Rep your camera

nolagal79 · December 2014

Chronic lurker here stepping out of lurkdom for some advice. I'm looking for a new camera. I want something that has more options than just point and shoot. I want some basic manual options like aperture, shutter speed, ISO, focus settings, but still want to be able to switch to auto mode too. Any suggestions for a beginner??

Thanks! I searched all the way back to August and only found a camera bag thread. If this has been discussed already could someone link it up?

You rock ladies, carry on.

nochill · December 2014

nolagal79 said:

Chronic lurker here stepping out of lurkdom for some advice. I'm looking for a few camera. I want something that has more options than just point and shoot. I want some basic manual options like aperture, shutter speed, ISO, focus settings, but still want to be able to switch to auto mode too. Any suggestions for a beginner?? Thanks! I searched all the way back to August and only found a camera bag thread. If this has been discussed already could someone link it up? You rock ladies, carry on.

Are you looking for a point and shoot style though? Like a small pocket camera? Or are you looking to get into a beginner DSLR. There are some good pocket cameras that give some manual control but aren't big.

nochill · December 2014

Also do you have a price limit.

nolagal79 · December 2014

Not opposed to a bigger/bulkier camera. Don't really want to dive into buying various lenses yet.

Price range I would like to stay under $600 (and hope to find a good sale).

acesup · December 2014

I would go with an entry level DSLR and get it in a kit, usually comes with one or two basic lenses.

I'm a nikon girl so I would suggest the D3200

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1027229-REG/nikon_13313_d3200_dslr_camera_with.html

nolagal79 · December 2014

@acesup‌ the Nikon DS3200 is one I have been looking at and reading about tonight!

LightBright515 · December 2014

I have the canon D60. I love it. I got it in a kit with a nice bag, variable lens and more. On sale at BJ's (Costco type store).

I want to invest in some accessories such as a tripod, remote, and some basic lighting.

acesup · December 2014

I think you'd be happy with it. My sister has the 3100 and lives it. She doesn't change lenses ever and usually just shoots in auto but she is really happy with the results.

I'm a photographer and I have used her camera a few times just playing around at her house and it does really well in manual as well.

My first camera was the D5000 back in 2010. I think the the 3200 is a great buy and does just as well as that had done for me.

slednecksmomma · December 2014

I have a Nikon D40 and I love it! I bought it used on craigslist with two lenses, a bag, and two batteries for $250.

nochill · December 2014

I guess my suggestion depends. If you are looking to get into hobby photography and are going to make it serious, even if it's down the road, I would recommend going to a local camera store. Not Best Buy or the like, but a place that strictly deals with kits, bodies and lenses. Most of them that I have been to allow you to rent bodies and lenses so you can decide if you like them. I recommend this because once you start with a kit, you will most likely stick with that brand. Even if you get a more complex body in the future, the lenses within that brand will be interchangeable and lenses can be the most expensive part of the hobby. So if you are even slightly interested in making this a long term thing, I'd check out some rentals and see what feels right for you. I'm also a Nikon girl, but some aren't. I don't think you can really go "wrong" with Nikon or Canon.

Mags748 · December 2014

nolagal79 said:
@acesup‌ the Nikon DS3200 is one I have been looking at and reading about tonight!

I just got the D3300 kit on black Friday. It is the newer version of the D3200. The kit came with 2 lenses, a bag, WiFi adapter and memory card. I haven't had much time to learn all of the features but it takes very nice pictures on auto. Then there is a guide mode which is a step in between auto and manual and that is pretty easy to use as well but is more customized (portrait, closeup etc). I am happy with it so far.

clwheel · December 2014

I would watch/look at Costco or BJ'S like PP said. My dad got a good Nikon DSLR bundle and they usually have a good variety of price ranges and sales

acesup · December 2014

I agree with @nochill‌ if you do have any intention of becoming a hobbyist or pro.
I didn't when I bought my camera. It wasn't until after I got it that I got into to. I've since upgraded my camera body and lenses. Lenses are really what's important when it comes down to it.
The link I sent above is where I buy all of my equipment but the only store location is NY. You can check stuff out in a local shop, I've done that to look at things and then I buy them above. There is also borrowlenses.com where you can rent cameras and lenses and they ship right to you.

acesup · December 2014

Oh and agree that you can't go wrong with nikon or canon.

