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New member needs help

lurechunker
Enthusiast

I am new to the forum and asking for help. Our granddaughter plays basketball and I would like to photograph her. I kayak and would like to photograph birds. Is the EOS 760D the camera for me? Other? What lens or lenses? How can I protect my equipment form damage from saltwater? Thank you.

314 REPLIES 314

TCampbell
Elite
Elite

If you're going to use a UV filter, use a good quality filter.  

 

While a casual look would be difficult to tell the difference between a poor filter vs. a good filter, I took a shot to illustrate the difference in a way that makes it a bit easier to notice the difference.

 

A high quality filter will have good anti-reflective coatings -- almost completely eliminating reflections.  Reflections are bad for 2 reasons...

 

First, the only way it can be possible for you to see a reflection is if some percentage of light striking the surface of the filter is reflected back.  That means not all the light is actually going through the filter.  

 

But the second reason is that light that does make it through the filter on the first pass can reflect off the front of your lens and back onto the filter a second time.  If the filter doesn't have good antireflective coatings, then some of that light will bounce back again and you'll get "ghosting" in your image (caused by reflections.)  And these can be very annoying.

 

To show this, I took a piece of black poster-board (card stock from the local craft store) and cut it into this strip.

 

I placed two filters on the card stock.  On the desk (out of frame) there is a lamp providing the light.  I lined up the filters so that the light source is between the two filters.

 

Notice, however, that when you look through the filter on the right, the card stock is nearly as black under that filter as it is in the area where there isn't any filter at all.  It almost looks as though I've placed a ring on the card stock that doesn't have ay glass in it (there is glass in it - but that's a filter with high quality anti-reflective coatings.)

 

Meanwhile the filter on the left is noticeably lighter.  The card stock looks a bit washed out through this filter.  We are getting an overall reflection which is causing a bit of a loss in contrast through that filter.  

 

IMG_0002.jpg

 

I can tell you (because I own both filters) that if I hold the filter and tilt them in my hand to treat them "like a mirror" that the reflection in the B+W brand filter on the right is there... it's just weak.  It doesn't create a very strong reflection.  Meanwhile the filter on the left does create a much stronger reflection (it either lacks anti-reflective coatings entirely... or they're just not very good anti-reflective coatings.)

 

If you're gong to put glass in front of your "glass" (particularly if you invest in expensive high-quality lenses) then you'll want to match that with a high quality filter.

 

I own filters for every lens in my kit.  But most of the time I don't use them (my lenses are 'naked').  But "just in case" I want to shoot in an area where where the environment isn't as friendly to the lens, I have the filters with me.

 

I also typically have a Circular Polarizing (CPL) filter as well as a 3-stop Neutral Density filter (ND 0.9).

 

I've gravitated toward B+W brand filters because of their repuation for very high quality and my ability to notice that it does actually make a difference.  I do not happen to own Hoya Pro1 series filters, but they're also generally regarded as good quality filters (only the "Pro1" series - Hoya makes other filter series but they're not as good.)

 

Tim Campbell
5D III, 5D IV, 60Da


@lurechunker wrote:
Please give specifics on an acceptable tripod...make, model and a place to buy. Must be compatible with T6s.

A tripod should be light, stable, and inexpensive. You can have any two of those criteria, but not all three. So you have to decide what's important to you. There are inexpensive tripods that are very good, but they're also very heavy. There are light, cheap tripods; but unless you use them only indoors with a perfectly balanced camera/lens combination, they're worthless. There are light, stable tripods, but they cost a fortune. Tripods are the quintessential illustration of the old adage that "you get what you pay for (if you're very careful)".

Bob
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania USA

I have been on a kayak forum that was pretty good sometimes. This forum is OUTSTANDING. I will buy Canon stuff. John


@Waddizzle wrote:

@RobertTheFat wrote:

@lurechunker wrote:
How about a T6 with a 75-300 for backyard birding?

