Tell us about your camera and how you use it. What’s the one thing you like the most about your camera? Are you using a cameraphone? They are great for shooting when you come across an unexpected spectacular moment. Some of the excellent moments have been captured on cameraphones. Or are you using a DSLR?
If you are still making up your mind to buy one, you can check out the quick buying guide here. Tell us what you’d like to know more about your camera. We are coming up with some great posts for the camera owners so have your say before we start.
We have been covering a lot of basic and technical topics on the photography front in the last one month. We’d like to know you better and collect your suggestions. We want to make sure we know you and your camera so that the information is relevant, is usable and valuable. So what are you waiting for? Come on say something :)
Alphons Kresp November 19, 2008 at 6:33 pm
Hey guyz, im using a Sony DSC-T7 with 5.1 MP 3X.
Thanks a lot!
Shivanand Sharma November 20, 2008 at 2:18 am
Alphons: thanks for dropping by. What do you like the most about the Sony DSC-T7?
Matt Matchura November 20, 2008 at 6:41 am
I own two DSLR’s. My primary is a Canon 5D and backup a 40D. It is not so much the bodies, but the lenses. A 24-105L is mounted to the 5D almost always. Once in a while a 50mm 1.4 gets used, but the zoom is a very versatile tool. On the 40D there is a 100-400L mounted 95%. It is better suited for telephoto use.
I use both cameras for a variety of shooting. Everything from landscape and nature to motorsports and candid. I like the way the 5D’s full frame sensor handles wide angle shots, while the 40D’s faster continuous shooting and more advanced features make for better action shooting.
Shivanand Sharma November 20, 2008 at 6:47 am
Matt: Thanks for the comment. I’m planning to buy a 50mm lens too. It’s a pretty fast lens and turns the DSLR into almost a point-and-shoot camera (if you can tolerate the bulk of a DSLR). Also an aperture of 1.4 gives a lot of flexibility to shutter-speed which is almost always a priority.
Matt Matchura November 20, 2008 at 7:00 am
The 50mm f/1.4 also produces astounding DOF effects. The size is small enough to make perfect for stealth street photography as well. The non-L 1.4 is a really nice lens and a wonderful tool.
Sudhanshu Chaturvedi November 20, 2008 at 8:57 am
Matt: 100-400L definitely the best choice for telephoto. It also has a ‘one touch zoom’ mechanism. There has been a buzz that this mechanism increases the chances of dust entering into your lens. Whats your experience………..
24-105L is one of my favourites too. Gives you a good range with good quality. Any comments……….
Matt Matchura November 20, 2008 at 9:50 am
So far (8 months) I have not had any dust issues with the lens. I have used it in the desert (dry and dusty) and coastal plains (fog and moisture) without a single problem. I love the “push/pull” zoom personally. After using it for a couple of weeks I found that it is quicker than my twist type lenses.
My 24-105L is probably my favorite all around lens. It is just right for most outings, though not quite tight enough for birding. I tried it on my 40D and found it too be too tight in most cases, so it lives almost exclusively on my 5D.
What type of photography do you use yours for mostly?
Sudhanshu Chaturvedi November 20, 2008 at 10:34 am
I am more of a nature person. travel a lot. I do more of Nature, Landscape and Wildlife. So, 24-105L gives me the right range is not as bulky as the sigma lenses, though I need them for wildlife photography. But for general travel and nature photography I prefer this one.
Shivanand Sharma November 20, 2008 at 10:41 am
…and if I were to have my say, I use the 18-200mm Nikon lens with vibration reduction. I generally leave all my lenses behind when I go out with this.
John Peterson March 9, 2009 at 7:05 am
I have a Nikon D3 and a Nikon D2X. I use a 24-120 as the walk-around for the D3 and the 18-200 as the walk-around for the D2X, since it’s a DX type lens and will only capture the 1.5 factor format. I have a range of Nikon ED glass lenses–the 14-24, the 24-70 and the 70-200, plus the 300 2.8, and I have a 50mm 1.4 which is fun on occasion. Great equipment, great fun.
Walter Schnecker March 9, 2009 at 1:01 pm
I use a Canon 1Ds Mark 3 for portraits and a Hasselblad 555ELD with a Leaf Aptus for commercial work. The Hasselblad is incredible to work with, – until you need the autofocus. That’s where the Canon comes in.
Both are superior platforms that work very well for me.
Walter Schnecker
http://www.c1mpp.com
Mike Finn March 9, 2009 at 9:06 pm
Hey all,
I am using a Nikon D60 digital SLR. I use two different lenses(nikkor 18-55mm vr and nikkor 55-200mm vr) My 55-200 is on my camera most of the time but more wide angle shots and some macro require the 18-55. I shoot mainly landscape and maritime photography but am starting to dabble into wildlife. It’s all a lot of fun!
Jana Marler March 10, 2009 at 3:05 pm
Hey hey..
I recently started my own photography business so I am new to getting the best of the best equipment. So far.. I use all Canon products. I have a Canon 40D, Lenses f/1.4 50mm, f/2 75-200mm L series, a new (so I can’t remember exactly) 25-70 f/2 Wide Angle and then some backup lenses.
I shoot weddings, portraits, sports and more. I have always wanted to be a landscape photographer but the portraiture photography fell into my hands after being asked to shoot wedding after wedding. One day I hope to be as good as Ansel Adams ::smiles:: The 75-200 is incredible for almost all of my shootings. It’s a little close for most wedding shots though.
The 40D is a pretty dang good camera, I just haven’t perfected it yet. It’s continuous shooting is incredibly fun too.
Danielle March 14, 2009 at 10:04 am
I have three digitals, one is a kodak ten megapixel and the other two are sony’s. The two sony’s blow the kodak out of the water by far. I also have 4 35mm slr’s that i love!!!!!
John March 23, 2009 at 8:21 pm
I use a Nikon D200 and a D2H. In general I use a 80-200 and the 1.4 50mm. I do mostly sports shoots and thats what I need to get the job done. At games where I know the crowd will rush the filed or the court I use the 17-35. In daylight when I need the reach I will use a 2x tele-convertor as well.
nasir March 24, 2009 at 4:09 am
Im beginer of photography so i just use thenikon D60 10.2 Mega Pixel. and i dont to use..
The BearMaiden March 27, 2009 at 12:59 am
I use an Olympus e-500, 8 Mega Pixels. At the time, it was what I could afford. Over all I love the camera, but it doesn’t handle low-light situations all that well. It would be nice to upgrade one day… but my truly Olympus is hardy and is serving me well.
Kalyan March 31, 2009 at 1:12 am
I just got a Sony DSLR A200. And have 2 lenses 18-70mm and 75-300mm (3.5-5.6f). So far i am just trying to break out of my daily routine of college and freelancing to pursue my photography interest. I am mostly interested in Nature, Macro, Wildlife, etc…still trying to explore :)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kalyan02
Cheers, Kalyan
Rodrigo Manguba March 31, 2009 at 6:42 pm
I’m using both Canon 20D & Canon 10D. I use it mostly for event photography. What I like most about the Canon 20D is the ease of use. The controls are user friendly. I also use it for travel & family events.
Nazree Abu Bakar April 7, 2009 at 9:27 pm
I am using a Nikon D80 with an 18-135 f3.5 Nikkor lens. The feel about the D80 is superb and the versatility is amazing. As much as possible I don’t digitally enhance my pictures once it is shot, I would say to myself, if it’s not to be the it’s not to be, although HDR and Vertorama looks interesting. I’d prefer to use my shots straight away and I even switch off the auto picture preview. Now getting comfortable with manual White Balance using K values.
peter k April 10, 2009 at 12:45 pm
I have a Sony A350 and I like it a lot. Most of the time it’s in aperture priority, and sometimes in manual mode (when the ligthing is to tricky). I like a lot travel & landscape photography, so I have a Sony 16-105mm lens for general use and a Minolta 50mm f1.7 for the low light shots (inside museums or churches or whatever). I use a lot ND filters, polariser, and I still have the Hoya R72 from my exFuji S100fs. I don’t like much postprocesing, maybe to play a little with contrast and saturation and to get a stright horizon, but no more than that (in most of the situations). For that I use the Corel Paint Shop Pro Photo x2, and for my level of skill is more than sufficient. Hope to hear more from others as well !
Robert McNeil April 13, 2009 at 5:27 am
I am using a Nikon D2x with 17-55,18-200,70-200,80-200 sigma,90mmTamron,500mm Nikon
I love taking Sunsets and Landscapes and also still have a Nikon film n401x with 35-70 lens
vitch April 13, 2009 at 11:58 pm
Nikon D90 with 18-200 VR is what I am holding on to while traveling. Have a spare thought for film and canon G10 too.
david F April 16, 2009 at 8:27 pm
After too many decades with film (35mm and medium format) I have switched to DSLR. The digital darkroom is a huge improvement! I currently use a Nikon D3 and a D300, with a broad range of Nikkor lenses (from 14-24mm f/2.8 up to the 200-400mm f/4, with a 600mm f/4 on the horizon, funds permitting). Greatest pleasure: photographing nature in all its forms. Next ambition: exploring the world of UV and IR. Technically intriguing, artistically challenging, endlessly fascinating, a source of companionship among fellow photographers, there is no better hobby than this! I claim no special postprocessing skills, and still shoot like a film photographer – always trying to get it right the first time, as though every shot has to count. I especially appreciate learning from the experience of others and welcome the feedback, particularly critical feedback from those with greater skills and more experience.
