Learning photography

[Naresh]

Oops! just saw the post that you don't need a D-SLR.

I'll leave my post there anyway.

[Droozy]

went to see S5 .. dun like coz its using rechargeable batteries which takes long time to charge esp when travelling.. me has s45 too.. but now got lumix FX01 so seldom use liao.

 

Reason not into DSLR coz I think I am not as professional as you and the guys here too difficult for me. Me usu takes photos as quick as possible coz sometimes weather changes fast or lighting change too..

 

FZ18 or FZ 50 really that bad huh ...

Edited February 20, 2008 by Droozy

[Boyboy]

Got digital SLR models to recommend??

 

D40x.

 

entry level but i'm using it to shoot for my publication. Between canon and nikon, best u try out the interface first before u decide. zealots on either side will tell u their brand is better.

 

my take is use the one u comfortable with. so u can explore the entry-level one from canon as well. interface is generally similar for a given brand although higher end has more features and more confusing

 

lens more important than body, btw. good body, cheepo lens also no use. usually pple upgrade body, but lens-wise they accumulate new lenses. ditto for flash

[Boyboy]

D300 = 2.5+K BODY ONLY

D3 = 7.5k BODY ONLY

 

my setup, D40x + kit lens + 18-200 VR pao-ka-liao lens.

 

abt 2.5k in all, with spare batt etc.

 

for real basic, just get the kit, 1.1k or so, can learn the basics. i got VR because i sometimes do night shots and didn't have external flash then. anyway, VR makes noobs become "pro"

[Shull]

yeah..if you have friends using both canon and nikon DSLR, go and borrow from them and get a feel..

 

trust me, a DSLR is so much better than a prosumer..i am an ex-prosumer user(been using FZ-20) before switching to DSLR..

 

my current setup is a canon 20D and EF 17-40 L..now saving up to get a 430ex flash and a 24-105 L

[Nivlac]

ur answer would be a basic 2nd hand dslr body + good lens (suggest getting 2 prime lens 50mm 1.8

 

taken with an 85mm 1.8

[Madsumm]

boyboy.. i do suggest to keep away from D40x and D60..

 

If you have enough, go for D80 and above. Just simply put, D40x and D60 can only use very limited lens. That is a huge setback.

 

Like most pro will say, invest on lens, body you can change anytime.

And good lenses are not cheap and mostly hard to come by. Limiting yourself to that is hard for me.

 

I use to have 18-200VR. Guess what, I've sold it off to get the Tamron 18-250mm.

Though no VR, it is one of the brightest and the most brilliant colours reproduction pao-ka-liao lens I've used. Almost all my pics are taken using this as its my main travel lens. I'm also eyeing on 200-500mm tamron, or 28-300mm VC lens as well. Both very well received.

 

Next is Prime lenses(fix focal). I'm scouting for 24 or 28mm Nikkor lenses. Still no luck.

[Megaweb]

Is your NZ trip over ?

 

Any camera can take nice photos. Most important is you must like your camera or tool and know its limitation and specification well to utilise its features.

[Madsumm]

Droozy,

 

think what u r looking at is really most misconception by a lot of ppl.

 

if you want the fastest quick reacting cam so as not to miss any shots, nothing beats DSLR. Most compact counts the secs it need to start then shoot. DSLR.. none of this. A lot of my shots are done in "last min" candid shots.

 

I could never do this with compacts.

 

Also, one last misconception. Its much easier to use DSLR and u do not need a pro to handle it. I hold a Sony and I'm stumbled! Its so complex! Hahah.. irony.

 

Wat comfy and me usually say.. its not the cam, its the photographer. As long as the compact handles aperture, shutter, ISO and accurate whitebalance, it is fine. But usually, compact has problems doing even the most easiest tasks which DSLR handles supremely well. Coz, it likes to tell u what it thinks is right... keke

[Madsumm]

yo.. good shot.. but very distracting background :(

[Madsumm]

yo droozy..

 

I most likely will upgrade to D3 or D300... interested in my 2nd hand D70s?

 

kekeke

 

Its not so soon though.. maybe end March or in April.

Edited February 21, 2008 by Madsumm

[Boyboy]

too late for me. insufficient research i guess.

