Basic equipment for beginners

ntexascardfan · Jan 13, 2014

Hello everyone!

I recently purchased a Canon T3i. When I purchased it I also got a small back pack and a 75x300 lens (I apparently made the mistake of getting one that doesn't have auto-stabilization, so I don't know what situations I can actually use it in).

What are the basic accessories and lenses you recommend for someone just starting out? Also, did I totally screw the pooch with the telephoto lens? If not, what are the best situations to use it in?

ronlane · Jan 13, 2014

Welcome to the site. The T3i will be a good camera to start and to learn on. Is the 75-300mm the only lens you got with the camera? Don' sweat the IS (image stabilization) too much, it helps but is not something that is a MUST have. There are a lot of really good lenses without IS.

Basic accessories would really depend on what you plan on shooting and where. You can use a telephoto lens for just about anything, portraits, wildlife, street (if you want to stay back away from the action).

Hope that helps some.

ph0enix · Jan 13, 2014

I'm assuming you have another lens (something like an 18-55mm maybe) aside from the 75-300. If so, you don't need to buy anything at this point until learn to work with what you have and understand the basic concepts of photography. Once you have read the camera manual several times, start looking though the info posted in this thread:
http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/...-forum/267492-info-those-new-photography.html

ntexascardfan · Jan 13, 2014

Sorry, I forgot to mention I also have the 18-55mm lens that comes standard with the camera.

I am planning a move to Portland this year, so I'll be in a part of the country that experiences a lot of wet weather, and I'm mainly interested in street and wildlife photography.

midgeman · Jan 13, 2014

You'll be fine without IS. I have that lens and it doesn't bother me. I use it for landscapes, motorsports, wildlife, portraits... it can be very versatile you just have to learn how to use it.

I would recommend getting a tripod if you plan on doing landscapes and also get a 50mm 1.8 because it's cheap.

ronlane · Jan 13, 2014

ntexascardfan said:
Sorry, I forgot to mention I also have the 18-55mm lens that comes standard with the camera.

I am planning a move to Portland this year, so I'll be in a part of the country that experiences a lot of wet weather, and I'm mainly interested in street and wildlife photography.

Those two lenses will be fine to learn on. Also, there are some really good people on this site from Oregon, so you will have to look them up. Good people to learn from.

CmazzJK · Feb 3, 2014

midgeman said:
You'll be fine without IS. I have that lens and it doesn't bother me. I use it for landscapes, motorsports, wildlife, portraits... it can be very versatile you just have to learn how to use it.

I would recommend getting a tripod if you plan on doing landscapes and also get a 50mm 1.8 because it's cheap.

I have seen many people post what you have about the 50mm/ 1.8 lens, what does it do that the 18-55 not do? I'm just wondering because everyone says to get it because it doesn't cost much but is that the only reason??

weepete · Feb 3, 2014

The two main reasons to get the 50mm is that it's sharper than the 18-55 and it's faster, f1.8 instead of 5.6. Oh, and it's cheap.

It's quite a good focal length for portraits but I'd probably concentrate more on learning to use the stuff you have first. Did I mention it's cheap too?

regdawg · Dec 2, 2014

I'm just curious....are any of these lens add-ons worth it?

67mm 48x Wide Angle Macro Lens for Canon EOS XL2 XH A1 XL15 XL H1 XHA1S A1S XL1 | eBay

SuzukiGS750EZ · Oct 7, 2016

Yes, the 50mm is awesome. Anything that is one solid number that doesn't zoom is called a prime lens. The 50mm 1.8 is a great portrait lens. If you do not know what aperture is yet, it is what sets your depth of field. If you've seen pictures where the background is extremely blurry but the foreground is in focus, that's caused by a lower aperture, at the same time a low aperture allows more light into the camera. I'm getting too technical so I'll stop here, but aperture, shutter and ISO all work together so consider this when selecting a lens. A 5.6 lens will be less effective in low light than a 1.4 lens but if you want a more clear picture for say a landscape, a 5.6 may suite you better. Sorry if I confused you!

robbins.photo · Oct 7, 2016

ntexascardfan said:
Hello everyone!

I recently purchased a Canon T3i. When I purchased it I also got a small back pack and a 75x300 lens (I apparently made the mistake of getting one that doesn't have auto-stabilization, so I don't know what situations I can actually use it in).

What are the basic accessories and lenses you recommend for someone just starting out? Also, did I totally screw the pooch with the telephoto lens? If not, what are the best situations to use it in?

Image stabilization can be nice to have, but folks shot for years and years without it so it's not like it's absolutely necessary.

Your 70-300mm is really best used in good lighting, and the rule of thumb on a telephoto if you don't have some form of image stabilization is to try to keep your shutter speed equal to or above whatever focal length your shooting at.

So when possible if your shooting at 300mm, try to keep your shutter speed to 1/320 or higher and you won't have to worry about camera shake.

SCraig · Oct 7, 2016

Probably figured out what he wants by now. 2-1/2 year old thread.

robbins.photo · Oct 7, 2016

SCraig said:
Probably figured out what he wants by now. 2-1/2 year old thread.

Rotfl.. didn't see it, the date time stamp doesn't show up on my cellphone app. Somebody must have resurrected it though, I browse by recent.

Lol

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