First time dslr user

Flukester · 8 May 2012 at 18:16

Hi all

Missus wants to learn photography as hobby but has always used bridge cameras, she did have a sx40is super zoom thing, which to be honest has made some lovely shots.

She is actually really good at capturing the moment so I think she will do well as a hobby or part time job. The thing is she need to learn about dslrs

I done some research knowing nothing myself and at last moment ditched the Sony a77 idea (ok its not a true dslr) and bought a canon d600 yesterday. We also got a tripod and a nifty fifty as well as kit lens which I hope is a good start for portraits.

Is there anything else we need bar knowledge ?. Is the stock pop up flash a no no for portraits (she has started buying props already). Is there a way of having a remote shutter button on the canon so you don't have to wobble tripod ?

Any advice would be welcome.... Really just want to know what Kit will produce pro looking results (we want to avoid portraits which are chopped to death... Our son had a session and I swear the photographer stuck new eyes on him is ps lol)

Edit: we have a book on the 600 and she is already refusing to use the auto setting to force herself to learn all the manual stuff.... Is this the right route ?

Thanks in advance

ARD · 8 May 2012 at 19:47

Sounds like she is on the right track. Best thing to do is to get to know the camera, f stops, shutter speeds etc. As boring as it sounds try taking photos of the same subject but alter the aperture, shutter etc, this will show you the different depth of fields and also tell you at what point you cannot hold the camera still enough to avoid shake. The pop up flash is ok for general illumination, but won't provide the light for true portraits.

To get better results you'll need to invest in a better lens. The 50mm f8 is a fine lens, but will limit you somewhat on the subject matter you can capture. But before deciding on a lens do you know what you main subjects will be, landscapers, people, sport, wildlife etc.

Razor-BladE · 8 May 2012 at 19:55

ARD said:
To get better results you'll need to invest in a better lens. The 50mm f8 is a fine lens, but will limit you somewhat on the subject matter you can capture. But before deciding on a lens do you know what you main subjects will be, landscapers, people, sport, wildlife etc.

Better lenses will give you better results BUT only if you know how to use the lens.
You don't need to invest in a better lens now. The 50mm 1.8 is an extremely good lens for the price and perfect for getting to grips with a dslr for a new user with the kit lens alongside the 50mm, as the better quality of the lens won't show until you learn how to use the camera correctly.

I probably post this in every newbie thread and it is a few years old now, but really helpful to learn about the camera settings/composition.

http://www.morguefile.com/docs/Classroom/

He's already mentioned that the main use will be portraits/candid so the 50mm is a great lens to use for that.

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Regarding flash, for portraits, yes you're right, the on board flash is a no go as it won't give flattering shots.
Flash can be quite tricky to learn about, especially if you're just learning about the camera settings at the same time.

But basic manual flashes can be had for pretty cheap (relatively), namely the Yongnuo YN560 II and buying a couple of them could be good to get you started.
You can buy RF-603 triggers, which allow for wireless remote triggers of the flashes, and you can also use it for remotely triggering the shutter of the camera.

If you think you might want a flash to be used on-camera then you'll have to (don't HAVE to but a lot less struggle) buy a flash with TTL capabilities.
This means that the flashgun calculates how powerful to flash for that shot so that the subject is correctly exposed. The Yongnuo YN565 is a TTL flash which is about twice the price of the YN560.

Flukester · 8 May 2012 at 19:55

Thanks... It's going to be people all the way. I'll look at some better flashes I think...

Flukester · 8 May 2012 at 19:57

Thanks for link To lessons, spot on

ARD · 8 May 2012 at 20:04

Razor-BladE said:
Better lenses will give you better results BUT only if you know how to use the lens.
You don't need to invest in a better lens now. The 50mm 1.8 is an extremely good lens for the price and perfect for getting to grips with a dslr for a new user with the kit lens alongside the 50mm, as the better quality of the lens won't show until you learn how to use the camera correctly.

I probably post this in every newbie thread and it is a few years old now, but really helpful to learn about the camera settings/composition.

http://www.morguefile.com/docs/Classroom/

He's already mentioned that the main use will be portraits/candid so the 50mm is a great lens to use for that.

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Regarding flash,

Depends on what type of portrait, as he mentions possible part time job the 50 1.8 might be wanting for some applications. Like I said, get to know the camera then invest in a better lens, once you find your style.

This site might also help you http://www.dslrtips.com/