Recommend me..

OREGATO

A tripod.. and a lense while you're at it please :P

So I've had the 500d for a while now and want to expand my kit, I bought a crumpler bag today for 50 euros and am looking to see what else to expand or what other items I need.

After my last excursion, I realised that the idea of a tripod wasn't a bad one, there is one in argos for 15 euros but it looks like its sold out nationwide. I can't find one that cheap either but I'd like to pay less than 30 euro for one if possible, I know, I know, it'll be crap, but still, I'm getting used to the camera and stuff and want to buy a cheap one to begin with.

Lenses, someone mentioned in my newbie thread that glass was gona be expensive and boy were they right.
I'd say that most of my photography will be around landscapes, holidayish type and also motorsports - mainly just trackday stuff at mondello.
So what lense should I go for?

I'm still tryign to make time to read the understanding exposure book but I'm sure I'll get a grasp of what I need after it.

Thoughts and comments would be most helpful.

Edit: also forgot, any advice on UV filters or lense protectors, the camera shop today wanted me to pay 21 euro for one, but thought I'd shop around ask for advice before parting with my money.

Where is the best place to get one?

DotOrg

how much do you have to spend. for a 500d, lenses like the 24-70mm or the 10-22mm lenses are great, but may be too expensive.

my opinion from 18 years of using SLR cameras is to use the lens you have until you realise it's limitations and what you want to do but can't. then is the time to buy something that fills the missing gap

OREGATO

DotOrg wrote: »

how much do you have to spend. for a 500d, lenses like the 24-70mm or the 10-22mm lenses are great, but may be too expensive.

my opinion from 18 years of using SLR cameras is to use the lens you have until you realise it's limitations and what you want to do but can't. then is the time to buy something that fills the missing gap

That's really good advice DotOrg and I guess you're right in a way. I'm just afraid that I'd miss chances to take better photos than what I have but I guess even if I have the right equipment, if I can't take a photo for crap, then it's no good to me.

As for how much to spend, well, I haven't budgeted anything for it yet, but ideally, anywhere between 200 and 500 would be realistic. I would however be more interested in buying second hand and maybe paying between 150 and 300.

Thanks again for the quick reply.

DotOrg

exactly, you could spend €1500 on a lens but if you aren't sure on the best of of using it's advantages then you're better off waiting and spending the money when you relaise yourself what you need.

i started off with two lenses, both fixed, not zoom lenses, one 35mm and the other a 135mm. made me learn how to zoom using my feet.

then when i got a zoom i got a 35-105 lens i think, poor quality but versatile enough

then i relised it wasn't good enough for me in low light, i needed one with a wider aperture, so i got a 50mm f1.4

then i wanted the zoom back, so i got a 24-70

then i found i couldn't get wide enough so went for a 10-22

then i shot other events where i was too far away, so needed a 70-200

more recently, since i know what lens can do what, i've gone for a macro lens and a 85 f1.8 lens

next may be a tilt shift lens

BUT
the main point is, each lens i got, because i found i was lacking something from what i had already

for €300 you really won't get anything that will take dramatically differnt pictures than the kit lens. most beginners end up gettig something like a cheap 70-300 zoom lens, but end up selling it a couple of years later when they realise it's pretty rubbish in low light

DotOrg

oh, and as for tripods, have you found yourself in a situation where you couldn't hand hold your camera to get a sharp shot, for motor-sports, it's not all that necessary unless you're holding the camera for long periods or using a really long lens

but for €30 you'll get a really flimsy but usable tripod in somewhere like argos, but if you really want a tripod, go into gunnes on wexford street and they'll show you a large range of tripods and heads and you can see the difference spending a little more will make. I bought a manfrotto tripod about 4 years ago. I don't think i'll be buying another tripod for at least 10 years because of it's quality and sturdiness

Tallon

If you want a tripod, theres a special on one on Amazon at the moment..... you can save a good bit...

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0002W6E56/ref=s9_simh_gw_p23_i1?pf_rd_m=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&pf_rd_s=center-1&pf_rd_r=1ENVT9ZX85BG17FETJPZ&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=467198433&pf_rd_i=468294

Check out how much you save

Heebie

The tripod someone recommended looks like a decent "starter" tripod. If you have a heavy camera and/or heavy lenses.. it's probably not great.. but it'll certainly get you used to how to use a tripod.. and it's better than nothing at all in many situations.

I think a good place to started would be to tell us EXACTLY what you have now. You've told us about the camera body.. but I don't recall seeing anything about what lens(es) you have. (and I don't know what the kit lens with that camera would be.)

You say you like landscapes.. so you probably want wide angle and extra wide angle lenses like a 10-20mm zoom, or something like a 14mm prime. Those tend to be expensive glass indeed.. *BUT*.. you can always look to go the route of decent USED glass from reputable places. With landscapes, you're often going to want to use a deep depth-of-field (high aperture) and infinity focus.. so old, manual-focus only glass with manual aperture controls (you might need an adapter to get it onto your camera) might be a way to get you the glass that you want without breaking the bank.

Foto Skoda (www.fotoskoda.cz) is in Prague, and sells a lot of used glass. (going there is good if you can take the time & spend the money to get there.) but.. they do sell stuff online or via phone, and they're in the EU so you won't have to deal with paying duty & vat etc.. when it comes into Irleland. There are probably other places here in Ireland, and places in the UK that will also be good for this purpose. (I hope some other people chime in and say so!) I've got a friend who's been going to Fotoskoda for years, and I bought some lenses there last November that have been aces thus far. (unusual, esoteric stuff.. Carl Zeiss Pentacon-6 mount medium-format lenses for tilt and shift kit from Kiev.. all attaching to my Pentax K20D/K10D)

Glass doesn't have an "expiration date".. if it's been treated well & maintained.. glass from the 1950's will still shoot great pictures. (I mention the 1950's only because Pentax lenses from that far back will pop right onto my camera with no alterations or adapters, so it's a good example.)

If you're going to insist on brand-new glass.. I tend to use Warehouse Express in the UK (www.warehouseexpress.com) myself. I've found them to be a reliable supplier. I've used Pixmania before as well. (If you want support on using the lens etc.. by all means by from a brick & mortar shop.. it'll cost you more, but in the event you have questions about it.. they should be there to answer them for you.)

Heebie

Here's my advice..which I got from a friend who is an amazing photographer very into macro work in the jungles of Central America:

"Why would I spend $1,000 on a lens, and put a $30 piece of glass in front of it to distort the image?"

It's advice that makes sense to me. I only use filters when I want the actual effect of a given filter. (The one I use the most is my near-infrared.. and I almost never use that.)

OREGATO wrote: »

Edit: also forgot, any advice on UV filters or lense protectors, the camera shop today wanted me to pay 21 euro for one, but thought I'd shop around ask for advice before parting with my money.

CabanSail

I too would advise that you get used to the kit you have now before spending money on glass until you know you really need something. The Kit Lens will do most general stuff.

The €30 tripod will be rubbish & of very limited use. Maybe a Gorillapod could be more useful in that price bracket.

I would reccommend a good quality UV Filter to put on a lens. Having had a couple of filters break but save the lens behind. Much cheaper to get a new filter rather than a new lens. While you are at it look at getting a CPL (Circular Polarisisng Filter) as this could be very useful for landscapes & also for the Motor Sports.

Thecageyone

CabanSail wrote: »

The €30 tripod will be rubbish & of very limited use. Maybe a Gorillapod could be more useful in that price bracket.

I was going to recommend exactly that. You can get rip-off versions in that small battery/camera shop by the quays in Dublin for €12.99. Perfect for casual, portable use. Only I hadn't a cent left on me yesterday I'd have bought one. Otherwise for your €30 you'll get one on amazon inc P&P I reckon.

