General Discussion

[eastavenge]

Alrighty you guys. I'm gonna buy a canon 600d on Tuesday and the Canon EF 50mm F1.4 USM lense as recommended by Pat. What other day one stuff should I buy? I don't mind shopping around a bit like with amazon. I'm thinking a memory card (Well, defo more like) and maybe a bag or case - as well as a tripod.

Suggestions?

[hydra25]

Make sure you get a high speed memory card. I use a Lowepro fastpack bag, with easy access to your camera and my tripod I got as part of a bundle with my camera, it's a Velbon DF-50.

[PatC_PSN]

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eastavenge wrote:
Alrighty you guys. I'm gonna buy a canon 600d on Tuesday and the Canon EF 50mm F1.4 USM lense as recommended by Pat. What other day one stuff should I buy? I don't mind shopping around a bit like with amazon. I'm thinking a memory card (Well, defo more like) and maybe a bag or case - as well as a tripod.

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I'm impressed!

Yes, get a couple of memory cards (I use Transcend 32GB class 6 but there are plenty of other options) and some kind of bag. I've used Lowepro bags for years and they have plenty of choices. The thing with bags is that you have to try and predict how much stuff you will want to carry around. These days I carry three lenses maximum, despite owning many more. If you carry too much stuff around the weight just makes you start to hate photography. Travel light. The most valuable camera equipment you will ever own is what you have with you when you need to take a shot.

I would also recommend a Canon lens hood (for that lens the ES-71II - £16.99 from Amazon) and you may also want to get a UV filter to protect the lens (58mm for that lens - I'd recommend the B+W ones, £16.74 from Amazon).

I'd get at least one spare battery. Only go for Canon LP-E8 batteries, not the cheaper copies. The BG-E8 battery grip is also very nice if you can afford it, but certainly not essential.

Tripods present more of a conundrum. Forget cheap, light tripods, they are a waste of money. Good tripods are heavy tripods (unless you can somehow defy the laws of physics), but I'd think carefully before buying any tripod. Great for studio/portrait work, but you have to be pretty determined to want to be carrying a good, heavy one around for long when you're out. 

The best advice is to get out there shooting with the basics, and only add more equipment when you feel constrained in some way by not having it. And of course to enjoy it and learn from it, in roughly equal measures.

[hydra25]

Photo I took in Devon the other week.

Can view it larger on my photostream  http://www.flickr.com/photos/hydra25/

[DaveyJam]

I didn't actually take the picture, but that is me after blowing hookah smoke in a wine glass. I also added the effect.

Nothing special; but the smoke looks awesome

[eastavenge]

Alrighty so a few more Qs;

So putting photos on my computer - Does it just plug in like any USB thing and go on like other stuff? Does it come with any basic software that has to be used in order for me to see and do stuff with my photos? What type of formats and file types do they turn into and if they have to be changed, how do I go about doing so?

Thought I would just ask here, google with be on fire I imagine when I'm finally holding it in my hands.

[hydra25]

Depends what format you set the camera to shoot in, i imagine the default setting is .jpeg, I just plug my memory card into my laptop as my camera didnt come with a USB lead.

[Plambey]

so the bdays comin around soon, was thinkin of pickin up a few tidbits for the camera, prob not a lens as i dont have the funds, but maybe jus a filter or somethin. so a few suggestions or anythiin about em would be great. lookin for one that'll fit the 18-55kit lens an 50mm 1.8, this possible? are UV filters jus for toning down lens flare from the sun?! and are polarisers used for gettin them lovely blue skys that'd otherwise be washed out?! any recommendations on polarisers would be great. also, any1 use a gorillapod?!

[eastavenge]

Thought i would put up a photo, still in the babying phase.

Full size here. Original here.

[manphibian]