Just purchased a 300d...couple questions

[.ken]

Alright so I am new to the board but so far everything is looking great. I have read a couple of the stickies and rules in the forums but I wanted to hear a couple suggestions in regards to my situation.

First off I found the 300d for 654.00 (US) which IMO is a damn steal! :o . It comes with the 18-55 mm efs lens and I was curious what the efs actually meant and is this a ok lens to start out with?

I have used several point/click cameras in the past and have gotten pretty good and I wanted a nice present/upgrade for myself and narrowed down my choices to the 300d. My plan was to master the basic lens and get things down and learn the 300d with 18-55 efs lens first before purchasing any other lenses.

Good idea or no?

I like to use a fish angle or wide angle lens in my photography as it gives me different options, any recommendations on some wide angle lenses?

How is the battery life of the 300d? I am planning on buying a vertical battery grip along with another battery fairly soon; what are your experiences with the "stock" battery?

TIA and I will be posting pics VERY soon :D .

[tim]

EF-S is the standard that says how the lens attaches to the camera. It's similar to the full sized Canon EF mount, but it's made for digital cameras with a 1.6 crop (ie 300D, 10D, 20D). The 18-55 is a good starter lens, have a look in the lenses forum, there are other recommended lenses like the fantastic $70 50mm F1.8 lens. That lens is higher quality than the kit lens, and will help you learn about photography more quickly IMHO, but it's not necessary. I'd not get any other lenses until you know what's going on.

I found a basic photography course I did in my area very valuable, you might considering doing one yourself.

The stock battery's good, if you find you need another check out the ones at http://sterlingtek.com , I use them, they're cheap and work very well - don't let the low price tag fool you into thinking they're inferior to other batteries.

Good luck, and have fun, I hope you'll find this forum quite friendly and helpful, I certianly do :)

[rebel61021]

I agree with everything Tim said, I also started with the 300D and still Love the camera and I have caught the "L" bug here at POTN and have found that 18-55 was a good lens to start on but it did not last very long with me I wanted more reach and faster lens. You will want to check out the top ten list of lens when you are ready to start adding to the collection the other thing you want to start looking up is the excuses on spending so much for camera gear. I started with the 300D about 6 months ago and I have gone thru 4 camera bags they keep getting bigger and right now I am carrying 2 bags to take everything when I go (hunting) shooting.

[Kinger]

I think that your plan for the 300d ounds like a good one, and very similar to what I did. To answer some of your questions, the stock efs18-55 lens is an ok entry level lens, but it has been know to get some exceptional shots as well, so don't let it's reputation discourage you. Also Tim suggestion about the 50mm 1.8 is a great one, it is famousin the canon community for being the best bang for the buck. Now reguards to your battery question. When I first started out the single stock battery never ran out on me during a single outing, but I still added the battery grip and second battery becasue I like the feel of the grip with it's size and weight it adds.

I have one big suggestion for you though, please don't get discouraged at first with the results from your DRebel, especially since you are coming from the point and shoot system. The shots comming from a P&S are designed to be highly saturated and sharpened inside of the camera, that is not the case with the DRebel, and with all DSLRs, you are expected to be doing some postproccessing in order to get the most out of your shots. So take your time and learn, don't be afraid to make mistakes, and have fun.

[cfcRebel]

Hi Ken,
Welcome to this wonderful forum for Canonites, especially people like me who are new to the digital world. I started with 300D not too long ago. I can tell you the 18-55mm kit lens is a GREAT starter lens. Totally agree with Kinger, don't get discourage when you first use it. Get familiar with your 300D baby. Read some pro's suggestions, plus some trials & errors. You'll see the results u want in no time. You'll be pleasantly surprised what the kit lens can do! Once you are familiar with the camera and its lens, then you know what you need for other picture styles. Unlike many people, my bank account doesn't allow me to collect those L series, red circle, fish eye lens, or the *$2500 super duper Tokigmanonaron DXFii ES 5-2000mm f0.2 prior to knowing what they are good for. :lol: Even the famous EF 50mm 1.8 took me a while to get use to cuz i was pampered by zoom lens for a long time, and niftee fiftee is a prime.

I saw others already answered your grip and batteries question. So, good luck with your new camera. I'm sure u'll like it.

