b23avfc Posted February 23, 2010 Share Posted February 23, 2010 The better the aperture, the smaller the f number ie f2.8... the BETTER. The wider aperture lets in more light, allowing for faster shots and also better depth of field... ie blurred out backgrounds/foregrounds... the speed allows you to use it in lower light conditions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bickster Posted February 23, 2010 Moderator Share Posted February 23, 2010 Can anyone suggest a good starter SLR for me? Its a simple question, Canon or Nikon? Then look at their bottom end SLR bodies and see what you can afford, the rule that the higher the RRP the better the camera is probably true. Why Canon or Nikon? They are the two "players", the big boys who have the most equipment, if you think you might even get remotely serious you will want either one of these, and to be honest its personal preference as there's very little in reality between them. Canon were "ahead" for ages, Nikon overtook, now its about level, What is more important is stuff that you'll never get in a review and its personal, the way you interact with the camera and how intuitive it is to you, its why I bought into the nikon system not the canon, i find its menus easy to navigate, the canons less so but others feel its the other way around Its an important decision as its quite costly to change equipment once you've amassed a few lenses that you like and need to replace them all Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b23avfc Posted February 23, 2010 Share Posted February 23, 2010 The top end (which can more or less tell you what each company is basing it's values on.. possibly) are fighting at this: Canon - megapixels and video Nikon - a lot better in low light, hi iso. They haven't gone as high MP wise but who cares really. They do the video thing but not really like canon. Again, who cares about video Both are great. I know where my eggs lie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trimandson Posted February 23, 2010 Author Share Posted February 23, 2010 Starting taking photos a couple of months ago - i use a Canonet rangefinder from the 60's/70's i have a blog up here http://gumsgumsgums.tumblr.com/ Very cool blog mate. Seconded, but lose the hyperlink blue border around the pics mate! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b23avfc Posted February 23, 2010 Share Posted February 23, 2010 Starting taking photos a couple of months ago - i use a Canonet rangefinder from the 60's/70's i have a blog up here http://gumsgumsgums.tumblr.com/ Very cool blog mate. Seconded, but lose the hyperlink blue border around the pics mate! Not seeing that on chrome Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trimandson Posted February 23, 2010 Author Share Posted February 23, 2010 Bah Chrome nonsense, you know FF is better, you just a browser poser Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b23avfc Posted February 23, 2010 Share Posted February 23, 2010 Fast is phat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trimandson Posted February 23, 2010 Author Share Posted February 23, 2010 Milliseconds! Hows the bacon? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b23avfc Posted February 23, 2010 Share Posted February 23, 2010 I've been pooing normally. There that killed the thread. I shoulda took a photo really. I took some dodgy phone ones.. but i've a long way to go with bacon cooking, basically it's like you're good at bacon and I'm good at photography, yet you started this thread about photography... what the deal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trimandson Posted February 23, 2010 Author Share Posted February 23, 2010 So to follow start a thread on bacon...? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ClaretMahoney Posted February 24, 2010 Share Posted February 24, 2010 Sooo ookay I imagine bickster is gunna take the piss but anyways... I just got this new fuji camera and I've been playing around with it, it's kinda tough though since I haven't been in photography class since i was like 17 years old, 8 years ago. I'm zooming in on someone 75 feet away in a building with florescent lighting and when I snap the picture of him he comes out all blurry. It doesn't bode well for me since I may be zooming in on animals from a distance and I want good pictures. I'm wondering what shutter speed and ISO and other settings I may want to use on objects that are far away and/or moving/standing still. Obviously my expectations are higher than they should be, I didn't spend $4k on a camera and lenses but surely I can get a decent pic. So I think I lowered what was my shutter speed to 25, with f4.4 and the ISO on auto @ 800 and it came out with something semi decent but nothing to write home about. Ideas? Suggestions? (apart from the "Go buy a Canon/Nikon for $1k) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brumerican Posted February 24, 2010 Share Posted February 24, 2010 Sooo ookay I imagine bickster is gunna take the piss but anyways... In photography you should try not to focus on the negatives... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bickster Posted February 24, 2010 Moderator Share Posted February 24, 2010 Sooo ookay I imagine bickster is gunna take the piss but anyways... In photography you should try not to focus on the negatives... Sooo last century ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bickster Posted February 24, 2010 Moderator Share Posted February 24, 2010 I'm zooming in on someone 75 feet away in a building with florescent lighting and when I snap the picture of him he comes out all blurry. It doesn't bode well for me since I may be zooming in on animals from a distance and I want good pictures. I'm wondering what shutter speed and ISO and other settings I may want to use on objects that are far away and/or moving/standing still. Obviously my expectations are higher than they should be, I didn't spend $4k on a camera and lenses but surely I can get a decent pic. So I think I lowered what was my shutter speed to 25, with f4.4 and the ISO on auto @ 800 and it came out with something semi decent but nothing to write home about. Ideas? Suggestions? (apart from the "Go buy a Canon/Nikon for $1k) firstly, long distance shots are the camera shakes happy home, you need to make sure your shutter speed is faster than the focal length you are using, so if shooting on your zoom lens at 300mm or whatever, to get a sharp picture you need shoot at 1/300th sec or faster not to get camera shake. To achieve that you need to alter the other variables like aperture and ISO. Test your camera to see what level of ISO the image tends to degrade and remember it, it will be the limit you can push your ISO to, then alter the aperture until your shutter speed is fast enough. This sounds complicated but it isn't it becomes second nature If that doesn't work you'll need to use a tripod but as you want to travel relatively light, get a Jobi gorrillapod which isnt a traditional tripod but a new innovative type of plastic, lightweight, flexible tripod that can be adapted on the spot to what ever conditions are around, (you can wrap it round the branch of a tree for example) and best of all its MUCH cheaper and smaller than a "normal" one, far better for travel photography, I just bought the biggest one they do (Capable of holding an SLR with a big 300mm lens) to take to Australia with me. Not that expensive. Then to reduce camera shake further you can use the timer function on your camera (you get more camera shake by pressing the shutter release), you know, the silly function that lets you set the camera and run round the front of it to be in the picture If you still get blurred pictures after all that ............... buy a Nikon or a Canon SLR and lots of lenses Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LancsVillan Posted February 24, 2010 Moderator Share Posted February 24, 2010 Well my FS15 just arrived.... I never realised it was going to be quite so small. Aston is taking photography in his 'enrichment' classes this term so this will help him too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjmooney Posted February 24, 2010 VT Supporter Share Posted February 24, 2010 'Enrichment' classes????? Double Latin was good enough for us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bickster Posted February 24, 2010 Moderator Share Posted February 24, 2010 It was called "practical activities" when I was in school, one double lesson a week of your choice, out of art, needlework, pottery, woodwork, metalwork etc Wish we'd had the chance to do photography, I'd have done it instead of art because I was shit at art but pottery was just a little bit ghey, needlework and cookery were well....... come on I was captain of the school rugby team ffs and wood/metal work teachers were notorious psychopaths Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anything11 Posted February 26, 2010 Share Posted February 26, 2010 Blog update! GO HERE! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
choffer Posted February 26, 2010 VT Supporter Share Posted February 26, 2010 Another request for advice, if I may. I've had a DMC-FZ10 for the last 6 or 7 years and have managed to take a couple of good shots (some Here) with it but am thinking about upgrading to something a bit more flexible. I was looking at some D90's the other day and was wondering if I was spending enough money to see significant difference. Looks like the body is about £800 and obviously I'd need to buy lenses too but I guess my question is, should I keep saving for a bit longer and get something over the grand mark or should £800 get me a decent enough shell to keep me going? (I know there's a million and one questions that would probably need answering to give a fully-informed opinion - just an indication would be good ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b23avfc Posted February 26, 2010 Share Posted February 26, 2010 You'll see a huge difference, especially if you use the right lenses. But even the kit will destroy what you have been using. Obviously you could get the best gear in the world and still be cack. Looking at your photos you definitely don't fall into that category though Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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