Camera gurus: Best SD card for SLR?

[tubby_mcgee 700]

Gonna get a Canon T2i. Anyway....wondering....what is the "best" SD card to get. Class 10?

[TD Ryan2 316]

first, congratulations - the T2i is a great camera and you're probably getting a great price on it with the T3i now on the market.

 

Yes, Class 10 is the key b/c of the camera's HD Video - Class 10 with 16 or 32GB of storage space will work fine.

 

Aside from taking great photos, the HD Video capabilities of the T2i are what makes it revolutionary.

You need the Class 10 card b/c the card has to be fast enough to store all the HD video as you're shooting it - Class 6 will also work, but I'd just get the Class 10.

 

Also, keep in mind that you should occasionally format the card after you've taken all your photos/videos off of it - in the T2i's menu, there is a format card option, make sure you use it - it's kinda like giving the card a clean sweep and helps prevent any lockups/freezes when shooting that HD video.

 

Go check on youtube for T2i users. Here are some of my favorites:

Dave Dugdale Learning DSLR - great learning resource

Neumann Films - they shoot almost exclusively with the T2i and it's amazing

 

and finally, here's a T2i Video by Youtuber jameswalt - he shot a timelapse (still photos) and used a camera glider:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=Gm8UbDbaZFw

[tubby_mcgee 700]

Hey...thanks for the info. I got it for $798...which included both lenses (18mm-55mm and 55mm to 250mm) and some giant "digital gadget bag" --which was too big -- I sold already on craigslist for $45. So net cost around $750.

 

I've seen the camera body for less (just on slick deals a couple days ago), or the camera and the small lens for less...and I suppose I could have fiddled around and got it for less. Anyway...the wife needs to learn it---watch the dvd, read the book, test it...then give me the cliffnotes version and be ready to answer any questions I have when I am using it.

[TD Ryan2 316]

tubby - it's a steep learning curve getting comfortable with your DSLR off of "Auto" mode, but IMO worth it once you do.

 

Here is a great T2i book:

Canon EOS Rebel T2i / 550D: From Snapshots to Great Shots

 

and you mentioned the 2 lenses - the kit lens (18-55mm) and the Zoom lens (55 - 250mm) - those are a great start.

I would look into buying the Prime 50mm/1.8 though.

It will be the best $120 you ever spend on a lens - this is hands down the best lens for the money out there.

 

Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II Camera Lens

[tubby_mcgee 700]

tubby - it's a steep learning curve getting comfortable with your DSLR off of "Auto" mode, but IMO worth it once you do.

 

Here is a great T2i book:

Canon EOS Rebel T2i / 550D: From Snapshots to Great Shots

 

and you mentioned the 2 lenses - the kit lens (18-55mm) and the Zoom lens (55 - 250mm) - those are a great start.

I would look into buying the Prime 50mm/1.8 though.

It will be the best $120 you ever spend on a lens - this is hands down the best lens for the money out there.

 

Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II Camera Lens

 

 

What makes that lens better? The range/zoom? Clarity? And what is "1.8?" My first thought when seeing the two lenses that this comes with is...."18-55 = near, 55-250 = far" - Is that the wrong way to look at it?

[TD Ryan2 316]

What makes that lens better? The range/zoom? Clarity? And what is "1.8?" My first thought when seeing the two lenses that this comes with is...."18-55 = near, 55-250 = far" - Is that the wrong way to look at it?

Fair questions tubby - lemme' give you a little photography 101 here:

 

1. it is a 50mm "PRIME" lens - prime means no-zoom, only one focal length (50mm). Primes generally take a better picure than zooms - it's a tradeoff, everyone wants the flexibility of zoom with the quality of prime and you really can't have both unless you spend thousands on a lens.

 

2. the "1.8" - that's the aperture size of the lens. Aperture is how wide the iris on the lens can open, it's usually written like this: F1.8 (with an "F").

A Lower Aperture number means a Wider Opening - it's a bit backwards, but 1.8 opens up really big and therefore allows a lot of light in. This will help with indoor/low light photos and it will also help when you have to take shots of fast action.

Also, this aperture affects Depth of Field - ever see those portrait photos where the person is in focus but the background blurred out? That's done with a Wide open (or small F.number) aperture.

There's more to it than this, I'll stop with this one last concept: An Exposure is what you're trying to get, Exposure is made up of these three components - Aperture /ShutterSpeed / ISO. The more control or range you have over those three, the better images you'll get.

 

3. 50mm - as I said, that's a prime (no zoom) but 50 to 85mm is generally regarded as the "sweet spot" for portraits. Unlike your 18-55zoom, this 50mm can maintian that big aperture (1.8) at 50mm, wheras your zooms have a variable aperture - they probably only go as low as F3.5 when not zoomed and are forced closed to F5.6 or so once fully zoomed. It's a huge difference.

 

 

4. "18-55 = near, 55-250 = far" - Is that the wrong way to look at it?

that's pretty accurate - it's more "wide" vs. "zoom" - anything under 35 is wide, anything over 35 is zoom - 35 is what your normal eyesight sees.

But yes, for "far" that 250 is pretty good, The T2i's digital zoom is also pretty good - usually you don't want to use a digital zoom, but the T2i's is better than most; you take the 250mm lens, and then start multiplying it with the T2i's digital zoom (3x to 10x), you can really get stuff from far away.