New Camera Setup (50D) - What will I need?
I'm purchasing the 50D 28-135 kit this week for my trip to Germany and Italy. Here is what I plan on purchasing:
Purchasing from Wolf Camera in Atlanta
1 50D 28-135 kit ($1599.99).
1 8gb Sandisk III card ($69.99 before mail in rebate)
1 4gb Sandisk III card ($44.99 before mail in rebate)
1 Canon BP-511 backup battery ($69.99)
1 Tamrac Adventure 7 bag ($79.95)
1 Extended Service Plan ($243)
Is there anything else I should consider? Are the Extended Service Plans worth the price? This package puts me at $2350 before tax. I have a little more room in my budget ($200-$300).
Purchasing from Wolf Camera in Atlanta
1 50D 28-135 kit ($1599.99).
1 8gb Sandisk III card ($69.99 before mail in rebate)
1 4gb Sandisk III card ($44.99 before mail in rebate)
1 Canon BP-511 backup battery ($69.99)
1 Tamrac Adventure 7 bag ($79.95)
1 Extended Service Plan ($243)
Is there anything else I should consider? Are the Extended Service Plans worth the price? This package puts me at $2350 before tax. I have a little more room in my budget ($200-$300).
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Comments
Will 28mm be wide enough for you ? I use the Tamron 17-50 2.8 for about
75% of my shooting, and split the other 25% btwn my 10-22 and 70-200 f4
A used 18-55 would only cost about $60. Can't help you on the extended warranty issue, as I have never purchased one. Have a good trip
Have a good day
Jim...
I agree about getting a lens that goes wider than 28. I would feel limited in the wide end. Could consider a wide angle lens like the Sigma 10-20.
About the extended service plans - I am not familiar with what is available from Canon - but MANY people have things break on DSLRs after a while, especially the shutter. If you shoot a lot and expect to shoot more shutter actuations than is expected from the 50D (I think 100,000) in a short period, then the service plan may be worth it. I shoot lots of shutter actuations as I use my Olympus gear for my photo studio. I have had my current main camera for 7 months and am already halfway to my shutter actuation expected life. So, I purchased a 2 year warranty extension for $40. A no brainer for me. Would likely cost $200-$300 to replace the shutter.
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With respect to the Extended Service Plan what you have to remember is that they wouldn't be offering the extended service plan if they weren't making money on them. Essentially they are betting that on average the cost of repairs to any camera that has problems is going to be less than the price of the plan. Generally speaking these service plans are one of the highest profit items a store sells.
If your camera experiences a problem after the manufacturer's warranty runs out, but while still covered by the service plan it will feel like a great decision, on the other hand if your camera never has a problem you'll be left wondering what you gave them that money for. So a lot of it has to do with how much "risk" you are willing to tolerate. Just like most electromechanical equipment the odds are that if it works for the first month or two you'll be in good shape, and the 50D has a 1 year warranty on it so you are going to be covered. Beyond that it is more an issue of some component such as the shutter wearing out (at something like 100,000 exposures), and many extended service plans don't cover failure due to normal wear and tear. If you are considering a service plan because you expect to be in a similar situation to swintonphoto with a high use scenario, then make sure that it covers failures due to normal wear and tear.
With respect to your list I would seriously consider getting two 8 GB cards instead of one 8 GB and one 4 GB, that way you don't put yourself in a situation where the 4 GB is in the camera, you fill it up and then wish you had put the 8 GB in that morning instead.
I'd also agree with the previous posters about wanting a wider lens. Depending on how much you are willing to spend, the three options I would consider, in order of cost, are the Canon 18-55 IS f/3.5-5.6, the Canon 10-22 f/3.5-4.5, and the Canon 17-55 IS f/2.8 (I tend to stick to Canon gear only and avoid the third party manufacturers, but this is a matter of personal preference)
going on a trip of a lifetime - dont leave home without the canon 17-55 IS f/2.8.
if you have to drop the warranty, and sell the 28-135 immediately if necessary.
windoze
Having more flash cards or some type of portable storage device would be extremely helpful. I have a Canon 20D (8 megapixel) and shoot RAW. That means I get about 100 photos per Gb. I expect that if you shot full size jpeg, you would get about 200 photos per Gb, or if you shot full size RAW, about 50 photos per Gb.
Capacity for 2400 photos (12 Gb total card size/5 Meg/photo jpeg) sounds like lots. But yesterday I went for a short day trip to see some fall colours and came back with about 300 photos (and this wasn't one of my bigger days). I certainly discard a fair number of photos, but I wouldn't want to be on vacation and deleting in camera. And Shooting RAW gives you only the capacity for 600 photos. Only a couple of days worth of storage ...
In my case, I have a small 80 Gb portable drive that I use to offload my photos. A laptop would also be perfect for this.
Just my 2 cents,
www.digismile.ca
The 17-55 would be nice, but don't think I can swing that right now. What are your opinions of the Canon 17-85 f4/5.6 & the 18-55?
