Beginners Guide to DSLR

[puregutz]

I finally got my new Nikon D50 dslr at Quiapo. Lots of button and functions Im not familiar with so Im just trying to figure out how to use them from the owners manual.

So are there any sites out there where I can read some tips or general set-up guidelines?

[gadgets88]

Advice Part 1
=========

1st. RTFM, that's READ THE FINE MANUAL (although the letter F can stand for a lot of other things .

2nd. Get a notebook and make a photo diary. Write the date, the place and a description of what you are shooting. What you are trying to capture with the shot.

3rd. Put the camera in AUTO mode and start shooting.
Try the other modes: Landscape, Portrait, Nightshot,etc.

4th. Look at the photos in the computer, and compare your shots with shots taken in postcards or other photographers. How can I make it better?

5th. Look at the exif data of each photo (rightclick on the file and choose properties). Check out the opening (aperture as in f/2.8 or f/22) and learn to discern how depth of field works.

6th. Buy a basic photography book with 100 projects and learn by doing.

7th. Join a photography club and forum and learn by listening. Observe contest submissions and learn by seeing.

8th. Look around through the peephole and keep shooting.

9th. Study your work and get advice to improve them.

10. Shoot. Shoot. Shoot. Enjoy!

[gadgets88]

Advice Part 2
==========

1. Buy a 1GB memory card. (Bigger is better, faster is better).
Beware of fake and incompatible ones. Ask for referrals from photogs.

2. Always set your file at maximum resolution and no compression.
Setting it at a lower res and higher compression will allow you to shoot more pics, but that will degrade the quality of the photo.

3. Set your ASA or ISO at the lowest setting, 50 or 100 for bright outdoors, and highest setting, 1600, for dimly lit environment. Higher ASA setting could mean more noise, so set accordingly.

4. Learn Photoshop.
You can get away the lack of good planning and composition by fixing it or using creativity to salvage the shot.
For example, if your model is wearing bad make-up, with a distracting colored dress, in a distracting background, with a treebranch coming out of her head, with your camera tilted to a certain angle, and you forgot to set the ISO setting properly, and the lights did not fire properly, the shutter was too fast, opening too small...

5. Try VA work.
V is for volunteer.
In most cases, you don't get paid for your gear, effort and time.
In most cases, you don't pay the master either, to watch and learn from him.

A is for assistant.
Your assignment can range from assitant photog (when you're really good) in an event.
Most of the time, if you're just starting out, you're not expected to submit a single decent shot. You may be assigned to bring the luggages and lightstands, burn memory cards to CDs, and run all sorts of errands as well. Don't expect to be well-fed at all times.
After all, not all master photographers (and newbies) are created equal.

6. Be trigger happy. Shoot till it hurts, and shoot some more.
(If you wonder why some photog can make such a fantastic shot to make a fantastic billboard, don't be surprised to learn he took 500-1000 shots all day just to find the 1 shot for the project. Should get a 6-figure-pay for the job.)

P.S. I have an event this Sunday at QC. Wanna work as VA? Promise you'll learn a thing or 2 at the LIVE workshop.
Dare? PM me if interested.

[lexor]

What is ISO Stands for???

[gadgets88]

lexor said:

What is ISO Stands for???

The ISO or ASA rating refers to the light-sensitivity rating.

If you're using films, there's ASA 100, your regular film.
It's the cheapest and easiest to buy.
The colors are great and grain is not evident.

But if you're shooting indoors or nightlife, you need to buy a film with a higher ASA setting, say ASA 200 or 400 or 800.
When you blow up the print, grains will show, meaning, your photo is not as crisp and crystal clear as it would be if you're using the ASA 100 film.
But then since the film isn't as sensitive, the photo will come out dark.

We can compensate the lack of lighting by slowing down the shutter speed, but this will cause blur from movement (by the subject and the photog's handshake).

We can also compensate the lack of lighting by opening the aperture of a bigger lens, but that would mean spending a lot of dough to buy professional grade lenses.

So the cheapest solution is to use film with a higher ASA setting!


Same logic for digital cameras. There is no film with ASA setting to choose from.
There is a setting on the camera that simulates the ASA sensitivity of films.
The drawback of higher sensitivity is more noise in digital cameras.
Noise comes in the form of assorted colored dots in the picture.

For a more complete explanation of what ISO is, please check out this site:

www.photonhead.com/beginners/filmspeed.php

Enjoy!

[whoopi]

hi! what about actuation? what does it mean when actuation is low (is this in the lens or the camera itself)? TIA.

[Blister T]

shutter actuations refers to the number of times the shutter has been actuated or pressed... basically a low shutter count means that it wasnt used that much. clicking the shutter involves the use of a lot of camera parts inside like the shutter, mirror, curtain, etc., more clicks means more wear & tear for these parts. most parts like the mirror and shutter have a limited timespan, entry-level cameras have less than 100 thousand clicks before you have to replace it, higher end models have longer shutter lifespans. these parts can be replaced naman, but it could be expensive. for example, a Canon EOS 300D shutter replacement can cost from 6-8K depending on which other parts are needed to be replaced. there are softwares available to know the exact shutter clicks of a DSLR. but some models dont have this feature...

hope this helps...

[whoopi]

i see... follow-up question: how do you know if the shutter needs to be replaced? the camera (or the shutter control) just stops working? TIA.

[janix]

yes.

[Blister T]

or sometimes you'll notice the shutter lag is getting worse

[gadgets88]

whoopi said:

i see... follow-up question: how do you know if the shutter needs to be replaced? the camera (or the shutter control) just stops working? TIA.

Yep. Usually, there are no symptoms.
Electronics being what they are, fail at any time.
You can be so excited about a new electronic toy or appliance,
having fully paid it, brought it home, and open it only to find out it is DOA, meaning, dead-on-arrival.
Out of the box and it doesn't work.

That's life, the life of electronics, just like a box of chocolates, parang buhay ng tao (just like life).


Digital cameras, whether you use them, abuse them, or even leave them alone, can fail at any time.

The 100,000 shutter life cannot be specifically determined because a shutter does not fail after 100,000 cycles.
It may fail on the 2nd shutter or on the 200,000th shutter.

I think for the 100,000 shutter life to be interpreted properly, the figure is intended to be used in conjunction with the useful service life of the shutter, the typical amount of shutter cycles before the unit enters the period where failures due to component wear-out increase.

The shutter count estimate only applies to the aggregate analysis of large numbers of cameras of the same model; it says nothing about a particular unit.

I like to even believe that the estimate is a theoretical one, because I suspect that manufacturers would probably random test a few units to the 100,000 shutter test and and let consumers put the actual units to the test.


You can think of it this way: if you used one of these cameras and it took you 5 years to reach the 100,000 shutter count, then spend a few thousand bucks to get the shutter replaced, it's darn affordable in theory, don't you think? but in reality, I somehow doubt you'll be using the same model 5 years from now.

I think you'd be itching to get a new model, with higher pixel count, faster shutter, faster read-write capability, faster startup sequence, higher noise reduction, better sensor and better looks.

And that, my friends, is what makes photography (or cellphone trip) expensive and so much fun! ;D ;D ;D

[janix]

i have a question, how do you know how the total number of times you've released the shutter with the D70? (excluding mirror lock-up)

[gadgets88]

I heard there's a software that does that.
Rumors?

[randiezbee]

this is a good topic... i learned a lot

[gadgets88]

janix said:

i have a question, how do you know how the total number of times you've released the shutter with the D70? (excluding mirror lock-up)

Lemme know if this helps...
www.opanda.com/en/iexif/download.htm

[gadgets88]

whoopi said:

hi! what about actuation? what does it mean when actuation is low (is this in the lens or the camera itself)? TIA.

The actuation pertains to the number of clicks done to the camera.
From what I heard, the first thing that fails is the trigger, not the shutter curtain.

Easy to replace.

Bring camera to Canon center.
Wait a few days.
Bring out wallet.
Get fixed camera.
Go home.
Be happy and keep shooting!

[biker1001]

A little bit off-topic... I would like to start photography, whats the best camera that fits the bill? I would like to buy a DSLR.. how much would that cost me?

TIA

[alien_scream]

biker1001 said:

A little bit off-topic... I would like to start photography, whats the best camera that fits the bill? I would like to buy a DSLR.. how much would that cost me?

TIA

its not how expensive your camera is but how you see the image!!!!

try buying not so expensive cameras and learn all its features then start taking pictures... like they say practice makes perfect!!!!

[gadgets88]

biker1001 said:

A little bit off-topic... I would like to start photography, whats the best camera that fits the bill? I would like to buy a DSLR.. how much would that cost me?

TIA

Ay yay yay...

That's the never-ending topic. What is the best.

I suggest you find friends who own cameras. Try to learn from them.

Or join a camera club.

