Soldato
I think 50mm 1.8 too! Great lens for the money and it produces sharp images with nice enough bokeh. You also get to learn about photography using your feet and it makes you think about composition more.
DSLR beginner lens
- Thread starter Guitarman0
- Start date
I bought a Minolta 'Beer Can' AF - 70 - 120mm for about £20 in an auction (it was in a box of junk) which was the best purchase I've ever made. It was in mint condition and still works to date.
Great for long distance (1m+) and the aperture can generate some really high quality photos of subjects.
Great for long distance (1m+) and the aperture can generate some really high quality photos of subjects.
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Here's another thumbs up for the 50mm 1.8. Fantastic value for money, and great fun too! 
I think you'd find it's a good first step on the ladder.
Most in here will agree that once you've started, there's no stopping you, and no matter what lens you buy, you'll want to upgrade soon again! As your confidence grows, so does the hole in your wallet...
I think you'd find it's a good first step on the ladder. Most in here will agree that once you've started, there's no stopping you, and no matter what lens you buy, you'll want to upgrade soon again! As your confidence grows, so does the hole in your wallet...
Soldato
I started out with (and still use) the Canon 450D and 18-55 IS kit lens (plus the 70-300mm tamron as part of the pack). It's been a great camera and lens choice, I found the kit lens generally a good all rounder for the kind of shots I was taking at the time while learning and experimenting to see what the camera and lens could do.
I believe the Canon kit lens you get now doesn't have IS? is this correct? one of my friends bought the 450d and kit lens about 6 months after I bought mine and got a non-IS version of it.
I have since bought a 50mm 1.4 and use that 99% of the time now however I think the 50mm is a bad plan for a first lens. I really do love it but I can imagine it being very frustrating having one as your first lens and not having a zoom, I find that in some situations its a challenge to use even now where a zoom would have been perfect.
Id say save the 50mm for later and get stuck in with a kit lens
I believe the Canon kit lens you get now doesn't have IS? is this correct? one of my friends bought the 450d and kit lens about 6 months after I bought mine and got a non-IS version of it.
I have since bought a 50mm 1.4 and use that 99% of the time now however I think the 50mm is a bad plan for a first lens. I really do love it but I can imagine it being very frustrating having one as your first lens and not having a zoom, I find that in some situations its a challenge to use even now where a zoom would have been perfect.
Id say save the 50mm for later and get stuck in with a kit lens
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- 27 Feb 2009
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When i first started out i bought a second hand canon with kit lens (18-55 IS).
I think that the kit lens is good enough to get you started and is great as a walkabout lens. It took me a good few months to get to grips with the basics and this lens was ideal for me. I bought the 50mm 1.8 a few months later purely because i had heard it was a great lens for the money (which it is!) but it was the kit lens i used most.
About five months ago i purchased the Tamron 17-50 and this has now replaced my kit lens and it is barely off my camera.
I wouldn't change how i've approached getting into photography to be honest and i've been lucky enough to have been given some great advice on what to go for and what price to pay, i've just got to keep learning to take better shots!
I think that the kit lens is good enough to get you started and is great as a walkabout lens. It took me a good few months to get to grips with the basics and this lens was ideal for me. I bought the 50mm 1.8 a few months later purely because i had heard it was a great lens for the money (which it is!) but it was the kit lens i used most.
About five months ago i purchased the Tamron 17-50 and this has now replaced my kit lens and it is barely off my camera.
I wouldn't change how i've approached getting into photography to be honest and i've been lucky enough to have been given some great advice on what to go for and what price to pay, i've just got to keep learning to take better shots!
Hmm, although I agree it's a nice beginner(ish) lens and at an amazing price, I wouldn't say any prime lens is a good choice for a first lens. A complete beginner will want and probably need the flexibility of a zoom. I know it's good for making you think about composition and such, but let's be honest - it's a bit harsh to force a new photographer to use a prime lens for everything.
I would say a kit lens is fine, and within a few months to a year you will know how serious you are about your new found hobby and can make a decision to upgrade.
I started out with the standard Canon 18-55 kit lens but soon upgraded to a Sigma 17-70mm which goes down to 2.8 and macro. It served me brilliantly and I got loads of excellent photos with it. It comes in at around £250 last time I checked though, so it might be out of your budget right now.
I bought a 500d as it was a good all rounder. I wanted a beginners camera to learn and then if I required, to take video quickly.
Heres a video I took on my cameras first outing to my local race club using kit lense. People will say here that video in a SLR is rubbish and useless. But its a nice little feature to have when required.
Buying a nifty 50 soon and then a oproper fast lens for when I go to the F1 in the summer.
Heres a video I took on my cameras first outing to my local race club using kit lense. People will say here that video in a SLR is rubbish and useless. But its a nice little feature to have when required.
Buying a nifty 50 soon and then a oproper fast lens for when I go to the F1 in the summer.
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listen to them little wheels squeak! I also agree that having video available is a nice touch but ofcourse not as a permanant video camera.