Help With Lens Selection

Headwater

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Hi,
I am new to photography other than of the point and shoot variety. The company I work for is currently looking at purchasing a higher end camera than what we currently have. After some research we are looking towards purchasing the Canon EOS Digital Rebel XT camera but now we are stuck on the lens selection. We will primarily be shooting large, stationary objects with the camera (some of the objects are upwards of 50ft in length), I am assuming I will need a wide angle lens to accomplish what we are trying to do. Currently to take pictures of the equipment we have to stand quite a ways back to get the entire piece of equipment into the shot and that is what we are trying to eliminate. We would like to get closer to the equipment so that our pictures show the detail and quality of the equipment.
Any help in lens selection would be greatly appreciated.
 
You should hire a professional photographer to do this for you, so he can bring his 4x5 monorail view camera, and eliminate any distortion. :p

Since you are doing it yourself, I would note that getting in closer with a wide angle lens, and still showing all of the eq, will not show any more details. It will give you the same field of view as standing back with a longer lens. For the sake of representing your equipment as true as possible, I think you should avoid a wide angle lens, and do stand back with a more normal lens, which for the Rebel Xt would be a 35mm or 50mm lens. Get a tripod, and cable release too.

You can get a 50mm f/1.8 for under $100.
 
Thanks for the quick reply and the advice you have given.
Unfortunately a professional photographer is probably out of the question and so I will have to do my best :lol:
I will look into getting a lens like the one you have recommended but would like to ask another dumb question, what exactly is a cable release? And what would be a better lens to purchase a 35mm or a 50mm?
Thanks again for your help.
 
A cable release is a cable that attaches to the shutter button so you can release the shutter without touching the camera. I tend to call them that out of habit, even though on todays digital cameras, they are called "remote switches". If you look for a Canon remote switch that is compatible with the Rebel XT, you'll be fine.

As for lenses, the 35mm is a bit wider, but I would just suggest a 50mm for right now, and you can see how well it works for you.

Have you looked at the new Rebel XTI?
 

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