Well I spoke to another Photographer friend. He suggested getting the XTI with the kit lens that comes with it, then picking up a Canon EF 50mm F/1.8 lens for under $80. Both lenses should give me something to play with before spending some bigger money on a quality zoom lense - like a Canon EF 70-200mm F/4.0 L for around $600 for my birthday.

I can get the XTI with a 4GB Flash card for under $900 on Newegg.com tax free. So I think I'm gonna go that route after payday (Tomorrow).

Hey guys... Just got a few toys for my XTi... I thought I'd share them with ya'll...

Opteka Battery Grip - $75 @ Amazon.com:


Front View:


Back-Profile View:


Dual Battery Packs - 6xAAA Batteries or 2xBattery Packs:


I went with the "generic" version of this... I heard great reviews compared with the $160 Canon version... From what i've read, both battery grips are manufactured from the same company... Opteka sells them at $70 while Canon sell them for $160... And Hattrik, the battery grip does make a big difference on overall feel and handling... It's a little heavier, but feels "meaty"... It also gives the camera some balance when using a heavier zoom lens...

More pics to follow...

- Air B

Let's continue the photo-ops...

Attached to the XTi w/Canon 50mm Prime f/1.8 lens ($70):


Another View:


Back-Profile View:


Back View:


More to come...

- Air B

Here's the other "toy" I got today:

Cokin Z-Pro Filter Holder and Ring Adapters. I got the 77mm for my Tokina 12-24 lens and the 72mm for my Canon 28-135mm IS USM f/4-5.6 lens:


Cokin 77mm Ring Adapter to my Tokina 12-24mm lens:


Cokin Filter Holder slides down onto the ring adapter and lens:


Another View (I think I have the filter holder upside-down!! Hehehheehhe):


I ordered this set through Amazon.com as well... Comes out to a little bit over $105... I can't wait to get this thing up and running...

I haven't purchased any GND (gradual neutral density) filters yet... That's on my "to-do" list... I'm hoping to take fantastic landscape shots with this setup next spring when the wifey and I go on our Greece cruise!!! Until then I'll practice, practice, practice on getting quality shots... I'll post pics when I complete the set...

If you have any question on the equipment I just purchased or to "shoot the shit", reply back to this thread!!! Thanks everyone... PEACE!!!

- Air B

Looks awesome dude. Taken many shots with that 50mm lens? That is the same lens that a friend suggested I get straight off the bat.

So it's Pay Day and I'm going for the XTI Kit with the EF-S 18-55mm Lens. Plus the Canon EF 50mm F/1.8 II Lens.

Total price inc. Shipping from Beachcamera.com = $836.99

Will pick up a 4GB Compact Flash card from Newegg.com for about $100. So that puts me in under the $1000 target, with some money so spare for a couple of UV filters.

Will be saving for the Canon EF 70-200mm F/4.0 or something similar for my birthday.

I used my friends Drebel with vert grip and flash before. I thought it felt horribly unbalanced. The Drebel's cheap plastic body combined with the hefty battery filled grip and somewhat heavy lens wasn't a good feeling combo.

IMHO - I think Nikon's body construct is far superior to Canon in balance and durability.

I bought the Nikon D50 during my mid tour leave. I like it a lot. I have a 70-200 lens and the 18-55 that it comes with the kit. I want a wide angle, but can't afford one yet. I just borrow for now. It actually makes my photos look good.

IS that the 70-200 f2.8 VR? That baby has a pretty high MSRP...... $1500+. I want one.

Costco actually hada bundled package with the D80... It came with the body, kit lens (18-55mm), a zoom lens (70-300mm I think), 1GB card, and a camera bag for $1299... I saw it the other day when I was shopping with the wifey...

And KJ, the battery grip, IMHO, helps me with balance and such with my heavier lenses... My hands are not extra huge, but I does help me grip the entire camera more effectively... To me, personally, I like the overall feel of it... To each his own, right?! It's all good!!!

- Air B

I paid the extra $$$ for 3 day shipping and ETA is tomorrow. Beachcamera.com are awesome, got the G6 from those guys 2 years ago and they still appear to have the service and awesome prices. Will be playing with it over the weekend.

Be sure to post pics.

If this is your first DSLR (sounds like it is), be aware that your images may at first look soft. Most people mistake this as a camera and/or lens flaw. However, Canon DSLR's have an additional IR cut filter in front of the sensor that tends to make the images a little softer.

Sometimes they look great, sometimes you think something is wrong. If you don't already have Photoshop, you should probably get a free version of PS Elements on your CD set with the camera. Run any images you think are soft through the Unsharp Mask Filter. Try settings of about 150/0.7/3 for a start. The images will look 100% better.

I ran into the same issue with my DRebel when I first got it. If you search the Photography on the Net forums for soft images, you'll find lots of references to this.

Remember, a DSLR assumes the user wants more control over the final image output and typically does not jack up the saturation and sharpness settings by default like a non-DSLR consumer camera does. There are in-camera custom parameters to let you overcome this seeming flaw. I tend to leave mine at a low contrast and sharpness setting, and a medium saturation setting, since I prefer to post-process most all of my images.

