• Gear discussion thread v. "I own more nifty fifties than cameras they fit"
    2,522 replies, posted
[QUOTE=G-Strogg;39529178]Can you guys recommend a good first time camera+objective? I'd prefer something that's decent for both photography and recording movies, and something Canon, but I'm of course flexible since I'd assume you guys know what's best :v:. Price isn't the biggest issue, but not TOO expensive, i'm an amateur, after all.[/QUOTE] Well, a 550D with an 18-135mm IS STM in a kit (if that particular one exists) will suit all of your needs; focal range is good, ISO is good, image quality is good, you will get image stabilization, good autofocus, and you're not getting too pricey yet.
550D and 18-135 IS STM(which was introduced with the 650D) kit is non-existant. You would have to buy the things separate, and the 550D is being phased out for a long time now so the 600D is a better choice because it's available more and it's even cheaper than the 550D (well, in The Netherlands it is...).
I suppose I'll wait a bit for more responses and recommendations to come in. Thanks for the tips thus far tho, much appreciated.
i'm sayin 600D wae a 18-135
Sony a57 is a good camera too. Body only is a good price, then you can get a Sony 18-135mm off of keh.com for like $350
T3i/600D for sure. It's the best bang for your buck. You'll also be able to use Magic Lantern. I have a T2i/550D and I love it to death. It takes great pictures and video. The 600D is almost identical to the 550D performance wise.
[QUOTE=frag4life;39531909]... and the 550D is being phased out for a long time now so the 600D is a better choice because it's available more and it's even cheaper than the 550D (well, in The Netherlands it is...).[/QUOTE] Didn't know that. Well then, if you want to go Canon, the 600D with 18-135mm is the way to go.
[QUOTE=Trogdon;39523727]Shutters are expensive, and they have to be built to different strengths depending on max speeds. Like my minolta 9xi does 1/12000, and it has titanium blades that are very expensive. Aside from the maxxum 9 no camera has had the same speed since, I assume due to cost (and digital not really needing it, it's useful for film because you can use faster film in the daylight and not overexposed). And yes the beach is an area where it's very bright and you can exceed 1/8000. And ISO 50 is just 100 with the exposure changed, I don't recommend it as you lose dynamic range. ND filters can be a hassle and lower image quality. I would recommend just stopping down a little bit and avoiding the hassle[/QUOTE] I thought it had reinforced carbon blades?
[QUOTE=Raygen;39532665]Didn't know that. Well then, if you want to go Canon, the 600D with 18-135mm is the way to go.[/QUOTE] I might go with this then, the 600D was a whopping 100€ cheaper anyways :v:. Is there any other recommended equipment I should think about?
The Canon "nifty fifty" 50mm f1.8 should probably be your first lens. It will end up being an 80mm due to the crop sensor, but it's cheap, fast, and gives great results. It's a great prime lens to start learning on. If you can find a cheap 30mm that would be good too. I'd help you out right now with finding one, but I'm at work. Shhh. Don't tell.
[QUOTE=T2L_Goose;39532926]The Canon "nifty fifty" 50mm f1.8 should probably be your first lens. It will end up being an 80mm due to the crop sensor, but it's cheap, fast, and gives great results. It's a great prime lens to start learning on. If you can find a cheap 30mm that would be good too. I'd help you out right now with finding one, but I'm at work. Shhh. Don't tell.[/QUOTE] I was looking at the 18-135 the others were mentioning, it is a bit steep, but it's also good for filming so I'm not quite sure what to think yet.
[QUOTE=G-Strogg;39533016]I was looking at the 18-135 the others were mentioning, it is a bit steep, but it's also good for filming so I'm not quite sure what to think yet.[/QUOTE] It's nice to have a zoom lens for overall flexibility, but the problem with the 18-135 is that it's not a constant aperture, which means that when you zoom in, the iris will automatically stop down, potentially underexposing your shot or footage. You want a fast prime lens so you can shoot in darker situations while preserving a shallow depth of field. If you're going to be shooting video, primes are what you will mostly want to use. You could get the 600D with the 18-55mm kit lens for basic use, and then with the saved money, purchase the 50mm f1.8. And for clarification, the reason why constant aperture is a big deal is because if you're shooting video, and you're trying to achieve a filmic look with 24fps, you'll be shooting with your shutter speed at about 1/47 (1/50 without magic lantern). That means your only options to control exposure is aperture and ISO. If your lens stops down when you zoom I for a separate shot, you'd have to bring up your ISO to keep with consistency of your exposure. This can sometimes cause noise issues, making your footage look grainy.
