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What do I need?

+2
llamnuds
Miranda
6 posters

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1What do I need? Empty What do I need? Sun Feb 08, 2009 12:43 pm

Miranda

Miranda

Hi,

Today I was in London...and really stupid, I forgot my SD-card in my laptop. So I went to Jessops to buy a backup card for in my wallet. If I ever forget my card again then I still have that one...

I asked for a 2gb card and the man in the store talked me into an 4gb card...He had a good story and the price was not a big difference, so I bought the 4gb.

Then he tried to sell me a lens (50mm?), I already have 2 lenses and I'm just a beginner, I'm doing this since november last year...So I think I already have enough lenses for a beginner.

Then he wanted to sell me UV filters for my lenses....just 18 pound each (No, I'm not rich!)

And I was just looking for a small bag, only for my camera with kitlens. So I can do that small bag in a normal handbag. Then he tried to sell me a big bag, bacause he didn't had the size I was looking for...

And then he started about batterygrips, I payed and ended the conversation...
I really had the idea he tried to sell me everything in the store...do I really need all this?

I have a camera with 2 lenses, 18-55mm (kitlens) and a 70-300mm. A good bag for camera and both lenses (fits perfect). 2 sd-card (both 4gb) and a tripod. Do I really need more?

2What do I need? Empty Re: What do I need? Sun Feb 08, 2009 1:40 pm

llamnuds



Hi Miranda,

I'm an SLR beginner myself, my set-up is similar to yours, 18-55mm, 70-300mm, tripod and an 8GB card.

Lenses are really expensive and for the sake of £15-£30, in my humble opinion, a UV filter to protect the front of them is a worthwhile investment. If the front of the lens gets damaged, the lens may stop working and you'd have to buy a new lens. But if the lens has a UV filter on it (or any filter), and the front of the lens got damaged or dirty, the idea is that the filter would act as a protective barrier, which can be replaced if need be, at a much lower cost than a new lens.

The 50mm prime lens is relatively cheap as lenses go (£50-£80), and does produce some lovely images. Especially if you like very shallow depth of fields, as they can usually go down to f1.8.

For example.

What do I need? 3222846985_e722b553d9

There is a building behind this plant, but because of the shallow depth of field (DOF) it's very blurry, to the point of dissapearing in fact. The lower a lenses f number is, the "faster" a lens is said to be, and the shallower the DOF you can produce.

Your avartar picture also demonstrates this nicely.

This is often called Bokeh.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bokeh


At the end of the day, he was a salesman, and it's his job to make you spend as much money in his shop as he can. You did well to fight him off!

You'll know when you need to buy more equipment, when you find your existing equipment doesn't do what you want it to! But I'd recommend buying the filters, just to protect your lenses.

Cheers,
Shaun



Last edited by llamnuds on Sun Feb 08, 2009 1:50 pm; edited 2 times in total

http://www.flickr.com/photos/llamnuds/

3What do I need? Empty Re: What do I need? Sun Feb 08, 2009 1:45 pm

PaulD



The amount of kit really depends on how much you get into photography. Some people need to have almost every gadget available - some make do with the basics.

Memory cards - very much depends on how trigger happy you are with the shutter. To shoot everything at maximum file size and RAW you can almost never have too many cards! One suggestion - some photographers prefer to have several smaller cards than one large (i.e. 2x4Gb instead of 1x8Gb) if the card fails you do not lose everything!

Lenses - again depends on what you want to achieve. A good prime lens is generally faster (bigger aperture - lower f number) and lets in more light, allowing faster shutter speed in lower light conditions - plus allowing some extra creative control. Prime (non-zoom) lenses generally give a better image, but you lose the flexibility of the zoom. I agree with comments elsewhere on the forum that the kit lenses produce a softer image. But - If your happy with the quality of the results your getting then stick with what you have until you know what you want.

UV filters (and skylight filters) - these are generally recommended, not so much to improve or change the image but to protect the front lens element in case of an accident. It's much cheaper to replace the filter than an expensive lens.

Battery grips - provide extra power (more batteries) for your camera therefore allowing you to take many more pics without having to recharge. They also usually have a second shutter release and basic controls to allow you to shoot more comfortably while holding the camera in portrait mode.

