Just bought a D3200

Antony101 · 12 Oct 2013 at 11:00

Well, I've no idea about photography and cameras so I decided to go out and buy a D3200 with the kit lens.

Any tips for a new starter? Good guide? I don't want to do anything serious but travel a lot for work and pass some wonderful sites. Any guides or tips on how to make images better would be great.

Thanks, Antony.

Antony101 · 13 Oct 2013 at 00:30

I could also use an extra battery so I can shoot/charge at the same time. Where would be the best place to buy the official battery that won't be some Chinese knockoff?

no_sleep_til · 13 Oct 2013 at 00:34

practice and practice. and scour the net for photo blogs, tutorials, tips & info. there's loads of helpful stuff about. the first few weeks is a case of getting to know the camera. with that and the info you can find online, it is initially a steep learning curve, but once you have mastered the basics it becomes so much easier to get along with.

as for improving your images, for me it just followed. the more you use it and understand how the different settings (aperture, shutter speed, etc.) effect the outcome. the better they become. there is a book called "Understanding Exposure" which is regularly recommended in this forum. although i've got it, i've only looked at the pictures

(fortunately they are accompanied with info on the settings used for each) which might be worth getting hold of.

that's really all the advice i can think of. it really is a case of the more you get out and take pics, the more you improve

Antony101 · 13 Oct 2013 at 01:04

Thanks for the info, I'll have a Google.

Any idea on getting a second genuine battery?

no_sleep_til · 13 Oct 2013 at 02:45

i bought a 3rd party version for about £10. it's been fine up to now. i use it in a battery grip with the 'official' nikon one. and i would guestimate that i get 900 or so shots from that, but i've never actually taken that many. and when i'm out my camera is switched on all the time because i have a geotagger that needs the camera to be on all the time, otherwise it's constantly cold-starting. sorry i digressed a bit. i'm normally out for about 5 hours and the indicator is usually always still on 3 bars when i get home.