# What would you consider are photography essentials



## Mattieuk (Oct 26, 2005)

Through looking at the various camera sites and online stores its obvious you can spend a large amount of cash on kit. My question is what would you consider are camera kit essentials for someone getting into this?...Like me:thumb:

For example:Camera, 55mm lens, 200mm lens
good bag
spare battery etc...


Cheers all :thumb:


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## alanjo99 (Nov 22, 2007)

A camera is always a good starting block when taking up photography.

Also some film from Boots or one of those big sim card things to jam in the side of it :thumb:


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## swordjo (Sep 17, 2006)

Tripod and always willing to learn new things!


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## Lespaul (May 23, 2006)

Depends on what you want to photograph to be honest.

Landscape = short lens, maybe a prime (50mm), good strong tripod, grad filters.

Motorsport and wildlife = good zoom lens (300mm - 400mm), mono pod, polar filter.

Portrait = good general zoom lens (18mm to 135mm or 200mm), good tripod, various filters, decent flash.

You will also need a decent bag to carry your kit, spare battery and spare memory card.

Just a rough guide and all IMHO of course as I'm quite new to photography too 

Darren


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## swiftshine (Apr 17, 2008)

First thing (obviously) is a decent camera and good bag to keep it safe in. Buy as good a camera as you can afford and a decent lens (if SLR). Generally, depending on your camera you can get a better standard zoom than the 'kit' lens that will be offered with the camera, and most SLRs are available body only. A 17-70mm (or thereabouts) lens is enough to get started with.
The shop you buy from might offer a deal with the camera on a decent bag, otherwise have a look on the net for what you want and get it cheap.
Don't buy your memory cards from the camera shop. get them from somewhere like www.mymemory.co.uk They also do good deals on bags.

And that is all you need to start off with. Once you have been at it a while you will have a better idea of whether you need other lenses and what focal lengths, tripod/monopod, filters etc etc etc. It all depends on the type of photography you want to do.

I only took up SLR photography a year ago and must have spent about 2 grand since then, and I reckon I've got a decent enough set-up now. But that is a LOT of cash for a lowly tractor mechanic!

Good luck, and if you want any personal recommendations from a recent starter, feel free to ask.


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## -ROM- (Feb 23, 2007)

The most important thing about photography is the willingness to learn a guy with a £6k camera and £10k of lenses who thinks the camera does all the work is gonna produce poorer images than someone with a £300 camera & £100 lens who has taken time to learn and understand photography. 

So as a beginner don't get caught up with the equipment bug.

As a rough guide something like a 18-55 lens will give you a nice range to leave attached when on holidays etc so you have a bit of zoom and also enough at the wide end to take groups etc. If you're willing to spend a bit more an 18-200 also makes an incredibly versatile holiday "walkabout lens".

For portrait something like the cheap 50mm f/1.8 are great for around £70, and the images they create are sooooo sharp frankly the price should be priced at 3 times that amount!

A tripod is a good idea, as well as the obvious bag, memory card etc etc.

When i was a beginner one of the best buys i got was a proper hot shoe flash gun instead of the little pop up one on the camera, it really gives you a lot more flexibility and new possibilities.

Your original question is a bit of a mine field and very difficult to answer as you haven't provided info such as budget, what type of subject you are likely to be shooting most often, etc etc.

If you have more specific question post back here or PM me i am always happy to help.


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## Mattieuk (Oct 26, 2005)

Gents,

Thanks for the replies, much appreciated. The question was a general one as to what (if there is such a thing) is considered a good level of kit for someone of average ability, so as to cover the majority of camera uses.

I guess many new owners of DSLR's want to "avoid the equipment bug" as rightly pointed out by rmorgan84, but also want to get the most out of there new camera. 

Obviously the cost of experimenting with new photography equipment is a issue to most newbies like myself, hence my question as to what is a basic good level of kit.

Thanks again for the replies


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## Lirin (Jun 9, 2008)

I've always bought cheap camera bags with no recognisable names on them- don't really want to advertise what's in my bag. I've a Lowepro rucksack which is pretty nondescript, and a smaller bag for a few quick bits of kit that cost me a fiver and is falling apart....

Just don't like advertising for theft reasons, I've had a couple of attempts to nick bits of mine before.


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## parish (Jun 29, 2006)

rmorgan84 said:


> For portrait something like the cheap 50mm f/1.8 are great for around £70, and the images they create are sooooo sharp frankly the price should be priced at 3 times that amount!


When I was 'into' photography many moons ago ISTR that 135mm was considered the optimum length for portraits - something to do with the slightly compressed perspective?


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## -ROM- (Feb 23, 2007)

parish said:


> When I was 'into' photography many moons ago ISTR that 135mm was considered the optimum length for portraits - something to do with the slightly compressed perspective?


135mm is a bit long IMO but you have to remember that there is a 1.6 crop factor on APS-C sensors therefore a 50mm becomes approx 80mm plus it has a 1.8 aperture which will also help get that out of focus backgrounds (bokeh)


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## ade33 (Jun 4, 2008)

rmorgan84 said:


> When i was a beginner one of the best buys i got was a proper hot shoe flash gun instead of the little pop up one on the camera, it really gives you a lot more flexibility and new possibilities.


This is so true, when I bought my D50 I was disappointed with the performance of the on-board flash. I thought the SB600 / 800 too clever (and large) for me at the time so I bought the little SB400. What a great piece of kit. It's only a tiddler but I'm never without it now. The best thing I can say about it is it just produces light - and mostly the results look like no flash was used at all, it's just perfectly lit. I'm no photographer but it's made a massive different to the quality of the photos I take.

If it goes **** up I would probably upgrade to the SB600 but for the cash I can't fault the 400, it's great.

Oh yeah and a tripod.


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## Lirin (Jun 9, 2008)

Yeah, a separate flash gives infinte possibilities- my current 5d has no onborad flash, but my trusty t90 did- and although it was good, it only extended around 5metres at best- all with a cold cast around 3300k. The flash I bought could eventually provide all I needed, eliminating cold casts and some severity of shadows- though I still prefer natural as long as possible.

Basic kit? Camera, decent lens, bag, memory card or film, and bag.


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