Robert McNeil April 18, 2009 at 1:53 am
david how does the d300 compare in perforamce to the d3 and what do you think of the 14-24 f2.8 lens
david F April 20, 2009 at 3:56 pm
Robert, Thanks for asking. I like the D3 and have become very used to it. I feel comfortable with its rugged build and think the extra weight helps to stabilize it against shutter vibrations (but have no data to prove this). From a strictly technical point of view, the most important feature to me by far is the lower noise level, allowing significantly higher ISO settings. I have obtained excellent images at 1200 and even 3200. ISO 6400 is noisy, but still remarkable in low light settings. Larger pixels leading to lower noise levels have to be the real benefit of full frame, at least for me. The disadvantage, if you’re into wildlife photography, is the need for longer focal length to fill the frame relative to DX. Much of my photography tends to be opportunistic – wildlife tends to present itself without much warning – requiring hand-held shots that would be difficult without the relatively higher ISO settings. Having said that, I appreciate the stability and flexibility of a tripod with a gimbal mount. If I ever get a 600mm lens, this will likely be the only approach I can realistically use. The D300 is an excellent camera, but I find myself keeping it as a back-up and may sacrifice its IR filter if I move into UV/IR work.
The 14-24 f2.8 is an amazing lens, very sharp and beautiful to handle. I am new to really wide angle lenses, but have had great fun with it. Other than my 200-400mm f/4, this is certainly my favorite. It will take me a while to learn how to exploit its full potential. The 24-70 f/2.8 is another excellent lens, but not quite as exciting as its wide angle brother!
Brian April 27, 2009 at 9:56 pm
Hi guys,
I was going to buy the Canon 450D, but when I looked at the SX10IS I chose to buy and use that camera. Its a great buy, super zoom options and photos. I have taken several shots of landscapes, macro shots, floral, tried to take night landscape photos but had a problem as most of the photos were dark and blurred. I was advised to buy an external flash either a speedlite 430 or if budget was a constraint then sunpak 40ex zoomable which would then solve the issue Any thoughts on this and also what settings could I use to get the max for night photos. Thanx.
Nikon DSLR Camera User May 15, 2009 at 1:02 am
Got a used Nikon D80 with 18-55mm ED II AF-S DX Zoom Nikkor lens. Really satisfied with its performance but much more to explore.
Lees Summit Senior Portraits May 29, 2009 at 9:33 am
Nikon D200, Nikon D300, Nikon 50mm f/1.8, Nikon 28-100 f/3.5-5/6, Nikon 80-200 f/2.8 … those are the main lenses we use. Gear is used in a full-time portrait studio.
B. Vallejera July 30, 2009 at 2:15 am
Hi!
i use Olympus E-520. Before buying my DSLR, i was aiming for 450D and D60. however, E-520′s built-in IS and its ultra-lightweight body made me change my mind. and it’s 2x crop factor gives me an extra edge when using telephoto lens.
PCR July 30, 2009 at 10:10 am
Looking at a Canon 500D, not sure what lenses I’ll find necessary until I get further advice on that one.
Robert McNeil July 30, 2009 at 3:59 pm
Just upgraded to the Nikon D300 and only had it two days so i have not got to much to say about
it yet i went for the D300 because if i went to the D3 i would have to upgrade the lens as well
and by all reports there not a great difrence between the two cameras time will tell if i made
the right move
Shivanand Sharma July 30, 2009 at 4:08 pm
You bring up some interesting point. The difference between the D300 and the D3 is the full-frame sensor (means more sensor surface to capture light) and thus results in some wonderful available light performance. Night lights look great and even at high ISO there is no visible noise. However D3 is really costly. A preferred alternative could have been D700. However other than this there is no difference in image quality and is just the low-light performance and the money that you have to shell out.
Congratulations on your new purchase. Do drop us a few lines once you have had some time to spend with it. And do not forget to share the photographs in our Flickr group.
Paul August 4, 2009 at 4:15 pm
When my old Minolta Dynax 7000i finally curled up its toes in late 2007 it signaled a good time to finally go digital. Having a number of Dynax lenses ranging from wide to 500mm and 100mm macro I was in a bit captive market.
One Sony Alpha 700 later … It seemed a bit silly to buy anything else and go either sideways from the 7000i or backwards.
As for buying Canon of Nikon – hey if anyone wants to donate $10,000-15,000 so i can rebuy all my lenses, I’ll happily do it :-)))
Since the change I have bought the Sony 11-18mm very wide zoom – lots of fun. Recently the new Sony 58 flash.
Still have a ‘mature’ Minolta SRT101 and a wee Mamiya 645. Both get wheeled out from time to to time to have some film fun – helps to keep me grounded.
Sandra Lozes August 31, 2009 at 2:07 am
I just recently purchased the Canon SLR Rebel T1i. My husband is a photographer and has the Canon D30 and its great to be able to use his lenses. I am loving my first SLR! It makes a huge difference in the quality of my photos, and gives me a great range in taking the kinds of photos I am interested in. In regards to cam phones, the megapixel is not what makes decent pics. Love my blackberry cam. I had a samsung with 5 mp. But it took awful photos! thanks for the great articles!
David October 18, 2009 at 5:02 pm
My first camera’s were Canon’s, 35mm film each one with a lens attached that I carried in a backpack. Of the four I liked the F-1. They were all stolen and so I started working with and 8X10 Deardorff view camera which I used for more than 20 years along with a Rolliflex and eventually a Contax T1. I became disabled and could nolonger carry the view camera or st in my darkroom to develo film or prints. I finally bought a Sony DSC-S85 4.2mp and ventured into digital. I advanced to a 7mp and finally I purchased a 10.2mp Leica which I have settled on as my main camera along with the Contax T1 which I shoot slide film then digitize the slides. I have had many ups and downs but have found my Leica tripod mounted on a Manfrotto tripod with a Bogen head shooting RAW and producing 16 X 20 B & W prints to be a very satisfactory along with the Contax T1 rangefinder color 6 X 9 prints.
David October 18, 2009 at 5:17 pm
This site has real possibilities as far the current quality of the articles are concerned.
Linda October 19, 2009 at 5:29 pm
I currently have a Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ28 (10.1M, 18x-zoom, shoots RAW). A great camera. I moved up to the 28 from the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ50 (8.1M, 12x-zoom, also shoots RAW). I love these cameras.
neil November 11, 2009 at 11:00 am
I use only Pentax cameras,Have have two film cameras in the past, I think they are the best keep serect in the photo industry.I have a K200 with a 18-250 DA lens.I;am looking to buy a super wide tele now, don’t know which one yet, 10-17 DA or 12-24 Da, any ideas?
Jim Donahue December 11, 2009 at 6:03 pm
I have a Nikon D300 with a Nikon 18-200 VRII Lens. I also have a 70-300 VR and a 50mm 1.8 Lens. Currently I am doing volunteer work with an Animal Services Organization, Publishing Fotos on local websites in Trying to get Dogs and Cats who have been dis-owned into new homes.
Linda December 12, 2009 at 1:35 pm
Like the Linda above, I upgraded to a Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ28 from the FZ50. I love both cameras, but mostly use the 28 now. I shoot RAW and I haven’t found another superzoom that shoots RAW. I am a board member and instructor for a 850-member camera club and have convinced a lot of people that this is the camera to own if you don’t want to carry around the weight of a DSLR and several lenses.
Sarah Adams December 17, 2009 at 7:52 am
So far, I’m just a hobbyist, but have done a few small portrait jobs for friends and family. I have a Canon T1i with a 24-105mm L and a 50mm 1.8 (hoping to upgrade that to the 1.4 soon). So far I absolutely LOVE my 24-105 lens.
I participated in a photography workshop recently, and it made me wish I would have waited a little longer to upgrade my XTi to a 50D instead of the T1i. I’m curious about shooting in full frame. I got the T1i because of its video capabilities. I have a 1 year old, and I was missing the ease of catching little videos of her with my camera rather than the camcorder since my camera is ALWAYS out.
I am LOVING this website. The articles are wonderful, and are providing so much useful information for the level of photographer I am.
Hirak Ghosh December 17, 2009 at 10:16 am
Hi,i am using Nikon Coolpix L20 digital camera for the last 3 year,but want to upgrade to a DSLR.But i’m confused wheater to buy it or not because DSLR don’t have extra zoom.My budget is Rs 30,000.Please recommend fron Nikon Or Canon.My first preference is stuning image quality & second is a good optical zoom (atleast 10X or more)
Please say wheater i should buy a DSLR or upgrade to a compact digital camera with megazoom.
peter kovak December 17, 2009 at 1:15 pm
Well, Hirak, after experiencing the shooting with a DSLR I don’t think you’ll be ready to go back to a point and shoot. I upgraded to DSLR from what was supposed to be the best non-DSLR camera: Fuji s100 fs and I still bless the day when I’ve decided to do it. This morning UPS brought me my new Sigma 70-200 f2.8 and I was happy like a kid with his new toy (and I’m 50!).
I don’t know what is Rs 30,000 (how many $), but a good lens from the very beginning would help a lot. I mean something like the Nikkor 16-85 VR or Sony 16-105, which are excellent walk-around lenses with good zoom range. Don’t forget that when the zoom ratio is more than 3x, you begin to pay the price of image quality. There are lenses like Nikkor 18-200 VR or Sony 18-250 with good user reviews, but I, personally, wouldn’t buy them. I use the Sony 16-105 (sometimes with a 0.5x wide angle converter), the Minolta 50 f1.7, and now also the Sigma 70-200 (sometimes with a 1.4x teleconverter that I’ll buy soon). Think well, but, if you love photography, don’t remain at the level of P&S.
Good Luck !
