Canon EOS users....

**The Big Lebowski** · 09-10-2011, 10:55

Well, I bit the bullet and picked up a 500D on Friday with the kit lens (18-55) and a few bits and bobs....
I have to say from a very basic/new to photography level, I'm already falling in love with it

Next on the list is the Canon EF 50mm F/1.8 1.8 II for the HD video, but more-so for macro, or just learning about prime lenses.
I don't pretend to know anything; but am really looking forward to the learning curve!

Taken yesterday, my daughter and perfect model. I like it anyway

'Apple of my Eye'

**robin wood** · 09-10-2011, 11:04

the 50 1.8 is a bargain lens which gives incredible images for the money especially indoors in low light but it isn't macro. I had one for a while and loved it till it fell apart (they do quite easily being cheapie plastic and the auto-focus sounds like a pound shop wind up toy) The sigma 50 macro gives good macro results for a reasonable price. My current fave lens is the canon 85mm 1.8 it is a real gem.

**Stew** · 09-10-2011, 11:14

The missus has a 350D which I had fun playing with but then she bought a 7D to go with it - even better!!

**The Big Lebowski** · 09-10-2011, 11:33

Guess I'm going to have to start saving the pennies... The 50 1.8 seems to be renowned for feeling 'cheap' but the reviews seem really good for the price picture quality wise.
Was planning on using it with the macro-lens/screw on set (should have said) for some cheap experimenting. I know its basic, but it should give me an idea.

As said, I'm a total noob to these things, but a fairly quick learner!

7D... Maybe one-day. I'll try to get my head around the 500 first

**Stew** · 09-10-2011, 12:03

I think this was taken with the lens you're on about.

I love messing about with depth of field & focal length to try give suggestions of things, even if I'm not a great photographer!

**The Big Lebowski** · 09-10-2011, 12:27

That's a nice picture

Originally Posted by Stew

I love messing about with depth of field & focal length to try give suggestions of things

I can see me being in the same boat really!

al.

**mikeybear** · 09-10-2011, 14:28

I will be interested to hear how you get on with video, I bought a 600D prior to going out to Tanzania earlier in the year as I had already got a long zoom lens from film days. I didn't buy it with video in mind but found the auto focusing apalling and slow with video.Very good as a stills camera though.

Cheers

MikeyBear

**mikeybear** · 09-10-2011, 14:40

I think you can do alot with the 18-55 lens in the "macro dept" I've cropped this picture but the crab was about 15-20mm across

Sorry I tell a lie this was actually the 100-300EF lens

crab1.jpg

Cheers

MikeyBear

**khimbar** · 09-10-2011, 15:48

The nifty fifty punches well above its price, Another little cracker is the 55-250...not sure how much they are now though but used to be available for about £120?

**Bushwhacker** · 09-10-2011, 16:22

Hang on! That's just reminded me that I've got an EOS 650(I think) film camera and a load of lenses and other macro stuff kicking about in the workshop. I could put these up for swapsies if anyone's interested or if any of it is compatible with the digital ones.

**Stew** · 09-10-2011, 16:48

Originally Posted by Bushwhacker

Hang on! That's just reminded me that I've got an EOS 650(I think) film camera and a load of lenses and other macro stuff kicking about in the workshop. I could put these up for swapsies if anyone's interested or if any of it is compatible with the digital ones.

Lenses are a good idea! Got any wide angle ones?

**robin wood** · 09-10-2011, 18:17

Originally Posted by Bushwhacker

Hang on! That's just reminded me that I've got an EOS 650(I think) film camera and a load of lenses and other macro stuff kicking about in the workshop. I could put these up for swapsies if anyone's interested or if any of it is compatible with the digital ones.

Good quality canon autofocus lenses are compatible with digital and in good demand. What have you got?

**mikeybear** · 09-10-2011, 21:34

Originally Posted by Stew

Lenses are a good idea! Got any wide angle ones?

Surely the problem with wide angle EF lenses is tha they become almost standard lenses once you've taken the 1.6x into account.

In the same way that My 100-300EF effectively becomes a 160-480
the 28mm becomes the equivalent of 45mm .

Cheers

MikeyBear

**khimbar** · 09-10-2011, 22:00

Ooooh lens trades? Love to!

**dave53** · 09-10-2011, 23:07

just bought one today i know al has one and chris one of the guys at the dartmoor meet had one and my compact is broken so got one of those dslrs to give me a bit more scope regards dave

**Stew** · 10-10-2011, 10:24

Originally Posted by mikeybear

Surely the problem with wide angle EF lenses is tha they become almost standard lenses once you've taken the 1.6x into account.

In the same way that My 100-300EF effectively becomes a 160-480
the 28mm becomes the equivalent of 45mm .

Cheers

MikeyBear

Yep! Not a lot I can do about that though and a wide angle lenses is still wider than a non-wide one.

**savagebushcraft** · 10-10-2011, 11:11

I have heard mixed reviews on all DSLRs, so decided a while back to go for the Pentax K-x. Cheap (ish), high frame rate (4.7 FPS), blah, blah,....but most of all, because it's available in olive green

.

**havocsdad** · 10-10-2011, 11:37

My wife bought me one form Christmas last year and I love it, there is a great instrutional dvd available from Amazon which is very useful and I alos found this good too

http://www.ephotozine.tv/video/Canon...0D-Review-1169

**Pandabean** · 10-10-2011, 12:07

I got a EOS 400D a few years ago and its still going well and only bought one lens for it. Got the 18-55mm kit lens which is good enough for me and the 55-250mm IS which is a decent zoom lens and was cheap around the £120-50 mark.
I still play with the mannual setting now and again but mostly keep it in P mode when I want a quick shot.

Ok so it doesn't have video modes, which would be handy but I bought it because it was a camera not a camcorder.

I recently got a Lumix TZ10 for sticking in the pocket when I can't be bothered hauling around the DSLR.

**Woodcutter** · 10-10-2011, 13:21

I have the 500D too, great camera, kit lens gets most use but have the nifty fifty, and a 55-250 also. Below taken with the kit lens.

**tim_n** · 10-10-2011, 14:37

I have a 350D which rarely gets used because I can never find the bleeding batteries for it. I also need the sensor cleaned on it!

**Deaner666** · 10-10-2011, 18:34

I've got the older EOS 400D. I've also got the nifty (and cheap!) Canon 50mm f1.8 prime you're talking about and it's bloody brill! In fact, using it you will see how sharp a lens can be and you'll never use the rubbish kit lens that comes with this range of Canon dSLRs again. I also really like the bokeh you get with the Canon 50mm.

As someone else mentioned, you can use the old non-digital Canon lenses and they will function beautifully with your brand new digital. In fact, the mount has been the same on the Canon side all the way back to 1984! This means you can get older Canon glass that's far superior for the price than the equivalent amount of money spent on a new lens. I've got a wonderful old push-pull Canon zoom lens (a 70-210mm from about 1987, see a review here) that I picked up off ebay for about £70. It's a helluva lot sharper than anything new you could buy for less than £200! Being able to use these quality old lenses is the main reason I went down the Canon route, as opposed to Nikon.

**The Big Lebowski** · 10-10-2011, 18:45

Woodcutter... Now thats one impressive photo.

Interesting stuff Deaner. I have read you really cant get the best out of the body without some decent glass, and then its stunning. The 50mm is on the cards for payday.
Also good to know about all the older lenses and fitment. I really am starting a huge learning curve, but am throughly looking forwards to it.

Cheers, al.

**bikething** · 10-10-2011, 20:35

Something to watch out for with the lenses : Canon lenses will work - older 3rd party ones may not as Canon changed the communication protocol within the lenses..

I bought a 10D when they first came out on the basis of having a couple of Sigma zooms from my old EOS SLR. Then had to replace the lenses as the old ones weren't compatible. I had one Sigma lens (100-400 APO) re-chipped, but they couldn't re-chip the budget zooms I had.

Since then I've bought a couple of L-series lenses

**savagebushcraft** · 10-10-2011, 20:50

Failing the replace/rechip route. You can disable a contact or two and use them as manual lenses

**bikething** · 10-10-2011, 20:55

Originally Posted by savagebushcraft

Failing the replace/rechip route. You can disable a contact or two and use them as manual lenses

True, but why have all that technology and not be able to use it?

Actually, that reminds me I've got a chinese made (Tamron?) 500mm mirror lens somewhere that's fixed apperture and manual focus... had some fun with it photographing the moon. At that zoom on a tripod you can watch the moon whizzing across the viewfinder

**savagebushcraft** · 10-10-2011, 20:58

is it f5 by any chance? Most of them seem to be f5 for some reason. What was the CA like on that lens?

**bikething** · 10-10-2011, 21:02

Originally Posted by savagebushcraft

is it f5 by any chance? Most of them seem to be f5 for some reason.

can't remember.. It had some little (16mm?) filters that screwed into the camera end of the lens if needed...

Originally Posted by savagebushcraft

What was the CA like on that lens?

blimmin awful!

but you could get some nice donut-shaped highlights by playing with the focus

**savagebushcraft** · 10-10-2011, 21:07

Mirror lenses are great for the donut bokeh. The moon will reveal and CA problems of any lens. It's gotta be the hardest object to 100% perfect.

These are the best I've managed so far...

but the usual is

**bikething** · 10-10-2011, 21:48

Just went looking for some shots... I seem to have accumulated about 400GB of photos since I bought the camera... must figure out a catalog system sometime LOL.

That last ones not bad - i usually get a slight blur as the moon slides across the view during the long-ish exposure.. though it was fun trying the long end of a 100-400 IS fitted to a 2x teleconvertor

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