Starter Gear (newbie here)

[TRIPL3try]

Too long; didn't read: what are some important/useful pieces of gear to purchase for a person who is getting their first DSLR? Do lens filters affect video quality in any signicant way? What is a nice hard or soft case for a DSLR body + lens?

Hi everyone, first time poster and long-time lurker of the forums here.

To keep this as short as possible...I'm going to be getting a t4i as soon as it is available. What I'm wondering is, are there any important investments I should make for my first DSLR? I mean besides multiple batteries and multiple SD cards.

I'm planning on getting a tripod/shoulder mount, too, as well as a battery grip and lens filter (I know nothing about lens filters)

I'm a poor college student (hence getting a Rebel and not a 5D3 or a C300 ) going to school for video production. I don't know a whole lot about photography, just the basics. And I know about b&h, but I'd like to hear from some experts.

Thank you kindly for all advice...please enlighten me!

 

[wickidwombat]

my first advice would be get it with the 15-85 kit zoom and probably grab a nifty 50 f1.8 for shallow DoF and very low light, I would not worry about a filter for the 50 since the lens is only like 100 bucks

http://www.thedigitalpicture.com/Reviews/Canon-EF-S-15-85mm-f-3.5-5.6-IS-USM-Lens-Review.aspx

get a good B+W Uv filter to protect your 15-85
I would also recomend getting a good quality CPL (circular polariser) with this get yourself a 77mm one straight up and pick up some cheap step up rings off ebay, that way you canuse the CPL on any lens and when you go for bigger expensive L glass later the 77mm filter will fit most (82mm filters are much much more expensive and only apply to a few lenses deal with that bridge wehn you get to it) polarisers are really handy to have for shooting in certain situations.

then down the track look for longer lenses if you want more reach but to get started the 15-85 and 50 f1.8 will cover everything you need really when starting out

if you want to get into birding and long lenses second hand 300f4L IS lenses go cheap quite often at around $800 and give the best bang for buck for lots of reach

 

[Loswr]

+1 on wickidwombat's advice.

Random other thoughts:

Filters can affect IQ - stills and video. Get good quality ones - cheap ones hurt IQ. B+W is the way to go. UV or clear for protection (they are the same for a dSLR) and a circular polarizer to start, you may want neutral density later.

Get hoods for all the lenses you buy - they offer protection, increase contrast and saturation.

IMO, the best compromise between quality and value is Manfrotto for tripods/heads, and Lowepro for camera bags. Get a slightly larger camera bag than you think you'll need, or you'll need to buy a new one when you get a new lens (that's ok too, I have more camera bags than my wife has purses!).

For video use, look at a fluid head for the tripod.

Get some good books on stills, as the exposure concerns apply to video as well - Bryan Peterson, Michael Freeman are good authors to start with.

 

[bdunbar79]

I really enjoyed Understanding Exposure by Bryan Peterson. If you are new, it explains a lot.

 

[wickidwombat]

good advice on the hoods I recomend this hood for the 50 f1.8 (it needs a screw in hood)
this one has a screw in bayonet fitting

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Lens-Hood-Shade-Canon-EF-50mm-f-1-8-II-USM-52mm-Thread-Adapter-Ring-ES-62-L-/160816196853?pt=AU_Cameras_Photographic_Accessories&hash=item2571646cf5

also

cheap ones for the 15-85

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/EW-78E-High-quality-DSLR-Lens-Protection-Hood-CANON-EF-S15-85mm-F3-5-5-6-/260861599238?pt=AU_Cameras_Photographic_Accessories&hash=item3cbc901e06

also this ebook is worth the $10 it costs for beginners

http://www.flatbooks.com/killer-tips-for-getting-the-most-out-of-your-canon-camera-bonus/

edit and dont forget a decent tripod

these are great value for money
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/A2389-Benro-A2681TB1-Travel-Angel-Tripod-Kit-A2681T-B1-/390342181065?pt=AU_Cameras_Photographic_Accessories&hash=item5ae23500c9
they will cope fine with any lenses up to 70-200 f2.8L II and 1D bodies

 

[TRIPL3try]

Thank you, everyone. I'll look into getting the 50mm f1.8, especially as cheap as it is. I was planning on getting the 18-135mm STM zoom lens for video, too. Thoughts on that?

A hood, great idea. Forgot about that.

So is polarizer the same thing as a UV filter?

 

[wickidwombat]

Thank you, everyone. I'll look into getting the 50mm f1.8, especially as cheap as it is. I was planning on getting the 18-135mm STM zoom lens for video, too. Thoughts on that?

A hood, great idea. Forgot about that.

So is polarizer the same thing as a UV filter?

polariser and UV are different (UV is basically clear to protect the front element
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polarizing_filter_(photography)

since the 18-135 STM isnt out yet I would reserve judgement on that but everyone that has the 15-85 rates it extremely highly (similar performance to the 24-105 L) i would guess the 15-85 is still going to have better IQ than the 18-135
the 17-55 f2.8 IS is also a good option to consider more expensive though
http://www.thedigitalpicture.com/Reviews/Canon-EF-S-17-55mm-f-2.8-IS-USM-Lens-Review.aspx

 

[TRIPL3try]

Is this what I would need to make a 77mm polarizer fit on a 55mm lens? Would I need to have 5 of those on at once?

