Newbie here trying to put together first system. Suggestions please!

Hi All,

My name is Joe and I have been interested in entering the world of photography for a bit of time now. The past couple of months I have been doing some light research to figure out if this is really a bullet I want to bite, and then to figure out what equipment I would like to start with. I think I have answered my first question. Yes I am going to bite the bullet. Now the next part of my research is where I need some help. (Don't we all as noobs)

I don't want to spend an arm and a leg, but I also know that is probably not a realistic outlook. 4 years ago when I began to enter the world of amateur audience recording of "open taping" concerts, I had intentions to keep the budget small. Less than three months after I started I had already sunk about $4000 into the hobby and blew WAY past my budget. So here I know that where I start there will be much more spending soon, if I do in fact enjoy the hobby of photography. All this being said I would like to start out around $1000. (Of course knowing I will build from there)

Here are my needs;

Travel- I really regret coming home from wonderful vacations and having far fewer pictures than I would have liked, and very low quality pictures. 2 years ago I went to Peru and really wish I had had a great camera (and some decent skills to match). I have a trip to Costa Rica coming up in September and that is really pushing me towards taking the plunge into photography.

Regular family/work photos- I figure almost anything I purchase will be sufficient for that type of photography.

Concerts- As mentioned above I do audience recording or taping (ironic because I have never used tape, and have always used a hard drive or CF format recorder). So I tend to go to a lot of concerts. I can never get decent pictures in a low light concert setting with cheap digital cameras. I would love to archive photo to go along with my audio, and to archive photo when audio is not permitted by the artist or venue.

So those are my needs and a bit of background information. My thoughts so far for an entry system is the EOS Rebel XS with the cheap kit zoom lens and a normal EF 50mm f/1.4 USM Autofocus lens.

One of my main questions is about the lens. I know I want to start with a fixed focal length VERY fast lens so that I can capture those concert photos with decent quality. (I know that at first all of my photos will be crap, but you know what I mean) Does that lens I mentioned above have Image Stabilization? I see no IS so I assume that it doesn't. If it has no IS then how important is the Ultra Sonic Motor? Can I get away with using one of the cheap 50mm f/1.8 lenses without USM for the concert environments? If so then maybe I will buy the new X1T. The video aspect is very enticing. I don't believe that any of the lower end models by Cannon have video, is that correct? I don't feel a need to go above 10mp, but as mentioned that video is calling me a bit. Just for short clips and such while on vacation or when the dog is doing something stupid. That also though would seem counter productive because I know I should be spending more on the lenses than on the body.

So based on the information I have provided, what would be some suggestions/feedback you all could provide?

Thanks so much!

Joe

bdifr78 wrote in post #8201558
Hi All,

My name is Joe and I have been interested in entering the world of photography for a bit of time now. The past couple of months I have been doing some light research to figure out if this is really a bullet I want to bite, and then to figure out what equipment I would like to start with. I think I have answered my first question. Yes I am going to bite the bullet. Now the next part of my research is where I need some help. (Don't we all as noobs)

I don't want to spend an arm and a leg, but I also know that is probably not a realistic outlook. 4 years ago when I began to enter the world of amateur audience recording of "open taping" concerts, I had intentions to keep the budget small. Less than three months after I started I had already sunk about $4000 into the hobby and blew WAY past my budget. So here I know that where I start there will be much more spending soon, if I do in fact enjoy the hobby of photography. All this being said I would like to start out around $1000. (Of course knowing I will build from there)

Here are my needs;

Travel- I really regret coming home from wonderful vacations and having far fewer pictures than I would have liked, and very low quality pictures. 2 years ago I went to Peru and really wish I had had a great camera (and some decent skills to match). I have a trip to Costa Rica coming up in September and that is really pushing me towards taking the plunge into photography.

Regular family/work photos- I figure almost anything I purchase will be sufficient for that type of photography.

Concerts- As mentioned above I do audience recording or taping (ironic because I have never used tape, and have always used a hard drive or CF format recorder). So I tend to go to a lot of concerts. I can never get decent pictures in a low light concert setting with cheap digital cameras. I would love to archive photo to go along with my audio, and to archive photo when audio is not permitted by the artist or venue.

So those are my needs and a bit of background information. My thoughts so far for an entry system is the EOS Rebel XS with the cheap kit zoom lens and a normal EF 50mm f/1.4 USM Autofocus lens.

One of my main questions is about the lens. I know I want to start with a fixed focal length VERY fast lens so that I can capture those concert photos with decent quality. (I know that at first all of my photos will be crap, but you know what I mean) Does that lens I mentioned above have Image Stabilization? I see no IS so I assume that it doesn't. If it has no IS then how important is the Ultra Sonic Motor? Can I get away with using one of the cheap 50mm f/1.8 lenses without USM for the concert environments? If so then maybe I will buy the new X1T. The video aspect is very enticing. I don't believe that any of the lower end models by Cannon have video, is that correct? I don't feel a need to go above 10mp, but as mentioned that video is calling me a bit. Just for short clips and such while on vacation or when the dog is doing something stupid. That also though would seem counter productive because I know I should be spending more on the lenses than on the body.

So based on the information I have provided, what would be some suggestions/feedback you all could provide?

Thanks so much!

Joe

Wow. You sound like you know a lot more than most beginners (and even some amatures! ) That Canon 50mm f/1.4 has USM. That is the type of focusing motor is has and that will determine how fast/ accurate it will focus. But that has Micro-USM as opposed to Ring-USM. Micro-USM isn't that good of a focus motor. I don't mean to confuse you. But you should probably buy the Sigma 50 1.4 instead because even though it is a third party lens it has the equivalent of the Ring-USM (the good kind). In my opinion, that is the better lens. And I say don't go for the new Canon T1i. The video is just a gimmick in my opinion.

