The Digital Photography Equipment Thread

[Robzy]

Great thread!!

Have decided to move away from zoom lenses and focus (no pun intended) on prime lenses - next on the shopping list is a 22mm prime (which will give me the approximate equivalent of 35mm).

Nothing beats a fast lens, but don't give up on zoom lenses! They're really terrific, but I would recommend getting ones with constant apertures. The down side is they're more expensive, but the quality is much better and you have quick access to several different focal lengths.

I also intend on upgrading to a full frame body later on (5D Mark II's successor, whenever that comes out) so I want to be able to re-use the same lenses (EF-S zoom lenses don't fit).

I, too, am eager to see what they're going to do with the Mk III! I'm specifically keen to see what "improvements" they do in the HD video department.

Just like you've suggested, future proofing is the aim of the game. I always recommend buying lenses that will fit on full frame cameras rather than cropped. If you ever upgrade, you'll be able to use the lenses. Let's face it; cameras change, but lenses should last forever. It's not unusual to spend 2 or 3 times on lenses as to what you spent on the body itself. But the lenses are interchangeable and will last a lifetime (provided you take care of them).

When you start mentioning ISO and the f-stops that is where you lose me. I have read up on them but I don't fully understand them. I usually just put the ISO on Auto and let the camera do the rest.

Jena and Vector Prime have given some great advice here already, so I won't be too redundant Understanding ISO, Aperture value, & Shutter speed is crucial for getting correct exposure. But the trouble is, when you adjust one, it can affect the others significantly. Or, in contrast, it can directly affect the "style" of picture you're trying to take (eg, depth of field; which is something that's been mentioned already).

I would highly recommend keeping your ISO value as low as possible for the highest quality pics, but sometimes it's just too dark and you need to increase the value. This is where good, fast lenses come in handy. Primes are great!! Anything that has a low f-stop number (eg, 1.8 or 1.4, so on). A good tripod is another option, and will help if you intend on having slow shutter speeds, as will IS (Image Stabilizer) Lenses; but they cost more!!

Good lights, or an external flash, can help too. I would recommend practising in Aperture Priority or Shutter Priority Modes. Manual Mode is great when you know how to get correct exposure.