Need recommendations for cameras, Lenses.

[angrydonuts]

Hi guys I am new to this forum and wanting to pick up photography as a hobby. I have googled and read around the internet for information and i have decided to take the plunge into getting a DSLR. However I am having trouble making a decision. I am intending to take this up pretty seriously (not wanting this to become a profession or anything) but I am kinda conflicted in either getting a full frame DSLR or an APS-C one. I know it would be imprudent to take a plunge and get a full frame DSLR as i may lose interest and besides having a good body without any good lenses defeats the purpose.

I currently leaning on getting a brand new canon 700D, however i have no idea if it would be better to just get the camera body itself and get the EF 17-40 F4 L USM at a cheaper price (with the ongoing promotion) or to get the EOS 700D Kit II ( the one with the EF S18-135 IS STM ). I am intending to take landscapes, architecture and just general (with the intention to possibly go into macro and wildlife in the future) photos when i travel overseas at the end of the year. I am aware though that the EF 17-40 F4 L USM effective focal length will be around 27-64mm instead with a APS-C sensor. I guess many of you might suggest i get a second hand camera at the start to see if my interest remains however its just my personal preference to not liking to buy things second hand as they might be damaged, etc. and with me not being knowledgable about this hobby i feel risky.


Thus it boils down to either me getting 1) the 700D body alone and the ef 17-40 f4L or 2) the 700D kit with the 18-135 IS STM or 3) getting the 700D kit and the 17-40 f4L together. Factoring in the type of photos i will be taking which would be a better option? ( Im open to alternatives to these 3 options )

Thank you guys for your advice and help in advance I apologize for such a long post and if i violated any forum rules in advance haha

 

[photoart]

if you've decided on the 700D, then I would suggets that you start with the 18-135 IS STM kit first. Start shooting and discover which is your favourite focal length.

If you like more wide angle shots, I'd suggest that you buy the Tokina 11-16mm in future.

 

[rhino123]

Have you also consider other brands of camera too? Do read up on our stickies whereby there are some tips in selecting of a DSLR. Anyway, if I was to choose and that I really really want the 700D, I would go for the cheaper 650D, because they are basically the same camera (same sensor, same AF system (both optical and hybrid AF system), same everything except for very very minor 'upgrade' such as being lighter (50g lighter - yah!), a dial that will turn 360degree (??), and you can preview your art filter mode during video or live view or something like that (again... yah! I guess)

Anyway, if 700D is what you have decided, then do go for the 18-135mm STM lens, it provide great focal range, excellent IQ, and was very quiet during video making.

However, for that type of money, I could also go for Sony A58 (I think), Pentax K30, Nikon D5200, Panasonic GH3 (I think)... those offered lots of features for the money. Another way was to spend more on a second hand FF camera such as the Canon 5DmkII, 5D classic, with a 24-105mm lens, then if you have no more interest in photography, just sell away those gears with little to no lost of money at all.

 

[angrydonuts]

Have you also consider other brands of camera too? Do read up on our stickies whereby there are some tips in selecting of a DSLR. Anyway, if I was to choose and that I really really want the 700D, I would go for the cheaper 650D, because they are basically the same camera (same sensor, same AF system (both optical and hybrid AF system), same everything except for very very minor 'upgrade' such as being lighter (50g lighter - yah!), a dial that will turn 360degree (??), and you can preview your art filter mode during video or live view or something like that (again... yah! I guess)

Anyway, if 700D is what you have decided, then do go for the 18-135mm STM lens, it provide great focal range, excellent IQ, and was very quiet during video making.

However, for that type of money, I could also go for Sony A58 (I think), Pentax K30, Nikon D5200, Panasonic GH3 (I think)... those offered lots of features for the money. Another way was to spend more on a second hand FF camera such as the Canon 5DmkII, 5D classic, with a 24-105mm lens, then if you have no more interest in photography, just sell away those gears with little to no lost of money at all.

I decided on canon mainly because i intend to use the camera for video purposes as well. I read/heard many generalisations such as canon being better than a nikon camera at video and canon lenses being cheaper than nikon etc. I guess thats what kinda contributed to me wanting to get a canon. Yeap i just realised the difference between the 650d and 700d is not much, some even calling it a placebo haha. Guess i need to do more research I was honestly considering the 6d but im still hesitating with shelling out that amount of money for a much much watered down version of a 5d mk 3. I guess as a newbie, i pay attention to specifications alot such as the no. of AF points and after reading the 6d having 11 AF points only.

Another point, is there any reason why the 6d kit with the EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM is so much cheaper than the one with the EF 24-70 f4L IS USM?? Thanks in advance

 

[Rashkae]

I would go for an a58. The Canon entry level cameras are way to low on the "features for money" list and I can't stand the slow AF in live view mode.

