# Canon T3i questions



## jeffscout (Jun 22, 2004)

I am looking to invest in my photography equipment in order to get some much better results. I am intrigued by the Canon T3i after reading several reviews online. Would you rate this as a good entry level DSLR? Looks like I can get it for about $860 with the body and two lenses. My main focus will be wildlife photography and action shots of my retriever.

Aside from getting two lenses, do you recommend getting a "value pack" with extra batteries, bag, tripod, etc., or should I just buy those items individually?


----------



## Shaky (May 21, 2004)

Cant help ya on the camera itself, but I would stay away from the value paks, they generally group some lower end products together, you would be better off getting a bag and tripod that fits your need. They are not all the same.


----------



## MilosMaster (Aug 18, 2005)

I have a T3i and love it for the time being, I'm sure I will want to move up at some point but decided to spend the big $$ on "L" glass instead of a body. The lens is going to make 1000x more difference than the body. I have a T3i body and Canon 24-70mm f2.8L for short stuff and Canon 70-200mm f4.0L for longer stuff + 1.4x converter for reaching.

I totally agree with what Shaky said above, stay away from the value packs as you will just end up replacing/upgrading most of the stuff in them quickly. Same can be said for the kit lenses, they will work but you will get frustrated and want to upgrade quickly. I would buy the body and rent a few lenses from www.borrowlenses.com before deciding what fits you best. Just my .02, not a pro by any means!


----------



## wtc3 (Aug 16, 2005)

This is a very timely post as I was looking for the same info. earlier today. As was said earlier, everyone I've talked to said the same thing about the "bundles". 

What can I expect to spend on the Canon 24-70mm f2.8L, Canon 70-200mm f4.0L, and the 1.4x converter? A friend of mine recommended the same lenses as you MM and he is more than happy with his.


----------



## MT Stringer (May 21, 2004)

A great resource for Canon shooters is the Canon Digital Photography Forum (Photography on the net) POTN.
You can read for days on almost anything you can imagine. You don't have to join if you don't want and you can just browse. Use the search feature and you should find all kinds of threads.
http://photography-on-the.net/forum/index.php

People ask the same questions as you almost every day.
Good luck.
Mike


----------



## justinsfa (Mar 28, 2009)

MM... can you give some more info on that converter? Ive always wondered how you take the long range shots with the 200....


----------



## MT Stringer (May 21, 2004)

justinsfa said:


> MM... can you give some more info on that converter? Ive always wondered how you take the long range shots with the 200....


Just adding my 2 cents worth. Today I was shooting high school soccer with a 7D and Canon 300 f/2.8. Three games total today. Parts of each game, I put on a Canon 1.4x teleconverter. That multiplied the focal length (300mm) by 1.4 = 420mm. Used on the 7D, that helped me reach out and get em up close. The 300 is one of Canon's finest and using a teleconverter doesn't affect the quality much at all.

Note: Not all teleconverters will fit all lenses. They are actually designed for high quality lenses 200mm and greater that are usually the f/2.8 lenses. In addition, most camera won't auto focus at f/8 with the exception being the Canon 1D Series of cameras.

Follow this link to the POTN I mentioned. All about teleconverters.
http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=457299

Hope this helps.
Mike


----------



## justinsfa (Mar 28, 2009)

Reason I ask is I got one of the cheapos with my Canon kit and the picture quality is absolutely horrible. Its SUPER cloudy.... as in worse than an old school cell phone picture. 

It was a cheapo 2x, but based on how horrible the outcome was, I'm having a hard time seeing if investing in a more expensive one would even be semi-worth it.... I don't like changing out any lenses or anything in the field (given that 9 ties out of 10 I am standing over mud or water), so I am hesitant to even test it out in the field.


----------



## MilosMaster (Aug 18, 2005)

justinsfa said:


> Reason I ask is I got one of the cheapos with my Canon kit and the picture quality is absolutely horrible. Its SUPER cloudy.... as in worse than an old school cell phone picture.
> 
> It was a cheapo 2x, but based on how horrible the outcome was, I'm having a hard time seeing if investing in a more expensive one would even be semi-worth it.... I don't like changing out any lenses or anything in the field (given that 9 ties out of 10 I am standing over mud or water), so I am hesitant to even test it out in the field.


Justin - This kind of echos what MT Stringer was saying, but my understanding is that the converters only really work well on the high end 'L' glass. I rented the 1.4 and 2.0 and tried them out before purchasing, I didn't like the results of the 2.0 but the 1.4 has worked well for me. I have noticed that it slows the AF a hair, so I don't use it all the time for BIF. I don't think a more expensive converter is going to help you out unless you are putting it behind more expensive glass.

I am with you, I don't really LIKE changing lenses out in the field but end up just crossing my fingers and doing it anyway. I just can't get around needing the shorter, faster lens for scenery and cloer range 'hunting' pics and the longer lens for action shots of dogs and birds. Like you, I am also almost always standing in water or mud and it makes me nervous, but it's just part of the game. That is another advantage to some of the higher end lenses - some are water/weather resistant. Not sure exactly how resistant but it has to be better than a lens that isn't. While I haven't full on dropped one in the mud or water yet both have been sprayed/splased/otherwise soiled with mud, blood, pond water and saltwater. I keep a rag handy to wipe it off right away and then clean with one of those little brushes when I get home.


----------

