EF-S 18-55mm kit lens fogs up.

I was at the beach last week and took my camera up to the ocean to take some shots. The camera and lens were in AC (in the car driving down to the beach, 6 hour trip) and when I got to my parents’ house I took it out and started snapping pictures with the EF-S18-55mm kit lens. After about 5 minutes I noticed the outer lens was fogging over. It wasn’t a “hot” day, about 82 but as always it’s humid at the beach. I used my cleaning cloth and once the lens warmed up it stopped. After that the inner lens fogged over and of course I couldn't clean it. It never did “unfog” while I was walking around for about an hour.Question - did the moisture damage the lens in any way? I used it again later and it was working just fine. I have an EF 75-300mm zoom and this did not happen to it (Internal fog, the outer lens did fog but went away as described above). Why would one lens fog internally and another not? Also, how do you professionals keep this from occurring?ThanksJohn

My bad. I just saw the other fog topic. I'll follow that one. ThanksJohn

Similar Messages

Replacing my stock 18-55mm kit lens for video. Would love some expertise!

Whats up guys! I'm really trying to retire my stock 18-55 kit lens. 90% of the work I do is video production/commercial/music videos all filmed on my cropped sensored T3I Rebel.. I'm one of the people who believes it's no about the equipment, but who's behind it.. Well, to a certain extent lol.. But I currently own a 50mm-1.8 prime as well as a 35mm-2.0 prime and I've been really happy with the quality those produce, however, I can't use those lens's effectivly when I'm on a track,crane or flycam since what you can see in the shot is so limited.
I've really been considering the 17-40mm F4 L lens. Can anyone back this lens up? Will it suit me well for video production and pull super sharp images? I'm not so concerned about how far it can zoom since I have my prime 35mm and 50mm which basically act like a 60//80 on my cropped sensors. So I really need something like my stock 18 but much nicer quality.. Does this lens still let in good light with it being a zoom & F4?

JLRoyal42,
We're glad to assist you with a new lens for shooting your video productions and commercial, music videos. The EF 17-40mm f/4L USM lens would be a good choice for this type of work.
Another great lens would be the EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II USM lens. This lens lets even more light into the camera if this is a primary concern. Both being 'L' series lenses, they are made with the highest exacting standards. They work well as zooms for video too because they maintain their aperture across the focal range.
I hope this helps you make a decision as to which lens you pick!
Did this answer your question? Please click the Accept as Solution button so that others may find the answer as well.

Canon the 18-55 kit lens cope with fast moving subjects?

Hi everyone, I'm new here.
I was doing a shoot the other day involving very quick subjects that changed direction a lot (dogs). Got some good shots but the vast majority were badly out of focus which was a real shame. I want to know if this is the lens, the body or my technique that is failing me.
I'm relatively new to photography so it might just be that my settings are wrong or my technique is bad. I'm using the lens wide open, not in live view, with AF servo on on a 600D body. Generally when I focus I just pan the camera round to follow the subject, occasionally squeezing down when I want to shoot.
I am considering upgrading to the 17-55 f2.8 because it's sharp wide open and has a constant and fast aperture and USM and full time manual focus with a proper focusing ring.
Thanks.
Solved!
Go to Solution.

