Essential Equipment for Beginner

[Austinjh]

My brother is getting a used Canon 450D for his birthday. I know nothing about photography but want to get him some related gifts. This is his first DSLR so he doesn't have much gear for it. His fiance has mentioned he wants to start bird watching/space stuff. I'm more inclined to get him general purpose gear because it seems like he doesn't have a specific use for it yet.

 

Any advice would be greatly appreciated. I've already bought 2 batteries, and a memory card case. I plan to get him a few SDHC cards because all of his are SDXC.

[Origami Cactus]

Isnt SDXC better than SDHC? Anyways

 

Maybe a good tripod if he wants to do space stuff?

Then maybe a camerabag, so he can take the camera anywhere etc?

Maybe instead of a bag a nice camera strap?

 

More advanced gifts would include maybe some filters, or even lenses, but lenses can be expensive and hard to pick.

 

My personal gift would be old soviet lenses, as those are dirt cheap, but they are really hard to get if you aren't in europe etc, and they can be a pain to pick out.

[Austinjh]

7 minutes ago, Origami Cactus said:

Isnt SDXC better than SDHC? Anyways

 

Maybe a good tripod if he wants to do space stuff?

Then maybe a camerabag, so he can take the camera anywhere etc?

Maybe instead of a bag a nice camera strap?

 

More advanced gifts would include maybe some filters, or even lenses, but lenses can be expensive and hard to pick.

 

My personal gift would be old soviet lenses, as those are dirt cheap, but they are really hard to get if you aren't in europe etc, and they can be a pain to pick out.

As far as I can tell SDXC isn't compatible. It's was released 12 years ago. 

 

I've tried to look at bags, not sure if most dslrs are the same size because nothing comes up when I search 450d camera bag. 

I will look at those lenses but I'm in Canada so it might not pan out. 

 

Thanks for the advice.

[Origami Cactus]

1 minute ago, Austinjh said:

As far as I can tell SDXC isn't compatible. It's was released 12 years ago. 

 

I've tried to look at bags, not sure if most dslrs are the same size because nothing comes up when I search 450d camera bag. 

I will look at those lenses but I'm in Canada so it might not pan out. 

 

Thanks for the advice.

Aaah, gotcha. Yeah then sdhc will have to do.

 

Yeah camera bags have standard sizes, but the safest is to take the camera to the shop and try all the different bags, but kinda not possible with a gift yeah. Standard DSLR bags should work.

 

As far for the lenses, the camera uses Canon EF-S mount, maybe canon EF will also work? There are some cheap, like below 100$ canon lenses, so that could be an option.

 

As far for the soviet lenses? They can be quite a hassle, they require specific adaptors, usually M42 adaptor, and then you adapt that to m39. 

[Austinjh]

12 minutes ago, Origami Cactus said:

Aaah, gotcha. Yeah then sdhc will have to do.

 

Yeah camera bags have standard sizes, but the safest is to take the camera to the shop and try all the different bags, but kinda not possible with a gift yeah. Standard DSLR bags should work.

 

As far for the lenses, the camera uses Canon EF-S mount, maybe canon EF will also work? There are some cheap, like below 100$ canon lenses, so that could be an option.

 

As far for the soviet lenses? They can be quite a hassle, they require specific adaptors, usually M42 adaptor, and then you adapt that to m39. 

Oh ok cool, thanks.

 

Maybe I'll just go with him and get a bag after his birthday. He is notorious for damaging stuff, so that'd be the priority. 

 

I'll look into those canon lenses, the soviet ones seem a bit outta my comfort level. I'd rather just tell him about them and let him figure it out. 

 

Thanks again.

[GDRRiley]

EF do work with EF-s

so get a 75-300 III or III USM (faster better focus)

then if you still got more you'd want to spend look at yongonu 35 and 50mm fixed lenses. the 35 runs about 90$ and the 50 about 50$

2 hours ago, Origami Cactus said:

Isnt SDXC better than SDHC? Anyways

 

My personal gift would be old soviet lenses, as those are dirt cheap, but they are really hard to get if you aren't in europe etc, and they can be a pain to pick out.

that is capacity not speed. you are limted to SDHC on it

 

They aren't hard to get in the US it just takes time my helios 44 I ordered are looking like month-2 months

 

most bags are universal as most are similar in size

tripods can be a good starting item as well

I wouldn't worry about a fancy strap

Edited June 3, 2020 by GDRRiley

[iBabySlapper]

He wants to do some bird photography? A big lens is pretty expensive so he'd have to get one himself, but a ghillie suit and a ghillie cover would be handy for that kind of photography.

