A "is this a good deal" question and more

Heya

So I'm moving on up in the camera world, preparing for a multi-month safari in Africa and deciding that my little point and shoot won't cut it anymore.

I'm looking at a Digital SLR, namely a Canon 30d.

I looked on BHPhotovideo.com and saw that just the body goes for about $1000. A quick search on ebay yielded what looked like some pretty good deals to my untrained eye, but I want to check in with the professionals to make sure I'm not missing something. Basically the following brand new package is up for just under $1200:


-30d body
-Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 Zoom Lens
-Canon EF 75-300 F/4.0-5.6 III Lens
-Titanium .45x Wide Angle Lens
-3 Piece HIGH Resolution Filter Kit
-4gb card
-Digital Flash for SLR Cameras
-2 cases, 2 tripods and a cleaning kit

Is this a decent deal?

I'm also wondering if they 75-300 lens will be telephoto enough to get the beasties on safari, or should I look into a decent telephoto specific lens?

Thanks!

Everything that you will get after the last Canon EF lens you listed will be junk. The .45x add-on is a clumsy filter-like thing that adds onto your lens, the filter kit is probably a quantaray set, the 4gb card is most likely a very slow cheap brand, etc. You can buy kit lenses after that fact on ebay or this forum, or the Canon telephoto lens.

I am selling the USM version of that lens over on FM with a hood for $120, just to give you an idea. Very good reach, and if you needed more, you could pick up a kenko 1.4x pro teleconverter to give you 40% more reach.

It is better to concentrate on the best packaged price for a 30D and kit lens, then build onto it with other lenses that you have researched to meet your needs, not to mention the accessories as well.

Example shot using the lens you are considering in the package with the TC (the tree is over a couple of properties on a hill from my backyard). The other is the warning label on the hot tub next door. It does have some reach that would be very useful for you.

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I'll second the "not that great a deal" post. Get the 30d with the kit lens and get a compact flash card. You'll spend less than $1200 and you'll avoid getting junk. Plus, buying from a reputable source will keep you headache free. Once you've had the camera for a while, you'll have a better idea of the things you shoot and what sort of lenses you might like. And you won't need a filter for the kit lens, anyway. A filter that won't degrade the image quality of the lens will cost more than the lens, so just shoot with no filter.

Ever wonder where dollars stores get there stuff ?
It's from camera kits , car kits , food kits [Sporting goods stores] , first aid kits - basically bargain bins .
A good camera kit is model xxx camera new in box - US and lens model xxx new in box - US .
Stick with brand name stuff . There is / are about 1000 non brand name items that are junk to one that is worth the sales tax .

Check www.beachcamera.com as well for prices on your 30D and lens - they usually beat B&H and offer a free shipping option to save you even more money.

The 30D is right at $1000 right now on Beach Camera's site...in stock and free shipping for 7-9 day delivery.