Whatever you buy, check the camera and lens out thoroughly. My son has already returned on 50D due to focusing problems. Seems to be problamatic since the 40D also had the same problem.
Nikon shooter since 1965
Unless you can't recharge for a couple of days, I'd skip the extra battery as well. Plus you can find third party batteries from folks like diamond back battery for about $15.
Bags are personal choices, so what ever fits your needs is good but if you are going with one body and lens, I'd probably skip the bag.
If you have a laptop, I'd just get one card and download daily.
Lastly, I'd skip the warranty. I hear most electronics, if it goes bad, does very early. In which case, it'll be covered by the makers 1 year warranty. I think most repairs (not accidental damage which isn't generally covered under warranty) would cost less than the warranty cost as well.
Don't forget a lens cleaner/cloth as well.
On your question about the 17-85mm, I know a lot of people poo-poo it, but I like mine. Yes, you give up the extra stop or two, and the L-series build quality, but it's still a very solidly built lens that takes very nice photos. It does show some barrel distortion and mild vignetting at the wide end (both correctable in the Digital Pro Photo software that comes with the camera), and is probably more prone to CA (also software addressable) than the 17-55, but my copy is very sharp, with good contrast and color. Maybe it's not "world class", but neither am I. I get good "snap" in my shots with this lens, and it is a much more useful focal length range, IMO.
However, if you're going to get the 28-135, anyway, and you're just looking to fill in the wide end, I have another recommendation for you; Tokina's 12-24mm AT-X Pro lens. These lenses are built like tanks and have beautiful optics. No IS, but that's not an issue at these focal lengths. And there's a world of difference between 17mm and 12mm. It would take A LOT to make me give up mine.
I haven't used the 18-55 but I can comment on the 17-85. I started out with the 17-85 for a couple years and dropped it in favor of the 17-55, partly for the sharpness and rendition but mostly for the extremely helpful and background-blurring constant f/2.8. If you are going to Europe in the next few months, the days are getting short and cloudy, so in the cities the sun may be both muted and low and therefore you may find that instead of a bright open sky to light your photos, you only get subdued light from the area directly above you that isn't blocked by buildings. This can make the slow speed of the 17-85 a little frustrating especially since when you zoom in, you only get f/5.6! (The 18-55 has the same problem. The 17-55 gives you 2.8 from full wide to full tele.) I mean, the 17-85 is a decent lens, I got great shots out of it, but only when I had enough light to not have subject movement, camera shake, or noise because I had to turn up the ISO so far.
The 17-85 is not terrible, but from what I just said, if you are going to take it to Europe soon, you my find yourself cranking the ISO just so you can get the shutter speed up far enough to make a sharp handheld picture. Fortunately, your 50D will take nicer high ISO shots than my Rebel XT. Turn on IS, brace the 17-85, try to use it wide so that the aperture can open up more, and you might be OK. Of course, if you mostly shoot with a tripod, the lens speed doesn't matter as much.
I read all the reviews on FM and the Tokina seems like a great lens. If I can find this in the Atlanta area before I leave Thursday I'm going to pick it up.
I have that lens and it has the "L" lens image quality and build. It needs pretty good light but works well even wide open.
Focus speed and accuracy tend to be very good to excellent.
It is my wide lens for the Canon 1D series cameras.
For Canon crop 1.6x cameras I much prefer, and therefore recommend, the Canon EF-S 17-55mm, f2.8 IS USM. It is an extremely versatile standard lens on the crop 1.6x cameras and I use it a lot. An alternative, already suggested in this thread. is the Tamron 17-50mm, f/2.8 XR Di II. While it doesn't have the focus speed or IS of the Canon 17-55mm lens, it is a very good lens and a great value.
Moderator of the Cameras and Accessories forums
-1 on the extended service plan. It's a poor gamble.
I had a 17-85 and found it to be optically superior. I hear everyone complain about them; apparently mine was the exception.
Have a great trip!
NEW Smugmug Site
Memory - Art Scott swears by Transcend CF cards and you can get a very good deal on them at NewEgg (here). On his recommendation, I just bought 4 of the TSFGCF300 cards - we'll see how they do for me.
Batteries - I've had very good luck with SterlingTek. You can get a pair of 2000mAh BP-511 replacement batteries there for $24 (total) - here's the link. Don't know how many BP-511 batteries you have, but I would be reluctant to make the trip you are planning with just one battery. Stupid question here as it sounds like you travel a bit, but you do have, or will acquire, a power converter, right?
As for the lens - I have to agree with all the above recommendations for the EF-S 17-55 f/2.8 IS. This is one very sweet lens. I've had mine for a couple of years now (I think) and I absolutely love it - after a year of some quite hard use (wedding photography - 15 weddings) I had to send it to Canon for service which only cost me $110 (total, including shipping both ways). OK, maybe it's outside your budget. Have you considered buying it for the trip and then selling it in the DGrin Flea Market on your return? I would be willing to bet that you would recover all but, maybe, $100 of your purchase price. You could also rent it for the trip. I've had good experiences with BorrowLens.com. And, as a DGrin member, you can get a 5% discount from them on your rental (discount details here).
