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J

JDG

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I haven't seen any thread on gear so here goes...

Just wondering if anyone is into dslr photography? I recently got a Canon 650d with the kit lens, an 18mm-55mm one.

Currently I've gotten some great portraits and flower shots with it, and have been playing with apeture extensively.

I haven't really had the chance to take some landscapes, which I would like to do soon. Also thinking of getting another lens. Any suggestions? Would love to hear from you all.
 
Lenses can get quite expensive...what is your budget?

Remember, you can always rent lenses online relatively cheap and figure out which ones you like best.

If you like photographing flowers/insects, you might want to get a macro lens for extreme closeup shots.

For landscapes, a wide angle and a telephoto zoom lens like a 70-200mm is nice depending on what you're shooting.

A 50mm lens is very common...they are good for all types of shooting as well as night shots and give nice bokeh. the f1.8 is around $100 and will do the job for a beginner. The f1.4 is a little more expensive but much more resilient and doesn't feel as cheap. The f1.2 is the best and gives beautiful bokeh, but you're looking at $1500

You may also want to study up on long exposure night shooting and timelapse photography....my favorite. This type of photography typically requires a remote shutter release for around $20

If you want to do long exposure during the day, you'll need a nice 10-stop ND filter...

A CPL filter is also nice to have for many daytime photos.

Try not to skimp on filters...$30 for an ND filter and $80-$100 for a CPL. Don't waste your money on the el cheapos, unless you really really have too.

When you get more advanced and really get to know your camera, you might want to utilize the Magic Lantern software...but you have to know what you're doing. The software can ruin your camera if you're not experienced.

Also, When did you buy your camera?
 
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A nice telephoto zoom would help. I suggest a 70-300 zoom. I have this one for my Pentax, (which comes in a Canon mount)
http://www.amazon.com/Sigma-70-300mm-4-5-6-Telephoto-Cameras/dp/B000ALLMI8

The only thing I'm not sure about, is the autofocus. Pentax builds the autofocus into the camera, whereas I think Canon does it in the lenses. There's a slightly more expensive one with Autofocus:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0..._m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=0H92D6H081FJP6RHR4P7

These are slightly slower (aren't as good at low light) and not quite as sharp as a really good fast telephoto, but here's a shot, hand-held, at 300mm, (least sharp).
4972215875_da903482d6_b.jpg


Blow-up:
9425673892_1d7464303a_b.jpg


No sharpening or other enhancement applied. As you see, it's pretty good for an inexpensive lens, and I've never had a problem with chromatic aberration (fringes of color, often seen on long telephotos).

I think you'd find it a nice addition to your kit. Of course if you have lots of money, there are top-rate telephotos. But the cost is surprisingly high.

There are also extreme wide-angles that are similarly expensive, if you want to do architecture or interiors.

And if you like flowers and insects, a good macro might be the next step. I don't do a lot of it, but I will take some shots from time to time. I'm cheap. I use a 100mm Phoenix manual focus (you want manual focus in a macro). It's cheaply built and probably wouldn't stand up to hard use in rough environments, but the optics are really good. Comes in your mount, I think. Here's a user's review:
http://www.nikonians.org/reviews?alias=phoenix-100mm-f35-macro-lens

4758377719_db6f38e7c1_b.jpg


If you like low-light shots, or fireworks, you'll want a tripod and a remote release. You can go cheap on the release. Don't go cheap on the tripod. The saying goes, "Good tripods should be inexpensive, light, and rigid. Pick any two."

My personal opinions, of course.
 
Thanks all for the replies!
I've been away being pretty busy with life for awhile :)
During that time, I've been on Instagram and have been looking at other people's feeds and I really like long exposure photography. I'd love to get into that in the future but my budget is pretty tight at the moment as I have other priorities.

Top of my list to add to my gear are:
1. Tripod
2. ND Filter
3. Lens

CORE, I bought mine in June this year.
 
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Total amount
$1,592.00
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$5,080.00
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