My digital SLR is a Canon 450D, bought a couple of years’ ago. Like many of the cheaper DSLR’s the camera has a smaller sensor than a traditional 35mm film SLR, which means that attached lenses have a narrower perspective than they do with a full-size sensor. The 18-55mm EF-S lens which came with it has image stabilisation, is small and light, and is generally adequate as a starter lens. However, I soon found myself wanting something with longer focal length so the following Christmas a 28-135mm EF lens, also with IS, arrived. This has become my standard lens, living on the camera most of the time. Many of the landscape photographs that you will see on my Flickr stream were taken with this lens. Most recently I acquired a 70-300mm EF lens for close up work like my animal and bird pictures. With this set of lens I can cover most situations. If money was no object I would upgrade to Canon’s L series for their bigger apertures and improved weatherproofing. I should point out that I bought EF lenses in case I ever upgrade to one of Canon’s full-sensor cameras, which the EF-S range is incompatible with.
Of course, no self-respecting photographer would be caught dead with a bag full of extra bits and I am no exception. As the full list is a bit scary I will pick out some highlights: a Canon Speedlite 580EX flash, neutral density and polarising filters, lens hoods, a table top tripod and a monopod from Trek-Tech, a wireless remote control, and …. that’s enough. Of course, I don’t have a bag big enough to carry all of this stuff around so that is next on my list of essentials.