Hello everyone, thanks for the answers to my last question! Just in case you didn't read it I'm brand new to photgraphy and want to get started taking pictures in earnest.
What I'd like to know is, what's the best method? I'll buy a decent camera first (not too pricey, but the best I can afford, say 拢200- that's about $270 I think?!). Do I go 'traditional' or Digital? SLR or auto? I want to have fun but at the same time be as professional as possible, just for my own satisfaction.
In case I need one my Grandma has cleared out understairs cupboard, blocked out every little bit of light and painted the walls black for me- a bit extreme I know, but very touching as she is quite frail!
I have about 拢400 in all, which which to buy camera + extras. Thanks for your help!
PS, I am looking towards photographing the natural world, everything from nesting birds to mountains and storms!
I'd be grateful if you could list the things I'd need to get started in simple terms! Thanks! Oh and if it isn't too much trouble where I can get the stuff I need too- Ilve in the UK and have internet access and a debit card if need be! The camera is not so important so long as it has the capabilities to do the things you need to learn. This means you should be able to control the settings such as aperture, shutter speed and focus. Most any camera in the price range you mention should be able to do that. Look for the capability to shoot in aperture priority, shutter priority, and manual modes. Also manual focus (manual focusing on many digital cameras is difficult so check it out in the reviews). Make sure you can choose to shoot in different ISO (sensitivity) setting. Also that it can do exposure bracketing and has exposure compensation (ability to produce darker or lighter pictures than it normally would). As for "Auto," don't worry about it. All modern cameras have an auto mode. That assures you can get good photos when you really need to even if you haven't fully learned the camera yet.
I suggest you investigate any camera you are thinking of buying by going to
http://www.dpreview.com/ or
http://www.steves-digicams.com/
They will give you a lot of info about the camera and give you their conclusions.
You may have noticed that these sites are for digital cameras. Digital is the only way to go. Film cameras are now too limiting and messy darkrooms are a thing of the past.
Get yourself a good photo editing program, as that is today's equivalent of a darkroom, but can do so much more and so much easier than can be done in a darkroom. I would suggest using some of your money on the photo editing program instead of spending it all on a camera. I would suggest Photoshop, but that's expensive. My second choice would be Photoshop Elements. It's not as capable as the full Photoshop, but the interface is much the same so once you learn Elements, you can later move up to the full Photoshop without having to learn a whole new program. Photoshop is used almost exclusively by graphics corporations, so if you want to get work in that area you will need to know it.
Digital photography also allows you to take photos at almost no cost once you get past the initial expense of buying equipment, accessories and software. There is no film cost so you can take lots of pictures and experiment around. This is extremely valuable since you learn by doing.
Personally, my camera of choice is the Panasonic DMC FZ30 which is a high quality camera but not a dSLR. It has a big zoom lens which is useful for shooting animals or birds in the wild. However, it may be slightly above your price point. I think a dSLR camera is a little much when you are starting out as you then get involved in lots of accessories (mainly lenses) and that becomes a burden to carry around and that may not be the direction you eventually want to go.
Tom M.
My galleries: http://pbase.com/mrquietguy Starting out with 400 pounds sterling? That is quite alot in my estimation. You would do well to find a second hand camera of quality. Forget digital if you are serious about learning the basics of real photography because you will not be developing or printing photos in a lab. Digital is an easily learned method of photography but it will not provide you with hands-on, pure experience. The most important aspect of digital is the ease of producing prints.
Take a photography class. Start with 35mm,black and white photos.
There is no way that you equip a proper darkroom and it would be foolish to try until you understand the sort of equipment a decent one requires. What if you lost interest? It's terribly expensive to purchase an enlarger. go digital
not too long photoshops will not even be stocking analog anymore
what about servicing your camera than
buy a basic funtion slr get a 28mm-210mm lens and you will have fun for the next 3 jears or so
then only upgrade to something else if you still serious in to it
thats what i did when i was 18. Camera:
Pentax *ist 6.1 Digital SLR (its a lil pricy about $470, but you get the conveninece of an SLR setup. Digital is definitely the way to go.)
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controll...
Lense:
Any PENTAX KAF mount compatible with PENTAX KAF2, and KA lenses
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controll...
You are going to want one with a good zoom. As the camera has a 1.5 focus multipler, find a lense, multiply the zoom by 1.5 and you'll get the true magnifier
A good camera body along with a decent zoom (50 - 200mm) will be great for outdoor photography.
It never hurts to read. Amherst Media (www.amherstmedia.com) has a huge selection of books for photographers, whether they are amateur or professional.
Beginner's Guide to Nature Photography
http://www.amherstmedia.com/miva/merchan...
Digital Landscape Photography - Step by step
http://www.amherstmedia.com/miva/merchan...
Best of Nature Photography
http://www.amherstmedia.com/miva/merchan...
Master Guide for Wildlife Photographers
http://www.amherstmedia.com/miva/merchan...
Step By Step Digital Photography
http://www.amherstmedia.com/miva/merchan...
Nature Photography
http://www.amherstmedia.com/miva/merchan...
Telephoto Lense Photography
http://www.amherstmedia.com/miva/merchan...
I hope this helps you. It exceeds your budget a little bit, but the books can be purchased as you get the money.
Be sure, no matter what kind of camera you get, that it's a body that will allow for interchangelable lenses. |
