Help needed for Lens

[lazydog]

Hi everyone,

Planning to get the Canon 550D during Comex next week, but very confused over the type of lens which I should get. Have read about the different lens available but still unable to make a final decision on which is more suitable.

My planned usage : taking pictures of family during indoor/outdoor, during holidays (some sceneries too), night photos (eg. Helix bridge, celebrations, etc.)

Don't wish to get the "wrong" lens since this is my 1st DSLR, so hopefully some experts out there can share some thoughts and guide this newbie along.

 

[wootsk]

http://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/

Go to the site and look around for zoom lens with minimum distance of 10 - 20+mm
Suggest getting a F2.8
Go clubsnap price guide to check out the average pricing of the lens you selected.
Go down and hands on to try out.
Please post the next lens related question only after you done the above please.

BTW why do you need to shop during the IT show period? The benefit arn't much and the crowd is horrible.

 

[shadlightsg]

agree with bro wootsk
get a lens with f2.8

no point getting from the comex.. the freebies may look enticing, but after a while, it becomes redundant

 

[enzeru21]

Hi everyone,

Planning to get the Canon 550D during Comex next week, but very confused over the type of lens which I should get. Have read about the different lens available but still unable to make a final decision on which is more suitable.

My planned usage : taking pictures of family during indoor/outdoor, during holidays (some sceneries too), night photos (eg. Helix bridge, celebrations, etc.)

Don't wish to get the "wrong" lens since this is my 1st DSLR, so hopefully some experts out there can share some thoughts and guide this newbie along.

if you are intending to get ur camera at Comex good luck... there have been many people who complain aledy.. its most reccommended not to get from Comex, go to one of the recommended shops.. its better price, better freebies, less crowd, not pushy sales tactics..

if you are new and confused by all the lens.. why don't you just stick to the normal kit lens.. don't try to jump the gun.. you need to learn and to start somewhere so start from the basics.. for your family kinda shooting, the basic kit lens is more than good enough! it has IS capabilities too~! so why spend more on lens when you haven't even know how to operate the camera to maximise potential..

for taking of scenery and night shots, you should just get a tripod.. a sturdy one.. then plant your camera there and even with the kit lens 18-55, you can get wonderful shots..
buying heavy lens and all will make it a hassle to travel with the family.. if you're not doing any specialized form of shooting just stick to the basics.. the 550d has great IQ and iso capabilities to ensure you are satisfied..

 

[zac08]

Hi everyone,

Planning to get the Canon 550D during Comex next week, but very confused over the type of lens which I should get. Have read about the different lens available but still unable to make a final decision on which is more suitable.

My planned usage : taking pictures of family during indoor/outdoor, during holidays (some sceneries too), night photos (eg. Helix bridge, celebrations, etc.)

Don't wish to get the "wrong" lens since this is my 1st DSLR, so hopefully some experts out there can share some thoughts and guide this newbie along.

I would suggest that you start off with the kit lens first and work your way up. With a kit lens, you'd have a range of focal lengths to start off with and practise more on the framing and composition first. When you understand this better, then you can consider getting the various lenses such as a 50mm f1.8 (for a little low lighting shoot or portraits)

The super-wides such as 10-20 may come into play if you reqlly require much wider angles.

 

[Edwin Francis]

Yeah, the kit lens (18-55) is a cheap and cheerful choice

It's small, light and covers most of what you need. Every other Canon lens I can think of, except the 50/1.8, costs a whole lot more. Used well it is capable of very good results.

Even if you eventually decide it's not what you want, it's an inexpensive 'mistake'

 

[Kermitfm]

Since this is your intro to DSLR photography, get the kit lens first. Camera manufacturers sell kit lens bundles for this purpose - to introduce new comers to their product. These lenses are general-purpose, it does it job reasonable well and are reasonably priced.

I would not recommended getting a large aperture zoom (f2.8) at this moment unless you really know what you want, because the lens may cost as much, if not more, than the camera body. If you want to try low light photography, get the 50mm f1.8 later.

The 550D is a capable camera and you can shoot at pictures at ISO 1600 or even 3200 for printing at 3R size or posting on the web. This will take care of you night shot. There are some noise at this level and sharpness suffers a little but you will gain experience and will know what to look for when you are adding to your lens collection.

Last but not least, note the advice about buying from trade shows.

 

[chanalb]

A not too expensive option would be to get a tamron 17-50 F2.8. About same range as kit lens, much faster and also much cheaper than the canon version.

