Basic Rundown on Lenses and Accesories

[miikeboyle]

Hey Guys,

My name is Mike and im new here. I currently have a little P&S Canon A80, which has served its purpose well and travelled the globe with me. Its also provided me with an insight on shutter speed, aperture and manual controls.
Im at the point where ive decided the DSLR is the next step for me. im thinking along the lines of a Canon 400d/Nikon d70/d80. Ive read various things about the kit lenses that come with the Canon, and am curious as to what makes a lens good?
I have a circular polarizer on my A80, and noticed there are 100s of different type of filters out there. could someone please give me a run down on their uses, as well as the benefit of a good tripod/monopod?

Thanks
mike

http://www.flickr.com/photos/miikeboyle

[gstark]

Hi Mike, and welcome.

I have a circular polarizer on my A80, and noticed there are 100s of different type of filters out there. could someone please give me a run down on their uses, as well as the benefit of a good tripod/monopod?

In just the one post? Sounds easy.

And in the next post I'll explain how to solve the problems of global warming, and answer all those questions you have on nuclear fusion.

Seriously, on questions of the differences between the various cameras you're looking at, there have been about three or four similar posts here in just the last week or so.

Look at this thread as a starting point.

What makes a lens good? There's an interesting question. The build quality, the type of glass used, the optical speed of the lens ...

But with respect, that's not the question you should be asking.

What's significant here - and you'll see this expressed in the thread I've referred to above - is the nature, style and type of photos you'll be taking. That, more than anything else, will dictate the types of lenses you're going to be buying.

For instance, landscapes generally suggest wider angles, sports photography might dictate long, fast telephotos; birding might see you buying super teles, while studio work perhaps short teles, and macro work .... macro lenses.

Start with the basics - one of the kit lenses and its body .. and see where your interests lie. Then worry about the glass, safe in the knowledge that whether you go Nikon or Canon, there will be glass that will satisfy your needs.

Which brings us back to that age-old question - Nikon or Canon?

Apple or IBM?

Again, look at the thread I've referred you to above - go for the camera body that you feel works best in you hands. It's going to be spending a lot of time there, and that's the most important factor at this time.


Finally ... filters ...

In the main, you may want to get a uv or skylight for each of your lenses, just for protection .. and you might want to use a CPL under certain situations, where there's high levels of reflectivity in your subject. Landscapes, windows .... ... Basically I see filters as being somewhat an advanced usage topic, and often, today, their use can be supplanted with your PP techniques.

While I'm definitely in the "do it in the camera if you can" camp, at this stage I'd be suggesting PP as a better alternative for you.

HTH.

[stubbsy]

Mike

Gary has touched on much of what you're asking about but here is a bit more from me:

- try to get a chance to play with the camera models you're looking at with their kit lenses. These are usually reasonable pairings as a starting point and should help you decide which feels better for you

- as for what makes a lens good (from a consumer end point) is it's speed (how fast it focuses), it's sharpness and the indefinable look of it's out of focus elements (bokeh). There are other factors too of course like build quality and features (image stabilisation, silent motor drives, internal focusing etc) but that's the biggies

- price is a useful, but not perfect, guide to how good a lens is too. It's rare to find a fantastic cheap lens or a terrible expensive one

- when it comes to filters - if you take landscape shots a circular polariser is useful. I'm also a firm believer in putting a UV filter on every lens - not because it filters anything (UV isn't an issue for DSLRs) but so that if I whack something it's my cheap filter that gets broken or scratched - not my expensive lens.

Finally I'd like to reiterate what Gary says about getting a lens that matches your photographic preferences. 12mm lens is poor value if you are into portraits or a 300 mm lens if you're into landscapes

[Technik]

Hey Mike

Welcome mate! nice seeing a Netrider member onboard

Check out this site http://www.kenrockwell.com/tech.htm, it you gives a good rough comparision with different lenses etc

Look forward catching up you at the next Learner's Cruise! I still owe you the toll from last time.

[ATJ]

Check out this site http://www.kenrockwell.com/tech.htm, it you gives a good rough comparision with different lenses etc

A word of warning, Ken Rockwell is quite opinionated and some of his reviews are rather odd. I wouldn't rely on him alone.

http://www.dslrusers.net/viewtopic.php?t=2888 <<<--- has a number of lens review sites.

[miikeboyle]

Thanks Guys for all your help

Technik, fancy seeing you here. Was a good ride so i shall try my hardest to make the trip south in a few weeks.

With skylight filters, what effect do they have? ill definately be purchasing some uv filters just to protect the lenses. will it make much of a difference using say a cheap uv filter and an expensive filter?

Ill check out some of these review sites, but i think my next step is to get down a shop and have a play around with some cameras, as i have a feeling the 400d may be a bit smaller than the d80, and i have kind bighands/long fingers so ill have to see what fits.

Thanks again
mike

[aloysius]

Thanks Guys for all your help

Technik, fancy seeing you here. Was a good ride so i shall try my hardest to make the trip south in a few weeks.

