Got 60D... what accessories do you recommend to buy?

S

sedna

New member
Hi from Greece! :) Non-pro here.

Apart from lens, what accessories do you recommend for 60D?

I recently got Canon 60D with the kit 18-135mm EF-S lens. It's my first DSLR :) Also got a UV filter, a camera bag, a small remote control, and a tripod. I still learn how to make the best use of it, installed Magic Lantern as well, and I like to shoot both stills and video, indoors and outdoors. Macro/close-ups, portraits/clothes, body/nudes/models (and... uhm, adult-only stuff, LOL), low-light, lots of handheld use, some speeches/performances, parties and dance, seashore/boats... that's what I'll use it for. No weddings! Also interested to use it in underwater photography since my small waterproof P+S is too old and it looks like a toy compared to the DSLR :)

I'll probably get a polarizer this week, which one would you recommend? I want it to reduce reflections on water and screens. I'll need a better flash too. I also need a monopod and some rig to move the cam while shooting video. Any ideas for specific models?

What other stuff have you got for your 60D which you'd consider useful for a newbie and for the use I plan for it? What did you buy first after you got your first DSLR/lens kit?

Any advice on learning material / tutorials?

Also, how can I weather-proof 60D? Any good underwater enclosure?

I also need a better remote control which will let me use it from any angle, not only from the front like the one I got (I think it's Canon RC-6).
 
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Wow, its a pretty generic question. It sounds to me like you pretty much want to do everything!
Sort of like buying a car, then saying "where do you recommend I drive?". :)
 
out of all the accessories i've ever gotten (follow focus, monitors, rod supports, etc.) the one i would recommend the most is an LCD Viewfinder, i never shoot without it, it makes shooting stills and video a lot easier and more enjoyable.

I use the one from Carry Speed btw, but there are a lot of options.
 
I own a 60D, and my two favorite accessories are my Hoodman Cinema Kit Pro LCD Loupe, which can be placed in upward position so you're free to play
with the swivel screen, and my Rode Videomic (1st gen). The best tripod I found at a reasonable price is a Davis Sanford Provista Airlift with FM-18 head. It is actually very good. Oh, and the best you can get for your 60D is free: Magic Lantern.
 
Once you get the main essentials (batteries, tripods, cards, etc.), don't just blow your money on a bunch of random gear.

I prefer to save the money. Trust me; when there is a piece of equipment you fully decide you want/need, you won't regret having saved it. Don't let the cash burn a hole in your pocket!
 
KyranFord said:
Once you get the main essentials (batteries, tripods, cards, etc.), don't just blow your money on a bunch of random gear.

I prefer to save the money. Trust me; when there is a piece of equipment you fully decide you want/need, you won't regret having saved it. Don't let the cash burn a hole in your pocket!
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This is really good advice, but I will say there are times you won't know or won't think you'll need/use a piece of gear, until you have it and find something really cool with it.
I was on a shoot this weekend, my friend just got a shoulder rig and wanted to bring it along... I said yeah, sure, whatever, we're not doing anything even remotely warranting handheld/shoulder rig, but if it makes him happy to bring it along, whatever. We get to one location, the director says it'd be really cool if we do a long tracking shot with me being pushed on a handtruck... Hmm you know what would be good for that? A shoulder rig... and it ended up looking pretty cool.

edit: same thing happened with a slider my friends built as well. I kind of laughed it off-- sure, it's cute, but a three-foot slider built out of pvc pipe isn't REALLY going to help us out much. And of course, we've used it twice now and it looks great-- it'd look even better if I had gotten a pocket dolly or some such one of those times I was looking at used gear and thought "Nah, I'll never use that."
 
100% get this!

I opted for that over the more expensive ones. Haven't really regretted. Get 2 in case something happens to one. It is cheap enough that you can get some use out of it and will give you an idea if you want to get the more expensive models. The reason you may want to bump up is if the magnet for the plate isn't terribly strong, which could lead to the eyepiece falling off if you move the camera around a lot and bump it.

I still haven't ventured into installing ML for mine, a bit scared since I need my cam for Weddings so don't want to mess with a good thing.

A rode video mic is a must if doing video!
 
This viewfinder is the most crap of gear ever made! I bought one before I got my Hoodman Cinema kit and ended up giving it to a friend in need. The part that screws under the camera is so cheap that once you stick the viewfinder to it, it becomes too "heavy" and if you're not pressing your eye against it, light comes in from every side. Also, the magnets are not strong enough; any pressure from any side will make the viewfinder detach and fall. I actually tied a cord for keeping it from falling on the ground every freaking second. My recommendation: keep your money for a Hoodman or Zacuto.

Don't worry about ML, the unified version is stable and easier to install than a picture style.
 
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sonofaresiii said:
This is really good advice, but I will say there are times you won't know or won't think you'll need/use a piece of gear, until you have it and find something really cool with it.
I was on a shoot this weekend, my friend just got a shoulder rig and wanted to bring it along... I said yeah, sure, whatever, we're not doing anything even remotely warranting handheld/shoulder rig, but if it makes him happy to bring it along, whatever. We get to one location, the director says it'd be really cool if we do a long tracking shot with me being pushed on a handtruck... Hmm you know what would be good for that? A shoulder rig... and it ended up looking pretty cool.

edit: same thing happened with a slider my friends built as well. I kind of laughed it off-- sure, it's cute, but a three-foot slider built out of pvc pipe isn't REALLY going to help us out much. And of course, we've used it twice now and it looks great-- it'd look even better if I had gotten a pocket dolly or some such one of those times I was looking at used gear and thought "Nah, I'll never use that."
Click to expand...
Yeah, that's also true; but I just can't count how many times I have been so happy I saved any extra money I had. On my last pay, I had about $500 leftover to play with. There were so many things I wanted at the time, as I was building a new computer, but I chose to save the money, and get around to the needs of the computer first (before those extra wants, like an EZ-board and HDTV to mount above my dual monitor setup; how nice would that be?! But I just couldn't afford to blow money away on that stuff). Now the time came around where I would like to get a "cheapo" jib, upgrade my camera body, and build a DIY dolly & track for an upcoming film I'm shooting, and how handy that I actually have the money for it!

thundermonkey said:
100% get this!
Click to expand...
Thank you for posting this.
 
Good tripod is a must.. I am loving a new Libec much more than bogens I've used.

If you are planning on shooting off a tripod I would highly recommend a stabilizer of some sort. I just used the 7D/HaloRig MINI combo for about 95% of a music video and zazaslider for the other 5% and the customer was very pleased. We were able to get dolly, jib and steadicam looking shots without all the equipment.

Check out some HaloRig footage!
 
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