Hi all. Just bought my first big boy camera; a Canon Rebel T6i. I'm in love, already taken some nice stills, and I'm working my way they rough the Lynda.com photography courses. But now where do I go in terms of equipment? I currently have judt the camera body and the kit lens, which is a EF-S 18-55mm IS STM, and that's it. I finding in wanting to take some more landscape and street photos, but also want to take photos of people and sporting events at my college. What are some lens and equipment I should be investing in to broaden my repertoire? Thanks!!
Canon is translating their product names like some publishers do with book titles. Wow that was a hassle!
To help everyone:
Rebel T6i = EOS 750D
Personally I like my Tamron AF 70-300mm as an "allrounder" but the provided EF-S 18-55mm does take great pictures aswell. I found having a "good" tripod is nice but I prefer being mobile with my 700D (smaller brother of the 750D).
My advice would be to skip all the auto and semi-auto modes and just go manuall from start to finish. Having full controll over the picture helps a lot. In the finder, you see a little bar with a cursor underneath it. When it is dead center (value 0) the camera is happy with your settings. For better visual indication (aka live mode) press the according button. Just test and try on landscapes.
Sport events are HARD to capture. Not impossible but I can not manage good shots half the time.
Disclaimer part:
"Fixed lenses are better."
You can measure that the optics are better, yes. But is carrying a suitcase with lenses arround also better? I like to just twist a ring to zoom in and out.
"You need to use a good tripod at high exposures."
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Nifty 50 lens is a great place to start.
http://improvephotography.com/30680/3-reasons-nifty-fifty-second-thing-buy/
Yes it's cheap but f1.8 and the fixed focal length go a long ways toward getting you to concentrate on learning your body.
My favorite lens even over my stabilized telephoto.
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Equipment wise sport stuff is one of the most challenging disciplines in photography. If you want to take pictures of sport events, try to make "the other shots". Details, journalistic style, something like that. As a beginner you want to be second shooter and you won't need to sell your soul for gear to do so.
Kit lenses are plasticky, optically mediocre, slow (meaning dark) and slow on the AF zooms when they are good and just utter shit when they are bad. To fix all of that with one lens you would have to buy a lens that costs multiple times the price of your camera. So we are going to choose some areas and fix those for reasonable amounts of money.
The first two lenses I would look out for are:
- a 20-24mm f/2 or faster prime lens
- and a nifty fifty (50mm f/1.8)
On your camera that translates to a slight wide angle and a slight tele. So you are set for journalistic and portrait work.
Put the kit lens back in the box, use those two lenses. Every day. For a year. And don't even think about getting more and more lenses. You don't have to be prepared for war. (And even if, most war photographers also just have a few lenses)
Other things to buy:
- peli case for SD cards
- at least one spare Canon LP-E17 battery
- and a really good tripod
Honestly, spend the money for a good induro or manfrotto tripod and try to get a ballhead with arca swiss compatible mount.
I guess that should be enough for now.
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I'd just keep what kit you have and continue shooting different things and find your own style rather than getting hooked on looking at gear. Once you've out grown what lens you have or have a real need for another that is when to go looking.
With lenses, I feel you're better getting something that will last, if you are looking at sports, check out the Canon 70-200 f/4L. Used they aren't too expensive and it will last you without getting gear lust for a while.
I'd also recommend joining KelbyOne.com, so much more tutorials on there than Lynda and it is actually cheaper. I joined myself ages ago and still browse from time to time either to refresh or learn something new.
Came here to say that...
http://amzn.to/2aDON1t
Get that! If you are short on money you can get the Chinese copy, but it's slightly less sharp:
http://amzn.to/2aJCEf7
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.... hate that guy.
And Lynda is fine. There is more information on photography than you can handle in a year. Just the stuff from David Hobby about strobist style flash photography alone....
That link is the Canon again. But I would advise not to buy crap lenses anyway. If the budget is that tight get the Canon used for 80,- or 90,-.
Cameras will change, lenses stay.
Awesome, thank you for all the recommendations! Currently setting up my server to host my photos and whatnot so I can show them off to friends and family.
So are the Canon lens the way to go? I've seen people mention other brands other the Canon on both sides of the quality scale. I know that whatever lens I'm going to get I will continue to use for a while, so I don't mind dropping a good chuck on a lens after I've done my research and truly decide I could benefit from it.
Again, thanks for all the help. I'll make sure to post my website for you guys to come look and give feedback on. Any good frameworks you guys recommend?
And I should try to narrow down more what I'm trying to take pictures of. Sport photography is just for me, and maybe if the school wants to use a couple shots. I'm not the main guy, and don't plan to be. My most common subjects are landscapes, the night sky (big astro guy), and portraits of people indirectly who happen to be around when I'm shooting landscapes. I would like to get more into actual portraits, but I'm terrified of taking pictures of people. Hope that helps you all in your suggestions.
Fixed the link... It's not exactly a crap lens... It takes pretty good shots, but the motor is extremely loud. I'd take it over the kit lens at least... but a used Canon 50mm f/1.8 would be best.
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get darktables and fuck around
Do you have clear sky with low light pollution?
For astro stuff you need to go wide. And I mean WIIIIIIIIIDEEEEEEE!
12mm, 10mm, fisheye... something like that. Also you don't need AF for that. Actually you want a good manual focus to be able to focus on infinity.
Also you want a good tripod and an intervalometer. The intervalometer can be pretty cheap, they are mostly the same. Another option would be something like Triggertrap and an old smartphone.
For the tripod: I like the Induro stuff. It is quality and it is priced fair. I have an older version of this and it is awesome:
http://www.indurogear.com/de/products/induro-clt103.aspx
There are also steel versions that are a lot cheaper. As a head this one fits perfectly:
I'm am a blessed man. My parents house is located on land that is about 20 miles from any other town and 10 miles from the nearest house. The light pollution is extremely low. However, that is more of a lower priority things as I will be away at college most of the time and not at home.
I will definitely be picking up the lenses that were mentioned above; a 20-24mm f/2 or faster prime lens and a nifty fifty (50mm f/1.8), and will look at tripods as well.