SLR Camera musts?

Question

I just bought a new Canon XSI camera. What are some beginner musts for a SLR camera? I have a 18-55mm lens. What about filters and the likes? I don't really know anything about cameras as of now so if you could give the reason for your choice I'd appreciate it :) Thanks!

Answer 1

1) A Haze/UV filter to protect the front element of your lens.

2) A Circular Polarizer. A polarizer will remove reflections/glare from glass, sand, snow, water and painted metal - but not polished metal. It will also darken a blue sky and enhances colors.

3) The correct lens hood for your lens if it didn't come with one. A lens hood will block out stray light that can degrade your pictures.

4) A good quality lens cleaning cloth made for camera lenses. Although you'll only be cleaning the filters its best to have the right cloth.

When buying your filters, choose from Heliopan, B+W, Singh-Ray, Tiffen or Hoya. Don't waste your money on no-name filters that come packaged "3 for only $24.95!" Always remember: "Quality doesn't cost, it pays." I've been using a Tiffen polarizer for over 30 years - bought it back in 1972.

You might also consider the Magic Lantern Instructional DVD for your camera. Its available at amazon.com and probably at Circuit City.

Taking photography classes would be the best way to really learn how to use your camera.

Answer 2

First off I would suggest that you buy a UV filter for your lens. It blocks the UV light but more importantly will protect your lens. After that I would play around with what you have for a while. Figure out what it is you like to shoot and get the lenses you need for that. Some lenses and what they would be used for are

Wide angle: Canon 10-22mm for landscapes and architecture.

Telephoto: Great for sports, wildlife and anything else you need to get in close on. There are many lenses in this category. Some zoom lenses, some fixed focal lengths. Prices on these can run from a couple hundred to thousands. A common one would be the 70-300mm.

Portraits: I would go with a 50mm F1.8 or 1.4. These lenses are very sharp and fast. With the crop factor on your camera they are the perfect focal length for portraits.

Close-ups: Macro lens. Canon makes several of them. The most useful is the 100mm F2.8 macro.

Remember to stay with Canon if you can afford to. The most important aspect in the quality of your photos will be the lens you use. They will also long out live your camera.