Dandelion

[Stan_Lite]

Took a couple of shots of a dandelion whilst out walking this morning and quite liked this one (click on pic for full size image).

http://im93oa.bay.livefilestore.com/y1pjAlQVqpoSMnikN8eUkgq1UkBWpedFvb5yx_k9wlZlyCTbGe _c6-9QoB5cJx5-EFty_Dmtlf-XGkj8Y-BaoWueXZmgBcc1hHE/Dandelion.jpg (http://im93oa.bay.livefilestore.com/y1pjAlQVqpoSMnikN8eUkgq1UkBWpedFvb5XJhsh_kKEnGJERC maTHLsBvCcgzGPWoo2PYI9q6pU0mMh6q_bceOGlFPU9tZfOEN/Dandelion.jpg)

Not quite as sharp as I would have liked but close.

C&C welcome as always.

[BBx]

Lovely :)

BB x

[Dee]

Check you out Stan! You're certainly getting better, can you see an improvement in your own work? :)

[Stan_Lite]

Check you out Stan! You're certainly getting better, can you see an improvement in your own work? :)

Slight improvement. I'm getting much fussier now too. I seem to be getting the basics, it's just a case of keeping at it and trying to get the hang of composition and getting the technical details right. There's a hell of a difference between taking snaps and taking photographs.

I'm looking forward to getting back to work (haven't worked for nearly 2 months due to the rig being in the shipyard for maintenance) so I can get some cash together for some lenses. I'm feeling very restricted by the kit lens already. Having said that, I can't make up my mind whether to get a wide angle or a telephoto first. I'm leaning towards wide angle at the moment as I seem to find myself wanting that more than a telephoto so far - but that may change at any given time. Ideally, I'd like to get everything I want straight away but that's not going to happen unless I win the lottery.

My list, at the moment, consists of:
EF-S 10-22mm f3.5-4.5 USM
EF-S 17-85mmf4-5.6
EF 70-300mm f4-5.6 IS
EF 50mm f1.4 USM
EF 100mm f2.8 USM macro
Speedlite 580EX II
Also, a decent tripod and head and other sundry bits and pieces. All in all, we're looking at about 3 grand in lenses and stuff. Once I've got all that, I'll be looking to upgrade the body. I was thinking EOS 5D MKII.

So, that's 5 grand then - piece of cake :p It may take me a while to get all this together :D

[Mark]

LOL! Nice shopping list. I think I've noticed a pattern - if you're going to do something, really do it. I can recommend the 70-300 IS at least. It's a nice bit of kit. :)

As for the photo, yes, I can see what you mean about the focus, but as you've said yourself it's an obvious improvement so well done.

I'm going to head out myself and see what I can find this weekend. Struggling for ideas at the moment, especially as I really need to get practice on my 70-300 as that's going to be my weapon of choice next week.

[Matblack]

I can recommend the upgrade route I took with the lenses, remember they do hold a lot of value so it is possible to trade up without losing too much money, its just the initial outlay. Don't rule out Sigma and Tamron's offerings as stopgaps; The Sigma 17-70mm that I have is an excellent lens and good value, if you want zoom the Canon 70-200mm L is excellent. For 50mm I reckon the f1.8 for £60 second hand is one of the best bang per buck lenses on the market, I fon't know much about wide angle as its not really my thing, yet but again Sigma's offering is cheaper and considered close to the Canon so worth a look :)

Although the 580EX is the dogs balls unless you are really stretching your photography and doing things like shooting off camera flash you might be better starting with something like the 420EX/ 430EX. 5D is a great camera and well worth a look as is an older 1D but its going to depend on what you use it for as to which is the more suitable.

MB

[Steeps]

In the long run if you're going for a 5d ef-s lenses won't work on it (only ef do) then again I'm not really sure how long it would take you to make such a collection of lenses. Only saying this as there might be something better to aim for than the 17-85 ef-s lens :)

[Stan_Lite]

I can recommend the upgrade route I took with the lenses, remember they do hold a lot of value so it is possible to trade up without losing too much money, its just the initial outlay. Don't rule out Sigma and Tamron's offerings as stopgaps; The Sigma 17-70mm that I have is an excellent lens and good value, if you want zoom the Canon 70-200mm L is excellent. For 50mm I reckon the f1.8 for £60 second hand is one of the best bang per buck lenses on the market, I fon't know much about wide angle as its not really my thing, yet but again Sigma's offering is cheaper and considered close to the Canon so worth a look :)

Although the 580EX is the dogs balls unless you are really stretching your photography and doing things like shooting off camera flash you might be better starting with something like the 420EX/ 430EX. 5D is a great camera and well worth a look as is an older 1D but its going to depend on what you use it for as to which is the more suitable.

MB

Most of the list is things I would like, rather than things I'm definitely going to get.
I haven't looked at the Sigma 17-70mm but I will now that you recommend it. I have the Canon 70-200mm L on my list as a preference to the 70-300mm - due to it's superior aperture and reputation for quality so that is a possibility, it's rather expensive but may well be worth it. The 50mm f1.4 has had some excellent reviews and is reckoned to be considerably sharper than the f1.8 but if the f1.8 is available so cheap second hand, that may swing it. The wide angle I really want as I've found myself in situations where I can't get the shot I want due to needing to be too close to the subject to avoid other stuff (mostly down in Jesmond Dene which is a densely wooded area). That brings me onto why I chose the 5D as my preferred body upgrade - it's full frame so it isn't subject to the usual 1.6 or 1.3 crop factor. Actually, having looked at it in a bit more detail, the EF-S lenses only work with 1.6 cameras so won't be any use on a 5D. I'll have to look into this a bit further. Lastly, the flash is another of those "would like to have" items. It's entirely probable that I will get the 430EX instead as it is considerably cheaper.

None of this is set in stone and is a long term plan and subject to several rethinks and changes of plan and a considerable amount of research. This stuff isn't cheap and I'm going to want to research every detail thoroughly before I commit my hard earned cash towards it.

[Stan_Lite]

In the long run if you're going for a 5d ef-s lenses won't work on it (only ef do) then again I'm not really sure how long it would take you to make such a collection of lenses. Only saying this as there might be something better to aim for than the 17-85 ef-s lens :)

I was typing my post when you posted this. I noticed that when I was checking up on the 5D and will need to rethink either the lenses or the body. I appreciate you pointing it out, it's the sort of thing that could be overlooked.

[Matblack]

The Thrifty Fifty is a snip at the second hand price, and well worth it for the large aperture it will give you, its not a fantastic lens but it is a cheap fun addition to the bag :)

MB

[Steeps]

If you fancy going wide there are a few lenses available and they tend to hold their second hand value quite well. I snapped up a sigma 10-20 from members market 5 months ago, I don't think it's the sharpest of copies and for this reason when shooting wide I'm still using a tamron 17-50 unless it's really good light. (Not properly tested the lens outside, really need to go out shooting more) If you wanted to go wide it shouldn't be an issue reselling the lens when you move to full frame.

For £60 I would recommend getting a 50mm f1.8, very sharp for the price and another lens that's easy to resell if you do want to upgrade to the 1.4.

[Matblack]

To be honest right now with the low interest rates I'm tempted to buy the lenses I want as I can always resell them. Very tempted to pony up and buy the 24-105mm f4

MB

[Kitten]

I can recommend the Sigma 105mm macro - it's widely regarded as an excellent lens and I take most of my images with it. It's without a doubt my favourite lens, followed by the canon 1.8 nifty fifty, which is fast and portable (and cheap!). I'd have gone for the 1.4 if I could afford it but the 1.8 is good enough for a hobbyist. Just make sure it's got manual.