Eos 300d

[Abercrombie]

Hi all.

Last week I made the switch from fixed lens prosumer to DSLR and replaced my Kodak P880 and Fuji S9600 with a Canon EOS 300D.

I'm fully aware that the 300D is out-dated and shadowed by the 350D and 400D XTi. But I'm still only an amateur and was simply looking to be a little more creative with my photography.

I'm now about to begin shopping to accessorize my camera, starting with a nice lens and a flash unit.

At the moment my budget is limited. I'm looking for nice quality and performance at a reasonable price.

My main interest at the moment is portrait photography, but I do enjoy shooting landscapes and wildlife (when I have a nice range zoom lens).

Recommendations and link appreciated.

Thanks

[cdifoto]

"Budget is limited" and "reasonable price" are vague. Speak in dollars and cents and maybe we can help.

[Abercrombie]

Well, as little as possible I guess. I'll pay as much as I have to in order to enhance the quality of my photography.

I just don't want people posting links to the EF 400mm and such.

Which lenses would you recommend for less than £150, and how much am I looking to pay for a nice flash unit?

Also any suggestions of higher priced but effective lenses are appreciated since I can keep my eyes open for a good second hand deal on the eBay.

Thanks again.

[cdifoto]

I'm not really up on the prices of lenses over there but I don't think 150 will get you much (if anything) of quality.

I don't like to recommend "cheap" zooms but some other folks will stop by and perhaps help out a bit. I'd rather recommend stuff that'll knock your socks off. :)

As for a bit more, you can get a 50mm f/1.4 which would be real nice for portraits. It acts as kind of a short telephoto. Nice and sharp, good color, etc. Goes for around $350USD over here.

Similarly the 85mm f/1.8 is a good one. It's around the same price.

The 50mm f/1.8 (not the 1.4...pay attention to that) is under $80 but in my opinion it sucks. It's sharp but doesn't focus worth a hoot so I try to steer people clear of it, despite the extremely low price.

Those are 3 I have personal experience with.

[Abercrombie]

Okay, thanks for that.

I know that £150 is a poor budget, and I will be willing to spend more during the coming months, but I feel that it's a wise move to understand exactly what makes any one lens so expensive before I go throwing money at them.

But I do need a flash unit. My current job is basically low-light portrait photography and the built-in flash can struggle with larger groups of people.

Also, a guy on another forum sent me a link to the following lens, recommending it as a good investment for the creative side.
It claims to be 500 / 800mm tele lens being sold with a 2x multiplier lens, turning it into a 1000mm / 1600mm lens! And it's retailing at £100.

What do you think?

[cdifoto]

Okay, thanks for that.

I know that £150 is a poor budget, and I will be willing to spend more during the coming months, but I feel that it's a wise move to understand exactly what makes any one lens so expensive before I go throwing money at them.

But I do need a flash unit. My current job is basically low-light portrait photography and the built-in flash can struggle with larger groups of people.

Also, a guy on another forum sent me a link to the following lens, recommending it as a good investment for the creative side.
It claims to be 500 / 800mm tele lens being sold with a 2x multiplier lens, turning it into a 1000mm / 1600mm lens! And it's retailing at £100.

What do you think?

I wouldn't use it for any serious photography. It would get you reach that's otherwise unaffordable by most mortals, but it wouldn't be high quality.


As for a flash unit, it depends what you want to spend. The Sigma EF 500 DG Super is a good one for around $250 (all my prices are in USD since that's what I'm familiar with). The 580EX is Canon's top end for about $380. I have 2 of those and they're excellent. I had a Sigma and sold it simply to move "up" to the 580s since I needed the faster recycle times and a few other features. Otherwise the Sigma is a very capable and feature rich flash.

The Canon 430EX is another good flash for I think half price of the 580EX. Smaller, less powerful, a few features less, but more than adequate for most folks. I can't speak in detail about it since I never owned one.

Another option would be a used 420EX (replaced by the 430) or a used 550EX (replaced by the 580).

All are good options and fully compatible with Canon's E-TTL flash metering.

[Abercrombie]

I've bookmarked links for those you suggested.
I'd actually looked at the EF-500 today, but I'm having trouble finding one at a good price here in the UK. I don't like to order from overseas.

With regards to the 500mm lens above, would you think it's worth getting? £100 ($195 USD) isn't much to pay for the range really is it.

[cdifoto]

I've bookmarked links for those you suggested.
I'd actually looked at the EF-500 today, but I'm having trouble finding one at a good price here in the UK. I don't like to order from overseas.

With regards to the 500mm lens above, would you think it's worth getting? £100 ($195 USD) isn't much to pay for the range really is it.

I'd put other, better, "real" lenses before something like that. That lens would be something I might get to play with, but I wouldn't spend $200 on it either.

[Abercrombie]

Novelty item for the future then lol

Thanks for that.

[cdifoto]

Novelty item for the future then lol

Thanks for that.

Yep pretty much, IMHO.

[Nickcanada]

You said your current job is low light portrait photography? Then why look at a 500mm lens? That focal length would be more useful for bird watching. If you would like to do portrait work the lenes that cdi suggested previously, are great choices.

[Abercrombie]

If you read my threads you will see that although my current job involves club photography, my interest in photography has grown and I am looking to be more creative, with an interest in landscapes and wildlife photography.

[Abercrombie]

I've just been for a meeting with a friend who is also an experienced photographer. I took my 300D along to show him and he highlighted a possible problem which I had overlooked.

Whilst examining my camera he noticed faint specking on the focus screen. When placed in front of a light the blemishes are clear.
He also pointed out that the mirror has what appears to be cloth-wipe marks, similar to the blur marks left when cleaning a regular mirror with a cleaning solution.

The camera was actually a factory refurb, and it's likely that somebody has tried to give the insides of the camera a wipe with a cloth!!!!

OH MY GOD!!

He tested the sensor and there doesn't seem to be any damage with no blemishes showing on images, but he tells me that a damaged mirror and focus screen is a problem considering I could have bought a brand new camera for just a few pounds more.

Because it's a factory refub, there is only a 10 day refund policy, which means that tomorrow is the deadline for claiming a refund, otherwise I'm stuck with a credit note. This was the only 300D they had, and the next option is a new but over-priced 350D.

My friend advised me to take the camera back, claim a refund and look at buying a replacement online from a reputable supplier.
Bit of a nightmare really because I've just purchased 4 additional 1800mah batteries today!