Canon 40D - Lenses, Tripod, Filters, Flash, etc.

[din_nas]

Hi everyone. I've been reading up on this site for a few weeks now. The reviews and reader comments have been

very helpful for me to decide on which camera to get so I'd thought I get some advice before deciding on which

accessories to get.

 

I've looked around the forum but the other recommendation topics appear to be quite different from my situation.

My budget is fairly high but not astronomical. I guess I'm looking for mid-range lenses while most of the other

recommendation topics have been geared towards the entry-level range.

 

I've been offered a job to work as an events photographer, eg. social or corporate functions. More candid than

posed. Mostly indoors. When I'm not on the job, I'd like to pursue my interest in wildlife & landscape

photography. Getting the proper set-up for my job is more important than my own side interest.

 

I am attracted to the Canon range of lenses, particularly those with IS and/or USM features, but I'd be quite

happy to hear recommendations of other brands.

 

My Canon 40D comes with the EF-S 17-85mm f4-5.6 IS USM lens. I've been thinking that I should get the Canon EF

50mm f1.4 USM but is a 50mm lens necessary when I already have the 17-85mm? For a telescope, I'm leaning towards

the Canon EF 70-300MM f/4-5.6 IS USM model and for a wide-angle, the Canon EF-S 10-22mm f3.5-4.5 USM. I'm not

sure if I need a macro lens or if I can skip that one for now. For the flash, I'm thinking Canon Speedlite 580EX

II + Canon Stofen Omni-Bounce and for the memory card, the SanDisk Extreme IV CF 8gb. Given my job scope and/or

interest, should I spend more on one product and less on another (eg. better flash, weaker telescope)?

 

I do not know what tripod I should get. I am fairly large so weight is not a big issue for me. I am also lost

when it comes to filters. Do I need them and if so what kind should I get? Any particular model to look out for?

 

Basically, I am interested in hearing any opinion. I would love to know your set up if your job is similar to

what I'll be doing. Thanks for taking the time to read this! :)

[alan_chan4]

For your job, just get 40D + EF-S 17-55/2.8 IS + 580EX II.

[tdigi]

I know many photographers and most have a much different set up from one another so you have to see what works for

you. I don't really care for EF-S lenses if I can help it but in your case I agree with the above post about the 17-55 2.8 and

the 580 EX2. You can probably do 90% of most any event with just that setup on a 40D. Add a 70-200 2.8 and your all set.

 

I really like the Gary fong lightsphere to diffuse my flash but again this is a personal choice and there are many.

 

For a tripod I really like the Manfrotto 190XProB tripod. Its pretty compact and versatile but I don't use a tripod often.

[james_ollinger]

You might try a couple of events and see what becomes obvious that you need. I.e. you might consider a monopod rather than a tripod if you're going to be moving around. A monopod offers some stability but gives you more mobility (and a smaller footprint) than a tripod. If you just plant yourself and that's it, a tripod might be better.

 

If it were me, for events I would simply put a UV filter on as a lens protector and use the camera's on-board white balance for color correction. For wildlife/outdoors, I'd start with a circular polarizer. And not to belabor it, but a monopod works good for that as well--you get some stability, and the monopod is lighter and easier to carry than a tripod if you're trekking.

 

Again, if it were me I'd seriously spend time reading the STROBIST website (www.strobist.blogspot.com/), which is filled with fantastic information, tutorials, advice and inspiration on using small flash for professional lighting. It's amazing what you can do with shoe-mount flashes. He's Nikon-oriented because that's his equipment, but you can translate it for high-end Canon or 3rd party as well.

 

Good luck. It sounds like a nifty job.

[derrickdehaan]

For the filters, I would recommend B&W or Hoya Pro series. Don't skimp on the filters, they could affect image quality. You'll want a circular polarizer for certain wildlife shots, especially around water. aA graduated neutral density filter for landscapes to help match exposure for sky and terra. I shoot with a 40D and usually have my Sigma 17-70mm mounted 90% of the time. For wildlife and birds, Sigma 50-500mm. I also have the 580EX II. I bought my 40D with the 28-135mm and wish I would have gotten the wider kit lens instead. I do have an extremely good copy of the Sigma though. I like the 70-200mm idea as well. Get the 2.8 with IS. That will be my next lens. There is also the cheap 50mm 1.8. Cheap but great lens and works well for indoor shots.

