New To This(Pictures Inside)

  • Thread starter Thread starter kai
  • Start date Start date

kai

kai

kai

Soldato
Joined
15 Oct 2007
Posts
3,247
Location
Wales.
Bascally im new to this, i have been out and about of a few months snapping with my digi cam. Now i think its time for me to go to SLR what you guys recommend as a good start up kit?

Here are a few attempts so far and not been edited in anyway (poor i know compared to some of the stuff knocking around here but go easy complete newbie)

2004122765485425541_rs.jpg


2004101202085661039_rs.jpg


2004155025410842395_rs.jpg


be gentle
 
Good start, 3 is perhaps the most interesting though.

If you look down the main page there are 100s of threads asking exactly the same as you. Perhaps read those first, narrow down your options. Then ask about things you don't know.
 
colinuk said:
Give us a budget and what you want to do with the SLR and we can help more :)
Click to expand...


500 - 800 quid i dont know really i have no real idea what its going to set me back that a total ballpark figure.

as for use it's more of a out and about camera i can use for anything, holidays general day to day basis

monkeyspank said:
1st one I would have taken in landscape as there's just lots of empty sky at the top. Look up the "rule of thirds".
Click to expand...

cant i crop it, but looking at rule now :)
 
kai said:
500 - 800 quid i dont know really i have no real idea what its going to set me back that a total ballpark figure.

as for use it's more of a out and about camera i can use for anything, holidays general day to day basis



cant i crop it, but looking at rule now :)
Click to expand...

Can crop it, of course, but it could have been composed better IMHO to make the subject more interesting. More of the bridge perhaps?
 
do you mean like this? i didnt post this because i thought it was not as good as first. Could be wrong?

2003920242821452672_rs.jpg
 
Number 1 gotta be landscape really, get either end of the bridge in shot maybe. Maybe top third sky, then middle trees, then bridge/river in bottom third. Maybe 2 or 3 exposures to get some detail in the sky - possible case for a HDR etc. Just some ideas.
 
The most sensible thing you can do is go to a camera shop and have a feel of the different dSLR's as they are all very different from one another. some say nikon is best, others say canon, others go for something totally different (sony, samsung, olympus etc). You have to remember you are buying into a system (nikon lenses won't fit on a canon etc), and one point to remember too, the lower end nikons don't have AF built in, so if you want AF (auto focus) you have to buy a lens with it on. All canon bodies do have AF though.

Basically, do your research first, ask as many questions as you like, we're here to help you make the right decision for you based on your requirements.

As for your pics, i don't like the first in either composition as the sky is blown out and the colours look a little washed, i like no.2 and no.3 though :)
 
As above, go into a shop and play :)

You have an eye for a photo but need to work on your technique a bit, and if you really want to spend some money then an SLR would certainly provide a better tool and more options to play with :)

The main DSLR candidates for entry level are the Nikon D40 or D80, or the Canon 400D and others around that price bracket. You'll then need lenses, the standard beginners lens is approximately 18-70mm focal length, 18 is the wider end of that range, 70 is a light telephoto.

For the price range you've put up I would suggest you start out light, buy a DSLR kit (comes with the 18-55 or 18-70 lens) version of a nikon or canon entry level camera, this should set you back £3-400 roughly.

Buy a memory card, 2GB to 4GB is good. Each camera uses a different type so check what you need! :D

Then buy a circular polariser for the thread size of the kit lens (67mm for nikon kit, 58mm for canon kit i think, you'd have to check that). This will help you get some contrast into pictures like #1 by darkening the sky. You're only looking at about £30 for that.

Once you have these basic starting pieces, take a load of photos and think hard about what you'd like to be able to do - then ask us how you do it! There's enough experience here that someone will know what accessory you need to reach your goal :)

Don't blow all of your budget on things you dont understand.


OPTION 2:
Buy a brand new D300 with all that money. wait several months to get some more money. buy lenses and accessories :D
 
thankyou very much guys for the advice im looking at the nikon ranges now. seems like a good entry level camera
 
Dont listen to too much anti canon or anti nikon fanboi camera bashing, there really isn't enough objective difference between cameras of similar price ranges, make sure you check out the canon equivalent of whatever nikon you look at.

That said...
If buying canon it is advisable not to buy the kit, but to get a body only with a seperate (better) lens than the canon kit comes with. The Nikon kit lens however is superb. This comes from first hand experience of both D80 and 400D kits.

I chose nikon based on the feel of the camera, try to get to a shop and feel both.
 
the kit price over body only price is probably only about £20 difference anyway for the canon so even if it's to have a lens to play with to begin with it's worth it, and don't listen to those who say the kit lens is crap, it isn't crap, it just isn't an L lens, it's made to a budget but still takes satisfactory pics, you will want to replace it though eventually and you'll get the extra you paid for the kit back from the sale of the kit lens anyway.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom