Just bought a XTi 400D any advice?

[robbieduncan]

I think the main reason people recommend the 50/1.8 for new Canon DSLR users is not totally down to the "normal" length of this lens but mostly down to the price. It's so cheap that it's basically a steal, and at that is a nice way to get used to a prime lens and the advantages (and disadvantages) that those bring.

If the Sigma 30/1.4 was $80 everyone might recommend that. Or if Canon had a reasonably priced 30 or 35mm prime in the f1.8-f2.8 range that was USM then perhaps people would recommend that. But as it stands none of these things are true.

I personally find myself using the 35 f/1.4 L a lot more often that the 50 f/1.4, but I'd have never considered paying all that money for the 35 if I had not bought the much cheaper 50 first.

 

[Abstract]

I agree with you about the reason for recommending the 50 mm f/1.8 lenses, but I also find it to be a waste of money if you don't use it.

Yours sits on the shelf more often than not. Mine just sits on the shelf.

Actually, I sold the lens for around $120 Australian dollars. Why? Because the money would be better spent on beer.

If Nikon made a 28 mm f/1.4, I probably would have bought that, but the Sigma seems to be the best bang for the buck for a fast, 28-35 mm lens.

I don't know what the prices are like in the Canon camp, but I know you have a better selection of wide angle primes right now, and the OP can generally get a cheaper 28 mm f/1.4 lens than Nikon users.

 

[squeeks]

ok the Sigma 30 mm f/1.4 is about 430 bucks, thats a little over kill, thanks for the recommendation anyway, ill stick to the kit lens and the Canon 50mm f/1.8 for now

edit: assuming this is the one you're talking about link

 

[M@lew]

It's actually a very good lens for the price, so I wouldn't say it's "overkill". Just out of your budget atm.

 

[squeeks]

It's actually a very good lens for the price, so I wouldn't say it's "overkill". Just out of your budget atm.

well, overkill for me

 

[squeeks]

well, UPS just delivered my new camera, ive taken 50 shots with it so far, and i love it , i love it , i love it!!!!

the AF IS SO FAST, it shoots super fast, without the flash anyway, and even with the flash, still trying to figure out how to turn the flash off, guess i should read the book, only problem i have is right now all im using is an ibook g3 so its only got USB 1.0 and its taking forever to download the images but ill be home soon back to my MBP which im sure will work much better..anyway, im excited

attached is one of my first shots

 

[Grimace]

awesome. play around with different settings (using the same shot) so you can see how each variable (ISO, aperture, shutter speed) works. You'll see it in the EXIF data in iPhoto/Aperture.

Take your new 50mm down to f/1.8 and find a close subject with a distant background and go for some beautiful bokeh!

 

[squeeks]

we're going to have a pretty good sunset tonight, any quick suggestions for settings i should try??

 

[peapody]

congrats squeeky! i am going to be in your shoes tomorrow! keep it up!

 

[schreck]

Enjoy that camera and, por favor, continue posting some photos! It's always nice to see other people's work.

 

[sjl]

the AF IS SO FAST, it shoots super fast, without the flash anyway, and even with the flash, still trying to figure out how to turn the flash off, guess i should read the book

Twenty bucks says you're shooting in full auto mode (green square on my 20D, pretty sure it's the same on the 400D.) Don't. If you insist on having automatic aperture and shutter speed settings, use the "P" mode (one click of the mode dial turned clockwise). This mode is essentially identical to the green square mode, but will not pop up the flash automatically. If you want to use the flash, you'll need to press the flash pop-up button - it's on the left side of the body, just next door to the camera model marking, roughly on a level with the top of the lens mount. Marked with a symbol that looks like an arrow on a bolt of lightning.

Hope this helps.

 

[scotthayes]

well, UPS just delivered my new camera, ive taken 50 shots with it so far, and i love it , i love it , i love it!!!!

I got my 400d about 2 months ago, and I can't put it down. Only problem I've found is I can't resist buying things for it. Latest was an RC-1 Remote, not sure how often I'll use it, but it's now attached to my neckstrap and well, it's there for the once a year occasion when I need it. Now looking at the 50mm f/1.8 lens, but it's £89.99 over in the UK (or $184) so that may have to be next months purchase.

Have fun and remember to keep posting your pictures.

 

[Abstract]

we're going to have a pretty good sunset tonight, any quick suggestions for settings i should try??

Yeah, here's one.

Set the kit lens (which you probably have) to 18 mm
Set aperture to around f/10 or so
Focus on a spot on the ground that's around 2 metres/7 feet in front of you, and almost everything in your photo will be in focus.

If you want me to be more specific, I'll say that you're shooting focusing at the "hyperfocal distance." Everything from half this distance (3.5 feet) to infinity will be in focus. When someone tells you to focus at the "hyperfocal distance", they're essentially telling you that, "Focusing at this point will make more of your image sharper." If you're doing a landscape shot, this is a big deal. By focusing the AF point at something that's in the very back of your image (ie: a mountain), you're making that mountain sharp, things between you and the mountain are less sharp. The closer you move towards the photographer, the less sharp those things become.

 

[squeeks]

Twenty bucks says you're shooting in full auto mode (green square on my 20D, pretty sure it's the same on the 400D.) Don't. If you insist on having automatic aperture and shutter speed settings, use the "P" mode (one click of the mode dial turned clockwise). This mode is essentially identical to the green square mode, but will not pop up the flash automatically. If you want to use the flash, you'll need to press the flash pop-up button - it's on the left side of the body, just next door to the camera model marking, roughly on a level with the top of the lens mount. Marked with a symbol that looks like an arrow on a bolt of lightning.

Hope this helps.