Your problems are probably due to a combination of factors. IMO, auto focus performance is determined by three things....
1. Camera AF capabilities. Your 600D has a 9-point AF system. Only one of those points - the center one - is the "better" cross type that's more responsive and tracks movement better. When shooting moving subjects with your camera, it would help to limit yourself to using only the center point. (Note: other Canon cameras have more advanced AF systems. The T4i, T5i, 60D, 50D and 40D all have 9-point AF that looks similar, but all nine points are the "better" cross type sesnors. The 7D and 70D have 19-point AF, with all nineteen cross type. 1DX and 5DIII have 61-point AF, with up to 41 cross type, depending upon the lens used.)
Some cameras are also optimized for focus performance. For example, the 1D series models and 7D have a separate chip driving AF.... while most (maybe all?) other models share AF duties through the same processor that's handling images.
2. Lens auto focus capabilities: Yes, a "USM" (Ultrasonic Motor) drive lens such as the EF-S 17-55/2.8 would be an improvement over your kit lens. It's faster, hunts less and is quieter than a "micro motor" drive such as is used in the less expensive kit lens. (Note: there is a slightly more expensive version of the 18-55mm with "STM" or "Stepper Motor" focus drive, which is better than the micro motor version, but still not as fast as USM. STM lenses are quiet operating and particularly well matched for video.)
A larger aperture lens, such as the 17-55/2.8 (as opposed to your 18-55/3.5-5.6), also delivers more light to the camera's AF sensors, to allow for faster focus and better tracking.
No, forget about the EF 50/1.8.... Sure it's got a larger aperture, but it uses a micro motor and is widely known to be slower focusing, less accurate and liable to hunt more than a USM lens. If you wanted a fast and sure focusing short to moderate telephoto, look at the EF 50/1.4, 85/1.8, 100/2 or 135/2L lenses. These all use USM drive and are much faster and more accurate than the EF 50/1.8. They also have one to two stop larger max aperture than even the 17-55/2.8 (or any other zoom lens), so provide more light for the camera to work with. Using a lens f2.8 or "faster" will give optimal performance on your camera, with that center AF point.
Some lenses simply are not designed to be fast focusing, even though they have larger apertures and USM focus. Macro lenses, for example, have to move their focus group a long, long way to go from infinity to 1:1 magnification so tend to be slower. Also, very large aperture lenses such as the 85/1.2L typically are slower.... by design. Both macro and very large aperture lenses emphasize precision, to deal with shallow depth of field effects, rather than speed.
Other lenses are designed for very fast focus. All the 70-200s, the 100-400, and all the prime lenses 300mm and longer are quite fast focusing. Extreme telephotos such as 500 and 600mm can be hard to get and keep on target, though.
Some third party lenses also make use of focus drive similar to Canon's USM, to help with focus performance. Sigma's HSM and Tamron's USD lenses are examples.
3. User skill is the third key factor effecting focus perfromance.... i.e., your technique.
You mention using "AF Servo"... Just to clarify, yourcamera has three focus modes: One Shot, AI Focus and AI Servo... there is no "AF Servo". The correct mode to use with moving subjects is AI Servo. Maybe that's what you are doing already. At any rate, One Shot is pretty much only usable with stationary subjects (there are "pre-focus" techniques where it can be used with moving subjects, but those are fairly uncommonly used). AI Focus isn't really a foucs mode at all... It's supposed to decide for you whether or not the subject is moving, then switch to use the correct mode. I haven't tested this on any recent model, but older ones where I tried it I found a slight delay that causes a lot of missed focus shots. It also simply chose the wrong mode sometimes. It might be worth noticing that the more pro-oriented Canon models don't even have AI Focus... they only offer One Shot or AI Servo.
So, just be sure you are using AI Servo for the best performance when shooting moving subjects.
You also are using way too slow a shutter speed. I would bump up the ISO and try to use 1/500 or faster shutter speeds. 1/320 or 1/400 is very marginal, trying to stop subject movement with something as quick as dogs in action. In fact, the closer you are to the subject, the faster shutter speed you will need to truly freeze movement.
Canon also has noted that the 18MP models are somewhat prone to camera shake blur - probably due to the high density of pixel sites on the sensor - and recommends keeping shutter speeds up to be sure to get a sharp shot, even with IS lenses. There was a white paper about this, on Canon's website. I don't know if it's still available online.
You should be able to get quite nice, clean images at ISO 1600... a full two stop higher and allowing you to use much faster shutter speed. Even so, if shooting indoors there might be areas that aren't as well lit and are hard to get a sharp shot.
You may want to shoot RAW files, so that you can more fully control noise reduction and exposure factors in post-processing when using high ISOs.
A popular technique among sports/action photographers is Back Button Focusing. See this article online, about it: http://www.learn.usa.canon.com/resources/articles/2011/backbutton_af_article.shtml
BBF separates the focusing function from the shutter release button. You instead use your thumb on one of the camera's rear buttons to start and stop focusing. Many users feel this allows more sure acquistion and tracking with moving subjects. You may want to set up your camera to do BBF and give it a try. While it's particularly possible for action/sports/AI Servo shooting, it's actually usable with One Shot, too... I have used it pretty exclusively for some years now.
Using BBF, I start AF well before I want to take the shot, then concentrate on keeping the AF point on the subject right where I want the lens to focus while continuing to track and maintain focus... then take shots along the way. I use the center AF point alone, much of the time. This does lead to overly centered images, so I try to frame a little loosely some of the time, allowing for some cropping to make images less centered. I do sometimes use other than the center AF point... but wouldn't recommend that with action shooting on a camera that doesn't have cross type sensors at the peripheral points, such as your 600D.
I use a pair of 7Ds and a number of fast focusing USM lenses to shoot a lot of sports. With some years of practice under my belt, on avearage I nail focus on 95 to 98 out of 100 shots using this gear with the above techniques. I shot 4000 images at a recent event and marked just over 30 of those as "rejected" for missed focus problems (and I bet at least half of those are my fault... not the gear's). There may be a few more that are marginally acceptible (i.e., can make a nice 8x10 print, but won't look good any larger than that). Still, even if there are 80 or 120 missed focus, that's only 2 or 3%... a lot better than only 10% in focus.
I would say that lens performance qualities and user techniques generally count more than the camera though, or at least can largely make up for any camera short-comings. I got nearly as good results with 50D, and with 30D before that (which have similar AF system to your 600D), and even with 10D earlier than that (a "lesser" AF system than yours).Though I've gotten a few, I haven't had as good luck shooting moving subjects using 5D Mark II (I mostly just use it for stationary subjects).. the 5D Mark III has a much improved AF system and tracks movement far better.
Hope this helps!
Alan Myers
San Jose, Calif., USA
"Walk softly and carry a big lens."
GEAR: 5DII, 7D(x2), 50D(x3), some other cameras, various lenses & accessories
FLICKR & PRINTROOM