With skylight filters, what effect do they have? ill definately be purchasing some uv filters just to protect the lenses. will it make much of a difference using say a cheap uv filter and an expensive filter?

Ill check out some of these review sites, but i think my next step is to get down a shop and have a play around with some cameras, as i have a feeling the 400d may be a bit smaller than the d80, and i have kind bighands/long fingers so ill have to see what fits.

Thanks again
mike

Skylight filters aren't worth a pinch of goat crap to you on a DSLR. worth putting on your lenses if you shoot film and digital with same lenses...otherwise just use a UV. Skylights are a UV filter with a slight warming effect on the white ballance. On a dslr though the warming effect is pretty much cancelled out by the cameras on board white ballance. As previously stated just stick a UV filter on all lenses for protection if you are that way inclined (its a LOOONG debated issue), Grab a Polariser, and I recommend an ND4 as a fun piece of kit to play wiht. ND filters cut out light to the lens without effecting colour. Which is great for when you want longer exposures or if you want to use a nice wide aperture on a sunny day.

[daniel_r]

will it make much of a difference using say a cheap uv filter and an expensive filter?

Yes, cheap filters can degrade the quality of the image. Some filters are uncoated (cheaper) while the better ones are single coated (middle) or multicoated (more expensive).

A good link about filters HERE

In my opinion, I can't see the point of spending up big on quality lenses only to stick a cheap nasty filter on the front
Purchase the best quality filters you can afford at the time - you'll most likely carry over your collection of filters as you grow or improve your lens collection.

I prefer and use B+W MRC filters - they're a bit more expensive than some of the other multicoat filters like the Hoya HMC or HMC pro, but I find the build quality to be much higher. I know a couple of members here use the B+W MRC 77mm UV on their Nikon 17-35/2.8, 28-70/2.8 and 70-200/2.8 VRs (the best of the best current line Nikon lenses)

I purchase mine from here: http://www.mainlinephoto.com.au/category19_1.htm

I'm slowly replacing the remaining Hoya filters I have with B+W. I've found the Hoya filters fall apart or don't hold the glass in the ring very well. They're also difficult to clean.

[aloysius]

Without wanting to start a debate (just dont want you to think that you HAVE to buy B&W) I use exclusively Hoya HMC filters. And haven't had a single problem with them. They can be had pretty cheap on ebay and the likes. Never had one fall apart yet...but Im pretty gentle on my gear...If you are rough then B&W are the way to go. they are built like tanks! I have only one B&W filter about the place and it is very good quality. But...for the price difference imho you cant go wrong with hoya. For a quick example the B&W 77mm UV is $115 on the site listed above...and I just got my hoya HMC 77mm UV delivered for $22 off the bay.

[ATJ]

Yes, cheap filters can degrade the quality of the image. Some filters are uncoated (cheaper) while the better ones are single coated (middle) or multicoated (more expensive).

All filters will degrade the quality of the image. Cheaper ones just do it more than others.

[losfp]

Filters are definitely a hotly debated issue

All I have to say is that if you must stick a filter in front of your lens... make sure it's a good one. B+W MRCs are the best that I've come across (and priced accordingly). I got a big batch from maxsaver.net (they are quite prominent on ebay too), best prices I have seen by far.

I have UVs on most of my lenses apart from my Tokina 12-24 (partly because it can really only take one filter without vignetting, and partly because I'm still saving up to get more filters )

The only other filters I use are a circular polariser, and neutral density filters (I have a 64x ND, which is great fun

[miikeboyle]

ahh so a ND filter darkens the shot without losing colour?
so all those shots i see of waterfalls and river flowing with long exposure times have prob been done with a ND filter, or there has naturally been low light and closed aperture?

[Kris]

Hey Mike

Welcome mate! nice seeing a Netrider member onboard

Check out this site http://www.kenrockwell.com/tech.htm, it you gives a good rough comparision with different lenses etc

Look forward catching up you at the next Learner's Cruise! I still owe you the toll from last time.

Welcome! I too am a netrider member

[aloysius]

ahh so a ND filter darkens the shot without losing colour?
so all those shots i see of waterfalls and river flowing with long exposure times have prob been done with a ND filter, or there has naturally been low light and closed aperture?

Could be either. but if you look at the exif data and it was shot in the middle of the day then you know its an ND

Graduated ND's can be fun to ive been told but have yet to get one to play with. They allow for darkening only part of the shot...for example to stop skies overexposing on a sunny day.

[miikeboyle]

Hey Kris, i think i met you on the ride throught the nasho about 2 weeks ago. it was actully your flickr page that got me thinking about getting a new camera. you mentioned somewhere on netrider that you might take ur 5d to the next meet. i followed ur link and really liked some of your photos, one thing led to another and here i am deciding on which dslr to get

i ride the red spada

Mike

[Technik]

What a small world! We should all get together one day to take pics with our bikes.

I'm the guy with the black '07 GPX! Don't think I have met you before Kris, I love your works on your flickr site.