My Ideal Camera Bag Inventory
I ran across a holiday gift guide at Photo.net today and it got me dreaming. Since purchasing my Canon EOS Rebel XS I’ve been looking around for the best equipment to fit my style and skill level. Another requirement is that the purchase of any lens does not break my bank. If I could fill a camera bag tomorrow with Canon equipment for my XS, this is what would be in it.
Camera Bag
First off I need a good camera bag. My wife doesn’t know it yet but she got me a Canon Deluxe Photo Backpack 200EG for Christmas (well I guess she knows now…Hi Sherri….love you!). I’ve researched bags for awhile and this model is a very nice bag for the price. Waterproof, room for two DSLR cameras and 2-4 lenses, tripod strap, and lightweight (3lbs).
Standard Zoom Lens
The XS kit lens is a Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 USM. After coming from the Powershot S5IS with a 12x optical zoom this lens as my only option took some getting used to. Its a good all-purpose lens and great for a kit lens but I miss that “reach out and touch someone” feel of the 12x.
Normal Perspective Lens
Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II. This is really a “must have” lens so I already have it. It’s small, light and very inexpensive, but it’s 3 or more stops faster than most consumer zooms, and it’s over a stop faster than even expensive “L” series zooms. The fast aperture allows low light work and can isolate a subject though a small depth of field. On an APS-C crop DSLR the EF 50/1.8 II makes an ideal portrait lens. The EF 50/1.8 II provides an opportunity to try a fast prime lens without breaking the bank. My current macro setup uses this lens with the 1/2/4x filters.
That covers what I currently own (or soon will), now for my wish list items:
Wide to Telephoto Zoom Lens
Canon EF-S 17-85mm f/4-5.6 IS USM. While not at the top of my priority lists, I would be interested in giving this lens a shot. With the other options listed here this may be overkill though. This is an excellent general purpose lens for Canon APS-C DSLRs. It’s the equivalent of a 27-136mm zoom on a full frame camera. At the wide end it’s great for landscapes, in the mid range it’s good for portraits and at the long end its a short telephoto which can be useful for sports if you’re close to the action. The image stabilization makes it an ideal lens for travel when you don’t want to take along a tripod.
Telephoto Zoom Lens
Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM. This is at the top of my list and next year I’ll be setting aside a few dollars here and there to get this one. It will replace my kit lens and become my “walkaround” option. It’s an ideal lens for sports and wildlife work, but it can also be used for portraits at the short end of the range.
Macro Lens
Canon EF-S 60mm f/2.8 Macro USM. I’m set with my 50mm and filters for macro for now but to eventually replace the S5’s super macro mode this is the lens for me. It’s the equivalent of a 100mm macro on a full frame camera. It is one of the best lenses at magnifications up to 1:1 (life size) and 60mm is also a very good focal length for portraits on an APS-C DSLR, so the lens can serve a dual purpose.
Top all this off with some UV filters, an extra battery, a couple 4gb memory cards, lens cleaner, and a Canon Speedlite 430EX II and I think I’d be all set for anything.
What do you think? Am I missing anything? Are there better options remembering the low- to mid-pricing requirement? Are any of the Tamron lenses better? Whats in your bag that I haven’t listed but might want to?
Has this given you any ideas to fill your bag out?
Thanks to Photo.net for posting their Holiday Gift Guide. Everyone should check it out.
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December 4th, 2008 at 10:08 pm
This is pretty much the same set up I’m going for except I’ll probably settle for the EF-S 55-250 instead of the 70-300. I too miss the 12x reach of the S5 especially since all I have now is the kit lens. I feel very limited.
I just picked up a bag for my camera the other day. I got a lowepro that allows me to take out the camera will the bag is still on my back which will be really convent.
December 4th, 2008 at 10:22 pm
You left out a good tripod. I have a Manfrotto 785b. Nice and small. The head is a little on the weak side though. It will support a Rebel, but I wouldn’t put a 40D on it.
I had a 70-300 lens for a short time and I did not like it as a walkaround. The short end was just too long. I currently have a 28-300 that does nicely and nearly duplicates the range of the S5. I swap it out with the kit lens when i need a little more wideangle. Ideal walkaround lens for me would be about a 17-200 or so.
December 5th, 2008 at 12:12 am
Justen – That may be an option for me as well seeing, the 55-250 looks to be almost half the price. I just looked up Lowepro for the first time. Which bag did you get?
Steve – Good point on the tripod. Sherri and I each have a low cost one that works well enough for us. The upgrade will come for me after I get a better telephoto lens. Glad you mentioned the 28-300, I knew I was missing a Tamron somewhere in the list. Then you had to and list the Canon EF-S 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6, now I’m undecided again.
December 6th, 2008 at 5:15 am
hey, it’s still a cheaper hobby than collecting cars.
December 6th, 2008 at 10:21 pm
Even though I don’t have a Canon DSLR, I chose that backpack. I looked at all the backpacks at the local stores and it was the best for what I needed. It is well designed.
My favorite lens is a 70-210. It is sharper than my 75-300 and much lighter. 70mm is a little bit long for everyday shooting, but you can do it.
I just got a 50mm macro on eBay and while I am very happy with the image quality, I think I would have been happier shooting macros with 100mm or more. I have to get too close with 50mm for 1:1, even closer than with my Raynox. But 50mm makes a good portrait lens and is small, fast, and light.
I wasn’t too impressed with the photo.net list. The only Sony lens they listed is the kit lens. It is good for a kit lens, but it has few fans. It is my second most used lens, since the wide angle and range is useful. But I am really surprised it is on a gift guide since it probably came with most people’s camera.