Need help deciding on Christmas Present for Dad who is new to photography w/ 7D

[BigWebb83]

Sorry for the wierd thread title but it was all i could think of to sum it up. anyway, I've been lurking around here for a while now and getting my feet wet with photography. I'm very adept at tracking down info on the internet and learning that way. However, my dad is not. He just got a new 7D and he's really having a blast with it so I want to get him something for Christmas that will help him enjoy his new found hobby. I'm thinking of something along the lines of a dvd from calumet (essence of photography is 25 bux shipped), but wanted to get some ideas from you guys as well. It doesn't have to be a dvd or anything instructional necessarily. Thanks in advance for any positive feedback :)

[IUnknown]

I liked kelbytraining. Some reacent things I got for the 7D that I really enjoy,
wireless trigger
crunch bag 5 mil.
tripod
photopaper
studio umbrella kit for flash
spyder monitor calibration kit
lightroom

[BigWebb83]

thanks for the suggestions. I would go with a tripod but thats honestly a little out of my range this year, as I've been sternly warned on here not to cheap out on the tripod...

[jgrussell]

Is he doing any video? A decent hot-shoe-mounted microphone would be nice. (I have the Rode on my Christmas list...)

[BigWebb83]

^ thanks I'll take a look

[BigWebb83]

I liked kelbytraining. Some reacent things I got for the 7D that I really enjoy,
wireless trigger
crunch bag 5 mil.
tripod
photopaper
studio umbrella kit for flash
spyder monitor calibration kit
lightroom



can you tell me a little more about your experience with kelby training? I'd never heard of it before but now that I'm looking at it i thinkn I may be interested in it for myself...

[SPORTshot]

How about a battery grip ?

[BigWebb83]

^ again I would love to do the battery grip, but If I recall it was like $200 in the calumet catalog so its pretty well out of my price range for a gift to the old man :)

[BigWebb83]

Keep those type of ideas coming though because I can pass them along to my mom who has more of a "christmas budget" for dad.

[Wilt]

You appear to be fairly limited in budget, since $200 is too much for you. How about a nice OpTech Super Classic strap or a Pro strap? Cushions the weight of camera and lens on the shoulder with controlled stretch, and rubber nubs on the underside keep the strap on your shoulder. Much nicer feel than the Canon strap that comes with the camera. POTN sells the Pro with POTN personalization. I like supporting POTN, but I prefer the Super Classic for less bulk.

[BigWebb83]

I'll check that out thanks!

[BigWebb83]

any recommendations on dvd's? I got the john upton dvd today from calumet and the "section titles" don't look like they are going to encompass what i had hoped. Just looking for something to help teach him the basics of photography and maybe a little bit about ISO, Aperture, Exposure, Whitebalance etc.

[DAMphyne]

Send him here,
We'll teach him a thing or 2.
Seriously, how about a spare battery and some CF cards.

[BigWebb83]

I ended up buying two dvd's and an 18% gray card set off of ebay. Keep the suggestions coming though as others may find this thread helpful