Advice...same old stuff everyone asks

[__Legion__]

I used to take photographs quite a bit but I never had time to get serious about it. After my old Canon point and shoot died I ended up replacing it with a Casio, smaller, higher res but ultimately a lesser camera.

Well..that POS is getting a bit long in the tooth (for some reason it seems a lot noisier now than when I got it) and circumstances in my life have changed and I have decided to get serious about it, get a dslr and have some fun!

My interests and goals are varied and perhaps somewhat artsy but let's say my initial goals are portrait, inner city landscape, interiors and still life.

I have spent the last month or so brushing up on what I had forgotten, reading various tips and reviews and general research and I have come up with the following list...

• I am pretty certain that the 550D is what I want for a body, the price point is right where I need to be, the feature set sits right below the pricer "pro" levels and the resolution is high enough to be able to make good sized prints etc
• Because budget is an issue right now I plan on getting the kit with the EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS Lens and supplementing with a Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II Lens. I know that neither of those lens are top tier but I plan on exploiting the crap out of them until I know what I am doing better then deciding what direction I wanna go for future purchases
• A tripod is a necessary, I haven't made up my mind about this yet. I am thinking a kit from one of the better brands (Manfrotto) I've looked at the cheapies and I can see the flaws and problems right out.
• Add to this a spare battery, a remote, a decent sized Sd card to start with and a handy padded bag with some room to grow and my budget is about tapped...I'd like to get a flash as well but that will have to wait for now.

So...my question is this...am I on the right track? Are my choices logical? Do you have any advice on essential items I may have missed or better options I could choose from?

Also...I know the higher end models have better weather sealing, so what do you guys do about using a camera at this level in wetter weather...it rains a lot here?

[RichardTaylor]

You are on the right track.
The only thing I would add would be lens hoods.

As far as wet weather goes I use Op Tech Rainsleves.

OP/TECH USA Rainsleeve

Even a plastic bag with a hole in the bottom, and a couple of rubber bands can do in a pinch, as per the guy in the background..

[inkista]

Agreed. You're on the right track, and you're far better prepared than many we have seen asking the dread "what should I buy?" question. Thank you for that. Many many many fervid heartfelt thanks for that.

Originally Posted by __Legion__

A tripod is a necessary, I haven't made up my mind about this yet. I am thinking a kit from one of the better brands (Manfrotto) I've looked at the cheapies and I can see the flaws and problems right out.

Yup. A lot of us go the Manfrotto route, and I'd say it's worth it. However, given that you've got an 18-55 IS, I'd say you could possibly wait on this one for a little bit as it might take you a little bit of time to get handholding technique down with a dSLR. The 18-55 IS is actually pretty capable of slower shutter speeds (say, in the neighborhood of 1/10s-1/20s or so), and with the higher ISO performance vs. a P&S camera, you might actually be able to get away with handholding in some of the situations where you'd need a tripod for a P&S camera. Obviously, for seconds/minutes long exposures, the tripod is still a must.

Add to this a spare battery, a remote, a decent sized Sd card to start with and a handy padded bag with some room to grow and my budget is about tapped...I'd like to get a flash as well but that will have to wait for now.

There are ultra-cheap flash alternatives, but it's probably smart to wait until the finances replenish themselves so you can get something nicer. Another possibility to consider is the EF-S 55-250 IS ($250), if you want a lower-cost telephoto zoom lens option.

The only thing I'd consider vital that isn't on your list is some form of post-processing software. If you are completely strapped on budget, I'd recommend looking into the open-source Gimp. And stay away from the free trial version of Lightroom for now--that thing is the Adobe software gateway drug. And you can't afford that stuff yet.

[Happy_Mummy]

Just thought I would mention it... When we bought my 550D at Christmas time they had a package for $100 that included a spare battery, camera bag and UV filter. The camera bag is on the bigger side - but it holds all my things - I have space for 3 lenses, the camera body, an external flash, the charger, an extra battery, manual and still have extra space.

I have really enjoyed the learning curve of the camera and have learned so much from this site! Also ask about any free classes that the camera store has to help you learn the camera - mine had one specifically for my camera and there were about 20 people there. Since you have been away from photography for a bit you may find this VERY helpful. With the base that I had already learned here and figured out on my own in the 2 months I had the camera before the class I got so much out of it!!! It wasn't on taking photos, but it was finding the controls of the camera and explaining why you would sue features. And of course you could ask questions at any time.

[__Legion__]

Hey, thanks for your replies guys...glad to know I am on the right track.


@RichardTaylor, those rainsleeves look pretty good, nice balance between durable and disposable...I'll have to check em out.

