Lenses/Accessories For Beginner [Canon XSi]

[thekitsch]

Sorry for what may seem like a redundant thread. I searched but couldn't find what I was looking for.

Anyway, I'm new to DSLRs. Just got a Canon XSi body. I don't have any lenses or accessories yet.

I'll be primary photographing bands (promotional shots). I'd also like to do some various street photography and maybe some studio portraiture and macros.

The Canon Nifty Fifty seems like a good starting point, but I want a variety.

I have $500-$600 left over to play with. What lenses and accessories would be good for me to start out with?

Thanks for the help! I haven't even started shooting yet and I feel like skimming through the forum has already helped me out.

[sybren]

Why don't you get the nifty fifty and the 18-55mm kit lens? They are two very, very cheap lenses and you'll have about $300-$400 left. Use those two lenses to learn more about photography.

Once you hit the limits of your lenses, learn to work with/around them. Once you can't even do that anymore, it's time to buy new gear. You'll know exactly what type of gear you need as it solves a real limitation you're experiencing.

PS: Welcome to this forum

[Gonzo13]

Which nifty fifty are you talking about. I have heard the 50mm 1.4 and the 50mm 1.8 refered to as it? I agree with getting a 50mm. I just got the 1.8 and I dig it. I would look into something with IS in it personally, the 18-55mm is around $120 or so. 2 lenses should be enough for a start. Play around with them for awhile and see what you can do with each. I would think that the next purchase after that would be a tripod and finally a flash. That's just my opinion though. Polarizer filters are great too.

[CaptainNH]

Are you thinking about band shots at gigs? In low light? If so, you're going to need fast glass. Fortunately, Canon make some great fast primes for a very reasonable cost:

35mm f/2.0 - AUD$390
50mm f/1.8 II - AUD$135
85mm f/1.8 - AUD$495

For your budget, you could probably grab a couple of these. If you're tending towards street photography, I'd be thinking about the 35mm and 50mm. If more gig shots and portraits, probably the 50mm and 85mm.

The EF-S55-250mm is reasonably cheap, comes with image stabilisation and would give you great reach.

Pop along to a camera shop with your body and try them out!

[thekitsch]

Wow... Thank you all for the insightful (and quick) responses.

Originally Posted by Gonzo13

Which nifty fifty are you talking about. I have heard the 50mm 1.4 and the 50mm 1.8 refered to as it? I agree with getting a 50mm. I just got the 1.8 and I dig it. I would look into something with IS in it personally, the 18-55mm is around $120 or so. 2 lenses should be enough for a start. Play around with them for awhile and see what you can do with each. I would think that the next purchase after that would be a tripod and finally a flash. That's just my opinion though. Polarizer filters are great too.

I'm definitely going to get the 1.8. Any recs on good polarizer filters? What flash should I invest in? Or should I spring for some off-camera lighting?

Originally Posted by CaptainNH

Are you thinking about band shots at gigs? In low light?

I won't be doing a ton of live/low light photography, but I think it would be nice to have a fitting lens for the situation. Thanks for the recommendations. I will definitely check them out.

Sybren, thanks for the words of wisdom!

[Gonzo13]

For the polarizer I have used Hoya and Quantaray. I haven't done a comparison but they seem rather similar. They also both do what they are supposed to. Honestly I would say get the lenses first and then the lighting after you have played with the lenses. Having to many things to try and learn at the same time makes it alot more difficult to figure out each thing. I'm not saying it can't be done it just might take longer to do.

Buy some extra batteries for the camera and some extra memory cards. I think that with learning all the photography things and post processing (commonly called PP), that you will have more than enough to try and learn.

I would say keep some money stashed away for photography gear on an as needed basis.

Oh yeah and I recommend shooting in RAW.

