New guy

[brian1337]

Hey, I'm a 15 year old guy and i wanna get into photography, I've been interested in a while and the only decent camera I've ever owned was the Canon powershot G10. Chinese new years just passed, and I finally have money for a dslr
Right now, i'm looking at the Canon EOS Rebel XS, stock lens and a 75-300mm lens for $599 (Newegg.com - Computer Parts, PC Components, Laptop Computers, Digital Cameras and more!)
You guys think i should get that? Or should i geta XSi? What are your recommendations? Thanks [=
Also, this is a really nooby question, but would nikon lenses be compatable with canon bodies? Because i wanna get this ([ame="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00005LEN4/diyphotography-20"]Amazon.com: Nikon 50mm f/1.8D AF Nikkor Lens for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras: Camera & Photo[/ame]) if I ever get the Rebel. I just like it better than the canon 50mm for no apparent reason :meh:
But thats it for now, thanks

EDIT: I just saw the "for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras" that pretty much means I can't use it on any camera other than nikons right?

 

[KmH]

Canon and Nikon have different camera/lens mounts.

Canon has changed their mount several times over the years.

Canon currently has 2 lens mounts: the EF mount (since 1987) and the EF-S mount (since 2003). Not all of todays Canon cameras can use the EF-S mount.

Nikons F mount has been in use, unchanged, since 1959 and can be used on virtually any Nikon SLR or dSLR made since then.

 

[inTempus]

However the Rebel uses an EF-S mount which can use both EF and EF-S interchangeably. Any lens made after 1987 by Canon will mount to a Rebel and work with all features. You don't have to worry about things like not having a focus motor in your Nikon body and what lenses will autofocus and what lenses won't... or what lenses will meter and what lenses won't.

When you buy a new Nikon body like the D3000 you have to read the fine print on the Nikon site as to what lenses are completely compatible with it and which ones are only partially compatible.

Example, this is the break down of Nikon lenses and their compatibility with the D3000:

 

[brian1337]

Thanks alot for that. So I guess I'm stuck with the canon 50mm then.
Would you guys recommend a XS or an XSi for a beginner guy like me? I know the XSi has the infrared receiver, and more spots for autofocusing and is higher resolution, but is it worth the extra money for me, or should I just stick with the XS?
Also, where do you guys buy your cameras and lenses? thanks

 

[inTempus]

It's kind of hard to tell you what camera will better suit your needs. The differences between the two cameras is kind of small, but there are differences. Obviously the more you pay, the more features you get. What you need to decide is if the features are worth the extra money (if you have the money or not).

How *I* buy is I get the best I can afford. If I can afford a T1i, I will buy the T1i over the XSi (as an example). It's not always the wisest way to shop, of course, but that's how I roll.

I will say that even more important than the body (and the differences between the XS and XSi) is the quality of the len(es) you attach.

I shop exclusively at Adorama (Digital cameras, all other cameras and everything photographic from Adorama Camera). They have the best prices coupled with the best customer service out there. B&H Photo is another good online retailer, but I'm loyal to Adorama as they've really taken care of me in the past.

 

[brian1337]

Thanks alot =)
I've been looking around Adorama and I was wondering, would it be worth it to buy a refurb camera? I have never shopped at this retailer before, and i have no idea what the refurb quality is. Would I be able to trust the refurbs?
I was looking at this one
2756B014AA Canon EOS Digital Rebel XSi SLR Camera Body - Black - Refurbished

So then what lenses should I get?
Ive been looking around and the 50mm fixed zoom is a good lens to get.
(I'm talking bout this one 2514A002 Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II Standard AutoFocus Lens - USA )
I'm looking around and i see alot of samyang and tamron lenses. Are they any good? Cause they're really cheap and yeah. Sorry about all these questions:blushing:

 

[mrmacedonian]

I've been looking around Adorama and I was wondering, would it be worth it to buy a refurb camera?

From what I've read and hear if it is refurbished by Canon then its a fine buy. I looked at your link and couldn't seem to find out who refurbished the thing, but if you can find that out I don't see why not; it'll certainly leave you some more glass-money.

So then what lenses should I get?
Ive been looking around and the 50mm fixed zoom is a good lens to get.

For this I recommend taking a second think about what you're looking to do. In general the 50mm is a great lens and an excellent way to learn Exposure, Composition, etc... there's a reason it's referred to as the nifty fifty

I can't say its an all-purpose lens though, especially on a crop-sensor body like the XS/XSi, which makes the 50mm focal length equivalent to about 80mm. Sometime indoors this can get kind of tight, so If you're going to be shooting candids and snapshot (i.e. family/friend events) then I suggest having something like a 28-135mm (B&H: ~390$) . For this purpose I bought a Tamron 18-270mm when I got my first DSLR. Its been great for all-purpose stuff; I love the range.

