Canon XTi Accessory Suggestions

I bought my Canon XTi new a fews year back. Not until recently have I really started to "learn" how to use this camera. Yes it's already considered old by todays standards, but still is a great camera.

So I finally got around to getting a flash, the Canon Speedlite 580ex II. I never knew what a difference using a flash would make to my photos. OMG, this thing has really opened me up to new possibilities with my shots. Bouncing light is a blast!

Okay so my question is, what other accessories should I get for this camera? Besides my new Speedlite flash, I also have the following:

Opteka flash diffuser
Opteka battery grip & (2) batteries
Sandisk (2) 1GB Ultra II CF cards
Canon 58mm UV haze filter
Canon 200DG camera bag
Velon Tracer 301 tripod

I was thinking about buying a Canon 50mm f/1/8 or f/1/4 lens for portrait photography. Maybe a wireless flash control and camera remote control. I am interested in making my own home studio. Or a timer remote and telescope adapter for astrophotography.

The best upgrade you can do would be to throw away the Canon UV filter.

Next, since you don't say what lenses you have and I'll assume it's the EF-S 18-55 Mk II, replace this with the EF-S 18-55 IS.

If 50 is a length that works for you for portraiture, and you'll do a significant amount of it, skip the 50/1.8 and go to the 50/1.4 instead.

A great bang for your buck lens is the 55-250 IS.
A good circular polarizer.

I only have the Canon UV filter to protect the lens.

Yes I have the EFS 18-55mm Mk II kit lens, that came with the camera. Not really interested in replacing it with another 18-55mm lens though. I've thought about an 85mm F/1.2, but can't afford one right now.

Another thing I was thinking about was a hand strap.

Resistoon wrote in post #11436985
I only have the Canon UV filter to protect the lens.

You should take it off. The replacement cost of the lens is less than the cost of a good filter to protect it.

All you'll do is hurt the quality of your images with that one on there.

The 18-55 IS is thought to be considerably better than the non-IS version. I would give serious thought into swapping out.

You should go for the 50mm f/1.8 mkII in the meantime. Terrible build but optics are great (for the price, that is).

Start by learning how to use what you've got and to use it well before you go getting hung up on being a gear junkie and getting heaps of stuff that you may rarely use.

Having all the accessories and gadgets in the world won't necessarily make you a better photographer unless you know why you've got them, what they do and how they work.

Resistoon wrote in post #11436985
I only have the Canon UV filter to protect the lens.

Yes I have the EFS 18-55mm Mk II kit lens, that came with the camera. Not really interested in replacing it with another 18-55mm lens though. I've thought about an 85mm F/1.2, but can't afford one right now.

Another thing I was thinking about was a hand strap.

Ah - my mistake, and my apologies. I thought you may have wanted to improve your images, rather than your image. I'll make way for the fashion gurus who can help you accessorize properly.

I have been trying to do this over the last 4 years, but have been pretty busy. Now that I have more free time on my hands, I am getting back into photography. But true I do need to learn to use more of what I have. However, I can't do astrophotography or decent family/self portraits without some more gear. I tried using the camera timer and dashing to get in front of the lens, it's not working for me.

I do, but I never shoot anything in the 18mm range. Most of what I shoot is in the 55mm area. So I figured another 18-55mm lens would be a waste for me. But I will research the IS version and maybe take up your suggestion.

Okay so take off the UV filter on a cheap lens. But is it okay for good glass?

What about lens cleaning gear suggestions?

As others have said, just trash the UV filter. If the lens has a cap, that's all you need to protect it when you're not shooting. It's not okay for good glass, either.

The best thing you could get that will improve outdoor images right away is a circular polarizer. B+W, Heliopan and Hoya make the best. Don't waste your money on a cheap one.

As for cleaning gear, a nice microfiber cloth and canned air or a blower will be all you need.

I own an XTI, and I can tell you that you have a nice, capable camera there. Don't waste your money on a lot of useless stuff. Just save your money for better glass.

gibbit1 wrote in post #11437828
As others have said, just trash the UV filter. If the lens has a cap, that's all you need to protect it when you're not shooting. It's not okay for good glass, either.

This is interesting, because many people I know with SLR and DSLR cameras use filter with the main purpose to protect the lens. I even saw a picture of camera (not sure if it was on this forum), where it was accidentally dropped and the filter had taken the impact, protecting the lens.

You were impressed by the improvements that the flash made to your photography so I'm going to suggest an off camera flash cable. I bought a 3rd party one for $15 from B&H.

So much immediate and noticeable improvement will come from big changes in composition and lighting. You already have the tripod, so mount the camera, point it at something with complex shapes and that won't move, like a large doll, teddy bear, big scrunched up ball of wrapping paper, etc (not a coffee mug or a shoebox) and move the flash around it. The greatest understanding came to me from holding the flash and changing only its position and distance.

Also, creating great images and impressing yourself with your results isn't about a UV-filter creating imperceptible image degradation, as much as going to the top of a mountain 15mins BEFORE a sunrise, or standing IN FRONT of the bride& groom at the altar if you want to see their faces.

BUT! Sometimes a new toy is what you need to focus your attention or be a catalyst to explore another angle on the same skill, so don't listen to any criticism about buying accessories and gear.

I'd say get lots of small things, like lens cleaning items, off-camera flash cable, 2nd hand GPS for geotagging, webhosting (under $8/mo) to show off, some MOO.com cards pointing to your Flickr stream and hand them out when anyone asks you about your camera gear. Don't be all professional, just share with them your enthusiasm and maybe you'll form a small photography group with friends and passers-by who'll go on photo-walks and help improve your photography by going on the journey together.

Off-camera shoe cord, get 4GB(min) CF cards instead of 1 GB and the 85mm f/1.8 is a good value at$380.

Have fun!

PS-I bought two 8GB CF cards @ $34 ea on sale last spring. The first CF card I bought (2005) was $54...and 512MB

Resistoon wrote in post #11437849
This is interesting, because many people I know with SLR and DSLR cameras use filter with the main purpose to protect the lens. I even saw a picture of camera (not sure if it was on this forum), where it was accidentally dropped and the filter had taken the impact, protecting the lens.

There is considerable debate on the value of filters as a protective feature. But more importantly what is the effect on your image. An inexpensive filter will decrease the image quality you get considerably. You can get better quality filters, but they cost about $100 each, in this case more than your kit lens is worth. If the UV filter is being used as an insurance policy against breakage consider the cost of the policy (filter) against the value of the lens.

Resistoon wrote in post #11437849
This is interesting, because many people I know with SLR and DSLR cameras use filter with the main purpose to protect the lens. I even saw a picture of camera (not sure if it was on this forum), where it was accidentally dropped and the filter had taken the impact, protecting the lens.

Gonzo elaborates on this in the post above, but I wanted to put in my input.

After having been caught up using a low quality UV filter for quite some time, I can say with certainty that they CAN and WILL cause a visible degradation for your pictures. High quality filters cause significantly less of a loss, but there is still some loss (whether it's enough to not use the filter is up to the photographer). There are more threads on this forum that will go into the debate, but I'll leave you with this thought. You said the filter protected the lens when it was dropped. That means that for one, you have to spend $100+ to replace the filter (instead of repairing the lens, which may still have issues), if the filter is bent you will have to use wirecutters or other means to get it off, and if the glass is cracked you could potentially have the small bits of the filter falling into and scratching the lens even more.

Search the forum and find one of the many debate threads if you want some more information.

More than you'd ever want to know about protective filters:
https://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthre​ad.php?t=807555

My take:
A $20 filter will degrade image quality significantly therefore, i dont use them.
A $100 filter won't degrade quality much, but $100x6lenses=$600=a seventh lens/light/something more useful than a UV filter.
Outside of a sandstorm, I find that the hood provides enough protection, but everyone has to make their own decision.

As far as accessories you should get... for portraits my biggest priorities would be some way to get that light off the camera and diffuse it. So... long off shoe cord(or wireless system), light stand, umbrella. From there there are a ton of options depending on what specifically you are shooting and your budget.