FS7 Not communicating with kit lens anymore? No HDMI at 1080?

Got the FS7 in today and was teching it for a shoot. I upgraded to Firmware 2.0, but I coudn't get any HDMI signal out at 1080. I've also swapped lenses with the Metabones Ultra to take a look at how wide the Canons would get. After swapping the lenses and putting the 28-135 kit lens back on, it's not talking to the lens at all. No focus. No zoom. Nothing. Tried switching it to full auto and back to manual. I've cycled the power and pulled the brick. Nothing seems to solve the issue. Any ideas? -B

I had the same 'stuck pin' problem. It was (i presume) causing the lens to freeze and even the camera itself to lock up, needing the battery to be removed and re-seated to get it to respond. Plus my SDI ports stopped working - although the HDMI continued to work. What's more concerning it the scoring to the lens contacts: something is digging into the contacts and the surrounding plastic. This is a stock sony 28-135 kit lens, s/n5101330.i frequently swap between this and a Metabones SB ultra. The SB is also showing the same scoring to it's contacts, suggesting it's something camera-end that's doing it. I'm already having to half-twist the lens off and on again during shoots because it will randomly lockup and become unusable. is this likely to get worse? I don't want to have to send the camera in to Sony unless i really have to as it's now my A-cam that's earning me my main income. A second opinion would be welcome, thanks. (is there any way to upload photos to show what i mean?)

Mirrorless Camera Selection - Kit Lens only?

Bestbuy should carry these cameras with the option of buying the body only, w/ prime lens or kit lens. I really do not see the reason for buying a pocket size camera and only using a huge kit lens .
Most people will never buy another lens so the kit lens will be a popular choice. Still some of us already have the kit lens or replace their pocket camera with a mirrorless+prime lens.

