NEW- PLEASE HELP ME CHOOSE MY 1ST DSLR :)

[faisal629]

Hey everyone, this is my first post! I am a undergrad student and I live in Chicago IL, I took a film photography class last year and since them i've wanted to buy a nice DSLR, i spent the past year looking at different cameras and pricing, I came to the conclusion that the cannon T3i, right now its running for like $500 body only (Amazon), I'm also looking for recomendations for a nice lens to use for portrits and general family friends pictures, and I'm also a reefer and have a reef tank and would like a nice macro lens for that as well to take close ups of corals.
what do you guys think?
would it be better to buy the T3i body used and save $$$ for the lens? (used body is going for more then how much amazon is selling the new body for)
I'm open to advice so please chime in!
a part of me wants to wait a month for black friday to see if i can save some money, would it be worth it?
Thanks,
Syed

 

[MLeeK]

Buy a body with the kit lens. It's not a BAD lens by any means and it'll be great for your immediate needs. You can create some pretty great images with it and even portraits.
The T3i and T2i use the same sensor. THere are some superficial upgrades to the T3i, but not much real advantage over the T2i. Another to consider would be the 60D. Not sure where it's falling in price, but I suspect it's probably higher than you want to spend. The 50D used is a great option as well.
As for your other desires: Why a macro lens for a reef tank? If you don't mind me asking. I think of things a bit bigger than small flowers, rings, etc when I think of a reef tank. I'd think in which case you want a lens that will allow fairly close focusing, but with great clarity.
Any prime lens is going to have the clarity and sharpness you want. The 100mm f/2.8 macro would cover that as well as macro and give you a bit of telephoto zoom in the process too.
For protraits the 50mm and 85mm primes are great. The 1.8 versions are GOOD lenses, the f/1.4 are better and the 1.2's are priced that high for a reason.
With a crop sensor you may well want a bit more wide than the 50mm allows in which case the 24, 28 or 35 would be in order.
If you find you like zooms the 17-40 or 24-70 or 17-55 are good wide range and the 70-200 f/2.8L is the go to for zoom ranges.

If you don't purchase the kit lens with the camera purchase the 50mm f/1.8. It's cheap as hell, good to learn on, great for low light and it will give you a taste of how sharp primes are.

 

[IByte]

Also before you decide to invest in more glass, try renting them first. My suggestion would be Adorama Rental, or B&H. Both companies are reputable and will become your favorite go to place.

 

[kathyt]

I started with the T2i and it is a great camera. I would also recommend going with the kit lens to start just to get the experience with a zoom lens. The next lens I would look into after that would be the 50mm 1.4 (I LOVE this lens) and it is fairly cheap. The 50mm is a great multi-purpose lens that is a must have for most photographers. Canon makes some great macros! The 100mm L or non-L verson of Canons macro lenses are both great. They not only are great as macro lenses but they are AWESOME for portraits as well. I hope that helps.

 

[faisal629]

Buy a body with the kit lens. It's not a BAD lens by any means and it'll be great for your immediate needs. You can create some pretty great images with it and even portraits.
The T3i and T2i use the same sensor. THere are some superficial upgrades to the T3i, but not much real advantage over the T2i. Another to consider would be the 60D. Not sure where it's falling in price, but I suspect it's probably higher than you want to spend. The 50D used is a great option as well.
As for your other desires: Why a macro lens for a reef tank? If you don't mind me asking. I think of things a bit bigger than small flowers, rings, etc when I think of a reef tank. I'd think in which case you want a lens that will allow fairly close focusing, but with great clarity.
Any prime lens is going to have the clarity and sharpness you want. The 100mm f/2.8 macro would cover that as well as macro and give you a bit of telephoto zoom in the process too.
For protraits the 50mm and 85mm primes are great. The 1.8 versions are GOOD lenses, the f/1.4 are better and the 1.2's are priced that high for a reason.
With a crop sensor you may well want a bit more wide than the 50mm allows in which case the 24, 28 or 35 would be in order.
If you find you like zooms the 17-40 or 24-70 or 17-55 are good wide range and the 70-200 f/2.8L is the go to for zoom ranges.

If you don't purchase the kit lens with the camera purchase the 50mm f/1.8. It's cheap as hell, good to learn on, great for low light and it will give you a taste of how sharp primes are.

Hey thanks for the reply, I really want to stick to the T3i, I found this deal the other day
Canon EOS Digital Rebel T3i 18MP SLR Camera 18 55mm 75 300mm Bundle 089341685299 | eBay
i know its expired but if i find something similar would it be worth it?