LightBright515 · December 2014

@acesup‌ what's your favorite setting to shoot basic photography? Like photos of my kid on an everyday basis? I love the fuzzy background look.

nochill · December 2014

LightBright515 said:

@acesup‌ what's your favorite setting to shoot basic photography? Like photos of my kid on an everyday basis? I love the fuzzy background look.

Set to the largest aperture your lens allows for the "fuzzy" look (bokeh). If that is your main concern, switch your control to Aperture Priority and set it to f/4 or f/5.6 and the camera will auto adjust the other settings.

acesup · December 2014

I shoot in manual so I don't remember much about the preset settings if that's what you mean (like sport, Portrait, nighttime or those things).

For kids the general rule of thumb is to keep your shutter speed as high as you can since they don't stay still. At least 1/250, but it also depends on your focal length (the length of your lenses- for example if you're using a zoom lens and have it at 100mm you will need your shutter to be above 1/100 to avoid camera shake).

For fuzzy background (bokeh) you want to shoot in a wide aperture. Most kit zoom lenses have a variable aperture so it changes as you zoom but they don't usually go lower than maybe f/3.5 if i remember correctly. I use prime lenses so mine go as low as f/1.4 which is how you get the fuzzier backgrounds. With aperture, the lower your number, the wider the aperture and fuzzier the background. This is good for kids too because it lets a lot of light in so you can bump your shutter speed up. But it's a very small focal plane - so if you have two people and they aren't exactly next to each other, one will be out of focus.

I'm sorry I got completely carried away answering your question. Lol. If you don't want to shoot manual and choose your own settings, I would pick a sport type setting since that will give you a faster shutter speed.

nochill · December 2014

acesup said:

I shoot in manual so I don't remember much about the preset settings if that's what you mean (like sport, Portrait, nighttime or those things). For kids the general rule of thumb is to keep your shutter speed as high as you can since they don't stay still. At least 1/250, but it also depends on your focal length (the length of your lenses- for example if you're using a zoom lens and have it at 100mm you will need your shutter to be above 1/100 to avoid camera shake). For fuzzy background (bokeh) you want to shoot in a wide aperture. Most kit zoom lenses have a variable aperture so it changes as you zoom but they don't usually go lower than maybe f/3.5 if i remember correctly. I use prime lenses so mine go as low as f/1.4 which is how you get the fuzzier backgrounds. With aperture, the lower your number, the wider the aperture and fuzzier the background. This is good for kids too because it lets a lot of light in so you can bump your shutter speed up. But it's a very small focal plane - so if you have two people and they aren't exactly next to each other, one will be out of focus. I'm sorry I got completely carried away answering your question. Lol. If you don't want to shoot manual and choose your own settings, I would pick a sport type setting since that will give you a faster shutter speed.

Gettin' all technical 'n shit.

acesup · December 2014

nochill said:

acesup said:

I shoot in manual so I don't remember much about the preset settings if that's what you mean (like sport, Portrait, nighttime or those things).

For kids the general rule of thumb is to keep your shutter speed as high as you can since they don't stay still. At least 1/250, but it also depends on your focal length (the length of your lenses- for example if you're using a zoom lens and have it at 100mm you will need your shutter to be above 1/100 to avoid camera shake).

For fuzzy background (bokeh) you want to shoot in a wide aperture. Most kit zoom lenses have a variable aperture so it changes as you zoom but they don't usually go lower than maybe f/3.5 if i remember correctly. I use prime lenses so mine go as low as f/1.4 which is how you get the fuzzier backgrounds. With aperture, the lower your number, the wider the aperture and fuzzier the background. This is good for kids too because it lets a lot of light in so you can bump your shutter speed up. But it's a very small focal plane - so if you have two people and they aren't exactly next to each other, one will be out of focus.

