what equipment can you suggest I get?

[asphire]

You have shot wedding and cosplay..

Speaking from experience, and I assume you are talking about Malay weddings, I would definitely not recommend any lens above 70mm.

You need to know what and how much of a focal length you need in your work. 70mm at void deck wedding with crowd is simply unusable. AT ALL. Therefore, your option for a 70-200 is out.

This applies to your cosplay as well. How many cosplay event have you attended? Have you been able to work your equipments well with such a big crowd? With crowds around you, you will only need a focal length of 40mm and less. I have yet to see anyone using a white L glass at any cosplay event. I tried using mine, but the working distance between me and my subject at crowd place is way too much.

What you currently have is enough for your needs. Like what others have said, what is your motive in taking pictures? Why decide to move to another genre?

I do sports and events and I have been using 70-200 F2.8L IS II with a 7D. Sports genre would require high end equipment, which is expensive. I find it unreasonable if I were to recommend you this or if you were to follow my foot steps. It always depend on your budget and your needs. Some genre may in need high end big glass and body, some may not.

Even my Canon EFS 18-200 f3.5-f5.6 IS is still my walkaround lens daily. I even use it for landscape.

 

[allenleonhart]

get a leica m9. straight away upgrade you to god level.

 

[allenleonhart]

on a mroe serious side. why the need for an L lens? a simple 17-50 2.8 tamron would do the trick. even for landscapes, sigma 10-20 is more or less the defacto lens on cropped sensors, unless you looking at 10-22 canon efs.

also, you don't need to upgrade the flash. chances of you requiring 1/1 on the 580 is very low. you don't usually need so high power anyways...

get a simple sirui tripod kit, for sub 200. you can already shoot landscapes. 15 mm is good for starters. not wide enough, can stitch

 

[Farizangel]

The reason I wanted to try landscape photography is not that I want to change genre.its just that there are not always weddings or cosplay events. So I might as well try my hand at landscape..

Equipment: yes I also would prefer the cheaper alternative.. but maybe its just me? Canon camera = canon lens?

How bout the new canon speedlite 600? Was thinking of upgrading to this..

Ive read about square filters which brought me to cokin P series then to polarizer..

I know this is a lot of things for me to pick up..

 

[nitewalk]

Equipment: yes I also would prefer the cheaper alternative.. but maybe its just me? Canon camera = canon lens?

Lol then i should be using sigma camera. :bsmilie:

I've seen a few entries in Landscape Photographer of the Year shot on sigma 10-20 also.

Part of the time u need to spend is to also digest what u found out about these tools, u seem to come across one thing consider one thing, it is just a never-ending thought process.

 

[Farizangel]

Hahaha okay nitewalk!! I get it..

 

[Aikiway]

I personally think that your current equipment is already good enough

Our friend is currently in G.A.S mode. (Gear Acquisition Syndrome) mode. Why disrupt his thoughts? Anyway TS, just to stay on track.

1. What equipment would you suggest I get to have a better experience in photography?
- You are lacking a book or ebook on Photography. Or a group of friends that are keen to go out and shoot. Find these.

2. Canon 17-40 L lens... shoud I consider this?
Nope. As what you like to shoot, no immediate need to what you have. The 15-85 is good enough. I would recommend instead to get either a 50mm f1.8 or f1.4. Since you like cosplay.
3. Speedite.. upgrade it to 580EX II or 600EX?
Don't bother. Level up first.
4. If I want to begin landscape photography, is my current equipment good for it?
Yes. Alternatively, you may want to include some filters into your arsenal. Since you are rather new, I suggest a VND or CPL will be a good start.

 

[Farizangel]

Thanks Aikiway

 

[Shizuma]

Hmmm okay... will think about it! Im still not confident bout lights and shadows...

it's the most inexpensive recommendation even compared to buying a good tripod.

don't be afraid to try lighting . it's like cooking except easier to clean up if burned the image . hee

 

[sjackal]

One needs to learn to walk before running and sprinting.

But all after he had contributed enough $ to the camera gear industry.

Since many people actually just want to spend time and money reading about gear and buying them versus actual shooting and real photography. End of the day they still happy, which is important.

As there are two type of hobbyists, photography enthusiast, and photography-gear enthusiast.

As long as you know what you really want.

 

[Farizangel]

Thanks Sjackal..

After all.. when I snap the picture, I want to be happy with the picture and I want my friends, family, models or whoever I take picture of to be happy with the picture taken..

 

[trd2970]

Some personal thoughts.

Ur set up is great for general photography covering many commonly used genres. So I don't think u need to invest further unless u are venturing into specific genres eg macro, bird shooting. Even ur portraits can be effectively captured using 50mm (on ur cropped sensor it's 90mm)

As for flash, what is it that 430ex cant do for u? Throwing in the extra bucks for 580 or 600 doesn't make sense if u dun use the additional features they have over ur existing 430ex.

 

[Octarine]

After all.. when I snap the picture, I want to be happy with the picture and I want my friends, family, models or whoever I take picture of to be happy with the picture taken..

Do you see any specific gear in this line? That should ring a bell or two ..
On the other hand, for snapping pictures you don't need any upgraded gear, any compact camera can do. There some good models out now an better ones will come soon. For taking (or better: making) good pictures you need knowledge and experience, not the latest, best or upgraded gear. Browse through the forums, check the camera models stated and you will be surprised what is possible with older (supposedly outdated) models. Are you up to par already with your more recent gear?
If it makes you happy to get new gear just go ahead and ignore the advice given. In case you want to get better pictures please spend some thoughts about what many said.

 

[allenleonhart]

i highly recommend you just buy what you want. you stimulate the economy and also pull down 2nd hand prices by increasing supply when you decide to sell them away

 

[allenleonhart]

oh and a general rule of thumb?

if you have to ask, you probably don't need it.

if i need an equipment, i know it adds value at a certain cost. i probably won't be asking people to suggest if i need it. you still don't know what you need yourself, which also suggests to me you haven't learned enough of photography yet...

its kinda like saying "hey, i'm currently taking the MRT. i dunno if i need a car. do you think i need a car? can you suggest?"

if you REALLY needed that car, you would had gotten it long ago. no questions asked.

but what you WANT, is a different story. i want a m9, a noctilux f0.95, i want the wooden tripod, i want the next hassy large format digital back and kit. i want a whole studio also. but i don't need them. nice to have, not must haves.

 

[Rashkae]

Thanks Sjackal..

After all.. when I snap the picture, I want to be happy with the picture and I want my friends, family, models or whoever I take picture of to be happy with the picture taken..

Do you think they will care what camera or lens you used so long as it's reasonably sharp? Also, who cares what the models think -they are paid to pose, they will like whatever you shoot. Or are you trying to pick them up by "impressing" them with your big lens? ;-)

Impress yourself first. For that you don't need more gear, you need experience and a creative eye.

 

[TWmilkteaTW]

Just a simple advise. Do or buy whatever u want.

End of the day. You must be happy. Are you happy?

 

[devilry]

for the type of thing u wanna shoot, there's no need for u to upgrade or buy any other things already.. u already have eqpt which are more capable then ur requirements.

save the money and just go out shooting.

 

[Farizangel]

Hmmm thanks guys...

 

[trd2970]

Hmmm thanks guys...

Enjoy!

When I started I was guilty of accumulating too much unnecessary gear trying to cover entire range from 12mm to 300mm and having top line flash lights. After realizing that some of these are white elephants I downsized my gear quite a lot.

Now I'm only using simple consumer zoom, 50 1.8, 85 1.4, 105 2.8vr and cheap yongnuo manual flashes.