Camera Labs

I am deeply interested in digital photography. I was waiting for my thesis to start dslr.. And my thesis is about to finish so I can start my hobby

First of all I will go to courses and educational trips for photography and of course I will practice with my own too. The only problem is now I dont know which one to select?

I was about to decide on 600D but after that I learnt it is not a typical beginner dslr, it is sth like midclass? So do I have to change it with d3100 or 1100d?

Let make it short - I am a new dslr maniac whom is going to interest with it deeply needs your help about his first dslr machine. In my mind these are listed right now (ofcourse you can offer anything if there is)

* Eos 600d
* nikon d3100
* Eos 1100d

PS: Price is not my first criteria. If it is a must for a beginner - you can please advice me a better lens too with the camera which you prefer

Thanks for your help and salute you.

Edit: I forgotten to write these:

I am an architect so I wanna shoot landscape, exterior architectural buildings and interior architectures.. In addition to these if possible I wanna shoot portraits too with same lens(es)..

I think the 600d is a beginner camera and would be easy to use. However you should also check out the older 550d and nikon d90. The 550d is very similar to the 600d (everything except articulated screen and some filters) and is about £100 cheaper.

If price is not the main concern you could get the 600d/550d with a couple of nice lenses. The canon 10-22mm would suit your wide angle needs and then maybe a 50mm or 85mm. Also remember it is worth buying the 18-55 kit (camera and 18-55) as it can often be picked up for about £30 more than the body only and offers a general purpose zoom range which is quite handy

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Camera: Canon 550D with battery grip
Lenses: Canon 24-105mm f/4L, Canon 50mm f1.4, Canon 18-55mm, Tamron 70-300mm,
Accessories: Manfrotto 055XPROB with 808RC4 head, Canon 430ex II speedlite, Lowepro Nova 180AW and Lowepro Pro Runner 450AW

Oh that is so lame, every hot girl who can aim a camera thinks she’s a photographer -Stewie Griffin

If 600d is suitable for beginners I will pick it up. Thanks for your lens advices but I noticed that I asked that question wrongly

I mean that I am new at dslr photography. Do I have to start with kit lenses to learn from beginner level? I am asking this because I read lots of comments that kit lenses are really bad so they advice me to buy new lenses for starting..

I wanna be sure that which lenses I have to start with? (kit or another one?)

"Really bad" is a rather harsh way to describe kit lenses. They're just limited compared to what else is out there.

The kit lens is simply a cheap way to get started with DSLR photography but you may find it to be rather wanting when it comes to certain conditions or environments. Simply put, the kit lens is a jack of some trades but master of none.

I agree with James with the suggestion of at least two lenses. The Canon 10-22mm or Tokina 11-16mm would be ideal for architecture or other occasions when a wide angle lens is best suited. The Canon 50mm f/1.8 is relatively cheap but it's surprisingly good value for money and very good for portraits.

One of Gordon's videos points out that while the kit lens is a limited general purpose lens that doesn't shine in any particular area, spending the extra money on one does have two key benefits:

1. It helps preserve resale value if you decide to replace your DSLR
2. If your "main" lens is damaged, at least you have something to shoot with, even if it doesn't offer the same versatility as the damaged one.

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Bodies: Canon EOS 550D w/ Magic Lantern
Lenses: Tokina AT-X 116 Pro DX f/2.8, Canon EF-S 15-85mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM, Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS, Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II, Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM
Accessories: YongNuo Speedlite YN-468 Flash, Neewer Macro LED Ring Light, Meike Battery Grip, YongNuo RF-602 Wireless Flash Trigger & Receiver YongNuo WR-128 Wireless Remote Control

The 600d is beginner friendly in my opinion (although you will have to learn the menu system, but it is quite easy).

I also agree the 18-55 isn't the sharpest lens but it is good to have unless you plan on buying another general purpose lens. Stopped down to about f/5.6 it is averagely sharp and you can get some good results from it.

If I were you though I would get:
600d, 10-22mm, 50mm 1.4 or 85mm 1.8 and 18-55. If you can afford anything else by all means forget the 18-55 and go for something else. The 15-85mm could be a good option.

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Camera: Canon 550D with battery grip
Lenses: Canon 24-105mm f/4L, Canon 50mm f1.4, Canon 18-55mm, Tamron 70-300mm,
Accessories: Manfrotto 055XPROB with 808RC4 head, Canon 430ex II speedlite, Lowepro Nova 180AW and Lowepro Pro Runner 450AW

Oh that is so lame, every hot girl who can aim a camera thinks she’s a photographer -Stewie Griffin

I would heartily recommend the 600D. The 1100D takes formidable pictures but the build quality is simply a joke and the features are pretty limited. Wide angle is obviously the way to go for architecture, and many people have suggested the 10-22 on this thread. For almost $300 less, have you considered the Sigma 10-20? I've seen really sharp results from it. On the other hand, if you legitimately meant your statement about price not being a criteria, maybe you should look at the 14mm f2.8L.

After your comments I decided to buy a Canon 600d with a kit lens and I will go with kit lens for a while and try to understand the mechanics of dslr photography.

When I feel I need a new lens i will go for wide angle lenses

Good choice raxtedy! I am sure you will enjoy your new camera and get some great photos

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Camera: Canon 550D with battery grip
Lenses: Canon 24-105mm f/4L, Canon 50mm f1.4, Canon 18-55mm, Tamron 70-300mm,
Accessories: Manfrotto 055XPROB with 808RC4 head, Canon 430ex II speedlite, Lowepro Nova 180AW and Lowepro Pro Runner 450AW

Oh that is so lame, every hot girl who can aim a camera thinks she’s a photographer -Stewie Griffin

Have you considered the 15-85?
yes its not as wideangle as a 10-22, but it would offer a significant step up from the kit lens in build and picture quality. The 15 is quite wide and may be enough for your purpose. As its a bit more general purpose you may get more value out of it.