In short, figure out what you'll find yourself doing. If you're tight on money and are just interested in learning about photography then the 50mm is a great (cheap) way to go. Best is to get both , but its a slippery slope from there >_<

 

[brian1337]

thanks [=
Alright, but the refurbs don't have any warranty, correct?
I think I'm gonna be taking my camera to school and taking pictures there. Probably portraits of people and stuff like that, so I don't really wanna lug around a big expensive lens. It's not for a photography class or anything. I might purchase a macro lens later on, but I dunno about that.
Being the cheapo I am, I looked at the canon lenses sorted by price, and I came across this one CZLDPTLCA Lomography 110mm Soft Telephoto Lens with Lens Adapter for Canon EOS Mount What can that do? If it's good, i'll probably buy that along with the camera and other lens(es) just to have more of a variety of lenses.
So what lenses would you guys recommend thats around or under 200?
thanks

 

[mrmacedonian]

Hmm not to sure about that 110mm, but as I said remember the 50mm f/1.8 will run you about 100$ and its focal length will be equivalent to about 80mm on an XS(i). If you're doing portrait photography that's a great focal length, the 110mm would be roughly 176? The -C crop factor is 1.6 so you just multiply the lens's focal length by 1.6 and can see the equivalent focal length on your camera body.

Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 99.95$ (B&H)

Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 379.95 (B&H)

Those two are what I would recommend for portraits, and since you're talking about budget then I would really suggest the 50mm (since its an effective 80mm) then later on if you want to you can get an 85mm or 100mm for other portrait options.

 

[brian1337]

I'm probably gonna get the 50mm f/1.8 lens no matter what, but I wanna do a little more with my camera. I think the 50mm alone is good enough for portraits and stuff, for now.
I'm also considering this 75-300mm lens. http://www.adorama.com/CA75300AFR.html You think its a good choice, on top of the 50mm? Or should I rather get different lens?

 

[mrmacedonian]

Hmm, the 75-300mm definitely would be nice to have. My only concern is the lack of lower focal point options you will have. I mentioned it a few time so far that the 50mm will actually produce an image equivalent to an 80mm on that Camera body. I would at the very least look into getting the camera with an 18-55mm kit lens at the very least so you do not find yourself with only 80mm+ focal lengths..

I'm not familiar with Adorama as I'm partial to B&H, but I took a look around and found an IS, AF 18-55mm refurbished for 99$.

In my opinion, as someone fairly new to this hobby, I would feel better advising other new-comers to grab that 18-55mm in addition to the 50mm. This way, with 200$ you've covered the most useful everyday focal lengths, especially with someone learning and doing primarily portrait photography. Hell, had my father not bought my XTi w/ 18-55mm kit lens I would sell you mine for less... I used that on the XTi for almost three years, as my only lens.

If you can spring for those two and the 70-300mm well then for sure go for it, you'll have a darn good range.

 

[HelenOster]

thanks [=
Alright, but the refurbs don't have any warranty, correct?

All Canon refurbished products from Adorama come with a 1 year return-to-Adorama warranty; the warranty we give covers anything the manufacturers warranty covers for a new unit, including shutter defects.
All other refurbs sold by Adorama come with a 90-day return-to-manufacturer warranty.

All refurbished units sold by Adorama Camera are factory refurbished by the manufacturer. A refurbished unit from Adorama may be an ex-store demo, possibly used in field tests or sales displays, or it may have been ordered in error and returned to the retailer (who can't then sell it as 'new' so it has to be sent back to the manufacturer for refurbishment).

A refurb can also have simply been pulled from the production line if something appears faulty, or if it hasn't passed the final inspection. Most of the time it is a very minor issue that needs correcting, nevertheless, once it is pulled from the normal flow of production, it gets flagged as a refurbished model, so you may get a unit straight from the factory that has never been used.

A refurbished item will have been checked over by the manufacturer by hand, inspected very thoroughly, diagnosed, and calibrated by experienced technicians, and could therefore turn out to be more dependable than a new item - which will only have been checked by a process of systematic quality control protocol (ie by random sampling as it comes off the conveyor belt).In addition, Refurbs come into us with the firmware updates and latest fixes which were carried out at whatever stage it was at when we took delivery.

I hope this helps, but if you need anything else please don't hesitate to contact me.


Helen Oster
Adorama Camera Customer Service Ambassador
http://helenoster.blogspot.com


helen.oster@adoramacamera.com
www.adorama.com

 

[inTempus]

...and another good reason to shop with Adorama if you're a Canon shooter and are interested in refurbs. They offer a 1 year warranty on refurbs which is awesome as Helen mentions.

Oh, and Helen from Adorama hangs out here to answer questions as you can see.

 

[inTempus]

Thanks alot =)
I've been looking around Adorama and I was wondering, would it be worth it to buy a refurb camera? I have never shopped at this retailer before, and i have no idea what the refurb quality is. Would I be able to trust the refurbs?
I was looking at this one
2756B014AA Canon EOS Digital Rebel XSi SLR Camera Body - Black - Refurbished

So then what lenses should I get?
Ive been looking around and the 50mm fixed zoom is a good lens to get.
(I'm talking bout this one 2514A002 Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II Standard AutoFocus Lens - USA )
I'm looking around and i see alot of samyang and tamron lenses. Are they any good? Cause they're really cheap and yeah. Sorry about all these questions:blushing:

I bought a Canon refurb from Adorama and it was absolutely perfect. The Canon factory refurbs look brand new. You won't get a body with a bunch of dings or scratches, it will look as though it's right out of the OEM box. It will come in a white Canon refurb box, that's the only difference.

I would not hesitate to buy another Canon factory refurb fro Adorama.

 

[Dao]

If you are tight in budget or you do not want to spend too much money to begin with. The Canon 18-55mm IS kit lens is a good choice for beginner.
So you can start with the standard zoom kit lens and the 50mm f/1.8. And get some other lenses later on down the road once you know more.