Joining the DSLR club

jamie2497 · 20 Sep 2012 at 15:59

Hey guys,

Figured i'd post in this forum as after using my Dads Nikon D5000 and viewing the pictures it can take have decided to order a Nikon D5100 as my first DSLR!

Really excited but am a complete newbie when it comes to the art of photography, so this is partly a 'hey' and partly a 'any tips would be much appreciated' thread!

Ordered from ******* for £366 with the 18-55mm VR Lens so hopefully it won't be too long until delivery!

PistolPete · 20 Sep 2012 at 16:10

The first and best tip for anyone getting into photography - beg / borrow / steal / buy (OK not steal) a copy of Bryan Peterson's "Understanding Exposure" and read it through until it starts making sense.

Get to grips with the basic concepts in the book (and it's not a huge book and is filled with pictures) and you'll have your camera off auto mode in no time.

dannyjo22 · 20 Sep 2012 at 17:05

PistolPete said:
The first and best tip for anyone getting into photography - beg / borrow / steal / buy (OK not steal) a copy of Bryan Peterson's "Understanding Exposure" and read it through until it starts making sense..

Recommendations to that out dated pap makes me want to explode

His outdated methods of metering set me back when I first started out.

Each to their own and all that but there are better basic guides on TP than in that book

PistolPete · 20 Sep 2012 at 18:24

How come??

He explains shutter speed, aperture and ISO plus the exposure triangle really well, a few common mistakes that can throw off in camera metering and different types of light. Can't remember much more than that.

42zx · 20 Sep 2012 at 19:34

My tip is get the 35mm 1.8 G!

iamtheoneneo · 21 Sep 2012 at 22:58

dannyjo22 said:
Recommendations to that out dated pap makes me want to explode
His outdated methods of metering set me back when I first started out.

Each to their own and all that but there are better basic guides on TP than in that book

Id agree with this tbh, I got that book on the recommendations of many on here when I first started out and it was a massive disappointment - its really old and there is much better out there.

Tom Ang - Step by Step is a more modern, worthy book imo.

jorzeh · 21 Sep 2012 at 23:06

42zx said:
My tip is get the 35mm 1.8 G!

This, D5100 should be quite good it is similar to the D7000 which is an ammazing Camera.

James J · 22 Sep 2012 at 00:37

42zx said:
My tip is get the 35mm 1.8 G!

Perfect companion to the D5100 and D7000 bodies in my opinion, especially if you want to really blow the backgrounds out in photos due to the F1.8 aperture.

My advice is take a photo of just about everything and always have a look around the net at other peoples work to get inspiration and to get to grips with composition and you'll be set. Its VERY hard when you don't know much about photography and thats from my own personal experience, but time and persistence really pays off. I've made tonnes of mistakes and still do, yet the quality of my work compared to last year for example is monumentally better!

Enjoy the camera