If by "backyard birding" you mean that you set up a feeder and then hang out until the birds get used to you sitting there in a lawn chair and taking their pictures, that rig would probably be sufficient. But for anything beyond that, I think you'd be seriously under-equipped.


Setting up a feeder is actually a good way to attract birds for photos.  Hummingbirds are one good example, who seem to like sugar water, I think.  But, you will need a blind of some kind to hide yourself.  Some folks set up the feeder near a window, so that they can set up a camera mounted tripod to take pictures.

 

I would recommend that you stay away from the budget priced 75-300mm lenses.  The 55-250mm budget lenses are much better.  The T6 is the bottom rung DSLR, designed for new users.  It has a menu system that describes what many settings do.  But, the camera itself has been purposely crippled, in order to cut the selling price.  I would advise a Rebel T5i, T6i, or T6s.  This advice does not supersede my prior advice regarding the 80D, which I think is the best buy in the Canon lineup.


People tend to think of hummingbirds as very shy. (I've seen one up close in the wild only twice in my fairly long life.) But they can be surprisingly easy to befriend if, as Waddizzle suggests, you bribe them with a sugar-water dispenser. On one of the Usenet newsgroups a few years ago, there was a photographer who more or less specialized in photographing hummingbirds. Once he'd been at it for a while, they swarmed around his feeder in such numbers that he almost had to swat them out of the way in order to walk across his yard. He posted great shots routinely.

Bob
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania USA

Do most of you agree that a Canon refurbished T6s is the correct camera for me? We are seeing painted buntings at our bird feeder and I want to get started.

John
Indian River Lagoon, FL


@lurechunker wrote:
Do most of you agree that a Canon refurbished T6s is the correct camera for me? We are seeing painted buntings at our bird feeder and I want to get started.

John
Indian River Lagoon, FL

I can't speak for others, John, but if it were me, I'd have had that T6s in my hands by now. I wouldn't hesitate to make that purchase. Enjoy it!

John
Indian River Lagoon, FL

 

Truth of the matter is any Canon camera will do nicely for you.  They are all very good.  It is going to be the lens that you decide on that is the go or no-go.  The Rebel line like the T6, T6i or T6s will not stand up as well to harsh conditions like the xxD or xD line.  Take care of it and you will be fine.

 

The lens of choice for back yard birds is the Canon EF 400mm f/5.6L USM Lens.  Price and performance considered.  A good tripod is needed for best results but this lens is totally hand holdable.

EB
EOS 1D, EOS 1D MK IIn, EOS 1D MK III, EOS 1Ds MK III, EOS 1D MK IV and EOS 1DX and many lenses.


@lurechunker wrote:
Do most of you agree that a Canon refurbished T6s is the correct camera for me? We are seeing painted buntings at our bird feeder and I want to get started.

John
Indian River Lagoon, FL

The Refurbished 80D with the 18-55mm STM lens is on sale [33% off, I believe] for just this weekend.  Get it while it is hot.  

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"Enjoying photography since 1972."

I have decided on the 80D. Now I need to choose lenses (3?) and find the best deal.

John


@lurechunker wrote:
I have decided on the 80D. Now I need to choose lenses (3?) and find the best deal.

John

One VERY high quality lens is better than buying more than one (3?) good lens.  Meanwhile, there are many enthusiast oriented lenses, which are not professional grade, that offer image quality that nearly rivals the professional lenses.  What separates the professional lenses from the rest of the field is build quality, and other functional features like weather sealing and more advanced Image Stabilization.  

 

While the refurbished store is a great place to get a good deal on some of Canon's better camera bodies, it is a little tougher finding deals on their professional grade "L" series of lenses.  Why?  Because the most coveted lenses seem to rarely be in stock, and sell out in a couple of hours when they are.

 

What lens did you get with the 80D?  Let's start there.  There is nothing wrong with the starter lenses that come with the 80D.  Their only real drawback is their aperture sizes, which limits your ability to use them in low light situations.  Fortunately, the 80D has rather good low light performance, much better than what the specifications might suggest.

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"Enjoying photography since 1972."
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