[The Gooner]

Well after all the advice received from here and advice found on here, I have purchased my first SLR camera,
It was a choice between the Canon EOS 450 and the Nikon D60.
After alot of confusion and frustration from the wife and standing in shops I decided on the Canon, for no other reason than it felt better to hold and operate. I have read through hundreds of posts reviews and studdied shots from each camera to come up with, I cant really se any difference and the diff in specs was probably not worth worrying about for me as it is all new.

So went to Jessops as they seemed to be offering best deals and ended up with
Canon EOS 450 + 18-55 kit lense
2 x 2GB cards
A camera Bag
Tamron 70-300 lense
Jessops 2x converter
All for including the £50 off £590

Quite pleased, took about 100 shots today, mainly trying diff settings so most have been binned but very pleased with first impressions.

[lurcher]

Well done , its great spending isn"t it , I never take the wife with me in fact she doesn"t know that I have just bought 3 lens this week ( wait till packages arrive 2mos tho )
I am doing a similar thing to you with my Sony A200 , trying out different apertures etc and seeing how they affect exposure etc.
Dont expect too much from that 2x convertor with a 300mm lens though but enjoy the experience.

[The Gooner]

Thanks for that,
It is great to spend lol, Hope you are getting on great with yours.

Im also wanting a general purpose lense something like a 25-135 lense for going away with. Something that will give me a bit of freedom without taking everything with me.
Will the converter be useless with the 70-300? or just at the higher range?

Im also looking at macro stuff as well, but might have to wait a bit before I start spending again.

[lurcher]

I think convertors are useful at the longer end of the zoom 2/300mm and work best with fast lens ie apertures such as 2.8 which then becomes 5.6 when used with a convertor.
So not saying yours will be useless but guess you will need plenty of available light at the long end if no fast aperture available.
More experienced people than me will perhaps give a better explanation.

[The Gooner]

Thanks for that explanation, the lense is a tamron 70-300 f4-5.6 so by what you are saying this is probably going to be hard to use unless its very sunny at long range.

Im new to all this and thought the converter would be a good idea, ie cheaper than buying expensive huge lenses. I figured I would loose a bit of quality by using it.

Any help advise on how to get the best out of the kit is much appreciated this is my first SLR something ive always wanted to get into.

[CallMeSteve]

Hi, I've just bought a 450D too and want to get the best out of it. Apart from the kit lens, what other lens is a "must have"? Also, I've read that a UV filter is essential. What do others think?

PS: Sorry to hijack your thread The Gooner

[The Gooner]

Originally Posted by CallMeSteve

Hi, I've just bought a 450D too and want to get the best out of it. Apart from the kit lens, what other lens is a "must have"? Also, I've read that a UV filter is essential. What do others think?

PS: Sorry to hijack your thread The Gooner

no probs any info given is greatly appreciated. Lense wise Im looking at 28-135 ish for general stuff, ie when carrying a few lenses isnt ideal, is this a good idea?

[FrankfurtDave]

Plenty of us in the nw boat of dSLR's then. I picked up my 450 about a month ago now.

Spent the first two weeks just using the Kit Lens and trying to learn as much as possible. From there I started to realize what I felt I was missing out on lens wise.

First off was that I wanted a little more distance and so picked up a Sigma 70-200 2.8 which I love for the wildlife and sports (but now want longer so thinking about adding a Teleconverter as well).

Then I wanted to try a little Macro work and so picked up a Tamron 90mm.

Seems like there is plenty of discussions around about the best "Walkabout" lens and depends who you talk to. From my reading the Canon 28-135 and the Canon 22-105 (low range might be wrong) get good reviews.

I think what is important first is to think about what you want to capture most often and then decide a little from there. I like landscapes more than cityscapes so I think a decent wide angle would be next for me (Canon 10-22 maybe). I am wary though that I am falling into the trap of buying too much before I have really learnt enough to judge what I need.

[The Gooner]

I purchased a tele converter with the 450 but havnt used it yet (only had camera a few days)
It is hard to decide on lenses, I have the kit lense and a tamron 70-300,
I would like a more universal lense for walkarounds to give flexibilty.
I would also like a prime 50mm lense for indoor/ portrait shots

The trouble is Im new to SLR and dont really know much about what im doing other than what I have read here and other sites. it is a bit of guessing game at the minute but hope to produce some qaulity shots in time.

