Begineer Dslr Advice

Nuclearbaggins · 14 Jul 2013 at 19:58

I decided a while ago to take up photography but have never really got much further than my Sony cybershot HX5.

Ive played with the manual setting but never with much luck, it being a small compact I did'nt expect to much and mostly find myself taking pictures using the auto settings.

So ive now decided to take the jump into having a DSLR my budget is around £500 but i could spend a little (£100-150) more for a really good deal etc. If im going to make use of any extras that might be included. I plan to take lots of pictures of my boys now 6yrs old and the other one who is 2 days old.

But i also enjoy taking picture of landscapes and urban area's, so would I be best with a twin lens deal or is that not needed (im pretty clueless). Ive pretty much exhausted everything I can think of information wise and just keep confusing myself even more with all the wonderful settings and shiny lens on show all over the internet.

Also i noticed that most cameras seem to quote 500-700 picture on one charge is that fairly true? or would an extra battery be needed within my budget.

Most of the cameras ive been looking at were on hdewcameras or Jessops, im greatful of any advice.

Nuclearbaggins · 15 Jul 2013 at 17:00

Thanks for the suggestions guys. Im going to take a trip to my local camera shop tomorrow. Solaris that is very much the sort of advice and guidance I was after, the shear amount of reading that can be done regarding DSLRs has had my head spinning.

I am very much planning on avoiding the automatic setting at all costs, if I were to look at the 50mm lens as a primary lens to start off with what would make an overall good lens as a second zoom lens. Most of my time would be spent doing relatively close up shotting or landscapes I wouldnt be planning on photographing any low flying planes or the like. The reason I ask is it seems a lot of sellers include lens at a cheaper price when bought with the body, so it might be something to keep in mind when i make my purchase.

Nuclearbaggins · 15 Jul 2013 at 19:07

Thanks for the explanation regarding the aperture, i had been trying to do a shot that had even a little DOF for so long with my compact with no joy at all. Im guessing the 50mm would actually be quiet good for a new born baby then if not for whole person shots, so i would certainly get a lot of use from that right now.

Am i right in thinking the bottom line is if I want to be taking full person pictures and landscapes they pretty much require two differing lens and anything else would be a compromise. Does the software for the processing come with the camera body?

Nuclearbaggins · 15 Jul 2013 at 21:45

Thanks again for the advice, that is a very nice piece of kit looking at the review's. Think it will be a while before im in the market for anything like that

Nuclearbaggins · 18 Jul 2013 at 13:21

Well I have an order in now its still taken me two days to talk myself out of the 650D as i could not justify it in the end and have ordered the 600D, with the extra money being spent on a 50mm f/1.8. The 600 comes with the standard 18-55mm lens, I can not wait to get my hands on it now :cool:

Nuclearbaggins · 22 Jul 2013 at 11:54

So ive been taking a few pictures trying to play with different settings and really enjoying the results although mostly on auto portrait if im honest, im taking baby steps into the other more manual settings trying to understand how not to take a picture that is completely black (I believe the setting was a very fast shutter speed indoors with no flash

).

Anyways I seem to have spotted a small something inside the 50mm lens, on closer inspetion there seems to be two. They showed up better with the lens cap on for the picture with my camera phone :eek:

I dont believe it effecting my pictures but I dont really see how i would not be, should i seek a replacement because of it while I have only had it a few days?

Managed to take a better picture using the camera just above in the clickable thumbnail, the two foreign bodies are positioned just before 9 on the clock face and also just before 11. They seem to be transparent to a certain degree, fleck's of glass spring to mind when i look at them.

Nuclearbaggins · 22 Jul 2013 at 21:48

Genoma said:
That does look a bit odd. If you can take a photo of a white sheet and upload the RAW. We can check with Lightroom if this is leaving any dark spots on the image.

Thanks I will do that tomorrow.

Nuclearbaggins · 26 Jul 2013 at 17:35

Being honest im only playing at the moment, been building a new pc for the last few days all done now though and the new baby is keeping me busy too. But I got out on a little walk yesterday family in toe and what I have decided Is i need zoom more zoom, or maybe its wider angle zoom. I have yet to decide for sure.

Got to say im really happy with the pictures that both lens are giving me so far, especially the nifty fifty(in my head this lens makes me a pro

). But I expected that after having come from a fairly run of the mill compact. I do have to admit im still very much using the preset options portrait, sport, landscape etc at the moment. But when I have had time I have sat and taken the same picture in the house while playing with M setting

, I think best to call that a work in progress right now but I will get the hang of it with practice.

*update* Genoma your post has reminded me to download the lightroom trial.