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Thinking about getting my first DSLR camera. Advice/Suggestions?
darkenedwing
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
I've been wanting a DSLR Camera for a couple of years now, and I would love one for christmas, but I don't know much about them. I've read up on some of the basics but all I've ever really used before are point-and-shoot's.
I month or two back there was an online deal (I forget the site) for like a $600 sony DSLR that was marked down to $300 that in hindsight, I wish I would of jumped on.
I'm not looking for a $3000 camera and I know I'll probably have to get an entry level one but could I get some suggestions or advice for the best brands or cameras or if they are all generally alike?
Or any good deals for ones that are going on now?
I month or two back there was an online deal (I forget the site) for like a $600 sony DSLR that was marked down to $300 that in hindsight, I wish I would of jumped on.
I'm not looking for a $3000 camera and I know I'll probably have to get an entry level one but could I get some suggestions or advice for the best brands or cameras or if they are all generally alike?
Or any good deals for ones that are going on now?
darkenedwing on
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Researching around, the T1 seems to get recommended a lot, as products that aren't top of the line, but are better than the budget versions, usually do.
http://forums.penny-arcade.com/showthread.php?t=105100
You'll notice I posted in that thread, and incidentally I picked up a camera that was delivered last Friday. I picked up a Nikon D70 (with a kit lens for an extra $100) and so far have been very happy with it. Most of what is said in that thread is true regardless of which forum or place you visit to figure out which SLR you want -- the lenses are the most important aspect. That doesn't mean you need to buy $1000 lenses, but it means that once you start to take pictures you'll realize what a lot of the different elements of taking a picture actually mean for your own compositions.
In my case I picked up a D70 because I don't have a ton of money and the D70 with a single lens is cheaper than a "nice" point & shoot, which are often over $400. A friend of ours has a Canon G10 which, while a nice camera, still has a tiny sensor and a single lens.
Getting an SLR generally encourages you to spend more money on lenses, but those lenses aren't tied to the particular body. They are often tied to a particular brand, though. If you buy a Nikon then you'll probably want to stick with Nikon.
Gizmodo's roundup of "new" cameras is decent, although the focus on video is weird. But don't be afraid of used cameras -- the Nikon D70 sold originally for $1000 and I remember back in the day seeing it on Amazon and promptly closing the window when I saw how expensive it was. Now I own one and paid essentially 75% of that price, and it still takes beautiful pictures.
I've been playing around with it for about 2 hours but its hard to find anything good to take pics of inside at 9pm at night =[
I'll be in the mountains of North Carolina in about 4 days so hopefully I can find some great things to take pictures of then.
I'll be at the Georgia Aquarium on Saturday, any tips for shooting pics through the glass, etc? Like which mode I should use? (Full Auto, Portrait, Landscape, Close-Up, Flash Off, Sport, etc? or one of the more advanced modes?)
Scott Kelby's Digital Photgraphy book. he has 2 other editions, but they take off from the where the 1st one finishes.
He shows you what you should set your camera at for what you are shooting..
Shooting scenery at dusk.. here's your settings..
shooting a person for a portrait.. here's your settings..
And the guy is funny.. its not a boring book.. (its a bathroom reader in this house)
Buy an External Flash.. I cant stress that enough.. you're going to have a horrible time shooting in an aquarium if you cant focus your flash out of the reflection..
source: My wife is a professional photographer/graphic designer for a large design firm.. Ive learned a lot from her over the years.
I use a Nikon D80 and My wife uses a Nikon D3
Which really just means understand f-stop/aperture, shutter length/exposure, and possibly ISO levels. That's what I've been researching the past week and already the pictures I'm taking are better than what I was doing last weekend. Get familiar with your camera -- there's probably tons of "getting to know your camera" websites out there for your particular model. You likely won't need to go into full manual mode for many of your shots for a long time, but understand why your camera is doing what it's doing in its auto and semi-auto modes.
One of the most useful super cheap things you can get is a polarizing filter. They are handy when you want to shoot through reflections, or to get a richer sky. I would recommend getting one and experimenting with it.
Aquarium shooting: Tricky. Light tends to be low and reflections abound. You'll probably want to shove the lens right up flush with the glass. If the hood on the kit lens isn't butterfly shaped, you can mount it and use it to keep from touching your lens to the glass itself - since that lens isn't internal focussing you can't have it touching the glass while you focus. Alternately, shoot people as they look at the fish. There were some lovely shots of people silhouetted against a jellyfish exhibit in the AC photo thread a while back.
Don't take an external flash to an aquarium. It will cause you nothing but grief. Do not use your popup flash either. You'll be shooting ambient all day. Don't be afraid to bump your ISO up as needed.