New lens or new camera?

T-rev

Have a Canon Digital Rebel with just a standard lens and wondering if I should buy a new lens for it or a new camera?

Discuss.

Prenderb

Lens.

Enjoy.

Effects

New camera. Don't believe the hype about glass over camera. If all you have is a rebel then upgrade.

Effects

Then get a lens, like a 50mm 1.8 second hand for €90 or so.

T-rev

Effects I dont know of any hype about glass over camera but why so? Whats ur opinion on it?

Effects

People always say glass is more important than the camera body. It's only true to a certain extent. When you sayyou have a rebel I presume it's the same as a 300D. IF that's so then it's an outdated camera and you could do with an upgrade. The standard lenses aren't great either so I'd change that next.

dirtyghettokid

IMO people don't need new equipment until they have reached it's limitations. if you are into photography and know a little bit about it, then you should know what you need/want. for example - i started off with a nikon D80 and had used it for three years while learning more in depth about photography. i then kind of wanted/needed a camera body that would do things that the D80 couldn't - like higher ISO, more AF points, more FPS, higher MP. etc.
what type of photography are you into? landscapes? portraits? different lenses suit different requirements. like if you shoot landscapes, you want a wide angle lens... or if it's portraits you'd need a good prime like an 85mm or something. it all depends on your situation & needs. but if you are still a beginner, i would advise hold onto what you have for the moment until you learn to know what you want/need. it certainly helps to know your camera inside out to know where it performs and where it doesn't. then you could research models that have what you need and ask others who own that model for reviews on that equipment.

Rainbowsend

Lens.......I always find a new lens gives me a boost to get out
and use the camera more, renews my interest and allows me
to experiment with the camera I already have, in my opinion we
tend to replace bodies far to often when the body we have is
perfectly capable of taking good shots, lenses stay with you for
a lifetime if you buy wisely!

PCPhoto

Effects wrote: »

People always say glass is more important than the camera body. It's only true to a certain extent. When you sayyou have a rebel I presume it's the same as a 300D. IF that's so then it's an outdated camera and you could do with an upgrade. The standard lenses aren't great either so I'd change that next.

so you've basically said ... get both a new camera and a new lens !!

Cameras are released more often so a camera will be outdated in a year or two, lenses are different in that most of the 15yr old lenses still operate perfectly with the latest digital cameras.

Do you need to upgrade? Do you have a budget ? what do you want to do with the camera - are you taking portraits, landscapes etc or just snapping anything you like ?

Personally I think you may need to explore techniques more so you can use the existing camera that you have and try to be creative with your photography.

DaireQuinlan

Effects wrote: »

People always say glass is more important than the camera body. It's only true to a certain extent. When you sayyou have a rebel I presume it's the same as a 300D. IF that's so then it's an outdated camera and you could do with an upgrade. The standard lenses aren't great either so I'd change that next.

Define 'outdated'. Any halfway decent digital body released in the last 10 years is a vastly superior picture capturing machine to practically anything released since the dawn of photography. Suggesting that the your photography will somehow suffer because your camera body is a few years behind the curve of the latest greatest technological gimcrackery is disingenuous to say the least.

DeVore

Update the lens imho and heres why.

1. Buy a 50mm (Nifty fifty) for 90 euros and you will get a BIG change in the use of your camera. Take this from someone who has walked the very same road you did (had a 400D eventually upgraded to a 550D).

2. The 90 euro or so you spend on the lens is much cheap than the 500 you will easily spend upgrading and while upgrading ALSO has a reasonable effect you might as well do the cheap one first because...

3. The lens will still work with the new body when you eventually DO upgrade.

Buying the 50mm was the bigbang moment for me and photography. It went from "hey, this is cool but um.. I'm a passenger hoping the car goes to a destination I like" to "I'm actually making stuff that looks great and other people wouldnt be able to do by just pushing a button... this feels artistic!".

When I had developed my understanding and interest and started to feel like maybe a better censor would improve my pics, then I felt completely comfortable in spending the money on a new body. That and my old one got nicked in a burgulary!

So, you might as well spend a little money (which wont be wasted) to gain a really serious jump in what you can do with your kit. Then decide if you want to make the jump and your lens will jump with you. Seems logical to me.

DeV.

magicbastarder

a new camera with the same lens will result in the same shots at a higher res. that's pretty much it.

DeVore

Is it? I understood the quality of censor plays quite a part in the "crispness" of the resulting image, even at the same res...

