Looking to update my camera

[katie96]

I am currently using a canon EOS Rebel XTi and I want to upddate to a newer camera. I have 2 EOS lenses. The standard kit lense and the canon 75 - 300mm. I also use the Tamron18 - 270mm F/3.5-6.3  I am an amatuer but ready to move up. Any suggestions on what canon eos to consider.

My main interests are portraits (people and animals, nature, and horses in motion. I take many action shots. I was considering the canon EOS 80D but read it was not a good choice for action shots.

Thanks to any who respond

katie96

[Tronhard]

The EF-L 100-400mm is a good lens, so you are absolutely right to keep that one.  On the subject of the general purpose lenses, the 18-135 is  a great lens, I have ended up with three of them - two of the STM version and one of the newer USM version.  Frankly, there is not much optically to call between the STM and USM versions from what I have seen, so you may as well go for the STM and save some cash.  If you are leary of buying second-hand I would recommend looking at Canon's refurubished gear site and you may see some units there.  Essentially, they are as good as new, come with a warranty but at a lower price point.

If your 18-55 is the same age as your T4i then it is going to be MUCH slower to focus than either the STM or USM technology.  The USM will be the fastest, but the STM is no slouch either...

If you want to stick to the Rebel line the T8i (850D) is out and you could get the body with the 18-135 lens as a kit perhaps.  Note, however, that the SCN modes have been reduced so you will get the same issue as you mentioned about the 90D.

Here are a couple of reviews of this body:

https://www.kenrockwell.com/canon/t8i.htm

https://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/Canon-EOS-Rebel-T8i.aspx

https://www.imaging-resource.com/PRODS/canon-t8i/canon-t8iA.HTM

If you want good tutorial material on shutter speed check these links out:

https://www.photographytalk.com/beginner-photography-tips/shutter-speed-explained
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ZnVucOeXfQ

https://www.lensrentals.com/blog/2020/07/photography-fundamentals-how-shutter-speed-changes-your-pho...
https://photographylife.com/landscapes/shutter-speed-explained-for-beginners
https://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tutorials/camera-exposure.htm

[Wayne3]

Thanks Trevor!

I'm just looking over the article on shutter speed (bird in flight set to 1/800 to 1/2000). It will take me a while to dig through all your material, LOL. But I'll start with the shutter speed info.

Yes my 18-55mm came with the T4i so it is 7 or 8 years old.  

Wayne

[Tronhard]

If you like video tutorials, there is one by National Geographic photographer Chris Bray HERE .  Hopefully you won't be thrown by his Australian accent!

It might also be worthwhile going to your local library website and searching the catalogue for Lynda.com.  This website has a huge range for video tutorials by excellent instructors that cover every aspect of photography from the basics to advanced topics, and from hardware to post production techniques.   Normally access to this is by subscription, but many libraries offer their members free access - it's a great resource.

[Wayne3]

First attempt at shutter priority 1/320, ISO 3200, apterture automatically set itself, but it was f16. 

[Waddizzle]

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@Wayne3 wrote:

First attempt at shutter priority 1/320, ISO 3200, apterture automatically set itself, but it was f16.

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Was ISO set to Auto, too.  When you are in Av or Tv modes, they work better when you dial in an ISO setting.  In this way, the camera is only controlling one leg of the Exposure Triangle. I recommend Av or M modes for wildlife and sports photography.

[Wayne3]

Thanks Waddizzle, 

Yes, I did dial in the ISO, although probably too high!

The light was low, and I had just read for birds the slow end for shutter speed is 1/800. I wasn't going to get close so I really bumped up the ISO. Of course, that meant the camera set the aperture to 16 instead of wide open (which is 5.6 at 400mm for my lens).Oops.  Nonetheless, a good experiment for me. I chose shutter priority because after reading Trevor's comments I realized of the exposure triangle I have a vague sense of aperture and ISO. I had no knowledge of shutter speed, so messing around was my very rudimentary beginning to learn. I appreciate you folks guiding me along!

Wayne

[Tronhard]

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@Wayne3 wrote:

Thanks Waddizzle, 

Yes, I did dial in the ISO, although probably too high!

... I chose shutter priority because after reading Trevor's comments I realized of the exposure triangle I have a vague sense of aperture and ISO. I had no knowledge of shutter speed, so messing around was my very rudimentary beginning to learn. I appreciate you folks guiding me along!

Wayne

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I admire your intent, determination and effort to expand your skills and to control your photography.  Continuing to do so will give you much more technical and creative control over your images and the processes you go through to get them.  Like everything else, initially one has to intellectually labour over the principles, but eventually it becomes second nature and then you have your comfort zone back again, but now with a lot more skill.

Your comment about Shutter Speed is interesting!  I find that most people actually have the greatest challenge with Aperture. I have seen it taught from a rather mathematical perspective and students are often challenged by the mathematical relationship (since the number sequences are relating to the square root of 2), the fact that it is based on a ratio betweem the aperture size and the focal length, rather than a direct measurement, plus the fact that the aperture gets bigger but the f/number gets smaller. 

For me, one way of making that simpler is to cut out the middle-man, so to speak, and simply say that as the f/value gets smaller, so does what's in focus.

[amatula15]

Love the image! And the bird melds with the leaves very well!

[Wayne3]

Thanks Annie!  I'm happy with the contrasting red leaves and orange on the tree.  My camera did quite do what I thought it would LOL, Oh, the joy of learning something new. 

Wayne

[amatula15]

"  I'm happy with the contrasting red leaves and orange on the tree. "

i hope you'll be happy with the image too!

This is a place where you may gain knowledge and images may be critiqued. But remember, one person's opinion is just that. Remember too folks here want to be helpful, with the goal of improving your photograhy, and avoiding the mistakes many of us have made (e.g. if our images are not good, we need new gear or our gear is broken) .

When I was out of college, I left my pursuit of professional photograhy because 2 professional photograhers in NYC seriously critiqued my work. Of course I should not have done that,but my perception of them was they should know what they are talking about.  I should have just used their critique as a foundation to build me as a photograher.

If you posted the image on social media, I am sure folks would like it: good composition, up-close image of bird, a joy to look at the image...

But you are here for learning and improvement (assuming!)

I might suggest a local photography club and maybe a local Audubon bird club (I am sure there are many photograhers in them!) -- then you connect and learn locally if that is a goal of yours.

And I hope you enjoy the art of creating images.  Sometimes I like photograhy not so much in the images I get, but in the fun of being creative in setting them up and the joy of finding/seeing with a photographer's eye.

All the best!