Opinions/advice on Canon 30D Packages

[iamkaren]

I'm getting a camera for Christmas (hopefully), so I've been trying to figure out the best choice for me. I think I want the Canon 30D, based on what I've been reading, but there are just so many choices even beyond that. I'm a novice, but I hope to take a class and I don't want something that I will outgrow.

I'm about convinced to buy just the body, and get the lens that I want, however, I realize that I would have to buy several components and the price will be more than buying a package. This site has some interesting packages that look like a good value, but I just don't know enough to make a good choice. Would love one of you experts to tell me if you think any of these packages would be a good choice for me. I need to be able to take outdoor action, sports shots, and also indoor low-light photos.

Here is the link with the packages:
Photonation Packages (http://www.usaphotonation.com/products.asp?product_id=12760&engine=shopcartusa)
In particular, the 'Advanced Shooters Package' looks like a good value. Would love advice on this!

Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks in advance!

[Deanna]

This kit includes the following:
#
Sigma 18-50mm F3.5-5.6 DC (i know nothing about this lens...but its not a canon lens...so I'd be a bit wary...im not saying all lenses must be canon..but be sure to check out a review of this lens somewhere..maybe on dpreview.com)
Zoom Normal-Telephoto 55-200mm f/4-5.6 DC Autofocus Lens _ ditto...no clue what brand this one is...check it out first!
#
1GB Standard Compact Flash (CF) Card (you can get these at costco or sams for under 50 bucks now...)
#
Pocket Sized High Speed USB Compact Flash Reader (guess that depends on if your puter has one or not) , mine does so I woulndt need one.
#
Universal LCD Screen Protector ( i have seen one of these...again from Canon..and it ended up being a waste of money, my girlfriend bought it thinking protector..but they dont flip out of the way enough, so when you take the pic, to see theu the viewfinder, you need to close it, then when you want to check your histogram on the LCD, you need to flip it up again...major PITA, IMO)
#
Deluxe Multi Purpose 3 Piece Deluxe Cleaning Kit ( not a bunch of detail of whats in it...these arent that pricey anyways to pick up)
#
Medium Digital Case ( ok..might be a medium..but what fits in it? again, be wary of no brand mentioned here..your gonna have a good investment here..you dont want to cheap out on its protective case IMO)
#
42 Inch Deluxe Aluminum Light Weight Tripod - ebay..another super cheap resource for these items..


im just wary of all the no name brand stuff here...not that its bad or anything..but I'd want to be sure of the quality of it all...and also..do some checking on the seller..that seems like a pretty low price for just the body! Id hate for you to get stuck with a grey market camera!

[Kim_Weiss]

In my research and reading, I've found it's best to stick with lenses made by your camera maker. I think you'll be much more pleased with the quality from a better lens. For indoor low-light photos, you'll need something with a wide aperature (smaller f/stop number)... the oft recommended 50mm 1.8 is a good inexpensive choice.

[Lauren]

As a general rule, I am always very wary of sites who have prices listed lower than B&H (http://www.bhphotovideo.com/). And since this site is listing the camera at half the current selling price, I went straight to Reseller Ratings (http://www.resellerratings.com/seller8278.html).

But FWIW - I personally wouldn't buy that package. The lenses are cheap ($250 for the pair at B&H) so you would really be paying a lot of money for a bunch of junky accessories. Sorry... :(

[Terri Walsh]

I agree. We did alot of research before we bought our 30d. I really wanted to go with a package at first as I just love getting 'extras". In the end we bought the body, the canon 24-105 L-series lens and filter. I am quite happy with it!!!! Good Luck

[iamkaren]

You guys are awesome. Thank you for the advice. And I'm so glad that I asked! In researching threads on this, I had sort of narrowed it down, but then I saw the packages and thought that I might need some of those other things.

