CameraPorn

The Ultimate Guide – Part 2: Getting Equipped – The Po’ Man’s Dream Kit

Finally, I’m back with part 2 of our “Ultimate Guide” where I will begin to break down three different kit suggestions spanning three different affordability levels. Originally, I planned on presenting all three kit options in one post, but due to the ongoing harassment from readers to get Part 2 posted as well as the surprising amount of time it takes to put these posts together, I decided to go ahead with the post to include only the first of the three kits, focusing on a low price range option to start. To make sure everyone has a good fix of CameraPorn, I’ll include a list of the items to be included in the next two posts. Parts 2 and 3 will focus on a mid-range and high-range priced photo kits. If you havent read “Part 1: Getting Prepared” we suggest taking a look before continuing.

Before I begin, I will again reiterate that no one, not even the gear-obsessed wackos that run this site would expect the average DSLR newbie to buy everything we suggest for a kit all at once. What I’m suggesting are well rounded kit options that contain items that cover the needs of most hobbyist photographers. In reality, all you need to get started is a camera, a memory card and one lens. You will also notice, all the cameras and lenses are from Canon. There are off-brand lenses such as Sigma and Tamron that offer quality and sometimes lower-cost alternatives to what I will be mentioning below, but what can I say, I’m a brand-whore. No, but seriously, aside from off-brand lenses Canon is not your only option. Nikon offers perfectly suitable alternatives to the DSLRs and lenses below at similar price points, but personally I love and use Canon gear, so thats what I’ll be suggesting.

Each kit I will recommend contains:

• A DSLR
• A versatile, wide zoom lens
• A memory card
• A flash
• A tripod
• A telephoto zoom lens
• A bag
• A blower
• Lens tissues
• A UV filter for each lens

Along with my choices, I will also provide a link to my favorite review when available, a link to purchase the product as well as a link to search google. You might also notice, that the purchase links direct you to Amazon. If you recall, I mentioned B&H Photo as my favorite vendor, which they are, but they denied me access to their partner program, presumably because my blog name has the word “porn” in it, so I’m forced to drive traffic over to Amazon, my second favorite vendor.

The Po’ Man’s Kit – the low-range option

The Po’ Man’s Kit was put together under the assumption that the purchaser really wants to get into DSLR photography, but wants to spend as little as possible with the biggest bang or his or her buck. This kit contains:

Canon Digital Rebel Xti - around $675 (body only)

Canon’s entry level workhorse, the original Rebel brought modern SLR photography into the hands of the hobbyist back in the film days and does the same in the digital age. It’s a solid starter for the DSLR newbie and has a well-rounded feature set, especially for the price.

Key Features

• 10.1 Megapixel CMOS sensor
• Self-cleaning sensor technology
• 2.5 Inch LCD
• Digic II image processor

Pros

• Price
• Resolution
• Overall features

Cons

• Feels like a toy courtesy of a plastic body
• Small grip size is hard to use for people with big hands
• Ruggedness is a concern for long-term and outdoor use.

Buy it on Amazon | Read my favorite review | Search it on Google

4GB Sandisk Compact Flash Card - around $75

I’m sure I’ll get some negative feedback on suggesting such a large CF card, but if you shoot in RAW mode (which I suggest you always do), a large memory card is a must. If you want to go cheaper, go for a 2GB, but I wouldn’t go smaller than that. Also, I mention Sandisk as the brand, though thats a soft recommendation. I’ve used Sandisk and Lexar cards, and never had a problem with either. Even off-brand cards seem to be ok, though I would try to stay away from purchasing any memory cards from questionalble vendors due to horror stories I’ve read about counterfeit memory cards.

Buy it on Amazon | Read my favorite review | Search it on Google

Canon EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS - around $400

A versatile zoom lens is an unmatched staple in any DSLR kit, as this type of lens will, in most cases, be your goto lens, used more frequently than any other lens you own. When making the decision on which one to choose, stretch your budget as far as possible for this reason. I’d also like to take this time to again show my disdain for the 18-55 f/3.5-5.6 kit lens frequently bundled with Canon’s low to mid-range DSLRs. In my opinion, this lens is a glorified paperweight and will provide pictures on par and sometimes worse than a decent quality point and shoot camera. I only feel compelled to harp on this because I personally made the mistake of getting the bundle when I purchased my 30D, because I had no one to tell me otherwise. Stay away from this lens like the plague, trust me.

As for the 28-135, this lens is a positively reviewed, moderately priced, general purpose lens. Reviewers generally feel its best feature, asides from the price, is its versatile focal range. Most reviews I’ve read put the image sharpness and overall quality on par or slightly better than the lens’s price point would dictate. Reviews also mention some acceptable distortion, but generally deent performance across the board otherwise. Another great feature is the IS or Image Stablization, which is generally a feature reserved for higher priced lenses. I’ve used this lens briefly and I would agree with reviewers in saying the focal range versatility is the lenses strongest feature in addition to its reasonable price. If you want to step it up a bit further, I highly recommend the Canon EF-S 17-85m f/4-5.6 IS, my own personal walkaround lens (when I’m not stealing chl’s 24-70 L), which I will discuss further as a recommendation in the next level of kits.