A for lenses, I'm in the same boat. Just started with the dslr, have the kit lens + 50mm. The 50mm gets used much more, as said, I zoom with the feet But I know I'm missing out on shots by not having a decent zoom. My trouble is I have a Sony, and it's not easy find cheap used lenses for it.

But, that's my suggestion, hit the used market, adverts.ie [link at top of this page] will be chock full of canon lenses I imagine. Just read up on them before you commit, make sure it's exactly what you want.

sineadw

My advice is the same as everyone elses - use what you have at first. The fact that you don't even know what length of lens you want would be a very good indication that you need to wait, as DotOrg says, until you know what you're missing. Buying a random lens because people tell you it's what you need is not a good idea - they don't take your photos.

FWIW, I bought a cheap manfrotto a few years back and when I stuck the 24-70 2.8 on (a tank of a lens) it just gave up the ghost entirely. A cheap tripod will probably do you grand if you're taking shots with the kit lens or a small prime indoors, and you use the timer and mirror lock. Maybe even outdoors at a stretch. I'd nearly be inclined to say buy one for 20 quid rather than one for 60-100. That way you won't feel so bad when you realise, either way, that they're crap and you have to buy again. You can always use it for a flash indoors. Or yeah, buy a gorillapod. At least you can stick that in your pocket.

Filters - I buy off ebay. Cheap UV ones are fine IMHO. I've never *ever* seen concrete, reliable proof that expensive ones on an everyday lens make any difference. And as Cabansail says they're a helluva a lot cheaper to replace than the glass of your lens.

OREGATO

thanks for the helpful replies guys.

I had a look at the tripods on sale on amazon but unfortunately, for some reason, they don't ship to ireland!!!

Had to go on ebay and bought a generic one for under 15 quid, I know, I know, it'll be ****, but still, I can use it and get used to using a tripod and then go and spend €XXX on a tripod that is actually decent and know what exactly i'm looking for.

As for the lenses, I'm taking your advice and going to be sticking with what i have until I konw its limits and know what i want to upgrade to!

DaireQuinlan

sineadw wrote: »

Filters - I buy off ebay. Cheap UV ones are fine IMHO. I've never *ever* seen concrete, reliable proof that expensive ones on an everyday lens make any difference. And as Cabansail says they're a helluva a lot cheaper to replace than the glass of your lens.

I'd add a caveat to this. Buy at least the multi-coated ones. I've seen enough people here and on other forums complain about wierd mirrored flare on their shots only to have it fixed up when they removed their cheap glass filters.

sineadw

DaireQuinlan wrote: »

I'd add a caveat to this. Buy at least the multi-coated ones. I've seen enough people here and on other forums complain about wierd mirrored flare on their shots only to have it fixed up when they removed their cheap glass filters.

Actually, yep. Most of the UV ones are though..

Creamy Goodness

can't go wrong with manfrotto and silk tripods, manfrotto getting my vote purely because i have one.

Heebie

I too have a Manfrotto. I don't see Slik as being all that slick.. they just look & feel too much like me $19.95 Vivitar brand tripod from Wal-Mart which was my very first tripod. (It's actually an amazing tripod for $19.95.. and I keep it around for visiting folks on camera trips.. because I'm not about to loan them my Manfrotto! I'm far too selfish for that!)

Creamy Goodness wrote: »

can't go wrong with manfrotto and silk tripods, manfrotto getting my vote purely because i have one.

Thecageyone

I have an old tripod, but I hate it ... main reason being it has no quick release. Also it's bulky and heavy.

I was considering a gorrilapod, the big one [going for €30 in Argo atm, and I have a €5 gift card to use.

There's a smaller, cheaper one but it states that it only holds a max of 300g or thereabouts. more for P&S cam's I suppose?

Anyone got one of these? they look very versatile, and as I like night shots and something light and quick, with a quick release option [I'm sure I read the big gorrila pod has this] it looks like it'll suit. But ... would I be better going for a cheap tripod with quick release? And if so, any recommendations? I never buy online, but if I really had to I could steal my gf's laser card