Canon EOS Digital Rebel / 300D Lenses

[MikeG]

Photo-John has pretty much convinced me to buy a Canon EOS Digital Rebel / 300D from bhphoto.com. Now I just need to know what accessories/lenses I'll need to make the purchase complete. I'm looking for a good basic zoom lens to start with. Budget is around $300 for the lens. Will I need to buy memory as well? Any other accessories they don't include, but are must haves? Camera bag?

[noladave]

that's a wide open question - like most, the answer depends on what you want to do with your camera. If you buy the kit, you get a pretty decent starter lens. You will probably want a good zoom lens, and the range can be anywhere from $200 to over $1000. You can get a Canon 70-300 f4.5/5.6 lens for the price range you are looking at. Don't forget the 1.5 multiplier so the 70-300 is really something like a 105-450mm lens. Great for long distance shooting, but a bummer if you want up close.

My next accessory is going to be a good strong flash. The built-in flash leaves something to be desired - take lots of practice shots with it.

Other than that, you might want to look for a wide angle lens, or a macro lens. Tripod or monopods are also good accessories.

Good luck.

[Sean Dempsey]

DONT get the Canon 70-300. That lens is a scam perpetrated by Dracula and his night slaves to get new Canon owners to pay like 250 bucks for a piece of junk.

For that price range, I'd reccomend the Tamron 28-300 XR. It's not professional quality, but it's decent with a good range, and quite a bit better than that Canon 70-300. I've used both lenses, and that's my suggestion for 300 bucks.

[Photo-John]

Mike-
I think the Canon kit lens is the best way to go. It's a good deal, compensates for the digital crop factor of the small sensor, and it's got a good zoom range. An alternative is the Sigma 12-24mm lens. It's wider than the Canon kit lens. I'm not sure about the image quality. Think about if you like shooting wide or long more. Your decision should be based on cost, quality, and the type of picture you like to take.