Ready to make the Digital Rebel XT leap...a few final questions....Please help.

[natkevnol]

Hi all and thanks for reading.

I've been lurking here for awhile and after searching many posts for the answers to my questions I am ready to the make the purchase. But I hope you can give me a few minutes to answer some final questions.

1) I'm purchasing from Amazon...anyone have any insight good or bad?

2) I'm going with Canon digital rebel XT (body only) and I'm adding the
EF 28-105mm f/3.5-4.5 II USM. What do you think? I wanted something
with just a little more zoom than the kit lens. Is this a good choice? And
mainly, will I regret not having the kit lens?

3) Is the Sandisk 1GB Ultra II CF card a good choice?

4) I would like to get a Multicoated UV filter for my lens and I do not know which one to get? I don't know whether I'm comparing apples/apples or apples/oranges when it comes to different brands. I've read here where some of you don't use the filters (I hope I'm not completely altering my photos by wanting one) it's just that I like having the safely harness on my lens. So please give me your input.

5) Lastly, and thank you for reading this far, in the next month I would like to get another lens to use for taking sports photos. I have 3 boys and feel like I'm always out the door to another game. I want something with more zoom ( I can't always be on the sidelines) and my budget probably shouldn't exceed $450....is this even possible? What should I look for and ultimately what would you get?

So thank you again for reading. I've been sitting on this digital fence for a long time now...it was the dozen rolls of film waiting to be developed that finally pushed me over the edge.

I look forward to reading your responses. Have a great evening.

[britkev]

1) No idea where you are from... Amazon is OK, you possibly could do better but you could do a whole lot worse.

2) 28mm is not a wide-angle lens on a Digital body - may not be an issue for you, but be aware of it.

3) The Ultra II is probably overkill... it will almost certainly make no difference to camera performance over a standard card. Maybe a modest improvement in transfer to computer speeds. Lifetime warranty might be important to you.

4) Filters are something of a religious war - any picture is only as good as the glass it goes through. A cheap filter can ruin any lens, but there doesn't seem to be too much sense in spending $50 on a filter to protect a $100 lens.
My 28-80 runs bare... my other two lenses I have cheap UV filters that I take off when taking pictures unless my three year old is around ;)

5) I'm sure several people here more familiar with the Canon catalog will contirbute thoughts on this

[Clyde]

Hi all and thanks for reading.

1) I'm purchasing from Amazon...anyone have any insight good or bad?

I would check pricegrabber (http://www.pricegrabber.com/) to see what the good prices are, then check the retailers on resellerratings and here (http://www.dcresource.com/forums/showthread.php?t=14677). You should be able to do better than amazon.

2) I'm going with Canon digital rebel XT (body only) and I'm adding the
EF 28-105mm f/3.5-4.5 II USM. What do you think? I wanted something
with just a little more zoom than the kit lens. Is this a good choice? And
mainly, will I regret not having the kit lens?


It gets decent reviews (http://www.fredmiranda.com/reviews/showproduct.php?product=206&sort=7&cat=27&page=2), just don't expect a pro lens. It isn't as wide as the kit lens, but if you aren't doing lots of indoor shooting, you might not need anything much wider. I would think it would be a great all purpose lens to start with. For sports, you might want to check out the 70-200 f4L. It is the cheapest entry into top of the line lenses, and though it is half again your price limit, you wouldn't be spending even more upgrading in the future. Spend wisely now to save money later.



3) Is the Sandisk 1GB Ultra II CF card a good choice?


Yes. Especially for sports, you want a relatively fast card that can handle bursts of action. Check out this review site (http://www.robgalbraith.com/bins/multi_page.asp?cid=6007).

The other questions other folk can tackle, good luck...

Clyde

[coldrain]

Especially since you do not want to spend a lot on lenses, I think getting the kitlens too would be worthwhile, since you will lack wide angle on that 28-105 USM II. Wide angle lenses are quite expensive, and so the 18-28mm range for 100$ extra would be a good idea.

I do not use UV filters for "lens protection", but if you do want to buy one for youer 28-105, get a good multicoated one to avoid as much as possible reflections and sun flares being introduced because of the filter. B&W and the multi coated Hoya filters are a good choice.

For sports it depends a bit if it is indoors or outdoors. Outdoors the mentioned 70-200 f4 L canon lens may be a good choice, even a Sigma 70-300 APO DG will be quite capable... but for indoors, a lens with a big max. aperture may be preferrable, and that will be expensive.

[24Peter]

I'd check out the new Canon 70-300 IS 4-5.6 USM for your telezoom. I think they're around $550.

[aparmley]

2) 28mm is not a wide-angle lens on a Digital body - may not be an issue for you, but be aware of it.


Hey Pete, what did 28mm equate to on that 5D? Thats digital right?

Oh man thems are fightin words!:D

LOL brit - your right on a crop body, 28mm isn't WA - its more of a standard FL in 35mm respects. Digital isn't the best way to put that - could confuse some people. . .

[24Peter]

Well the thing about the 5D is that it has a full frame sensor, meaning it's the same size as a frame of 35mm film. So a 28mm lens on a 5D equates to, well 28mm! That's the attraction for many people to Canon's FF cameras - what you see on the lens is what you get (in terms of focal length that is.)

28mm was plenty wide on the 5D; indeed some shots, if the subject was close enough, took on a fish-eye type perspective. I'm no expert, but I think "back in the day" of 35mm film cameras, 28mm was considered pretty wide angle.

As far as 28mm on my XT goes, the only time I find it really limiting is on landscape shots. Hence, I usually pull out my kit lens for those. For people stuff, 28mm generally seems wide enough (though I'll admit I don't do a lot of group photos so your mileage may vary.)

[cdifoto]

98.6 percent of the time, 24mm on my XT is plenty wide enough. That's one reason you don't see me rushing out to buy a Tokina 12-24mm or Canon EF-S 10-22mm or similiar. Nice to have, but since I'm not a lanscaper, not essential. It's on the far back burner.

Like Pete though...I don't shoot group shots either. Heck there's only one person near me who even likes getting photos taken...and that's my 2 foot tall nephew! Everyone else scatters when the camera comes out.

[Bluedog]

I have often found out that for general walking a lens in the 18mm range is very useful. Not only in landscape stuff but architectural also.