Anyone know?

DeV.

ps: I am pretty sure it wont make as much impact on their photography as a 50MM lens will... that much I would be very confident in saying.

DaireQuinlan

DeVore wrote: »

Is it? I understood the quality of censor plays quite a part in the "crispness" of the resulting image, even at the same res...

Only if he or she was going through all your images suppressing all those that didn't fit in with some criteria. Sharpness Fascists ! (cue HCB quote)

DeVore

I hate you.



DeV.

DaireQuinlan

DeVore wrote: »

I hate you.

5uspect

Which Rebel do you have? The original Rebel was called the 300D outside the states.
It wasn't a great camera due to come glaring omissions that you can hack back in with a firmware update.This has been replaced with the excellent 350D and onwards to today's 600D via the 400D, the 450D etc. See the list here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_Canon_EOS_digital_cameras

Anyway definitely get a new lens. The 50mm is a great lens that will serve you well and teach you loads about photography.

If you do have a 300D and you find it poor in low light consider moving up to one of the new sensors in the likes of a 550D.

Adrian.Sadlier

and if you really want an upgrade - buy a Nikon:D

magicbastarder

DeVore wrote: »

Is it? I understood the quality of censor plays quite a part in the "crispness" of the resulting image, even at the same res...

Anyone know?

it may have slightly better dynamic range, or be slightly crisper, but the difference for everyday use for someone not familiar with the camera will probably not be noticeable.

5uspect

It would most likely be dependent on the ISO performance. In dull old Ireland you're going to be cranking up the ISO a good bit. The sensitivity of newer cameras is amazing compared to some old models. My 350D was unusable beyond ISO 800, I'll happily push my 7D to 1600 or even 3200 if I'm feeling brave.

OP, it may help to give a budget or amount of money you're willing to spend on your potential upgrade.

eyesquirm

While its true the 300d was the first of Canon's budget range, and new cameras are so much better, a lens upgrade IMO is the way to go. As was said here, a 50 mm is cheap, and gives great image quality. I have a 350d and usually use a 17-85 on it. Body is a bit small for the lens, it does seem a bit "top heavy", but I love the lens, image quality is very good, and it has IS.
Personally, I wouldn't upgrade my body ( camera body. I would upgrade my own personal body. )
Just my own 2 cents worth.

DeVore

I upgraded to a 550D ... ok my insurance company upgraded me ... and I'm back to feeling like I'm the weak link in the chain

Its staggeringly good and I cant really understand why other people buy the super expensive ones... what is it this doesnt do for them?! Make coffee??

DeV.

5uspect

DeVore wrote: »

I upgraded to a 550D ... ok my insurance company upgraded me ... and I'm back to feeling like I'm the weak link in the chain

Its staggeringly good and I cant really understand why other people buy the super expensive ones... what is it this doesnt do for them?! Make coffee??

DeV.

The 550D, 600D, 60D and 7D all have the same sensor, more or less.
The more expensive models do things like better build quality and faster frame rate (8fps in the case of the 7D compared to 3.5 of the xxxDs). Also the 7D has a much, much better viewfinder and extremely fast and accurate autofocus. It's also weather sealed.

But if you don't care about any of these then there is no need for them.

Borderfox

DeVore wrote: »

I upgraded to a 550D ... ok my insurance company upgraded me ... and I'm back to feeling like I'm the weak link in the chain

Its staggeringly good and I cant really understand why other people buy the super expensive ones... what is it this doesnt do for them?! Make coffee??

DeV.

I hear what your saying about the 550d, superb camera and so many features that really work well.

I have the 1dmk3 and have at times had to work outdoors in really heavy rain for up to 6 hours and I wouldnt have a single worry about that camera not working in those conditions.

In response to the op's question imo maybe something like a course or trying to make the best out of what they already have would be a better way to go than new glass but if they are inclined glass imo is the way to go while a rebel might not have the best low noise performance in these days good glass will help minimise its effect.

5uspect

The OP hasn't been back to confirm which version of the Rebel he has. It could be a 550D T2i, he hasn't said.

MiskyBoyy

5uspect wrote: »

Anyway definitely get a new lens. The 50mm is a great lens that will serve you well and teach you loads about photography.