Hi msocor,
I completely hear where you are coming from on this, and if I was ever to purchase a compact system camera I would be purchasing it as a more portable option to my DSLR. I have forwarded your idea onto the appropriate team here at our corporate headquarters.
Thanks for posting,
Allan|Senior Social Media Specialist | Best Buy® Corporate
Private Message

18/135 Kit lens

I am impressed with how good the 18/135 kit lens is. I have 3 L lens and I am amazed at how the 18/135 performs.
Canon 7D 18/135 at 60mm:

For $80? Absolutely. Welcome to SLR, things won't be that cheap again! I've got filters that cost more than that.
The 55-250 isn't terrific, but it's better quality than the 18-55 IMHO. I actually still use mine (on my 400D) as I upgraded a bunch of ultra-wide, wide, macro, and prime lenses and never pulled the trigger on the 70-200. It's slow, it won't win any sharpness awards, but it's infinately better than nothing. At $80 it's kind of a no brainer.
Edit: the main difference between the 18-135 and the 55-250 is the focal length. I can't comment on the IQ, never been much a test charts kinda guy, but I'd suspect in the real world that performace will be along the same lines. But 250 is significant reach over 135.

I have a canon EOS 600D with 18-55mm IS kit lens. I want to buy another lens for travel photography.

What lens would be a best choice?

It's a tough question to answer as there is no best choice. Too many variables, what may be best for you wouldn't be for me.
Some people want one single lens to do everything, the so called Super Zooms. Sigma makes a 18-250 which would qualify. But the image quality and speed will never be that of more traditional ranged lenses. My personal recommendation to these people is, if you never plan on changing lenses then just get a point and shoot. The Canon SX50 fits this bill well. But if that's what you're looking for there's the sigma, or you can get the 18-200 from Canon.
As far as traditional ranged lenses, it depends on what you like to shoot. Some people love ultra wide angle for travel if they're look at old archetecture or panoramas. The Canon 10-22 is a great lens. A standard issue lens would be the 18-85 - decent quality, decent range. Others hold image quality and speed paramount and would use an L lens, like the 24-105L.

Sharpening with Elements on a Nikon D70 (w/ kit lens)

As much as I love this camera, I can't help but feel that I should be getting sharper images from it. I realize that much is left up to me as far as post-processing, and that's okay, that's why I bought Elements in the first place (I'm using version 3 for Mac).
Initially, all I shot was in the JPEG format, but now that I have version 3, I've moved to RAW. I like the way I can change exposure, white balance, and the like using the RAW plug-in, but I still don't see a signifigant difference when it comes to sharpening. My suspicion is that it's something to do with my workflow; maybe I should forego Camera RAW sharpening and just stick to USM? Or maybe I'm just missing the whole point when it comes down to sharpening an image. This seems to be the one major "hurdle" I have right now (well, that and just getting the hang of RAW, which is STILL Greek to me).
I would REALLY like to hear from you Nikon users who may have some tips. I know that this camera is capable of much more than I'm currently getting out of it. Thanks for your time.
Tony

Shooting RAW will not provide an initially sharper image, but will provide much better dynamic range and bypass all in-camera processing. This gives you more latitude in what you can do with your post processing and also eliminates the degradation of continually saving changes in JPEG, which compresses each time you save. I normally save in TIFF or PDF before I create a final JPEG image. Still, using USM as a first and last step, or just a last step, is the easiest way I've found of sharpening your image. My Canon Rebel XT uses stronger AA filters in the camera resulting in even softer images than your Nikon. This is done to avoid moire in the images. I almost always use USM to correct for this.
With many DSLR cameras, the out of camera images are much softer than you'd get out of a point and shoot. Generally, less processing is done in the camera as you get into the "prosumer" level of cameras. You are expected to sharpen out of the camera. The Canon, and to a lesser degree Nikon, message boards are filled with new users complaining about the softness of their images. Remember that less in-camera processing creates fewer artifacts that you'll have to deal with later. Another point is that the lens on a DSLR is critical in how sharp your image can be. Depth of field and camera shake are other factors that you must take into account. There's a lot going on here.
USM itself can be used to accentuate contrast by applying low amount/high radius/low threshold, or any range of sharpening through higher amount/low radius and 0 or higher threshold depending on how soft you want the subject to appear.
With all this, I frequently still shoot in JPEG when I expect to do little processing because of the subject and/or conditions. Also, if I'm shooting a lot of pictures, I do tend to get lazy and want to minimize my workflow. Shame on me. ;-)

Aperture 3 - Lens unknown in RAW metadata

In Aperture 3 my lens information will only display data for one of my three lens. My 18-55mm kit lens for my Canon T2i is the only lens that shows up. My Zeiss 28mm just displays "Unknown (33) 28mm" and my Tokina 11-16mm displays "Unknown (160) 11-16mm." Does anyone know why this might be happening in Aperture?

