Korean Job Discussion Forums

[skindleshanks]

I'm about to buy a canon 450D as a first DSLR. I used to shoot a lot with and ancient (but good) manual SLR (Olympus OM-1) about ten years ago, so I'm not completely new to SLR photography. However, I am a bit overwhelmed by the choices for lenses. I want to get a nice set of lenses, and would appreciate some advice.

I need at least one good all-round lense for taking pictures of our kids (that's why my wife is letting me spend so much!), family outings, etc.

I also enjoy taking close-ups of insects and flowers.

I'd like one good zoom lense for bird and wildlife shots, and for "spying" on my kids as they play.

I think I need at least three lenses to start out with. I have a total budget around 1.5-1.8 million for everything (body, lenses, etc.)

I'm wondering if I should get the standard lens kit, or just the body and buy the kit separately, or buy a package deal (if i can find one with what I want).

Should I consider buying used? If so, where? I live on the east coast, and have a busy life, so I'd make the trip only if it would justify the expense of gas and time. On the other hand, if there is a good place to buy online, I could do that.

One final question--under what conditions would I need a flash, and what would be a good, general-purpose one to look at?

I know there are several photography gurus lurking around here--thanks in advance for your help!

[I_Am_The_Kiwi]

Well, i just bought a 450D 2 weeks ago. Its actually called a Kiss X2 (the japanese version of the exact same camera that is MUCH cheaper)

As for lenses, youre probably right in thinking youll need 3 if you want to do all the stuff you just said.
A small macro
A mid range standard 55-XX lens
and a telephoto lens.

The lenses you get in the 'package' are pretty rubbish really, I opted out and bought the body and chose the lens myself, and it is NO problem to do this at any retailer in Yongsan.

The long range telephoto that you want you should get one with at least USM (ultra sonic motor) auto focus, very fast and very quiet and IS.

The standard lenses they try to offer IS which i rekon is pretty unnecessary at that range.


Have a look here for info and comparisons of lenses etc.

cameralabs.com - they have a good forum etc here too.

for buying online, you can check danawa.co.kr and gmarket.co.kr to buy online. The prices are about the same as Yongsan, but your not going to be able to haggle and get some free extras like bags, filters etc.

I ended up getting a 28mm-105mm lense, a few years old with no IS but it really works well so far, has enough zoom going out to 105, but going to have to invest in a macro lens next. Went with the 105 for the reason of having to carry all of em around. Dont want to lug telephotos.

Total cost 820,000 with lens, a 2GB card and Bag.

Awesome camera.

[skindleshanks]

Thanks!

I think I'm going to go with the Korean model, just in case I need warranty work. It's only about 100k more. The lenses I think I'll buy used, if I can find them.

Just curious--what brand lenses did you get?

I may be going to Seoul next weekend, and I was thinking that I would go to Namdaemun, but you would say that Yongsan is better? Do they sell used equipment there? I've been to Yongsan a couple times for electronics, but I haven't had much luck haggling to the "right" price there.

[I_Am_The_Kiwi]

My lens is a Canon lens, though they will also offer you Sigma/Tamron also. Just that they didnt have a Sigma in the range i was after and it was more expensive too...

Used lenses are fine i think, and a lot of the places around there will sell used lenses too. I looked at some but couldnt find what i wanted.
The guys in the shops are going to try and sell you the highest quality, newest model piece of glass they have so have an idea of what you want in your lens.

Check with the guy you buy the camera from. The Kiss X2 (japan model) does have a warranty - but its only mantained by the store we bought it from.
So if it breaks, we have to take it back to the same shop, if you get the Korean one you could probably take it to any Canon dealer.

Also there is no international warranty that comes with Canon cameras....think you can get one, but youll be paying extra for it.

[superdave]

[skindleshanks]

Thanks for the advice, I guess I'll buy new lenses, just less of them. How about a flash or a battery grip? I'm guessing there's not a lot of newer ones out there used, though.

Superdave--why are you not a fan of Canon? The reviews I've been reading gave a slight edge to the Canon on the low end where I am starting. I have had a Nikon point-and-shoot, and am beginning to hate it, so I guess I was biased against it from the start. . .


I've spent the entire day reading online, and I've put together my lense wishlist:

Basic - Sigma 30mm / 1.4
Zoom - Canon EF-S 17-55mm f 2.8 IS USM
Macro - Canon EF-S 60 / 2.8
Wide - Canon EF-S 10-22mm f 3.5-4.5
Telephoto Zoom - EF 70-200mm f 4 L USM


I just need to figure out now how to prioritize them--I can't afford them all right now - I have about a million won to spend on lenses now and the rest will have to wait. Are any of these lenses redundant or not useful enough to justify buying right away? Any other suggestions?

Thanks a lot for your help!

[skindleshanks]

Well, I just talked with my wife, and she knocked 600k off my budget . . . so I guess that makes the decision a bit easier . . . I can pick only 1 lens.

[superdave]

i'm not a fan because when i invested in gear, nikon had what i wanted ... and i think nikon's entry level cameras (D40x and D60) are very good. these days nikon is still slightly ahead in pro gear. the D3 is just astounding.

no doubt canon is good gear ... i hate the retards who are brand biased. i just chose nikon and therefore i am not an expert on canon gear.

since you can only get one lens, i'd recommend going the 'jack of all trades' route.

sure it's nice to have a 50mm prime and zooms in your bag ... but if you can't afford them all (or the wife won't let you play) then get an all round lens that will cover all your bases.

i don't think canon has a super zoom lens, but i know tamron has a very good lens. i think it's 28-300mm or the 18-250mm. both are good lenses and will do everything you need (they're around 500-650k in price)

when you've got more money later, trade that lens in on other specialty lenses.

personally, i have a:

50mm f1.8 (1.4 is often soft, and double the price)
18-200mm VR (my all round base lens)
70-300mm VR (which i'm going to sell)
11-16mm f2.8 tokina wide angle (beautiful lens)
11-17mm f4 tokina fisheye (awesome fun, quite cheap)

those lenses do everything i need ... and i rarely use the zoom, so i'm selling it.

the benefit of a multi-purpose base lens is that you don't waste time switching lenses in the field. it results in dirty sensors and lost time/images.

although i agree that the multi-purpose lenses are probably slightly lower in quality than the professional f2.8 lenses, they're a fraction of the price and the results aren't noticable.

btw, don't be afraid of 3rd party lenses. they often do a great job and are much cheaper than the brand name lenses. do some reading on www.dpreview.com in the forums about tokina, tamron and sigma. tokina are very solid, as are tamron. sigma can be hit and miss, depending on the lens, but they've produced some great gear too.

cheers

david
www.davidsmeaton.com

[skindleshanks]

I ended up buying direct from Japan on GMarket, because it was about 50k cheaper after tax and shipping.

I didn't see your post before I bought, Dave, and ended up going with the sigma 30mm. Back when I used my Dad's SLR, all I had was a 55mm lens, and it served me well enough. After reading your post, though, I'm kind of wishing I had gone for something more versatile.


I'll definitely be asking for a zoom lens for my birthday/Christmas . . .

I'll definitely check out that photo group once I get back into taking decent pictures again . . .