Canon® EOS Digital Photography Photo Workshop

1.4. BUILDING YOUR PHOTOGRAPHY SYSTEM

Buying a new camera body or a backup body requires careful consideration of what your current photography system lacks and how to balance those needs with your budget. Lenses, especially Canon's high-end L-series professional lenses and specialized lenses such as for macro photography, are expensive, and it's often difficult to decide which lens or system component that you need next or need most.

Unless you have unlimited resources, it's best to have a plan for building your system. Even if your interests include more than one type of photography, such as the macro and portrait work shown in 1-7 and 1-8, this will ensure that you invest wisely and help you arrange your purchases around equipment that will enhance your own creative vision.

NOTE

For more on L-series and fast lenses, see Chapter 6.

Figure 1-7. The versatility of a good camera system allows you to pursue multiple photography styles and techniques; with a limited budget, you can get a lot out of a single body and lens. Both 1-7 and 1-8 were taken with an EOS 5D and an EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro lens. 1-7 at ISO 320, f/22 at 1/60 second. 1-8 at ISO 100, f/16 at 1/160 second. ©Amy A. Timacheff

Figure 1-8. The versatility of a good camera system allows you to pursue multiple photography styles and techniques; with a limited budget, you can get a lot out of a single body and lens. Both ...