Shivanand Sharma December 17, 2009 at 11:00 pm
Hirak: The point and shoots come with all the bells and whistles to impress the end-user with features. But DSLRs only pitch the professional photographic quality that you get in the results. Thus when considering DSLRs it is very important to couple them with good lenses (one reason why the pros choose to buy a DSLR and a non-kit lens). When you go for a zoom lens with a DSLR it will put the point and shoots to shame.
For that budget you can go for a basic DSLR (less features but still professional image quality). You’ll have to stick to the kit-lens. But wait a few months and you should be able to save more and buy a non-kit lens that suits your needs.
Canon vs Nikon has been an everlasting war and none of them is a clear winner. You need to see for yourself what you like. I don’t have much experience with Canons but I absolutely love my Nikons.
You can certainly upgrade to a compact digital camera with megazoom. But in the end they are still considered toys and in the long run (and may be only a few months down the line) you’ll see the need for a DSLR again. BTW – mega(zoom) is nothing more than a fancy feature. Get a DSLR and then save and get a zoom lens if you are into wild-life photography or similar.
Hirak Ghosh December 18, 2009 at 10:10 am
Mr. Shivanand Sharma,thank you so much for your valuable & kind comments.I’ve realised the difference between a Non-DSLR & a DSLR.Nikon is my personal favourite too.I’ve decided to buy Nikon’s D3000 DSLR,it suits my budget of Rs 30,000 (With Nikon D3000 Kit With AF-S DX 18-55mm VR f/3.5-5.6G).My first choice was Nikon D700 but as i’m still a student thats why can’t afford that large amount of money.I need an information.What is the price of a Nikon lens that have a suficient amount of zoom (Atleast 15x or higher)? If i’m wasting your valuable time then i’m sorry sir.I’m a photography enthusiast & using a DSLR is my long time dream.
Matthew Matchura December 18, 2009 at 10:30 am
Hello Hirak. Just a thought, but have you looked at used equipment? You could probably get a deal on a higher end body that has some mileage on it. It might allow you save a little bit of money towards a really nice lens. Bodies in the DSLR world are transient at best. They are “obsolete” within a year of release. Lenses, on the other hand, tend to hold their value for a long time. I shoot Canon and have several “L” lenses that I have bought over the years. They are holding 95% of their value. The glass with travel with you through your years of photography practice. My bodies hold nowhere near the value, having lost about 50% of their purchase price in the few years I have owned them. Something you might be able to take advantage of on your student’s budget.
Shivanand Sharma December 18, 2009 at 11:58 am
Excellent suggestion by Matthew. (Phew, how could I forget that.) Since you are on a budget and learning, go for used equipment. Use it, abuse it and save for lenses. Soon you’ll be at comfort with the equipment and the science. Later you can go for what ever you’ll need at that stage.
For zoom requirements, 15x is really too much to ask for. They are just to lure the users of consumer segment cameras. You certainly can go for a 15x zoom and I mention it here so we all know that it is possible. That would be the B003 15x zoom lens by Tamron for Nikon and Canon. However you may want to reconsider why you need that level of zoom at all. The price of this lens is on the higher side of $600 for new.
Hirak Ghosh December 18, 2009 at 8:57 pm
Thank you both Mr. Shivanand Sharma & Mr. Matthew Matchura.But i really don’t understand what you want to mean by used equipment.I’m a new & on my way to learning so can’t understand,sorry sir.What do you say should i buy the D3000 or not?What if i buy that,use & get som experience & then go for a suitable lenses?I was prefering the zoom because i travel in forests & sanctuary a lot so want to capture the photos of animals that stay in a long distance.
Shivanand Sharma January 29, 2010 at 11:36 pm
Congrats on your new purchase. You’d want to put a “UV” filter or a “Clear” filter at least. The intention is to protect your camera’s lens. Later as your photography gets refined you’ll know which filters you’d require. I’d strongly recommend you to suscribe to our blog via email or RSS to get the latest photography tips and techniques.
Karan January 29, 2010 at 5:05 pm
Hi
I have a Nikon D3000, I just bought the camera, I was wondering if I should get filters for it. And any good texts to read about the techniques etc.
Thanks
Paul Perano January 31, 2010 at 12:49 pm
When I buy a new lens I always buy a basic UV Or SkyLight filter at the same time. This goes on to the new lens before it goes out of the shop.
With digital cameras and the likes of Photoshop, etc. the only other filter you should seriously condiser is a polarising filter. This filter reduces glare and make colours more saturated, very much the same as a pair of polarising sunglasses do for your eyes. It can also cut out a lot of reflection off glass and water. The polarising filters affect is one thing Photoshop can’t recreate – OK there is no doubt some people who will boast that they can do it. Just use the filter, its so much easier.
David February 9, 2010 at 9:29 am
I like my Nikon D80 and have had it for almost two years. Although I currently use the kit lenses, and will purchase the 18-200 lens soon, all my family and friends are amazed at my photographs. I recently took one sunset with a streak of clouds through the picture and shot several pictures of it using different white balance settings and results were very dramatic. I posted these on my myspace account and got rave reviews. Thanks for the nice site — David
Deb February 12, 2010 at 12:07 am
I own an Olympus FE-26, 12 mega pixels, 3x optimal zoom, and it seems to have alot of gadgets on it I have not found yet. I also own a Kodak Easy Share CX7330, 3.1 mega pixels, 3x optical zoom. I change between the camera depending on what Im doing. If I want one for outdoors I use the Kodak (its older and I dont mind if it gets wet a bit). They both are Point and Shoot cameras. i am looking forward to one day owning an SR camera.
I love to take pictures, mostly of my 2and 1/2 year old son, but I do get caught up in moments like snowstorms or fireworks. I also love trying to take pictures of the waves crashing on the rocks, sunsets, sunrises, etc.
Arafath May 17, 2010 at 2:16 am
Hi I’m very new in photography, But I did lots of experiments to learn more. But most of the time my photographs are not so sharp as i expect. I own Canon Eos 40D and the lens 17-85 mm with UV filter.
Matt Matchura May 17, 2010 at 6:52 am
Hello Arafath! Welcome to the wonderful world of digital photography. The 40D was my first foray into digital SLR imagery and I think it is a great camera. When I fist started out with the system, I was puzzled for a bit as I expected sharper images as well. Coming from a film background, I had to realize that there are some controls in the digital that help a lot. Think through the way the camera takes the picture –
First, light through the lens, lens to sensor, in camera computer processing, post processing on PC/Mac or whatever. Not trying to make small any previous experience you have covering something so basic, so bear with me. It pans out in the end.
You need to find the stop that your lens works best with. I am not familiar with the 17-85, but I would suspect that between 6.4 and 11 you will find that the lens produces sharper images than when wide open or stopped down all the way. My “kit” lens was the 28-135 and at f/8 it produced wonderfully sharp images, but open it was kind of soft. Experimenting is the only way to find it, but that is the joy of the format!
Lens to sensor is moot if you are shooting off hand. From a tripod, you can lock the mirror up and take out the slight vibration that snapping the shot causes to the camera. I never had that shake cause any problems for me until I started shooting lunar images. It is another thing to consider though, depending on your subject.
In camera processing is a key that I did not consider for a long time. I found that the camera’s processor does a wonderful job sharpening images as they are written to the card. It is quick, taking less than a few milliseconds. Bump it up to 4 or 5 and I think you will start to see the camera come into its own. Resist the urge to take it too far (6 or 7) as it will start to “over sharpen” and you will get “hard” images. Again, experiment as it is cheap and part of the allure of these great cameras.
Post processing is a world unto itself, but the Canon software does a pretty good job I find. Play around with it and I think you will start to see images that will really like. It is all about finding the right settings and then developing a system where all of it is taken into account before each shutter click. The main thing, enjoy! Sorry so long guys and gals -
Paul Perano May 17, 2010 at 5:46 pm
Hi Arafath, welcome to the wonderful photography.
First off I would suggest you investigate your local high schools for night classes on photography. You can learn a wealth of information from these sorts of classes as well as interact with other keen photographers at a similar stage.
OK, so your images are not as sharp as you hope or expect. Matt Matchura raised an excellent point about the apature of the lens. Lenses tend to have a ‘Sweet Spot” where the lens is at its optimum, this is usually around f8 – f11. This is where most lenses will produce their best result.
HOWEVER digital cameras, including SLRs will not create a sharp image. The cameras will try to apply some average sharpening of the image, but not always the best. If you want to get better results use Photoshop, (or whatever you’re using) and apply “Unsharp”. Ironically this will sharpen the image. Do not just whack it up to full or you will over sharpen the image and distort the result.
There are other basic things you can do to clean up the image with out chopping it up. I wont go in to these here. Night classes can help you here and so can various articles on this site and many others.
Big suggestion – some people take a view of, ‘Who cares, I’ll fix it later in photoshop”. Not a great attitude to develop. There is only so much you can fix with a poor photo.
Try and get the best image you can when you take it. This will improve you skills with photography and increase your chance of getting great images.
An extra 5 min taking a shot can save hours of agony behind the keyboard and an uncertain result.
Good luck and good shooting,
Paul P
Shivanand Sharma May 17, 2010 at 11:14 pm
Great suggestions. Additionally I wanted to mention that digital cameras are not as sharp as film cameras. One reason is Bayer Interpolation. Use the in-camera sharpening set to moderate or auto (turning it off may be fine if you are shooting RAW and want to process the capture sharpening later). There’s no workaround for sharpening photos during post-processing (with certain exceptions).
Additionally, it could be otherwise and there’s some fault in the equipment itself, so do compare your lens/camera with others of the same make before concluding anything.