With my Tokina 11-16 mm I had the same problem in JPEG metadata. I found a solution and wrote a little app: http://touristathome.tumblr.com/post/24342878728/unknown-lens-aperture

Need advise, area around lens looks wet.

Hi, I am new here. I recently purchased a Canon EOS Rebel T4i/650d. It came with the 18-55mm kit lens, But I went ahead and purchased a Sigma 18-200mm and a Canon EF-S 55-250mm 1:4-5.6 IS II Lens..... I have only owned this camera and gear about 3 weeks, and received the 55-250 mm lens just last week.. But to get to the point.. The plastic at the front of the lense where the wording is, looks damp and has what apears to be hair line areas where moisture has soaked in? It is only happaning on the canon lenses and the sigma looks dry. Can anyone tell me what is causing this problem and how to prevent it? These lenses have never gotten wet from rain and such and 90% of the time have been in doors either sitting in a dry camera bag or mounted on the camera. I never noticed this problem before i started keeping hoya C-PL and FDL filters screwed on the ends. Could the filters be the issue? Should I be worried about this? I have 5 silica packs in the top mesh of my camera bag to prevent moisture... im new so any advice would be awesome. Cheers

I looked at the plastic are under a magnifying glass and it does not appear to be cracks, but scratches... The state of the lens has not changed even after leaving it out with the cap off for 24 hours. I am now thinking they might be pressure marks from the filter being screwed on too tightly. I took my kit lens out and put the filter on it as I usually do but made it a bit more snug, took some shots from my sun room for about 15 minutes and took the filter off to check..... And there were twice as many of these "wet" looking marks on it. So i am now thinking it is due to the metal threads rubbing and applying pressure on the plastic ring causing this look... not moisture. I decided to start cleaning the plastic ring with a qtip barely damp with alcohol hoping it would dry it out if it was water but has made no difference. That is another reason its making me think pressure marks instead of moisture. Thank you both for the replies and will continue to keep an eye on the lens.... Cheers
Yes, you are correct. It is not moisture. It is just your filter rubbing against the plastic name plate. It is nothing to worry about and you could even replace the name ring yourself for $15 or less.
The ring is just held on with a weak adhesive backing and can be peeled off very easily.
Here is how you can do it: Use a toothpick
Here is an example of a replacement ring you can buy on Ebay: Canon front name ring 55-250MM
Canon should also be able to sell you the correct ring as well.
Mike Sowsun
S110, SL1, 5D Mk III

What are some differences between PSE8 and PSE11?

