Getting started in Digital SLR (DSLR) Photography on a budget - Canon kits

I'm well into this hobby of digital SLR photography, and let me tell you it is definitely more fun than the little point and shoot cameras, delivering more professional looking results.

On the other hand, DSLR's can also be more addicting and because they are so highly upgradeable and customizable, open up a possible doorway for spending alot of your paycheck on lenses, filters, etc.

But one positive to remember, if you buy Canon brand, high quality gear (like the "L" lenses), you can resell them later for around 90% of what you bought them for!

If I was gonna do it again, I would probably have started with the Canon Rebel XT Kit to make sure i like the hobby, but once i was certain, go straight for a "L" lens combination. Instead, by slowly upgrading, I've bought 6 lenses and sold 3 of them, losing a little on resale and filters that no longer fit.

Here’s what I recommend depending on your budget:



Prices after current Canon Spring Rebates:

Low budget
Just the rebel xt and kit lens $640



Low-medium budget

Rebel xt: $640

With kit lens included

70-200 f/4 lens: $554 amazon





Medium budget:

Rebel xt body only: $580

17-85 IS USM lens: $499

70-200 f/4 lens: $554 amazon





medium-high budget:

Rebel xt Body only (or canon 30D $1399): $580

17-40L f/4 lens: $615

70-200 f/4 lens: $554 amazon (or 70-200 f/2.8 IS for $1660 - amazing lens!)



High budget:

Canon 30d body $1399
or Canon 5d full frame sensor 12MP ($2,550)

10-22 ef-s lens $800

24-70 2.8 lens $1130

70-200 2.8 is lens $1670




Oh, and then there’s the flash and vertical battery grip and all the accessories and bags!!

Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II Review

transparency of light
Originally uploaded by eryck.

Who would have guessed you can take great pictures with a 70 dollar lens?! well, the 50MM 1.8 is a little wonder. Sure it feels like a cheap plastic toy, but having a f/1.8 lens in your bag for low light situations is invaluable.
I like the extreme shallow depth of field i can attain with this lens. While many complain about the bokeh being ugly, I think it can have a unique effect in certain photographs.
I recently took this lens only on a camping trip where i did not want to lug around my 2.8 zoom lenses. It proved to be a fun lens to have, making me think harder about framing and composition, and shuffle around with my feet instead of easily turning a zoom ring.
Overall, this is a great lens for the price, provides sharp pictures, bold colors, fast lens for low light, all in a light-weight package.



From the Manufacturer
Lightweight and affordable, this sharp lens with a fast f/1.8 aperture is an excellent first lens for those who prefer a fixed focal length, and makes an excellent addition to any photographer’s system for available-light shooting. A traditional Gauss-type optical design ensures sharp performance even wide open, and it focuses as close as 18 inches/0.45m.

A medium telephoto lens with a large aperture brings the subject closer, creates excellent background blur, gives a longer flash range, and affords a faster shutter speed to freeze the action. A standard zoom lens, with its natural angle of view and perspective, captures the subject plainly, with no special effects. However, you can use standard lenses in creative ways by varying the subject distance, aperture, and angle.

Organizing your photos with Picasa, iPhoto, or Photoshop

I have about 10,000 pictures currently, and there are two choices of software that i use to organize them currently.
On my Dell PC, I use Picasa, which I think is the best free software out there to manage your photos and make basic and fun changes to your pictures. say if the shadows are too dark in your picture of people's faces are dark from backlighting, you can use the adjust fill-lighting and make it look like you took that picture correctly! i like the way Picasa organizes your photos according to the folders you set up, and chronologically as well if you so choose. you can also easily order prints directly from the software through vendors like Kodak, walmart, or costco! this is very helpful. so, if you have a PC, get your copy of this free software, made by google:
(Go to my blog's homepage and) Click on the white button to your right.
On my Macbook Pro, i have the iLife suite bundle that includes iPhoto. Picasa is quite similar to iPhoto, but so far, i still belive Picasa comes out ahead. iPhoto is not quite as intuitive to use, and the creative options and fixes are more difficult to grasp. Also one thing that bugs me is the lack of the "hand" cursor to move the picture around when zoomed in. But, alas, Picasa is not available for the Mac platform.

Of course i have Photoshop CS on both computers and it does have its own photo browser which works adequately. But Photoshop is what i use for serious post processing if i am considering printing the picture in a large format.

well i hope that helps you, that's it for now!

Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L USM Ultra Wide Angle Zoom Lens Review

I've been testing the 17-40 L for the last month and it has shown to be an excellent lens for landscape photography on Maui as well as group portraiture. I'm amazed at the color rendition the lens provides without any post processing necessary. For the money, this is a great wide angle lens and a good intro to the quality of Canon's "L" glass.

Build Quality
The 17-40mm is a solid lens. After using the Canon 28-135mm IS lens and other more economical lenses like the kit lens and 75-300, it is easy to see the difference in the L lens category. I like that the zoom component is internal and the zoom and manual focusing rings turn so smoothly. The lens weighs in around the same or less than my 28-135 and feels amazingly light after using my 70-200mm IS all day.
Another plus is that the lens comes with a lens hood and a soft case. The lens hood is rather large, but apparently, this is necessary for wide angle lenses on a full frame sensor camera. But for those using 20 or 30D's and Rebels, a narrower hood can likely be substituted.