Marizona June 12, 2010 at 10:47 am
I just ordered a Canon XS Rebel. I am so excited to use it! In Christmas of ’08, I bought my first digital camera- A Canon Powershot SD 1100 IS in pink (hey, I was only 10 at the time!) and I absolutely love Canon. I read up on the Rebel and it looks like a wonderful camera. I was looking for a Rebel that was on the low end, since I’m a kid and don’t want to invest in something that my brothers or I might break. So that looked like the perfect choice, and I am looking forward to receiving it in the mail. Could anyone give me any advice on how to use the 18-55mm lens? I’m new to the adjustable lens realm of photography, and any help or guidance on that topic would be appreciated. Thanks so much- This is a great website!
Paul Perano June 13, 2010 at 3:04 pm
Pink, purple of pea green – who cares about the colour. You bought a camera, went out and used it. That is the important thing. Sometimes you will bump into camera snobs. These are the sort of people who look down upon you because you don’t have the fancy camera gear. I have seen fantastic images taken on very cheap and rough cameras. I have also seen rubbish pictures taken on camera worth thousand.
Adjustable lenses or zoom lenses are extremely useful things to use, but like everything in life, “There is no such thing as a free lunch”. Zooms are invariably a compromise of versatility vs. quality. The convenience of being able to change the focal length is balanced by a lack of image quality. Sure you can buy top of the line zoom lenses that give fantastic images – for fantastic $$.
An 18-55mm zoom will be very useful for landscape, architecture and a good all round general purpose lens. I believe due to the size of the CMOS sensor the camera has a lens multiplier of 1.6. This makes the zoom effectively a 28-88mm lenses.
A good guide for zoom is using the lens at the 18mm and the 55mm ends will produce the worst images. The best place to use a zoom lens is about the middle of the lenses focal range, which will be about 35mm for your lens. I am not saying don’t zoom in or out, just be aware that the best image quality is in the middle. If possible use the good old fashion manual zoom function and either walk closer or further away to the subject.
Like most lenses they also have an optimum point for their Aperture. Once again it is usually about the middle. For most lenses its around the f8 – f11 point. If you are not worried about the depth of field and the lighting is good try to stay close to f8 or f11.
You will hear some people tell you they can fix any image in Photoshop so don’t worry about things. Sure Photoshop can fix a lot of mistakes, but why not get your image as good as you can when you take it. Having Photoshop CS ‘whatever’ is no substitute for developing good photography skills and using them.
Suggestion – The first thing you should consider is put a filter on your lens. Either a “Daylight” or “UV” filter. These will have little effect on the images you shoot, BUT they will help protect the lens from dust and finger prints. They may also help save you lens from minor knocks. Better to replace a $30-$50 filter that became scratched than a $200-$500 lens. Try to avoid removing this filter if you can.
My last bit of advice is joining a camera/photography club if you have not already done so. You can learn a lot about photography here and they will encourage you to push your self in different directions and styles of photography.
Good luck and good shooting,
Paul
Gabrielle September 10, 2010 at 7:38 am
I have only used point and shoot camera’s my entire life until recently taking my photography to the next level. I purchased a Nikon D90 and am very pleased with the results of the awesome pictures I get with this camera. I am currently only using the kit lens..afterall, it’s the photographer skills that will master the camera !
My husband encouraged me to take a beginners digital photography class at the university which starts next week. I am excited !
Shivanand Sharma September 10, 2010 at 8:21 am
Gabrielle: The D90 is an excellent camera. All the best for your photography class. Don’t forget to visit us again and share your experiences.
jLorenzo September 11, 2010 at 4:56 pm
In order:
Having come from film (Nikon, Hasselblad and Mamiya 645 1000S), I switched camps in the digital arena.
Canon 5D Mark II – all time favorite on 90% of my shoots
Canon 5D – backup to the Mark II
Canon 1D Mark IIN – favorite for shooting on the street and at night, faster than 5D for sports.
Canon 30D – kick around, when I want to try something different and use of Sigma 1-20mm lens
Canon 350D – mistake when I bought it (never believe a sales person, do your home work first) , so now the kids use it mostly under my supervision.
JoAnn September 12, 2010 at 7:18 am
I really appreciate all the time and effort you have put into this website. I am new to digital SLR (My husband bought me a Nikon D80) It is waaaay beyond my abilities, but I am learning through trial and error and your site. I feel like I am cheating when I use the pre-programmed settings, as I remember a little from 30 years ago when we had a film SLR camera. I hope to find a class this fall in the community college to help me out. Again, thank yo for the wealth of info that is basic enough for me to grasp!
Shivanand Sharma September 12, 2010 at 8:56 am
JoAnn: I also use the D80. It’s my first camera and I had to save for quite a while before I was able to buy one. I earlier used a compact film camera and the only issue I had was with the development of film which killed my colors etc. With digital everything is easy and just what I want. Thus here I share everything I know, experiment, learn and shoot. Thanks for your compliments. Do visit us again.
Paul Perano September 12, 2010 at 4:47 pm
Glad to hear you are trying out night classes. I have run out of the local night classes where I am and have found everyone useful.
Hopefully by the time you finish your begineers class you will have a better understanding of the genre/s that have a strong appeal to you. Try to cintinue with more classes if they are available.
Remember, get out and shoot as much as you can. Try to get it right when you shoot too. Relying on your photoshop skills to fix it later is not a safe way to shoot – what do you do if you can’t fix it … ?
valerie September 14, 2010 at 3:43 pm
Sony dsl-f828
valerie September 14, 2010 at 4:03 pm
I am brand new in photography but, it is my desire to get serious about it. I really shouldn’t say brand new, I have taken thousands of pictures. However, I really want to learn how to use this camera and take amazing photos. Does anyone know about this one I paid 100.00 and it’s like new, bought it from a friend. It is a SonyDSC-F828/ 7x optical zoom/ 8.0 mega pixels with a ZEISS lens. I don’t know to much about cameras, I hope I described it right. I am so confused about aperture/shutter speed.
Shivanand Sharma September 14, 2010 at 11:21 pm
Valerie: Don’t get too much into the camera right away. Just know the basics and how to click pictures. Slowly as you continue to shoot, you can dive more into the camera specifics. As to aperture and shutter-speed, please read my other article on how to get the right exposure. In the start you should use the auto mode and just click pictures. As you grow as a photographers, you can explore more.
Hirak Ghosh October 21, 2010 at 7:49 pm
Dear Sir,
I regularly follow your fantastic APN website.It has helped to develop my photography skills.Now a days i can take quite good quality photos that amazes my family & friends.All the credit goes to APN.I’ve learned the do’s & don’ts of photography.
I am using Nikon Coolpix L20 P&S camera for the last 1 year & now the time has come that I upgrade to a SLR.I’m planning to buy a SLR within my budget.I’ve choosen Nikon’s D5000 with the 18-55 mm kit.Also I’m going to buy the Nikon AF-S DX NIKKOR 55-300mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR zoom lens.Now the point I’m confused that wheater to but a SLR+Zoom lens that is D5000+AF-S DX NIKKOR 55-300mm f/4.5-5.6G ED or to buy the the Nikon D90 which equals the budget of those SLR & lens.If i buy D90 then i have to let off the Zoom lens…
Please make your valuable comments on my choice wheater it is right for me or not.Is it right choice for me to upgrade from P&S to SLR.Does the D5000 has enough quality of picture.I’ve see in many websites that they are saying that it has a good picture quality but lacks In higher ISO & also have a small viewfinder.In my view it is the best I could buy in my budget.For your kind information I’m fond of Landscapes,Sunset photography.Also like to take photos of birds…someway wildlife.
Your opinion is which I’m depending to buy,your opinion is the final word for me.
Shivanand Sharma October 22, 2010 at 10:36 pm
Hirak: Thanks for the compliments. I’m glad that you’ve made use of our photography articles to hone your skills. As to your question, here are my comments:
D5000 vs D90 is a matter of budget and a small compromise with regards to some extra buttons. The D90 has some extra control buttons on the body but on the D5000 you’ll have to reach the menu to make those changes. That’s all. While the technology changes pretty fast, take the DSLR as an investment and if you focus on the art of photography, you won’t need to look at another DSLR for quite a few years. Picture quality from both these DSLRs is great. Take your time to compare the two cameras and walk into a Nikon outlet if you want.
As to the zoom lens, you don’t really have to bridge the gap at 55mm. You can go for 18-55mm kit lens and something like AF VR Zoom-NIKKOR 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6D ED. That is a stronger zoom. There shouldn’t be any need to cover up the 55mm-80mm range because for such distances you can easily move closer or farther from the subject to compose the shot.
When upgrading to their first DSLR, I’ve often seen people wanting to use strong zooms. You may really need them but only if you shoot wildlife etc. If you don’t then invest in D90 and save for the zoom which you can always buy a little later (and you’ll be ready to shoot wildlife by then). Given such a situation, it is intelligent to patiently wait for your first zoom lens rather than compromise on the camera controls.
Hope this helps.
Hirak Ghosh October 23, 2010 at 6:45 am
Thank you sir for your kind & valuable comments.But I’m still little confused on D90 Vs. D5000.Today I went to The Prism (Nikon D-SLR ZONE ) at Kolkata.They told me that the supply of Nikon D5000, D3000 has been stopped.They have the D3100 in the budget of 40,000.But I personally didn’t liked the D3100.
I want to buy from the D5000 or D90.I have read your valuable opinion, but have some questions.If I buy the D5000, will I won’t need to look at another DSLR for quite a few years?Also how is the picture quality of D5000?Is it superb or about average? I personally like the D90 very much but it is little bit over budget for me.The manager of the Nikon outlet told me that D90 is going to be stopped soon as Nikon D90X is on its way.Although its not a factor for me.