 

[Rashkae]

Also the point of a dslr is to have the right lens for the right purpose. Don't sweat over the kit lens when you should get a macro lens for macro shots, and a telephoto lens for wildlife, etc

 

[rhino123]

I decided on canon mainly because i intend to use the camera for video purposes as well. I read/heard many generalisations such as canon being better than a nikon camera at video and canon lenses being cheaper than nikon etc. I guess thats what kinda contributed to me wanting to get a canon. Yeap i just realised the difference between the 650d and 700d is not much, some even calling it a placebo haha. Guess i need to do more research I was honestly considering the 6d but im still hesitating with shelling out that amount of money for a much much watered down version of a 5d mk 3. I guess as a newbie, i pay attention to specifications alot such as the no. of AF points and after reading the 6d having 11 AF points only.

Another point, is there any reason why the 6d kit with the EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM is so much cheaper than the one with the EF 24-70 f4L IS USM?? Thanks in advance

Well... for your last question... it was in Canon lineup that the EF24-70mm f4L IS lens would produce better IQ as compared to the 24-105mm f4L IS lens and the 24-70mm f4L IS is costing more thus the kit is more expensive.

However, I would gladly choose a 24-105mm f4L over the 24-70mm f4L because to me the IQ wasn't that much improved to justify that cost (but that was me only.)

And if you are using the camera to do video too, then you should really get the 18-135mm STM kit lens if you are gonna get the 650D/700D, because STM motor are specially designed for videography in mind. Anyway... 6D is a fabulous camera, really... and it will come to a point that you would not really care how many AF points you have... I have used only the center AF point in my 7D ninety five percent of the time anyway.

If you want top of the line many AF points camera... you would have to look to Canon's 5DmkIII or Nikon's range of semi-pro cam (51 points).

Plus it really is not true that Canon lenses are cheaper than Nikon's... look at 24-70mm f2.8 lenses... Canon's is freakishly expensive.

Also... don't get too worried about lenses... there are always third party lenses such as Sigma's and Tamron's and both of them are very well respected... and all of them are selling at a much cheaper price as compared to the equivalent original ones.

 

[angrydonuts]

really thankful for the insightful and patient replies towards a beginner by the way I guess in an idea world i will be getting a 5d mk 3, unfortunately im not loaded I guess it boils down to me deciding to invest in a full frame 6d or start with the 650d.

Honestly does it even makes sense for a beginner to get a full frame dslr at the start? Is the image quality and difference in features significant for me to warrant the extra 2.5k sgd which could be used to get a lens or lenses for a 650D? On a side note which specific 3rd party lenses would you recommend for the 650d (aside from the kit lens)? Thanks again in advance

 

[Shizuma]

my advice is buy everything second hand. ask a buddy who knows how to inspect if a second hand camera is good.

a canon 550d is more than competent for your needs.

canon crop is also very good for mounting legacy lenses (inexpensive and nice big aperture and interesting characteristics ) as the mirror is more recessed compared to other brands crop.

ask yourself why you need full frame. more detail? or more features? certainly there is great utility potential in a very advanced camera.

sadly many top end DSLR owners do not push the boundaries enough to reach the edge of envelop.

550D less than 500 dollars or so. remainder can save , explore strobist, buy good glass. . . in the end still, it is not gear that matters but your creativity, artistic vision, learning approaches and technical skill which create an arresting image

 

[catchlights]

Hi guys I am new to this forum and wanting to pick up photography as a hobby. I have googled and read around the internet for information and i have decided to take the plunge into getting a DSLR. However I am having trouble making a decision. I am intending to take this up pretty seriously (not wanting this to become a profession or anything) but I am kinda conflicted in either getting a full frame DSLR or an APS-C one. I know it would be imprudent to take a plunge and get a full frame DSLR as i may lose interest and besides having a good body without any good lenses defeats the purpose.

I currently leaning on getting a brand new canon 700D, however i have no idea if it would be better to just get the camera body itself and get the EF 17-40 F4 L USM at a cheaper price (with the ongoing promotion) or to get the EOS 700D Kit II ( the one with the EF S18-135 IS STM ). I am intending to take landscapes, architecture and just general (with the intention to possibly go into macro and wildlife in the future) photos when i travel overseas at the end of the year. I am aware though that the EF 17-40 F4 L USM effective focal length will be around 27-64mm instead with a APS-C sensor. I guess many of you might suggest i get a second hand camera at the start to see if my interest remains however its just my personal preference to not liking to buy things second hand as they might be damaged, etc. and with me not being knowledgable about this hobby i feel risky.


Thus it boils down to either me getting 1) the 700D body alone and the ef 17-40 f4L or 2) the 700D kit with the 18-135 IS STM or 3) getting the 700D kit and the 17-40 f4L together. Factoring in the type of photos i will be taking which would be a better option? ( Im open to alternatives to these 3 options )

Thank you guys for your advice and help in advance I apologize for such a long post and if i violated any forum rules in advance haha

Title Your Threads Properly when asking for help









Original title: Newbie help!!! Much appreciated!