Also before you decide to invest in more glass, try renting them first. My suggestion would be Adorama Rental, or B&H. Both companies are reputable and will become your favorite go to place.

before i buy an expensive lens i will, thanks for the heads up!

I started with the T2i and it is a great camera. I would also recommend going with the kit lens to start just to get the experience with a zoom lens. The next lens I would look into after that would be the 50mm 1.4 (I LOVE this lens) and it is fairly cheap. The 50mm is a great multi-purpose lens that is a must have for most photographers. Canon makes some great macros! The 100mm L or non-L verson of Canons macro lenses are both great. They not only are great as macro lenses but they are AWESOME for portraits as well. I hope that helps.

it does help thank you, i used my cousins T2i before and liked it as well

 

[MLeeK]

That 75-300 is a pretty LOW quality lens. I'd look for one with the 55-250. For the price it's not a bad kit at all!

 

[faisal629]

That 75-300 is a pretty LOW quality lens. I'd look for one with the 55-250. For the price it's not a bad kit at all!

so i just ordered the following items from amazon..
Amazon.com: Canon EOS Rebel T3i 18 MP CMOS APS-C Sensor DIGIC 4 Image Processor Full-HD Movie Mode Digital SLR Camera with 3.0-Inch Clear View Vari-Angle LCD and EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS Lens: Camera & Photo
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0011NVMO8/ref=ox_sc_act_title_3?ie=UTF8&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007M54E08/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER
total was $850...but i only spent $680!
did i get a good deal?
im not gonna open anything, amazon will release its blackfriday sale on 11/19 which is 29 days away so i can return this is they offer it for cheaper..let me know what you guys think

 

[jaomul]

That 75-300 is a pretty LOW quality lens. I'd look for one with the 55-250. For the price it's not a bad kit at all!

so i just ordered the following items from amazon..
Amazon.com: Canon EOS Rebel T3i 18 MP CMOS APS-C Sensor DIGIC 4 Image Processor Full-HD Movie Mode Digital SLR Camera with 3.0-Inch Clear View Vari-Angle LCD and EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS Lens: Camera & Photo
Amazon.com: Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4.0-5.6 IS II Telephoto Zoom Lens for Canon Digital SLR Cameras: Camera & Photo
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007M54E08/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER
total was $850...but i only spent $680!
did i get a good deal?
im not gonna open anything, amazon will release its blackfriday sale on 11/19 which is 29 days away so i can return this is they offer it for cheaper..let me know what you guys think

I would say that's a great set up for the money. Don't forget to start posting photos when it turns up

 

[SamiJoSchwirtz]

I would buy it with the kit lens..
You can always get another lens down the road.
Not bad lenses, it'll get the job done until you think of the lens you desire.

 

[unpopular]

As far as bodies go, from my personal experience it is far better to get the best body you can afford - even if it's a few years old.

If I were you, I'd highly recommend something like the 50D.

 

[faisal629]

I would buy it with the kit lens..
You can always get another lens down the road.
Not bad lenses, it'll get the job done until you think of the lens you desire.

what are kit lens?
I ordered the T3i with the EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS and ordered an extra Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4.0-5.6 IS II Telephoto Zoom Lens, so altogether i will have 2 lens...

As far as bodies go, from my personal experience it is far better to get the best body you can afford - even if it's a few years old.

If I were you, I'd highly recommend something like the 50D.

I've already exceeded my budget, i tried looking for used but im just an amature and no intentional of making this passion more then a hobby so i hope this should be enough for the next few years

That 75-300 is a pretty LOW quality lens. I'd look for one with the 55-250. For the price it's not a bad kit at all!

so i just ordered the following items from amazon..
Amazon.com: Canon EOS Rebel T3i 18 MP CMOS APS-C Sensor DIGIC 4 Image Processor Full-HD Movie Mode Digital SLR Camera with 3.0-Inch Clear View Vari-Angle LCD and EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS Lens: Camera & Photo
Amazon.com: Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4.0-5.6 IS II Telephoto Zoom Lens for Canon Digital SLR Cameras: Camera & Photo
Amazon.com: SanDisk Extreme 16 GB SDHC Class 10 UHS-1 Flash Memory Card 45MB/s SDSDX-016G-AFFP: Computers & Accessories
total was $850...but i only spent $680!
did i get a good deal?
im not gonna open anything, amazon will release its blackfriday sale on 11/19 which is 29 days away so i can return this is they offer it for cheaper..let me know what you guys think

I would say that's a great set up for the money. Don't forget to start posting photos when it turns up

Thanks I've been waiting for quiet some time to order this camera