Kit Bags - there are many many bags available. The choice of bag to use depends on how mauch kit you want to drag around with you. Large bags can be cumbersome tiring and sometimes a pain - but at least you are able to have all your kit with you - you never know when you might need that longer lens. Smaller bags are useful if you know what you need on the current trip - plus they are more comfortable to carry round.

My humble opinion - buy the UV filters - but stick with what you've got until you know you need to upgrade or add to your kit!
I'm sure others will have their opinions - over to the rest of you bom

4What do I need? Empty Re: What do I need? Mon Feb 09, 2009 1:19 pm

Colin

Colin

Hi Miranda

I really dislike sales people like that Evil or Very Mad

As has already been suggested, get a couple of GOOD UV filters as protection if you don't alreay have them. From then on, if you find there is something you want to do but can't because you don't have the equipment, you know you need to start saving. Very Happy

5What do I need? Empty Re: What do I need? Mon Feb 09, 2009 1:58 pm

llamnuds



What makes a good UV filter?
I guess it'll be more expensive, but apart from price what are the differences?
Can you tell by looking at it, or testing it, somehow?
If I gave you a filter with the name covered up, could you determine whether it's a good one or not?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/llamnuds/

6What do I need? Empty Re: What do I need? Mon Feb 09, 2009 3:00 pm

Miranda

Miranda

Ok, thanks everybody!
I'm going to look for UV filters, first look for the price difference here and in Holland...Wink

The man in the store just drived me crazy, I don't like it when people are pushing and don't stop offering things.... Also because in Holland I worked in a Dixons store, so I was a sales(wo)men myself, and I am/was the opposide of this men...

Because I worked at Dixons it doesn't mean I really know a lot about SLR, haha. If people were asking me about SLR, I asked a colleague to help the costumer....I had other qualities, like normal camera's, mp3 and the household department (yes, some Dixons stores in Holland have household stuff like ladyshaves and irons...) Wink

7What do I need? Empty Re: What do I need? Mon Feb 09, 2009 3:29 pm

Gregory



The one good thing about having less memory space on your cards is you consider each shot a lot more and dont become trigger happy which should in theory make for better photography.

I can wholeheartedly agree you should get a filter on your lens. I was shooting an abandoned ship in Cliffe wearing a whooly unsuitable pair of trainers at low tide.

I uttered the immortal words "Someone's going to fall over in a minute so I'm out of here" Within seconds I had fallen lens first into the mud and yes I had forgotten to put my filter back on after putting it on another lens. Whoops!

http://www.talkinginwhispers.com

8What do I need? Empty Re: What do I need? Tue Feb 10, 2009 3:20 am

Colin

Colin

Hi llamnuds

Simple answer is no I wouldn't know a good UV filter if it was sitting in my cornflakes but I am sure that more expert people than me would.

Colin

9What do I need? Empty Re: What do I need? Tue Feb 10, 2009 6:08 am

Miranda

Miranda

I am going to buy 1 of 2 filters at Jessops. Or is there a cheaper shop?
In Holland they are more expensive at the moment, because the pound is very low.

10What do I need? Empty Re: What do I need? Thu Feb 12, 2009 11:02 am

Miranda

Miranda

I've bought 2 filters, for both lenses 1. Pffffff, expensive hobby...

11What do I need? Empty Re: What do I need? Sun Feb 22, 2009 6:48 am

aaaajjjj

aaaajjjj

With regard to SD/CF sizing, I think that even if you get really huge cards (http://www.play.com/Electronics/Electronics/4-/6108330/Play-com-32GB-SD-HC-Memory-Card/Product.html?cm_mmc=Froogle-_-Electronics-_-Memory+Cards-_-Play.com%2B32GB%2BSD%2BHC%2BMemory%2BCard&source=5065&engine=froogle_electronics&keyword=Play.com+32GB+SD+HC+Memory+Card), you'll still fill them - whether because you become lazy at uploading, or take hundreds of pictures of average quailty/copies of each shot, even if shooting in RAW. If space is such an issue, a protable Hard drive is the answer: 500GB for £50 often.

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