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/8-Metal-Step-Up-Lens-Filter-Ring-Stepping-Adapter-Set-49-52-55-58-62-67-72-77-82-/170828004234?pt=AU_Cameras_Photographic_Accessories&hash=item27c6247b8a#ht_4012wt_1139

 

[wickidwombat]

that stack takes too much bag room

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/72mm-77mm-72-77mm-72-77-Metal-Step-Up-Lens-Filter-Ring-Stepping-Adapter-Black-/200745126990?pt=AU_Cameras_Photographic_Accessories&hash=item2ebd578c4e

that one for the 15-85

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Metal-52mm-72mm-52-72-mm-52-72-Step-Up-Filter-Ring-Stepping-Adapter-Black-/320794548089?pt=AU_Filters&hash=item4ab0d85779

and this one for the 50mm
that way they can screw into each other and dont take much space

 

[TRIPL3try]

Excellent! Thank you, wombat. Huge help.

So this is what I'm thinking of ordering, am I missing anything?

Rebel t4i w/ 18-135mm f3.5-3.6 STM
50mm f1.8 II
B+W 77mm polarizer
2x UHS-1 16GB SDHC
2x batteries (whenever I find out what the t4i takes)
Lowepro toploader holster
Pearstone DUSM-1 shock mount
Pearstone VT-2100 fluid head tripod
Ikan camera stabilizer

Things holding off on for now:
Battery grip
JOBY Gorillapod
Lenscoat

Anything vital I'm forgetting, besides an thorough education in photography?

 

[Loswr]

Decent list.

Next stop - continuous lighting, stands, modifiers, etc.

 

[wickidwombat]

step up rings for the 18-135 might need to be 67 mm not 72 but i'm not sure you will need to check (the old one was 67mm) therefore you will need 67-77 and 52-67

not sure about that tripod though, benro do a fuid head model but again i dont use them so not sure.
all my benro gear is great and has no problem with even my 600mm lens on them

You need a bag too!

also bag choices are really personal so i suggest hitting the camera shops and trying a few out
then probably buy online to save money unless they are going to be competative (very rare as bricks and mortar stores rape and pillage on accessorie prices)

 

[Loswr]

You need a bag too!

Lowepro Toploader is listed - I love them, have two. 65AW would be the right size for the OP. A small Lens Case for the 50/1.8 could be attached to the side.

 

[wickidwombat]

You need a bag too!

Lowepro Toploader is listed - I love them, have two. 65AW would be the right size for the OP. A small Lens Case for the 50/1.8 could be attached to the side.

ah missed that!

 

[unfocused]

Slow down a bit here.

I'd strongly suggest you start with the T4i and the 18-135 STM lens. Get a UV filter for it, cards and batteries. Spend a week or two playing with those and decide then what else you need. Since you are a film student, your priorities may be far different from some of the advice you may be getting from still photographers on this forum.

See if the T4i and 18-135 STM lens really deliver on Canon's promise that it offers stabilized shooting in video mode. Play with the camera a bit and decide then what kind of rig you need. Figure out if you need a Hoodman or similar device for viewing the screen. Decide if you need an external microphone, etc. etc.

Unless you are rich, your budget is limited and the possibilities are endless. People on this forum are always ready to help you spend your money, but there will be plenty of time to do that. After the camera, lens, filter, batteries and cards, check out eBay before buying anything else new.

 

[TRIPL3try]

Unless you are rich, your budget is limited and the possibilities are endless. People on this forum are always ready to help you spend your money, but there will be plenty of time to do that. After the camera, lens, filter, batteries and cards, check out eBay before buying anything else new.

You're right, I don't want to jump into anything too quickly. eBay is pretty good for equipment, though? I just recently got into using eBay.

 

[atvinyard]

Ebay is great, just make sure you do your research. It's easy to end up paying almost as much for something used as it would cost new, and that's no bueno. Make sure you know the value of what you are bidding on, so you can get a good deal. Don't forget the canon refurbished store either.

I'm with unfocused. Build your kit slowly and with thought. You can't really know what you need/want until you know what you need/want, and that will come with discovering the things that you actually want to do with your camera. Otherwise, you might end up spending money on things you may never use.

I would recommend getting the 50 1.8 upfront, unless you want to spring for something better like the 1.4 or a 35 of some sort (f/2?). I can pretty much guarantee you'll want the wide aperture and shallow depth of field. It's like crack.

 

[unfocused]

Ebay is great, just make sure you do your research. It's easy to end up paying almost as much for something used as it would cost new, and that's no bueno. Make sure you know the value of what you are bidding on, so you can get a good deal. Don't forget the canon refurbished store either.

Yeah, I should have been more specific. I find eBay great for accessories like soft boxes, light stands, bags, etc. Things that people buy, use for awhile and then find they don't need or want. For actual camera gear, I agree the Canon refurbished store is usually a better deal if you are in the U.S. Also, if you are in school or planning to attend school, be sure and check out what the school has. I'm guessing that equipment like fluid head tripods, dollies, etc. may already be available for student use.

 

[wickidwombat]

for some reason lenses bodies etc go for insanely high prices on ebay USED I often see them go for not alot less than you can get them brand new from hong kong. It's wierd I dont know where all these lunatic buyers are but there seems to be an endless supply of them

unfocused is right accessories etc it's briliant, stands umbrellas softboxes etc

 

[Marsu42]

and probably grab a nifty 50 f1.8 for shallow DoF and very low light, I would not worry about a filter for the 50 since the lens is only like 100 bucks

Whatever basic zoom you get, the 50/1.8 as an addition is good for learning, because you only know what "thin depth of field" means if you've shot with it. It's not stellar but still a bargain because it's so inexpensive esp. when skipping the protection filter. But do get a lens hood for protection (and anti-flare) - when focusing the lens extends, and because of the crappy plastic build quality it'll break if it hits anything except for a soft cushion.

And skip the polarizer first too, it's an effect filter used for eliminating reflections on glass & water, and only determine how often you'll use it. If you really want one, get a good one for the max. filter size you'll use (maybe 77 or 82mm), but that doesn't come cheap.