Thanks!

So how important is the USM in overall picture quality? Does it affect the picture at all, or just the ease with which you can manually focus? Will the f/1.4 make a huge difference over an f/1.8?

The only negative for the Siggy 50 EX is the AF motor they use is slower than the Canon 50 1.4. The image quality is better, but the focus speed and accuracy can be a bit off on occasion. There aer some reports that the focus can be very far off. I had one of those and returned for a replacement. Luckily the replacement was spot on. Knowing what I know now, however, I probably would have saved me the hassle of a return tho and sent it to Sigma to get the focus fixed. If you're going to do a lot of fast-moving action, you may be better off with the Canon 50 1.4. However, if you have the time to learn the 50 EX, then it can be very rewarding.

Thanks guys!

Does anyone have an opinion on my last question?

Another question: I thought I remember reading somewhere that for the medium format dslr a camera with 15mp can have a lower quality image than say a 10mp because it is forced to stuff more pixels onto a smallish sensor, therefore introducing more noise. Is this correct? Would it benefit me to stay away from a 15mp with this level of camera?

Thanks again

Definitely do consider the new T1i. It is lightweight and the video is excellent. Image quality is superb and so far this has been a wonderful camera for a newbie like me to learn on. The 18-55 IS kit lens that comes with it is not bad at all and a good place to start...

I would get a Rebel body or a 40D and the EF-S 18-55 IS lens to start and not buy any primes. Play with the 18-55 for about a week before you decide what prime to get. Not having the prime for a week or so will make less of a difference to you than getting the wrong focal length.

I recommend this because it's important with primes to get the focal length you really need.
Some good options in primes outside of the 50mm lenses you are thinking of:
Canon28/1.8
Sigma 30/1.4
Canon 85/1.8

As for the 50mm primes, I prefer the 50/1.4 to the 50/1.8 a lot primarily because the cheap 50/1.8 that I once had was very inconsistent in focus accuracy and I would get a lot of near misses at fast apertures.

I say you shop around for the cheapest XSI kit and add the canon 55-250 IS and the 50 f1.8 II... That way you have all your bases covered on vacations, low light shots or whatever events arise... That way you also get a first hand feel for what range/lens you use the most and where to invest the extra $$ in the future to upgrade...

JeffreyG wrote in post #8211317
I would get a Rebel body or a 40D and the EF-S 18-55 IS lens to start and not buy any primes. Play with the 18-55 for about a week before you decide what prime to get. Not having the prime for a week or so will make less of a difference to you than getting the wrong focal length.

I agree with the above. The 40D would be a better choice than any of the Rebel family, primarily due to the available controls and a better viewfinder system.

Manual exposure control is far easier with the xxD series than the Rebel series.

The Rebel series use a pentamirror in the viewfinder system, while the xxD series use a true pentaprism. That gives you a better quality and slightly brighter image in the viewfinder.

You'll benefit greatly by having a lens like the EF-S 18-55 IS, even if you want to get one or more fast primes for low-light work. In addition to letting you see how various focal lengths work for you, the standard zoom lens will give you the ability to do things that a single prime lens would not. It is quite likely that you will want to use the camera in other situations than just concerts, and you'd appreciate the versatility.

Austin.Manny wrote in post #8201612
Wow. You sound like you know a lot more than most beginners (and even some amatures! ) That Canon 50mm f/1.4 has USM. That is the type of focusing motor is has and that will determine how fast/ accurate it will focus. But that has Micro-USM as opposed to Ring-USM. Micro-USM isn't that good of a focus motor. I don't mean to confuse you. But you should probably buy the Sigma 50 1.4 instead because even though it is a third party lens it has the equivalent of the Ring-USM (the good kind). In my opinion, that is the better lens. And I say don't go for the new Canon T1i. The video is just a gimmick in my opinion.

lol the video feature is there, it's built into the camera. i don't understand how it could be a gimmick, especially in your opinion.

If one of your main uses for the camera will be to shoot concerts in low light then the 50mm f/1.4 is a good choice. I have one, and it's a good lens, but don't expect tack sharp wide open. Also, since I don't shoot low light and have some good zooms I really have never used the lens that much ... so for me it's been a poor "value", but given what you shoot and your budget it may be a perfect fit for you.

As for camera bodies I'd personally go with a 40D over any of the Rebel line because I prefer the feel of the XXD camera body along with the control layout. Lots are completely happy with the Rebels, so the best thing to do is try them out at a good camera shop and see what you like.

My suggestion is to spend the largest percentage of your money on good glass. Lenses are an investment and will be the foundation that your photography will be built on for years to come. New camera bodies come out every year but good glass will last you for years if cared for properly.

Also don't be afraid to buy used or refurbished. Of everything in my sig the only things that I bought new was the 100 F2. Everything else was either used or a refurb.

Michael

Okay so someone in my local area is selling a 60D for $300! I know that it is probably a very old camera, but doesn't that seem like a good price? Should I be jumping on this NOW!

Thanks for the last few comments! Very informative!

bdifr78 wrote in post #8212922
Okay so someone in my local area is selling a 60D for $300! I know that it is probably a very old camera, but doesn't that seem like a good price? Should I be jumping on this NOW!

Thanks for the last few comments! Very informative!

lol d60 for $300? i would say no. that's a pretty old camera technologically-speaking. it really seems like you need a 5D Mark II for what you're doing for the low-light awesomeness and great video...alas it's way out of your budget. don't believe the people that say the video is a gimmick, it's actually really useful and looks amazing.

bdifr78 wrote in post #8212922
Okay so someone in my local area is selling a 60D for $300! I know that it is probably a very old camera, but doesn't that seem like a good price? Should I be jumping on this NOW!

Thanks for the last few comments! Very informative!

a canon d60, or nikon?