@inkista, Since some of the things I am eager to do soon involve long exposures I think the tripod is a little more important to me than it may be to other beginners. I have heard that most people who skimp on their first tripod end up regretting it and replacing it withing the first year. My plan is to get a good intermediate model to start with and if/when I replace it find a use for it as an off camera flash holed or the like....sound good? I am a musician and engineer by trade so I have a pretty powerful machine here to work with and software shouldn't be a problem. I've used PS in the past quite a bit working with graphic and web design.

@Happy_Mummy, alas, I currently live in a very small country town in Australia (though I am Canadian by birth) beautiful scenery but limited shopping. I have found a good and reputable dealer up the coast though online to order from. I will check out the local camera store though ands see what they have to offer in the way of classes...however I am a geek at heart, reading manuals is fun for me and DPS seems like a great resource for knowledge and the like

[inkista]

Originally Posted by __Legion__

@inkista, Since some of the things I am eager to do soon involve long exposures I think the tripod is a little more important to me than it may be to other beginners.

Yeah, if you're already considering one, I'd say go for it. The most commonly purchased Manfrotto models are the 190XB and the 550XB. The 190 is smaller than the 550, so it kind of comes down to how tall you are. A good basic ballhead is probably the best value for the dollar.

I have heard that most people who skimp on their first tripod end up regretting it and replacing it withing the first year. My plan is to get a good intermediate model to start with and if/when I replace it find a use for it as an off camera flash holed or the like....sound good?

Tripods can double as flash stands, but they're not particularly good at it, given how often you want a light overhead, and how much space they take up. Selling your old tripod to help fund the new one (or lightstands) might be a better choice. Personally, I use two different tripods, neither of which is a high-end carbon fiber model. I have a Manfrotto 550 which is my heavy-duty long-exposure, long-lens tripod. I use it about 20% of the time. The other 80% of the time I have a tiny tippy el-cheapo Velbon that I use for its portability and because my main obsession is shooting spherical panoramas, and I only need to support a body and 8mm circular fisheye lens at faster shutter speeds. The Velbon collapses down to 14" and fits into a backpack easily. The 550...does not.

For mounting off-camera flashes, you don't have to use light stands, you can also DIY your own clamps. The secret is studs and umbrella swivels. The studs take a 1/4"x20 thread. So anything you can attach a bolt to, you can mount a flash on, with a stud and an umbrella swivel. David Hobby (the Strobist) has used cheap clamps from Home Depot.

I am a musician and engineer by trade so I have a pretty powerful machine here to work with and software shouldn't be a problem. I've used PS in the past quite a bit working with graphic and web design.

Oh, cool, if you've already got PS. For non-students, $700 can be more than most folks want to part with when they're trying to scrape together the cash for gear.

[__Legion__]

yeah...I'm one of those geeky types who is handy with tools too...been trollling the net taking note of the various diy approaches out there...

In music, it's often a trade off between budget and getting the job done...the end result is what counts not the brag appeal of the gear you used. I figure photography is often much the same from what I have seen. Spend your money where it counts and invent the rest!

I thought a tripod mounted flash would come in handy for still life work....where perhaps I could lower the working plane as opposed to being to being locked by a models height...

[inkista]

Originally Posted by __Legion__

yeah...I'm one of those geeky types who is handy with tools too...been trollling the net taking note of the various diy approaches out there...

Yeah, us geeks have a slightly different mindset to this stuff (I own a macbook because I like having UNIX tools on the command line AND Photoshop on the same platform. Plus it's pretty. But I also have VMs in Parallels for XP, Ubuntu, and Sugar). If you're seriously into getting good gear for cheap and you've got good eyesight , you may want to look into adapting manual focus lenses, although a lot of the really great bargains have been snapped up, now that the word is out you can do these things.

In music, it's often a trade off between budget and getting the job done...the end result is what counts not the brag appeal of the gear you used. I figure photography is often much the same from what I have seen. Spend your money where it counts and invent the rest!

Yup. Especially when it comes to lighting gear.

I thought a tripod mounted flash would come in handy for still life work....where perhaps I could lower the working plane as opposed to being to being locked by a models height...

Well, as I said, it's a good way to start, particularly if you have the kind of tripod where the central column can act as a boom arm. But once you start working with it, you'll see what I mean. And in comparison to tripods, lightstands are cheap.

[__Legion__]

hmmm...audio guy....wonder if I can make use of stage lighting gear...not so hard for me to get my hands on...pretty damn hot though

[__Legion__]

well, I ordered everything today...should be three to five days..ye gods sometimes I hate living in the country...this is gonna be a long weekend!

on the plus side though though. I went to a local auction type thing and found an very good condition Manfrotto 055PRO with a 128LP head (it's huge!) and won it for a decent price. It's a little hefty but I could do with the exercise anyway...

thanks for your help guys!