* quoted from Steibeldj at http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=67693 (http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=67693) :D

[robertwgross]

I came to Canon EOS digitals from the EOS film side, so I have a film camera here. Of course, one big attraction was that I could use my EF lenses from the film camera and move them to the digital without any problem.

EF-S conflicts with that, since the EF-S will not fit on the film camera.

So, which would I prefer to buy, a lens that I can fit only onto certain digital bodies, or a lens that I can fit onto digital or film? The answer for me was a no-brainer. I've never even considered buying an EF-S. However, some others do not have this "film camera problem" nor do they intend to deal with film.

---Bob Gross---

[.ken]

Thanks guys for the replies...now for my next question:

I looked at the top 10 list for lenses and I wanted to pick up the 50mm f1.8 lens based off your guys recommendation but I looked around and the cheapest I could find it for was 100 dollars. Any links for a cheaper price and is the 50mm f1.4 lens comparible?

TIA:)

edit: I expect to do some postphoto work with photoshop as I have with my other pictures....it just cleans them up nicely NTM adds the ability to add effects etc ;)

[tim]

Have a look here (http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?ci=1&sb=ps&pn=1&sq=desc&InitialSearch=yes&O=SearchBar&A=search&Q=*&shs=50mm+f1.8+canon&image.x=0&image.y=0), $75 for the version with the Canon USA warranty, $70 for the B&H warranty. For the warranty differences check here (http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=productlist.jsp&A=getpage&Q=GreyMarketStatic.jsp), the lenses are identical.

The 1.4 costs about $300. It's better, but it's not 5 times better IMO.

[markubig]

Thanks guys for the replies...now for my next question:

I looked at the top 10 list for lenses and I wanted to pick up the 50mm f1.8 lens based off your guys recommendation but I looked around and the cheapest I could find it for was 100 dollars. Any links for a cheaper price and is the 50mm f1.4 lens comparible?

TIA:)

edit: I expect to do some postphoto work with photoshop as I have with my other pictures....it just cleans them up nicely NTM adds the ability to add effects etc ;)

B&H has them for $75.
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=12142&is=USA

the i've had both. the 50/1.4 is great, but 3x's the price of the 50/1.8. I didn't use it enough to warrant keeping it around, so i sold it and go the 1.8, which is just as sharp. the differnce is the build quality and aperture blades (i believe 1.4 has 8 as opposed to the 1.8's 5). If you can afford it, i suggest the 1.4, but you can't go wrong with the 1.8

good luck!

[Mycroft]

First off I found the 300d for 654.00 (US) which IMO is a damn steal! :o . It comes with the 18-55 mm efs lens and I was curious what the efs actually meant and is this a ok lens to start out with?

the S in EF-S stands for Short back-focus, meaning there is a shorter distance between the rear element of the lens and the CMOS censor. This means you cannot use it on any film SLRs or other digital cameras besides the Rebel, Rebel XT, and 20D, or else you risk the mirror smacking into the back of the lens at full wide-angle when you release the shutter.

[tckadventures]

Ok, I have only had my EOS 300D for a few months and still learning, but what is the difference between that and the 20D. is the overall clarity better??

[Dante King]

EF-S is the standard that says how the lens attaches to the camera. It's similar to the full sized Canon EF mount, but it's made for digital cameras with a 1.6 crop (ie 300D, 10D, 20D). ....

FYI, I dont think that the 10D is compatible with the EFS lens system.

[tim]

Ok, I have only had my EOS 300D for a few months and still learning, but what is the difference between that and the 20D. is the overall clarity better??

It gives you more control, it's quicker change things because of the thumb wheel, and because it gives you more control it can be more difficult to learn to use. It has 2 more megapixels, which is good but not essential. You get real custom functions. I forget the other differences right now, I upgraded and i'm very happy I did.

FYI, I dont think that the 10D is compatible with the EFS lens system.

You're correct, only the 300D and 20D accept EF-S lenses, not the 10D or 1D series. When I mentioned the 10D I was talking about the 1.6 crop, which is common to the 10D, 300D, and 20D.

[.ken]

Damn you guys are on top of it :eek: . I will be ordering my 50mm 1.8 II lens fairly shortly; gotta get the cam first :lol: