Baby coming

Hi,
I have the equipment listed in my signature. I also have an old vivitar thyristor 3700 that I am afraid to use on my camera (it has a rotating left right that my nissin does not have).

I am waiting for my first baby in a few weeks. I would like to be ready to take great picture, but I lack experience taking picture of babies. Do any of you see a gap in my gear to take picture of my new child? I have around 300$ in my photo gear budget.

Best regards,

Get an S95.

CactusJuice wrote in post #13535769
Get an S95.

Thanks for the suggestion, can you elaborate on why use point and shoot for baby picture.

Point I think he is making is if you can shoot animals, landscape, flowers or buildings.... A baby won't be any difference.

Congrats

A waterproof housing for the delivery room. Or an 85mm f1.8.

I actually agree with the S95, especially with them being $275 right now. Basically because it's good enough for a quality 11 inch print, you can shoot raw to help with IQ/noise/fine-tuning (even if you end up doing that in 5 years time) and you will be able to have it with you all the time. Even before they crawl babies are less than predictable and although I haven't printed many of my S95 shots because they are not landscapes or more formal portraits of the kids, I have a bunch on nice photos of my kids I would never have otherwise got.

Seriously, if I had to choose, I would rather have the T1i AND S95 than just the 5DII.

I don't get the replies up to this point, I suggest you ignore them.

Your 50mm should be fine on the 40D for this. Shoot at ISO 1600 (or even 3200, but to the right 1/3 to 2/3 stops), at f2. If you really want to spend money on a new lens, I would suggest the Tamron 17-50 or Sigma 18-50 macro, they are in your price range and work well for shooting babies. If you really need a good point and shoot, then get the S95 for $255 from Canon refurb, but what you have will work as is.

I wouldn't use a flash with a newborn unless you diffuse it and shoot it at the ceiling.

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Im in the same boat as the OP, but I would like some advise on which lens to use for the delivery/labor room? We "toured" the hospital and I brought my 5dii with the 24-105. I was at iso 6400 with ss of 50 @ f4 (that was with my ec at +1 I think). I was thinking of 28mm f1.8 to get my ss higher and my iso a little bit lower but I want to make sure that I have enough dof. Advise anyone?

You could always bring a flash and bounce it, just use a low power.

TeamSpeed wrote in post #13535923
I don't get the replies up to this point, I suggest you ignore them.

Your 50mm should be fine on the 40D for this. Shoot at ISO 1600 (or even 3200, but to the right 1/3 to 2/3 stops), at f2. If you really want to spend money on a new lens, I would suggest the Tamron 17-50 or Sigma 18-50 macro, they are in your price range and work well for shooting babies. If you really need a good point and shoot, then get the S95 for $255 from Canon refurb, but what you have will work as is.

I wouldn't use a flash with a newborn unless you diffuse it and shoot it at the ceiling.

+1 in spades. Reasonably high ISO, a reasonably fast lens, and if you must, the gentlest of bounced flash.

I am a crusty old git - no tree-hugger, me - who's been present at all of our three births, and delivered two of the three. And I had a camera with me. But no flash. A baby who's previously been cossetted in warm darkness, then pummuled, squeezed and painfully extruded into the glaring bright light of a new and puzzling environment does not need the additional stress of being zapped by high-energy xenon.

YMMV, but I hold to the view that it's the baby's big moment, not yours. Treat him / her with respect. You'll have at least 16 years to create memories.

Your 50mm 1.8 will be perfect for baby shots. Don't fret it.

A good flash like the 430 EX II will really make your baby pictures better though and be useful in the long run. As others said, bounce it off of a wall or ceiling.

Keyan wrote in post #13537251
Your 50mm 1.8 will be perfect for baby shots. Don't fret it.

A good flash like the 430 EX II will really make your baby pictures better though and be useful in the long run. As others said, bounce it off of a wall or ceiling.

This is EXACTLY what I was going to suggest. I have a 50mm 1.4 that is the perfect FL for shooting the little kid. the 50mm 1.8 is a damn good lens, so I wouldnt worry about going up to the 1.4. I also just added a 430ex II to the camera a few weeks ago. Here in MN, daylight is a rare commodity in the winter, and I found myself missing a ton of good shots.

OP, 40d and 50mm prime is good set for little ones. Perfect camera and perfect lens.
Set it to f4, bump ISO and lower flash compensation to minimum. Take some test shots in advance to find optimum settings. You will get much better pictures compare to point and shot.
I would recommend to update to Nissin 622 flash, which is not very expensive but very capable flash.
Ideally 430 EX II, it is good time of the year to try to find good deal for it.
With flash your zoom lens will provide good pictures at f5.6 as well.

kf095 wrote in post #13537292
OP, 40d and 50mm prime is good set for little ones. Perfect camera and perfect lens.
Set it to f4, bump ISO and lower flash compensation to minimum. Take some test shots in advance to find optimum settings. You will get much better pictures compare to point and shot.
I would recommend to update to Nissin 622 flash, which is not very expensive but very capable flash.
Ideally 430 EX II, it is good time of the year to try to find good deal for it.
With flash your zoom lens will provide good pictures at f5.6 as well.

Right now Canon has refub 430 EX IIs for $203.

mtuepker wrote in post #13537279
This is EXACTLY what I was going to suggest. I have a 50mm 1.4 that is the perfect FL for shooting the little kid. the 50mm 1.8 is a damn good lens, so I wouldnt worry about going up to the 1.4. I also just added a 430ex II to the camera a few weeks ago. Here in MN, daylight is a rare commodity in the winter, and I found myself missing a ton of good shots.

The 430 is such a nice flash. When I first got my 60D I wasn't sure about spending the money on one, but then my co-worker let me borrow his for an evening. I went to the local camera shop (who had really good prices at the time on it) and bought one and some Eneloop batteries the next day. Haven't regretted it at all.