The zoom lens you have mentioned sir (AF VR Zoom-NIKKOR 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6D ED) is the FX format while the D5000 or the D90 is a DX format SLR.Is that lens is compatible with D5000 or D90?
After reading your comments now i understand that i don’t need to cover up the gap of 55mm-80 mm range,thank you so much for it sir.
Another question that how much zoom the D5000 or D90 have on it’s default 18mm-55mm kit?This is the first time that i am going to use a SLR,& I’m fond of Landscape/Nature photography rather than Wildlife.In future I surely will buy a zoom lens for wildlife,after I get used to the DSLR.
Waiting for your kind reply sir..
Bye,
Shivanand Sharma October 23, 2010 at 7:12 am
Hirak: Try jjmehta.com. I bought my DSLR from them. Generally the picture quality doesn’t vary from model to model but from camera-generation to generation. You won’t really need to buy a zoom for landscapes etc. Go with a good DSLR with a lens that will let you shoot an acceptable zoom range like 18-105mm or 18-200mm. This will also give you an opportunity to try other flavors of photography like macro and portraits. The camera itself doesn’t have any zoom; please refer to the specs of the lens you go with. Nikon mentions it as “Reproduction Ratio”. The 18-55mm DX lens has a 3x zoom.
Hirak Ghosh October 23, 2010 at 3:37 pm
Thank you so much sir for your valuable comments.I have made up my mind to buy the Nikon D90.It comes with the 18mm-105mm kit lens.I was really confused about my choice but thanks to you sir that now I made up my mind.No i can understand the zoom factor.
Sir,do i need to buy a Tripod?If yes the how much i should invest for that?What are the popular brands of Tripods?Do I need to buy stuffs like UV Filter or Lens Hoods?I really don’t have a great concepts on these.
Hirak Ghosh October 25, 2010 at 6:46 pm
Sir,
Soon I’m going to buy the Nikon D90, it’s going to be my first SLR & upgrade from my Point & Shoot Coolpix L20.So i’m very excited to enter in the world of serious photography.I have some queries,i want to know what accessories i have to buy with the camera.I heard that a UV Filter is must for a SLR.Do i had to put it on the lens all the time?I don’t have any concept on this so i need your kind opinion.Also do i need a tripod right now or can buy it some months later?
Shivanand Sharma October 25, 2010 at 9:57 pm
You’ll need to use the UV filter or a clear filter on the lens all the time if you don’t want it to get scratches etc. If you shoot in the night and do not have VR on the lens then you may need a tripod.
Paul Perano October 26, 2010 at 1:12 pm
Should you by a tripod ? If you enjoy Lanscapes and Nature shots then YES. For those sorts of genre you want your camera as steady as a rock.
You will hear all sorts of claims about cameras’ image stabilisation. Sure its good and very usefull, but it only helps keeping you shots steady. You will hear lots of people telling how they can hand-hold a camera at 1/15th of second, blah, blah. Fine if they wish to risk loosing that fantastic dawn light shot accross a misty valley – let them.
Be safe and use a tripod.
Ok so they can be a pain to carry across the landscape. How much does do you value your images ?
What sort of tripod and how much ? How much can you afford is the big question. You will need a steady tripod and sadly this usually means a heavy one. If you try to pinch pennies and go for a light cheap one it will be of limited value.
I would suggest between $200 & $400 should be able purchase a reasonably stable tripod.
Tripods with legs that can be moved independantly are very versitile. These can allow you to setup in almost any terrain and almost any position and keep a good stable platform to shoot from.
One strange advantage of a tripod is that it slows you down. When you first look at that you may think – “and and that helps how ?”. With digital its easy to stand there and blaze away at the landscape and leap off like a ountain goat to the glorious vista. This is not necessarily a good way to shoot. With a tripod you are more inclined to consider you shots as you set it up. With your camera mounted, (hopefully rock steady) you will be able to choose your shot with more care and thought.
P.S. Buy a bag for your tripod too if it doesn’t come with one. Don’t let the fact that it comes with a bag be a big selling point.
A bag makes it easier to carry, keeps it clean too. Also for those soggy weather days you can always use the bag to kneel on instead of the ground – Hey cold damp knees are cow !
Hirak Ghosh October 26, 2010 at 3:01 pm
Thanks Mr. Paul Perano for your kind & valuable comments.Yes my subject is Landscapes & natures.I want my shots sharp & steady.After your comments I certainly will buy a Tripod.
One more thing I want to ask that is a 18mm-55mm lens is good enough for me to shoot landscapes & natures?If yes then I will buy the Nikon D5000 instead of the Nikon D90.
Paul Perano October 26, 2010 at 3:11 pm
I am not the best person to advise on Nikon’s. There is no ‘Good’ lens for shooting landscapes.
I think the D90 with the 18mm-105mm maybe your best bet. This is a very common zoom lens and will give you a reasonable range from wide-ish to moderate telephoto. A good place to start.
What you may find is your end up prefering to use the Wide Angle end, (18mm) more than zooming in. If this is the case then you might want to consider buying a fixed lens in that focal length.
A fixed lens will give you good quality images and often allow low light shooting. HOWEVER they are not as versitile as you can’t “Zoom in and out” as you can with a zoom lens
There is no such thing as a free lunch in photography. Zoom lenses are versitile, but tend to wards a lower quality image to pay for the versitility. Fixed lenses are usually better quality, but not as conveniant. You have to use you feet and walk to zoom in and out with fixed lenses.
I suggest the 18mm-105mm until you know what and how you like to shoot. Then you can re-asses if you wish to purchase a new lens to cater for the way you like to shoot. Don’t blow money until you have a better idea of what you want to buy.
Paul Perano October 28, 2010 at 2:04 pm
You had asked about filters earlier.
I suggest that before you take you camera out of the shop you buy a “SkyLight” filter or a UV filter and have it put on the lens. Any other lenses you buy later do the same.
These filters have little impact on the lenses operation, BUT they do provide some basic protection for the front element of the lens. A minor scratch or surface damage to the filter is nothing – you throw it away and buy another for $30 – $50. The same damage to the front of the lens and you have big trouble and a big $ to deal with it.
As for general shooting. Digital doesn’t usually require many filters. Most of it can be done in Photoshop. About the only filter Photoshop cant replicate is a Polarizing filter. These are good to have in your camera bag.
This filter will reduce reflections off water and will give colours a deep richness. It will slow the shutter speed down a bit, but it is usually worth it.
Another filter or series of filters worth considering later are Graduated Neutral Density filters. Yes this can be replicated in Photoshop, but it doesn’t work as well. These filter are best employed if you have a bright sky, sunset or dramatic clouds and you want these to really POP, while keeping a good exposure on the foreground. I wont bore you with any more on these.
The system that utilises these filters and the filters themselves are not that cheap so you may want to consider these later.
Basically “a protect your lens” filter and a polarizing filter are the ones I suggest. By the way you can stack these filters. So can add the polarizing one on top of the UV/Skylight. Also don’t be cheap, you don’t have to spend hundreds, but avoid “El Cheapo” filters.
Good shooting,
Paul
Bob Carson November 6, 2010 at 4:50 pm
Nikon D300 and D 700 (Work)
Canon 30D (personal)
Hirak Ghosh November 8, 2010 at 3:15 am
Today I’m very happy.Got my first DSLR.They guys from Nikon outlet called me & said that they have got a D90 which I was searching.I just rushed through & bought.As Mr. Shivanand Sharma & other senior members of APN told earlier, it is really an amazing camera.I am just learning about the features,I just clicked some photos with he auto focus & it comes out great.I want to thank APN & Mr. Shivanand Sharma for guiding me & to help me to choose the right thing.Also bought a Simpex 2400 tripod.Hope I will learn about DSLR features from APN.I’m trying to learn the post editing so that i can digitally manipulate my photos.
THANKS YOU ONCE AGAIN…APN
Shivanand Sharma November 8, 2010 at 10:21 am
Are we talking about a treat here?
Congratulations on your purchase. I hope you are able to utilize the tripod. Now… you only need another camera to send us some screenshots ;)
Paul Perano November 8, 2010 at 12:53 pm
Now all you have to do is study that manual, (before you need to) and go out and use it.
Buying it is the easy part.
Good shooting
Paul
Shivanand Sharma November 8, 2010 at 7:49 pm
>> Buying it is the easy part.
Well said ;)
Hirak Ghosh January 7, 2011 at 8:17 pm
Hello Sir, wish you & all the APN members a very happy new year.The last time I’ve wrote here before buying my first DSLR.APN really helped & guided me, the result is I bought the Nikon D90…& I’m very much satisfied with that camera.It is really a great one recomended by you.Now I’m learning various things & trying to improve my photography skills.This time again i need your valuable opinion.I am planning to buy a telephoto zoom lens, my budget is Rs. 25000-30000.I’e chosen the Nikon AF-S VR Zoom-Nikkor 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6G IF-ED, which priced as RS .29,450.
I need your opinion wheater my choice is right or wrong.Also i want to know that as it is a FX format lens will it affect in the photo quality when i add it to my D90 which is a DX format body.
Waiting for your valuable & kind reply sir.
Matthew Matchura January 8, 2011 at 11:05 am
Hello Hirak!
Congratulations on the purchase of a fine camera body. An FX lens should work fine with your DX sensor and I can not see any reason it for anything but the sharpest, brightest images. It is my personal belief that one should steer clear of the “crop lenses” designed for only the smaller senors. These lenses, while good, are limited in use to the crop (24mm in the DX case) sensor bodies. If you should ever decide to use a full frame sensor body, you would have to purchase lenses yet again. This is because the “crop lenses” sit further back in the camera body and could interfere with the larger mirror assembly on a full frame body. There is no problem in the reverse.
