First DSLR :)

[Leon]

eventually I'll replace all my filters, for the 58mm ones for the kit lens, or I may just buy a 52-58 converter

[NannyFerret]

The main ones to get will be les protectors which are quite reasonable on 7 day shop or eBay. I know there are some people that only buy brand name filters but my pocket doesn't run to those and the cheaper ones have been OK so far.

[Guest DaveW]

If your buying effect filters buy them to fit your lens with the largest filter thread and get step-up rings to fit them on the lenses with smaller filter threads,. Never the other way around using smaller filters with step-down rings for the larger filter threads or you will get vignetting.

 

Must confess I never use a filter as a transparent lens cap, but always put the lens cap back when not using the lens, but then I don't usually have to take pictures in mucky situations. In theory a flat slab of glass stuck right on the front of the lens if you don't use a lens hood can cause flare in bright light:-

 

"6.2. Filters are not Transparent Lens Caps.

 

Many pundits recommend using a skylight or UV filter to protect the front element of your lenses. This is possibly an appropriate technique for photojournalists and war reporters, or for photo sessions at the beach or the motocross track. However, the use of filters as transparent lens caps is questionable because even high quality filters are not part of the original lens design, and thus produce an air-glass surface which will absorb some light and cause additional diffraction. Plane-parallel glass filters can also produce extensive reflections if light hits them at particular angles. This is only one of the many ways that filters can affect sharpness and contrast in your images."

 

http://visualsciencelab.blogspot.co.uk/2011/05/keep-your-lenses-clean-dont-keep.html

 

http://diglloyd.com/articles/Filters/quality.html

 

And the "belt and braces" approach:-

 

http://www.thephoblographer.com/2012/04/21/useful-photography-tip-18-keep-your-lenses-protected/

 

It's your choice, ultimate safety, or ultimate image quality?

[Leon]

I have just heard of one of my customers buying a Canon 60d, I'm not jealous, I don't begrudge him but I do wonder why someone would spend near £1000 on a camera to use in auto mode as they have no idea how to use it, I know people learn but still!!....

 

 

the mind boggles!!...he did however tell me of a near tame kingfisher what hangs around next to a pub beer garden, apparently it's there every day , I'll be off there in the next few weeks

[Guest]

at the zoo one day I saw a gent with a 7d with a big L series 100 - 400 lens on. Nearly 3 grands worth of kit and he was waving it about like it was some sort of toy with it on full auto rapid shooting and firing off images by the hundred. He was clearly using the method of if I take a thousand pictures at least one will be good enough for me to show to everyone to say what an excellent photographer I am. Its a specialist camera group they belong too called "all the gear and no idea"

[Leon]

 

 

Edited June 5, 2013 by mrwall

[Leon]

the 2nd hand "good condition" kit lens now refuses to work manually or auto!!   luckily ebay man will take it back, I;v just picked up a 35-80 again off ebay till I have funds for something better

 

I think towards december I'l look for a new 50mm 1.8 if funds allow

Edited June 12, 2013 by mrwall

[Leon]

  2nd hand lens starting to fail, anyone got a canon kit lens in GOOD condition??

 

my 35-70 now refusing to focus most of the time, sounds like it has sand in the motor (not been near any sand myself), waste of money 

[NannyFerret]

That's a shame. Does the camera work ok other wise? I thought Canons lenses didn't have a motor in them and that it was the camera that had the motor to work the lens.

You may as well buy a new lens from one or another of the places that I and others have posted as I have noticed that ebayers are asking quite a lot for their lenses etc..

[Leon]

the camera is great, the NEW sigma is fantastic but I need something with wide angle to mid zoom range.

 

I'm not buying anything else 2nd hand from ebay, 2 out of 2 is enough now!!

[NannyFerret]

I don't buy second hand off ebay either. You don't seem to be saving much on the new price these days, only if its a really expensive camera or lens. 
Too many people are jumping on the bandwagon and don't seem to care what they sell to unsuspecting customers.
I bought a second hand M42 thread 300mm prime from the disabled photographers stall at the NEC for £5. A bit tatty and very old but with an adapter works fine in manual focus.

It's very old( made of metal) and I wasn't even sure it would work until I got it home, but for £5, and the money raised was going towards new equipment for disabled photographers, so I wasn't too worried about it working, but I wonder if some of these ebayers pick stuff up dirt cheap and sell them at a high profit when some of them probably know that they may be faulty, it makes me mad.

After all, people like myself can't always afford to buy new and rely on the sellers honesty to get something that we need for our hobby.

All the little accessories that I have bought from Hongong or China have been fine.

[fuzzyedges]

If you are looking for a wide to mid zoom remember the cropped sensor factor (i.e times all lens by 1.6 )

 

Amazon have an 18-55 for £103 + postage although that looks wide it equates to 29 - 88 which dosnt now sound that wide

 

Its realy time to decide what you like the most to photograph and then think of the lens that suits, you can include primes as well as zooms

[Jon]

Have bought second hand from MPB - and I'm impressed with them.

