basic accessories for g2

[xiaolin]

I just brought a g2, and would like to know what are the basic accessories I needed for it. Since I am just a beginner now, would like to get some help on it.

Here is the items that I can think of :

case for g2 : did anybody try this canon psc-2000 case? Is it good ? Any other good choices?

some Flash card

do you really need the flash card reader?

some basic lens. but I have no idea on this.

I really appreciate your help !

thanks,

xiaolin

[ricklynch@core.com]

I did buy the psc-2000 case. It is custom fitted for the g2 and seems to offer good protection. It is a two piece, with the bottom screwing into the tripod mount, while the top fits over the the rest of the camera and snaps into place.

I am happy with it.

I also bought a lensmate adaptor and a uv lens to get some protection for the zoom lens while out shooting.

That is all I have purchased so far.

Rick

[kd6lor]

Xiaolin,
With a name like that you must be Polish like me! (haha)

What we each get is of course to satisfy our individual needs and desires. What I wanted and needed I bought and am in no was telling you that this is what YOU need, but here it goes, in order of my need.

G2 - you already have taken care of that!

128M CF card. Get one this size or larger. Look at cost/MB and make your choice. They are small enough that I would rather have two 128's than one 512 meg card. I bought the SimpleTechnology CF card from www.costco.com and it came with a reader.

420EX flash. If you take ANY flash pics indoors or out. Main flash or fill flash, you will notice a tremendous improvement in the quality of the pics. If you take no, or very little flash pics, this will be an unloved toy. I stayed away from the 550 because of the cost, and many of the features of this flash will never be used by me, or by any G2 owner because some of the features are not compatible with this camera.

Lensmate and UV or 1A. I chose the UV for no scientific reason. I think you would be hard pressed to tell the difference without reading the edge of the filter. I keep my lensmate on the camera all the time to protect what I perceive to be the weak link in the camera, that is the relatively delicate zoom mechanism. With the Lensmate on the camera, it has a different feel and my left hand grips the camera and the Lensmate for better stability. Water splashes and fingers will never touch the front element of the lens again.

Case/bag. Less is more in my book. I wanted a bag that would just barely carry my gear. I chose the Lowepro TLZ-1 which holds camera with lensmate, 420EX, tabletop tripod, spare CF cards and no wasted space. The bag can be worn on the belt, or over the shoulder. The Lowepro cover when unzipped hinges outward from your body making access easy and secure. http://www.lowepro.com/pages/bySeries/topZoom.htm#


Hoya closeup lens set. See my posts at http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=1680#6676 to see how low you can go with this lens set on the Lensmate. If you buy the Lensmate, buy this set even if you are not sure what you will do with it. At some point you will want it and you will regret not having it at hand.

Tabletop tripod. They all suck. Just pick one. I would avoid the ones with the "springy" legs. I found them not solid enough to hold the camera due to the off center tripod mount. Good news is they are cheap. I carry mine in the front pouch of my Lowepro.

Full size tripod. Good idea for many shots, very good idea for panoramic shots. I have a 20 year old Velbon tripod. I wouldn't overspend here. Make sure it's head allows fairly fluid movements, and some kind of compass rose markings on the head can be invaluable for panoramic shots. Mine has 8 major divisions of the 360 degrees, with 3 minor divisions for each major division. Makes shooting panoramic shots very easy. Once you determine how much to rotate the head between shots you can shoot and rotate with abandon. This doesn't sound that great if you have not taken panoramics, but if you have you will know that the less motion there is in your subject, the easier it will be to stitch. Taking the shots quickly reduces the chance of a person walking from one frame to another. Unless that is the object of your efforts. See http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=979

I would also consider Photoshop Elements or Photoshop 6.0 as essentials for digital photography. PS Elements is not bad, but does lack a few features that you will probably want. PS 6.0 is overkill for most digital photography, but has all the goodies. PS 6.0 is a study in itself. Some photo processing is darn near essential for getting the most from your images.

I am waiting on a second battery because the included battery has such a good life. I am sure I will be on a little outing and be without charge and be telling everyone that two batteries are essential, but so far am in the one battery camp.

Have fun, post on this site, or to me directly if you have any questions. This board is full of nice people who will help you. Many have kindly helped me.

Paul Jaruszewski

[GordonMcGregor]

If you do want a tabletop tripod kit that doesn't suck, and really supports the G2 well in all orientations, I'd highly recommend the Manfrotto table top tripod kit.

It isn't cheap (about $70) but gives excellent support and is easily adjusted. Height range is about 3cm to 15cm


Comprises: Mini Ball Head 210B, Table Top Tripod 209, Extension 259B (extension from 15,6cm to 25cm) and Bag 345BAG.


You can find it here : http://www.manfrotto.com/products/index.html

[kd6lor]

Gordon, thanks for the info. Tripods are difficult to buy without playing with them. The local camera shop has a poor selection of table top tripods, and trust me they all suck there. All that I played with are in the sub $25 category. I am interested in the Manfrotto. A check at BH PhotoVideo shows a Bogen that looks like the one you mentioned. Am considering ordering it because the one I have is pretty poor. To get the salt pics I posted, I needed my larger tripod on the floor with my subject on the kitchen table. Was a hassle because I was afraid my wife or kids would trip on legs of tripod and send the whole thing to the ground.

Thanks again.

Paul

[GordonMcGregor]

Paul,

looking at B&H it is the 3007KIT Bogen tripod & micro ballhead.

Mfr Catalog # 3007Kit
B&H Catalog # BO3007K

Sells for $62 there.

It easily supports a G2 in any orientation and is really well engineered.

Holds camera at from about 5" to 15" from surface.