 

Derrick

[nathan_meador]

The 70-300 is a pretty slow lens, and depending on the indoor conditions, may be too slow. Depends on working distances, etc. Since the shots are 'candid', requiring a bright flash every time you want a picture may become distracting for your subjects, maybe not. You might look at the 70-200 2.8 as it will let you get some indoor pics without always needing flash.

[William Michael]

For your job: what Alan Chan wrote is the best solution and exactly what I would buy as the main working lens 40D

for professional event work.

 

I do not think an Omni bounce is a necessity, I do think it is necessary that you learn correct bounce and fill

technique: and how to use the inbuilt bounce card correctly.

 

Having said that, it is possible to use the 17 to 85 for the job, provided you have the use of flash inside. The use of

flash (or not) for corporate events seems to vary considerably: I have never had any issue and I use bounced flash

almost always, even for guest speakers etc: but on previous threads I note that some (especially doing the USA

circuit) are asked not to use flash for speakers and presentations etc. You should investigate your working

conditions.

 

The 50mF1.4 is a nice lens, I have one: I am not sure it is the best fast prime for a 40D for the work you are

beginning, it might be a bit long if you want to work low light, inside without flash, a fast 24mm, 28mm, 30mm or

35mm lens would be a better choice in this regard. But on the other hand you might need longer (like an 85F1.8) if

you do not have the ability to roam: again you have to investigate your working conditions.

 

Ultimately a two, three, or four fast prime solution would be in the bag for most professional events photographers.

 

For your pursuits in (a) wildlife and (b) landscape work, frankly, I am not keen on any of your lens choices:

 

a) (wildlife) consider the EF70 to 200F2.8LIS and the x1.4MkII teleconverter and / or the EF300F4L IS. The zoom +

teleconverter would be more flexible, and a better first choice IMO.

 

b) (landscape) consider a second body (a 5D) and the EF16 to 35F2.8L or the EF17 to 40F4L and learn to be

proficient in digital post production, especially correct sharpening techniques. If a second body is beyond budget

scope (BUT it should not be ** . . . read on) then on a 40D, the EF-S 10 to 22 would be my choice for landscape

work. The 5D is a superb and cost effective choice for landscape work, IMO.

 

For a Tripod I suggest you look at the Manfrotto 055 PRO B. It is sturdy and will serve well for landscape work, and

not too heavy to lug around, (and I am not that big). However, there is great value in a good monopod and do not

dismiss the ease with which this tool can be packed and carried and provided enough stability for good work, I use a

Manfrotto 679B.

 

I use Hoya Pro series filters and am of the belief that a UV offers good physical protection to the. font element of the

lens. You will find that there are two distinct schools of thought regarding this aspect of photography, and they never

agree. :)

 

As for other filters and digital photography, the one filter that gets a lot of use is a `Polarizing Filter`, most

Photographers like a `Circular Polarizing Filter`. A CPF works like ``polarizing sunglasses``, it cuts the ``glare``, read

up for a more technical explanation, if that`s your bag. The next most used filter, IMO, would be a Neutral Density

Filter (ND2, ND4, and ND8). These filters just cut the intensity of the light uniformly across the visible spectrum, (by

1 stop, 2 stops and three stops respectively).

 

Both a CPF and ND filter would have uses for landscape photography, but I would not be running out quickly to buy

them until you understand what they actually do, and when to use them, and most importantly, not until after you

have decided what lenses you will buy: different lenses might have different filter sizes. Other filters have uses, but

are very rarely used with digital capture (mentioned only as a statement and not wishing to debate this issue).

 

I suggest you consider getting 2 x 4 Gb cards rather than 1 x 8Gb card. I find that 4Gb is a very useful size and have

now settled with that as being my standard: I find it actually more useful working with that size, for example, if I want

to segregate images, during the course of a working day. I carry 4 x 4Gb on each camera strap. YMMV, just a

thought for your consideration.

 

**The one point that I have implied, but not stated is that, as this gear is essentially for `` a job to work as an events

photographer, e.g. social or corporate functions``. In this regard, a second body is mandatory.

 

Now following that thought: if you do think that as a second body you would consider a 5D (or similar) then the

choice of the EF-S17 to 55F2.8IS becomes (IMO) flawed: as it will not be suitable as a redundant solution on you 5D

should the 40D fail. A better choice as the main working lens would be the 16 to 35 or the 17 to 40 in this regard.

 

There are other deeper nuances in regard to the lenses I suggested.

