Purchase my first DSLR - The XSi w/ 18-55 IS and 50 mm f1.8

[lesch2k]

Purchased my first DSLR tonight.

Canon XSi with 18-55 IS kit and "nifty fifty" 50mm f1.8. also included a bag, tripod filters and the box booklets etc. i think i got a great deal for $500. The guy selling on craigslist never really learned to use the camera but kept it in what appears to be great shape.

A few questions about filters.

The nifty fifty has a quantaray52mm UV filter attached. Are there ever times where i would not what to use the UV filter? this was the only UV filter of this size.

Camera came with two 52mm polarized filters. One by Targus and one by Tristar optics. Is one of these better than the others. If i'm outside in a glar situation (by water, very sunny) is it better to go with the polarized than the UV? Would you ever use both?

Camera came with three 52mm UV filters.
One by Targus labled 58mm multi coated ulta violet high definition filter.
One by Tristar optics labled UV 58 mm
One unlabled silver filter that says 58mm UV on the side.

I also have a rubbery lens hood. When are those beneficial?


i'm afraid i'm in over my head

 

[jpeyton]

$500 is pretty good for a used one with those two lenses.

 

[996GT2]

Good deal. Go for it.

 

[soydios]

it gets bonus points for including the nifty fifty

now Canon needs an EF-S 35mm f/1.8 :evil:

 

[foghorn67]

Originally posted by: soydios
it gets bonus points for including the nifty fifty

now Canon needs an EF-S 35mm f/1.8 :evil:

Canon has a 35mm f2. Close enough. Decent lens, and a worthy crop replacement for the 50. Same construction though, maybe a little better. Noisy focusing, however I think the minimum focusing distance is closer.

I had a very good copy of the 28 1.8 USM, nice lens. I had to sell it because I never used it.

 

[Maximus96]

$500 is too low for the xsi + 18-55 kit + 50 f/1.8. be careful that it might be a scam as the body alone is worth $500. the IS kit len is worth about $120, and 50mm is about $70. if its a legit deal, then its a steal at a very good price. I had the same setup until i sold the kit lens.

 

[syee]

I've seen the Xsi kits go for $600CDN (which is roughly $500USD) used here, so the price is pretty good, especially with the inclusion of the nifty fifty.
To be honest, I never used mine (50mm), but then I had a pretty decent zoom lens in a Tarmon 17-50 f2.8 that handled the low light pretty well. Like others have mentioned, the 50mm goes for under $100 retail. If the bag, filters and cpl are included, it would be a steal, since even if they got cheapo filters and bag, you're still talking at least $70-$100 in accessories. Sounds like a pretty good deal on a good starter setup to me.

 

[lesch2k]

got the camera !!! the guy just aid he never learned to use it. included 2 58mm filter sets and a 52 mm filter. revising initial post with a few new questions re: filters

 

[hcarlson]

UV filters are good only for protecting the front element of a lens. There are no other benefits from using them. But there may be a downside as some cheap UV filters actually degrade image quality.

As for the polarizer, people often use them on blue skies to bring out the blue more, so it's not a light baby blue but a richer darker blue. Again, be careful of cheap polarizers as they might degrade IQ. I would do som tests and decide for yourself.

Good luck with your new camera.

 

[corkyg]

UV filters do protect the objective lens surface, but they do have a benefit in shooting some distant landscapes in that they can reduce the effect of distant haze. Other plain filters for lens protection are Neutral Density (ND) and Skylight.

A circular polarizer brings out color depth and contrast in a variable way. The filter components rotate two pieces of polarized glass which can vary the effect. The angle of the sun also affects the result. Basically in simple terms, it is like sunglasses for your camera.

You got a great deal on that camera. Almost like stuff for sale in New York that "fell off a truck."

 

[lesch2k]

Almost like stuff for sale in New York that "fell off a truck."

if it did "fall off a truck" then i have the mailing address from the receipt and a picture of the guy who sold it to me

 

[996GT2]

Originally posted by: lesch2k
Camera came with two 52mm polarized filters. One by Targus and one by Tristar optics. Is one of these better than the others. If i'm outside in a glar situation (by water, very sunny) is it better to go with the polarized than the UV? Would you ever use both?

Camera came with three 52mm UV filters.
One by Targus labled 58mm multi coated ulta violet high definition filter.
One by Tristar optics labled UV 58 mm
One unlabled silver filter that says 58mm UV on the side.

I also have a rubbery lens hood. When are those beneficial?

I'm sorry to tell you this but all of those filters are complete crap. Don't use them unless you want to lose image quality. If you want even a half-decent filter, at least go for a lower end Hoya Green or Hoya HMC. But these no-name, poorly coated filters will only degrade optical quality.

Good filters would be Hoya S-HMC, B&W, Heliopan, etc. They can run over $100 for a single 77mm filter.

UV Filters don't do a whole lot...most people use them simply for protection. Circular polarizers, on the other hand, are very useful if you shoot in the sun, want to get rid of reflections from water, etc. It's important to get a good one. I was originally going to buy a cheap single-coated Hoya, but in the end gave in and just got a Hoya HMC.

Oh, and if you are going to buy a decent polarizer, make sure you get a CIRCULAR polarizer and not a LINEAR polarizer (which is for film cameras).

The hood is useful both as protection and to prevent flare. You should keep that on whenever you are shooting outside in the sun.

 

[ElFenix]

Originally posted by: 996GT2

Oh, and if you are going to buy a decent polarizer, make sure you get a CIRCULAR polarizer and not a LINEAR polarizer (which is for film cameras).

linear polarizers are not any better for a film AF camera than a digital AF camera. the reason you want circular rather than linear is a) linear screws with the autofocus system and b) linear is more difficult to use

 

[OulOat]

Although I agree with 996GT2's assessment of your filters, you should still try test shots with the filters on and off to both improve your skills and compare the differences. If the differences are not really noticeable to you, I suggest keeping the UV filter on the lens at all times. As the name suggests, it filters out the UV rays to help resolve haze. Also, it acts as a barrier between your lens and dirt, dust, and any objects that might damage the lens. It should be a lot cheaper to replace a filter than a lens. I do not suggest purchasing the filters that 996GT2 recommended since the value to cost ratio is too low for your lens. I have those filters (some even better) on my lens, but my lens cost 1.5k.

 

[996GT2]

Originally posted by: OulOat
Although I agree with 996GT2's assessment of your filters, you should still try test shots with the filters on and off to both improve your skills and compare the differences. If the differences are not really noticeable to you, I suggest keeping the UV filter on the lens at all times. As the name suggests, it filters out the UV rays to help resolve haze. Also, it acts as a barrier between your lens and dirt, dust, and any objects that might damage the lens. It should be a lot cheaper to replace a filter than a lens. I do not suggest purchasing the filters that 996GT2 recommended since the value to cost ratio is too low for your lens. I have those filters (some even better) on my lens, but my lens cost 1.5k.

I didn't tell him to necessarily buy the Hoya S-HMC or BW/Heliopans. I posted that the OP should try to get at least some single-coated Hoya greens or purples since even those low-end Hoyas would be much better than the no-name filters that came with his lens.

 

[extra]

I wouldn't bother with UV filters at all. Unless you get a real high quality one it's just going to degrade your image quality. Just grab some lens hoods for your lenses and be careful with them and you'll be fine. . You can pick them up for just a couple dollars at deal extreme. And since you got a canon slr, check out the photography on the net forums You will love it there.