Hello from a newbie

[Kat_H]

Hi everyone.
I'm a newbie. My name is Kat, I'm 23 and I live in Bristol.
I also posted this in the intros thread but it doens't seem overly active so I hope it's ok that I've posted it here too?
I love taking photos but am just starting out on my DSLR journey. I have always been jealous of people with posh cameras and I'm now in a position to be able to buy a DSLR.
I have enrolled on a 6 week evening course with a local college starting in January. But before that, I must make my purchase!
I have my eye on a Canon E0S 600D and I am itching to go out in my lunch break and buy one but I know it's sensible to continue to do research until I find what suits me etc.
The thing I am most stumped on is what lense(s) I'll need.
I've been browsing through articles on here and they are very useful and I am doing my homework on how to take great photos when I get a camera but can anyone link me to a good article about lenses? Aimed at beginners of course-I literally know nothing!
I think that's all for now.
Nice to 'meet' you all!

[BigFuzzy]

Hi Kat,
First off welcome to DPS, you'll like it here even despite the occasional grump you'll run across (myself included)

Right now it's difficult to advise you what lens to get because you're just now beginning your journey. What advice I have is to shoot with the kit lens for a while and see where your shooting takes you.
If you find yourself always thinking "man, i can't get close enough" you might want to get something with a longer focal lenth.
If you find yourself regularly saying "geesh, I can't back up enough to get it all in the frame" you may need a wide angle lens.

You may find that your photography takes you more towards portraiture which would call of some other type lenses...
I think you get my drift right? It's too early to tell you what you should get.

What I think we can all agree with is really start to learn your camera and what it can/can't do. Your lens, right now, will NOT be a limiting factor (for the most part, unless you're trying to shoot things that are really far away) for you right now, your skill/knowledge will be.

So, enjoy your 6 week class first, spend lots of time taking photos and start developing a feel for what you like to photograph. Don't get caught up in the lens game right now because you should simply focus on learning how to use your camera.

If you really really want to buy something, it's my opinion that every person can benefit from shooting with a 50mm 1.8 lens at some point in their life. Teaches you about 'zooming with your feet'.. can help you learn about depth of field and large apertures (ie small f/#s)... so if you insist, I say buy that since it's relatively cheap (approx 120usd I think).

Here's a decent link on lenses here on DPS:
The Most Popular and Favorite DSLR Lenses – According to Our Readers
Another good section on DPS
Popular Digital Cameras and Gear

Yeah, just spend lots of time surfing DPS (and the web in general), lots of good info out there.
Probably most helpful on DPS is this section:
Digital Photography Tips and Tutorials
Yet another DPS link:
A 15 Minute Lesson For The Photography Beginner

Good luck, have fun, and start posting images so that we can see if we can help you out.
Cheers,
Al

[Kat_H]

Then maybe I will fit in because Itoday I am quite grumpy
Thank you kindly for your advice. I thought the kit lense may have been the answer. I think thatm, if it's wise, I will purchase a kit with 2 because I would like to think I would save a few pennies later on having already bought the 2?
Thank you for those links. I have already printed both the specific articles and attacked them with my highlighter collection and I continue to browse on here-there's a lot of useful stuff for which I am very, very glad!
It's good to know I don't have to worry about lenses to start with-that takes a weight off my mind.
I will, of course, post my first pictures when I have a camera to take them with. Knowing me, it will be quite soon because I'm impatient!
Thank you again for your advice, it's very much appreciated

[autofocus]

Welcome to DPS Kat. I'm sure you will enjoy spending a lot of time here eagerly learning more about your new hobby. You asked about lenses, and as a beginner, the lens or lenses that come with the kit are usually a very good starting point. Your camera choice can be kitted a few ways, and an example of which is:
Canon EF-S 18-55mm IS II Lens +
Canon EF-S 55-250mm IS Lens
Even if the kit you choose only comes with the 18-55 option, it will be an excellent starting point. As your interest grows in particular areas of photography, like most people, you will be adding lenses that best serve those particular segments of photography. The lens choices for portrait work are quite different than wildlife, sports, and landscape photography. That doesn't mean you couldn't use an 18-55 lens for all of the above, it's just that there are better choices when it comes to focal length and speed of the various lenses. These are the things that you will learn as you go, and the type of photography you choose to pursue will dictate your future lens choices. And as I said, the kit lenses are good general purpose lenses, and a good way to start.

[Biomech]

Hello! I was in Bristol on the weekend, killer job ... got lost in the @Bristol exhibition centre and ended up inside a giant vagina that was talking to me :O I live in Hereford

I'm a Sony man myself. But what I would say, is think about why you want the Canon 600D over the 550D or 500D (for example), don't just buy it because it's a bigger number, you might be able to get away with a slightly older model at a much lower price. On the other hand of course, you should always buy the best you can afford :P Although most people here will agree, upgrade when you need to not when you want to.

Personally, I'd go for a package of the camera and the kit lens. The reason being is that the price is usually quite good in a package, but also, if after the course, you feel that you're not really that interested anymore then you haven't wasted a stack of money on lenses and gear.

If you do, for some reason, decide on a 500D, give me a shout, I need to upgrade mine to a 550D :P

[NathanFranke]

+1 for kit lens, and +1 for 50mm f/1.8

In fact, just repeat everything that BigFuzzy said.

[Biomech]

Doesn't appear to be much between 550D and 600D - about £50.
Canon EOS 600D Digital SLR Camera with 18-55mm IS II and 55-250mm IS II Lenses (5170B037BA) - wex photographic

I was going to say something else.... oh yeah, check out ebay for lenses too. I think I got my 50mm 1.7 on their for about £40 :P

[Kat_H]

Originally Posted by Biomech

Hello! I was in Bristol on the weekend, killer job ... got lost in the @Bristol exhibition centre and ended up inside a giant vagina that was talking to me :O I live in Hereford

This actually made me laugh out loud and when you work at reception, on your own, that's not a great look!
My girlfriend lives just outside of Hereford and I often spend my weekend waiting at the train station for either her to pick me up or the train back to Brizzle-it's a delight every time!
In regards to you needing to upgrade, can I ask further questions? What lenses/accessories do you have? And what price would you be looking for?

[Hill Country Hack]

Welcome to DPS. I fully agree with Fuzzy and all those who suggested not to get caught up in the lens game yet. It will be a year this Feb. when I got my DSLR with two kit lenses. I did add a 50mm f1.8 after about six months and I am still learning depth of field with wide apetures. I shoot a variety of things from sports to landscapes to night work. Everything but people portraits. It is just now that I am beginning to feel limited by my entry level lenses. I have learned several work arounds by trial and error. I feel having to work around my gear now will make me an overall better photographer later.

Slow your roll and get the camera you want with a kit lens, take your class and as you progress you will find you perfer one type of photography over others and that will lead you down the path as to the type of lenses to add on.

Best of luck

[Doug Sundseth]

FWIW, I wouldn't spring for a two-lens kit to start with. The second lens in that kit isn't likely to be notably more expensive if you buy it later and it's fairly likely that it wouldn't be the lens you would want then anyway.