I am just about to purchase a Canon EOS 400D and am interested to know from those that are using DSLR's for windsurfing pics what lense and filter combos they are finding they get the best results with.

Mate, I am NO expert, however purchased the 400D with the twin lens kit, and it is a very cool combo.

got some great shots with the 75/300 lens that comes with it.


It really depends on where you do most of your shooting as to what lens you need.
I'd kill for a 500.... well maybe not kill

My two cents after a couple of sessions trying to shoot the surf boat comp at Dee Why with a 400D and the bundled telephoto lens:

Get a better lens with IS. The 75-300 bundled is just too slow, especially in greyer conditions. That means your shutter speed is slow - and for water action shots most of your shots will be unusable.

If you put a circular polarising filter on, which you should because there is so much glare at the beach, it just slows you down another half stop or more. Making the situation worse.

You know the solution? You've got to get your hands on a good, fat, fast lens. Now they cost heaps ($2000 for a 70-200 f/2.8 IS or even more for a 600mm). So either borrow one from a friend if you have a friend that friendly or, as I've discovered RENT ONE. Canon in Ryde will rent out mega sports lenses like a 600mm for about $200 for a couple of days. I think it's worth it. After all how many photo sessions at the beach are you going to do? Most of the time you'll be sailing yourself. And if you want usable photos...that's the solution.

I'm with monster - the lenses are the real issue. Not the camera body.

Good sailing to all. Let's hope the NE comes to Sydney this weekend.

I have the 18-55 and the 90-300 USm 4.5 - 5.6 which are fine for most things but as said low light situations are not so good and I would love to have the sports lense. Also I found the pop up flash to be basically useless especially for party shots. I would buy a Canon speed light also if you want to take party snaps or portraits.

Ive got the cannon 350D with the twin lens kit (the model before the 400d was realeased). The cammera and 300mm lens is great for windsurfing shots does everything I needed. Even had some of the shots its taken published in Boards Magazine. The photos looked almost as good as the full on profesional shots.

thought I'd throw in my two cents:

1) Canon just announced the 450D. I would not... repeat would not buy the 400D unless you get a significant reduction in price. Otherwise hold out for the 450D. Main reasons: Spot metering, better AF system, auto sensor cleaning. Camera will be available in February. FYI, resist the tempation to buy overseas. There is no official warranty on cameras purchased overseas. Canon has been good in this respect in the past but given how they have just clamped down on Overseas purchases for professional photographers I would expect the consumer space to follow suit.

2) Lenses: IS is pretty much pointless when you use a tripod and/ or track a windsurfer. It only makes sense when you hand hold a shot. From my experience I wouldn't want to miss it on my 70-200mm lense for all those hand held low light shots. It's a bit of overkill on my 500mm and I usually turn it off as i tend to get a bit of motion sickness after looking through the lense for more than 15 minutes.

In terms of focal length your kit choice is a good start. Keep in mind that on smaller sensor sizes such as the one on the 400D the camera will not use the entire lens surface and hence edge distortion will not show up as much. This means a lens which might look good on a 400D will look only average when combined with a 1D Mark III, 5D or 1Ds Mark III. This doesn't not apply to lenses specifically designed for the smaller sensor size. These lenses usually have smaller lens elements and are therefore cheaper to produce and effectively sell.

To start out with a 500mm Canon lens would be overkill!

3) If you plan on shooting middle of the day water sports make sure you have a circular polarizer. You will need to buy the best you can afford. Don't let the sales people in the shop talk you into a cheap dud. Better yet order one from the US. They are much cheaper there. Expect to pay about US$150 for a decent polarizer. Good brands are Hoya, B&W...

FYI, what a polarizer does is it reduces water reflection, reduces haze in the air and increases the overall image contrast. However, as with any filter you put in front of your lens less light will get through and hence the shutter speed will be slower a constant aperature and ISO. Also bear in mind that during early morning and late afternoon there is generally more red in the sunlight. If you shoot during that time with a polarizer you need to make sure you get the exposure right or the whitebalance (color of the image taken) can be off.

4) Flash: The pop-up flash on the 400D is more a fill flash than a full shoe mount flash replacement. Personally I'd probably stay clear of the 420ex and go with a 580EXII. There is a big difference in the end results. You can order one of those in the US for about US$350 at places like Adorama or BH Photo Video.

5) Most importantly though don't get caught up in the technology and forget taking photos in the process. The quality of an image is defined by these factors: Subject -> Photographer -> Lens -> Camera.

In exactly this order!

Thanks very much for the info, it has done a lot to get everything straight in my mind.

I will be buying from Aust before we leave and taking advantage of duty free. We can buy the camera 30 days before we leave and claim the GST as we go though customs.

Had a look around and a number of sites have press releases saying that the 450D will be released in April. Unfortunatly too late for me to consider as we want duty free and to have it on our holiday. But wont stop me trying for a good deal.

Thanks again for all your help.

quick question for the photographers out there.

looking into some getting some glass.

will be all handheld work so my thoughts are something with IS would be the go.

the options are either the

CANON 70-200mm f/4L USM Lens
CANON EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM Lens

would the L lens without IS be ok for hand held use and is the F4 L lens that much better than EF.

the 200mm is probably not long enough. so if i added a CANON EF 2x II Lens Extender would iget good results for an amateur photographer.

previous attempts at 2x adapters i havbe found to leave the images flat. but my adapter was probably poor quality.

cheers

cheers jamie,

that gives me a good comparison then. i used the IS version of your lens on a 350d at kirra. all hand held.

cheers
Justin.