Ultra-NOOB.... what have I done?!

Greetings all!

I just discovered this site and it seems to have a tremendous amount of information.
Too bad I discovered it the day AFTER I ordered our new camera!

I'm hoping I have ordered a set-up that provides a good foundation that will grow with us for recreational/hobby use. Just for information/comments, I ordered:

Rebel XTi (silver body only)
EF-S 17-85mm f/4-5.6 IS USM lens
EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM lens
Lens hoods for the above lenses
SanDisk 4 GB Extreme III CF card
Canon Accessory Starter Kit (200DG Bag, NB-2LH Battery, & 58mm Haze Filter)

I didn't see a new member or NOOB section, but since we went with a Canon DSLR this seemed like an OK spot. My apologies in advance if this is in the wrong area!

We took the plunge after my better-half announced we needed a better camera. She was updating some scrap-books and became frustrated with the quality (or lack thereof) of many of the shots using maninly an old Sony point-and-shoot CyberShot pocket camera. I think she was expecting $100-$200 for everything..... we missed that a bit!

I am totally new to the DSLR and photography in general. The only other time I did any type of actual "photography" was in high school- B&W 35mm where we did everything from loading the film cans to developing the prints. That was a long time ago but I still remember it well and really enjoyed experimenting with it.

Thanks in advance for all of the information!

Respectfully,

Allen

the XTI is a great camera

Welcome to POTN.

Good set up - should get some good pix Congrats.

Welcome to POTN!!

You have a great starter kit. Make sure you don't read to much in here as you will take out a second mortgage in the end

RMC_SS_LDO wrote in post #4043571
Greetings all!

I just discovered this site and it seems to have a tremendous amount of information.
Too bad I discovered it the day AFTER I ordered our new camera!

I'm hoping I have ordered a set-up that provides a good foundation that will grow with us for recreational/hobby use. Just for information/comments, I ordered:

You did fine. The next step is to learn how to effectively use what you've purchased. This forum can be a great help with that. Welcome.

Mark

Thats a fine camera. It will likely take you quite awhile to get to the spot where you need more camera then that one can offer.

Welcome...take some pictures and start posting....its the BEST way to learn...

Get a nice tripod and maybe a flash and you are well on your way.

Mark_Cohran wrote in post #4043683
You did fine. The next step is to learn how to effectively use what you've purchased. This forum can be a great help with that. Welcome.

Mark

That's what I am hoping for! I am shaking the cob-webs out remembering the basics, but it looks like this particular camera will help me get started.

I was concerned about the purchase, mainly on the lens selections. The goal was to get a combo that allowed for good general purpose shooting with an option to zoom some from the start. I hope the IS functions of these 2 lenses will help me a bit!

The XTi with descent lenses SEEMS to be a good balance between the pro-level offerings and the point-and-shoot units. Well it looks like it on paper anyway. I researched the Nikon and Sony offerings, but the Canon seemed more flexible. The part that sucked was I could not lay my hands on any of them 1st hand, so I am shooting in the dark some here. The boss-lady is still VERY skeptical so time will tell. She is still a little peeved about the cost; she's not hearing just how much we COULD have spent on a high-end body and a collection of lenses. She just knows this thing had better make toast and brew the morning coffee since we spent WAY more than she expected to!

I would have gone for a good flash and a tri-pod now, but funds were already too short. After using this set-up for a while, if the lighting isn't up to snuff or we get into more shots what would make use of a tripod, I'll have the prints to sell the purchase to the better-half!

Thanks to all for the kind words, warm welcome and I look forward to a little adult supervision in the future!

RMC_SS_LDO wrote in post #4045240
Thanks to all for the kind words, warm welcome and I look forward to a little adult supervision in the future!

The Better Half will be glad to provide that, right?



-js

The lenses will be good starter lenses - they're slow, but IS can help with handholding at slower shutter speeds (though not with stopping action). You certainly could have spent a lot more (and if you stay on this forum very long, you probably will). There are lots of sticky threads at the top of each individual forums that contain lots of good information - I suggest those as a starting point. I also suggest that later on when you post questions be as specific as possible when posting the questions and include example photos and EXIF data whenever possible. This will really help to get you good, specific answers.

Happy shooting.

Mark

Welcome, as long as you didn't pay too much for it, I think it's a fine set up good for lots of different uses.

Having said that, I'd personally get the Sigma 17-70 instead of the Canon 17-85 and do without the bag and battery and filter. Instead I'd get a sterlingtek battery, buy a bag that you like, and get a grip.

But again the gear you bought is pretty good and should serve you well for most situations.

Welcome to the world of Canon SLR.
Its going to be a blast.
I've used my XT for 2 years now
made a lot of great prints
won some honorable mentions in local cam club
and I'm only just now ready to move to the 30/40D.

One suggestion to add is get Photoshop Elements
and learn to use it along with an archival printer
like the Epson R2400. The situation is rather the same
with Elements as with the XTi: you will get a lot of
fun out of it before you feel the need for the full PS.

Good shooting.

You've done well, indeed. There will always be opinions on lenses arguing either way and it's really easy to get caught up in it. I hear IS is awesome and would love to see the images you get with the long zoom and IS (I have the non-IS version of that lens).

This forum is fantastic and I never stop learning. Yesterday, I got a lesson on EOS flash photography after I thought my XTI was on the blink. You have the advantage of reading up on lenses and other starter equipment before you gear arrives so you can always make a change if need be.

I have the XTi as well and absolutely love it. It's the most feature packed SLR I've ever owned in nearly 25 yrs and I can't image outgrowing it anytime soon. The only piece of equipment that I would absolutely recommend is the grip. Canon makes one and Opteka/Targus makes one for a lot less. It dramatically changes the feel of the body and well worth the extra few bucks.

Alex

I think you did well. Go and sleep easy and shoot as much as you can. I would suggest a good tripod and ball head and a good flash (430EX as a minimum). Also read up as much as you can about light. Here are a couple of good tutorials:

http://www.abetterboun​cecard.com/

http://super.nova.org/​DPR/Canon/

http://super.nova.org/​DPR/

Good luck and welcome to the forum.

Regards,
Gideon

You've got nothing to worry about...wish my original kit was that good.