MY CURRENT HARDWARE:
MacBook Pro (model: MacBookPro2,2) Intel Core 2 Duo 2.33 GHz, 2 GB RAM, 500 GB int. HDD
Epson Perfection 2400 Photo scanner, USB 2 connection
Canon Digital Rebel T3 SLR camera, 18-55mm kit lens, 75-300mm telephoto lens, 4 GB SDHC card
Canon Vixia HV40 HDV tape-based camcorder
MY CURRENT SOFTWARE:
Adobe Photoshop Elements 8, with Adobe Bridge CS4
Apple Final Cut Studio 3 (includes Final Cut Pro 7)
Apple iLife 2009 (includes iPhoto)
Recently, people in my hometown began planning an event of local historic significance. A group of elderly men who worked on a major industrial project (steel fabrication in a local shop) here are about to go on a bus trip to see some of their work. Most have never journeyed the hundreds of miles to see what became of their efforts. Some of these men are veterans of WW II and Korea, just to give you an idea of their age. The bus tour is expected to happen in mid-November.
Typically, I shoot photos in JPEG format and catalogue all photos in iPhoto 2009. However, for this occasion, given it is a once-in-a-lifetime event, I am seriously thinking about switching my Rebel over to RAW format. I want to approach this trip as a project with the end-product being archival quality storage of the images I capture. To catalogue the photos, I was seriously thinking about borrowing a few pages from Peter Krogh's book "Digital Asset Management for Photographers" (2009, 2nd Edition, O'Reilly Press). I recently had a chance to skim the book over, and noticed a chapter on how to structure a workflow using RAW-format photos using Adobe Bridge. I have briefly thought of purchasing Lightroom, but that's too rich for my bank account. Since I have the Rebel (given to me as a gift about 13 months ago), the MacBook Pro and Photoshop Elements with Bridge, some questions came to mind:
(1: I am considering either using Photoshop Elements 8 with bundled Bridge CS4 to handle the RAW files (and to possibly store them as DNG files) or upgrading to Photoshop Elements 11 to do the same. This would stretch my budget. Does Photoshop Elements 11 come bundled with Bridge anymore? If so, is it functional for what I want to do with it?
(2: Does anyone on this forum use Bridge to handle RAW files? If so, are there any online tutorials/demonstrations you would recommend?
(3: I assume it would be fairly easy to take all RAW files of photos shot on the trip, transfer them into Bridge CS4, and then convert them into JPEGs so they could be imported into a iPhoto library (now standing at over 46,000 photos). Are there any obstacles/possible problems in this transfer process I should look out for? (I would be worried about what would happen to the metadata)
(4: If I store the RAW photos from this trip as DNG files using Bridge, and if I subsequently purchase newer software such as the latest Lightroom or CS6, will I be able to open up this trip's archive in the newer software without loosing any metadata or organization?
(5: I have been viewing the photography tutorials on Lynda.com, including the titles taught by photographer Ben Long. Mr. Long did a title on the Digital Rebel T3i, which is very similar to my Rebel T3, as well as his "Shooting on the Road, from Gear to Workflow". Are there any other Lynda titles I should review while my account is still active?
(6: What's up with this Photoshop Elements / Premiere Elements bundle? Does anyone here use it? If so, what are the advantages over the Photoshop Elements upgrade?
Message title was edited by: Brett N

Well, we've been back from Saint Louis for over a month now. Sorry for the delay in reporting this.
Video link from KSDK Channel 5 News, St. Louis:
Arch builders see work first hand
http://www.ksdk.com/news/article/347752/3/Arch-builders-see-work-first-hand
This video shows an excerpt of a small number of the PDM crew visiting the Arch for the first time, at sunrise. (We arrvied by bus this night before.)
An update on my Photoshop Elements experience. Adobe's DNG converter and Photoshop Elements' batch converter both worked like a charm. I was able to take the CR2 files from the Rebel, convert them to DNG, and then use PSE 8 to batch-convert them to JPEG. I impported the JPEGs into iPhoto 2009 with the date/time metadata intact.
I have yet to open any of the files in Adobe Camera RAW, but I want to do that after the New Year. I'm tied up with other work right now and don't have the time.
Here's a little something extra to show you how remarkable this trip was:
Builders of Gateway Arch sections to tour monument | International Brotherhood of Boilermakers
http://www.boilermakers.org/news/headlines/Brotherhood_honors_Gateway_Arch_builders

How do I choose my first Canon DSLR camera?

I've had a Sony for 4 years, but owning a Canon is my dream. I've grown as a photographer, winning some contests and doing small family/group shoots. I still need to learn about manual shooting. It's seems like there are so many variations. Then I hear it's not best to buy the kit. I've been looking at the EOS T3i. Can anyone advise me on this?