[CallMeSteve]

Have a read here, I'm in the same position

[The Gooner]

Originally Posted by CallMeSteve

Have a read here, I'm in the same position

Thanks for this most helpful

Originally Posted by The Gooner

Well after all the advice received from here and advice found on here, I have purchased my first SLR camera,
It was a choice between the Canon EOS 450 and the Nikon D60.
After alot of confusion and frustration from the wife and standing in shops I decided on the Canon, for no other reason than it felt better to hold and operate. I have read through hundreds of posts reviews and studdied shots from each camera to come up with, I cant really se any difference and the diff in specs was probably not worth worrying about for me as it is all new.

So went to Jessops as they seemed to be offering best deals and ended up with
Canon EOS 450 + 18-55 kit lense
2 x 2GB cards
A camera Bag
Tamron 70-300 lense
Canon 2x converter
All for including the £50 off £590

Quite pleased, took about 100 shots today, mainly trying diff settings so most have been binned but very pleased with first impressions.

how you getting on with the canon Canon EOS 450 mate

[denno75uk]

Originally Posted by FrankfurtDave

First off was that I wanted a little more distance and so picked up a Sigma 70-200 2.8 which I love for the wildlife and sports (but now want longer so thinking about adding a Teleconverter as well)..

Nice choice. I know Holo just picked up a TC for his and I'm probs getting one as soon as funds allow. Seems sensible.

Originally Posted by FrankfurtDave

Seems like there is plenty of discussions around about the best "Walkabout" lens and depends who you talk to. From my reading the Canon 28-135 and the Canon 22-105 (low range might be wrong) get good reviews.

If you mean the 28-105, as in my sig, I can confirm it's a very nice lens indeed. A really decent allrounder. Can be a bit long at the wide end on a crop sensor which is why I also got the Tamron 17-50 (that and the f2.8). But if I want to 'travel light' and go out with just the one lens it works really well. I got mine about four years ago, 2nd hand from Jacobs and it only cost me £90. And it's the USM II version. Though from what I've read there's little difference. If I could justify the expense I'd go for the 28-135 though. More reach, IS and apparently optically the same as the 28-105.

[The Gooner]

Originally Posted by mart62

how you getting on with the canon Canon EOS 450 mate

Hi very good, due to work and rainy days I havnt much chance to go out with it, I have mainly been shooting at home of the kids and playing with settings. It is a nice camera and pleased I went for a DSLR.

I just need to learn how to use it now, ie when and how to change ISO, exposure ect to get the right shot, I am new to SLR having only owned p&s before.

The lense decision is very confusing, due to fund availability it is hard to make the right choice for what I need now, I am going on holiday soon and want a general lense (off to disney so dont want to carry loads of lenses) I was thinking of a 28-135 and take TC with me, but not sure how the 2 will work together or will the lense be suffice on its own.

I have just purchased a spare battery of ebay for £4.49 + £1.99 P&P so cant complain there.

all tips and hints are welcome

[The Gooner]

at the minute I havnt got any filters ect, do I need to use them, if so which ones and how do they help in the photo.
Newb question I know sorry

[RandomLee]

I'm currently doing my research before buying a DSLR and from the (limited) reading I've done so far on filters it would seem a UV filter is a good place to start. In addition to filtering out haze on sunny days they are also colour neutral so can be left on the lens as protection. It also seems that the better your lens, the better quality of filter you should have on it. Some of the resident experts will be able to provide you with more info / suggestions, but in the mean time here's some reading for you:

http://www.parkcameras.com/article/mcs/art/54

http://www.tiffen.com/camera_filters.htm

[denno75uk]

Assuming you'll get some nice Florida/California/Paris sunshine, a circular polarizing filter may be worth a punt. Helps bring out nice blue skies and colours in general.
As for the lens, depends if you want to invest that much at this stage. I don't think the 28-135 would be a bad investment, but your 18-55 IS may give just as good results and you may benefit more from its wider angle more than long focal length. As an alternative, why not the Sigma 18-125 OS HSM? Though I can't find any reviews so far, the non OS one got good ones and this one now has a better AF motor. As I said, the 28-105 works for me because I accept the FL compromise from my 17-50 and 70-200. If you're intent on only taking one lens on holiday, you don't want to miss out on shots and missing the wide end may be a gamble too far.
One question. Have you tried the TC on the Tamron yet? Does it still auto focus at 300mm?

