Camera Labs

Since Christmas is comming up (When buying stuff for cameras and having like no money, then a few months is close) and this year will definetly got for camera accesories.

I would really like another lens, as mine (The 1870 kit lens) isn't the best (Whether you talkin focal length and optic quality). And i'm thinking of the Sigma 18-200 F3.5-6.3 as a good candidat. I still go to school and doesn't make much money so i can't afford lots of expensive lenses (yet ) . So an allrounder would be great for me.

But i would also like a flash. The Sony HVL-42AM is the one i'm thinking about. But i don't actually know that much about why i want it :/, it just kinda feels right. So could anyone tell me some stuff where an external flash would be usefull? That'd be great

Well at the moment there isn't really anything special i photograph, but i like doing indoor shots of stuff. Specielly "macro" (Not that much macro about the SAL1870 imo).

Does anyone have any advice that would be useful? Any help and any thought that may enter yyour mind reading this would be much appreciated, thanks in advance. I'll catch up with you later, 0eyvind

PS.

If a lens has this name: Sigma 18-200 MM 3,5-6,3 DC T/Minolta. It would be a sony fit right?

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Sonyian?

My Flickr - Comments very welcome
Gear: a200, Sony 18-70 3.5-5.6 DT, Minolta 50 1.7 AF, Lowepro TLZ Mini, GorillaPod SLR Zoom
Saving for Sigma 70-200mm f/2.8 EX HSM Macro II (50%)

On the flash, do you use the built in one much? An external one will generally give you more possibilities in lighting. Still waiting for mine to arrive...

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Canon DSLRs: 7D, 5D2, 1D, 600D, 450D full spectrum, 300D IR mod
Lenses: EF 35/2, 50/1.8, 85/1.8, 135/2+SF, 28-80 V, 70-300L, 100-400L, TS-E 24/3.5L, MP-E 65, EF-S 15-85 IS
3rd party: Zeiss 2/50 makro, Samyang 8mm fisheye, Sigma 150 macro, 120-300 f/2.8 OS, Celestron 1325/13
Tinies: Sony HX9V.

1) Do you use the internal flash and find it to be lacking? Then get the external flash

2) Do you take shots with your camera and are annoyed by the lack of clarity/details in the kit 18 - 70mm lens and frequently find that you need a larger zoom range? Get the lens.

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PhilipGoh.com

Pgtips gave a good, short instruction of what to best. I chose to get the flash gun first, because that's what I could afford before taking of to Finland on a school trip. I didn't have enough money for a new lens yet. Still don't (because the lens is soooooo expensive).
With both options, you'll have lots of new things to discover, more possibilities, better quality. The flash gun has been and still is the most useful accessory I could have gotten for my camera. I don't use the pop-up flash anymore, only the external one.

NOTE: Have you read my review of the HVL-F42AM

Just a small note from a not yet experienced user: more telephoto comes in handy for some shots, but I still think a flash is more useful, especially if you shoot indoors a lot. Now I must say that I've only used the telephoto lens 3 times, two times the 70-200mm, and once a Nikon 70-300mm (cheap and not that good).

- Bjorn -

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