Printable View
So I bought this camera from a friend a while back. I am not entirely sure what I got here. I mean I know a little but can anyone tell me about the lenses I have and the uses for each one?
Attachment 107474Attachment 107475Attachment 107476Attachment 107477Attachment 107478Attachment 107479Attachment 107480
Looks to be a 40D body, a bit dated but nothing you should toss out. Should do just fine for posting photos online or smaller prints. Its as old as my current body.
The 18-55mm Canon lens looks to be the "Kit" lens, one that you could buy as a bundle with the camera. Nothing to special, not the best in the line up but great to get you started. Again, not something to just throw out or dismiss.
Canon 18-55mm - Super Wide Angle zoom. Used for Landscape or Architecture/Real Estate type shots all the way to possibly some portraits at 55. Not sure exactly which version of this it is, but they aren't to different the newer ones just have stuff like image stabilization on them. This looks to be one of the earlier ones without it. Something like this, small and light with wide angle and decent focal length for some close details is something you might choose as a walk around lens if you didn't want to carry anything more bulky like one of the bigger zooms.
Canon 75-300mm - Looks to be an EF lens which means it will fit full frame cameras as well (this camera is a crop body). I call it a Standard Zoom, it's sorta a telephoto I guess. Use for reach, to get closer to something without actually getting closer. Wildlife, distance shots, pretty versatile since it covers 75 to 300mm. It's the third version of this lens. People are quite hard on this lens in the Canon world, they aren't to fond of it's image quality. I think for a beginner it would work until you could afford or decide on something better.
Sigma 50-500mm - Hard to tell which version it is, looks to be maybe one of the first models. Again, not top of the line but just going off what I read I'd be tempted to use this before the Canon 75-300. Plus you have extra reach with this. It basically overlaps the Canon above.
Sigma ??? - Can't read it have a better photo of the last one?
All together a decent kit to start, though you do have a lot of overlap with the lenses especially if that last one turns out to be a similar zoom like I think it might. Since they are zooms they can be used in all sorts of focal lengths but then you start looking at the F values on them, and they are all a bit slow (Lower the F value the "faster" glass it is, better for low light, etc). So you have nothing to really differentiate between them all. If say you had a zoom that could shoot in the 2.8 range you might consider the overlap with your normal 4-6.3 type of zoom as acceptable as you would probably use them for different subjects or at different times.
Looks like you have a battery grip for the camera too, thats cool....I personally love the battery grip, I buy it with every camera. Though it does add weight and bulk.
It's going on 3am here, I will check back here tomorrow and speak some more and clarify anything! Who knows if I'm actually making any sense.
Thanks for the info. I got it all for $50 from a friend. Here is a shot of the sigma lens you couldn't see. As I kind of covered before, I really have 0 experience with photography or photo editing. A "thrasher" camera is probably great for me to learn on. I wouldn't want some 15k lens that is a paperweight to me!! Lol
Attachment 107481
Good Friend! For $50? Thats the kind of deal I like for camera gear...I think you have quite a wide range of lens there.
The last one 18-200 is a decent range though you will find it won't be sharp thru the whole zoom range and usually those tend to be sharper as you stop down the aperture(smaller hole-bigger F number. ) the 18-55 and 18-200 are your perfect family function, day out at the park lens... they are capable with good light and stopped down apertures of producing good pics.
For fish tank shots the 18-55 is a decent choice..most camera makers provide these user grade lens with their package deals and they tend to be very similar.Last year we sent out to members my old pentax and a kit lens similar to yours... this thread ...shows what it could do.
http://forum.simplydiscus.com/showth...mera-s-Journey
If you can get a flash for it and set it up like this...
http://forum.simplydiscus.com/showth...sh-Photo-Guide
I do think you can do well with it. For the Aquarium trip... you wont be able to place it on top the tank but even directed on an angle is better than straight on for the flash.
The 50-500 is very decent wildlife lens. It will be soft at the 500 mm end though and from what I have read on the pentax version(same lens...different mount.) ...check out the reviews of the pentax version here...
https://www.pentaxforums.com/userrev...apo-ex-dg.html
I believe its affectionately called the bigma. That lens is probably the most valuable of everything you got in my opinion....its very capable.
All of the lens you have are zoom lens. Zooms are great as they give you a range of working distance. A prime lens is just one focal length...like 50mm. A zoom trades sharpness and speed to give you that range but usually has a range in the zoom that can be sharp. Usually its stopped down to achieve it and rarely is it at the range extremes. Its something you have to play with. My 18-300 tamron is terrible at 300mm...under 200mm and around f8 on up it becomes very good.. You may want to see if you can pick up a few used primes..50mm is a good lens on a cropped sensor as is 28mm . These are common and easy to find. They also can be reversed with an adapter and can make great macro lens. Or add extension tubes and again make good macro lens. Both options are very inexpensive.