Buy it on Amazon | Read my favorite review | Search it on Google

Built-in flash – FREE

Though not ideal, the built-in flash will work for those who don’t have an off camera strobe in the budget. The flash can be improved by adding an after-market diffuser, which may look pretty funny, but really evens out the light nicely.

LowePro 1AW Bag – around $40

Lowepro is known for well-made, durable camera bags and the 1AW is no exception. Having just enough space to hold all the gear I mention here, the Lowepro 1AW is a reasonably priced, quality starter bag that sits in the low end of Lowepro’s wide range of camera bags. Though I generally prefer camera bags that don’t look like camera bags such as those made by Crumpler, which I will discuss more as we go on, the 1AW and any bag made by Lowepro will be reasonably priced, durable and reliable as starter bags.

Buy it on Amazon | Search it on Google

Canon EF 75-300mm f/4-5.6 Telephoto Zoom – around $170

As a super-cheap, entry telephoto, this lens can’t be beat in my opinion.
The 75-300 will never win an award for being the fastest, sharpest or best constructed lens Canon makes, because it is none of those things. What it is, is a decent, reliable telephoto zoom lens you can get for under $200. Sharpness, build quality and focusing speed are all decent and better than you would expect for this low-cost lens such as this. I own this lens, which I now refer to as my “cheapie long” because in most cases, I’ll use my 70-200 f/2.8 L IS instead of this which despite the shorter focal length, outperforms on all levels. Add an extender, and all bets are off. Despite the better quality of the L, this lens still comes out with me on some occasions where bringing a heavy, monster lens like the 70-200 is not feasible such as spectating a Dodger’s game, or anytime size and weight is a big issue. There are alternative off-brand lenses with similar price points, such as the Tamron 75-300 Di LD. I owned the Tamron for a short period, but returned it in favor of the Canon becasue of its poor autofocusing speed and noise. As with any lens at this level, you can’t expect the world, but if you want to get a long lens, and you want it really cheap, the 75-300 is a solid choice.

Buy it on Amazon | Read my favorite review | Search it on Google

Slik Tripod – around $20

Ask most photographers, and they will tell you a decent tripod is a must in any well-rounded kit. I chose Slik a the brand to recommend not becasue it is the only one out there, but because of my own personal experiences. When I first started out, when money was tight after the purchase of my DSLR, I was looking for a cheap tripod, and I found a Slik DV20 on Amazon for under 20 bucks. It had a 3-way pan and tilt head and a quick release, the minimum features I’d look for in a tripod, so it did its job. To prove it, here are some shots taken using this tripod. 1 – 2 – 3 It is not the most stable, adjustable or best built tripod by any means, but it still comes out with me sometimes when traveling because of its small size and light weight. Though I would not recommend using any heavy lenses with a tripod like this, if you are using any of the equipment within this kit recommendation, it will work just fine, and won’t break the bank.

Buy it on Amazon | Search it on Google

Giottos Rocket Blower – around $12

Already reviewed here on CameraPorn, I won’t say too much about the Giottos Blower. What I will say is that a blower, like this one, is an essential tool in your kit for safely removing dust from sensitive spot such as lenses and your sensor.

Buy it on Amazon | Read my favorite review | Search it on Google

Hoya UV Filters – around $20

I consider UV filters as a line of defense for my lenses. They consist of a thin piece of clear glass, coated to filter out UV light. The main point of a UV filter is to protect your lenses from damage. I have one for every lens I own, because I would much prefer a scratched filter to a scratched lens element. There are different schools of thought on UV filters, with some saying that putting a cheap piece of glass in front of an expensive piece of glass (your lens) is silly because it effects image quality. In my experience, this is not the case, except on occasion when shooting at night, only because the filter can sometimes catch glare from lights, with the glare being evident in the photo. Generally speaking, and in most cases, I wouldn’t worry about image quality being effected.

I list Hoya as a brand, again as a soft recommendation. There are several brands such as B&W, Sunpak and Canon that manufacture UV filters, all being acceptable, but I generally use Hoya filters. The one important point is to get a glass filter. You will sometimes find filters labeled as “optical plastic,” though I’d stay away from those for durability reasons. Keep in mind when purchasing, these come in a variety of sizes. Check the front of your lens to see what size is correct.

Buy it on Amazon | Read my favorite review | Search it on Google

Pec-Pad Lens Tissues – around $5

Lens tissues are are cheap, readily available and another must for any kit if you want to keep everything in tip-top shape. They are made specifially for cleaning optical glass, without scratching, or leaving any film or lint. I use Pec-Pads by Photographic Solutions, but anything labeled “Lens Tissue” from a respectable company will do the job. I also use them to clean my camera body, lens exteriors and anything else I want to clean without scratches or lint.

Buy it on Amazon | Read my favorite review | Search it on Google

---

That’s gonna do it for the first of my 3 levels of kit recommendations, but below is a preview of the next two posts.

The Average Joe Dream Kit – the mid-range option

The Big Ballers Who’s Your Daddy Kit – the high-range option