Landscapes

[a_sulaiti]

<p>Hello,</p>

<p>It was recently (On my honeymoon 2 weeks ago) that i got a dSLR, a Canon 500D and i was really pleased that i started researching dSLRs on my honeymoon !</p>

<p>It was my wife's idea to get the Canon 500D and she tried to explain a little about the digital cameras available.</p>

<p>Now my questions, regarding landscapes,, I got a huge interest in digital nature & landscape photography.. So i would appreciate any comments & suggestions regarding the best quality lenses for landscapes ?</p>

<p>And is there a big difference in quality between the 500D, 7D & 5D Mrk II (For landscape photos)? Or would the quality lenses reduce the difference between these cameras? I mean i wouldn't mind the fast upgrade if it means best quality pictures (Landscapes mainly). And since i only have the lens that came with the 500D, i would also invest in new lenses too.</p>

<p>From what i read, the 7D is not that big a difference (For landscapes and with same lenses).. But i don't know about the 5D, and if there is a new FF camera coming soon that would replace the 5D?</p>

<p>Thanks!</p>

[tom_harvey3]

<p>The 5DII has excellent image quality and will blow you away.</p>

[thomasmckown]

<p>The 5DII is pretty amazing, especially at high ISO. BUT, you might be surprised at what you can do with a 500D and some good lenses. I've seen some simply amazingly beautiful pictures that came from the 300D and a relatively modest lens. Nice gear is a great thing, but the right techniques and knowledge will go much further. I would recommend learning how to use your camera before you try to buy your way in. Then buy what you need to accomplish what you want to. I shot for years with a 400D and the first upgrade I made was to buy a 10-22mm lens because I wanted to be able to shoot wide angles. I eventually upgraded with several new lenses and then to the 5D when my needs required something that would handle high ISO's better. I also wanted the extra shallow DOF so the 5D was a perfect match. You will appreciate your equipment more if you take your time and buy each piece with a specific purpose or goal in mind. In my experience, it's the impulse buys that make you wish you did your research first.<br>

Congrats on the new camera! Just remember to have fun with your new toy and don't get too caught up with what it can't do as much as with what it can.</p>

[alan_bryant1]

<p>The 500D is a very capable camera. Others may be better but there's no reason to upgrade until your photography is stretching the limits of what your current gear can do. I'd say be happy with your excellent camera and have fun taking pictures.</p>

[JDMvW]

<p>Learn as much as you can using the 500D. Right now it will serve you well.The main shortcoming (and for some people it's a plus) is that the xxxD/Rebel cameras have a different control system than the more expensive Canons. It will however take every lens Canon has made since 1989 or so, and its sensor is way more than adequate for any kind of photography you want to do with it. Listen to Thomas.</p>

<p>Congratulations on your wedding. I'd keep my attention focused on that learning curve if I were you. :)</p>

[thomasmckown]

<p>I kind of got caught up in the body and pretty much forgot about lenses, haha. For a cropped camera, some really popular landscape lenses are the Canon 10-22mm, 17-40f4L, 24-70f2.8L, 24-105f4L, and a whole bunch of primes. The 10-22 is the cropped camera's equivalent to the 17-40 in terms of image quality, price, and equivalent field of view. It is also very easy to resale if you switch to full-frame later (which is what I did.) For some people, that range is a bit too wide and they prefer the 24-70 or 24-105. Both excellent lenses. Anything you buy, keep in mind that you will probably have it much longer than your camera body because the technology in bodies changes so rapidly. There are also many specific lenses to consider. For example, I use a Sigma 20mm f1.8 for all of my star pictures. That lens made it possible for me to shoot stars the way that I do. The 5D helped a little more when I got it by allowing me to go to ISO 3200. It was a little cleaner and the FOV was wider, but it wasn't as big of a help as the ability to go to f1.8 or f2.0.</p>

[rjtully]

<p>I have a T1i (500D) and the 10-22 (equivalent to 16-35 FF) and it is great. I also have the 24-105 but the 24 (38mm Equivalent) is too narrow for good landscapes for me. The camera and lens work very well together and I have gotten some great shots. Check out these sample shots at "http://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/Sample-Pictures.aspx?Equipment=271" they convinced me.<br>

Good luck in both of your new endeavors.</p>

[g dan mitchell]

<p>The 5D2 can produce excellent image quality in landscape prints... but don't rush out and buy one because the camera is only one small element in the process that can lead to such prints. Think about how you shoot and will shoot landscape photographs and how you will present them before you rush out and drop a bunch of money on this - there is a good chance that it won't be money well spent.</p>

<p>To see the benefits of a full frame sensor DSLR such as the 5D2 for landscape work one usually must:</p>

<ol>

<li>Be quite proficient at certain technical issues including focus, exposure, and so forth.</li>

<li>Work with a great deal of care at the time of exposures - using a tripod, mirror lock-up or live view, a remote release.</li>

<li>Also use - and know how to use - lenses of suitable quality.</li>

<li>Work in RAW mode.</li>

<li>Become quite good at serious post-processing, almost certainly working on Photoshop and understanding a wide range of post-processing adjustments and techniques.</li>