Later if you think you need more wideangle then consider the 10-22 . For portrait the 85 1.8 or if you want macro the 100 2.8 macro would be excellent additions. The 50 is ok, put just a bit short for portrait, well for me anyway.

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Canon Powershot S95, Canon 7D, 15-85, Canon 85 1.8 USM, Sigma 30 1.4, 50mm 1.8, Canon 100 2.8L IS Macro, Canon 70-300L IS USM+Kenko 1.4 Pro 300DGX, Canon 430EX II and RS 4 Classic

I was under the crisis of buying more lenses before even starting taking pictures. Heck, I haven't even read the manual that time.

Since I opted for a 3 lens package (18-55mm, 50mm 1.8, and 55-250mm all canon), I was advised to take a lot of pictures, practice practice practice, be creative and deal with what I have... time comes when I really hone my photography skills and think, "I can do more of these if only I have ___lens" and then consider adding that lens to my humble collection-- the best advise I've ever taken. I'm definitely a novice and my lenses are just "good enough". But that's what pushes me to be more creative. When in time I'll be satisfied with at least 75% of my photos on each session (assuming that's not an ambitious goal), and know what direction in photography is my strong point, that's when I'll reconsider my line of lenses... although time after time I still have that terrible itch of buying a Canon 100-400mm L lens.

Have you handled any of these cameras ?
All the specs in the world won't help a camera that doesn't feel right.

Try a Pentax K-r for size.
Very capable in low light, compact with shake reduction in the body.
Sigma 8-16 and the Weather Resistant 18-55 kit lens should do for starters

Pete

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Pentax K-5 several len

You should really specify a budget.

Rules
Try to avoid the lowest camera in the series
Consider spending the money on lenses, rather than on the camera itself
Have a look at all of the manafactures, and decide which one is for you. This may mean physically holding it

The lowest camera in the series can be financially inefficient, when you compare it to other models within the same series. The rubberised feel to it is lost, the body can be slightly smaller than the others, and the screen can be half an inch smaller.

I would try to choose a brand first, then compare the models within it. See which works out best for you.

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Canon EOS 500D
Lenses: EFS 18-55mm IS, EF 50mm F/1.8 II

I think one needs to assess the long-term photography goals before deciding on a camera / lens purchase.

Keep in mind that enthusiasts often out-grow their camera with time. While a basic entry-level DSLR can have plenty of features and produce quality images, you may find as your photographic skill increases you become limited by what your equipment cannot do.

One approach is to buy a bit higher quality camera than what you 'need' now. As your skill level improves you can take advantage of the additional features available.

All modern DSLR's have the full auto capabilities newcomers fall back on when in doubt of how to program their settings. But if anything, a higher-end DSLR camera's greater capability may encourage you to progress faster and farther in your photographic skill development.

Same too with lenses.

Rather than buy three 'entry level' lenses that cover the full spectrum from wide angle. mid-range, and telephoto, you would likely be more satisfied with one 'better quality' lens to start, and fill in the others with higher end lenses as the budget allows.

My first DSLR camera is a Canon 50D.
I am quite happy with the semi-pro features and build quality. Rather that settle for the lower end 15 - 55mm kit lens I opted for the somewhat higher quality 17 - 85mm kit lens.

While not an 'L' quality lens it does provide reasonable image quality and a good walk-around zoom range.

I recently added the Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 L IS USM Lens, and a Canon Speedlite 580EX II. While both were also major budget hits, I waited until they were on sale and was able to save a fair bit.

Again the point is to buy with an eye to where you will be going with your hobby after you have learned the basics of your DSLR camera's capabilities.

(Sorry for the long first post.)

Gary

Hi Gary,
I agree that cameras can be outgrown in time, but I have had mine for 18 months now, and I am still learning new things about it all the time.

The kit lenses are the 18-55mm or the 18-200mm (occasionly), or the dual option of having an extra 55-250mm.

I see this as buying an articulated lorry as your first car.

I think if the owner isn't familiar with almost all the features of their existing camera, they shouldn't be buying anything higher up.

Newbies will often blame their equipment when they are disatisfied with their results. I remember, I used to suggest getting new lenses etc, when it was me that needed to improve.

The Canon 580ex Speedlite is similar to the 430ex, but is designed to be used as a master unit, although it is slightly brighter and has potentially greater weather sealing. If you have bought this as your first flash to be used on camera, then you have probably wasted your money.

I have 2 styles of flash
The Yongnuo (Manual) Speedlite
The Canon 430ex (Automatic) Speedlite

The Yongnuo is on average £40 from ebay, where's the Canon is around £200. It is a better flash, but the Yongnuo should be sufficient for most uses.

The Pop up flashes on the DSLRs can light up the side of a cupboard from a distance or the centre area of wall. The external Speedlites can light up a whole wall.

A while ago, I wanted the 580ex because it was bigger, but now I have became to realise that for what I require, it probably isn't worth the extra money.

I know several DSLR users. Some own mid range bodies, and some have entry series and use them in full auto.

I agree that buying something better than what you need is the way forward, like I did with my monopod (I got something that can hold heavier cameras), but I think there is a lot to know, and people are probably jumping in there too quickly.

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Canon EOS 500D
Lenses: EFS 18-55mm IS, EF 50mm F/1.8 II