The only “issue” (not really a problem, just something to consider) using lenses designed for 35mm film is that you have too take the smaller sensor into account. Your focal length of the lens is multiplied by the corp factor (1.5 for the DX) and so the 70mm on the bottom actually equates to 105mm. On the top end, 450mm. This is great for shooting telephoto and an lot of folks use crop sensor bodies precisely because of this.
As for quality, get the best lens you can afford that will fit the widest range of Nikon bodies. Your lenses will be with you for decades, while the camera system’s body only several years on average. Your thought of going with FX lenses is a sound one for sure!
Hirak Ghosh January 25, 2011 at 7:50 am
Thank you Mr.Matthew Matchura for you kind & valuavble comments.I have decided to buy that FX Lense (70-300mm).
:-)
Dave February 21, 2011 at 7:39 pm
Hi i use the Canon EOS 1DS normally with the 24-105 L series lens, however on many occasions I still use the 50 mm 1.4 lens too!! I believ this is a great piece of kit for shooting most things like portraiture, weddings, etc…
Jamie Ruane February 24, 2011 at 2:32 am
I’ve recently started out in the world of photography, I’m using the Canon EOS 1000D, I’ve just brought a new lens and flash for it and can’t wait to get out there and take some really good picture, so far I’ve been tinkering around with it and waiting for the weather to get a little better, I wish I’d have had it during winter there were so many great shots I could have taken if I’d have had it then. Just started my website and trying to get a few more bookings for weddings and portrats then I can really take off.
Priyanka February 26, 2011 at 1:22 pm
I’m a proud owner of Nikon D5000 : )
Edward E March 30, 2011 at 11:22 am
I’ve been using Nikon’s D200 for a few years now and it has served me well. The only problem I’ve experienced with it so far is that if I load 2 en el3′s at that same time the second one shorted out. Maybe the battery itself was no good but I haven’t tried that experiment again. Batteries aren’t cheap! Whenever I shoot pro, I use AC anyway. I also have the 800 flash but have hardly ever used it.
Tilen Hrovatic July 19, 2011 at 9:06 pm
I own Nikon D3100 DSLR camera and I’m really satisfied with it! :)
davidprahakar August 22, 2011 at 11:49 pm
hiiiiiiiiiiiiii everyone
can anyone tel me about NIKON D3100 i’m planing to buy it out of my first savings….
Kawshik August 24, 2011 at 1:07 am
I have recently bought a Canon EOS 550D…The lens provided with it is a 18-55. i am intested in capturing people and landscape. in future i wish to click some creative photos too.
i am a lover of monochromes. if you kindly advise me regarding these genres and also help me with understanding light and patterns i shall be benefitted and thankful…
Shivanand Sharma August 24, 2011 at 1:14 am
Sure. But we’ve already covered them Most of them are in the navigation across the top. You can also use the search box.
Rajesh Radhakrishnan September 4, 2011 at 11:40 am
Hi all, I don’t see many Olympus fans here. I own the Olympus E3 & E620 bodies with a whole series of lenses from the Zuiko 9-18mm ultrawide to Zuiko 300mm f2.8. I’m not a professional photographer but do it as a passion. My favourite subjects are wildlife & nature. I chose the Olympus gear for their excellent weather sealing & in body image stabilization.
VIkash Gupta November 4, 2011 at 6:48 pm
I have Nikon D5000, but planning to move to Leica M9 next year any suggestions ?
Jay Dee December 13, 2011 at 7:58 pm
Canon 5D Mk II (x2)
Canon 1Ds Mk III
Canon 16-35 MK II f/2.8 L USM
Canon 24-105 f/4 L IS USM
Canon 85 Mk II f/1.2 L USM
Canon 70-200 MK II f/2.8 L IS USM
Canon 24 Mk II f/1.4 L USM
Canon 580 EX II (x2)
Canon 430 EX (x3)
I shoot weddings (mostly) and portrait work + real-estate photography.
Dave Harley December 13, 2011 at 9:25 pm
Hello everyone! First off I would like to say this is a fantastic site. It’s always the one I turn to for info.
I use a Pentax K5 and K7. The lenses most used are DA70mm, F50 1.7, DA 10-17mm fish-eye (a REALLY fun lens!), and a DA 55-300mm.
I love my setup, and like it has been said, read the manual. Sometimes it’s a bit of slogging through it, but perservere. And lots of practice!
John Moore December 13, 2011 at 10:19 pm
I have just upgraded my Canon 450D for the Canon 60D and learning all the extra functions and settings. I have 3 Canon lens, 17-85mm the 60mm macro and the 70-300mm kit lens that came with my 450D camera. I want to upgrade this one for either the 70-200 f/4 L IS USM or 70-300 f4-5.6 L IS USM both these lens have the same filter size as my 17-85mm which will save me from purchasing more filters. I use ND and polarizing filters a lot and occasionally a star filters on some night shots. Love my 60D.
Steve J O'Brien December 14, 2011 at 2:11 am
I currently Own a Canon 40D with 18-55mm kit Lens plus I have a Sigma 70-300mm & my Favourite lens the 50mm MkII f1.8 Prime, it is such a versatile Lens And I feel it has mad me a’better Photographer as far as composition is concerned as you have to move to get the image into frame I waa so inspired using this lens for a few months I also used Canon Film Camera with a 50mm Prime (Obviously a true 50mm) On my wish list is an upgrade Canon which had HD movie Mode as I also like shooting Film
John Webster December 14, 2011 at 3:19 pm
I own a Nikon D 7000. Great camera with lots of potential to develop my photography skills.
I have 2 great lens, a Nikon 17-55mm F/ 2.8G and a Nikon 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6G. Both are very sharp and give great results. I recently got a Nikon 35mm 1.8G prime lens and and am extremely happy with its performance, great value for money.
Ronnie December 15, 2011 at 5:46 am
Happy holidays to ALL.
Nikon d3100 w/ 18-55mm kit lens, (love it).
Pentax Optio M20 point & shoot
Sears KS Super II SR 2000 (35mm film) w/ 50mm f-2, 135mm f-2.8 & Quantaray 70-210mm f-4
Also have an Argus Match Matic w/ 50 and 100mm lenses.
I like to photograph anything and everything
Don’t shoot film too much any more but I keep the KS loaded just in case.
Carl April 4, 2012 at 6:16 pm
I use the canon 7D with three lenses. The canon 50mm 1.8, canon 70-200 f4L and the 18-135mm kit lens. It’s a great camera and one of the best below full frame in my opinion. I shoot primarily candid portraits as well and specialty photography and events. I’d love some new lenses like the 17-40 f4L or the 24-70 2.8L but they are expensive. The other thing I like about the 7D is its really great video for its price range. I’m an experimental videographer and I love the footage that comes off of the camera. Really great stuff.
Marcus Roque April 4, 2012 at 6:39 pm
Hi there!
Nikon D7000 with 18-105mm Kit Lens, Nikon 50mm f/1.8D, Nikon 35mm f/1.8G.
Canon EOS Rebel XTi running 400plus firmware, Canon 50mm f/1.8, Canon EFS 17-85mm and Canon Zoom EF 75-300mm f/4-5.6 III USM
Speedlight: Nikon SB-400, Oloong SP-690 and Yongnuo YN565EX.
Nadia April 4, 2012 at 6:47 pm
Im using a Nikon L-120.
Judy Howle April 4, 2012 at 7:14 pm
I use a Canon 5D Mk II with the Caon 24 – 105 f4 lens for everything but birds and wildlife, in most cases. I use a Canon 7D for wildlife or when I need longer telephoto reach with a Canon 100 – 400 IS L lens. I also have a Canon 17 – 55 f2.8 for the 7D and I have a 70 – 300 and a 300 f4 L that I can use with either camera.
I got my first iPhone when the 4S came out and I have been doing a lot of iPhoneography using many apps for artistic looks. I have used it more than the SLRs since I got it! I had 10 photos in an iPhonetography exhibit at a local gallery in March.
Anna April 5, 2012 at 7:41 am
I purchased Sony ALT33 with twin lens kit last year, still learning to use it..
Wish I took great photos all the time, still… lucky to fluke the occasional great shot.
Love your newsletters APN !!
Bernadette April 6, 2012 at 9:32 pm
I have the Nikon D7000 and Nikon 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6G lens. I do both photos and videos and am trying to decide what other lenses to purchase.
Bernadette April 6, 2012 at 9:33 pm
Oh and thank you for your newsletters – I read everyone of them.
Steve J O'Brien April 9, 2012 at 2:59 pm
Ok after a disaster on E-BAY ‘loosing’ my Canon 40D for an upgrade sale I am now using the super Nikon S8000 It’s a super versatile Camera with Lens from 30-300mm Walking around town I look just like a Tourist so am not bothered by People Looking too hard at what I am up to
you can see some og the images here http://www.flickr.com/photos/34352063@N05/
subroto mukerji April 10, 2012 at 6:46 pm
I use Nikons…a D5100, a D3100 and a P500 (a Sony DSC-H70 is usually on my belt — phew). Lenses include Nikon 50mm 1.8, 55-300, 18-105 (superb), 18-55 kit lens (amazing), and a Tamron 18-270 PZD (stunning). Funniest thing is, despite my huge urge to shoot pictures like crazy, my 10-hour, 6-days-a-week job leaves me so fagged out by Saturday evening (I’m running 64) that I can hardly summon up the energy to go walkabout on Sunday..and me in India ! The only recourse left to me is take a few grab shots en route to office (depending wholly on serendipity), or do some available light (read fluorescent) portraiture during the lunch break, in office (I usually pack the D5100 with 50mm 1.8 in my bag). So am I crazy or what !
