Hey what's up guys, I'm looking into purchasing a Canon 60D for my first DSLR. I have basic knowledge about DSLR's and prefer the 60D over the Rebels because of the ability to shoot 1080p. I have used the 60D in person as a close friend of mine owns one, he chose it over the Sony NEX-VG10 (camcorder) because of price and versatility. I by no means expect to get the plethora of options and video quality out of the Canon 60D as the Sony, but for the price it seems like a better deal. So I was wondering what type of lens might a first time DSLR buyer choose. As of now I'm leaning towards the Canon EF-S 18-200mm lens. I'm aware that the quality of the photo may be sacrificed but since I'm new to this whole thing I would prefer to own a lens that has such a wide range (from wide angle to telephoto). Also does anyone have a good recommendation as far as a tripod? Thanks.
You are really limiting yourself to shooting in daylight with the 18-200, as soon as you go inside, things will fall apart. There are definite sacrifices when you go to the superzooms. Personally I would start with the 18-55 IS and 50 1.8, they are cheap, small and light and a great set to learn with (and if bought used can be resold for the same amount you bought them for quite easily). If you really care about photography as opposed to just looking good with a big camera, you should probably avoid the 18-200. Before I get flamed, there are situations where the 18-200 does make sense (travelling relatively small and light for instance), but you really pay dearly in terms of light gathering (and secondarily image quality).
As far as tripods, the short version is sturdy, light, cheap, pick at most two. Sturdy should be a mandatory requirement as that's why you are buying the tripod, so you are left deciding between heavy and cheap (which you will leave at home because it's heavy) or light and expensive (which will cost $500+ and scares most beginners away). Almost everyone eventually buys the good tripod if they stay in it and get smoked on the resale of the half good tripod. If you want cheap because you haven't decide if you are going to stay with this hobby, look for a used set of decent aluminum legs (ie. Manfrotto 190 or 055) and an appropriate head. For photography, I like ball heads, but if you are shooting video you may require a fluid head (or both). Check out Thom Hogans article on tripods, he does a pretty good job explaining things.
