DSLRs...

[Martin Naef]

Hi Chris,

Ahh, yes, photography...

On 10.11.2010 14:42, Chris Strellis wrote:
> I'm in the market for a DSLR which I intend to use for
> astrophotography as well.  I definitely want a Canon and I'm kind of
> settle on a 550D which in body only form is in my budget.

Sounds like a very decent choice.

> Would anyone recommend the stock lens that comes with it, EF-S
> 18-55mm Zoom Lens, or would two other lenses be better say a Canon EF
> 50mm f1.8 MK2 and a Tamron 70-300mm.

The 18-55 IS (I assume that's the one that's coming with the camera) has 
a relatively good reputation as far as kit lenses go. For the price, I 
don't think you can go wrong. It is certainly a very useful focal range 
for the application you describe, especially if you add the 70-300 into 
the mix for the long end.

The 50mm 1.8 is a great little lens for not much money. As a "standard" 
lens for the family, it will be a bit too long (I use a 35mmF2 for 
that). There's lots of negative comments regarding focus accuracy of the 
50mm F1.8 on Canon entry level cameras though. That might be a reason to 
leave it aside.

I can't comment about the Tamron. I've become a sceptic about 
third-party lenses regarding focus accuracy and sharpness at larger 
distances. These things never show up in tests, but they can ruin your 
day in practice (I have hundreds of air-show pictures to prove my 
point...). I'm definitely saving up to replace my Sigma 70-300 (which 
received a lot of praise when it was still new...) with something from 
the Canon L series. But that's WAY outside the budget you mention.

> I'll want a flash as well as the two lenses with an additional budget
> of say £400 on top of the body price.  Am I asking for too much in my
> budget?

You get what you pay for, essentially. You'll get a good start with the 
kit you mentioned. If you feel you want something better, you can always 
invest into better lenses without really losing the previous investment.

Martin