 

everything with the D40x is fine for my current purposes, except for lack of AF with non AF-S lenses. and maybe the lack of bracketing feature too.

 

lack of AF with many lenses didn't stop me from buying a 50mm F1.8 though. partly for low light capability (i used a 50mm f1.4 to good effect, shooting BMXers at an unlit skate park at night). Manual focusing just takes some practice.

 

if i had no camera body now, i'd definitely get the D80. since i have a D40x which serves my needs pretty well, my next upgrade will be D300 or its successor. but probably not for another 2-3 yrs. must fully utilise my existing equipment

 

Dunno how u can tahan "downgrade" to non-VR lens. i think my hands already pretty steady (panning moving cars at 1/6s with non-VR lens, i still can see the number plate) but VR greatly increases my hit rate for shutter speeds below 1/30s. can shoot 1/2s regularly handheld. but that kind of thing turns me on la

[Zambik]

D300 = 2.5+K BODY ONLY

D3 = 7.5k BODY ONLY

 

my setup, D40x + kit lens + 18-200 VR pao-ka-liao lens.

 

abt 2.5k in all, with spare batt etc.

 

for real basic, just get the kit, 1.1k or so, can learn the basics. i got VR because i sometimes do night shots and didn't have external flash then. anyway, VR makes noobs become "pro"

 

Hey me also interested in the D40x, but limited lens lor, bo pian coz don't wanna invest so much 1st when I'm just venturing into the DSLR world. I'm thinking of getting the 55-200mm VR lens to supplement, coz the 18-200mm VR very ex...

 

Now the D40x kit going for $970, dunno if D60 come out liaoz will drop price ornot

[Boyboy]

actually prosumer PnS can have pretty decent shutter response. but of course lose to DSLR. just gotta pre-focus, same with DSLR.

 

anyway, for self-professed noobs, D40 or other brand equivalents are good to start with. very very easy to use. they have built in guides in the camera for total newbies.

 

btw, i'm not promoting it just because i'm using it. for pple who know a thing or two abt photography dun be like me and stinge and left high and dry w/o autofocus

 

all depends on what the TS wants. if he just wants to take snapshots, any cheap compact camera will do. but if want to explore photography, better to start with basic DSLR. i wasted a lot of time on compacts but at least still can experiment abit cos got manual override.

 

oh and if u want video functions i believe DSLRs don;t offer video capability. if that matters

[Prodigysaint]

how bout editing?? using adobe CS3?? i wanna learn bout editing before embarking on the photography road...

[Boyboy]

if u get the D40 (or D60. actually wth is D60? sorry i not technophile i prefer to shoot ), can skip the kit lens and just get the 18-200mm

 

this 18-200mm can pao ka liao. remember, it's the equivalent of a 27-300mm for film camera due to the crop factor. multiply by 1.5 to convert to 35mm film equivalent.

 

i got the kit lens, because i wanted a backup. now i think i shd have saved the moolah. at this point i don't feel like selling it cos i got a polarising filter and those aren;'t cheap..

 

not sure what the D60 has that d40 doesn't, but if it's the successor, i say go for D60 instead

 

read my earlier post. D40x NO AF with most lenses. u need AF-S lens. my 50mm AF nikkor works but must manual focus. so just bear in mind when u choose the body

[Madsumm]

kns.. like that oso can turn u on? haha

 

VR is fantastic in Active mode when i'm in a moving vehicle (when I was in Canada.. very good on mountain roads).

 

The thing that push me to change is the sharpness and colour... VR to me, does some decremental points on quality of pics... maybe its juz me..

 

The new Tamron 28-300mm with VC.. i heard,.. is much better then VR by Nikkor.

BUt then.. Nikkor oredi launched the 2nd generation VRII... that I've not tried..

[Zambik]

D60 is the new model Nikon coming out for the in between D40x and D80. Also no AF motor.

 

Did consider the D80 but will kill my budget, I'm fine with manual focusing, did that for film SLRs as well (just needs a bit more time). Have been playing around with PnS cameras and exhausted all the manual functions. Now wanna get more out of my pictures especially when I'm travelling. So the camera and lens size and weight is also a consideration.

 

How much you bought your 18-200mm VR lens for? I was thinking with kit and 55-200mm VR lens, it would cover the effective range as well.