Help with purchasing a camera for spotting.

Hey all!

I'm relativity new to plane spotting, my home base being YMML (Melbourne). I'm looking at getting a new camera for christmas and I was thinking of getting the Canon 70D since I've heard such good reviews about plane spotting with it. I'm just stuck on what lens to get with it since the lenses I'm looking at cost double of the camera body and that's money I just don't have. The best I could spend is $1500 AUS including the camera. If anyone can help me with this it would be greatly appreciated!

~ Evan

Hello Evan,

at the beginning you won't need expensive equipment. I think you could start with any Canon/Nikon body. I can recommend you the EOS 100D/700D, because it's just not bad. And as far as you don't want to shoot with high ISO it does what it is made for.

Just start with a tele lens with a focal length of 70-300mm, that's what you need the most time. And I don't know if there are spots where you need less than 70mm in YMML, but please do yourself a favour and don't buy a megazoom(18-300 for example) - Buy yourself a second lens, 17-70mm for example or use the included kit lens which should be 18-55 by Canon.

The more important than the equipment is your own work, go to the airport as often as you can, take as many shots as you can, try different perspectives, talk with other spotters, they could help you a lot.

And always shoot RAW(don't want to start a discussion if RAW is really needed, but by my mind it is very helpful ;) ), there are many tutorials about editing pictures on the internet. I can recommend you either Adobe Lightroom or Adobe Photoshop(with Camera Raw Addon), but everybody prefers something else.

I currently have this configuration: Canon EOS100D + Sigma 18-250mm + Sigma 70-300 and it is OKAY, not very good, but you can do something with these shots and you don't have to throw them in your bin ;)

I'm saving my money for a Canon EF300mm F4 L IS USM which is very good, especially if you want a sharp picture with which you can cut your finger, but it is more expensive(not as hell).

I hope I helped you a bit :)

Cheers

Tim

Hi Evan,

I will try to help you in based in my experience.

I have a Canon 70D, it is really a great camera and I am happy with it, it is fast and reliable, although I am planning to acquire a full frame camera by the end of this year or the beginning of 2017.

There are many photographers in this website who also have this camera and enlighten us with their splendid pictures. That being said, if you purchase the Canon 70D you will be very glad for sure. But as you said your budget is restrained to $ 1.500 AUS, a new 70D will let you with no room to purchase a good lens, unless you can find a used one by a cheaper price.

As a beginner and to stay within the budget there are other good options. The 70D is from 2013, Canon has already launched a new model, the 80D. So my tip for you is to take a look at the new Canon T6i (750D) launched in FEB 2016.

You can search for camera reviews and make comparisons at dpreview website (select the models at “cameras” and side-by-side camera comparison) to find the best equipment that suits to you.

Talking about lenses, honestly I do not recommend you to buy the kit lens 18-55mm; I would recommend the 18-135mm instead. It is a very good lens, you can go much further with its zoom and you can have it as a camera and lens kit for a better price. And depending on how far you are going to be from the aircraft in your spotting point you will need a zoom lens. I started with a Canon 70-300mm but I will refrain from advising you about zoom lenses because a good one may be very expensive. Looking at prices, a T6i and a 18-135mm would fit in your pocket - Canon EOS Rebel T6i DSLR Camera with 18-135mm and 55-250mm Lenses Kit by USD 1.100 at bhphoto NY.

Best regards,

Ricardo.