As for the service plan - I would take a pass on that. As stated above, stores sell them because they make money on them. That means that, on average, they cost more than the cost of the benefits they deliver. Buying one is betting that you'll have problems with your equipment. You can mitigate those issues by doing a good job of checking out the equipment soon after you receive it.
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Equipment List - Check my profile
Canon 50D 28-135 Kit
2 Sandisk 8gb Extreme III CF Cards
Extra Battery
Canon 10-22 f/3.5 - 4.5
It's a few hundred above what I wanted to spend but I think this will be a good set up for my trip.
No doubt, they plan to pay out less in claims than they take in or it wouldn't be worth selling. It's pretty much an insurance policy, and that is how insurance works. Assess the risks and costs, and make your decision based on that.
Canon 350D
24-70 2.8L
70-200 2.8L IS
580EX II
1.4x Extender
Gitzo 3531 w/ RRS BH-55 Ballhead
RRS L-Plate, quick release clamp and plates
BTW, the thing I didn't get from your post: did you shoot with (d)SLR before? Is it a dedicated photo-trip (or you're going with your family)?
If not, I would seriously recommend against getting all that stuff. Instead, get Canon G10 or one of the advanced superzooms (Fuji, Panasonic). Otherwise chances are you'll be fairly disappointed with your ROI.
I used to have the Rebel XT. I was pretty comfortable using that and learned a lot from it. It's been a little over a year, since I had that. I've got my Canon P&S that I'm bringing along as well. I'm expecting spectacular pics, but from what I learned on the XT I don't think I'll be dissapointed. I'll post pics once I get back. And yes I am bringing my laptop and 160gb portable HDD.
Sounds like your just about ready, except for the packing <img src="https://us.v-cdn.net/6029383/emoji/mwink.gif" border="0" alt="" >
Looking forward to your pictures of Germany. Have a safe and enjoyable trip <img src="https://us.v-cdn.net/6029383/emoji/thumb.gif" border="0" alt="" >
Haben Sie einen guten Tag
Jim...
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Still have to pack, catch up at work and mow the lawn so the pregnant wife won't have to while I'm gone
Hey there - as someone living in Europe I can guarantee that you'll want something wide - especially in Italy, for the following reasons:
1. the buildings are closer together as it's all really old and to get all you want to get in 17 or 18mm is a must. 2 weekends ago I was in Bergamo (north Italy) and really really really wanted my mates 11-16mm Tokina f2.8 lens as the 18mm on my Nikon D80 (1.5X) was not wide enough
2. LOTS of people in European cities and Rome is especially packed - the further back you have to go to get everything in your photo - the more people you're going to have in it - and I _HATE_ having people in my photo - unless I want them in there of course
3. Some of the sights you are likely going to want to take panoramas to really show the whole view, e.g. the coasts of Italy, and with ultra-wide using camera in portrait mode you can comfortably cut off the top and bottom once you've stitched it all together and still have plenty of "meat" left in your photo. Otherwise you have to think about shooting 2 rows
So they're my reasons - hope that helps!
oh btw - have used the Tokina 11-16mm ATX f2.8 on my Nikon D80 (mate has the lens) and it is AWESOME!!! and considering it's f2.8 over the 4-5.6 of the 10-22 I'm definitely going the Tokina
and it's SHARP!!!
Cheers, Jase
Jase // www.stonesque.com
I was using the 50D part time on the Arches shoot. RAW only was putting images at 18 - 21MB on my 2GB card, so I got about 100-104 images for 2 GB. 12 GB gets you 600 +/-. I had 55GB on my laptop and filled it. I did get a WD 160GB USB powered external drive as back up (5" x 3" x 5/8"). It is great for use with a laptop, and I stored it separately from my other gear.
I did see Nik use his Hyperdrive which I did not have time to get. Much better if you aren't going to have access to a laptop.
I'm not sure what type of external HD you have but when traveling I'll pay a premium for light and portable over $/GB.
-Fleetwood Mac
My current CF capacity (2x16Gb + 2x8Gb + 3x2Gb) allows me to shoot carelessly for a day or two, even with 50D's - much larger - RAW files. However, I wouldn't even dream of going for anything important/longer (wedding or trip) without having a backup device.
The Hyperdrive David mentioned provides a nice combination of a large storage capacity with a convenience of a card reader. At the end of each day I get my cards, stick them into the slot - and they're done. It doesn't have a fancy screen, but FWIW it's an ultimate travling/event companion. There are several solutions of the kind currently on the market, choose your poison depending on your needs/fund$.
And yes, for Europe you do need something W.I.D.E.