Want to start photography

[thomas_miner]

<p>hi this is my first time on a forum. I guess i just want to know what is a good camera to take pictures with. I currently use my mother's Nikon coolpix s8100. I am about to turn 17 in may and my parents said they would help me find a nice camera. I am going to take digital photography next year for my senior year of high school. should i wait till i actually take the class? Also how do you know what settings to use for certain things. <br>

If you can get back to me as soon as possible that would be great<br>

thanks ,Thomas M</p>

[john_deerfield]

<p>1- Knowledge is more important than equipment.<br>

2- Light comes in 2nd. Learn lighting. <br>

3- Lens comes next. The lens will affect how much light you can capture, composition and so on.<br>

4- The camera body. In the end, <em>any</em> camera is simply a light tight box that records light by exposing the light to the sensor. </p>

<p>In that regard, virtually any DSLR will serve you well. I might suggest starting with a 35mm or 50mm f.1.8 lens to start. As you move up the DSLR line you start getting more bells & whistles, but overall, you are still capturing the same exposure. Bells & whistles might include auto-bracketing, white-balance bracketing, the ability to set a Kelvin temperature white balance, faster frame rate captures, a dedicated dial for both setting the aperture and the shutter (personally, this is a huge one for me). As example, we have a Nikon D5000 which, when shooting manually, I need to press exposure compensation and turn the only dial I have. We also have a D90; this camera has <em>two</em> dials giving me a dedicated dial for both aperture and shutter. That said, the D90 isn't going to record a better exposure than a D5000. And the feature list goes on and on.</p>

<p>For specific recommendation, we would need a budget. As a Nikon shooter, the entry level D3100 is a good camera. The D90 is a great camera. And the D7000 an awesome camera. But all three will still record essentially the same exposure (however, the D90 and D7000 will AF with a wider variety of lenses).</p>

[simon_sutcliffe]

<p>Budget?</p>

[rsands]

<p>Wow, Thomas. That is certainly one open-ended question!<br>

But, welcome to the forum. The bad news is that there is no one 'best' camera; in fact, almost any camera by one of the major manufacturers will take great photos, if you know how to use it. The 'best' camera for you is one that you will use. There are pros and cons to all the camera types, ranging from point-and-shoots up to pro-level DSLRs.<br>

Your second half of the question is more important. How do I start taking good pictures? That, I think is what you are really asking.<br>

What you do is read. A lot. Repeat as necessary. Start by reading the camera manual; see if your coolpix will allow you to put the camera into Aperture (A) mode, (S) shutter mode, or even (M) manual mode. <br>

Pick up one good book on the exposure triangle; learn how ISO, aperture, and shutter speed interrelate. Peterson's 'Understanding Exposure' is an absolute classic, and well regarded. Amazon certainly has it. <br>

Use your camera, as much as you possibly can. Do the suggested exercises Peterson recommends. And no, don't rush out and buy a new camera until you do a bunch of reading. Try the 'learning' tab at the top of the page. <br>

And by all means keep asking questions! We all started sometime, some of us are a lot better than others (and I'm at the low end of the scale), but we all want to learn. </p>

[jaydesi]

<p>If you can, talk to your teacher ahead of time. Let him/her know that you'd like to buy your camera soon, and ask what will best fulfill your needs for the class next year. It would be bad to just buy a camera now, only to find it isn't appropriate for your class.</p>

<p>Regarding the brand, all entry level DSLRs have the same features; the difference is in ergonomics. If you think you might be willing to pursue photography as a serious hobby, consider sticking to Canon or Nikon, as they have the widest range of lenses. Go to a camera shop, put your hands on some cameras in your budget, and see which ones feel best. It doesn't matter how great the camera is, if you find it uncomfortable to hold, you won't use it. Don't let them talk you into a sale right then, compare the price of the same offer to Adorama and/or B&H, two NYC companies with a substantial web presence. Their prices can't be beat by any legitimate dealer.</p>

<p>Most DSLRs aren't going to come packaged with a 35mm or 50mm lens, they're going to have a kit zoom, probably 18-55mm. That's a good quality lens and will allow you to take fine pictures. Stick with that lens until you feel limited in some way by it, then you'll know what lens or other equipment you need to beat the limitation. Avoid the temptation to buy gear because it's cool, because people say it's cool, or because you want more. You'll make better purchases if you know exactly why you want to buy something because you can't accomplish what you want with your current gear. Photography is a relatively expensive hobby, and buying gear you don't need wastes your resources that you could be spending on gear that would better meet your needs. DEFINITELY consider buying future lenses used; KEH.com is a very reputable used dealer, and even their "bargain" grade lenses are in fantastic shape. Let the original purchaser take the depreciation hit.</p>

<p>Also, there are some fine books to read between now and your class. Once you settle on a camera and buy it, pick up either a book on that model by David Busch or the Field Guide. They pick up where your camera manual leaves off; the manual tells you how to use a feature of the camera, and these books tell you why you would want to use it. Also, Bryan Peterson has a series of books, Understanding Exposure, Understanding Shutter Speed, and others. These two I mention specifically are fine books for learning how to use your camera's features to accomplish your creative vision. There is also the free learning tab on this website, and plenty of other online resources.</p>