 

[tecnica]

ditto on the kit lens. no point getting a fast lens when you do not know how to appreciate it.

 

[dingaroo]

Firstly, welcome to the club!

If you are getting from such large expositions, forget it. Shops can give you better prices.

Secondly, since you don't know what lenses you ought to get, like the other earlier members have mentioned, get the Kit lens. Maybe a Kit II, 18-135mm.

Seriously, before you start talking about f2.8 lenses and so on, get your basics about exposure right. After purchasing your camera, go out and get acquainted with your camera first, because that is one of the keys to a good picture.

The Kit lens is versatile, and I have always believed that before you upgrade your hardware, upgrade your knowledge. Else you'll like a fool where your gear is A grade but your pictures are F grade.

Cheers!


EDIT: Until you really can tell the areas that the kit lens is incapable, you can then consider getting better, more expensive lenses. But hey, if you have a deep pocket, by all means get those f2.8 lenses.

 

[csnap]

There are many people considering between Canon 550D & Nikon D90.
U can test the 2 cameras and the different ranges provided by the kit lens for both DSLRs.
As many highlighted that Comex may not provide the best deal, do a comparsion on the package with the recommended retail shops like TK Photo, Cathy Photo, SLR Revo etc. It will be good if u could play with the kit lens for some time to know its limitations before u decide later on other lens u really need.
No hurry to buy lens and may regret later :nono:

 

[aeki87]

i'm new to DSLR too. i choose kit2 which cost me $1584 frm SLRR last mnth
let's start frm basic first since we are new.get another 50mm f1.8 too if possible

 

[chillicutter]

Hi everyone,

Planning to get the Canon 550D during Comex next week, but very confused over the type of lens which I should get. Have read about the different lens available but still unable to make a final decision on which is more suitable.

My planned usage : taking pictures of family during indoor/outdoor, during holidays (some sceneries too), night photos (eg. Helix bridge, celebrations, etc.)

Don't wish to get the "wrong" lens since this is my 1st DSLR, so hopefully some experts out there can share some thoughts and guide this newbie along.

Personally,I would say start with a kit II first if you can afford it. The 18-105mm should be able to keep you satisfied for the moment.

Since this is your first Dslr, feel and understand your camera first, then go for other lenses. Go out and shoot for awhile first!

 

[daredevil123]

Welcome to CS.

I encourage you to read more online, and join some newbie outings under the Outings subforum.

Good start here:

Camera basics
http://www.clubsnap.com/forums/showthread.php?t=309544

Composition
http://www.amateursnapper.com/photography/10-top-photography-composition-rules
http://digital-photography-school.com/digital-photography-composition-tips

More topics covered here:
http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tutorials.htm

 

[horizon_grazer]

Don't worry too much since this is your first DSLR,
more importantly is you fully utilized what you are going to get

Shoot more after your purchase !

 

[lazydog]

Hi bro/sis,

Thanks for all the comments and suggestions. I finally bought the 550D + Kit 1 today.

The touch and feel is amazing but all the knobs still look very "alien" and new to me. Guess I'll need to spend the next few days reading through the manuals and also signing up for the free lesson by Canon. Yay......I'm finally a proud owner of a DSLR!

 

[Diluted]

congratz lazydog.. now it's time to shoot, shoot & shoot more!!! haha.. i've oso signed up for the free product training.. and this is 3 mths after i bought the cam :sweat:

 

[skylover]

Welcome to CS ^^

 

[dingaroo]

Hi bro/sis,

Thanks for all the comments and suggestions. I finally bought the 550D + Kit 1 today.

The touch and feel is amazing but all the knobs still look very "alien" and new to me. Guess I'll need to spend the next few days reading through the manuals and also signing up for the free lesson by Canon. Yay......I'm finally a proud owner of a DSLR!

Congratulations!

Now that you have acquired your 'baby', time to learn 'parenting' skills. Not only that, you have to know how to 'play' with it. As such, go out and shoot as much as possible, learn the functions and if you don't understand it, read up. For the next few weeks, I recommend you be an information hog.

Head to the library or to specialized book stores like Riceball Photography Books or Page One for your source of reading materials.

When you are confident enough, join the outings organized by the seniors here. It is another way for you to network as well as to learn and pick the seniors' minds.

Try all kinds of photography genres, landscape, streets, macro, portraiture, etc. This way, you also get to 'level up' your skills.

HTH.

Cheers!