5D mark 1 or 50D ? , which lens for them ? help please

[Arnathas]

currently i have around 2000usd bugget to buy a professional camera and 1-2 good lens
but i have no experience at all in photography
i would like to ask for advices from everyone to help me pick 5D ( mark 1 not mark 2 ) or 50D ? , and if i buy 5D ( i buy a second hand which is around 1300usd , got 700 left ) , can i still buy good lens for it with 700usd
i'm really confuse , please help

[lypklypk]

What kind of photography do you plan to specialize in?

[Arnathas]

outdoor photography i think , not really in studio..

[lypklypk]

Originally Posted by Arnathas outdoor photography i think , not really in studio..

What kind? Macro, portraits, landscapes, street photos...etc ??? What you shoot would affect the choices of lenses.

IMO, your choice of lens would matter more than your choice of a body, since you're just starting. Alot of people would recommend you get a kit lens and maybe a basic zoom lens since you're just starting, but if you already know what form of photography you're planning to get into, IMO it's better to get straight to the more specialized lenses.

[Arnathas]

i think i need a lens for wide shot and one for zoom , any recommend for a beginner ?
also , 5D and 50D which one is better ? heard people say though 5D mark 1 is more expensive but still not good as 50D because less functions ?

[hairyharry]

check out e net dude.

[Kalsumine]

Originally Posted by Arnathas i think i need a lens for wide shot and one for zoom , any recommend for a beginner ? also , 5D and 50D which one is better ? heard people say though 5D mark 1 is more expensive but still not good as 50D because less functions ?

5D is full frame, 50D is crop. no experience why not go for the entery level DSLR like 450D or upcoming 500D which with HD video. and you might save rest of your money to fund the 2 lenses. It's enough for you to shoot outdoor.

[calebk]

Originally Posted by Arnathas i think i need a lens for wide shot and one for zoom , any recommend for a beginner ? also , 5D and 50D which one is better ? heard people say though 5D mark 1 is more expensive but still not good as 50D because less functions ?

Given the fact that you have no experience in photography, you may want to start with a lower end body such as the 450D or the up and coming 500D. These will allow you to start on dSLR photography at a lower cost. Also, given your USD2000 budget, you may not be able to get 2 "good" lenses if you get a higher end body.

Originally Posted by hairyharry check out e net dude.

Not helping dude.

Originally Posted by Kalsumine 5D is full frame, 50D is crop. no experience why not go for the entery level DSLR like 450D or upcoming 500D which with HD video. and you might save rest of your money to fund the 2 lenses. It's enough for you to shoot outdoor.

I concur. You won't need a high-end body just to get started on dSLR photography. Sure, it's nice to have it, but it's not a necessity.

[solasido]

if you will mainly do general outdoor photography, go for 50D

if you do indoor or you will do a lot of portraitures, then go for 5D

[iron symphony]

Originally Posted by solasido if you will mainly do general outdoor photography, go for 50D if you do indoor or you will do a lot of portraitures, then go for 5D

i'd second that, go for the 50D if u really wanna do outdoor photography.

[hairyharry]

hmm i would go for 5d. time for full frame.

[Arnathas]

thanks people , much appriciate your help
consider i buy the 50D for outdoor shooting
any recommend lens ?

[ballwackers]

Look, people can help but you need to do your own shopping. I just took 5 minutes to lok at the for sale forum and there are lots of combinations that fit your needs. Here are 2:

- a 50D + Canon 17-55 for combined $3100 - right at your budget. (or get the Tamron 17-50 instead for about $2300 and save for another lens)

- Someone is selling a 30D + 18-55 kit lens for $850.

I'd recommend the 30D - Get that to start. Who cares if the 30d is not the latest - its still a very good camera and very capable of great photos. play with the 18-55 until you want a better lens and then once you know your focal length needs you can shop some more.

[ballwackers]

Look what the 350D can do :-)

http://www.clubsnap.com/forums/showt...hreadid=495560

[gazkw]

recommend that 400D to start off with a 17-55mm.

you can learn a lot with this set up.

basically, u will find lenses to be of a longer term asset whereas you might find yourself changing bodies more often.