Graham April 10, 2012 at 6:48 pm
I have always owned Pentax film cameras (still have them) and so when I went digital I stayed with Pentax, first getting a K10D and I now also have the K5 with which I am well pleased. The reason I stayed with Pentax is being able to still use my old favourite lenses as well as the more modern ones. I have also picked up some really great lens bargains on ebay.
Paul Wilsford April 10, 2012 at 7:14 pm
I have a Canon EOS Rebel T3. I wish I really new how to use it better. I build scale models and use it to take pics of them and post them to web sites that I frequent. One of my most difficult to under stand is DOF in macro mode. Light is another big hurdle for me as I really dont know how to adjust for it and My pics are either too dark or washed out.
Reno Davenport April 10, 2012 at 11:35 pm
I have the Panasonic LUMIX DMC-G3 Micro 4/3, with many lenses that I am playing with. I have the Panasonic 14-45 and the 45-200 as my basic lenses. One of the advantages of the m4/3 camera is you can use almost any manual lens with it. With m4/3 adapters I am using: Canon FD 50mm f1.8, 28mm f2.8, 35-70mm f3.5,100-300mm f5.6, Macro FL 50mm f3.5; Kalimar MC 50mm f1.7, Vivitar Series One 28-85mm f2.8-3.8 (PK Mount), and a favorite prime lens is my Vivitar 24mm f2.8 (Konica mount). I actually like the m4/3 Minolta and Konica mount adapters the best as they let you use the aperture control of the lens itself. The Canon FL/FD adapters have a movable “Open-Close” ring to adjust the aperture which just gets in the way sometimes. All of the lenses have different bokeh and color aspects. Since I started with a Minolta SRT101 in 1969, this has to be my favorite camera. Light, accurate, easy to use, great resolution, and most importantly it is FUN.
Dominique Collard April 12, 2012 at 6:58 am
Hi all,
I’ve got a 1978 Nikon FE, a Nikon D70, and a Hasselblad
At the moment I am playing with a D300. Having said that I am a film kind if guy through an through.. My wish is to afford a digital back for my hasselblad ….
Dominique
Sougata Das April 13, 2012 at 11:58 pm
I have a nikon d5100 with 18 105 lense.
JOHN GRIFFIN April 14, 2012 at 4:23 am
True supporter of the Nikon D7000, coupled with a Tamron 18-270mm, Nikon 910 Flash, and a Nikon 50mm for basic needs.
Kikicho April 14, 2012 at 8:03 am
I was given a Canon Xsi with a 17-85mm EF S lens. Before I went digital, I had a Canon AE1 with three lenses. 28mm F:2, 50mm F:1.2 and 135mm F2.8 compared with the XSi the film camera was far better.
Hhamayoon April 18, 2012 at 6:21 pm
I have the Canon 5D MarklL and Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 L IS USM Lens. I do both portraits and candid shots and am trying to decide what other lenses to purchase.
Angela Smith April 18, 2012 at 7:08 pm
I have a Sony a330, which I got in order to still use my old film Minolta lenses with. I’m big on shooting animals – my cats and dog, and especially horses at a ranch I visit. I’ve gotten amazing action shots of the horses and as young as one day old foals running for the first time. I found out real quick while my lenses are great for outdoor, the aperature does not go low enough for indoor arena shots (I attempted to work a horse show and probably a third were really good where on my outside shots its more like 95%). So I dropped in a Wolf’s Camera and picked up a 50 mm f/1.8 lens and what a difference! I’m now on the lookout for two things – a longer low aperature lens (100-200 mm, 100 will do) which is way out of my price range so far, and a great all purpose point and shoot, which I found where Sony has come out with an 18.2 megapixel 30xdigital that will get me some great indoor shots with its f/2.8 and the long range zoom will allow me to capture the horses way out in the fields as well as photographing other nature objects. That one is not out of my price range so just waiting on the tax refund to order it since I haven’t found one around town to test out. It also has many great features and being a Sony user much of the controls are second nature to me, plus I’ll have 1080p video recording. I was thinking of looking at a Nikon before finding the new Sony. Thanks for all the great tips! I’m still an amateur with a great natural instinct for certain subject matters – it’s art for me so the tips I get for things like lens flare are awesome! I love using my camera to paint the perfect picture.
Tony Basilio April 18, 2012 at 7:58 pm
I recently bought a Canon T1i. Had an XTi for several years but wanted to get “Live View” to help with critical focusing. I have an array of lenses from Canon 10 – 22 to a Tokina 80 – 400. I shoot a lot of macro’s so my fav lens is my Sigma 150 f/2.8. I also like playing with my Lensbaby. I post a lot of my photos on both Flickr and PicasaWeb. recently, I’ve been experimenting a lot which keeps me from getting bored. But above all, I have fun. Oh and keep in mind that great photos have very little to do with the camera or the lens. Great photos come from planning, skill, creativity and a little bit of luck.
Ian Thomas April 19, 2012 at 12:16 am
I own two cameras to reduce lens swapping. I have a Nikon D7000 which has a Nikon 70-200 2.8 VR lens attached and a Nikon D300 which keeps my Nikon 12-24 F4 Lens on it. The D7000 gives excellent quality at higher ISO so I can catch dogs and birds and planes at 1/8000th sec. It’s a nice thing to be able to set your ISO at 1600 or 3200 and still not worry about noise. The D300 has the ability to get 9 exposures in bracketing so combined with the excellent 12-24 lens its a dream match for landscapes. For 12 months I had the D7000 with the 18-200 VR2 and for 80% of the time its a wonderful combination but as you demand more in varied conditions you end up buying more specialised lenses. I own the Nikon 50mm 1.8 which is an excellent party lens and walkabout option. I also bought the Kenko 1.4 converter for the 70-200 2.8 but only use it if its a must as the lens works best on its own. My advice to anyone wanting to start in Photography is get a Nikon D90 or 2nd hand D300 or 2nd hand D7000 and get the Nikon 18-200VR2 lens.
Peter April 20, 2012 at 9:32 pm
Nikon D500, Nikon F100 (film SLR), Olympus XZ-1 (great little camera), iPhone 4, Minolta x300 (manual film SLR). Usual lenses, mainly primes. http://www.flickr.com/photos/moogan/
Peter April 20, 2012 at 9:32 pm
Nikon D5000, Nikon F100 (film SLR), Olympus XZ-1 (great little camera), iPhone 4, Minolta x300 (manual film SLR). Usual lenses, mainly primes. http://www.flickr.com/photos/moogan/
Marie Louise May 1, 2012 at 10:11 pm
I use the canon 5D MK 2, with the Canon 50mm 1.8, the canon 24-105 f/4. The canon 70-200 2.8 Lens, and the 24-135 kit lens. I shoot everything with this camera. I will start using it for Video very soon, I can’t wait to take it out for a test run. It’s new to my camera collection. I’v been shooting with the canon 40D prior to the 5D Mark2. I’d like to get the 17-55 f2.8. To complete my lens collection. Learning how to take better images is very intriguing, and lots of fun for me. Next I would love to learn studio lighting.
Ray Cutajar May 2, 2012 at 8:38 pm
I have the Nikon D5100 and Nikon 18-200mm f5.6G lens. Its a super versatile Camera its great and fun to play with i do both photos and videos.
Stuart Brereton May 15, 2012 at 10:27 pm
I own a Canon 7D, with a 15-85mm lens and a 75-300mm canon lens. I like shooting old buildings, churches and just general photography. Would like to add a wide angle to the collection, which one will you recommend?
SOLI CONTRACTOR May 20, 2012 at 11:50 pm
Nikon, D300; D40 & Samsung WB650. I have a variety of lenses including Macro 90mm/ & wide angle 11 to16. I am a bit restricted for photography as I am disabled. However I love Flower, landscape and still photography. Used to do a lot of portraiture in the film days. I read a lot of books and enjoy playing with PS CS5. Had a long period 1965 to 2008 whrn I got intrigued with video and used to turn out full feature length travelogues. So I missed a lot of still opportunities. I was also unfortunate that i lost a lot of my early negatives, some very good in a flood from my loft whilst we were away on vacation. C’est la vie.
Paul Perano May 25, 2012 at 4:27 am
I find a fun prime lens to use for buildings is a 24mm wide. I find it is wide enough to allow for a good range of angles, but not too wide that it starts to distort to a significant point. A nice sharp f2.8 also allows for low light work.
I am the last one to ask about Nikon and the sensor size related factors, so that’s something you will have to look into.
Buy the best you can afford. Settling for a cheap lens is likely frustrate you and push you away from using it – so it’s a waste of $.
Reason i suggested a prime … Zooms are a compromise in quality to allow for convenience, but I’m sure know all this anyway.
Good luck and good shooting,
Paul
Tony Basilio May 27, 2012 at 12:14 am
Recently, I picked up a refurbished Canon Rebel T1i. I have a variety of lenses: From Canon, 10 – 22 zoom, 17 – 85 zoom, 18 – 200 zoom. I also have a Sigma 150 Macro (LOVE it!), a Tokina 85 – 400 zoom and my absolutely favorite lens for experimenting – Lensbaby Control Freak. My interests are many & varied and I have to most fun when challenging myself with a new technique or in pushing techniques to new areas.
