Recommended Canon Products

It's pretty obvious that I'm a Nikon guy, but I know some of you out there are partial to Canon.  Since I have owned and used Canon equipment, I can say honestly that both companies make great stuff.  I prefer Nikon because I think the cameras are easier to operate and the exposure is consistently better when using a flash (however, I am occasionally jealous of some of Canon's lens options.)

Having said all that, I'd like to share with you what I think would make up the ideal "Mom Kit" if you are already invested in Canon.  Most of these items are direct equivalents of what I recommend from Nikon.  You can read the reasoning behind my choices on that page.

I'd start off with the Canon Rebel XS (pictured above) which comes with the 18-55 mm IS lens.  I'd add the EF-S 55-250mm f/4.0-5.6 IS for a telephoto zoom and the Speedlite 270EX for a flash.  From here it gets a little trickier for Canon users than Nikon users.

Moms (as well as most photographers) love those smooth out of focus backgrounds and the ability to take pictures inside without a flash.  These are both benefits of having a lens with a large maximum aperture.  For Nikon-moms, the choice is easy.  It seems like Nikon has designed a lens with you in mind: Nikon 35mm f/1.8.  For Canon users, the choice is between two main candidates, in my opinion, and they both come with trade-offs.

1. Option #1 is the 35mm f/2 which is very similar to the Nikon option, but costs $120 more (at $320.)  This lens is sure to be great and well built, but may be out of the budget.
2. Option #2 is the 50mm f/1.8 II which is aimed at consumers (not professionals) costing only $98.  This a great deal - cheaper than anything a Nikon D40 owner can get - but the problem is the focal length.  With this lens, you might find that you can't ever get far enough away from the action to get the shot you want.

So if you are a Canon owner looking at these two lenses, here's my advice: spend a day with your zoom lens set to 50mm and decide whether you can live with that focal length in the situations you would want to use a wide-aperture lens.  If it seems good, go with option #2, but if you consistently feel like you need to zoom out, save up some Christmas money and hold out for option #1.

Recommended Products

The Basic Mom Kit

Canon owners, check this out.

The Nikon D40 is the perfect camera for moms.  It's a few years old, but still perfectly suited for what moms need.  It's six megapixels which is plenty; it's small and light weight; it can do everything in automatic mode, but allows you to take control if you know how.  It comes with a battery, battery charger, strap and the lens listed next.  You can get it at Amazon or B&H.

The Nikon 18-55mm Lens comes with just about every entry level Nikon DSLR (so don't add it your cart separately.)  It's a great lens to start with and will do most of what you need.  It's good quality even though it's made with cheap plastic.  If you need to replace one (or you never got one) click these links to get it at Amazon or B&H.

The Nikon 55-200mm Lens is a great companion to the D40 and 18-55mm kit lens.  Together, these two lenses get you from 18mm to 200mm.  Most moms will be completely satisfied with this range.  This lens has VR, it's sharp, it's small and light.  Click these links to get it at Amazon or B&H.

Nikon SB-400 Flash.  This flash is the perfect companion for the D40.  It's much smaller than the alternatives (and less expensive) and still does what you need.  It even rotates so you can bounce it of the ceiling.  Click these links to get it at Amazon or B&H.

You should get a clear UV filter to protect each lens you get.  (Get one per lens.)  This one will fit both of the above lenses.  Or get it here at B&H.

You will also need a memory card to put in your camera.  The 4GB size is a good balance between capacity and price.  You can also check out the 1GB, 2GB or 8GB.






Upgrading the Camera

The Nikon D3000 is newer than the D40 and its possible replacement (though the D40 is still available for now.)  For an extra $150 or so you get a bigger screen on the back (3" instead of 2.5") more megapixels, and some other bells and whistles.  The D40 is fine, but if you want the latest and greatest, get the D3000 at Amazon or B&H.



Lens Choices

The Nikon 35mm f/1.8 DX Lens would be the first lens I would add to the basic mom kit.  It has a larger maximum aperture and will let you produce images with blurry backgrounds that so many people love.  Click on these links to get it at Amazon or B&H.

The Nikon 18-200mm VR DX Lens is a good choice if you want one lens to cover everything.  It's more expensive, though.  Click on these links to get it at Amazon or B&H.

If you want to go longer than 200mm, get the Nikon 70-300mm VR Lens.  Click on these links to get it at Amazon or B&H.  Get it in a kit with the D40 and 18-55mm lens here.

If you want to go wider than 18mm, get the Nikon 10-24mm f/3.5-4.5 DX Lens.  It'll cost you, but it will be wide.  Click on these links to get it at Amazon or B&H.








Books
These are books I have read and think are helpful.

Understanding Exposure by Bryan Peterson

Learning to See Creatively by Bryan Peterson









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Using Filters to Protect Lenses

As a mom first and a photographer second, protecting your camera can't always be your top priority. Because of this, many moms end up with fingerprints, scratches, or worse on the front of their lenses. Thankfully, there is an inexpensive, effective way to protect your precious glass. Keeping a clear UV filter on all your lenses at all times provides an extra layer of protection from scratches and dings.

Almost every lens has threads on the front for screwing in filters; and there are lots of different types of filters for different purposes. "Clear" or "UV" filters will not have any visible effect on your images and can be kept on your lens permanently, so they are perfect lens-protectors. Your lens cap can fit right onto the filter when you aren't shooting.

Filters like this can be purchased quite inexpensively. You can get  this one, for about $5 to fit the Nikon 18-55mm and Nikon 55-200mm f/4-5.6 VRlenses I recommend. If you end up scratching the filter, you can replace it for under $10 instead of replacing your lens for a couple hundred dollars.

Buying Advice: Telephoto Lenses

If the 55mm of your kit-zoom lens doesn't get you close enough to the action, here are three (Nikon) telephoto lenses to consider. If you haven't read our post on buying equipment, you may want to check it out here.

1. Nikon 55-200mm f/4-5.6 VR At just over $200, this is a great lens for moms at a great price. It's light and small. It has VR and is a great companion for the 18-55 lens that comes with the D40 (and other cameras.) As far as picture quality goes, you won't be disappointed. Don't confuse it with the older version that lacks VR.
2. Nikon 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 VR This lens is a fantastic do-it-all lens. It covers the full range of your kit lens and the lens listed above in one lens, so you probably wouldn't take it off your camera very often. It has VR and it isn't huge, though it's bigger than the 55-200. The major drawback is its price: over $700 (currently.) The picture quality is surprisingly good considering it's range (usually lenses that zoom this far don't do it this well.) P.S. Nikon just announced an update of this lens with a few minor changes - it's not available yet, though.
3. Nikon 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 VR This lens give you a little bit more reach in a bigger package (1.7 inches longer than the 55-200.) It also has VR. It's great, but also more expensive than the 55-200 at $540. Again, don't confuse it with the older version that lacks VR.

Here's what the difference in the zoom ranges looks like:

The official Photomom101 recommendation would be door number one, the Nikon 55-200mm f/4-5.6 VR. Here's why:

• It's a great lens at a great price
• It's small and light weight
• It doesn't overlap with a lens you already have
• Getting from 200mm to 300mm is not worth $300

P.S. If you decide to purchase one of these lenses, please use the links provided to buy them through Amazon.  Using the links here helps support this site, so thanks.