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New to 80D - How much memory is needed and lens(es) questions.

Roudee
Apprentice
Hello! I just ordered my first DSLR camera - the 80D. As you probably remember when you bought your first DSLR camera, there were so many decisions you made with your purchase. I am hoping for suggestions from those of you who have been in my shoes. I am looking for the essential equipment I need to start taking pictures with my new 80D camera.

1. What len(es) should I purchase to use to take nature, wedding, nature, and action pictures (at my son’s football games, when he plays golf, as well as when he shoots clay pigeons during skeet tournaments). My Canon 80D camera came with a 18-55 lens.

2. I would appreciate recommendations on how much memory And type of memory I should purchase?

3. Is one type of battery / charger better for this camera than another?

4. What am I forgetting to ask?

Sorry this is so long!!
11 REPLIES 11

Waddizzle
Legend
Legend

Nice camera!  You are gonna love discovering what all it can do.

 

1). You can use your kit lens to do all of the above.  You use different lenses to compose, or frame, the shot differently.

 

2). The full length instruction manual can be downloaded from Canon’s web site.  You can find recommendations there.  To sum it up, though, you want SD, SDHC, or SDXC cards.  Notice that microSD is not part of the list.  You also want to avoid the UHS-3 cards.  Stick to the major name brands, like Lexar or Sandisk.  I use Sandisk Extreme 32 GB or 64GB cards.

 

3). The best battery charger to use is Canon’s,  You want to use genuine Canon batteries, too.  Due to the proliferation of fake Canon labeled batteries, Canon has added some smarts to their DSLRs and batteries.  Through some sort of black magic, the camera can tell if a genuine Canon battery is being used or not.  If not, then the camera does not turn on.  There is at least one third party brand which seems to work with Canon DSLRs without issue, but I will leave it unnamed.

 

4). You forgot to ask about accessories.  Buy a professional grade tripod, which can run about two hundred, and up.  I think Benro is a good consumer brand of tripod.  Pros like Manfrotto, Really Right Stuff, and a couple others.  You also want to buy a quality bag to hold your gear.  You want one with a rain cover, which can also act as a dust shield.  I like Lowepro shoulder bags for carrying gear.  I use Lowepro backpacks as “kit” bags, which are pretty big and heavy, too heavy to haul around.

 

You also did not ask about using the camera.  I suggest that you do that first, and do it often.  It is going to take a couple of thousand shots, at least, to begin to figure out the camera.  Use P mode on the shooting dial to learn the camera’s features.

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"The right mouse button is your friend."

Roudee
Apprentice
Thank you for you quick response!!! I appreciate it! I just ordered the camera online today so I haven’t had a chance to have any touchy feely time with it yet!!

I have a follow up question! In your reply, you stated I should stay away from memory cards - UHS-3 cards. I bought a 64GB (Sandisk Extreme Pro SDXC 95 MB/S Class 10 UHS-1 U3 4K Memory V30) is that one of the memory cards that fall in the “stay away from categories?”


@Roudee wrote:

I have a follow up question! In your reply, you stated I should stay away from memory cards - UHS-3 cards. I bought a 64GB (Sandisk Extreme Pro SDXC 95 MB/S Class 10 UHS-1 U3 4K Memory V30) is that one of the memory cards that fall in the “stay away from categories?”

That could should work just fine for shooting stills, and video, too.  It is more card than what is recommended, though.  I have used it without issues.  I normally use the “Extreme” cards, just the one word for photos.

 

The “problem” is that the DSLR does not know how to talk to some of the highest performance cards.  The result is that communication gets downscaled to a compatibility mode, which is actually slower than the speed rating of the card.  

 

Look at it as using a USB2 device in a USB3 port.  In this case, the USB2 device is not going to upgrade itself to USB3 speeds.  Instead, the USB3 port will downscale itself to USB2 performance specifications.  In the case of “Extreme Pro” memory cards, you may not realize the 90MB/sec speed, at all.

