Very nice indeed. Let me add my bit. Buy used. Don't be married to a lens, when it's no longer useful, sell it. Experiment. I know what I shoot and what to shoot it with, but sometime I want to go for something different and expand my range. I have, for example, been working with TS-E lenses lately (90 and 45). I know what I want out of them and now I am working on getting there. Perhaps down the line I would sell them if I no longer have a need for them.
I wonder if we should go a step further and recommend that new photographers go for a prosumer all-in-one camera with a built-in lens that has alarge zoom range and image stabiliser so they will get an idea of the benefits of more focal lengths and more camera features before they move on to an SLR format with separate lenses. This applies the principles of gaining wisdom and experience while initially saving money to the camera as well as the lenses.
I like the idea of not getting newbies to spend too much at the outset. A prosumer may be more than they need. If a newbie is on this site, I would assume they are pretty committed to really learning about photography and how good pictures are made. To that end we really would then need to address the mechanics of taking a good picture vs. esthetically what makes a good picture. To you newbies: in this thread we are trying to get you into photography with equipment you will really learn with without spending too much up front. Once you have determined that photography is definitely for you and you have learned and become proficient at it, you can move up.
People too often get caught up in the gear and not in photography. Learn the craft and then get the gear.
IMO: Get yourself an inexpensive digital SLR which can be put on manual everything, and one 50mm lens. Put the lens on manual (no auto focus - unless you're an old newbie), and go shoot. Some of the more equipment knowledgeable members can probably recommend a good Canon body for you. I like the 50mm for reasons I previously stated in this thread in addition to the fact that f1.4 or f1.8 will present a bright image in the viewfinder.
Edited by lewismccabe on Aug 12, 2006 at 04:26 PM GMT
Can this post be copied to the other forums too? The Canon forum is getting really bogged down with "which lens" posts, and many of these posts are by first-time posters. Which 70-200, which walkaround, etc. And what's annoying is that these posts repeat themselves every day or so, at the same time bumping down legitimately good threads that would be more useful to read.
Wonderful post, perhaps the best and most honest. My Nikon FM came with I believ a 50 1.8, had it for a while and then got the 50 1.2. One of the many things that you learn with a one lens kit is to move you feet to compose, also proper exposure and how to control the look of each frame.......
Now turn the knob to the green box or P, after all P is for Pro........
I have looked all this treads looking for a zomm something grom 40 to 200mm since I have a 17-40 4L.
I started with a minolta Qsi film standar kit, 3 1/2 got broken and I buy a Minolta Dimage X point & shot. last year I bought an 20D with a poor Sigma 28-105 f2.8 but Since I'm in Mexico I can't go bak to EU and returned ... I believe was the lenses, so I bought the 17-40, now After all Fred's plug ins,.... tons of reading I'm starting to go deep into techniques. And I'm starting to get crispy shots but souless yet. So I'm returning to the sigma to get good shots before jump to the whity "L" leage.
Anyway after a >3000 shots I still doen'st have the merits to post a single one photos in this high level leage. So how knows another 2000 photos?
Now I'm wondering on what 700-200 bought an F4L or the 75-300IS or a cheaper one from third party since THis year Iwill not be able to get enough time to polish my "beginner techique".
Hmm,
A posting about lenses by Todd and after 17 pages of see-sawing, what do I know about which lens to buy- not much at all but heck, I learnt a lot about the process of going about choosing a lens and why that process matters. I want to be able to produce photographs, which, I will love on seeing them. I am one of those guys for whom Todds post applies perfectly. Infact I posted saying "what lens to buy ...." and someone directed me to this thread. I was about to burn up some dear money on lenses which I had no idea would be useful to me or not. Thanks for that, not only did it saved me hard cash immediately but also made me wiser when I actually want to spend that kind of money.
Nirantara wrote:
I was about to burn up some dear money on lenses which I had no idea would be useful to me or not. Thanks for that, not only did it saved me hard cash immediately but also made me wiser when I actually want to spend that kind of money.
That's why I made my initial post. Glad it and the ensuing discussion helped somebody.
Very good post Todd.
And it's already worth writing it down, because a few people understood it already.
I started photography more progressively about 2 months ago and that's when I purchased my Canon 30D but I haven't bought any other lenses, but the standard 18-55mm because I didn't know what I need, but now I am starting to realize.
I found tons of photography forums on the Internet, but I think this is one of my favorite, well good people who is giving real good advises and good feedback's.
Good advice. There are too many posts on this and other forums asking the same question. I'll save this link and refer people to your advice when I see the question come up again.
nice post. reminded me when i first started over 22 yrs ago with my first SLR camera. of course back in those days, it was manual focus. At the age 15, i didnt have any money. I had to borrow from two friends in order to get my first camera.
... today I still havent spend on a lense that cost over $1000.
Okay, obviously this post is getting some good feedback, and I'm not going to argue, it's an excellent point. However, you do miss one thing:
If someone starts with a kit lens (lets say 18-70), then they can only shoot within that range. If the options are going wider or longer, they really have no idea what they want, because they've never had the opportunity to shoot it.
I bought a Nikon D70 and 28-105mm 3.5-4.5D lens and the focal lengths of my photos are THROUGHOUT that range. Just looking through one folder I see shots at 28, 35, 38, 46, 48, 55, 56, 60, 62, 80, 92, and 105. If I look at the next folder I see additional focal lengths: 31, 32, 44, 52, 66, 70, 85, 90. I don't know what to think of this. I'm sure I have thousands of photos worth of data I could look at, but frankly, I'm not sure I have the time to analyze it. It seems like I might be better off just picking a lens off the shelf if we look at opportunity cost.
I love macro photography and I enjoy pulling objects into abstraction, but I only know that because the lens I happened to buy based on a suggestion from a SALESPERSON has that capability. I wish I could take landscapes and I wish I could shoot in less light but I don't know if I would enjoy any of those things because my lens doesn't make those options available to me. What path do I take with a limited budget? I appreciate your article, but it hasn't helped me make a decision.
Gabriel, the only general advice I can give is to think about the shots you could not get with the lense you have. If you often wish you could go wider to get more of the scene, or often wish there were more light, that will point you in the direction of wider or faster. I know I would feel very limited with 28 as my widest lense. Of course even if you decide on wider there are still endless choices. Do you get an 17-55 f2.8 ($$$) (wider and faster) or one of the 12-24 lenses . (Fast generally=$$$) Good luck deciding
Superb post! I'm getting my feet wet as well and I've already figured out what should replace my Sigma 18-50 f3 based on what I need... or shall I say, what I want
. (Fast generally=$$$) Good luck deciding