I'm new to all this...

-westy-

-westy-

-westy-

Soldato
Joined
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Location
Snorbans, UK
Hi,

Following a chat with rg-tom on MSN, i've put a bid on an Olympus OM10 on the bay of E.

Now, i'm wondering about a few things:

edit: I read the FAQ now :o

1. Shutter speed - i'm assuming that the faster the shutter rate, the sharper the shot? (good for capturing moving objects)

2. Aperture - The lense that comes with the camera has an aperture of f1.8 - is that good or bad?

I'm guessing that to take a good shot requires time, and lining up and focussing properly etc..

Thanks :)
 
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-westy- said:
1. Shutter speed - i'm assuming that the faster the shutter rate, the sharper the shot? (good for capturing moving objects)

2. Aperture - The lense that comes with the camera has an aperture of f1.8 - is that good or bad?

I'm guessing that to take a good shot requires time, and lining up and focussing properly etc..
Click to expand...


would love to type a long reply but I'm supposed to be workling so I'll have to be brief:

1. Yes, if you're photographing a moving object then a faster shutter speed will freeze the action. For creative reasons you may not always want to do this though.

2. An aperture rating of a lens is the widest it will go (how much light it will let in). An F1.8 will let in lots of light so it excels taking shots where there is low ambient light. It's not the only aperture available so you'll be able to use smaller apertures when the ambient light is brighter.

Not sure how much you're paying for the package but I'd guess that the lens was a fixed focal length (no zoom). If so you'll have to think about how you frame a shot a lot more.

As for taking the shot - if you're shooting something that is static (landscape, buildings etc) then taking time to plan your shot is worthwhile. Other subjects (generally anything that moves) need to be shot quickly to "catch the moment".

HTH
 
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It's a good place to start for 35mm film! As the camera is completely manual I'd advise you to read a few photography books and websites and learn how aperture and shutter speed work together. What depth of field is and how to control it to get the effect you want.

With regards to actually picking what to shoot; sticking something bang in the centre of the frame isn't always the best way to frame it. "The rule of thirds" is an important one and something you need to read up on :)
 
RichDay said:
It's a good place to start for 35mm film! As the camera is completely manual I'd advise you to read a few photography books and websites and learn how aperture and shutter speed work together. What depth of field is and how to control it to get the effect you want.

With regards to actually picking what to shoot; sticking something bang in the centre of the frame isn't always the best way to frame it. "The rule of thirds" is an important one and something you need to read up on :)
Click to expand...


cheers, any site recommendations, or should I just have a nosey through the sticky?
 
Can only find one of my books - I guess I must have loaned the others to someone :(

The one I have is *old* from about 1980. It is however ideal for teaching the basic photography principles.

It's called Photography (second edition) by a guy called Charles Swedlund - you can buy it online (used obviously) for about £4.

Some of the things it'll explain:

- Aperture
- Shutter speed
- Depth of field
- Hyperfocal distances
- Film speed and type
- Filters
- Light metering
- Developing film and prints
- Working with artificial lights
- Colour temperatures

Another book that might be worth reading through for inspiration is 1000 Photo Icons by George Eastman House. Although principally in black and white you'll be able to see prints from some of the photographic greats in history. About £6 online.

HTH
 
Older forum members would have HAD to learn all the tricks of the trade, and try to learn them quickly, because buying film, processing and developing is expensive.

You could consider going digital, all the things you enquire about, aperture, shutter speed etc can be "done" on a relatively inexpensive digital camera and the benefit you can view the photos almost immediately on your computer screen! Software also displays the settings used on the camera at the time of the shot.

You can re-use the storage device (Compact Flash, Secure Digital etc) over and over again and see where you went wrong.

I used (still have) a Canon AE1 (film) and bought a Canon A70 (digital) about 3 years ago. The A70 has more than paid for itself if I consider the amount of money I would have spent on film, developing and printing.

Other forum members might disagree. I don't regret learning photography using a film camera but I think my pocket would disagree.

Best of luck if you buy it.
 
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