 

Do you have the stock 17-55? its not a bad start (if you dont I have a spare you can have - old but hardly used, i bought a 50mm) also the cheap 50mm 1.8 is a good un - focus is noisy, but its the best lens per £ I've used - mine was £75 new

[colinb]

  2nd hand lens starting to fail, anyone got a canon kit lens in GOOD condition??

 

my 35-70 now refusing to focus most of the time, sounds like it has sand in the motor (not been near any sand myself), waste of money 

 

 

2 out of 2 is odd - you sure it is not the camera rather than the lens?

[Leon]

nah the camera is fine with the sigma on, I hopefully have another one coming thanks to a member of THIS forum

 

thefirst was advertised as "tempremental" basically it did not work properly, sent back got a refund, the 2nd is an old lens but it was only £27 delivered

[Ian]

I have a spare EFS-18_55 kit lens hanging around came with my 20D, nothing wrong other than no caps for either end  

 

I now have a EFS-18-55 IS that cam as kit lens on my 60D so I'm not using the older kit lens if it's of any use to ya ?

[NannyFerret]

There are such lovely people on here.

[Leon]

anyone ever bought old M42 lenses for new DSLR's??

 

till next year I simply don't have funds for a new one but the M42's and adaptors a budgie  I have read a 50mm 1.4 M42 is not as sharp and manual focus but surely thats better for learning about settings.

Edited October 11, 2013 by mrwall

[Guest DaveW]

Ask Fuji, I think he does?

[FUJI]

I have a set of amazing m42 thread lenses to use via cheap adapters on my SONY A55 camera..........two of my adaptor shave ....Focus- Confirm chips, that enable the green focus light to show.......all manual otherwise.

They are great fun.........I have tried them with other adapters on my GF1 micro two thirds, but I find focussing accurately using the led screen without confirmation is very difficult in bright conditions.

FUJI

[NannyFerret]

The focus confirm adaptors are quite expensive, aren't they? I looked at them for mine at one point, but just got the ordinary one in the end as I wasn't sure if it would work properly with my camera..
The were around £18-20 at the time.

[FUJI]

Hi, Leon,

Both of these were taken through a vintage 55/1.8 M42 lens.........I like to experiment with the four different M 42s I have........the shallow DOF can be amazing, as you can see.

Best viewed LARGE......Click on pics,

FUJI

[Leon]

thanks Fuj..... i'll order a conversion thingy and pick up the camera I have been offer for free next week, I might even bung a film in it and have a go while i'm at it!!

 

the camera and lend are like this one http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/PRAKTICA-MTL3-with-Tessar-50mm-f2-8-Carl-Zeiss-Jena-DDR-M42-Mounting-Lens-/251338059712?lgeo=1&clk_rvr_id=530370294803&vectorid=229508

 

but they have been sat around for donkeys years , will need a good clean (if it works) just hope there is no mould in the lens.

[Guest DaveW]

Whether you really need a Focus Confirm adapter depends whether you would have wanted autofocus in that situation anyway Nanny, not always desirable really close-up at higher magnifications.  Remember Focus Confirm lights simply work off the autofocus sensor when autofocus is switched off, or if using manual lenses. So never rely on the Focus Confirm light in a situation where you would not rely on autofocus itself.

 

All you youngsters under 50 (and even over if enough dioptre correction on the viewfinder) should be able to screen focus anyway, relying on detecting the sharpest image on the screen unless your eyes are really bad, particularly if you have correctly set the dioptre adjustment on your eyepiece.

 

http://blog.cornicello.com/2007/05/adjusting-your-viewfinder-diopter.html

 

I think Nikon would disagree with the following link in one respect about switching the camera off. Nikon (and presumably other manufacturers) recommend the camera should be switched on when setting the dioptre adjustment because todays focussing screens with LCD overlays showing the autofocus points do not clear properly until under power. I made that mistake first time I got my camera and tried to adjust the dioptre setting before putting the battery in:-

 

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/insights/blogs/photography/calibrating-diopter-your-camera.html

 

My first SLR, an Exacta Varex IIa had a 50mm f2.8 Tessar lens Leon, as did the Praktica's. It is a very good lens for macro work when mounted on extension tubes, being of simple construction.  Dedicated macro lenses were seldom seen in those days, therefore everybody used the standard lens on tubes, plus similar Tessar designs were even used on enlargers, where of course a flat field was essential, but optical distortion, not as noticeable in general photography, was not.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tessar

Edited October 13, 2013 by DaveW

[FUJI]

Great stuff as usual Dave.....but it doesn't help manual focussing using just the LED screen on a very bright day.

FUJI