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Basic kit for a beginner with Canon 40d?
I have just purchased the following:
Canon EOS 40D Digital SLR Camera (incl. EF-S 17-85mm f/4-5.6 IS USM Lens Kit)
SanDisk CompactFlash 4GB Extreme III Memory
Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II Lens
Now I have very limited budget left to spend but wondered if there are any other essential items I need to get started. For example, can anyone recommend a suitable bag/case? I assume the camera comes with a battery - I will be well disappointed if not. Is a tripod or flash gun essential?
I am new to DSLR cameras, my previous camera being an Olympus C7070 Wide Zoom compact.
Thanks
Paul
Hello Paul.
First, buy a Haze/UV filter for both lenses. You'll need a 67mm diameter filter for the 17-85mm zoom and a 52mm diameter filter for the 50mm lens. You want a filter to protect the front element of your lens from atmospheric pollution and smudges/fingerprints.
While buying the filters, buy a lens cleaning cloth and a lens brush. The brush is for removing loose dust and they used to come in a tube that looked like a lipstick tube. The lens cloth will remove any smudges. If its a stubborn one, just breathe on the filter.
If your budget allows, buy a 67mm slim mount circular polarizer and a 52mm to 67mm "step-up" ring. This will allow you to use the polarizer on both lenses.
The polarizer will darken a blue sky and make any clouds really "pop". It also removes reflections/glare from glass, water, snow, sand and painted metal - but not polished metal.
Always buy quality filters - Heliopan, B+W, Singh-Ray, Hoya, Tiffen.
Learning how to use all the features and settings available on your camera will require some quality time to really READ & STUDY the Owner's Manual for your camera. Its best to learn one feature/setting at a time and practice using it until you understand it completely.
You might want to consider buying the "Magic Lantern" instructional DVD for your Canon 40D. It is available at Circuit City and Amazon and probably several other stores.
You might want to add these books to your personal library:
"Hands-On Digital Photography" by George Schaub
"How Digital Photography Works, Second Edition" by Ron White
Buying a camera bag is a largely based on personal preferences. Right now you don't really need a large one so check what is offered at Wal-Mart or Target or Circuit City, etc.
Always keep your camera either safely in your bag or hanging securely around your neck. If the strap that came with it isn't comfortable, you can buy a nice wide one with the CANON logo on it on eBay.
Visit your library and read the photography magazines they have. If one really appeals to you, subscribe to it. My personal favorite is Shutterbug. IMO anyone interested in photography will benefit from reading photography magazines. They not only review equipment but also have "How To" articles to help improve your skills.
If you decide to shop on-line for your filters, here are some trusted sites:
http://www.bhphotovideo.com
http://www.adorama.com
http://www.keh.com
http://www.uniquephoto.com
http://www.abesofmaine.com
http://www.beachcamera.com
If your budget allows, look at tripods from Manfrotto, Velbon, Slik. Make sure it "fits" you - a tripod that only extends to 50 inches won't be of much use if you're 6 feet tall. I recommend never extending the center column more than an inch or two. Fully extended, it becomes unstable and defeats the purpose.
When buying a tripod, you'll have to choose a head (what your camera actually mounts to). There are 2 types: the tilt/pan head and the ball head. If you plan on a lot of nature and scenic photography a tilt/pan head works well. For sports and action photography a ball head would be a better choice. Either head will come with a "quick release" plate so you can quickly take the camera off the tripod if needed.
Edwin's Editorial:
I always tell people to avoid falling into what I call the "machine gunner" approach to photography*. This is the person who takes 300 exposures and hopes 10% will be worth keeping. This is often accompanied by the "Oh, I can fix it in Photoshop" attitude. Do you really want to be sitting at your computer sorting through 300 pictures hoping to find 30 worth saving? Or sitting there using an editing program and trying to make a mediocre picture into an average picture?
I prefer the "sniper" approach to photography - one exposure, one good picture. Sure, the best sniper misses occasionally. This is also called "Get it right in the camera" and requires thinking about the picture you want to make and knowing how to make it.
"Picture aren't taken. They are made." Ansel Adams.
Learn to look at a scene from several vantage points. Standing. Sitting. Lying flat on your belly. Move to the right and then to the left.
Learn to pay attention to the background. A tree or pole growing out of your subject's head or a powerline running through it adds little to your picture. Usually a slight change in your position or a slightly different angle will eliminate such distractions.