 

In a more general note, a monopod/tripod can be a good starter gift. If your budget stretches to it, you could also gift a lens. I don't know what kind of lens he's getting with his camera, but something like a 18-300mm lens is a very good general purpose lens. A magpul MS2 can also make a pretty good camera sling when paired with a tripod mount ring, that's what I personally use.

[GDRRiley]

38 minutes ago, iBabySlapper said:

but something like a 18-300mm lens is a very good general purpose lens. A magpul MS2 can also make a pretty good camera sling when paired with a tripod mount ring, that's what I personally use.

I'd say for the 400-600$ you'd be better off with other glass like a 17-50F2.8 and then an 75-300

 

41 minutes ago, iBabySlapper said:

He wants to do some bird photography? A big lens is pretty expensive so he'd have to get one himself, but a ghillie suit and a ghillie cover would be handy for that kind of photography.

75-300 III/III USM will do okay for 80-150$ used/refurbished

that really isn't needed to start

[iBabySlapper]

12 minutes ago, GDRRiley said:

I'd say for the 400-600$ you'd be better off with other glass like a 17-50F2.8 and then an 75-300

It's just the versatility of a 18-300mm which I really like, especially if it's macro too. It can do both amateur bird photography and selfies if you so desire. Realistically all a beginner would need in their bag is one of these lenses and a fast 50. Sigma and Tamron (believe the tamron is a 18-400) make these lenses and they're $400 new, which is a bit expensive if you're starting out, but they're worth it imo.

[Fetzie]

If he wants to get into bird photography then a pair of decent-but-cheapish binoculars will help him find them (it's a lot easier to scan for wildlife than through the camera viewfinder, especially as you get your natural depth perception). I have a pair of Nikon Prostaff 7s, great binoculars for the price (~200 euro), waterproof, light, good colours.

 

Also, he'll want a tripod. Everybody thinks they don't need one, until they try taking photographs of things that are a long way away and can't get them in focus or sharp. Because they're not using a tripod and at those distances even a millimetre of camera movement is enough to make a bird jump halfway across the sensor.

[GDRRiley]

Just now, iBabySlapper said:

It's just the versatility of a 18-300mm which I really like. It can do both amateur bird photography and selfies if you so desire. Realistically all a beginner would need in their bag is one of these lenses and a fast 50. Sigma and Tamron make these lenses and they're $400 new, which is a bit expensive if you're starting out, but they're worth it imo.

I've got an 18-135 and I love it but the issues is the the 18-300 doesn't seem to really zoom into 300mm due to focus breathing. you'd be better served by a normal fast zoom and then a cheap telli

I agree a 50mm and maybe a 35mm (if both are EF as there is 1.6x multiplier)

 

[Action_Johnson]

On 6/3/2020 at 12:00 PM, Austinjh said:

My brother is getting a used Canon 450D for his birthday. I know nothing about photography but want to get him some related gifts. This is his first DSLR so he doesn't have much gear for it. His fiance has mentioned he wants to start bird watching/space stuff. I'm more inclined to get him general purpose gear because it seems like he doesn't have a specific use for it yet.

 

Any advice would be greatly appreciated. I've already bought 2 batteries, and a memory card case. I plan to get him a few SDHC cards because all of his are SDXC.

Doing wildlife stuff requires one to be *extremely* skilled with their camera. It's not something you can just go out and do right out of the gate and get good results. But there is one thing he can do and get great results right out of the gate, and that's night photography. 

 

I vote instead of buying him a sh*tty 70-300 that wouldn't net him great results anyway, get him a GREAT tripod. THIS HERE IS A STEAL:

 

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/802118853-USE/gitzo_g1027_mk2_sport_carbon.html

 

Gitzo tripods are the gold standard for professional photographers. I own 2 of them, a medium and a small one like the one linked above. Unless he needs something crazy tall, with this he'll never buy a tripod again in his life. And with a great tripod like this, he can do long exposures at night of the stars and of the city. Set him up for success.