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What accessories/lenses should I buy for my Canon EOS Rebel XS?

I'm a beginner in photography and am receiving the camera in a couple of days (!!!) and I know that I'll want to buy a camera bag and possibly another lens. What other accessories should I get, and what lenses do most photographers use most often?

Thanks

The first thing you'll need to do when you get your new camera is devote time to seriously READ & STUDY the Owner's Manual.

For a beginner like you here are my suggestions for what you need for now:

1) A UV/Haze filter to protect the front element of your lens.
2) A circular polarizer. Its used to darken a blue sky and enhance colors. It also removes/reduces glare/reflections from glass, water, snow, sand and painted metal - but not polished metal.
3) A microfiber lens cloth to keep your filters clean.
4) A good tripod, especially if you plan on shooting landscapes.

Spend time at these sites:

http://www.digital-photography-school.com

http://www.kamerasimulator.se/eng/?page_id=2

http://www.photonhead.com

http://www.illustratedphotography.com/photography-tips/basic

http://www.dofmaster.com/dofjs.html

When shopping for your UV and circular polarizer always remember this: "A good filter isn't cheap and a cheap filter isn't good." So look at B+W, Hoya, Heliopan and Tiffen. The same applies to shopping for a tripod. Slik, Manfrotto, Benro, Gittos, Velbon all offer good quality tripods.

These books would be worth reading: 'Understanding Exposure', 'Understanding Shutter Speed' and 'Understanding Photography Field Guide', all by Bryan Peterson.

I suggest spending the next 4 to 6 months getting fully acquainted with your new camera and learning the capabilities and limitations of the 18-55mm zoom lens that comes with it. During this time you'll begin to discover the type of photography you like doing the most. Then, based on that knowledge, you can begin shopping for the lens or lenses that will best compliment your type of photography.

Learn to develop good shooting techniques. Ignore anyone who tells you to go out and just shoot and shoot and shoot and shoot. They'll claim this is how you gain experience but experience in what? I call this the "machine gunner mentality" - take 300 exposures and hope a few are worth keeping. All this does, in my opinion, is give you experience in taking snapshots. The idea is to make good photographs. Ansel Adams said: "Pictures are not taken they are made." Good photography requires thinking and thinking requires time. Learn to think about your composition, the light, your exposure. I call this the "sniper mentality" - make one exposure, make one good picture.
Think quality, not quantity. Think about the picture you want to make and how you can use your knowledge of light, composition and exposure to actually make that picture.

Although I tried several compositions while in this area this one is my favorite:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/drifter45h/4032748624/ I had my camera in Aperture Priority and on my tripod.

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