Beginner DSLR Questions
Ok, I have made my mind up and I want to upgrade my current camera and move in to a DSLR. What are your suggestions for a "Beginner Package"? What is available on the market that I can just have it all in one package? I know I can’t have every lens, filter and what not in one package but what will get me the best bang for my buck. I plan on getting this with in the next 6 months so I have plenty of time to research it and get the extras like a good quality tripod. My current camera is a Kodak Z650. It works, but I don’t have near the options I could have with a SLR. My main focus of my shots is landscapes and weather. I have done very few portraits. I have tried action shots but none have come out with my current camera. What can I start with and not need to upgrade for some time? Thank you all for your expert opinions.
:rambo "So we're all dog-faces. We're all very very different. But, there is one thing we all have in common. We were all stupid enough to enlist in the army. W're mutants. There's something wrong with us. Something very very wrong with us. Something seriously wrong with us. We're soldiers. But, we're American soldiers.....":rambo
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You say you have plenty of time to do researh. Then do it. Start with what your interest in photography is and where it might lead. I know you have already stated some, but refine it and the needes for those kinds of photography. Decide on the features you need/want in a system. You are not buying a camera here, you are buying a system. You need to realize that up front. What lenses, accessories do you also need/want.
Start by comparing camera models. A good place to do so is here. http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/sidebyside.asp You can compare the features of different models side by side. Read the reviews as well. Don't live by them but get a general feeling as to what each cameras strong and weak points are. Once you narrow down you choices to a few cameras then comes the hard part.
Go to a good photography shop. Take the proper media for the cameras you are interested in. You don't need particulary big or fast stuff, just the proper media cards. Hold each camera you are interested in. Feel the weight, balance, build, control locations etc. Get to know the bodies and decide which ones feel good. Examine the accessories you are interested in. Battery grips etc. Look at the lenses you are interested in. Figure out which systems seem to meet your needs the best.
Now, if you have gone to a good shop, they will let you shoot some pictures with the cameras. Use the same high quality jpg setting, and shoot at different ISO's, shutter speeds and apetures for the same shots. Use similar lenses. Some low light stuff, fast moving stuff etc. Take your time, this is a big purchase. Now thank the sales person and go home.
Take a look at the pictures from the different cameras with the different lenses you tried. Now you can choose the best system for you. Don't worry about what someone else uses. They are not you and their needs and wants are different from yours.
If you follow this advise you will in all probability will make the best choice for you and you will be quite satisfied. Being a satisfied photographer means that you will want to go shoot. We will also not be reading posts like "I am thinking of selling my *** and getting a *** because there are not enough lenses for my ***" or "My camera sucks, I like to shoot sports and this *** does not do well at high ISO." There are hundreds of such threads in the forums. Remember, you are buying a system, not a camera. If you start out right, buy good glass and care for it, it will last you a lifetime of bodies. Good luck.
p.s. Do they have good photography shops in Bagdad? They do in Tacoma I am sure. Good luck and stay safe.
The thing is - I could get it earlier, but I had a gut feeling that I wasn't ready. I went through several P&S, each time upgrading to more complicated and advanced model. By the middle of 2005 I *knew* that P&S is no longer suitable for me, since I've been constantly finding myself in a situation where the camera was limiting me in this or that aspect.
By that time I have put enough time in various dslr forums, as well as spent some time observing various shooters using their cameras and their lenses.
When the time came to make a decision, I knew exactly what parameters I wanted and what future upgrade path I will go down by. The last part was (and still is) every bit as important as the initial purchase, since in dSLR world upgrade is the name of the game. Better glass, better bodies, better accessories - it never ends.
The bottom line? Simple: if you have to ask this question, I don't think you're ready for dLSR.
And you will know you're ready when you know exactly what you want - down to the last menu item.
Oh, and, btw, I use Canons:-)
HTH
Do you understand the significance of RAW files?
Are you familiar with Photoshop or Photoshop Elements?
All of these are issues that you will need some familiarity with when choosing to shoot with a DSLR. Which DSLR comes down to deciding which brand of SYSTEM you prefer - Nikon, Canon, Pentax, Olympus, etc. The choice of body is the least important in some ways as bodies will be replaced over the years, but the choice of manufacturer will remain. Lenses and flashes will be with you long after your first DSLR has been traded off and replaced. (I would give strong consideration to Nikon or Canon unless you know exactly what you require. Olympus and Pentax make lovely cameras, but togegther capture less than 10-15% of the overall market which is captured by Canon and Nikon.)