 

[rhino123]

really thankful for the insightful and patient replies towards a beginner by the way I guess in an idea world i will be getting a 5d mk 3, unfortunately im not loaded I guess it boils down to me deciding to invest in a full frame 6d or start with the 650d.

Honestly does it even makes sense for a beginner to get a full frame dslr at the start? Is the image quality and difference in features significant for me to warrant the extra 2.5k sgd which could be used to get a lens or lenses for a 650D? On a side note which specific 3rd party lenses would you recommend for the 650d (aside from the kit lens)? Thanks again in advance

Well... it is very difficult to say if the image quality of a full frame will be that much better than a crop sensor to warrant that price tag. I mean... well to many people, it is definitely worth it, to others, it would be a waste of money. Well... for me... if I have the monies... I would definitely go FF because I find that improvement definitely worth the investment.

Anyway, there is nothing to stop a newbie from acquiring a FF camera (be it 6D, 5DmkIII, D600, D800, A99 or even 1DX or D4), I saw plenty of newbies who owned FF camera... one even had a Hassy. So it is actually up to you to see if you require a FF or a APS-C sensor camera.

As to which third party lenses would I recommend... again it would depend very much on what focal length you will be shooting mostly in. For a starter,

1) I used the Sigma 17-70mm f2.8-4 OS lens most of the time when I was shooting street portrait or sometime landscape.
2) I use Tokina 12-24mm f4 most of the time when I am shooting landscape and cityscape.

There are other very popular third party lenses that many people uses such as,

1) Tamron 17-50mm f2.8 (both VC and non-VC versions and as reviews had it... the non-VC version are generally sharper, and cheaper than the VC version. However, my ex-girlfriend had bought the VC version one or two years ago at around 6xx or 7xx in Cathay Photo, not sure of the price now though, I think the non-VC one should cost even lesser).

2) Sigma 17-50mm f2.8

3) Tamron 90mm macro

4) Sigma 150-500mm OS (telezoom for wildlife) this lens should cost around 1xxx while the Canon equivalent (100-400mm) would cost 2xxx (I think) - of course the Canon version is faster both in AF speed and aperture speed, and in some report, they are sharper and produce better IQ, but if that warrant the extra close to 1k monies, is up to individual.

5) Tamron 24-70mm VC - cheaper than Canon's 24-70mm F2.8L II by quite a significant amount and IQ is said to be very close to the Canon's one.

6) Tamron 28-75mm - very cheap now, AF is very slow though.

And there are many others that I do not want to list here. For a starter, just go with the 18-135mm for awhile, see the limitation of that lens and also learn to see which focal length you used most, then from there 'upgrade' to a better lens (be it third party or original).

 

[NormanSelvaraju]

Hi. I'm a fellow newbie. I plunged into photography without knowing anything about it. I bought a canon 650d with kit lens 18-55 last Dec and haven't looked back since. I got lucky. Haha.

A couple of months later I found myself having so much fun and questioned if I should have bought a full frame camera instead. After a while I concluded that the 650 is an awesome camera and I decided to get better glass instead. Hence I settled for the Tamron 24-70 VC. Having lotsa fun with the combo.

I personally have put in a lot of effort to learn about photography and I realize that I don't know if I am losing out by not having gotten a full frame. Sure my 650 lacks the tons of AF points, larger sensor, faster shutter and better low light functionality. But I haven't come across situations where my 650 couldn't capture the scenes well enough (I shoot streets and some portraits. You can take a look at My flickr photostream to get an idea of the iamge quality. Haven't done landscapes though) to warrant getting a full frame. The only times i couldnt capture scenes well enough os cos i was technically not good enuf. Additionally, I think the savings in cost can be used for the lenses instead.

Just my thoughts. Hope they help! All the best in your decision!

 

[ZerocoolAstra]

Hi guys I am new to this forum and wanting to pick up photography as a hobby. I have googled and read around the internet for information and i have decided to take the plunge into getting a DSLR. However I am having trouble making a decision. I am intending to take this up pretty seriously (not wanting this to become a profession or anything) but I am kinda conflicted in either getting a full frame DSLR or an APS-C one. I know it would be imprudent to take a plunge and get a full frame DSLR as i may lose interest and besides having a good body without any good lenses defeats the purpose.

I currently leaning on getting a brand new canon 700D, however i have no idea if it would be better to just get the camera body itself and get the EF 17-40 F4 L USM at a cheaper price (with the ongoing promotion) or to get the EOS 700D Kit II ( the one with the EF S18-135 IS STM ). I am intending to take landscapes, architecture and just general (with the intention to possibly go into macro and wildlife in the future) photos when i travel overseas at the end of the year. I am aware though that the EF 17-40 F4 L USM effective focal length will be around 27-64mm instead with a APS-C sensor. I guess many of you might suggest i get a second hand camera at the start to see if my interest remains however its just my personal preference to not liking to buy things second hand as they might be damaged, etc. and with me not being knowledgable about this hobby i feel risky.


