 Stuart U |
Equipment priorities So I have booked a vacation to the Canary Islands, and I am looking forward to taking loads of pictures. I have some basics, but what should I get on my limited budget of ~$300. As it stands right now, I have a Digital Rebel XT with two lenses - the "kit" lens and a 75-300 IS. I also have a 1 Gig CF card, and that is about it. Things I don't have are the following: camera case (I have been wrapping my camera and lenses in a towel and placing them in an ordinaary backpack), tripod, more storage (I am gone for 12 days and only a Gig of storage), filters (UV, Polarizer, etc.) and close-up equipment (diopters, macro lens, extension tube). What should I get? I think that a mass storage device like the SmartDisk thingy ($150 at B&H Photo) is a given. I also think that I need a bag that I can use hiking. Canon makes an inexpensive bag that fits the budget ($40 or so). If I am going to do mainly some landscape and flower stuff while hiking, can I get away without a tripod for this trip. I am so confused about these little things that I don't know what to do. One thing I have learned is that having bad equipment can be worse than not having any equipment. That being said, does anyone have suggestions about what I should get? Are my priorities in the right place (storage, then bag, then, filters, then the rest)? Thanks for any help! Stuart
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Kerry L. Walker |
I would go first for the storage. You're gonna need it badly! Actually, I think your bag situation is fine now. You could get some foam padding to use instead of the towels but I think a regular backpack would be OK. As far as filters, I would get a polarizer and a grad ND. The ND would be really useful for landscape photos. I would really suggest getting a tripod. You could use it more than you think, especially for macro shots. Come to think of it, if the Canon bag has a strap to hold the tripod, I would get the bag. If it doesn't, check out the Lowepro bags. the Mini-Trecker will hold a lot of equipment. I have mine loaded with a Pentax 645N, one extra lens, two extra film backs, 2 flashes, flash bracket, 2 flash cords(takes up one compartment), filters, film, etc. (OK, the film is in the freezer now but it will go in the bag when I go to work.) It's not a lot more expensive than the Canon bag.
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Christopher A. Vedros |
Stuart, I agree with Kerry, you should get more storage first. You don't need to get to the most expensive high-speed memory cards out there. Look at the sale ads from Best Buy, Circuit City, etc. and get a couple more cheap 1GB cards. You won't regret it. Sunpak makes a nice travel tripod called the Compact DXL. It collapses to about 14 inches long, and is very light. I bought one when I went on a trip to Washington DC, because my other tripod was fairly heavy. I checked B+H, and they are out of stock right now, but you should be able to find it somewhere else. I got mine there for about $24. Have fun! Chris
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Stuart U |
Thank you both so very much for your response. Since you both mentioned needing more storage, have you ever seen or used the FotoChute by SmartDisk? It is a 20 Gig flashdrive for cameras that sells for $150 on B&H Photo. It seems to be a great deal less expensive than multiple cards. http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=393939&is=REG&addedTroughType=categoryNavigation On the tripod, Chris. What makes a bad tripod bad and a good tripod good? I know this is a common question in the forums, but I have not heard anything (good or bad) about the tripod you talked about. If I can go look at one locally, what should I be looking for and what should I be looking to avoid. Thanks,
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Kerry L. Walker |
All the storage I need is a case big enough for all the film I carry. LOL (If you were a film shooter I would have said to take more film than you think you will need.)
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BetterPhoto Member |
In order. Bag. Tripod. Batteries and charger. Spare Card. Polarizer.
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