Buy a kit or build my own packge?

[eribeiro]

Hello everybody, after getting past the question of wich camera to buy (ended with a Canon 60D), comes another begginer's nighmare.

Should I buy a kit, as offered at Amazon? Or should I buy everything separetly?

I found this kit with:
60D plus EF-S 18-55mm IS
EF-S 55-250mm IS
16 giga SDHC, class 6 Card and Card Reader by Secure Digital
HDMI Cable (to hook camera to television, I suppose)
59 inch Tripod (budget certanily, but I am not going anywhere "difficult")
Extra Battery (brand undisclosed, but no Canon)
Camera Bag
Universal Memory Card Wallet
Pack of LCD Screen Protectors
Cleaning Kit (whaterver they mean with it)
Free 25 prints

All for US$ 1,500

Or

Buid my shopping card for the same price with:
Same Body and lenses
+ 8giga Class 10 sundisk and cardreader
+Canon Battery
+ Polaroid Tripo (US$ 15 !!)

BUT MINUS:
-HDMI Cable
-Bag
-LCD protectors
-Cleaning kit
-Prints

Packge is rated 5 stars by customers, but only 5 reviews.

DADDY!! WHAT AM I TO DO?

Thanks in advance,
Eduardo

[jiro]

Build your own! There is always a catch when everything is offered in a bundle.

I think you have a good idea on your shopping cart. My other suggestion would be to invest on

1. a good carbon fiber tripod (though I am still saving on one. ) The flashpoint brand I heard is affordable but good.
2. 2 units of 8GB memory card instead of 1 16GB card.
3. One original Canon battery.
4. A Rapid brand camera harness. http://www.blackrapid.com/
5. A 50mm f1.8 or f1.4 prime lens.

Good luck!

[eribeiro]

Domo Jiro-san, I'll do my math, but the prime lenses will have to wait.
How many RAW+JPeg Fine in a 8 Giga card?
Eduardo

[Donald]

Build your own! There is always a catch when everything is offered in a bundle.

Good advice. I agree.

[jiro]

Domo Jiro-san, I'll do my math, but the prime lenses will have to wait.
How many RAW+JPeg Fine in a 8 Giga card?
Eduardo

You're welcome, Eduardo San. The output will depend on the sensor size of the 60D. The reason I recommended 2 8 Gigs is because if the other one went hayward, you still have one working instead of just relying on one 16GB. Or, you could buy 2 16 Gigs! I think it would translate to about 125 shots on Canon 60D is you shoot using RAW+Jpeg always.

[Geoff F]

16GB cards! I remember when I purchased a 64 MB card for my first 4 MP digital camera I was accused of being a 'flash spendthrift'.

I certainly recommend getting individual items as they suit your specific needs. Although you can sometimes find realistic packages, or make savings by shopping around for the best deals on each item.

[eribeiro]

Thank you both, just placed "my kit" to amazon's supplier. Let us see if they come up with a good offer. If not, I'll just order from different places.
Really loving this site.

[eribeiro]

tks too Geoff.

[Poider]

Having recently purchased kit would strongly recommend building your own
Peter

[rpcrowe]

Occasionally a Canon camera + lens or lenses package makes economic sense if you are intending to purchase "kit" lens or lenses anyway. Canon will sometimes release kits at a price which would save you money over buying the individual cameras/lenses.

However, often the kits from camera dealers (especially Internet sellers) are fleshed out with low grade or sometimes even unusable lenses and accessories.

One of the poor lenses that is often incorporated in a kit is the Canon 75-300mm f/4-5.6 IS lens or even 500mm mirror lenses.

I would decide which lenses that I wanted for the camera and price these lenses with a camera. IMO, it is better to have fewer lenses of high quality than many lenses of poor quality.

The Canon 18-55mm IS and 55-250mm IS lenses are quite adequate for many photographers, are very reasonably priced and are often packaged with Canon DSLR cameras (particularly the rebel series). However, many photographers wish to own somewhat better quality lenses and believe it or not, the Tamron 17-50mm f/2.8 and 70-300mm f/4-5.6 lenses are an upgrade from the Canon "kit" lenses. Probably the highest quality and, IMO, most versatile combination of lenses for a 1.6x crop camera is the Canon 17-55mm f/2.8 IS and 70-200mm f/4L IS lens combination. This last combo is quite a bit more expensive than the previously mentioned sets. I mention the f/4L IS instead of the f/2.8L (series) because I have chosen that lens for portability and light weight. The image quality from these two lenses is impeccable.

The quality of lenses that you buy should be predicated on:
1. The use you plan for the images: if you are going to shoot "snapshots" of the kids and Rover, the dog, to send to the grandparents by email and generally won't print large images; very likely the Canon kit lenses will suffice. However if you have any thoughts of shooting for pay or want/need the highest quality and best flexibility, the kit set up is not the absolute greatest.
2. Your personal decision regarding how much the quality of your images is worth to you. Obviously, the somewhat more expensive Tamron package and the much more expensive 17-55mm + 70-200L package will provide better IQ and more versatility. However this may or may not be worth the cost to you.
3. Your financial status and ability to spend varying sums of money on your camera gear. That is usually the final deciding point. However, IMO, you will obtain better quality imagery from higher quality lenses than from higher priced cameras. If I were going to limit my capability by using kit lenses, I would seriously consider the latest Rebel cameras. Along the same lines; I might think of a 17-50mm f/2.8 Tamron lens alone with the camera on which I have decided and then save money to flash out my kit with a longer lens.

But then again, I would personally rather have one high quality lens than a couple of lesser lenses...

[eribeiro]

Peter, which items did not please you in your package?
Eduardo

[eribeiro]

Richard, thank you for you thoughts.
I am probably building my package as suggested by Jiro and Donald.

Will start saving for an L Series right away and keep the kit lenses as backups. If the next 3-6months will be spent photographing nefews and alikes, in November this wannabe photographer, wife and daughter are traveling to the Brazilian Pantanal:
http://www.google.com.br/images?q=fo...w=1259&bih=567

I'LL NEED GREAT LENSES BY THEN. Its a place everyone should go one day.

Unfortunately Sigma and Tamron are very hard to service/resell here in Brazil, whereas an used 55-250 IS is sold, if in good shape for USD 200,00. (You guys would not believe if I told you that a T2i costs US$ 2.000,00 here, just body and kit 18-55mm).

Prime lenses in the (near?) future.

Best to all
Eduardo

[jiro]

Good luck.

[Poider]

Peter, which items did not please you in your package?
Eduardo

neither lens is good for macro, and the 55mm - 300mm is not enough for zoom, also i would have picked a lens with a little more versatility eg 18 to 200mm
Peter

[eribeiro]

neither lens is good for macro, and the 55mm - 300mm is not enough for zoom, also i would have picked a lens with a little more versatility eg 18 to 200mm
Peter

tks. I'll definetly think about it.