Help

[raj_chongbang]

Hi:

 

I am thinking to take some photography lessons (as a hobby or may be

as freelancer who knows!). Since I am a beginner I would appreciate

your valuable suggestions on these questions of mine:

 

1/ I am in budget and would like to spend as less as possible

in the beginning. I would like to get a Nikon SLR. Which one would

be most appropriate?

 

2/ I am also thinking to take lessons (at home) from New York

Institute of Photography (NYIP). Just wondering how effective that

would be? Or has anyone done any classes with this institute?

 

Thank you so much.

Raj

[kaiyen]

How much is "as [little] as possible?" Are you looking for an autofocus SLR only or would you be willing to use manual focus? How much control do you want over metering? What about frame rate, compatibility with all current lenses, etc?

 

allan

[Mary Doo]

Do you want to go digital or film? If digital, then a Nikon D70 kit may make sense for you.

 

The NYIP correspondence course is excellent but a lot of people end up paying for the entire course without completing it (speaking for myself and a few others that I know). The first two lessons are generic enough to be interesting to beginners but afterwards it goes into professional type photography which may or may not be the kind of things that will sustain your interest.

 

In my past experience, my skills developed from joining a local camera club and interacting with photographers who skills I admired. We encouraged each other to excel via image critiques, field trips, and club competitions. Just talking with each other about photography and listening to a mentor helped a lot.

 

Reading would also help a great deal. Learning to see and to compose for best effects is of paramount importance. There are a lot of good books out there.

[raj_chongbang]

Thanks for your quick response.

 

Allan: My max. budget is $500 (including a lens). Looking an AF camera. Actually I was even considering a N80? Honestly I've not thought about metering and frame rate seriously, as you know I have a little or no idea on these.

 

M D: That was a helpful hint, now I'll have to think again. Can you suggest any good book.

Thanks again. Raj.

[haris_ashraf]

Raj,

 

You did not mentioned where you are located. I would assume in the US ans N80 is only available here. I would recommend that you start with and N80 and a 50mm AF lens. Try www.keh.com for good deals in used equipment.

 

If you are willing to buy used equipment $500 is a pretty decent budget for someone statring in photography as a hobby.

 

Haris

 

PS: don't ever get NAS ;-)

[anupam]

AF for 500 ... let's see, a used F100 and a 50/1.8 is tempting and might just fit that. I would say N90s for about $200 and the rest for AF or manual lenses and tripod.

 

-A

[chris m., central florida]

I'd go for a used N80, 50mm AF-D lens, and an SB600 flash unit. That will get you started. The N80 is a very capable little film camera. The flash unit can be transferred to a Nikon digital body when you are ready to consider digital cameras. The N80 also has an accessory battery pack which makes the camera feel a bit larger and allows you to use AA batteries.

[Jerry_]

...look at KEH

 

 

www.keh.com

 

 

and see what N8008s Nikon bodies are in stock. The 'AA' batteries work without anything special to buy. Plus a manual (Ai or Ais) lens will work in the large or spot meter modes. If you get a AF lens, it also be fine to use. The N8008s (or overseas, the F801s) is built like a Nikon -- it should last a few years.

 

 

As far as the 'taking a course' goes, you might do as well to buy a brick (20 rolls) or two of film, and practice. Get 'negative only' processing to see how the camera works at first -- then print what you think is good.

 

 

 

 

Good luck!

[jim mucklin]

Raj<br>

1. The 80 is an excellent prosumer buy, especially now the prices have dropped. It has it all, also can be set to manual so that you can set aperature/ shutter speed just like a fully manual, or you can take your chances and buy a fully manual older model and have to upgrade later. Beware of the great deals on *-bay, while you may get a bargain there is also a lot of non-returnable junk. <br>

2. NYIP is a great home course which I would highly recomend, you can e-mail me and I'll go into detail. Hint--If you send for info and don't sign up right away they use to contact you with and even better deal, or a reduced price if you pay for the course up front.<br>

Where are you located? I have 2 N80"s that I don't use and maybe I can help you out with a body if shipping isn't a hassle. Sorry I can't help you out with any glass.<br>

Jim

[raj_chongbang]

Thank you all for your responses which certainly would help me in making my decision. I am located in CA, USA. Www.keh.com looks good. I have also heard a lot about B&H & Adorma, are they equally good.

 

Jim: what is your email address? Any further/detail info on the course would be very helpful to me as I preparing myself to spend a good chunk of my budget on that. Raj.

[mab]

Let me suggest that if you're seriously interested in learning and experimenting with photography, you not start with a 35mm SLR. Either get a digital SLR (like the Nikon D70) or a good used medium format camera.

 

Medium format has a number of attractive qualities for someone learning. The larger film format makes it easier to evaluate your negatives, and certain effects (especially depth of field) are exaggerated compared with 35mm. And these days you can get a very good (professional-grade) basic MF outfit used (check keh.com) for a song.

 

That said, a DSLR also has its attractions, especially the quick feedback you get (invaluable for learning things like lighting).

However, the used market in DSLRs is not nearly as favorable to the beginner as that for film cameras.

[Mary Doo]

Hi Raj, you asked me for suggestion of good books.  There are a lot out there.  One good way to improve is to look at a lot of images made by the

photographers that you admire.  I think beginning with Bryan Peterson's "Understanding Exposure" and "Learning to See

Creatively..." cannot be wrong.  John Shaw also has a few classics, you must have heard about them already. 

 

<p>You may also download something that I compiled on composition (<a href="http://www.marydoophoto.com/Downloads/composition.pdf">Click

Here</a>). 