[QUOTE=T2L_Goose;39533075]It's nice to have a zoom lens for overall flexibility, but the problem with the 18-135 is that it's not a constant aperture, which means that when you zoom in, the iris will automatically stop down, potentially underexposing your shot or footage. You want a fast prime lens so you can shoot in darker situations while preserving a shallow depth of field. If you're going to be shooting video, primes are what you will mostly want to use. You could get the 600D with the 18-55mm kit lens for basic use, and then with the saved money, purchase the 50mm f1.8. And for clarification, the reason why constant aperture is a big deal is because if you're shooting video, and you're trying to achieve a filmic look with 24fps, you'll be shooting with your shutter speed at about 1/47 (1/50 without magic lantern). That means your only options to control exposure is aperture and ISO. If your lens stops down when you zoom I for a separate shot, you'd have to bring up your ISO to keep with consistency of your exposure. This can sometimes cause noise issues, making your footage look grainy.[/QUOTE] Well, when you put it that way, it seems as a smarter thing to get the 50mm first, but this is also kind of a present I'm recieving, so it would also be smarter to get the 18-135 first and buy the 50mm later since it's much, much cheaper.
[QUOTE=Elfy;39532731]I thought it had reinforced carbon blades?[/QUOTE] That is correct, I was wrong. I think that's expensive as well though. [QUOTE=G-Strogg;39533016]I was looking at the 18-135 the others were mentioning, it is a bit steep, but it's also good for filming so I'm not quite sure what to think yet.[/QUOTE] The STM is very worth it over the other version. And to make it constant aperture, stop it down to 5.6 and then it stays the same throughout the range. I did that one a video shoot with my old 28-135mm lens. I shot an indoor choir event at f5.6, 1/50th, and ISO 1600 and the shot looked great still. Noise isn't as bad in video as it is in stills because the resolution isn't as big.
Well shit, you should maybe check out the T4i/650D with the 18-135 STM lens instead then. Its only a bit more expensive than the T3i with the standard 18-135 zoom (at least on amazon), and you'll be able to take advantage of the new autofocus while recording video feature on the T4i.
Hm, I have a lot of thinking to do, I don't know if I can utilise amazon deals because I live in Sweden, and things here might be a bit more expensive.
[QUOTE=G-Strogg;39533533]Hm, I have a lot of thinking to do, I don't know if I can utilise amazon deals because I live in Sweden, and things here might be a bit more expensive.[/QUOTE] That's a bummer. Well, either way, you can't really go wrong with either combination.
[QUOTE=T2L_Goose;39533460]Well shit, you should maybe check out the T4i/650D with the 18-135 STM lens instead then. Its only a bit more expensive than the T3i with the standard 18-135 zoom (at least on amazon), and you'll be able to take advantage of the new autofocus while recording video feature on the T4i.[/QUOTE] The autofocus isn't good on video or important, it is that the STM has a new optical formula that is much better than the previous iteration of the lens
Yeah, STM's are incredibly silent
Does silent mean actually making little noise or just that's the focus shift is subtle, or is it something else?
[QUOTE=G-Strogg;39534696]Does silent mean actually making little noise or just that's the focus shift is subtle, or is it something else?[/QUOTE] The STM lenses have a really quiet focus motor. I'd listen to Trog. He knows what he's talking about.
Pick up most of my canon knowledge from frag4life actually :P But yeah it's super quiet. You can probably hear it in silent environments but that's about it. It's a good lens overall, great zoom range and packing good image quality
I can confirm the 18-135 STM is a great lens, I absolutely love it and definitely recommend it over the 18-55 unless you're really short on cash. The optics are much improved, internal focusing is awesome (no focus breathing yay) and it has a nicer zoom range which is handy -- I found myself sometimes getting a little annoyed with my 18-55 because of its relatively short zoom. It's very useful as a first/kit/general purpose lens. Plus it looks pretty neat with the lens hood :v: You can [I]sort of[/I] hear it if it's quiet but otherwise I haven't heard a peep. It focuses fairly well (I'm not too sure if it's quicker than the 18-55, if not it's about as quick) and it doesn't hunt unless you give it something really challenging.
more protips: defo get a zoom first, it gives you a feel for different focal lengths, composition, distortions etc. instead of shooting shitloads of 50mm f/1.8 footage over and over until you've done it to death.
I don't know. I had the 18-130 as a first in kit when I got my cam and got so used to it that I feel very limited and uncomfortable with a fixed lens now. It's challenging and exciting but it's also annoying sometimes.
It depends what you want to get into. Working with people you should get a 50. On a crop body it will be around 80mm, near perfect for portraits.
[QUOTE=Trogdon;39535022]Pick up most of my canon knowledge from frag4life actually :P But yeah it's super quiet. You can probably hear it in silent environments but that's about it. It's a good lens overall, great zoom range and packing good image quality[/QUOTE] but would you say the 18-135 is good for all round photography and video? As I said, this could be given to me as a gift so I could definitely afford a 50mm later on.
It doesn't allow that sweet shallow focus that is totally hipp and in right now, all of that glas loses a lot of light. So again: it depends on what you want to do but it's nice for a beginner.
[QUOTE=G-Strogg;39537865]but would you say the 18-135 is good for all round photography and video? As I said, this could be given to me as a gift so I could definitely afford a 50mm later on.[/QUOTE] Yes it is. A very versatile lens.
[QUOTE=Killuah;39537914]It doesn't allow that sweet shallow focus that is totally hipp and in right now, all of that glas loses a lot of light. So again: it depends on what you want to do but it's nice for a beginner.[/QUOTE] Shallow depth of field has been popular since the invention of photography :v:
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