[The Gooner]

Originally Posted by denno75uk

Assuming you'll get some nice Florida/California/Paris sunshine, a circular polarizing filter may be worth a punt. Helps bring out nice blue skies and colours in general.
As for the lens, depends if you want to invest that much at this stage. I don't think the 28-135 would be a bad investment, but your 18-55 IS may give just as good results and you may benefit more from its wider angle more than long focal length. As an alternative, why not the Sigma 18-125 OS HSM? Though I can't find any reviews so far, the non OS one got good ones and this one now has a better AF motor. As I said, the 28-105 works for me because I accept the FL compromise from my 17-50 and 70-200. If you're intent on only taking one lens on holiday, you don't want to miss out on shots and missing the wide end may be a gamble too far.
One question. Have you tried the TC on the Tamron yet? Does it still auto focus at 300mm?

Hi denno75uk, I have just been trying the TC today in the garden, getting impatient for decent weather and chance to go out, it will auto zoom upto about 200 (400 with TC) after that MF is required, although I am wondering if in better light it will AF upto 300 (600 with the TC) it is my understanding that the the lense is F5.6 at 300 so with the TC on does this make it F11.2.

I have also tried a macro shot with the TC on as well, surprising results although the photo is by no means to the quality I see on here

I need to learn about exp and ISO and how to get the best of the shot.
One thing though the TC dosnt fit the kit lense due to the kit lense having a extra depth were it mounts.

Thanks for the advice on the filter, it is florida we are going to so hopefully there will be of plenty of blue skys. I will get a Polarizing filter,

Regarding the lense I will look at the sigma you suggested 18-125. my intention was to use the TC as well so if I can get something as a good all rounder and use the TC if needed for extra focal, would this work?

[denno75uk]

You're right about the aperture of the Tamron at 300/600 to an extent, it will be f11 because a X2 TC reduces the maximum aperture by 2 full f stops(f5.6-f8-f11), it's not simply a case of multiplying the max aperture by 2. A X1.4 reduces it by 1 full f stop. I don't think brighter light will make a difference as my understanding was that the camera will not AF with a max aperture greater than f5.6. A 1D will AF at a max aperture of f8. To be clear, this isn't the same as selecting an aperture of eg f11 on any given lens, as to AF a lens will be used at it's maximum aperture and stopped down to the selected fstop at the moment of capture. Hope this makes sense.
That all said, by that rationale, even at 70mm, with the X2TC on, your lens should have a max ap of f8 and therefore not AF, but you report it does. I have read that some 3rd party TCs will allow AF at slower than f5.6, but yours is Canon.
Either way, I don't think it will fit the Sigma, for the same reason it won't fit your kit lens. I wouldn't let this put you off though. 125mm isn't a bad length for general stuff.
Of course, you could just take the gear you already have. If it all fits in the bag you have, and the bag isn't too big of course (I could fit a 35mm EOS with the 28-105 fitted and a Canon 75-300 in one of these). Seems a shame to have just got your gear and not go make use of it. It covers a good range and the hol will give you a good chance to use and evaluate it.

[The Gooner]

Originally Posted by denno75uk

I have read that some 3rd party TCs will allow AF at slower than f5.6, but yours is Canon.

My mistake sorry just realised, it is actually a Jessops x2 TC. It does AF to about 200mm on the lense (400 with TC) after that I had to switch to MF, I will change post 1 to reflect correct gear.

I know what you mean about taking all the gear on Hols, I am looking at taking most of it and just taking a general lense most days/nights. But I will be taking the tamron for sea world and animal kingdom,
I like the idea of the sigma, good wide angle and like you said good telephoto

[denno75uk]

Had a bit of a look on some sites/forums last night and the Sigma seems to be getting a bit of a mixed bag of reviews.
Found a couple:
http://www.the-digital-picture.com/R...ns-Review.aspx
http://www.pbase.com/lightrules/18125os
Have a read, see what you think. 2nd review is a good one, suggesting some alternatives incl the Sigma 18-200 OS. May suit your needs even better.

[The Gooner]

Thanks for reviews makes interesting read.
This couold be the lense, been looking on various sites for prices ect.
Do you use a particular retailer or any?

I have used Fotosense in the past and found them to be ok.

[denno75uk]

Personally I've bought my stuff from all over, online and high street. 30D from amazon, 28-105 from Jacobs in Leeds, 70-200 Dale Photographic in Leeds, Tamron from Warehouse Express.
If you're going online, a few on here recommend camerapricebuster to check prices.