Here's a good example. This image was cropped and reduced for web display, but otherwise unprocessed:



Here's the same exact image with only a little Unsharp Mask applied:

the new Drebel Looks pretty nice. The only thing I couldnt get over with the older ones was the plastic body. The quality of photos were incredible.

I recently purchased a Canon 1D (oldie but goodie) for pretty cheap with really low actuations. I Love it. 8.5 frames per second rocks! Fully programable, fully sealed body and 45 point focus. Nice.

I'm selling my Canon D60 (6.2MP)w/ battery grip and tons of extras.
If anyone is interested feel free to PM me.

Mmmm. Yummy. I'd love to get hold of an older 1D in good condition. I got to shoot this one at a ballgame a year or so ago (local AP Photographer). It was awesome, especially with the 500mm f/4 lens.

My what a large lens you have.
Just a great feel to this camera. The body doesnt flex under your grip even with a larger lens, unlike most of the other canon bodies.

I was warned that once you go to the Canon 1 series, you never go back.
That is a so true. I dont even want to pick up the D60 anymore. Even though it has higher MP's and a built in flash.

Xorand... Great tip for new users... Post-processing in usually necessary to get the picture(s) vibrant and detailed (just like the example you showed)... Thanks man!! And that 500m f/4L prime lens is absolutely sick!! If I had $7k to drop on a lens, that would probably be it... Hehheheheheh...

On a side note, I was on the POTN (photography-on-the-net) website and came across the "Show Me Your Camera Bag" thread... If you care to join in, please do so... Here's the crap that's inside my camera bag:



Pretty damn pathetic, eh?! Some of the people on that website have some serious gear in their bags!!! I'll get there... Someday... :rolleyes:

- Air B

I did the gear thing for a while, but financial reasons got in the way. At one point, I had the 18-55 kit lens, 50mm f/1.8, 70-200mm f/4L, and an 80-200mm Canon (that I picked up cheap in a pawn shop).

I've since sold them all off (I regret the 70-200mm sale) and now only have the kit lens and a Tamron 70-300mm f/4-5.6 LD Di II Macro 1:2 lens. It's a pretty nice lens, but suffers from the typical Tamron chromatic abberations (purple fringing on high contrast edges). But, it does OK for now.

One day, I'll get another 70-200mm f/4L and replace the kit lens with a better wide angle zoom in the same or similar range.

Most of my stuff is portrait work and sports shooting (daylight, mostly) other than general purpose snapshots and an occasional artistic outing or landscape stuff.

I love waterfalls. This one was done with the lowly kit lens at 4 seconds, f/10, ISO 100 at 28mm. I had two ND filters (0.2 and 0.4 IIRC) stacked on the lens.

Butchie, dont feel bad,
You have more (and better) lenses than I have.
I have the exact same bag and I love it. Just big enough to get the important stuff in, and small enough to take hiking and wheeling.

I havent taken any pix of my camera bag but it has the following:
Canon 1D w/ canon 35-135mm attached, two extra batteries, charger.
Tamron 100-300mm, Zenitar 14mm fisheye, hand full of filters, cleaning cloth and that's about it. Oh and I'm hopefully getting a canon 20-35mm lens from a fellow member of LINXC.

When I wasnt comfortable with the 1D, I was able to take the lens off and fit both bodies and all lenses in the same bag. Glad I only did that for a few feeks, it weighed a ton.

I need more lenses.
Anyone have some for sale?
I'm looking for pretty good wide-angles, 50mm, 35mm and a macro lens. Thanks.

Awesome pic Xorand. The 70-200mm f/4L is the first Lense I hope to get early in the new year. I'll also probably invest in a flash before then. I plan on taking some photography classes offered by the Jewish temple my wife goes to - Just to learn a little more.

This is my first SLR. The Canon Powershot G6 I am upgrading from does have some pretty good control, but not nearly as much as the SLR.

Here's a little 70-200mm f/4L teaser, back in the day when I still owned one. Awesome, awesome contrast, sharpness and bokeh:

Fantastic shots you got there Xorand... I'm looking forward to my 70-200mm f/4L delivery sometime later this week... Woo Hoo!!! I'm off to go pickup my Tamron 28-75mm at my local camera store!!! Hehhehehehe... I'll update my camera backup with the new glass... Hehehhehe...

- Air B

Woo Hoo... Just added another piece of glass to my collection...

Tamrom SP AF 28-75mm f/2.8 XR Di LD Aspherical IF Macro Lens - $400


A few sample shots straight-out-of-the-box - Zen Garden:






Can't wait to take it out for some real fun!!! Several people on the POTN board mentioned that it's up-to-par with its competitor lens, the Canon 24-70mm f/2.8L, but at a third of the cost (Canon lens runs around $1200!!!)... I'm completely happy with my purchase... Woo Hoo!!!

- Air B

Very nice. Looks like I might have found my short lens replacement. Excellent price for 2.8 glass.

Would like to see some good outdoor shots, high contrast scenes and such.

Awhile back, costco had a packaged D50 for like $799 with similar accessories.

I should have specificed - that I was using the original DRebel - the 300D. That thing was super cheap feeling - at least compared to my D70. I have't played with the XTi yet - so maybe they made improvements.

Congrats on the lens.
BTW. did you know there is a $30 Mail in rebate on that lens?
B&H listing for the lens and rebate popup

Schweet!!! Thanks Salsa!!!

- Air B