[peter_simpson1]

<p>+2 (my son & I both liked them) for the Bryan Peterson books. <br>

+1 for David Busch as well -- an excellent complement to the manufacturer's manual.<br>

As with tools, buy the best you can afford, even if it's a reach. You can get more for your money if you buy used from a reputable source like KEH or Adorama. If you're planning on taking the course next year, go to the instructor and ask what you can do over the summer to prepare, and ask for their suggestion on cameras and lenses to look at and those to avoid. They may want you to have a particular lens, like a 50mm instead of the kit lens. It will be helpful to know that before you start shopping.<br>

Good luck and enjoy the class!</p>

 

[Wouter Willemse]

<p>Thomas, any idea how far the budget for a nice camera will stretch? Sure, DSLRs are nice, but if the budget cannot handle with it, you'll have to check for other things. Another reason to check with school: many courses on digital photography I've seen, concentrate on editing photos (typically Photoshop Elements), and not really on photography. If such is the case, you could even consider a SLR and a bunch of rolls, and scan. It may be costly per shot, but good film cameras cost a dime these days. Just a thought.</p>

<p>Next to that, Rick and Jay gave terrific advice.</p>

[jcuknz]

<p>The difference between film and digital is mainly that you can and will want to do your own post-processing if you are going to be serious about it. This means that camera and editing programme are complimentary tools towards the final product and skill in editing should not be disparaged becuase it can affect and help you at the camera stage when faced with difficult situations but with the knowledge of what you can do in editing. </p>

[jpo3136b]

<blockquote>

<p>Also how do you know what settings to use for certain things.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>A lot of the settings are made in response to the amount of light available and the quickness that the photographer wants to use with the shutter. That, and the recording sensitivity, narrow down many choices to a manageable set of choices.</p>

<p>Exposure calculations are done (in the US) according to a math formula called APEX. There are a couple of others, but they all cover the same concepts.</p>

<p>Aperture squared over duration (shutter speed) equals brightness times sensitivity all over K, the measuring constant, which is usually 14.</p>

<p>A^2/D = (BS)/K</p>

<p>Working through that math problem is something that should be covered in class. Aperture, duration and sensitivity (film speed) will all be observable, on the camera. Brightness is remembered from a list of EV values that correspond to the sunny 16 rule.</p>

<ul>

<li>EV 10, twilight, 140</li>

<li>EV 11, full shadow, 280</li>

<li>EV 12, open shadow, 560</li>

<li>EV 13, cloudy bright, 1100</li>

<li>EV 14, weak sun, 2300</li>

<li>EV 15, bright sun, 4600.</li>

</ul>

<p>Using those numbers, we can set up the algebra problem (APEX formula) to solve for an unknown variable. This is how we can determine what the aperture should be if we know the other parts. It's how we can figure up shutter priority and aperture priority settings; leave A or D out of the equation, and solve for the missing variable. After a while, you will get so used to running this one math problem that you may not need to write it down. You'll probably be able to infer a value based on experience or metering.</p>

<p>There are other formulas, but that's one of the main ones. That's the type of thing that gets drilled in class. At least, that's what I got back when I had my first, and only, class in photography over 25 years ago.</p>

<blockquote>

<p>should i wait till i actually take the class?</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Not really. Even with the class, it'll take about five years before you start making good pictures. Some people learn faster; but, it's going to take some experience to bring your photos to the next level. Classes will get you functional. Experience will help you build yourself better, one small choice at a time. Both, together, are a very good way of learning. While I would not advocate spending a bunch of money on the first day, there's no real harm in frequently using a borrowed digital camera, is there? You can plink away at that thing nearly for free. Film errors, back when I was learning, cost me a dollar per frame. Use the free display on the back of the digital camera.</p>

<p>Master of Photography Henri Cartier Bresson made most of his photographs with available light and a normal lens. Look up some photographs by him. Also look for Robert Doisneau, Alfred Eisenstadt, Paul Strand, and the photographers over at Magnum. Can you learn from what they did? </p>

<p>When you look at most any picture, it can help to ask, "Where is the light coming from?" This would help more with studio and ad photographs. Good luck. J.</p>

[jpo3136b]

<p>Classes will help to put a stop to problems. Like: blank frame, out of focus, over and under exposure, poor composition, and identifying key aspects of how a photo was made. Experience will show each problem that you've had, one frame at a time. Use both to build your skills. </p>

[ussorca]

<p>Thomas, here are some answers for your questions. What camera you choose should start with your parents input on what they want to spend. Then, see what's available in that range.<br>

Ask your instructor (if you know who that will be) for their input. They can also tell you what you will be learning about various settings.<br>

If you were my son, I'd guide you towards a used Nikon D40 with the "kit" 18-55VR lens. There is a wealth of them around and plenty of info about them in print and on the net.<br>

Have fun, and learn all youcan. If you like it, it can be a hobby for life, everywhere you go.</p>