Would this be a good all round general 50mm lens for my Nikon?

http://www.connscameras.ie/nikon-af-50mm-f1-8d-lens/4960759023254pd.html

5uspect

DaLad wrote: »

Would this be a good all round general 50mm lens for my Nikon?

http://www.connscameras.ie/nikon-af-50mm-f1-8d-lens/4960759023254pd.html

Depends if your body has an autofocus motor.
For Nikon the 35mm is a better option.
http://www.nikonusa.com/Nikon-Products/Product/Camera-Lenses/2183/AF-S-DX-NIKKOR-35mm-f%252F1.8G.html

MiskyBoyy

5uspect wrote: »

Depends if your body has an autofocus motor.
For Nikon the 35mm is a better option.
http://www.nikonusa.com/Nikon-Products/Product/Camera-Lenses/2183/AF-S-DX-NIKKOR-35mm-f%252F1.8G.html

Yeah, Nikon D5000.
So this is it here is it. Good for all round photography?
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Nikon-AF-S-DX-35mm-f1-8G/dp/B001S2PPT0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1327163299&sr=8-1

5uspect

It's a fast prime lens. It's good for a lot of things but I wouldn't say "all round".
It's about equivalent to what your eye sees - there's no zoom. Works very well in low light and is tack sharp with a nice bokeh.

BlastedGlute

I can't see full frame written anywhere here.

Completely irrespective of "image quality" which is generally down to perception or requirements, having a 50mm lens on any rebel series, is not actually a 50mm lens is it??

It's more like 80mm right? Thats a totally different lens. 50mm is unreal for street photography, but it only really works this way on full frame in my opinion.

I sold my 60D because I was eyeballing the fook out of a 35mm 1.4, in order to mimic 50mm fast F/stop focal range. But I felt like a mong putting a lens like that on a camera body worth so much less. So I'm currently in the process of buying a 5Dmk2 with a 24-70 and I'll probably grab a sigme 50mm 1.4 for street fun and such.

Bottom line here really should be that if you can figure out a way to source the money, like me, working in a factory and selling some stuff I didn't want/need. Then do it. It's better kit and in theory will give you "better" images. But that's a matter of opinion I guess. I want true 50mm and I'll get it.

magicbastarder

BlastedGlute wrote: »

It's more like 80mm right?

no, it's 50mm.
minor pet peeve of mine, but i don't think there's much point in talking about 35mm equivalent anymore, when the DX sensor is the sensor size of interest for people who are getting into photography.
saying to someone who may not understand the terminology that their 50mm is an 80mm equivalent of a format they're not likely to use for years at least is just muddying the waters.

BlastedGlute

So what your saying is, don't confuse the new guys?

magicbastarder

there's no idiot proof option, unfortunately.
one option may be to have a 'multiplier' value - so the 35mm on a nikon DX is about a 1.25 multiplier (so is actually a short telephoto); but this obviously is going to run into trouble with a lens usable on more than one format...

BlastedGlute

I would have recommended a 30mm 1.4 from sigma, nice focal length and fast f. It'd feel far more versatile than a 50mm on a cropped sensor. I wouldn't walk around on a street photography day with an 85 strapped to a full frame, like wise I don't fancy the 50 on a cropped.

I'm sure "they'll" figure it out eventually. I'm not even a year into this hobby but I learned the difference the week I got my camera. :-/

magicbastarder

i've never considered the extra half a stop or so a 1.4 gives over a 1.8 worth the price of entry you'd probably pay on a digital body, to be worth it.
i've a 1.4 on my film kit, but that only cost €80.

BlastedGlute

Only reason I would suggest a 1.4 over a 1.8(in the 50mm range as I'm pretty sure there is no 30mm 1.8 for canon?) would be because the sigma 1.4 produces much more even and pleasing bohke due to the extra blades. A 1.8 has nice dof to but sharpness of your focus point and composition of your out of focus elements means the 1.4 will create a more pleasing photo, even at the same f.stop. imo of course :P

Adrian.Sadlier

magicbastarder wrote: »

there's no idiot proof option, unfortunately.
one option may be to have a 'multiplier' value - so the 35mm on a nikon DX is about a 1.25 multiplier (so is actually a short telephoto); but this obviously is going to run into trouble with a lens usable on more than one format...

When a full frame lens is used on a camera with an APS-C sized sensor (also called DX by Nikon), the multiplier (or "crop factor" as it is often referred to) is 1.5 for Nikon and 1.6 for Canon.

Personally, I will always spend money on glass first. I will not upgrade the body until I understand the limitations of my existing kit - and whether those limitations are due to the camera or me.

And I always try to buy glass that will work on a full frame sensor - althought it will be a few years before I can afford one of them!