Tony Basilio May 27, 2012 at 12:26 am
Stuart,
If you are asking about a wide angle lens, then I assume you mean wider that 15 mm. Personally, I have the Canon 10 – 22 zoom but a friend has the Tokina 12 – 24 zoom and likes it. If you can try renting one or more lenses to try for a few days. That way you can choose which lens is best for your purposes.
maria June 6, 2012 at 7:49 pm
Hi, I have a sony alpha 550 and I would love it if you can write tips and advice. I’m about to buy a new lense but I’m not sure if the 70-200 2.8 is the best for me…
I would like to hear information from people who have been working with sony alpha so I can take their advice :)
thank you very very much
I love to receive Advanced Photography’s news letter :)
cheers
Maria (from Uruguay/South America)
bk chand June 6, 2012 at 8:49 pm
I have Canon 7D with two lenses 50 mm f / 1.2 L and 24 mm f / 1.4 L. I am planning to buy a zoom lens also for normal photography including portrait from a distance and bird photography. Which lens do you suggest?
Secondly, I have noticed that my photographs does not come very sharp even with 50 mm 1.2 L despite taking all precautions. Is there any requirement of correction in focus of the lens?
Thierry Schut June 6, 2012 at 11:26 pm
I own several; Canon 1d mkII, Canon 1d mkIII and recently i bought a 5d mkIII. Lenses; 28-300 IS USM, 16-35 mm 2.8, 100mm macro, 85mm 1.2, 70-200mm 2.8 and a 8-15 mm fisheye..
Mostly i use the 5dmkIII with my favorite 85mm 1.2.. Perfect for weddingshoots! Superb! :-)
Good luck and happy shooting!
Thierry
Paul Perano June 7, 2012 at 3:34 am
Hi Maria,
I purchased the Alpha 700 when it was released. I still use my old Minolta Dynax/Maxxum lenses on it and they work well. So don’t be shy if you have access to some good Minolta AF lenses.
In the meantime … what do you intend to do or why are you looking to buy a new lens ?
I find its better to match a lens to the requirements than buy a lens and try and work out why you bought it :-)
Any zoom with a fixed apparture rating like 2.8 wont be cheap. So that takes me back to Why ?
Have a great day,
Paul P
maria June 7, 2012 at 8:02 am
Hi Paul,
thx for your quick reply…
hmmmm why….I really like to take pics of many things…but mostly people and dramatic natural light effects (like in the woods and stuff)…I love sharpness and focus but at the same time kinda blurry backgrounds that’s why I thought about a 2.8
I noticed that It is expensive (to me at least ;)) but now that you say that minolta lenses work well with it I guess that will give me a higher chance to find one :)
If you have better suggestions I’ll be happy to hear them :)
thank you very much
kind regards
Maria
Paul Perano June 7, 2012 at 9:14 am
One options you have to keep the cost down is go to a prime lens. These seem to be “Dirty Words” these days as many are leaping for zoom lenses.
Yes zoom lenses do have wonderful advantages, but they are a compromise.
Sony have the SAL85F28 which is an 85mm 2.8 fixed lens. I think the A550 has a focal length facto f 1.5 which should make this about a 120mm lens. You can always walk closer of further away. However the image should be nice and sharp.
On the second hand side, places like KEH.com have old Minolta AF lenses for quite good prices. For example a 50mm, 1.7 fixed lens. This would end up being approx 75mm and would be great for low light conditions in the woods, plus a very tight depth of field. I think the one I was looking was around US$100.
At that sort of price you could pick up a 100mm, 2.8 Macro as well to give a longer length to use. They can make good portrait lenses as well as macro.
Or a wide 28mm, 2.8
There are some options for you,
Paul P
maria June 7, 2012 at 3:41 pm
thanks a lot Paul!!
all your advice was of great help :)
I’ll follow it and then I will let u know how it went ;))
kind regards and thx again
Maria
Arindam Basu June 7, 2012 at 11:36 pm
Currently I am using Canon 7D…with Canon 18-135mm IS lens..I am totally enthusiastic in Indoor and abstract photography and I am extremely satisfied with this gear…with 8fps…high ISO sensitivity…Dual digic CMOS processor 7D is really a dark-horse in the race at this budget, i think. and I will be extremely grateful if you kindly inform me about some specific website where I can upload my works and get some constructive guides and critics from veterans…thnx..and take care.
Tony Basilio June 9, 2012 at 9:47 pm
BK,
From your stated objectives for your zoom lens, I would consider a 70 – 300 zoom depending on how close your portraits will be taken. There are longer lenses available too. I have a Tokina 80 – 400. But in any case, look for image stabilization.
As for your second question, I’m not expert but I’ve never heard of a correction factor for focusing except in IR photography. It’s tough to tell not having seen any photos but I suspect that the focus is off for what ever reason. The Canon L series are superb so I can’t see them being the problem. If you haven’t done so already, mount your camera on a tripod and take successive shots, one using autofocus and the other manual focus then compare sharpness. I had some problems with my camera changing focus when I would depress the shutter button so I programmed the camera to autofocus when I pressed the * button on the back. That way, focus is locked in while I take exposure readings or recompose. I hope this helps.
Tony
bk chand June 11, 2012 at 12:59 pm
thanks for response. I tried on tripod but never compared Auto Focus Shots with Manual Focus Shots. Will do that and come back soon.
Thanks again for the response
subroto mukerji June 11, 2012 at 2:04 pm
I recently added a Nikkor AFS 50mm 1.8G to my lens family and, using it on my D3100, I was blown away by the sharpness, colour, contrast and smooth tonal gradation — even after the excellent 18-105mm 3.5-5.6). I am beginning to wonder what it’s capable of doing on my D5100, which has even higher image quality than the D3100 (I’m told). Must try that sometime soon. 20″x30″ prints from the 50mm are razor sharp, thanks to flash; it’s sad, but the lens has no VR :-( Lots of reviewers have also bemoaned this lacuna.
Lack of VR is the only things that’s keeping me from making up my mind about Nikon’s new 85mm f 1.8G…would be grateful for any suggestions (but no Samyang manual 85 1.4, please, I’m running 64 and my hands and eyes aren’t what they used to be !). Thanks for the help.
leftysphotos June 16, 2012 at 9:58 pm
BK Chand, I also own the 7D, and had the canon 50 mm f / 1.2 L,. I could not get sharp photos with it, no matter what I tried. I share your experience.
bk chand June 18, 2012 at 7:51 am
any suggestion on how to proceed further!!!!!!
JerryC June 19, 2012 at 6:04 pm
After 20+ years as a card carrying photojournalist I have now ‘retired’ to live in Thailand……..after having to suffer the digital workflow pressures and timelines for this type of profession I now have the luxury of returning exclusively to shooting B+W film.
I use 2 Leica M7′s and a 28mm and 90mm F2 Summicron lenses.
The use of film and analogue cameras has brought me back to the wonderful pre digital age where photographs had to composed and thought carefully about……….Thailand offers never ending photo opportunities and is a wonderful country to live in.
amrisha June 19, 2012 at 9:20 pm
Hi
I own a Nikon D3000. Can you please suggest me on how do i deal with taking non-grainy pictures at night. I mean using higher ISO, more than 400 or even 400 creates noise.
Please help me out.
Amrisha
leftysphotos June 19, 2012 at 10:32 pm
I got rid of my 50mm lens.
Ian Thomas June 19, 2012 at 10:56 pm
Hi Amrisha
It depends what your subject matter is. If its moving then you need high ISO to get any sort of shutter speed but if its not a moving subject you can have your ISO at 100 and extend the shutter open time. In most cases 30 seconds or less is enough and your camera will have a 30 second exposure on its shutter settings hopefully as that seems to be an industry standard speed. After that you need to set your camera to Manual and reduce the shutter speed till it says bulb. To avoid camera shake you will obviously need a tripod and a manual wired or wireless remote control and a stop watch timer to check how many seconds is right for the conditions. Its trial and error but the effects can be worth it.
Michel June 27, 2012 at 10:56 pm
I use a Canon SX30, as I travel some, I find this kind of camera gives the best versatility. I also like the full functionality of it, ex, full auto or manual with everything in between. The 35X zoom works well and is great for street photos.
shibaji bar August 18, 2012 at 8:34 pm
Well,i have a nikon d90 with nikon 18-105,tamron 17-50, and tamron 10-300..dear experts anything more that u suggest?
Paul T August 28, 2012 at 2:21 am
I am always interested in photography, however, I do not know manthing about it except for using the auto select on my EOS T3. 18 to 55 mm lense. Some of these things you discuss are way over my head. I have no idea about things like dof and light balance and how asa setting all play a part together.
The things I usually photograph are the models I build and show on other forums to my modeling buddies. I am mostly interested in Macro photography and would love too get a macro priority lense but my budget wont allow that unless I save for a couple of years.
Any way, I hope to be able to learn a bit from yoou guys in a language I can understand.
Thank you.
Paul
Paul Ferzoco November 30, 2012 at 10:23 pm
I’m an enthusiast shooter who loves the weight and compactness of NEX series cameras.
I use two Sony NEX-7′s; one with a 18-200 zoom, the other a wide or fisheye. Most of my shots are architecture, cityscape, ‘around town’ and nature/floral. I love the cameras, wish the glass was better.
Rich Nelson March 8, 2013 at 8:58 pm
I just purchased a Nikon D3200, so far love it, my first DSLR. Prior to that I used a Canon IX1s very cool and easy to use camera just not an SLR. I am just learning the in’s and out;’s of a DSLR but having fun doing it. I have a wide range of lenses from 18-55, 55-300, straight 50mm 28-80 and a 350-1500mm and a few add on lenses like wide angle for all,,,,ok I will not be able to use these all for years, but I have them all the same and am going to have a blast learning, can anyone point me in the direction of which lenses to concentrate on, my likes are general photography and in the field ,,wild life ops….
Willie Holland March 26, 2013 at 7:33 am
willie Holland march 25,2013
I just brought a canon rebel 3Ti