 Eva M. Loretta |
What Else to Buy for a Beginner I will be purchasing my first SLR camera this spring (Canon T2). I'd like to know what else I should buy to enhance photos or make it easier to shoot pictures. This is a new hobby of mine and am looking forward to learning as much as I can. We have a trip planned for the Caribbean and would love to bring home some lovely photos. Any other advice or opinions are appreciated. Also ... if someone has a 28-80mm lens, why do I see questions if someone should buy a 50mm lens? Thanks for any input!!
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- Gregory LaGrange Contact Gregory LaGrange Gregory LaGrange's Gallery |
Flash and maybe a tripod if you want to get pictures of yourself or sunsets while you're down there. There's no real need to go much farther than that. A 50mm is a good start, because: 1) A fixed focal length makes you get more involved in getting the picture you want. It's easy to get locked in to being too shy about moving closer, changing positions and being seen taking a picture. 2) A focal length of 50mm is close to the perspective of how your eyes see things. So it helps to learn when what you first see is close to what the picture comes out as. 3) They are usually clear and sharp for optics, and their biggest aperture is very wide for low light stuff. 4) Price ... usually very inexpensive, but still high-quality. Since you already have a 28-80, there's no point in getting a 50mm. I think a 50mm is the most underrated for portraits. Most are locked into the small telephoto for portraits, but a 50mm feels more intimate and has more flavor.
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Eva M. Loretta |
Thank you for your quick response!! The info is very helpful. Of course, I now have an additional question ... Since I'm new to this ... what type flash would I need (reasonably priced?) and when would I use it most?? Would I use it on the beach to avoid silhouettes? Or pictures in the evening? Thanks Again!!
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- Gregory LaGrange Contact Gregory LaGrange Gregory LaGrange's Gallery |
Use a flash anytime it's too dark to shoot without blurring the picture. There are ways to use flash on the beach if it's needed as a fill light, but you can also adjust your exposure for that. The built-in flash isn't very strong and is only good for a few feet away. For one that fits in the hot shoe, one of Canon's speedlites, Sunpak, Metz. Read your manual whenever you get your camera. A lot of basic picture-taking is explained in that.
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Eva M. Loretta |
Thank you, Gregory, for all your feedback!!
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Amanda E. Radovic |
Yep - the 50mm lens is pretty inexpensive and a fabulous sharp optical lens. I use mine about 85 percent of the time, and I am a portrait photographer. I find the clarity of the 50mm is far superior to the zoom lenses, and there is a huge difference between my 50mm standard and a photo taken at the 50mm focal length of a 28-80mmm - huge difference. It also allows you to open up to a nice fast aperture making low light photography without a flash possible and you don't get the flattening effect of a tele lens. It also allows you to shoot handheld at 1/45th without camera shake as long as you are pretty steady yourself. You'll also find you'll take your pics from a more creative perspective as you discover different angles as you "move in and out" for the shot. When you zoom in and out with a zoom lens you'll miss a lot of possibilities. I also find that my subjects seem a lot less intimidated by the small lightweight 50mm than a huge pro-looking zoom!! To see some examples of the standard lens, see my Web site: Most of the shots are taken with a standard lens that should give you an idea of its versatility. www.amandasphotos.com Tripod - necessary for your trip to the Caribbean if you plan on getting some nice landscapes. It will allow you to get sharp pics all through the picture and to get those horizons nice and level before you shoot too! Hope this helps a little.
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Christopher R. Marshall |
I have zooms and primes from 12mm to 300mm. My 50mm is my second-most-used lens, after my mid-range zoom. It is fast and sharp. I have used it enough that I know how the picture will be framed before I lift the camera to my eye. On the other hand, you might want a wide-angle for scenic shots or a longer telephoto for nature shots. Get the camera well in advance of the trip, and pay attention to which end of the zoom range you consistently bump into. (I would think about a wide angle first. You can crop to get a narrower angle of view, but you can't crop wider.)
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- Jane Timmerman Contact Jane Timmerman Jane Timmerman's Gallery |
ABSOLUTELY get a good polarizing filter for better colors, skies.
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Kip T. Berger |
Not a necessity, but a convenience ... buy a backpack camera bag. Makes looking for photo opportunities easier when out for extended lengths of time while still retaining much of the needed gear you'll want to transport with you. Also it is harder to be ripped off by a thief. Hope you have a great time!
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Chad E. Lue Choy |
I live in Trinidad in the Caribbean. A lens hood helps with flare. Enjoy the people and culture!
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Scott Pedersen |
If you go with answer 8 or just use a daypack in general heres some advice. Put a small luggage lock on your backpack. Actually you can buy kind of like a mesh thing so people cant cut through your pack. I just did a search and can't find it now for you. But I was in a city a couple of years ago around christmas time and was carying a daypack and thought of this so I took my wallet out and hid it and took my camera and hung it around my neck so it was just my hat and gloves left. Went to get my gloves and sure enought my pack was zipped open halfway. They didnt get anything cause I didn't have anything in there. I can remeber a guy directly behind me at one point before that and he snorted when I turned. So..things will happen and camera equiptment is costly, be carefull.
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Carl Schulz |
Good film is a must. I took Kodak Porta 160 Color print film to cancun a year ago and got awesome results. Agfa and Kodak slide film also are excelent.
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Eva M. Loretta |
Thanks Carl for the suggestion re:type of film. Can you buy that type of film anywhere or is it typically sold at the Camera shops? Also, can I use that film for "any type" of picture or is it specifically used for still shots or beach photos??Thanks again for any input!
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