On Tue, Mar 3, 2009 at 10:15 PM, Thaths <[email protected]> wrote: > > > My recommendations: > > * Buy a camera body that is cheap and does most of what you want. If > you really get into photography you will likely upgrade your camera > body in a couple of years anyway. Think of a camera body as a > light-tight black box with a few capabilities. At the cheaper end of > the spectrum you will get a sensor that has a 1.5 crop factor (i.e., a > 35mm lens will act as a 35*1.5 = 52.5mm lens). > > * I strongly recommend a non-zoom lens such as 50mm f/1.8 (or the more > expensive 35mm f/2). Learning photography with a fixed focal length > lens enables you to be more deliberate about visualizing the image you > want and taking steps (changing aperture / shutter speed, moving > closer to farther away from the subject, shooting from low down or > high up, etc.) to achieve the look you want. The 50mm lens sells for ~ > $100 is one of the most widely used lenses. > > * A vast majority of DSLR owners shoot in completely automatic mode. > IMO, this is a waste of the capabilities of the DSLR and $$. If you > find yourself shooting mostly in auto mode, you may get better value > for your money with a higher end point and shoot than with a DSLR. > Learn the basics of shutter speed, aperture, depth of focus, etc. and > start shooting in Aperture or Shutter priority mode. Graduate into > fully manual mode later. > > * Gradually start building a good collection of lenses. Do not skimp > on lenses. If you choose your lenses wisely, they will be around for a > couple of decades. > > * If you are going to shoot landscape, invest in a good, stable tripod > and head. Since you are going to be photographing outdoors, you > probably can wait on buying an external flash. > > * Read some good books on photography. I highly recommend 'Learning to > see creatively' (http://www.amazon.com/dp/0817441816). > > * Take lots and lots of photographs. Learn how to process them. Cull > >95% of what you shoot and learn from the process. > > * You will end up spending more than you budgeted. Your camera gear > will always be incomplete. > > Thaths
I think Thaths' excellent advice should be printed out and stuck on the wall! ....and if you want to learn about your camera...Kalyan conducts excellent photography workshops in Bangalore. If you are in another city...find one to teach you the basics...then, just keep on experimenting with your camera (that's what I am doing.) Find, and go on photography trips with, others who have similar cameras and are willing to pass on their tips. Pass on the tips you find useful, to others. Find what suits you....to the disgust of many of my friends, I don't shoot in RAW, or post-process, but I want to post my photos pronto; to me the documentation and the story the photos tell is more important. I find going in a group an excellent learning experience...the same subject is treated so differently by people. When I get a subject, I shoot in manual, aperture priority, shutter priority, etc, and later see the differences. Photography is an expensive hobby....Kalyan had one student who was flabbergasted to learn that digital photography meant that she needed to own a computer! I am NOT a gadget-friendly person, so don't worry about the camera being too complicated for you. Yes, indeed the DSLR's are complicated and delicate pieces of engineering...but L-boards can learn to handle them. Most important....have FUN! Digital photography, with its instant results, IS great fun. -Deepa.
