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Holes in my Kit...

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    Spinal
    6
    78 forum posts
    28 Aug 2008 - 6:25 PM
    0

    I'm trying to poke holes into my kit... seeing if I missed something that everyone else is keen on and I haven't caught up on yet...

    These are the lenses I have...
    Sigma 10-20
    Sigma 18-200
    Sigma 28-300
    Pentax 18-55 (stock)
    Sigma 70-300
    (and UV/CPL filters to go with all)

    Now, I know I don't have a fisheye, or a really large zoom as used by sports/astro photographers... but at the end of the day, I'm just an amateur and they're pros (hence the reason all my lenses are budget lenses...)

    I don't really find the need for any other lenses, but I am wondering if there is something I've missed I should be trying... (e.g. what are the lens-baby things? I don't even understand what they do!)

    Thanks!
    M.

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    28 Aug 2008 - 6:25 PM

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    Coleslaw
    Coleslaw (e2 Member)
    6
    12761 forum postsColeslaw vcard Wales27 Constructive Critique Points
    28 Aug 2008 - 6:28 PM
    0

    If you don't miss it, then you don't need it... Smile

    Mike Otley
    Mike Otley (e2 Member)
    8
    17325 forum postsMike Otley vcard Norway8 Constructive Critique Points
    28 Aug 2008 - 6:30 PM
    0

    Amen.

    joolsb
    joolsb (e2 Member)
    7
    26711 forum postsjoolsb vcard Switzerland37 Constructive Critique Points
    28 Aug 2008 - 6:31 PM
    0

    Take more pictures. Spend less money. Wink

    Spinal
    6
    78 forum posts
    28 Aug 2008 - 6:37 PM
    0

    I take plenty pictures, don't worry... I carry 2 spare memory cards with me because during my daily outings I take a total of around 6-8Gb of images...

    Most of my photography revolves around travelling though, so I've been looking for the ideal lense... I love the 18-200 as it makes my bag light... but then I feel the need for the 10-20... So I carry that too... and then there are the times I want the extra zoom power, so I carry one of the 300's... at the end of the day, I'm chugging around a Lowepro computrek stuffed with a laptop and lenses... and I still look for more Tongue

    Now, does anyone have an 8-1000mm lense? (preferrably a light one too) Tongue I think that may finally satisfy my travel needs Tongue

    M.

    Overread
    28 Aug 2008 - 6:54 PM
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    Quote: If you don't miss it, then you don't need it...

    aye if your current kit meets your needs then you don't "need" any more lenses - however once you reach a stage where your kit covers your needs I would consider upgrading to the next level of glass -- granted this would be a longer term saving, but it worth it

    boony
    5
    952 forum posts United Kingdom2 Constructive Critique Points
    28 Aug 2008 - 6:59 PM
    0

    how about a flash or a tripod if you havent got them? there is so much more than lenses you can spend money on , how about a sun compass , a filter system , a bag to put it all in , loads a 1gig cards so you dont lose all your shots when your card corrupts , some spare batteries , an armadillo ,etc etc?

    rowarrior
    28 Aug 2008 - 8:08 PM
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    How about giving a prime lens a go? 50mm 1.8s usually come cheaply

    rowarrior
    28 Aug 2008 - 8:09 PM
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    Quote: an armadillo

    The SECC? Wouldn't be very neat trying to pack that up (okay, I give in, what is it?!)


    Quote: How about giving a prime lens a go? 50mm 1.8s usually come cheaply

    great advice. Just get rid of everything you have and get a 50mm, you wont regret it. james

    Coleslaw
    Coleslaw (e2 Member)
    6
    12761 forum postsColeslaw vcard Wales27 Constructive Critique Points
    28 Aug 2008 - 8:20 PM
    0


    Quote: How about giving a prime lens a go? 50mm 1.8s usually come cheaply


    Quote: great advice. Just get rid of everything you have and get a 50mm, you wont regret it. james

    bad advice

    Last Modified By Coleslaw at 28 Aug 2008 - 8:21 PM
    elowes
    8
    2780 forum posts United Kingdom
    28 Aug 2008 - 8:55 PM
    0

    You have far more lenses than you can usefully use if you ask me and you need to put some rational thought to things.