Hi,
The standard Canon-assembled "kits" are fine....
Those are the ones where Canon themself has pre-packaged camera and lens(es) together.
With the T3i you'll most commonly find it bundled with the EF-S 18-55mm IS (or IS/STM) lens. You also likely willl find it with both the 18-55mm and the EF-S 55-250 IS (now also sometimes in STM version). An alternative you will somtimes find is the camera with the EF-S 18-135mm IS (also somtimes in STM version), though this "kit" lens is more often bundled with the 60D or 70D, than the Rebel series.
You have to watch out for retailer bundles, where they substitute lower quality items and add a bunch of inexpensive stuff such as a flimsy tripod, an off-brand memory card, some poor quality filters, etc. You will see these online occasionally, from some less than reputible "dealers". Often the prices sound too good to be true, because they are. Sometimes they use bait n switch tactics, telling you things such as the kit doesn't include a battery charger, but they have one available at a steeply inflated price, or that the camera is a special version that has the menu only in some obscure language and that's why it's so much cheaper.
So long as you stick with the more reputible online dealers such as B&H Photo, Adorama, etc. you will generally be fine. Amazon is generally good, too. Many people find good deals at Best Buy, as well. There are many good dealers to choose among... no need to go to some of the shadier ones. A basic rule of thumb... if you find prices that are significantly less than B&H or Adorama, be suspicious. Those are two of the highest volume stores in the U.S., so other dealers are unlikely to be able to beat their prices by very much. If the deal sounds too good to be true, it probably is!
Really all the current Canon DSLRs are quite capable of taking great photographs. There are differences in some of the features, model to model. One of the "factory" kits may be a convenient starting point and can be good, or if you have a bit more to spend you might want to choose a camera model that leaves enough in your budget to be able to upgrade lenses or add other accessories you feel you need.... In most cases, lenses will ultimately make more difference in your photos than the camera they are used upon.
For example, instead of the EF-S 18-55mm "kit" lens, you might want to consider the wider and longer EF-S 15-85mm IS USM lens as a very versatile choice. Or, if you like to shoot in lower light situations, you may prefer the EF-S 17-55mm f2.8 IS USM lens. Instead of the EF-S 55-250mm "kit" lens, you might prefer the EF 70-200mm f4L IS USM or EF 70-200mm f2.8L IS USM.... These are professional grade, workhorse lenses that cost a lot more than the kit lenses, but provide a number of benefits: faster and more accurate autofocus, more effecive image stabilization, higher build quality and better sealing against dust and moisture, and more. Image quality will be better, too.... though the "kit" lenses, used right, are pretty darned capable.
You also might already have some more specialized lenses in mind.... Such as a fast, short telephoto like the EF 50/1.4 or EF 85/1.8 if you plan to shoot a lot of portraits. Or perhaps a macro lens such as the EF-S 60/2.8 USM or EF 100/2.8 USM or 100/2.8L USM IS, if macro photography is something you want to do a lot. Or you might enjoy photographing scenery and want a wide angle lens such as the EF-S 10-22mm USM.
I wish people would spend more time choosing their lenses than their cameras, since the lenses will actually make a bigger difference. And senses chosen well might actually outlast your camera.... I switched to the Canon system in 2001, buying two film cameras and four lenses at the time (I had a really good idea what I needed because I'd already been shooting with a variety of other systems for 20+ years). I still have and use three of those four lenses, and have added a number of others as needs and opportunity arose in the years since.
Meanwhile I've switched from film to digital cameras, and used four different generations of DSLRs extensively (more generations than that if I count short duration use of loaners or rental cameras). Now the development of digital technology has slowed a bit, so there might be less need to upgrade as frequently... But still I expect cameras will come and go... While lenses - bought right - are more of a long term investment.
Think of what you are buying as a "system".... camera, lens(es), and accessories. In addition to the camera and lens(es), you'll need memory cards, possibly spare batteries, lens hoods, maybe some useful filters, an accessory flash, perhaps a tripod, a convenient bag to carry it all around in... Well, you get the idea. You also might need software, a computer that's up to the task or image editing, extra hard drive storage and backup space, etc.
You don't have to get everything right away, but may want to lay out a plan, prioritize what you have to get now and what you'd like to add later based upon your needs. Don't worry if your plans might change over time (they will!)... just lay out a plan now as a starting point.
Have fun shopping!
Alan Myers
San Jose, Calif., USA
"Walk softly and carry a big lens."
GEAR: 5DII, 7D(x2), 50D(x3), some other cameras, various lenses & accessories
FLICKR & PRINTROOM

Canon 7D or 70D, which one and why?