<li>Understand sharpening very well.</li>

<li>Regularly make quite large prints - you will see virtually no IQ difference between cropped sensor and full-frame until you get beyond about 12 x 18 inch print size.</li>

<li>Thoroughly understand the intricacies of printing.</li>

</ol>

<p>Dan</p>

[dan_south]

<p>A Sulaiti,</p>

<p>YOU make the picture, not the camera. Your skills, your taste, you interpretation of what you see before you, your sensitivity to different types of light, your exposure choices, your compositional vision.</p>

<p>I've seen countless brilliant landscape photos taken with 20D and 30D models. Forget about "the best camera to use for X type of shooting." If you develop your abilities it won't matter what camera you use. Clapton sounds like Clapton no matter what guitar he plays.</p>

 

[sheldonnalos]

<p>First get a good tripod/head combo. That's a given if you're going to be taking landscape photos. Second, get the basic filters you can't replicate in photoshop... a polarizer and a neutral density filter (if you want to take long exposure photos). Then, either get a couple ND Grad filters (square kind) or learn how to create a ND grad effect in photoshop with multiple exposures. Preferably learn how to do both.</p>

<p>That will enable you to take good landscape photos with the camera and lens you have now. If you need to get a really wide lens, the Canon 10-22mm would be next on the list.</p>

<p>Mainly though, you need to go out and chase the light.</p>

[tdigi]

<p>I would shoot for another 3 to 6 months and see where you feel your current kit lacks. As many talk about, its more about you then your gear when it comes to getting better photos. If you feel your lacking a wider field of view the Canon 10-22 is a great choice, if you feel you need longer reach a Canon 70-200 is a great choice. If you just want a better all around zoom lens a 17-55 2.8 or the new 15-85 would make a good "standard zoom" for your current camera. I would vote for better lenses before you move up in body. The 500D with the kit lens is very capable so don't rush to move up until you explore what your current set up can do. Full frame will help most in low light situations where you need to push the ISO and it does offer some more options on the wide end but the 10-22 negates many of them. shoot shoot shoot</p>

[paddler4]

<p>I second what Tommy wrote, but I would not even buy lenses for awhile. You won't know what you really need, and you could end up wasting $$. What you need is practice. Unless you are already experienced, it will take you some time to learn to control the camera. Also, you need to learn about postprocessing, and that takes a LOT of time. You've got a very good camera. Go enjoy it.</p>

[images_in_light_north_west]

<p>Do some serious reading including this book <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Understanding-Exposure-Photographs-Digital-Updated/dp/0817463003">Understanding Exposure</a> use your camera, get a decent tripod if you are going to do landscapes, read,read,read,shoot,shoot and shoot some more, then upgrade your equipment, a couple of good landscape lenes would be efs 10-22 and efs 17-55, lenses are more important than bodies. Maybe take a look at <a href="http://www.adobe.com/products/photoshoplightroom/">Lightroom</a> the computer end of this is pretty important.<br /> Ross</p>

[nathangardner]

<p>the camera is only as good as your lenses. You wouldn't want to put a coke bottle in front of a $5000 camera body. All the cameras mentioned have a specific purpose. You should learn as much as you can on the 500D and when you grow out of it and know what you need, then you should consider the upgrade, but if you don't even know which body is best for you specifically, then you really shouldn't be going into that territory.</p>

[dogbert]

<p>All dslrs produce much the same image quality. Claims that one camera blows another away, are more like one produces subtle differences that a skilled eye might pick up.<br>

For most photos 95 per cent is to do with the photographer, 4 per cent is the lens and 1 per cent is the camera. Better cameras can make work easier but only after you have thoroughly mastered them.<br>

If it was all to do with the camera then everyone could produce equally good photos, and that is clearly not the case.<br>

Put your money into lenses. Camera bodies come and go and depreciate quickly. A good lens will have alife of 10-20 years or more. <br>

Some good lenses include the Canon 10-22, 17-40 f4L, 24-104 f4L, 70-200L (they come in 4 different flavours) and 70-300 f4-5.6 IS.<br>

However, if you are shooting at f8-f16 for landscapes, which is quite likely, the 18-55 IS that came with your camera will be just about as good.</p>

[g dan mitchell]

<blockquote>

<p><em>However, if you are shooting at f8-f16 for landscapes, which is quite likely, the 18-55 IS that came with your camera will be just about as good.</em></p>

</blockquote>

<p>If you are willing to accept the diffraction blur that you'll get at f/16 on a cropped sensor body you won't have much of any reason to think about a full-frame camera body and probably don't need to worry about better lenses.... :-)</p>

<p>I'd qualify the "all dslrs produce much the same image quality" idea. For many photographers who mostly share online jpgs or perhaps get Costco prints of maybe make letter size prints on the home printer, your statement is largely correct. This is a very large percentage of photographers!</p>

<p>However, for those who perhaps make rather large prints on a regular basis and strive for the highest quality it is certainly not the case that all dslrs produce the same IQ.</p>

<p>The trick is figuring out which group you belong to.</p>

<p>Dan</p>

[arie_vandervelden1]

<p>Try Canon 10-22 on your 500D.</p>

<p>Have fun</p>