Canon 60D 18-135mm

The Canon 60D is the camera I bought for a fantastic price from here. It is currently a middle of the range model that can be classed as a camera for the serious amateur or early professional. It has all the features you need in a camera, particularly when you are starting out. Many of these features are advanced and it will take a while to work out how to use them. It is a great camera that produces image quality beyond what I had hoped!

Some of the best features of this camera for those just starting out is the ability to remotely control multiple flashes. Light is one of the most important aspects of photography, and if you wish to become a pro, you will end up needing to control additional lighting.

I bought this camera with the 18-135mm lens. From my research this is a very good lens and is also good for many purposes. The 18mm end gives you a nice wide view and the 135mm end gives you enough magnification to get close to some wild subjects or to enable you to gain some distance from other subjects.

You can also buy the camera with 18-55mm lens or 18-200mm lens as well as in some twin lens kits like this or this. I would strongly recommend you also get the 18-135mm lens. The extra zoom with the 18-200mm lens is not that much and what you gain in magnification, you lose in performance. The lens needs to be locked when the camera is hanging round your neck so that the zoom doesn’t creep (this is not necessary for the 18-135mm). I would also recommend the 18-135mm over the 18-55mm in a twin lens kit. The reason for this is that the 18-55mm lens is very limited with what you can do. In this way it is similar to a prime lens around this magnification. The thing is you can buy a Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 lens for a bit over $100AUD that will easily out perform the 18-55mm lens. The second reason I would not recommend this, is because you will need to change you lenses frequently due to the small zoom range of the 18-55mm. This means there is more chance for dust to get into the camera and more chance for things to go wrong.




The Canon 60D 18-135mm kit is a great kit to get you started. It is the type of kit that allows you to build a system that you can keep upgrading as your skill requires. The additional benefit is that this camera will not hinder your advancement in any way because of its quality and features.

If you are worried about maybe needing more features, I can also add this: camera bodies are replaced quiet regularly with newer models, so don’t worry too much about buying the wrong body or camera. Go with what you can afford and allow extra money for quality lenses! This is by far the best option, as the lenses will fit your new camera if and when you eventually choose to upgrade. One suggestion I have is that although the kit lens that comes with the camera may not be the best lens in production, it will enhance the ease with which you can sell your camera body at a later date. Seasoned DSLR uses may be happy to purchase a body only, but many people just starting out want a lens too! So when the time comes, you can offload the kit lens and upgrade with a new body to make the most of the quality lenses you have collected over time.

One final word about choosing a camera brand. Don’t worry about it! You will probably be happy with the product from any DSLR you buy. If you are trying to choose between Canon and Nikon – look to the future and the lenses. I chose Canon as I enjoy wildlife photography and I believe the Canon lenses will allow me to achieve good photos and are slightly cheaper than those for Nikon. SO work out what type of photography you want to do, what sort of lenses you want to buy and then chose the brand that suits. Either brand will be good and the thing that will be holding you back will be your own skill level. Trust me – that is how it is for me!