Help a beginner out :)

manic111

manic111

manic111

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I'm looking at either buying a high end bridge camera (probably the Panny FZ28), or low-end DSLR (Nikon D40 or Sony A200), and am after a bit of help with a few definitions.

Firstly, I assume that the main benefit of going DSLR over bridge is that, despite individual lenses having less flexibility than the lens on a bridge, the lens of a DSLR will be of noticeably better quality?

Secondly, things like aperture sizes and focal lengths; I'm just trying to work out some "real world" examples to which I can tie the definitions I've read. I'm a real beginner, so am doing some reading up, but have nothing concrete to tie these to at the moment.

Something like a landscape shot, for example, would require a short, wide-angle focal length with a fairly wide aperture? Whereas a macro shot would be the opposite, and a close-up of a footballer, for example, would be somewhere in the middle (although moving towards the telephoto end)?

Just trying to get a handle on these things really! If somebody could post a pic or two and say what settings they used for it.

ISO is something I'm really struggling to "get"; I understand that it's the amount of exposure time required to achieve an image, but what does this mean in the real world?

Thanks :)
 
manic111 said:
Firstly, I assume that the main benefit of going DSLR over bridge is that, despite individual lenses having less flexibility than the lens on a bridge, the lens of a DSLR will be of noticeably better quality?
Click to expand...
usually but better sensor as well. There are different grades of lenses with DSLRs & consequently different costs.

Secondly, things like aperture sizes and focal lengths; I'm just trying to work out some "real world" examples to which I can tie the definitions I've read. I'm a real beginner, so am doing some reading up, but have nothing concrete to tie these to at the moment.

Something like a landscape shot, for example, would require a short, wide-angle focal length with a fairly wide aperture?
Click to expand...
not necessarily. Usually a wide angle but there are some people that like to shoot landscape scenes from a distance with medium telephotos. As for aperture the camera will often be on a tripod so a wide aperture for light gathering purposes isn't necessary.

Whereas a macro shot would be the opposite,
Click to expand...
usually requires special to purpose equipment - either a dedicated macro lens, extension rings etc.
A small aperture is good for depth of field.

and a close-up of a footballer, for example, would be somewhere in the middle (although moving towards the telephoto end)?
Click to expand...
probably going to want something decently telephoto depending exactly how far away he is & a large aperture to give you a fast shutter speed to stop action.

ISO is something I'm really struggling to "get"; I understand that it's the amount of exposure time required to achieve an image, but what does this mean in the real world?
Click to expand...
ISO is the sensitivity of the recording medium (film, sensor).
this in turn affects the exposure time (shutter speed) but aperture does as well. It's a trinity.
You might want to consider buying/borrowing Understanding Exposure by Bryan Peterson.
 
What BUFF has said is all correct and useful. Understanding Exposure is a very good book to read in order to understand these terms, and how to use them in photography. In terms of which camera to get, you have to remember that to begin with, it will be your skills that limit you, not your equipment. What you have to think is where will you go from there. If you want to enjoy photography and expand your use of it, then an SLR is the best option since you can begin to build a lens collection, which makes upgrading the body simple as you just get a better one of the same brand.

I bought a Nikon D40 last year, and still now it does absolutely everything that I need, and is still allowing me to learn more about photography. I expect it will be a long time before I upgrade, and that makes it a good investment. A bridge camera can be equally as good, but you will always be limited in what you can add to it, and it will also become a hindrance to your learning sooner than an SLR.

Hope that helps a bit.
 
Also here are some example shots and the settings used. Additionally, these show what the D40 is capable of just using the kit lens.

DSC_0509.jpg


This landscape shot was taken using f/22, which is a small aperture. This means the shutter only opened a small amount, and didn't let much light in. This allows a greater depth of field to be acheived, helping bring the foreground into focus while still showing the distance. The disadvantage of having a small aperture is that the lower light levels means I had to use a slower shutter speed. To be able to do this I used a tripod to stop camera shake causing the picture to be blurred.

104591_1246897126.jpg


This shot used a large aperture. This meant that a lot of light was let in, meaning I could use a higher shutter speed. That is why I was able to hold the camera in my hand and not end up with a blurred picture. The other advantage of using the large aperture was that it created a shallow depth of field, meaning that the background became more blurred.
 
i was in the same situation as the op and went for a DSLR rather than a bridge, I spent the same amount on 2nd hand gear a 30d with kit lens as i could have on a brand new bridge camera, read some books inc understanding exposure and havent looked back.

If you decided its not for you can always sell your gear with minimal loss, but once you get into and see what you can achieve once you fully understand the workings of the equipment you can be greatly rewarded.
 
Awesome, cheers for the help guys; I'm not buying until next month when I get some money, but will let you know how it goes. I've heard Understanding Exposure bandied around in these parts a fair bit, so it sounds like a must buy!!!

Thanks for posting the pictures, JR, and for the detailed answers Buff.
I've been looking into 2nd hand stuff actually, I assume that most of it is in pretty good nick? Generally people who own DSLRs seem like the sort of person who would look after one!
 
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