PS: consider the 40D as well. you don't need the 'latest' to do photography. getting 2nd hand is more beneficial as you can easily sell away at minor loss if you decide that you rather not pursue photography as a hobby.

[wootsk]

Alot of starters thinks that photography is like computer, get the latest and best and save upgrade for some years. This concept is right and wrong in a way.
Right: well you do have a camera and have some latest function from the newer camera which helps you perform
Wrong: Its not about having the latest camera, but rather how good you are in photography and how you use your camera, You can have a PNS and still produce good shots cause you understand your camera well and have a some experience taking photos.
My advice to starters is get a second hand camera that is cheap, maybe a 300D and juz spam the shutter away to learn first. By the time you think it's enough to upgrade, you would have already known what camera you want. Anyway what you want is your own freedom, we can give you plenty of advice, but in the end its still up to individuals.

[clioboy]

upgrading and buying selling is expensive..

get a good body and good lens now..save the hassle..if u are keen, yr learning curve for photography will be steep.

but u will not appreciate the "better" equipments as much as when u have not own the "lower" range ones before.

buy what u can afford and learn what it can do. not what yr frens tell u..

[SWPhoto]

IMHO: You cannot go wrong with a 40D and a 17-40mm L lens. It is not the latest but it is the best combo for your price range. And the system will keep you happy for a long time. 50D is out but I am not impressed with it. 40D is semi-pro but simple enough that a newbie can use it. The L lens is a great deal. It is probably one of in the the top quality to price ratio department. Save the difference and get a second hand 580ex flash instead.

[wootsk]

If you are not going FF, instead of 17 - 40L, pay a bit more for a EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM. No point explaining about it, Go search previous thread and you should understand why. Ultimately, its your money and your choice, I am just offering a advice. There are L lens, Full Frame, Must-be-DSLR etc type of peoples in the forums who have quite stubborn mindset. Try to stick to what you like and is more comfortable with. My two cents

[tortise]

I'll like to share my experience starting out in this hobby.

Was taking lots of photos using a PnS...then was encouraged by my girlfriend to start on DSLRs...

- Got a 400D and Sigma 18-200 DC OS last year, + a 50mm f1.8

- 400D is a good camera to start off learning about the various functions and modes, to explore the difference between big and small aperture on depth of field and how fast the shutter is in low light. (now i think you can skip this and go for 450D or 40D)

- 18-200mm is a good zoom range for general outdoors walkabout, 18mm = 29mm actual and 200mm = 320mm actual due to the 1.6x crop factor. (image stabilisation is really helpful at the long ends especially for us beginners!)

Then i started to realise the limitations of the f3.5-f6.3 of the lens, not able to nail the shots indoors under low light, or fast moving objects like babies. Started to use my 50mm F1.8 more and bought an external flash 430EX, and got better event and portrait shots.

Then i felt restrained by the crop factor and wanted an ultra wide angle. So looked at upgrading to 2nd hand 5D or just getting a ultra wide angle lens. Also considered getting a 2nd hand 40D as the feel is just more solid, and better functions like faster autofocus and shooting speed. In the end i saved my $$ and bought a sigma 10-20mm lens 2nd hand. having great fun with it and decided this is good enough for the moment.
(some shots i just posted in this thread for reference:
http://www.clubsnap.com/forums/showthread.php?t=495804)

My recommendation for you is a similar setup in the following order:
1. 2nd hand 40D - S$900
2. 2nd hand Canon 18-200mm - S$900

(when you realise the pop-up flash is too harsh or doesn't give you enough reach, perhaps it's time to get...)
3. External flash - S$400

(when you start to need to take night shots or event posed group shots)
4. Tripod - S$88

(when you need the extra wide angles...)
5. 2nd hand Sigma 10-20mm - S$700 or 2nd hand Canon 10-22mm S$850

(when you start taking more portraits especially of children)
6. New Canon 50mm f1.8 - S$110

more or less within your budget, and a cool setup enough to last you for a while...

We always get the itch to upgrade along the way, and it's up to every individual to decide whether to get that kick by buying that new camera/lens or not.

Ultimately, get the camera and lens that makes you happy when you take photos. More often then not you'll keep adding to your collection as time goes by. welcome to the club!