Rookie needs help ! [camera & lens selection]

[griffton]

ok i want to start getting into photography.. currently a rookie  .. i have seen a lot of camera's but cant decide which to stick until i came across canon 60d .. which i find good enough .. i would like your reviews on how this camera is.. and i also want to get a lens wid it.. i've seen a Canon EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS canon lens itself with this ... i am into macro and casual type photography .. is this good enough lens for me ? if not could you'all refer me a good lens i could u for a period of a year or more.. my budget would be 10k 

[Hari]

Hi griffton,

60D is a nice camera, much better than the camera most of us have here! Go for it!
You can read a lot of reviews online, from dpreview.com, cameralabs.com, etc.

Pair a 60D with EF-S 15-85 or 17-55/2.8, this will be much better than 18-135. If your budget is less, then stick to the kit lens, saving up to buy any of these two lenses.

If you are new into photography, don't buy all your lenses too soon, wait at least six months.
You should buy a macro lens for macro photography, but 10K is not enough. Save and buy a good lens like Tamron90mm which is about 20K.

[ArindomRC]

@rshari 18-135 is 10 times better in terms of focal length and imaging qualities than 18-55. It will pretty much cover everything in the sense you are not photographing birds. 18-135 is a very good start over lens, get it , perhaps you may decide to leave 55-250 alone till later.

For macro 90mm tammy comes around 18 to 19k . You can take cheap alternatives like raynox or even cheaper magnification glasses widely available, also known as close up lenses. Believe me they are not worth the money, its pretty much complete waste. Save the money buy a tammron 90mm or sigma 105mm or tokina 100mm . Any one of these macro lens performs identical to canon flagship macro lens. So no point going for extra costly canon macro lens even if you have the thoughts in the mind.

On serious note, do you really need 60D, what exactly in 60D is more tempting to you that makes you leave 550D or 600D out of the question. I was asking this because you are starting new, secondly most of the people find 550D/600D good enough for everything.

[toofan]

buy 15-85 canon lens with this cam to use the full power of 18mp sensor. Otherwise look for any 12mp camera.

[griffton]

@rcarindom2003... yeah i prefer the canon 60d coz it has basic features plus the advance features that 500/550/600d doesnt have.. and it may take time but one can always go for advance after the basic.. instead of playing double the price changing body and all.. about the lens will 15-85 be gud enough for macro shots too ?

@toofan ... about the lens will 15-85 be gud enough for macro shots too ? coz i have seen ur pictures and i lyk ur macro picx.. so how can i get some ??

@TO ALL
i am going for a manali trip .. and i heard it pretty nyc landscape to capture and pretty prettyflowers in macro shots would help in it .. so keeping that in mind.. open for more option for lens 

[lightwave]

ok i want to start getting into photography.. currently a rookie  .. i have seen a lot of camera's but cant decide which to stick until i came across canon 60d .. which i find good enough .. i would like your reviews on how this camera is.. and i also want to get a lens wid it.. i've seen a Canon EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS canon lens itself with this ... i am into macro and casual type photography .. is this good enough lens for me ? if not could you'all refer me a good lens i could u for a period of a year or more.. my budget would be 10k 

60D is a fantastic body. I am thrilled with it.
The 18-135 lens will serve you well. Just that its not a terribly fast lens for indoors low light without flash photography. For that you could buy the uber cheap 4.5 K 50mm 1.8 lens. These two will be enough for you to learn all the basics. Then when you want to specialise in certain genre you can buy an appropriate lens for that.

[lightwave]

@TO ALL
i am going for a manali trip .. and i heard it pretty nyc landscape to capture and pretty prettyflowers in macro shots would help in it .. so keeping that in mind.. open for more option for lens 

Since you are so much interested in Macros, either you could invest in Macro lens as mentioned above, or you could buy the uber cheap 50mm 1.8 lens i mentioned and use it with extension tubes to get Macros. A lot of Vimal's lovely macros are with 50mm on ETs. Cheap manua lETs will only cost you like Rs700 or so but there is a learning curve involved. It's not as easy as it looks.
The 15-85 is a great lens ... but it is not a macro lens.

[toofan]

for indoors consider a fast zoom lens rather then a 50mm. 15-85 will be a good choice for Landscapes also. You could take macros with this lens but you will need Extension tubes for that purpose. It would be better to buy a dedicated macro lens or other accessories later when you understand these things in better way.

I use a 50mm 1.8 lens + extension tubes.

[Brendon]

I use a 50mm 1.8 lens + extension tubes.

Yes but do note that the OP wants to use a Canon 50mm f1.8 which won't let you change the aperture unless you use the DOF preview trick.

[amitk26]

I use a 50mm 1.8 lens + extension tubes.

Yes but do note that the OP wants to use a Canon 50mm f1.8 which won't let you change the aperture unless you use the DOF preview trick.

OK in that case OP can buy a Canon 50mm F1.8 for 4-5K +   Kenko or  some other e-bay auto extension tube for Canon in 5-6K

[lightwave]

for indoors consider a fast zoom lens rather then a 50mm. 15-85 will be a good choice for Landscapes also. You could take macros with this lens but you will need Extension tubes for that purpose. It would be better to buy a dedicated macro lens or other accessories later when you understand these things in better way.

I use a 50mm 1.8 lens + extension tubes.

None of fast indoor zooms will fit OPs budget. 15-85 is not a fast lens too. So 50mm might be best for him.

[toofan]

It will be like using a 75mm focal length indoor.

[lightwave]

It will be like using a 75mm focal length indoor.

That's right. I use it. Wonderful indoors. Unless the rooms are tiny.

[griffton]

ok so i can get the xtension shoots ..  so preferable which lens would go wid it ??  a 15-85 or a 15-50 ?

[toofan]

It will be like using a 75mm focal length indoor.

That's right. I use it. Wonderful indoors. Unless the rooms are tiny.

Yes very true, this 50mm hunts for focus in low light.

[lightwave]

ok so i can get the xtension shoots ..  so preferable which lens would go wid it ??  a 15-85 or a 15-50 ?

Have you worked out your needs and budget. There is no 15-50 lens. I suggest either stay with kit lens or work out specific needs. 15-85 is great kit lens replacement though bit expensive.

[Image]

Yes very true, this 50mm hunts for focus in low light.

Which 50mm does not hunt in low light ? (or 85mm or 105 mm or 135mm).

[Hankosaurus]

Yes very true, this 50mm hunts for focus in low light.

Which 50mm does not hunt in low light ? (or 85mm or 105 mm or 135mm).

The following do not hunt in low light:
Nikkor S 50mm f1.4; Nikkor 105mm f2.5 AIS; Nikkor Q 135mm f3.5

[Image]

Henry, Cool. Any of the modern lenses that don't hunt ? None of my lenses hunt when I use manual focus 

[toofan]

My personal experience, my 18-105mm kit lens has less problem then 50mm 1.8 . 18-105mm does a good job in focusing at low light. May be I am not much experienced with low light. As I mostly shoot outside.