I'm sorry I got completely carried away answering your question. Lol. If you don't want to shoot manual and choose your own settings, I would pick a sport type setting since that will give you a faster shutter speed.

Gettin' all technical 'n shit.

Lol yeah after I posted I was like "I think I went overboard". Lol. I keep trying to force my sister to learn to shoot manual and she is like "leave me alone!"

I have issues. Ignore me lol

acesup · December 2014

Oh and @LightBright515‌
+1 to aperture priority- that would be good for you to get the fuzzy background

nochill · December 2014

@acesup correct me if I'm wrong here -

@LightBright515 your canon should allow you to switch from view finder to LCD screen and the LCD screen will show you what your photo will look like at the settings you've selected. If you just use the view finder you will just see the image as it is seen by your eye, without the lens setting corrections. It's not recommended to shoot from the LCD screen, but if you are getting used to what settings have what effect, it might be a good starting point to go "Okay, I've set my aperture to f/8 and it makes my photo look like this." Me trying to use a Canon is like me trying to drive stick though. So I could just be ruining your transmission.

Also, this is my favourite beginners photography book, if you're a book learner.

https://www.amazon.com/Getting-Started-Digital-Photography-Snapshots/dp/0321956540/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1419737391&sr=1-1&keywords=khara+plicanic

acesup · December 2014

Yeah I have no idea because I've never shot a canon.

+1 to the book Rec though! I read a LOT of books when I was learning.

Also blogs! Lots of pro's blog and will cover different tips and tricks for beginners in each post! Click it up a notch is a good one off the top of my head.

nolagal79 · December 2014

So y'all are getting me really excited to learn more about photography and getting a new camera!!

nochill · December 2014

nolagal79 said:

So y'all are getting me really excited to learn more about photography and getting a new camera!!

It's a lot of fun but with any new thing, it can be frustrating at times. I'm still nowhere near any sort of pro level and I've been at it like 5 years now. But it's nice to be able to document life on something other than an iPhone.

nochill · December 2014

triplea598 said:

*threadjacking, sorry* What would you recommend for someone not looking to make photography a hobby, and is looking for something less bulky...but still takes good pictures?

I have used and like the Nikon Coolpix cameras. I have also seen some beautiful shots come out of some of the newer hybrid cameras, specifically the Fujifilm Finepix, but in all reality, you can get good shots from any camera if you know the basics of how they work. Look for something that has the functions you need. If you take a lot of video, look for one that takes quality video, etc.

nochill · December 2014

@luxannie‌ I have an alpha 66 in my arsenal and love it.

LightBright515 · December 2014

Awesome advice! I shoot in either M or AP modes, so thanks a lot. I'm a new mom, so I'm hoping to finetune my skills and get some great pics of DD.

nanabanana06 · December 2014

I have a Nikon DS3200 and I love it! When doing my research the different comparisons between the Nikon and Canon entry level DSLR's most reviews said that Nikon took the better lowlight and active shots. That is what I'm taking pictures of when I'm indoors and taking pics of my kids, or outside (hello WA grey weather) taking pics of the kids. So, thats what I got and it's been perfect.

clwheel · December 2014

luxannie said:
I did a lot of research into DSLR vs. compact mirrorless cameras and ended up getting a Sony Alpha. It's super light weight (lighter than a DSLR) and has the option of adding different lenses like a DSLR, but takes pictures a million times better than my point and shoot Nikon.

And if this book hasn't been recommended, it's great. I knew zero about shooting outside of auto mode. Like wtf does M even mean?!? I read this book and enjoyed learning a bit about the functions and settings you can adjust. And now I'll shoot in auto and manual. The book is called Understanding Exposure. https://www.amazon.com/Understanding-Exposure-3rd-Edition-Photographs/dp/0817439390

The Sony A350 was my first DSLR (thank you circuit city for going out of business lol) I still have it and love it. I've since inherited my dad old Nixon D80 so I have been shooting more with that but the Sony has given me some fantastic shots

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