I am new to DSLR photography & want to take photos of landscapes (as we do a fair amount of travelling), portraits & close up (macro).
We are considering the following:
Canon EOS 60D
Canon 18-55 II and 55-250mm IS Lens
Canon EF 100mm f2.8L Macro IS USM Lens
Canon Speedlite 430EX II
That uses up my bydget for the moment. I am hoping to use the f2.8 lens for portraits & macro work & from what I have read this seems possible.
Any comments on this kit for a newcomer would be appreciated. Thank you.
Leszi, welcome.
Questions like yours are often asked - so you will likely get many opinions.
I would suggest that you consider the sensor as identical an all the following T2i(550d), T3i(600d), 60D, 7D, (the T4i has a small updated for the video folks). Not being a 60d experienced perhaps someone can provide an thoughtful comparison of the feature upgrade for your topics of interest between the T2i/T3i and the 60d. For Macro work the tilt screen is indeed handy and it is on T3i/T4i and 60d.
I think most folks would confirm - it is more about the glass than the body, particularly when you have selected the sensor version. The "regular" canon macro from all accounts really is very nice.
Lens selection - many people, including myself, have walked through the 18-55/55-250 to either the 15-85/17-55 on the short end and the 70-300 "or L better" on the long end. The 18-200 should also be considered, I found that the break point at 55 mm was very inconvenient. The 15-85 has some macro capability.
As for the speedlite - consider a YN 565 - with T3i/60d/T4i/ you can use it as a slave as the pop up flash serves as the master and there is a lot of lighting options available to you. Very powerful and feature rich flash for less/same as the canon.
Welcome to the amazing world of digital photo - the most important thing is to enjoy it.
Mike
If you see me with a wrench, call 911
Looks like you have made some nice choices. The 60 D, The 100 2.8L Macro and 430 EXII are all solid choices and make for a very respectable kit. Like Mike said, I would question the 18-55 and the 55-250 neither of which are on the "highly respected list" by most and I think you would find a great deal of disappointment with these lenses as many of us have had. The 15-85, though a little more pricey than the other two combined, would certainly be a nice and very flexible addition to your kit as would the 17-55 f2.8. Again, price would probably be the determining factor. One other walk around lens you may consider if neither of these are in your price range is the 28-135. This lens is very respectable, has Image stabilization, has a very useful focal range and yields an image quality much better than either the 18-55 or the 55-250. Best of all, you can get the 28-135 for about the same price of the other two lenses combined. I personally have this lens and love it.Originally Posted by Leszi
As far as the Flash---Your choice is solid, but Mike is correct in that the Yognuo is feature rich and is about a third of the price of the Canon, However, I can't speak on the quality, life longevity or durability. I can tell you that I own 4 Canon 430-exIIs and one 580 exII and love them---Durable, lots of features and they just work well. Since you have already budgeted the 430 exII, I would stick with it. If in the future you decide you need another flash with "Master" capabilities, then you can step up to the 580 or 600 canon flash.
The only other suggestion I have is consider a reasonably priced tripod, this will do wonders for your photography.
Finally, don't forget to save room in the budget for memory cards, batteries, cases etc.
Good luck, welcome aboard, and don't forget to lets us know what you decided upon and certainly sharing your work.
Bob
Last edited by bob williams; 07-29-2012 at 02:40 PM.
Bob
Agree with what has been posted so far, particularly regarding the 18-55 and 55-250. In all honestly they aren't the greatest but may serve you well while you're learning. I dare say you'd be looking to upgrade as you learn some of those lens' limitations so it may be worth spending a little extra from the start.
I used the 28-135mm when I first kicked off and it served me very well for a while. It's not exactly new but it has pretty good IQ, image stabilisation and a useful focal length range.
In terms of the Yongnuo speedlites, I've used a YN465 (along with my 430 ex II and 580 ex II's) for a number of years now and have had no issues with its reliability. That's where you can save a bit to spend a little more on lenses and still try to stay within your budget.
Cheers,
Ben
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ben_taylor_au/ www.methodicallymuddled.wordpress.com
Canon 5D Mark III | Canon 5D Mark II | Samyang 14mm f/2.8 | Canon 35mm f/1.4L USM | Sigma 85mm f/1.4 EX DG HSM |Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II |Canon 2 x Teleconverter III | Canon 580 EX II Speedlite | Really Right Stuff TVC 34L | Really Right Stuff BH55 LR | Gorillapod Focus | Really Right Stuff BH 30
Thanks Busted Knuckles for the heads up on the YN565.