Yes, i was shooting in full auto, just that, before with other cameras it has the option to turn the flash off even on full auto mode, but thats not a big deal, i shoot pretty much all in manual now

...

thanks ill give that a shot!

got my 400d about 2 months ago, and I can't put it down. Only problem I've found is I can't resist buying things for it. Latest was an RC-1 Remote, not sure how often I'll use it, but it's now attached to my neckstrap and well, it's there for the once a year occasion when I need it.

yeah i have the same problem, ive bought about 300 dollars in accessories for it so far, between two other lens', a bag, the RC1 remote which i havent played with yet, an extra battery, and memory card...but im done now, the only other thing might want would be an external flash

as far as posting more pictures, here is the one i posted in the november picture of the day thread yesterday

 

[form]

Custom function 4, when set to 1 or 3, will allow you to autofocus with a different button, instead of waiting for the autofocus to lock with each shot by pressing the shutter button. I use that almost all the time.

If you didn't get the kit lens but got the 50mm f/1.8 II, you might not be satisfied with the kit lens' sharpness. Two popular upgrades to the kit lens are the Sigma 17-70mm f/2.8-4.5, and the Tamron 17-50mm f/2.8, and the latter is especially sharp. You can often get a good deal if you buy used lenses.

Sharpness will change based on the aperture, f/number. From f/4 to f/8 in many lenses you will get the sharpest pictures (of objects that are in focus). If a lens' biggest aperture is f/4, it might be sharpest at f/5.6 to f/8.

Using wide apertures is handy when you want to make the background soft and blurred to isolate the subject (especially for portraits). It's also useful when taking pictures in low light. The 50mm f/1.8 II does these things pretty well.

You might want to invest in a tripod.

If you're looking for an external flash and want to stay Canon, they have comparatively good deals on some models right now.

 

[squeeks]

thanks for the advice, and i have several tripods already, ive been shooting video for some years now, so i got that one covered

 

[Lord Blackadder]

I'm in a similar situation to you, squeeks....I bought my 350D just 2 months ago. After doing some research, I ended up with the kit lens, the 50mm f/1.8, a 2GB CF card, a cleaning kit and a bag, and that ate up my camera budget.

As far the 50mm f/1.8 goes, I think it is a winner because it takes very sharp photos and is by far the cheapest lens you'll ever buy. I have found that the focal length is less than ideal for crop-sensor cameras, but knowing this I can plan my shots out a bit and work around it. The kit lens is a usable piece of glass but the 50 is a totally superior lens within it's focal length. It also makes a creditable "poor man's macro", though having actually used a macro recently I can say that if you plan on doing a lot of close work invest in a real macro lens.

When I do have money in the budget for a new lens it will be a Canon 10-22mm EF-S. I think I'm going to go cheap at the telephoto end and pick up a sub-$200 telephoto zoom to round out my lens collection. I find that I do more wide-angle shots.

It would be nice if Canon came out with a similarly cheap 30mm f/1.8 or some such, for us crop-sensor users.

I still need to get myself a tripod...I had one for my point-and shoot, a cheap aluminum and plastic affair that cost a whopping $5 in an after-Christmas sale. It lasted a couple years before it broke, so I got my money's worth out of it. But I would be crazy to stick a $500-$1000 DSLR camera/lens on it.

 

[squeeks]

When I do have money in the budget for a new lens it will be a Canon 10-22mm EF-S. I think I'm going to go cheap at the telephoto end and pick up a sub-$200 telephoto zoom to round out my lens collection. I find that I do more wide-angle shots.

yup, i also bought a canon 75mm-300mm telephoto lens $186 from amazon

its pretty impressive i think, the auto focus is a low slower than on the kit lens, but i guess its because it has a lot more adjusting to do

 

[scotthayes]

yup, i also bought a canon 75mm-300mm telephoto lens $186 from amazon

I did the same thing, but from e-bay (USM version of the 75-300mm Lens) only paid £113 rather than the £240 the local camera shop wanted. So far really pleased with it. I know a lot of people on here talk about buying the best 'glass' out there, but until I'm sure this isn't a flash in the pan hobby I don't want to spend huge sums of money. Saying that, if I'm still as keen photography in 12 months time then it's the Canon 100-400 IS l-series lens for me.

Oh, the RC-1 is excellent, got it attached to my neckstrap.

 

[irishgrizzly]

Sorry if this is a little OT, but does anyone here know if this camera will be getting an update in the new year? I've never bought an DSLR and know nothing of the market.

 

[squeeks]

Sorry if this is a little OT, but does anyone here know if this camera will be getting an update in the new year? I've never bought an DSLR and know nothing of the market.

The XTi? Its a little over a year old, so its possible, there was about a year and half time span between the XT and the XTi

 

[Lord Blackadder]

I've also been shopping the Canon EF 135mm f/2.8 Soft Focus prime lens...it's relatively cheap and sounds like a nice lens, especially on the crop-sensor bodies where it's a 216mm focal length.

I think I'll probably end up with one of the 70/75-300mm zooms from Canon, Sigma or Tamron.

 

[djellison]

I got rid of the kit lens ( as lenses go...it was a good paperweight ) and bought a Sigma 17-70mm. It's a really good piece of glass and excellent value.

I'm now looking for a similar quality zoom (300m+ - or maybe the 'bigma')

Doug

 

[Grimace]

I've also been shopping the Canon EF 135mm f/2.8 Soft Focus prime lens...it's relatively cheap and sounds like a nice lens, especially on the crop-sensor bodies where it's a 216mm focal length.

I think I'll probably end up with one of the 70/75-300mm zooms from Canon, Sigma or Tamron.

Yikes, I would much rather do a smidge of post-processing than have an original file that might have that effect.

 

[Lord Blackadder]

I wasn't planning to use it for the soft focus, but just as a telephoto. I don't see the soft focus feature as a potential problem though.