 

As one example the 70 to 200F2.8LIS and a monopod would give good service at events combined with the 17 to 55

or the 16 to 35 or the 17 to 40.

 

As another example, if you chose to run a two camera dual format system then the 16 to 35 and the 70 to 200 is

very powerful . . . as I explain here:

 

http://www.photo.net/canon-eos-digital-camera-forum/00QPIK

 

I think it is important to think of the system as a whole and how it all fits together and how each piece relates to

each other. It is very important to have redundancies in built at every level and across each level, for any professional

kit.

 

WW

 

[dogbert]

For events photography you probably want fast lenses rather than more lenses. I too would suggest the 17-55 f2.8 IS

and either a 430 EX or 580 EX. Get a second body and a 70-200 f2.8 IS over time. I don't see many events

photographers using tripods, unless for a posed group shot.

[john e v bailey]

I'll just chime in with a point about the 8GB card and the cliche about all your eggs in one basket, William W suggests splitting that down to 2x4gb...and I personally have ended up with 5x2gb (I know 10gb not 8!).

 

On a 40D shooting full RAW I think you get around the 150 pics mark on a 2gb card, which is still a lto to lose if the card gremlins get you, but imagine 8gb going in one incident (dropped down a drain, anything).

[din_nas]

Thanks everyone for your advice and recommendations. I have a better idea now of what I should get. Cheers.

[alan_myers]

Hi,

 

Here's what you need for your type of shooting:

 

The kit lens will do for now, but you might look to upgrade to 17-55/2.8 IS or similar in the future.

 

A second camera body might be a very good idea. I'd not go on a paying job without at least two, and usually

three cameras. Now, personally I prefer to work with two matching camera bodies most of the time. However,

there's a good argument for getting two different formats, too, such as a 40D and a 5D. This leverages your lens

kit to be more useful.

 

For landscape, you'll probably want something wider than 17mm. I like the 12-24/4 Tokina (in combo with my

24-70/2.8, in lieu of a 17-whatever), but there are others you might choose. The new 11-16/2.8 Tokina may be

helpful if you need to shoot in lower light situations with it. It's the fastest wide zoom available for crop

sensor cameras at present. Canon's 10-22 is also a good choice, although a bit pricey in comparison to some of

the third party lenses that are close to it's equal in many respects, possibly even better in others.

 

For work, in addition to the kit lens or the 17-55, I'd suggest you add a 70-200/2.8 IS. This is a big lens, but

it's in the bag of most serious Canon shooters for good reason.

 

For wildlife you will want a longer lens. I'd suggest the 300/4 IS as a good choice. Add a 1.4X teleconverter to

it if you wish. Personally I use the 300/2.8 IS and 500/4 IS, but these are a pretty big commitment and not as

hand holdable as the 300/4 IS.

 

If you particularly will be going after smaller wildlife, such as birds, the 400/5.6 might be a better,

still-affordable choice than the 300/4 IS. However, it's pretty much a tripod lens and lacks IS.

 

Note: don't bother with a 2X teleconverter. It's not practical on an f4 lens, you lose AF entirely, or it slows

way down, and the viewfinder gets pretty dim making manual focus more difficult. The only lens I've suggested so

far that might use it is the 70-200/2.8 IS, and image quality of that zoom combined with 2X is not so great, in

my opinion.

 

Even a 1.4X isn't particularly useful on an lens f5.6 and slower (such as the 400/5.6 mentioned, or the 100-400

zoom).

 

Fast prime lenses have a lot of uses: low light, portraiture, etc. I personally use the 28/1.8, 50/1.4 and 85/1.8

a lot. The larger aperture allows for more background blur (shallow depth of field), which is an important thing

to be able to do with portraits, particularly at events where you have little control over the background. The 50

and 85 are particularly good at this. 135/2 and 200/2.8 are two more very high quality, fast primes.... But note

that they both lack IS.

 

Don't worry that a fast prime duplicates a focal length you have on a zoom. They serve very different purposes.

The zoom is there for it's rapid handling, when necessary. The prime serves to isolate subjects from busy

backgrounds and get hand held shots that are beyond the capabilities of the zoom.

 

Be sure to get proper lens hoods for any lenses that lack them. These are important for image quality and to

protect the lens while it's in use.

 

A circular polarizer filter (high quality multi-coated) to fit the wide and normal lens focal lengths will be

your most used. A "protection" filter for dust storms and such is not a bad idea, but I'm personally opposed to

installing one on a lens 24/7/365. Yes, as mentioned, be sure any filter is multi-coated, to the above list I'd

add Heliopan SH-PMC as a high quality alternative too.