 

--------------------------------------------------------
"The right mouse button is your friend."

" I bought a 64GB (Sandisk Extreme Pro SDXC 95 MB/S Class 10 UHS-1 U3 4K Memory V30) is that one of the memory cards that fall in the “stay away from categories?”"

 

Yes.  It has to do with the "all your eggs in one basket".  If the SD card fails for whatever reason, you will lose all your photos. A better idea is to buy and use several smaller SD cards in the 16GB range. As they fill up or the venue changes, switch SD cards.  You can get a SD card pouch to keep them organized.  One time loss of your prized photos will teach you this but you will be forewarned and prepared!

EB
EOS 1DX and 1D Mk IV and less lenses then before!


@ebiggs1 wrote:

" I bought a 64GB (Sandisk Extreme Pro SDXC 95 MB/S Class 10 UHS-1 U3 4K Memory V30) is that one of the memory cards that fall in the “stay away from categories?”"

 

Yes.  It has to do with the "all your eggs in one basket".  If the SD card fails for whatever reason, you will lose all your photos. A better idea is to buy and use several smaller SD cards in the 16GB range. As they fill up or the venue changes, switch SD cards.  You can get a SD card pouch to keep them organized.  One time loss of your prized photos will teach you this but you will be forewarned and prepared!


As a follow-on to Ernie's point ...

 

By far the most dangerous risk to the result of a photo shoot is to leave the images on the card(s) without downloading them. Copy your pictures to a computer as soon as you can, and then subject them to your established backup procedures, which should include saving multiple copies on independent devices, both on- and off-site. Don't edit images on the card, even though you can, unless you have already backed them up.

Bob
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania USA

Ditto !  Smiley Wink

EB
EOS 1DX and 1D Mk IV and less lenses then before!

First I would return the camera.  From what you said in your post, the kit lens will not be the best choice. Actually a poor choice.  Buy the 80D body by itself.  Then order the Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM Lens.

 

To satisfy your number 1 query, you will need additional lens(s).  The great thing about the 80D is it can use the lens of choice for the purpose.  My selection for you might be the Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG OS HSM Contemporary Lens for Canon EF.  Be advised this lens is very powerful and will require some practice.  Those two lenses will take you far and there is little better lenses out there.  Best to buy the best, first.  It is cheaper that way.”

 

———————————————-

 

Keep the camera, as it is, with the kit lens.  The lens is practically being given away for free at some dealers, but he may not be aware of that.  If you want to shoot video at a wedding, then you will want to have a Canon STM lens in your bag, even if it does not have the widest aperture being offered in that zoom range.

 

That Sigma is a beast of a lens for someone new to DSLR photography.  It is a poor choice for new users, who are self taught when it comes to learning photography.  Most users would need some sort of support to use the lens effectively, like a monopod with a tilt head. 

 

It is also a poor choice if you do not have third party post processing software to correct for lens distortion and vignetting.  When it comes to Adobe, Photoshop Elements 2018 does not include lens correction, so you would need to invest in a full blown PS subscription.

Canon’s free software only does lens correction for Canon lenses.  I always recommend new users to stick to Canon lenses for this exact reason.  A good choice of lens would be the EF-S 55-250 IS STM lens.  

Again, get your feet.  Start using the camera, and learn about the gear, so that you can make informed decisions when it comes to upgrading your lenses.. 

--------------------------------------------------------
"The right mouse button is your friend."

ebiggs1
Legend
Legend

"My Canon 80D camera came with a 18-55 lens."

 

First I would return the camera.  From what you said in your post, the kit lens will not be the best choice. Actually a poor choice.  Buy the 80D body by itself.  Then order the Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM Lens.

 

To satisfy your number 1 query, you will need additional lens(s).  The great thing about the 80D is it can use the lens of choice for the purpose.  My selection for you might be the Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG OS HSM Contemporary Lens for Canon EF.

Be advised this lens is very powerful and will require some practice.  Those two lenses will take you far and there is little better lenses out there.  Best to buy the best, first.  It is cheaper that way.

 

Number 2 buy several 16GB SD cards. Don't be tempted to buy one huge SD card.

 

Number 3, Canon batteries and chargers are the best.  Resist buying off brand in this area.

 

Now and for now don't buy any other gear until you learn how to use this stuff.

 

You can get and you will want a post editor.  I would look at Photoshop Elements.  Use it and learn it.  Post is where great photos are made.

EB
EOS 1DX and 1D Mk IV and less lenses then before!

TCampbell
Elite
Elite

I think the topics of things like memory cards & batteries have had some great answers.

 

As for lenses... there is no "best" lens.  The whole point of having a camera where you can remove one lens and attach another is *becase* that offers you the opportuntity to attach a lens which is better optimized toward the type of photography you want to do next.

 

Let's pick this apart a bit...

 

"my son's football games"

 

Ok, are these daytime games or nighttime games played with lighting on the field?

Where are YOU when shooting these games?  On the sidelines?  Up in the stands?  Are you able to move up and down the field (along with all the other parents who own camera and want to move up and down the side of the field)?  The answer to these questions makes a difference.

 

The "best" lenses for sports & action photography aren't cheap.  Capturing players at the far end of a football field might best be done with something in the 300-400mm focal length range... but if they are relatively near you... then maybe a 70-200mm lens is a better choice.  

 

BTW, this is why you'll often see sports photographers slinging two cameras ... each having a different lens.

 

"when he plays golf"

"when he shoots clay pigeons"

 

For most sports, the shots you want involve the object of that sport... the shot that has the athlete "with the ball" (whatever that ball is).  A photo of a golfer standing around isn't nearly as interesting as the photo of the golfer hitting the ball... and there's a problem for gold.

 

Go look for cover photos from "Golf" magazine, "Golf Digest", "Golfer", etc. and look at what they all have in common... that little ball is small.  The shot that includes BOTH the altlete AND the ball (higly desirable) would requrie that you be "behind" the golfer capturing them as they get the ball flying down the fairway... but now you're getting their backside and not their face.  So these photos tend to show the athlet's upper torso and face after the swing... and no ball in sight.

 

The same is going to be true of skeet shooting.

 

Football is a bit different... it is possible to get the shot of the player AND the "ball" (or object of the sport ... even if that object isn't specifically a "ball").

 

If you were to own a Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM II (whoops... now it's version III) and Canon 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM II... you'd probably have the sports covered about as well as they can be covered.  Canon's 70-200mm f/2.8L IS is possibly *the* most highly regarded lenses of it's type in the industry (from any brand -- many brands have a "70-200" but nobody really has one that is as good as Canon's).  

 

Ernie mentioned the 150-600 and this is a very popular lens focal length among many nature photographers, birders, etc.   Canon doesn't make a lens in this range.  The two pouplar makers are Sigma and Tamron.  I don't own either of these so I wont get into which is better.

 

Canon does make the EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM II and THAT lens is extremely good.  It's the closest thing Canon has to a 150-600 (if you put a Canon 1.4x Extender on it then it becomes 140-560mm... which is close to 150-600).  I do own this lens and it is extremely good.

 

If the football is played at night under artiifical lights... a 300 or 400mm f/2.8 lens sure would be nice (f/2.8 gathers more light and allows for a faster exposure time).  But check the price-tag and you'll probably re-think that purchase.  ($6100 & $10k respectively)  But if those prices don't scare you, then you'll be happy to know that Canon also offers the EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM Extender 1.4x lens... for the bargain price of $10999.  

 

😉

 

Canon has some of the most fabulous lenses in the industry.  But fabulous lenses are expensive ... not because they can demand the money, but because they ACTUALLY are much more difficult and costly to make.  

 

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