What if I got the following:
Canon 30D body
Canon 50mm 1.8
Sigma 70-300mm APO or older Sigma 70-300mm (the Canon zoom lenses would put me out of price range and this was recommended as an inexpensive, but good lens by lbjarden in another thread)

Would this be a good starter package? Would this give me a workable systems or are there other components that I have to buy? Based on your responses sounds like I might need a flash card, bag, and tripod, but that I can get those cheaper elsewhere.

And thanks for linking me up to resellerratings. Sounds like this company is not trustworthy. There were several companies listed that sold this camera in the $500 range....guess it's too good to be true!

[Lauren]

I would recommend a wider lens. If you can get a good deal on the kit lens, go with it. You may want to upgrade later, but it's perfectly fine as a starter. When I got my kit for both the XT and 5D, it was almost cheaper to get it rather than body only.

For your memory card, buy a good brand such as Sandisk. The 30D would benefit from either the Ultra or Extreme line - especially if you're going to use burst mode - makes it nice and quick to transfer to the PC too. And definitely buy this from reputable dealer, this is not an eBay job as there are so many fake cards out there!

Don't buy a bag until you know exactly what's going to go in it, or get one bigger than you think you'll need. I've gone through about five bags before finding one I was happy with. Crumpler is recommended a lot around here since they're not the typical black camera bag and Lowepros are very good quality too. I have a Domke myself.

IMO, a tripod is not essential until you find you actually need it. Most of the time mine just sits around doing nothing, I much prefer to be moving around with the camera as that's my shooting style. I do need it for low-light landscapes though, which is why I have one at all.

[Kim2002]

Whatever route you go, keep in mind that Calumet (I think?) is offering double rebates right now. If you buy one Canon item you can get a certain dollar amount off, but if you buy two items you can double the rebate amount. I don't have the listing in front of me, but there are some rebates that go up to $300 (nice if you can get that doubled!!). You can look in the back of the current issue of Popular Photography to find the rebate ad.

[Hom74]

Lauren posted THIS LINK (http://www.usa.canon.com/consumer/controller?act=PromotionsAct) on another thread today w/the Canon rebates. I think it's $100 off the 30D (and it doubles if you also buy another qualifying product). Lauren rocks!

I have a LowePro toploader. I knew I would need this b/c I have 2 little toddlers and we go to the playground a lot. The one I have fits the body w/a lens on and I can fit another lens on the bottom (I only have 2 lenses right now lol). So that's worked for me for short trips and I loved it on vacation.

[Lauren]

Lauren posted THIS LINK (http://www.usa.canon.com/consumer/controller?act=PromotionsAct) on another thread today w/the Canon rebates. I think it's $100 off the 30D (and it doubles if you also buy another qualifying product). Lauren rocks!

Thanks for copying the link across Karen. :) The rebate is from Canon itself, so should apply at all (again, reputable) dealers. I know B&H and Amazon are running it in their prices, for example.

[Lanne]

Just jumping in too. :) I bought the 30D.. with the 18-55mm lens. These retail for $2499 here.. and the 400d would be outselling them big time. I checked the pricing with distributors (my husband works in IT/AV) and there is a fair bit of margin in them. I am not big on pushing for a discount but I said.. what can you do to convince to buy the 30D over the 400D.. and he threw in a bunch of extras.. and discounts. I also got a 5 year warrenty thrown in. It might be worth trying? I got the 75-300mm at 50% off... which made it addordable.. I got the 50mm 1.8 and it rarely leaves the camera.. it is great! .. I manage most things on those 3... I also got a 1 gig CF card thrown in.. along with a bag.. and a few extras. I skipped the battery add on - figureing I would buy it later if I needed it... and I don't. I am getting about 800-1100 photos on one battery :) :) .. I got a second battery (rrp about $50)... so I always have a spare ready to go.

I also bought another CF card.. and will almost certainly buy another one.. maybe a 4gig.. or another 2 gig.

It all weighs a bit.. so invest in a good bag.. I got a crumpler and love it.

Good Luck!