SLR Lenses - what do you consider the essentials?

As for my 35 mm, I wouldn't be without a polarizer. This is essential when shooting outdoors for getting the best color and contrast! Of course, this is a filter and you're inquiring about lenses. If you don't have a polarizer filter, get a good one, you'll be amazed at the different.

One thing I would say about the package lens is they are usually a good general purpose lens. If you are looking to save moeny by not buying the kit check it out carefully. It would cost me more money to buy the camera without the lens than buying teh kit - don't ask why but that is what I found out on ebay. You can usually sell the kit lense for $50.00 or so. I do mainly action photos and have been told I should us the 70 300 mm f2.8 lense that costs about $1,800. I can't afford that yet. I use a 50 mm f1.8 and have gotten some great shots at night of football games. I can only print a 5x7 and sometimes an 8x10, but that is what I an sell. When I bought my DigitalSLR - a Canon Rebel xt with an 18-55 mm lens and looked for different lenses. I bought the 50 mm because of the low light capitlies it afforded me. I am saving up for a better zoom lens. I would like a 28-105 mm f2.8 lens for general shooting and my sports photos. I do check ebay to see if there are any deals and I was able to get a Tamron 28-200mm lens for under $30.00. It appeared at the same time several camera shops and photographers were selling their lens so this one did not look attractive. I gambled and won. It is not a fast lens but it does give me some good outdoor shooting opportunities. If you are unsure if you will like a lens you can look into renting one for a shoot and see how you like it.

What kind of digital camera are you getting and what kind of film camera do you have? The Canon EOS series lenses work for both film cameras and digital ones. The essential lens for film is a 50 mm, for digital I think is 24mm. That's the standard size. For wildlife, you'll need some kind of telephoto zoom. Film- 80mm and up. Digital, 50 mm and up. For macro, 18mm will work with both formats. For the pet portraits, the standard lenses should work for that. In my experience, the lens that comes with the body is a standard zoom, usually around 35mm to 80mm for film, 18-55mm for digital. That'll cover your basic needs, and for macro you can just buy a close-up filter. It's much cheaper than a whole new lens. For the wildlife stuff, the lens that comes with the camera probably won't cut it. So, I'd go against what your friend says, and buy the bundle, a close-up filter, and a telephoto. Unless you need ultra-large apertures, the lens that comes with the camera is the one you'll use most often.

If you can physically move closer to your subjects, it's always better than using a zoom. Zoom lenses have a tendency to make distances appear closer together. For example, a picture of a man on a bench with a tree 50 feet behind him, taken with a 50 mm lens will look like a man on a bench with a tree 50 feet behind him. With a 110 mm lens, it may look like the tree is only 20 feet behind him. It's called the "compression effect", I think, if you want to look it up. That's why I recommend the standard lens. It sees exactly what the human eyeball sees, sans distortion.

For everyday shooting i use my 20-80 mm lense. I can get close-ish to my subject or be across the room and still get a good picture. If im outside and wanting to shoot wildlife, i like my 80-300 mm lense. Its my baby. I can sit in my car and see sheep on the mountain side. Im so in love with it hehe. I need some polorizers very badly though.