$800 Camera budget - Page 2

Poppy828 · #26 10/25/2007, 06:31 PM

Cool. Thanks for the heads up. I will look into it.

fivewhyn · #27 10/25/2007, 06:34 PM

what camera did you get?

Poppy828 · #28 10/25/2007, 06:34 PM

XTi

fivewhyn · #29 10/25/2007, 06:43 PM

so prob came with a 28-40 4.5-5.6 lens.

It is obiously not going to reach with the races. You can:

A: get a longer lens (70-200 should do it, i'd say stay with canon lenses and don't go with Tamron or anouther 3d party, they are not built as well as the Canon lenses)

B: Shoot it at the highest possible resolution on. If you have RAW great if not JPG FINE setting. Then go home and crop the images to the subject. you may not get the 11x14 you want for your wall out of it but can still make some nice 5x7s as long as its not cropped in too much.

MCary · #30 10/26/2007, 12:26 PM

Some "best bang for the buck" lenses.

Telephoto:

Canon 70-200 f/4 L
Canon 400 f/5.6 L

Portrait and low light:

Canon 85 mm f/1.8

Standard Prime:

Canon 50mm f/1.8

Stuff:

Tamron 1.4 Teleconverters
Opteka Battery grips

These are quality buys for bargain hunters.

Mike

beerguy · #31 10/26/2007, 12:29 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by MCary
Some "best bang for the buck" lenses.
Canon 70-200 f/4 L

Yup - The non-IS version is probably the best bargain in Canon's entire "L" line. I just sold mine, however, in favor of a new 100-400.

Poppy828 · #32 10/26/2007, 01:43 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by fivewhyn
so prob came with a 28-40 4.5-5.6 lens.

It is obiously not going to reach with the races. You can:

A: get a longer lens (70-200 should do it, i'd say stay with canon lenses and don't go with Tamron or anouther 3d party, they are not built as well as the Canon lenses)

B: Shoot it at the highest possible resolution on. If you have RAW great if not JPG FINE setting. Then go home and crop the images to the subject. you may not get the 11x14 you want for your wall out of it but can still make some nice 5x7s as long as its not cropped in too much.

It came with the 18-55mm 4.5-5.6. Not a bad lens, but not what I need for the races as mentioned.

I did look at the 70-200 and liked it. Just need to find it cheaply.

Poppy828 · #33 10/26/2007, 01:43 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by MCary
Some "best bang for the buck" lenses.

Telephoto:

Canon 70-200 f/4 L
Canon 400 f/5.6 L

Portrait and low light:

Canon 85 mm f/1.8

Standard Prime:

Canon 50mm f/1.8

Stuff:

Tamron 1.4 Teleconverters
Opteka Battery grips

These are quality buys for bargain hunters.

Mike

Guess I have a lot of research to do still then.

mcliffy2 · #34 10/26/2007, 03:57 PM

Check out the Tamron 18-250 for an everyday lens. I really like mine. The Zoom is awesome.

http://www.popphoto.com/cameralenses...-ii-macro.html

Here is an album I took on a very overcast day on the Chicago Architecture Tour. It was about the worst photography conditions you could imagine, but I think some still came out pretty well.

http://picasaweb.google.com/mcliffy2...chitectureTour

Here are a couple examples, that show you the zoom capability:

fivewhyn · #35 10/26/2007, 04:48 PM

actually over cast days are better then sunny days photography wise. No harsh highlights or shadows. =)

mcliffy2 · #36 10/26/2007, 11:15 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by fivewhyn
actually over cast days are better then sunny days photography wise. No harsh highlights or shadows. =)

no color either

and the white sky seemed to wash everything out - any tips for dealing with that?

beerguy · #37 10/27/2007, 11:04 AM

When skies are washed out and white I generally try to leave them out of the composition. When you've got hazy, cloudy skies it's like shooting in a studio with a "soft box." That's the perfect time for flowers, foliage or moving water shots. In full sun those types of shots have too much contrast for the camera sensor and look harsh.

fivewhyn · #38 10/28/2007, 04:10 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by mcliffy2
no color either and the white sky seemed to wash everything out - any tips for dealing with that?

basically underexpose everything slightly then just turn up the contrast in post editing and brighten it a little bit.

or if you have a tripod take one exposure for the sky and one for everything else. then put them together in post. this can be a little tricky if your not good at photoshop. but this can add a whole new dimension to your photographs

MCary · #39 10/29/2007, 11:04 AM

Trying to get great photos in bad lighting is quite a challenge. Thats why the serious photographers try to be at the right place at the right time. That method is much easier than trying to manipulate the shot in post or figure out a camera setting for the mid day sun.

lat0403 · #40 10/29/2007, 12:45 PM

Does the XTi body come with built in IS? I know the XT doesn't.

beerguy · #41 10/29/2007, 01:09 PM

Canon feels that IS works best when it's built into the lens, not the camera body. It requires less movement than correcting at the sensor so it can be more precise. Nikon also chooses to incorporate their VR into the lens rather than the body.

fivewhyn · #42 10/29/2007, 01:35 PM

IS refers to Image Stabilization which is built into certain lenses... not bodies

lat0403 · #43 10/29/2007, 10:30 PM

I read a few reviews that were complaining about no IS in the body. I guess it's a good thing I ignored them, since they apparently didn't know what they were talking about. lol Thanks!

Poppy828 · #44 10/30/2007, 04:53 PM

Ok...call me stupid, but how the heck do you turn the flash off on this XTi? The book shows and image of the flash off option, but nowhere in the menu or selector dials do I see this image or anything remotely relative to tunring flash off.

I am borrowing a macro lens and wanted to try it tonight, but the flash keeps going off.

fivewhyn · #45 10/30/2007, 04:58 PM

turn the camera to manual

fivewhyn · #46 10/30/2007, 04:59 PM

or aperture priority or shutter priority

Poppy828 · #47 10/30/2007, 05:01 PM

I guess I really am stupid...looks like it is the last option on the right top dial...just figured I had to have the camera in macro mode to take these types of shots....never used macro so it's new to me....sorry for the waste of time.

Thank you for the quick reply

fivewhyn · #48 10/30/2007, 05:03 PM

macro option is the one that looks like a flower

Poppy828 · #49 10/30/2007, 05:10 PM

Got it...problem is while in that mode...the flash comes and goes as needed. If I set the flash off which I finally found, then I am good to go..I am downloading some pics I just took for critigue. I suck at this, so it's nothing special.

Will post in a few

Poppy828 · #50 10/30/2007, 05:18 PM

Some pics.....

Rose

Aussie Acans...pink with turgoise

Candy Cane