Thus it boils down to either me getting 1) the 700D body alone and the ef 17-40 f4L or 2) the 700D kit with the 18-135 IS STM or 3) getting the 700D kit and the 17-40 f4L together. Factoring in the type of photos i will be taking which would be a better option? ( Im open to alternatives to these 3 options )

Thank you guys for your advice and help in advance I apologize for such a long post and if i violated any forum rules in advance haha

Hi angrydonuts,

Welcome to CS!

I think too much research can be mind-boggling at times, and often you just need to take the plunge in order to be able to use the camera extensively enough.
I hear your concerns about not wanting to spend too much and not being sure if photography will still hold your interest some time down the road.
If 2nd hand is not appealing to you, perhaps consider a new but recently-superseded model if the price difference is significant enough (e.g. Canon 650D, or similar from other makes). The price tag might be more palatable, and presumably you wouldn't lose as much when re-selling (if you give up or upgrade).

Kit lens should be sufficient for time being, until you can figure out what focal lengths most suit your style.

Good luck! :thumbsup:

 

[angrydonuts]

Thanks for all the great advice guys! I guess ill be taking the plunge on the 650d this weekend! I guess it makes sense to play around with the camera first besides deciding which focal length i like taking.

 

[rhino123]

Thanks for all the great advice guys! I guess ill be taking the plunge on the 650d this weekend! I guess it makes sense to play around with the camera first besides deciding which focal length i like taking.

Good choice. I am sure you would not be disappointed. After you got your cam, remember to check out our outing sessions and see if you can join some. It is very fun and to tell you frankly, I picked up quite a lot of tricks and skills from the people there.

 

[reallygong]

To TS,

In 2010 I was having the same problem as you. After much research I have decided to go for Pentax K-x with dual kit lenses. I paid about close to $1150. In the 1st month you will get addicted in buying all the stuff you think you will need. Thanks God that I listen to the old bird advise after I bough my camera. Old birds in this forum told me to hold my horse and just go clicking with my dual kit lenses for 3~6 months to get familiar with photography. I got no regret in buying Pentax K-x but I do regret paying the retail price for it. If I would have know this forum before I put my money down. I would have listen to the advise in getting an entry level 2nd hand DSLR and stick with a kit lens for the time being until I really know what I really want.

As for what lenses to buy, you can always join the outing arrange by this forum and you can test out some of the lenses from the kind brothers here. Play with it and find out what you like before parting your hard earn money. Unless you are loaded and that will be a totally different kind of advise you need.

 

[anthony08]

To TS,
Just over the weekend, I lent my Canon 17-55 f2.8 (2nd hand) to a newbie friend to take some wedding photos with his 500D for fun. After an hour or two, he was so impressed and asked me how much it costs! He is currently using kit lens 18-55, and commented that the difference was very significant for him.
Since you not comfortable with 2nd hand stuff, then go for a new 600D/650D, but consider getting a 2nd hand 17-55 with some warranty left. I noticed 2nd hand prices for the 17-55 has come down a lot recently. I got mine in Feb'12 at $1,270 with 5 months warranty remaining. Now I think you can get a similar one at slightly over $1,000. Can't lose very much if you re-sell
Cheers and Good Luck!

 

[toxicboy]

Hi TS,
I too prefer new gear, but went for a new body (7D) with a new cheapie (50mm 1.8) in the beginning.
Subsequently I started collecting 2nd hand lenses (Tamron 17-50, Canon 55-250) and these were very useful in my photographic journey, to understand the workings of the camera body as well as the fundamentals.
Now I have since sold the above 2 lenses and am using the Tokina 11-16, Sigma 17-50, and Tamron 70-300 VC which basically covers all needs with great value-for-money. Of course, there's always my favourite 50mm 1.8 which I still hold dear to this day.
I'd say - get a new body with the 18-135, you'll be amazed at how much you will learn about your own needs, before you embark on a lens collecting adventure.
Cheers!

 

[NormanSelvaraju]

The weekend is gonna be over soon. How's the new equipment? Price updates?

 

[angrydonuts]

I just got my 650d from tk photo at funan at sgd1220 yesterday. i decided to get a uv filter as well. Sorry but i didnt have time to play with the new camera yet, as i have to book in to camp for duty today by the way NormanSelvaraju, how is the AF speed of the 650d with the tamron 24-70mm vc? Im going to play around with the new camera before deciding what lense to get, but i just wanted to hear any impressions of that lens on the 650d. Thank you in advance