buy third part batteries or branded Canon only ? Is there any recommendation.

What about lens hood ? ( I would like to spend mony only on things that is required).

Lastly any special care or things I should be cautious of while changing lenses ? I guess I should make sure that no dust partial enters the case ?

Cheers

Get lens hoods they protect the lens and reduce light problems.

Don't buy the OEM lens hoods go on E-Bay and get the HK knock-offs.