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Old 11-24-2019, 09:44 AM   #3809
SebC
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Quote:
Originally Posted by flames_fan_down_under View Post
Thanks for the responses everyone! As for a budget looking to shell out 1500 bucks on a set up. Likely using to take shots of nature on hikes, skyline pictures, overhead shots on clear nights, pictures around the city. I like the idea of changing lenses.
To break this down:

Nature on hikes: trees and mountains far away? Easy. Wildlife? $$$. The key tools for landscape work are the tripod and filters (ND for smooth waterfalls+clouds; polarizer if you want to cut reflections from water or have a more dramatic sky; ND grad to handle lit-to-shadow transitions).

Skyline: same as landscape, so you can shoot when things are darker and the light is more interesting. Filters are less relevant than for landscapes.

Overhead shots of clear nights: astrophotography is demanding. Fortunately, there are some good cheap lenses out there. The Samyang/Rokinon manual lenses have a great reputation for this. The Tokina 11-whatevers do too, but they're only for crop cameras. That's for Milky Way/Aurora... for tight shots, you'd want a telescope and tracking mount. Specialized stuff.

"Pictures around the city": Not particularly demanding without more information. A normal prime is good choice for picking isolating details. Or if you want sharpness front-to-back, kit lens is fine here too.
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