What is your budget?
Moderator of the Technique Forum and Finishing School on Dgrin
In all those years I have shot my F2's and my Pentax 67. (a medium format SLR) There are just some things you can not learn without the right equipment. What it does take is time and patience. Learn from your experiments and do not be afraid to try. When you get a camera RTFM and learn the thing forward and backwards. Kind of like the basic training in the military.
Sometimes your experiments will come out good. Some timie they will be SNAFUed and some times they will just be plain ole FUBAR. Learn from each situation. Don't be afraid to ask, don't be afraid to read and don't be afraid to learn. But most of all, don't be afraid to take your time. There are more resouces out there than you could get through in a lifetime.
The main thing is: did you ask the questions, or did you just get what you could and proceeded with shooting?
The photographer I worked for thought I was nothing but questions. Fortunately he loved to teach. That and working on the yearbook staff with an almost unlimited supply of b&W film to use. I loved photography so taking the time to learn was no problem. I still have my notebooks from 1970 that have data of shots I took, what worked, what didn't and the reason why and how to correct the problem.
I went to the dSLR about a year ago and spent more money in a year than I ever expected. However, I shoot mainly ice hockey and needed (wanted) fast glass. Unlike most newbies, I won't be sellng my lens in the near future like others.
In general, pick something that feels good in your hands and spend the money on good glass. Go to stores and pick up the bodies. Do the research. I would recommend that you pick a brand with lens line up that you'll be happy with in the future because you'll be picking up more lens as time passes. It's very difficult to change brands once you have a large investment in lens. You might change bodies over the years, but you'll probably keep the glass.
Start with a used dSLR body and spend the extra money on good glass. For canon, I suggest an used body (rebel, xt, xti, 20D, etc), the 10-22mm for the landscape, and a good walk around lens for startes. After that, go out and shoot.
The first thing I recommend is to look back at "your" previous images, finding ones that you liked and didn't like. Then figure out why you liked or didn't like about the images. If you conclude that a dSLR would improve your situation by allowing you to take more of the images you liked, and more control over the problem areas, then you know how to proceed.
You will have gained an appreciation for how "you" shoot.
If you don't do this self-assesment, then you don't really know what you want.
Modern dSLR cameras can take as many "bad" images as a P&S digicam, so don't think that you will solve all your problems with an equipment upgrade.
Your technique and your capabilities will have more of an impact on your photography than any new equipment ever could.
If you decide that a dSLR is the way to go, I recommend you start reading the many threads here and reviews at Steves-Digicams and the DPReview.
Don't look for a "package", because then you are allowing someone else to make decisions for you. You may be able to find a package that suits your needs, but research first about the components which will be right for you.
As you gain more knowledge about the cameras, lenses and accessories available, you will begin to figure out what is right for you.
Now some links to start you on your quest:
http://www.steves-digicams.com/best_cameras.html
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/compare.asp
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/sidebyside.asp
http://www.photographyblog.com/articles_best_digital_camera.php
http://www.dcresource.com/buyersguide/
Moderator of the Cameras and Accessories forums
That can help narrow down what you need. What kind of "more control" do you need? Can you tell from looking at your past shots that failed?
For example, you find out what specifically went wrong and then identify how a DSLR would fix it:
Can't hold camera steady in low light? (Solution: Tripod or image stabilization)
Landscape details not sharp enough throughout even though on tripod? (Solution: Lens with better quality glass)
Can't focus on the right thing fast enough? (Solution: Better focusing sensor grid, and practice with sensor selection)
Can't fill the frame with distant subject? (Solution: Longer lens)
Can't blur the background enough? (Solution: Lens with bigger aperture)
Flash looks ugly? (Solution: Flash that can be taken off camera or swiveled to bounce)
Low light pictures too noisy? (Solution: Low-noise image sensor)
So, be specific about what you need to fix. It's so easy to spend $2000 on the wrong gear, being specific helps make sure you spend $2000 on gear that actually solves your problems and not somebody else's.