Which accessories would you recommend for an enthusiastic hobbyist?

[BoricuaBruni]

Hi!

I have the T6s, and the following lenses:  an 18-55 kit lens, an 18-135 kit lens, a 10-18mm f/4.5-5.6 lens, and a 50 mm lens.  Some accessories I've purchased are the MeFoto aluminum roadrip travel tripod/monopod kit, bags for each lens, a 'raincoat' for the camera, and a rapid fire camera strap.  I also have an iphone 6 and an ipad (haven't tried the "wi-fi nfc options" to transfer pictures to my iphone yet, but, if there are any accessories to make the transfer easier, I'm all ears, as I've read it's much easier with an android phone.

I don't have any hoods for my lenses, filters, remote shutter, bubble spirit level, speed lites,...  Which accessories (other than lenses) would you suggest/categorize as a must-have or aspire-to-have, with no specific price point in mind?

Thanks all!

[TTMartin]

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@BoricuaBruni wrote:

Hi!

I have the T6s, and the following lenses:  an 18-55 kit lens, an 18-135 kit lens, a 10-18mm f/4.5-5.6 lens, and a 50 mm lens.  Some accessories I've purchased are the MeFoto aluminum roadrip travel tripod/monopod kit, bags for each lens, a 'raincoat' for the camera, and a rapid fire camera strap.  I also have an iphone 6 and an ipad (haven't tried the "wi-fi nfc options" to transfer pictures to my iphone yet, but, if there are any accessories to make the transfer easier, I'm all ears, as I've read it's much easier with an android phone.

I don't have any hoods for my lenses, filters, remote shutter, bubble spirit level, speed lites,...  Which accessories (other than lenses) would you suggest/categorize as a must-have or aspire-to-have, with no specific price point in mind?

Thanks all!

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Canon 430EX III RT flash!

Otherwise, just get out and shoot, and then you'll learn what you need, instead of having to ask.

[Waddizzle]

Backpack.  Buy one that has 50% more room than what you need.   I call that my kit.  I have a smaller one for travel, my tote.

[ScottyP]

Get some microfiber cloths in a sealable baggie to wipe lenses with instead of your shirt.

Book: Understanding Exposure by Bryan Petersen. 

A Rocket Blower or similar generic squeeze bulb blower to blast dust off the sensor.  Mine has a lens dust brush built in. 

Backpack or sling bag. 

22" collapsible reflector, silver one side and white on the other. Perfect size to actually fit in your bag.  

Two EX 430 RT flashes so you can shoot off camera flash.  Or 3rd party RT flash like Yongnuo 600 RT if the price difference makes the difference in your budget that lets you get two instead of just one.   

If you get 2 flashes pick up a cheap Chinese light stand.

[ebiggs1]

This is what you said....

"...an 18-55 kit lens, an 18-135 kit lens, a 10-18mm f/4.5-5.6 lens, and a 50 mm lens..."

First I would sell all of these lenses.  Keep the 10-18mil and buy the EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM Lens.  If memory serves me correctly it does not come with a hood so buy one for it. 

Forget filters and learn one of the better post editors like PSE.  Filters are generally obsolete.

Second lens purchase might be one of the 70-200mm f2.8 out there.

The notion of a good bag, larger than you currently need is a great idea.  Also a back pack type bag is a good idea.

A flash is a nice to have but is getting less useful as cameras get better.

"...remote shutter, bubble spirit level..."  Mostly just gimmicks,  But at best specific use items. Not general.

We have ...

Rebel T6s

EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM Lens

EF-S 10-18mm f/4.5-5.6 IS STM Lens

Your choice of 70-200mm f2.8

Hoods for all lenses

MeFOTO RoadTrip Aluminum Travel Tripod Kit

Your choice of backpack bag

iphone/ipad

Black Rapid strap

Photoshop or Photoshop Elements or other good post editor  <---- the best accessory you can have or add to your kit.

Pretty good start, I'd say.  Now go out an learn how to use it all. 

[TTMartin]

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@ebiggs1 wrote:

This is what you said....

"...an 18-55 kit lens, an 18-135 kit lens, a 10-18mm f/4.5-5.6 lens, and a 50 mm lens..."

First I would sell all of these lenses.

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Whether you should sell the lenses you have or not depends on if they are the STM version of the lenses or not.

If they are STM lenses keep them, the only excepting would be if you have both the 18-55 IS STM and the 18-135 IS STM, you could probably sell the 18-55 IS STM.

[Waddizzle]

"I don't have any hoods for my lenses, filters, remote shutter, bubble spirit level, speed lites,...  Which accessories (other than lenses) would you suggest/categorize as a must-have or aspire-to-have, with no specific price point in mind?"

What do you like to photograph the most?  Or, think you like the most? 

A hood for both the 18-135mm and the 10-18mm would be a smart add.  I like to use at least a clear protective filter on my expensive glass. 

The flash on the camera will cast shadows with the 18-135mm and 10-18mm lenses, but not the 18-55mm kit lens.  I'd keep the 18-55mm lens around, if you do not have an external flash, yet.

Again, I am going to recommend a good backpack.  Look for one that comes with a rain cover.  They don't sell them at the Big Box stores, either.  Get a backpack with more room than what you need.  I'd say get one that can hold 1-2 camera bodies, and at least 5-7 lenses, or so.  Yeah, that's pretty big.  But, you'll need space for flash units, chargers, lens cleaning kit, widgets, and maybe even future lenses.

[ebiggs1]

"Whether you should sell the lenses you have or not depends on if they are the STM..."

A consideration but not the important one.  The f2.8 'constant' aperture is way more better than STM.

So, are you "an enthusiastic hobbyist" or simply a beginner?  Because two of your lenses (18-55 kit lens, an 18-135 kit lens) are beginner category.  Possibly the "50mm", also, if it is one of the f1.8 versions. IMHO, of course, as always.

[TTMartin]

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@ebiggs1 wrote:

"Whether you should sell the lenses you have or not depends on if they are the STM..."

A consideration but not the important one.  The f2.8 'constant' aperture is way more better than STM.

So, are you "an enthusiastic hobbyist" or simply a beginner?  Because two of your lenses (18-55 kit lens, an 18-135 kit lens) are beginner category.  Possibly the "50mm", also, if it is one of the f1.8 versions. IMHO, of course, as always.

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The EF 50mm f/1.8 STM and EF-S 18-135 IS STM is just as effective, more versatile and more cost effective than the EF-S 17-55 f/2.8 IS USM.

The for portraits the EF 50mm f/1.8 is superior in giving shallow depth of field.

For general usage an f/2.8 aperture was much more important when you were pretty much limited to ISO 400 or ISO 800. With today's digital cameras where ISO 3200 is just as usable as ISO 400 from the early age of digital having an f/2.8 aperture becomes much less important. 

Add to that the EF-S 18-135 IS STM is f/3.5 at 18mm, f/4 at 24mm, f/4.5 at 35mm and f/5 at 50mm, the aperture differences between the two lenses are much less pronounced than some might be lead to believe. 

[TTMartin]

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@TTMartin wrote:

Whether you should sell the lenses you have or not depends on if they are the STM version of the lenses or not.

If they are STM lenses keep them, the only excepting would be if you have both the 18-55 IS STM and the 18-135 IS STM, you could probably sell the 18-55 IS STM.

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One correction to add, it that if the EF-S 18-135 IS is either the STM or USM you should not sell it.