What does buying a camera, buying a bike, buying a house, buying a box of chocolates and getting married have in common?

It's like life.
You don't know what you're really getting.
But if you don't get aboard, you'll never know!

In other words...
bahala ka! (Geronimo!)

[Daimler]

i can conclude that this is one of sir gadget's "other side". i'm starting to learn. i am also an enthusiast in photography. but i don't have EOS or something like that. i used to have an S2 that i borrowed for a long time from a friend. now, i am planning to buy S5 because i got quite addicted to photography.

maybe, this site can also help: www.digitalphotographer.com.ph/

[gadgets88]

I'm going to give this to you straight up.
No candy coating.
Here's my advice


Nikon Coolpix are very nice.
Great color saturation, easy usage, no-nonsense camera.
There are some models that have issues with the battery so ask the vendor just to be sure.


HOWEVER...

If you REALLY, really want to learn photography in all its glory,
go get a real D-SLR, digital Single-Lens Reflex camera.

A DSLR is:
The one that you can remove the lens and interchange with fixed lens and zooms. Think unlimited possibilities and experimentation.

The one that you can attach a powerful external flashhead.
Think studio shots.

The one that allows you to look at the viewfinder (peephole) and shoot real-time. What you see in the LCD is past. By the time you see something you like in the LCD and press the trigger, the subject moved.

The one that has the least lag time. Another factor of delay.
Lag time is the time you press the trigger and the time the shutter opens.

The one that has the biggest sensor size and lens (sensor and lens = eyes of the camera, bigger = better). Think how the owl can see better and clearer.


So,

while the coolpix is a nice camera (for your parents) to use,
you need a different camera to learn!

[Jan Atienza]

Best bet is to sign up at Intramuros on Sundays, they've classes there for 4 sessions...if you're using a manual, it still is ok (free Fuji film as well as printing) with nude photography on the last session (dunno if they are still using this but I gather this is a must since the human body is still a timeless subject).

Intangibles gained would be the networking with up and coming photogs, as well as supplier information.

If you're a purist, you get also to develop your own pictures using a portable dark room.

Helluva lot cheaper than Mandy Navasero's classes at Ayala...though you get to go outta the country for photo shoots (depends on the income bracket of the current class)

HTH.

[jarod]

Hi sir jcatienza, Where in Intramuros could that be?

Hi sir puregutz, You could also try to check www.pinoyphotography.org/forum/index.php as well

[Jan Atienza]

Oooops...it's at Fort Santiago. Upon entering, the Federation of Phil Photog, Inc. (FPPI)... is at the left where the souvenir shops are. Normally whole day per session for four Sundays. Even with point and shoot cameras they accept naman since they will be evaluating composition din. I visited them last January, I think around P2k for the whole course which is sulit.

They also sell cameras there as soon as a session ends.

HTH.

[jakecastle]

AAArrgh sure wish I could do photography. Back in the old dats of film I tried the hobby but reeled back when I realized that the price of film and developing was waaaay beyond the pocket of a highschool student.

About two years back I was able to buy a point and shoot camera, thought my self photohop, and fell in love with the hobby once more.

I'm really looking to buy a DLSR this christmas. Any idea how much the cheapest DSLR's from Cannon or Nikon costs nowadays?

[Daimler]

nikon d40... entry-level dslr... the cheapest and at the same time bang-for-the-buck... costs 24K at hidalgo with some freebies.

[extendead]

i have a sony DSC H1... is it a good starter camera?? tnx

[gadgets88]

Go ahead.

I find Sony cameras a joy to use.
The problem is... Sony accessories usually cost an arm and a leg!

If the H1 is within your reach, take it and start shooting!



However, I'd really advice you to start checking out photography forums.
Xmas is around the corner.
There are many photographers who are going to sell their stuff in preparation for vacation and bills to pay.
There are many photographers who are crazy upgrading their gears (because that's where the xmas bonuses are going)
and selling their old DLSR bodies and lenses (Nikon and Canons).

[extendead]

TNX gadgets88, i hope someday you take pictures during our DH runs.. we lack a bit of exposure for the sport of DH to grow in the local scene... tnx again...

i love my H1 kahit di sya pang Pro.. hehehe

[shublig2004]

Thanks a lot gadgets i have read this thread for 10x before asking my relatives a buy a DSLR for me.
Now i got the Nikon D40 and i am really impressed with the capabilities of my new baby.

I am used to point and shoot cameres that is why this is very new to me.
Hope you could give me some advice on how to improve.