I am looking into purchasing a new camera body, the 7D or the 70D obviously and I cannot decide which one to get. U have read/watched countless reviews and comparisons but they dont really help me that much. I mostly photograph landscapes, travel photos, and my dog (who is still a puppy and moves around very fast). I currently own a T2i.
From what I've read, the 70D is a lot better at videos but I almost never shoot videos so the video quality is not very important to me.
Body - T2i
Glass - Ef-S 60mm f/2.8 Macro USM, 50mm f/1.8 II, 18-55mm kit lens, 55-250mm f/4-5.6 STM

JWalker175 wrote:
Thank you, for low-light indoor photographs which camera performs better?
The cameras have similar performance in low-light. The 70D has a newer sensor and has an edge over the 7D, but it's not an enormous difference. In side-by-side comparisons you'd probably see the 7D is slightly nosier ... if you look at the images long enough.
Lens selection makes a big difference here. If you're shooting in low light, use a lower focal ratio lens.
Suppose you're taking a photo using the kit zoom lens (18-55mm f/3.5-5.6) and using 50mm. The lowest possible focal ratio for that lens, when using the 50mm focal length, is going to be f/5.6. -OR- you could use your 50mm f/1.8 which is able to do f/1.8.
Dropping from f/5.6 -> f/4 is one stop.
f/4 -> f/2.8 is another stop
f/2.8 -> f/2 is another stops (so that's 3 full stops)
f/2 -> f/1.8 is 1/3rd stop.
That's a total of 3 1/3rd stops. Each "stop" doubles the amount of light the lens can collect when the shutter is open... combine those stops and the f/1.8 lens is collecting nearly 10x more light as compared to the f/5.6 lens. The problem with f/1.8 is that it also has a very shallow depth of field so depending on how much you need to keep in focus beyond just your focused distance it may not be suitable... perhaps you back off to f/2.8... or perhaps you back off to f/4 for more depth of field ... but f/4 is still twice as much light as f/5.6.
Tim Campbell
5D II, 5D III, 60Da

Warranty question re new camera and lens kit

Over boxing day i purchased a new Canon 6D with a kit lens (the 28-105mm). I have a 28-70mm f/2.8 so was thinking of selling the 28-105mm that came as part of the kit ... BUUUUUT was wondering if that would in any way impact the camera warranty if something where to occur with the camera? Haven't read the fine print but think the default is a one year warranty from Canon Canada.... should i hang on to the lens 'just in case' for that long or can i sell to try to pay for the purchase
Body: Canon 6D, Canon T1i, Canon Elan II,
Glass: Canon 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM, Canon 18-55 kit lens, Sigma 70-300mm f4-5.6, Canon 50mm f/1.8,
Flash: Canon Speedlite 430ex ii

The camera body has it's own warranty so you can sell the lens but once sold it's warranty is over according to everything I've read. Warranty isn't transferable on Canon or Nikon but can be on some store bought policies.
"A skill is developed through constant practice with a passion to improve, not bought."

I cannot find a profile for Nikon AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR

Hi, I have tried to download a profile for my D3100 kit lens - Nikon AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR but cannot find it in the Adobe Lens Profile downloader.
Adobe says that it is supported (two years ago: see it at this link from October 2010 http://blogs.adobe.com/lightroomjournal/2010/10 )
Since it is listed many places as being supported, it is frustrating that I cannot find it in the Adobe Lens Profile downloader.
Am I doing something wrong? Or can I download that profile without using the downloader. Can I use the lens profile that is shown with a different camera. I see similar lenses under D300 and D90 in the folder with about forty NIKON lens profiles (but only two for the D3100). However, under Lens Correction when I tick Nikon as model then I only see about seven lenses in the drop down list. How can I see the full contents of the folder?
Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks
PS. I was going to ask where the profiles are stored but luckily I have found them after a search.

I too would like to see this lens profile added to the list in Lightroom, in addition to the Nikon DX AF-S DX NIKKOR 55-300mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR. I've found a similar version of the 18-55mm under the D40, but not for the D3200, and I haven't been able to find any profile matching the 55-300; only 55-200.

EF-S 18-55mm kit lens fogs up.

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