 

Many people have written about this important subject.</p> <p>For a $500 budget, I think you can do well with a decent 35mm system from

*Bay (that auction place) comprising of

a Nikon N80 or F80 body, a Tamron 24-135mm zoom lens, and a Bogen tripod with the Grip Action Ballhead. Don't forget a

good circular polarizing filter.  It's good to also have a flash unit such as the 80DX (about $150 from eBay) but this may knock off the budget.  </p> <p>When you buy from

*Bay, read the description carefully and note the buyer

feedback to gauge the reliability of the seller. </p>

<p>The Tamron 24-135mm is an excellent zoom as it covers you from wide to mid-range tele.  This lens has always been underrated for its value and

quality -- this works to you advantage.   A used N90S is a good value but it does not work with the newer VR lenses.  I

have gone through many cameras, lenses, tripods, and filters in the last few years and this is my recommendation to you based on your budget. You can

count on it. </p>

[raj_chongbang]

Matt: I love to buy a D70 than N80 but I can't afford it right now. As for larger format honestly I've never thought about but looks like a good options and interesting. Thank you.

 

M D: Thank you for suggesting books. In one of these days I will drop in Barnes & Noble. I have downloaded your file about composition. But have not yet got a chance to look at it.

 

N90 - I believe Nikon has discountinued the production. So, as a beginner I am not sure if I want to use that?! I have done some research on N80 and found that it does not have a mirror lock up feature. Could you please advise me how useful that feature would be? I am a little confused as even their pro camera F100 lacks that feature. One last question, is it better to use lens from another make or stick on the same brand as camera? Thanks.

[Mary Doo]

Raj, the Barnes & Noble store is nice but the supply is not as abundant as amazon.com, where you will also get a much better deal.

 

I suggested the N80/F80 because it offers a lot of value for the price. The N90/N90S focuses faster but does not work with the Vibration Reduction (VR) feature of the newer lenses. And it also costs more.

 

Re Mirror Lockup: For AF cameras, only the top-of-the-line F5 and F6 bodies have mirror lockup. This feature may be useful when you shoot close-up images at low shutter speed. The theory is that, when there is no mirror lock up, the mirror flap may affect the sharpness of the image negatively. However, in real life, the lack of this feature probably does not make any difference in 99.9% of your normal shooting activities. I have made many macro images without mirror lockup.

 

The answer to your last question depends on a few factors. Yes, in general it is probably better to stay with the Nikon brand name, but this usually means paying a premium for the lenses. For example, the Nikkor 24-120VR is 2-3 times the price of the Tamron 24-135mm at eBay. I have both, and I can tell you there is no difference in image quality. However, if you are looking for fast and edge-to-edge-sharp lenses for action shots such as sports and wildlife and you don't want any compromises, then it is definitely worth it to pay the high prices for these high end Nikon lenses. Then you might also want to have an F100-or-better body to correspond with the fast-focussing lenses.

[raj_chongbang]

Thank you MD for your inputs, those really would be helpful.Raj

[lex_jenkins]

Regarding the 24-120 VR, I've had mine for about a week and really like it. This isn't the sharpest lens in the toolbox - it's approximately equivalent to the kit zoom. But it's capable of giving us the chance to make sharper photos under adverse conditions because of the VR. If I can't handhold a lens steadily (and I can't, at least not below 1/125), the sharpest lens in the world does me no good. The 24-120 VR gives me a fighting chance.

[Mary Doo]

<< If I can't handhold a lens steadily (and I can't, at least not below 1/125), the sharpest lens in the world does me no good. The 24-120 VR gives me a fighting chance.>>

 

How about using a sturdy tripod and cable release? This will alleviate these concerns. My hands are steady but I still use a tripod 99% of the time for nature photography, even with VR lenses. For Nikon lenses, VR needs to be turned off on a tripod, except for the Nikon 200-400VR.

[raj_chongbang]

Talking about 'sturdy tripod' there seems to be a lot out there and difficult to find a right one. Any suggestions, please!

[Mary Doo]

Raj, the Bogen 3021 is an excellent value. When paired with the Bogen Action Grip ballhead, you have a nice setup for your light-to-medium weight equipment. The Gitzo tripods and Arca-Swiss style ballheads are great but they cost a lot more.

 

<p>Bob Atkins wrote a good article about tripods, including this model:</P

 

<p><a href="http://www.bobatkins.com/photography/reviews/bogtri.html">http://www.bobatkins.com/photography/reviews/bogtri.html</a> </p>

 

<p><a href="http://www.rphotoz.com/outdoorphoto/tripodreview.html"> Here's another review</a>. </p>

 

If you shop carefully (buying and bidding wisely), I think your $500 budget will be able to cover the equipment I recommended above. Then you can gradually add and upgrade in the future. Good luck.

[lex_jenkins]

MD, I just have a different concept of small format photography.

 

I lived near NYC as a kid just getting into photography and enjoyed wandering around casually photographing people. At the time I'd never heard the term "street photography". I was just having fun.

 

Later I was a newspaper reporter and photojournalist. It was pretty similar to what I'd done as a kid - 95% handheld.

 

My tripod usage with small format (35mm and digital) has increased to maybe 15%. But the vast majority of photos I take with these cameras are handheld.

 

So, yeh, for me VR is the best thing since lemon filled jelly donuts. Especially now that I can't handhold as steadily as I once could.

 

I do use a tripod for nearly all of my medium format photography. Different format, different equipment, different subject matter, different mindset.