[inkista]

Two other lenses to consider for band shooting in low light and portraits are the EF 28mm f/1.8 USM, and the EF 100 f/2 USM (not to be confused with the f/2.8 Macro). Remember, that on a crop body, a 30mm focal length is closer to a "normal" field of view (i.e., the scene coverage a 50mm lens gave on film/full-frame).

You actually can use a speedlight (battery-powered hotshoe flash) for both on and off-camera lighting, although it will be more limited, power-wise, than using a monobloc. I'd recommend doing some heavy duty reading at the Strobist and Planet Neil before making up your mind about lighting gear.

[BCampbell]

If you just got the camera, trying to learn lighting while you're getting used to the basic functions and lens options might be too much at once. Then again, some people work well that way, it's up to you.

Before looking at lenses, there are a few basic things you will probably want. Something to carry all that around in -- doesn't have to be a camera bag but there are really well designed ones out there. I usually just use my day to day messenger bag because it's comfortable for me, or a padded backpack designed for laptops if I'm going to be shooting something physically demanding. Look into tripods, it will be your best friend, and you may want a cable or remote shutter release. An extra battery is always a good idea, as is an extra memory card -- one big card is great but in the rare case it bugs out on you, you'll be stuck. You'll probably want a card reader for your computer too, and don't forget to budget for photo editing software (or use GIMP for free).

It's hard to go wrong with the Canon 50mm f/1.8. Cheap and will serve you well. The f/1.4 is better, but will eat up half of your budget, and while it's a great lens you don't want to be stuck at that focal length. 50mm on your camera turns into 80mm because of the cropped sensor and that will get restrictive. Great for portraits though.

Otherwise never ever go cheap on glass. You really get what you pay for and if you scrimp now you'll just find yourself spending the extra bucks on better gear later anyway. I also don't like recommending EF-S lenses in case you decide to move to a full-frame body later, but you need a basic lens so you may have to compromise. A few to look at, from least to most expensive:

The basic kit lens (18-55mm 3.5-5.6) is always a solid choice, but fairly slow so you'll need lots of light to get good results.
The Canon 28-105mm 3.5-4.5 has slightly better quality than the kit lens, but lacks the extreme wide end of the focal range. Remember, since you have a cropped body, that 28mm turns into almost 45mm while the 18mm of the kit lens closer to 30mm. The upside here is the telephoto-range long end, plus this is an EF lens so would stay with you if you move up, though it's not exactly high quality for something like a 5D body.
You may be able to get away with the 50mm (either the f/1.8 or f/1.4) and the 28mm f/2.8 (the 28mm 1.8 is even faster but almost busts your budget on its own). It's a great lens for the price, and not too bad in poorer light conditions. This would be a sort of old-school kit, you're fixed to only two focal lengths, but one of them is really close to a 50mm equivalent, and a 50mm prime has been a street photography staple for decades. You'll be doing a lot of switching of lenses (so be careful) but you'll learn a lot about composition, and fast, because you'll have to. This could be extremely frustrating, though.
My best suggestion is probably the Tamron 17-50mm f/2.8. This is an excellent replacement for the kit lens, covers a good focal range, is fast, and produces really high quality images for the price. The only downside is this is for EF-S mount only, so again it will not come with you if you upgrade to full frame.
The Canon 15-85mm 3.5-5.6 is also an excellent lens that covers a wide range, but is again EF-S and a little out of your price range.

I think you could get away with the Tamron lens by itself for everything except very low light shooting. If you find yourself needed an extra stop or two, you could try either of the 50mm primes. if you want to look at more options, The Digital Picture is a great resource for Canon lens reviews.

Good luck!

[thekitsch]

Just wanted to say thanks for all of the great suggestions. I went ahead and got the 50mm f/1.8 and some accessories (tripod, battery grip, wireless remote, bag, etc). I love the 50mm so far, but I'm definitely going to look into some of the other suggestions. The 50mm on a cropped body is indeed a bit much for most indoor situations.

I'm going to keep working on this stuff. I'll post some of my photos as soon as I get a little confidence.

Thanks again.