Canon 600D: Is it worth it?

600D is one of the budget DSLRs that has just been announced by Canon. It looks exactly the same. It performs exactly the same. And, it feels exactly the same. And the price ain't cheap - Canon says the price is around RM2,500. Its not that much more expensive than the Canon 550D which is also another great alternative for beginners.

Canon 550D - ignore those gold trims, they're originally white

Canon 600D - not much different to the 550D

Seeing the specs sheets, there really isn't that much difference between the 550D and its successor, the 600D.

Similarities

• 18 megapixel CMOS sensor
• DiGiC 4 processor
• ISO range of 100-6,400(expendable to 12,800)
• Burst rate of 3.7 frames per second
• Supports SD, SDHC, SDXC format cards
• Full HD 1080p movie recording

Differences

• Minor movie recording tweaks
• Tilt-and-swivel screen

Final impressions...

The 600D is like a baby 60D copying most of its features. Canon's moving to the video camera side, focusing more on video but also providing that awesome 18 megapixel shooting experience. 

Would I buy it?

No. I'd save up for lenses and other accessories. HD recording is a nice feature to have. But seeing that I'm a photographer and not a videographer, I wouldn't want to buy a camera which I won't use. The 550D has proved to be a remarkable budget DSLR. As for the 600D, it might be a worthy successor. I see no reason why current 550D users should upgrade unless they really want those video tweaks Canon just added.

Should you buy third party gear

Third party gear/accessories have been quite popular recently. I think its a must have for beginners, since they're new to photography and they just want something cheap and practical. Pros use these too, but seldomly. Don't get me wrong, third party brands are there for a reason - to provide a cheaper alternative than the already expensively-priced manufacturer's lenses. Take the Tamron 70-200mm f2.8 for an example. I'll compare it to Nikon's equivalent Nikkor 70-200mm f2.8. In terms of price, the Tamron is definitely cheaper which makes it a no-brainer. The Tammy(a nickname for Tamron's lenses) is priced around RM2,800 whereas the Nikon is priced at RM8,200. Yes, the numbers don't lie. The Tammy is about cheaper than the Nikon. Quality-wise, they're practically almost the same. Better yet, Tamron is said to be sharper than Nikon and its labelled Macro which allows it to get up close to get macro shots(not 1:1 reproduction ratio, sadly).

Free VS Paid Antivirus

Security for your computer, is a must have for you right? Good, you got the first part right. Is paying for that antivirus worth it? Let's see why, its not worth paying for something, you aren't getting.

Is it more secure?
You're paying for this antivirus, that you think is more secure. Perhaps, it has a better virus scanner? Well, sorry to dampen your spirits, but you're wrong. You're actually getting the same, as the free version. Forget AVG. They're completely the same as the free ones, in my opinion.

So why pay?
You're actually paying for features, more than safety. Kaspersky, Norton and all those companies that advertise, all you get from paying is the Sandbox Feature. You can even get this Sandbox Feature for free. Google Sandboxie, it's a non-profit software that does those sandboxing features that make paid antiviruses so much more special. Other than that, I don't see it being any different from the free ones.

To use or not to: Conversion Lenses/Filters

Money ain't something everyone has. Let's face it. Photography is an expensive hobby. A very expensive one. Be ready to invest, if you're looking for lenses. 'Cause not all lenses are cheap, some are priced sky-high. If you shoot Nikon, you should've known this lens - Nikon 600mm f/4G. If you haven't, that's the lens on the left). Yeah, the price stated isn't fake. If I'm not mistaken, its the most expensive lens Nikon has made. Malaysia's market price for this lens is around RM31,950. Yes people, you can buy a Proton instead!

Anyway, this post isn't about that lens. Filters, have been around for quite some time. And filters are useful. I have two, a Polarizer filter and a UV filter. And they're both very helpful. But have you heard of a different type of filter? Yes, it still screws at the end of your lens. These different type of filters are usually called conversion lenses. They convert your lens into a different type of lens. Its like this: I have a 60mm and I use a 0.45x wide angle conversion lens. I'll get a 27mm lens(60mm x 0.45). You save thousands and thousands of cash if you'd just buy filters instead of actual lenses. There are fisheye, and telephoto conversion lenses too. They work the same way, screw the filter in front of the lens, and you're done. To find what focal length you're gonna get, just multiply the filter's (number)x with your current lens' focal length.