What do I need?

[3of11]

I am looking at purchasing either Canon XTi or 40D and am trying to figure out the total price I would be paying. I am just wondering what extras I will need to buy. Do you suggest an extra battery? Will one lens (28-135mm, stabilized) be enough? What else would you suggest? I just don't want to start buying a camera that I can't afford to buy all I need for it. Any suggestions will be welcomed. Thank you.

 

[Big Mike]

You probably don't need an extra battery but if you do, check out www.sterlingtek.com, you can get two of them for around $20 plus shipping.

The camera itself won't come with a memory card, so you will need one. Many places will include one when you buy a camera, but that depends on where you buy and what 'kit' you get. There are plenty of places to get memory cards, Costco is usually pretty good (if you have a membership). I hear that Newegg.com is a pretty good site for that, but they don't deliver to Canada, so I don't know for sure.

The 28-135mm IS, is a decent lens for starting out. My one concern is that it won't be very wide on a camera like the XTi (or any of the digital rebel models or the 20D, 30D, 40D etc.)

I would recommend the EF-S 17-85mm IS, which is basically the same lens, but in a digital only EF-S format. That's a personal choice though, but I do suggest you get into a camera store to try out those lenses on that body, just to be sure that you know what you are getting.

So besides a memory card, you shouldn't need anything else to start out with. Plenty of optional stuff to think about though...Maybe a camera bag, tripod, circular polarizing filter.

 

[keith204]

What do you plan on shooting?

 

[3of11]

I plan on mostly photographing people.

 

[Village Idiot]

I plan on mostly photographing people.

Then you need to learn about lighting.

 

[3of11]

Thanks for the advice on lenses. I really am kind of clueless on what is good since I am just starting out. I will do some further researching and go to a camera store to test them out. Which lens would be best for photographing people?

 

[Big Mike]

There is no 'best' lens for photographing people. However, you typically want to avoid really wide angels when shooting portraits because they cause distortion. 85mm to 100mm is a nice length for shooting people, especially head shots. However, you need to have enough room to shoot, especially if you want full body shots.

I suggest getting a lens that covers the 'normal' range, which is about 17mm to 60mm on your camera. Use that for a while and then you will have a better idea of what you want.

 

[TheOtherBob]

I plan on mostly photographing people.

Sorry for the string of questions, but people doing what?

If it's really nice portraiture, then lighting basics are a must -- some people like www.strobist.com for the nuts and bolts. (And you'll eventually need at least a good flash to do it well.)

For pictures of people playing sports or in bands, you'll need a fast lens -- one with a large aperture.

For snapshots or "man on the street" shots, you may not need an SLR at all in some cases.

 

[3of11]

My focus will be portraiture and lots of head shots. I love to go in close. I am sorry to trouble you with all of my newbie questions, but I really love the advice you've given me. Would this be a good lens?
Canon EF-S 17-85mm f/4-5.6 Image Stabilized USM SLR Lens for EOS Digital SLR's
I think my next step is to go look and try out cameras. Thanks for ALL the great info!

 

[Big Mike]

I would recommend the EF-S 17-85mm IS, which is basically the same lens, but in a digital only EF-S format. That's a personal choice though, but I do suggest you get into a camera store to try out those lenses on that body, just to be sure that you know what you are getting.