Like Matt, I also use battery grips. They help me balance the camera and lens, give me more battery power. Though they add weight its a fair trade for me.
One thing you dont mention is a tripod? Thats something you really want. Doesnt need to.be fancy or hi tech. Most of the shots I post here using one is a rock solid metal oldie I picked up for $20 ... I have others though that are higher end for hiking. These are lighter and colapse smaller. Your tripod has to be rated for the weight of your gear or greater to really work as intended. Its one reason I really like that rock solid oldie of mine and use it more than any of my newer ones.
At the very least a monopod can really help stabilize things.
Al
Casey, see the open part of your camera where the lens mount. See if you have a cap for that in the bag or place a lens back on the camera. Do not leave that open to the outside as you do not want anything to get inside the camera and mess up it's working parts.
Pat
Yeah, i just took it off to take pics. I'm a camera moron so i wasn't sure if there were any identifying parts that were in there you may need to see to help me ID the cameras ability or whatever.Quote:
Originally Posted by Second Hand Pat
Also, thank you guys very much for the valuable information. That really helps to know what i have and the application for them. I mostly use the camera for taking pictures of products to post for my wife's makeup thing she does. I haven't used it for any wildlife shots, although i've messed around on the aquarium.
Al,
Just one more question. Is there any "not very expensive" and/or free photo editing software out there that i can use? I know i'm not so into it i wan't to make the jump into Photoshop or something like that where I'd have to spend a few hundred bucks.
I copied this from another post I had made...Quote:
Originally Posted by Lido
I run Linux, though I have a small laptop with dual boot windows and Linux for presentations...I am a die hard Linux OS user.:) I use open source where I can. Darktable, RawTherapee and Gimp Mostly. Recently started playing with Lightzone,
You can download Gimp for Windows...its very similar to photoshop.
https://www.gimp.org/downloads/
I highly recommend it. There are plenty of tutorials online as well.
Lightzone does also offer windows versions.
http://lightzoneproject.org/content/about
for the budget minded.. GIMP and Lightzone are FREE:) though I always try and support open source where I can. Free to use doesn't mean resources didn't go into it. But you can try it all you want free.
These are very powerful processing engines.
al
As an after thought...in case you didnt know...Linux is also freeware and one seriously good OS.:)
LOL, yessir. I did know LINUX is a free OS and uses open source programs. My wife would kick me in my manhood if i switched our home systems to Linux. I don't mind it at all, i just know she would mind.Quote:
Originally Posted by brewmaster15
Set it up dual boot... run both windows and linux in the same box.. then you can also use Darktable which is a really awesome piece of image software.Quote:
Originally Posted by Lido
Best of both worlds.:)
$50?? Steal, easily. You made out good even if it's not top of the line brand new stuff, you cannot go wrong for that price and what you have here. Used price for the body alone is 4x that. The Sigma 50-500 is at least $400+ used. Sigma 18-200 would be in the $150-200 neighborhood I would guess, maybe a tad over 200. Not that you want to sell, just giving you a rough estimate to show you what a great deal that was!
Agreed, It is probably the one I'd choose out of the three long zooms you have here. Pair it with the 18-55mm and you pretty much have yourself covered for a walk around kit. That 18-200 is small enough to sub it for the 18-55 though. If I had to choose one to get rid of I'd pick the Canon 75-300mm. Don't really need to though, it really won't bring much to make it worthwhile to be honest. But like I said you do have a lot of overlap in the zoom department so getting what you don't use out and putting that money towards a lens you might use more, or for more specialty application could be useful. Or put it towards a flash kit. I'm pretty brand loyal to Canon, I use Canon flashes so I recommend Canon flashes....but I'm sure you can find another brand that works and is cheaper I just personally don't know what to recommend there, they do exist. You can get a Canon 580ex II flash for $250-290, or a 480ex II for $150. A small cable will cost what, no more than $20 to connect it to the camera and have the ability to place the flash off camera. Just something to consider if doing fish tank work or products like you said.Quote:
Originally Posted by brewmaster15
Here are some photo pools on Flickr of people who use the 40D, just to give you some inspiration and show you the 2007 body isn't incapable of nice shots.
https://www.flickr.com/groups/68991148@N00/pool/
https://www.flickr.com/groups/40d/pool/
There are some really nice shots in that Flickr group. You just wait til you get to see my skills. You're going to be so amazed that you may just give me your camera equipment for $50. I've basically been called the Ansel Adams of my generation. lol