I have a Canon EOS Rebel T5 DSLR that I really enjoy. I have two lenses and a carrying case. I have a sling bag on the way from Amazon.
I use the camera for taking vacation pictures, pics of the grandkids playing and opening Christmas presents, and other casual type subjects. My question is, what sort of things should have? Like, what filters should I get? What would I use them for? Do I need an external flash? The camera has a built-in popup flash that I rarely use, even indoors. When I use the flash outdoors, such as at night, it makes the subject overly bright and the background completely black. I get better results with using no flash at all. Best Buy has an off-brand flash on its Sale of the Day for $80. I’ve had the camera for a year without an external flash. Is it worth springing for?
Oops: I meant to post this to IMHO, not CS. Sorry about that.
Yes, you need an external flash. This will dramatically improve your indoor photos.
You don’t necessarily have to use it off-camera. Get one that swivels upward and allows you to bounce the flash off the ceiling and you’ll be amazed at the results (as compared to ‘full frontal’ flash).
As for filters, get a UV and leave it on all the time to protect your lens. Get a circular polarizing filter for sunny-ish outdoors shots. That’s really all you need, filter-wise.
If you want to get more serious (I get the sense that you don’t, and that’s fine), look into a quality lens or two (I suspect you have ‘kit’ lenses?) and perhaps a tripod.
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ETA: I would probably stick with a Canon rather than an off-brand flash
For those uses you need little in the way of fancy accessories, OP. Mean Mr. Mustard’s list, and the explanation he provides for each item, is very good, especially with regards to how inexpensive UV/polarizing/neutral filters are as much a protection from foreign-object damage to the lens as optical accessories. I’ve had one serve sacrificially and better a cheap filter than a several-hundred-dollar lens.
Also look into a good lens-cleaning kit (blower, brushes), spare battery/charger pack, and if the factory neckstrap is not particularly comfortable, a better grade one.
Like he said in his endnote, if you go external flash you may indeed want a Canon or at the very least a brand that will get along well with your camera’s own programming – you may come to figure the settings that allow for night/low-light soft-flash fill and want to use them. Speaking of which you’ll want a diffuser for the flash anyway.
I don’t like the cheap UV or neutral filter for “protection” idea. The front element on your lens is much tougher than any filter glass, and even if you pick up a few minor scratches they won’t degrade image quality as much as a cheap filter will.
I’d actually suggest that you get a very fast lens for most indoor shots. It’s more versatile overall.
The Sigma 30mm f1.4 HSM is an extremely fast lens that in general will allow you to take indoor shake-free photos, although when it’s wide open you do have to be careful about your depth of field.
It’s more versatile than an external flash in two ways. First, you won’t need flash as often- I got it as a travel lens, oddly enough. Lots of art museums and cathedrals and old stuff in Europe don’t allow flash photography, and my standard 28-105 USM f3.5-4.5 just isn’t anywhere near fast enough for indoor flash-free photography in a lot of places.
Second, it improves the performance of your built-in flash, as it gathers a LOT of light.
I’ll second the suggestion for lens hoods; they basically prevent off-axis light from creating lens flares and washing out your images.
I have a circular polarizer and I can’t say that I’ve ever really used it. I do run the UV filters on my lenses, mostly because I have little boys who like to touch things with grotty fingers and things like toy trains. I did get good ones though- Hoya UMC multicoated filters, so they’re not degrading the picture much at all vs. a cheap uncoated one.
I wouldn’t fool with filters, as you can simulate all that stuff after the fact with digital photography. I’m partial to DXO Optics Pro as a RAW converter and image fiddling program, but Lightroom is also a very good one.
And finally, with the Canon DSLRs you can back off your flash exposure if you want; I typically run mine -1/3 of a stop, so it doesn’t wash out so bad.
I would still prefer a tilting external flash to a 1.4 lens (although it would be nice to have both). The shallow depth of field that bump referred to is not a trivial matter. At 1.4 (wide open), your DOF is going to be razor thin. This is very desirable in specific circumstances, but can be quite challenging to master and, even then, will typically not give you what you want in a general use lens.
I also disagree that the built-in flash is worth using. It is not. It gives you a flat, snapshot-like image.
I use the circular polarizer any time I am shooting in sunshine.
Finally, if you want to become anything more than a snapshooter, post-processing skills are vital. I love and highly recommend Lightroom - I wouldn’t be without it - but there are other, free processing programs available.
OK, one more point. You must understand exposure. I can’t recommend this book highly enough (probably available at the library): Understanding Exposure by Bryan Peterson
I bought a wireless remote shutter, for the simple reason that my 5-year-old nephew HATES to take group photos and will hide or turn his head or CRY, the little jerk! But hand him the remote and he LOVES to push buttons. He will take 6 or 8 group photos if he can push the button. (I, too, actually prefer taking the group photos with the remote shutter rather than the timer.)
Also, he desperately wants to use my camera (my mistake, giving him the $100 point-n-shoot I got from my employer for my 15th anniversary) but it is wayyy too big and expensive for him to hold. But I can put it on a tripod and he can remote-control it all he likes.
Although he likes putting the point-n-shoot on the tripod too…
When I travel I’ve stopped asking people to take our picture. You try and make the framing idiot proof - stand RIGHT HERE, be sure you see the statue’s left hand in the upper right corner and that bush in the lower left corner. They always**** get it wrong! Usually too much sky.
I just spend the extra minute to set up the tripod, tell my wife where to stand, frame it just so, and then get in place and trip the shutter remotely. Works perfectly every time.
And +1 for bump’s fast lens and using natural light.
makes the pop-up flash much less harsh, especially useful for times when you don’t want to haul around an external flash. The popup flash/diffuser combo is great for fill flash.
I am a big believer in a UV filter to protect the lens. It doesn’t just protect the lens surface from smudges, the metal filter ring also protects the lens body from impact. I dropped a camera once, broke the UV filter and dented its ring (so that it required a filter wrench to remove) - the lens (or at least the filter thread) would certainly have been damaged without the filter.
Don’t get a cheap filter - get one with good anti-reflection coatings. I used a cheap filter on one lens and suffered tremendous flare from internal reflections in the filter when shooting towards the sun. Tossed that filter when I got home and got a Hoya HD Protector filter and haven’t had a problem since.
A Hoya UV(0) filter is an absolute must as described above.
For cleaning, get a LensPen. This will take care of dust and fingerprints. For anything ickier, dampen a soft cloth with water to remove the jelly, peanut butter, etc., then you can finish with the pen.
Consider buying a spare battery - IF you have the charger with you and IF there’s a place to plug it in for an hour or so, you can always recharge your one battery on the go, but that’s a risky plan if you’re shooting something important like a wedding or graduation.