 

Most other filter techniques can be handled digitally now, in post processing. A CPL is the one that's near

impossible to replicate on your computer.

 

Canon ETTL flashes are quite easy to use after a few basics, and I'd also recommend the 580/430, or used 550/420.

You just want to be sure the flash you choose is an EX model, not one of the earlier EZ models. Use them with an

off camera shoe cord and a bracket. I use a soft box and a tele flash attachment, for various purposes on my

flashes. Colored gels can be used to interesting effect, too. Get the book about flash photography by Susan

McCartney. It's full of ideas and the Canon flash will be easier to use than the simple, "dumb" flashes she uses.

She's the original "strobist" as far as I'm concerned.

 

Don't scrimp on the tripod you choose. A good one will last you a lifetime. A bad one will last a year or two and

might take your camera and lens with it when it breaks.

 

The Manfrotto tripod is a good suggestion. It's heavy, but sturdy, and a good value. I'm impressed with the

Flashpoint tripods and ballheads Adorama is offering. I use an old Bogen (a much larger model than the 190), but

only as a studio tripod due to it's weight. For field work, I use a Gitzo 1325 carbon fiber with a Kirk BH-1

ballhead. There are many good brands of tripods, but it really all comes down to compromise. Too light weight and

it won't be sturdy, or light weight materials like carbon fiber add to the cost. Too many leg sections will make

it less stable, but it won't fold up a small as a t'pod with more leg sections. Center column can add height, but

reduces stability. Etc. Go play with a bunch of tripods at a store, and take your time picking one because you'll

likely have and use it for decades. The best one is the one you'll find easy and convenient to use, so it's not

left at home.

 

Consider a quick release system, too. One thing I don't like about Manfrotto (formerly Bogen) is their

proprietary quick release systems, of which they have several. I've converted everything to Arca-Swiss style now,

which is much more universally available. Arca-Swiss, Really Right Stuff, Wimberley, Kirk and many others offer

tripod, camera and lens accessories compatible with Arca-Swiss release system.

 

Oh, and a monopod is another useful tool. It can't really replace a tripod, though.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[yakim_peled1]

40D, 17-55/2.8 IS, 85/1.8 (or 135/2 if budget permits), 70-300 IS, Gitzo 1541T.

 

Happy shooting,

Yakim.

[yakim_peled1]

Forgot to add: 580EX II, original lens hoods and no filters.

 

Happy shooting,

Yakim.

[William Michael]

. . .and no filters.``

 

:)

[steveshinn]

Ditto what some of the other guys (we gotta get more ladies into this stuff...) suggested re filters but IMHO you should ALWAYS have a filter on all of your lenses, they have saved my @$$ and my lens several times during the unfortunate but inevitable encounters with gravity.

 

Re; the tripod, you said you are a "fairly large person". I will assume a height factor here and offer that at 6'4" I really enjoy my choice of the Gitzo GT3540XLS legs and the RRS "BH-55 LR: Full-sized ballhead with LR".

If you are tall and hate stooping over and/or may want to shoot over the heads of the crowd, this is a worthy option. I enjoy some nature photography and find it very handy for uneven terrain. Shooting in along the road (you said you had an interest in nature photography) in Yellowstone you really need all three legs but one has to be over the edge of the embankment. Not a problem for the XLS. I usually only extend the first two legs but that third length is a wonder. The weight is not too much of a problem, at 67 I can still drag my ball headed Gitzo around reasonably well.

 

Other stuff; I like my Canon 24-105 and the 100-400 for outdoors although others are REALLY tempting me to start hauling a 500 around for the birdies but most of the stuff on my post was shot with the 100-400, hand held. Using a higher ISO like 400-800 is good but some of them are 1600 and 3200 on a 30D set to AP f 8.

[yakim_peled1]

>> I really enjoy my choice of the Gitzo GT3540XLS legs and the RRS "BH-55 LR: Full-sized ballhead with LR". If you are tall and hate stooping over and/or may want to shoot over the heads of the crowd, this is a worthy option.

 

While undoubtedly a great set, he is not going to buy a supertelephoto anytime soon. My 2530EX and BH-40 LR held a 300/2.8 IS + 40D + grip quite nicely and was tall enough for my 187cm.

 

 

William, why the smiley?

 

Happy shooting,

Yakim.