    I have a heavy bag and a good tripod. I take every thing with me if I travel using the car but I only take one lens and one camera body if I fly on holiday (can't afford to fly just to take photos).

    The lens is a 24-105 which covers all of what I would want on holiday.

    The next step really is to get rid of all your old stuff and buy a Canon 5D or it's replacement with a couple of L lensesSmile

    Last Modified By elowes at 28 Aug 2008 - 8:56 PM
    agoreira
    28 Aug 2008 - 9:47 PM
    0


    Quote:
    I have a heavy bag

    As we used to say in the Forces, you need to see the medical officer or the padre! ; )

    Spinal
    6
    78 forum posts
    28 Aug 2008 - 10:32 PM
    0

    Wow, thanks for all the replies Grin I'll try responding to everthing...

    I did consider buying some 'proper' glass, but it's a field I don't have ANY experience in and wouldn't know where to start! e.g. the 50mm prime lense that has been recomended; I wouldn't know what to use it for, when to use it or when I should be using something else! Now, I know that with practice it would all come, but I'm more of a read/learn before and practice later type of person!

    How about a flash or a tripod if you havent got them?
    Got a flash and my tripod just broke, will be ordering a national geographic £40 one (950g, and if it gets lost/broken I don't lose £500)

    about a sun compass ,
    a what?
    a filter system,
    been looking at the Cokin P series - but frankly, I rarely have time to compose a shot! It's walk, snap, run!

    a bag to put it all in,
    Lowepro computrek (or computrekker? can't remember) Love the bag!

    loads a 1gig cards so you dont lose all your shots when your card corrupts,
    3 x 4GB cards work wonders for me, I transfer them onto my laptop every evening, so if one dies at most I lose half a days worth of shots!
    some spare batteries,
    a small crate of 7DS 2800mAh rechargeables and a few Duracell M3s just in case...

    an armadillo,
    a what? I'm guessing not the animal?

    Weight wise, I'm not too fussed... I carry quite a bit more leaving aside the camera!

    My main focus atm is lenses, I want to experiment with different types (hence the reason I have so much overlap with the zoom lenses). I'm lucky in that I can borrow a lense from work, try it, and then decide if I feel like I need it!

    As for Canon... why would I ever want a Canon? I've always had a Pentax, all the way back to the film days, and it took alot of effort to swap to digital (that how much I liked my MZ).

    I've borrowed a 350, a 400 and some other massive random canon at work, all mounted with sigma lenses (mostly 28-300) - I can happily say that I don't regret buying pentax. It might be habit, but the K100 felt much more solid, the seals on just about anything allow me to bring the camera close to anything life throws at me, and the low cost (200-something now, right?) allows me to replace it when it all goes haywire without too much worry. I'm looking at a K20; simply for the pixel boost - but as my pictures are mostly for personal use, I still haven't found the need.

    I don't want to start a canon vs. pentax war, but I'm a Pentax person; and getting me to swap will require an impressive camera by Canon and a really stupid stumble by Pentax.

    That said, I don't stick to exclusively pentax... I've owned a Canon (an F1 that a family member passed on), several Nikonos Vs (still own two of them, most solid things ever when diving, forget all the digital plastic cases; steel is the way forward!) and an Olympus (they make some pretty impressive compact things imo)

    Overall, I think what I need to change the way I take pictures is to fiddle with graduated lenses - I just rarely have the time to put a filter, check, adjust, etc... But I am curious to what some of those suggestions are!

    Thanks,
    M.

    fauxtography
    28 Aug 2008 - 10:57 PM
    0

    You're a pentax user but only one pentax lens which is the kit lens? Surely one of the strengths of pentax is the vast range of legacy lenses and some of the newer ones, their macro one being a good example by all accounts.

    You snap and run you say, what about a series of primes (not just one) and maybe a 2nd body? A good combo for moving, shooting etc... i find it quicker and easier than mucking about with zooms.

    Last Modified By fauxtography at 28 Aug 2008 - 10:57 PM
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