The Ultimate DSLR Kit

The Latest Article • Posted 3 years, 11 months Ago • September 25, 2006

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I’ve got a lot of questions lately about what equipment to get and what stuff I have - so this post will aim to answer both. A year or so ago, just a Rebel XT & Kit lens seemed like a lot to me - and I would never have imagined that I would some day end up with all this gear.

But every component has a purpose - whether it is a flash, tripod, wide lens or mounting plates. Whether you need it depends on your style, purpose and also budget. Sure, a wider lens would be nice, but you could save a couple hundred dollars and use footZoom. Then there is a question of which model or brand to get for each component. Tamron and Sigma lenses can often be had for a better price than similar Canon options, but sometimes there are also quality differences. As with anything else, buying the best is always nice - if you can, that’s great - otherwise there will have to be compromises.

So here’s what I’ve accumulated over the summer (after loads of research) and what I think is quite the ultimate kit in many senses. Just keep in mind that this is professional gear - I use it for both paid photoshoots and fun, so it’s more of an investment than an expense.

Basics

Canon 20D - 1000 USD - The camera body is actually one of the most irrelevant parts in the system. I say this because this is one thing that is constantly changing - this is one section where new stuff is constantly coming out. There are full frame sensors, fast autofocus & frames per second, high megapixel - and not one is necessarily the best. It really depends on what you’re going to be doing (studio work vs action, for example, would have two different cameras that would be ‘the best’).
Battery Grip - 300 USD - My favorite accessory, the battery grip practically transforms the 20D from a little toy camera to a real powerhouse. Ergonomically it is totally different, and the increased battery life is nice too. I would never use a camera without it.
Canon 580EX - 400 USD - Photography is all about capturing light - and lighting can make or break any shot. Along with good lenses, this is a must-have. Used correctly, it can more than make up for a slow lens. And the use of fill light is beneficial to many a shot.

Lenses

One of the main characteristics of DSLR’s is the multiple lenses. Rather than just one lens wit mediocre performance and a long range of focal lengths, you can have special lenses for your purpose.

Some basics: focal lengths - expressed in mm values - means nothing more than how wide or how long a lens is. For example: my 16mm lens is very wide (almost like some of those fisheyes) and can get almost everything you see into a shot. And then there is the 200mm, which is great for getting a headshot of some guy on the other side of the street.

Apertures are also very important - how big the aperture is basically means how fast the lens is. Bigger is better - and also more expensive. f/1.4 is bigger than f/2.8 which is bigger than f/5.6… And a 70-200 f/2.8 lens is about twice as expensive as a 70-200 f/4 - same thing for the 16-35 f/2.8 and the 17-40 f/4.

And lastly - zooms vs primes. Zooms mean you have a range of focal lenghts (ie. 16-35mm or 70-200mm) while primes are one fixed length (ie. 50mm). A zoom is like many primes in one, but is generally bigger and more expensive. And primes generally have better quality and speed, though now zoom technology has gotten quite advanced that the difference between them is a lot less than it used to be. And zooms are very versatile - constantly switching between 2 similar lenses or running back and forth can tend to be counterproductive. I chose a system with 2 zooms, which take the place of 4 or 5 corresponding prime lenses - a lot more portable and requiring less switching in the field (of course I still switch a lot between wide shots and long shots).

Canon 16-35mm f/2.8L - 1400 USD - Quite fast, and very wide. The 17-40mm f/4L is another option here - it is considerably cheaper. I chose to go for the faster lens, something important for low light and indoor shots. I got mine used for a couple hundred cheaper - they have pretty good resale value.
Canon 50mm f/1.4 - 300 USD - Amazing sharpness and quality. Autofocus and build quality is decent.It is a prime - very small, light and cheap. The fast f/1.4 makes this my choice for dark shots without a flash - and for studio shots where I want a very shallow depth of field (everything blurred out except the subject). For the price you can’t go wrong. And even cheaper is the f/1.8 version, which isn’t as nice, but even cheaper - very good for a low budget starting lens.
Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L IS - 1600 USD - An amazing lens. It is amazingly sharp and focuses fast. And it has image stabilization, which is actually quite amazing - it really works well (costs a bit though). Can’t go wrong with this one. A bit pricy though - other options are some of the other 3 70-200 L lenses (f/4, f/4 IS & f/2.8) or the Sigma 70-200 f/2.8, which I’ve heard is also quite good.

And don’t go for those UV filters. They degrade image quality and cause lots of flare. But a lot of stores make the most profit by convincing people to get them though, to “protect their lenses.” The good ones that have minimal bad effects are practically in the 3 digits - not worth it unless you’re going for a full waterproof system (with 1d body & sealed lenses). Instead: be sure to use a lens hood! They are much better protection and also prevent flare.

Support

Gitzo 1325 - 500 USD -Some amazing carbon fiber legs. They’re really sturdy.
RRS BH-55 - 500 USD - A tripod is practically useless without a ballhead. This lets you position the camera and then lock it in the way you want - rather than just stick it on and be stuck with the angle you get (as I’ve actually seen done a lot). And I wouldn’t trust my 5+ lb with one of those cheap Slik or plastic no-name tripods - leave those with your point & shoot.
RRS Mounting Plates - 50/each; 150/L plates - Based on the arca swiss system, they allow you to quickly mount the camera or lenses to the ballhead in no time. I have one for my camera and one for the 70-200 lens collar.

Accessories

Gitzo Rocket Blower - 10 USD - this litttle gadget looks like a little rocket and basically blows air when you squeeze it. A lot better than canned air, which can mess up your stuff.
Copper Hill Lens Cleaning Kit - 15 USD - Good lens cleaning solution, papers, brush & cloth, for those accidental smudges.
Lowepro Slingshot 200AW - Lowepro makes some of the best camera bags. Other good options are Crumpler (with their * million dollar home) and some stuff from Domke. I like my slingshot because it’s easy to get my camera out with it on - but it has all the advantages of a backpack. Good for school. It can’t fit my 70-200 mounted, but I can store it - and the 70-200 is huge so it’s not really the bag’s fault. Also your clothes get wrinkled sometimes, if you keep slinging it back and forth.
E1 Handstrap - This totally beats those neck straps (though you can still use them in conjunction with this). It’s simply a handstrap - you can only use it on pro bodies (or bodies with a grip) - but makes holding the camera a lot easier. You don’t have to worry about dropping it, and you don’t have a starchy strip of whatever around your neck either.

Conclusion

And so each component, used correctly, can help produce great pictures - but is no substitute for experience or skill. I have seen some amazing shots with Rebel XT’s and kit lenses - but I also know that I’ve missed many good shots because my lens (now replaced by something amazing and lot more expensive) was still hunting for focus. And I have some shots that I could not have gotten without a good flash to bounce and fill. Or some shots that I needed a full 16mm and couldn’t footZoom.

But I could’ve gotten a 50 f/1.8 for 1/3 the price. Or aluminum legs… So there are always compromises that can be made if the budget is low.

I hope this post helps you if you’re looking for what is the best stuff to get - or just want to know more about DSLR’s and their components.

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