I query if the YN565 is the same as YN 565-EX?
In the specs for the YN565EX it shows as follows:
Suitable Camera and Flashes in Wireless TTL Slave mode:
Camera: Canon 7D, 60D, 600D
Flash: Canon 580EX II, Nikon Nikon SB-900, SB-800, SB-700
Suitable Camera in TTL function:
Canon 5D II 30D 40D 50D 350D 400D 450D 500D 550D 600D 1000D 1100D
Canon Rebel XS XSi XTi T1i T2i T3
Does this mean that the 60D will trigger the 565EX (when used as an off camera flash) & that the 565EX will also operate as a Speedlite type flash on the camera? I am aware that 565EX does not provide all the same features as the speedlites.
Any clarification would be appreciated. Thanks
First off, I agree with the above sentiments and that the 18-55 II and the 55-250 are the weaker links in the kit. But, I know people with these lenses that are very happy. Photography is something that is very easy to spend a lot of money on. There is always something more and better for more money. So, what you have outlined, to me, is a pretty good starters kit. It should be significantly better than a point and shoot (especially in areas such as shutter lag). Part of your decision should be how far into photography you want to go. As I said, I know several people that take 1,000s of photos of their kids with rebels and the 18-55 ii. I've seen some great shots (the photographer is an important part of the equation).
But, in looking at the kit, I would debate between the 60D vs the T4i vs a used body (50D or 7D). I would also be tempted to start of using the pop-up flash (or go with a much cheaper flash). With any money saved I would be tempted to buy one of the following the 15-85 (which I own and recommend), the 40 mm f/2.8 pancake, the 85 mm f/1.8 (probably too close to the 100 mm macro, but this is a highly regarded lens that is considered a very good "bang for your buck"), or maybe the 50 mm f/1.8 II (again own, takes excellent pics, but the AF drives me nuts, today I'd probably buy the pancake). If you can spend even more, you can get into the 15-85 vs 17-55 debate (value of focal length range vs aperture).
It depends on what you want to shoot, how much you truly want to spend, how far into photography you want to go, etc. A couple of other tips, buy a good book such as "Understanding Exposure" by Bryan Peterson. Think about UV-filters for the front end of your lenses. This is more for protection than anything else, but be sure to buy good ones as lower end filters can degrade the image quality (most here use B+W or high end hoya).
With that, good luck and keep us posted.
Great post from Kayaker. Covers my thoughts quite nicely without me having to put any effort in.
you found it.
Being an old crusty guy just returning from 1980 film days I am just amazed at the power & flexibility of the modern camera bodies and flash units. I bought a T3i about a year ago, have 11,000 clicks on it and use perhaps 50% of its capability, it can be very overwhelming at times. I recently inventoried the functions and figured it contained about 50% of my old gadget bag is within the camera itself (particularly if you add the Magic Lantern "extra software). Stay focused (pun intended) on what you want to have as images and purposes.
FYI 11,000 pix is 305 rolls of 36 exposure film. I can't imagine what processing would have been. So whenever you get, whatever you choose - play, play play, practice, practice, practice - it is darn nearly free.
If you see me with a wrench, call 911
Great info as always
Looking to buy a flash unit myself for my D650.
After reading a lot about the choices I'm going to buy me a Nissin Di866 Mark II (Euro 209) as it's only 30 Euros more expensive then the Yongnuo YN565 (Euro 179) and it has more features, is more powerful and is more rugged.
This is a great source when looking for a flash unit.
http://speedlights.net/flash-for-canon-ettl-speedlites/
All the best.
that is indeed a great speedlite
Great info as always
Looking to buy a flash unit myself for my D650.
After reading a lot about the choices I'm going to buy me a Nissin Di866 Mark II (Euro 209) as it's only 30 Euros more expensive then the Yongnuo YN565 (Euro 179) and it has more features, is more powerful and is more rugged.
This is a great source when looking for a flash unit.
http://speedlights.net/flash-for-canon-ettl-speedlites/
All the best.
If you see me with a wrench, call 911
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