Good luck and welcome to the fascinating, frustrating world of advanced photography.
* A person in here once said that if they took 1,000 pictures and got one good one they were happy. IMO you'd get better results if you gave the camera to a chimpanzee.
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Mgs4 secret weapons
Military M1A2 Vs Merkeva And Leopard II Tanks
The Merkava has components made in Germany and several other countries. so I don't know how "Israeli" it is. Haven't a few of them been knocked out by folks on the West Bank, or Gaza... with RPGs and Molotov cocktails? I saw a Web site where they were talking much a lot about the prowess of the Merkava. I think it's a good tank, but I don't think it's better than an M-1A2, or a Leopard II; especially the newest models. My main concern with an M-1 would be that it requires a huge amount of fuel to remain operational... many countries don't have the logistics to keep them "fed."
I don't see how any one can say that the Leopard 2 is a better tank than the M1a2. Especially since it has never been combat tested. It would also be hard to compare it to a Merkava since the IDF has not fought any significant opponents since their little adventure into Liberia back in the 80's. I know personally, if I had enemy tanks coming over the dune I'd want an M-1 giving me cover fire.
Several of the components of the tank are built in other countries, but the Merkava itself appears to be organic to Israel - it is constructed in Israel by Israeli Defense Industries. It utilizes the same 120mm smoothbore as found on the Leopard, Abrams, Challenger, etc. As far as I know they've only been knocked out in the W. Bank by 100kg packages of explosives placed under the road - striking the tank's vulnerable underside. As far as the other components of the tank - I was under the impression that the technology stuff was actually made in Israel itself and just wanted to see if anybody knew how it "really" stacked up against the Abrams. I was surprised by your experience with the Canadians though.
Someone that I know also raised a good point when he mention that the Leopard hasn't really been tested in combat - the analysis I was reading called the Abrams the best combat-tested tank in the world, but the Leopard the best tank in some sort of nebulous theoretical way. Tough to say "which is tougher" the Abrams or the Merkava. My impression is that the armor is similar. The 3 tanks that we've lost were to do 100kgs, blowing up under the tank.
Other than that they really haven't been tested in a real combat situation. One interesting aspect is the engine being placed in the front. The idea being that massive amount of metal up front further protects the crew. In the end..it's the crew, their motivation and their training.
Right now according to Armor Magazine the top tank in the world is the Leopard 2A6. The 2A6 has an upgraded gun that places it slightly over the M1A2 SEP. I asked a friend in the 1st Cav. if the Merkava Mk4 could beat an M1A2. He gave me a point by point comparison, comparing speed, ammo capacity, and power to weight ratio, secondary weaponry, and the Markova's mortar. His conclusion was that "the Abrams MBT is better then a Merkava"
Another point to consider is the engine. While yes it's a gas hog, the M1 is also extremely quiet. I was talking to my boss who was prior army Intel. She told about how they were nearly run over during a night training op because the first indication that they had of the tanks approach was when it smashed through the trees fifty feet ahead of them.
Those three tanks are my favorites. The Merkava Mk1 was combat tested in '73 against T-62s and T-72s. The armor, which included diesel fuel (I haven't figured how that one works) was easily capable of taking the punishment from the latest in Arab operated Russian equipment (I hope they read Russian). Only one thing bothers me about the M1A2 - the laser designator can burn out under extensive use, while those on the Leopard 2 (all models) shut down temporarily when overheated. The Leo.2 is also better optics wise for firing manually.
Not to discredit the Abrams or Merkava, but the newest Leo is nicer, incl. a longer gun barrel for higher velocity. IDI was considering designing another homegrown tank with a 140mm main gun! But because of such high secrecy, it's hard to tell what the newest Markova's armor is made of - every model has made improvements to it. DU armor is nasty for the Abrams to have - but it is penetrable by the latest AT shells.
The Leo. Has some shady secrecy about what they have for armor, so estimations would tell you that the have some advantages over the M1A2 and some important disadvantages. Just remember, a lot of European countries tested the M1A2, Leopard2A5, and Challenger2 (no one says much about those). The tank of choice was either home grown or the Leo.
About the Author
Victor Epand is an expert consultant for http://www.WarGear.info/. WarGear.info carries the best selection of military clothing, war gear, and combat accessories on the market.
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