General Findings
While this lens gives photographers that wide end to capture group shots and landscape, you will also find it performs quite well just inches from the subject. I often use the lens right up next to my subject to create very unique angles, with very interesting results. I also have used the lens just inches away from flowers and other still life objects.

Shortcomings and Conclusions
As a walk-around lens, this may not be the best choice out there. I often find the desire for a bit more reach, and find myself changing lenses if available. If intended for mostly wide angle shots, it is a great "one-lens solution", but if you also enjoy candids and portraiture on your photo adventures, you may want something up to 85mm or more.
But the quality of color and sharpness and relative affordability of this L lens make up for any of these shortcomings! In the end, it is one of my most used lenses and always stays in my camera bag.


Fred miranda users give the lens an average rating of 8.9





From the Manufacturer
A new and affordable L-series ultra-wide-angle zoom lens that's ideal for both film and digital SLRs. Superior optics are assured by the use of three Aspherical lens elements, in addition to a Super UD (Ultra-low Dispersion) glass element. Optical coatings are optimized for use with digital cameras. This lens focuses as close as 11 inches (0.28m), and offers both Canon's full-time manual focus and a powerful ring-type USM for fast and silent AF. It has a constant f/4 maximum aperture, and offers the choice of screw-in 77mm filters or a holder in the rear of the lens for up to three gel filters. Finally, it offers weather-resistant construction similar to other high-end L-series lenses. About half the price of the 16-35 f/2.8 lens, this L-series lens has an entirely new optical design with three Aspherical elements and a Super UD-glass element. The combination provides superb contrast and sharpness, even at the widest settings. It’s ideal for both film and digital SLRs, and features the same weather-resistant design, rear gel filter holder, and high-speed Ultrasonic Motor as the EF 16-35mm lens.

Canon 70-200mm f/2.8 IS Lens Review

This is one of Canon's top of the line lenses, found in many Maui professional photographers' bags. Giving us the ability to shoot under low lighting, before and just after sunset, when the sky lights up subjects faces and the clouds take on a rainbow of hues. This finds its home on my camera 80% of the time.

Camera Build
This is a solid tank of a lens. Your biceps and forearms will definitely get a work out with this weatherproof white lens. The tripod mount comes in handy when shooting sports photography, as I quickly mount it to a monopod and shoot away. The image stabalizer is built to work with a monopod OR tripod, as it is senstitive enough to know what it is resting on. The zoom and focus rings work very smoothly.

Observed Shortcomings and Conclusions
Under some low light conditions and low-contrast subjects, I have found the 70-200 to hunt quite a bit. This can be frustrating at times, but I believe it is common to any lens in those lighting situations and also due partly to my camera, a Rebel XT. the higher grade Canons will likely perform a bit better here.
The position of the manual focus button tends to make it susceptible to being shifted to manual, unknowingly.

Other than these two items, it is comforting to know I'm shooting with essentially, Canon's best zoom lens available, leaving the rest (actually taking stunning shots with it!)up to me.

Given an average rating on www.fredmiranda.com of 9.6 for its ability to attain extremely sharp pictures, low chromatic abberation and lens flare, and shoot under low light conditions.



From the Manufacturer
Incorporating Canon’s second generation Image Stabilization technology, this telephoto zoom responds in as little as 0.5 seconds, while providing up to three stops of correction for camera shake. Its AF system has been refined for better response time and tracking speed. And even the new 8-blade circular aperture offers a more pleasing out-of-focus image. Constructed to pro standards, this fast zoom is also highly resistant to dust and moisture, too.

Product Description
For Canon SLR Camera Body / AutoFocus Compatible / Built-in Image Stabilizer / Uses 77mm Size Filters

Product Description
The Canon USA 7042A002 70mm to 200mm /f2.8 IS USM is an exceptional zoom lens for use with a Canon SLR camera body (35mm or Digital). A unique feature is that this lens incorporates Canon's second generation Image Stabilization technology. Maximum Diameter x Length, Weight - 3.4 x 7.8, 3.24 pounds

Aloha from a Photographer on Maui.

So, I'm addicted to photography.
Digital photography to be exact.

Besides being outdoors and taking pictures, when i'm stuck inside, i thought i'd write a little about my passion here and post photos for friends to see.




Taken with 17-40 L f4 at 40mm, f4.5, 1/60 sec





My favorite subjects:
Candid Portraits
Landscape
Surfing (though i'm usually the surfer, go figure)
Nature
Macro






Current Equipment:

Digital Rebel XT
BG-E3 Battery Grip
420EX Speedlite

Canon Lenses:
70-200mm f2.8 L IS
17-40mm f4 L
50mm 1.8

Bogen Monopod
Tripod
LowePro Off-trail 2 bag

Have Owned:
75-300 f/4-5.6 II
28-135 IS
18-55 EF-S kit lens
Canon 300 Ixus camera and waterproof housing
Canon s60 camera and waterproof housing