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Help with new dSLR
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| Oldman1313 |
| I am taking two extensive trips to Hawaii and Europe over the next couple of months so I decided to go ahead and purchase a new dSLR (Olypmus Evolt E-510 with 14-42mm and 40-150mm lens) without knowing much at all about these types of cameras. Part from about a week of reading reviews and reasons why or why not to buy one, I have no prior knowledge. I leave in a week and plan on trying to accomplish as much learning as I can. I know there are some people with photography knowledge on these boards, so Im just looking for some help with a nice place to start. Any recommended literature that I should be reading or beginner websites to check out, any things you would like to tell me, should I buy a MACRO lens before I leave, etc. Im looking forward to a fun future with my new camera,Thanks for any help! |
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| eRRaTiK |
Don't waste your money on a macro lens unless you intend on doing something with your shots. It's added weight and unnecessary if you're not a real hardcore photography addict or making some cash out of your shots.
I suggest you read up on the following topics:
- exposure
- ISO
- aperture / f-stop
- depth of field
- lighting
If you have a firm understanding on those topics I think you'll be able to maximise the shots you take, and actually take less because you're thinking about your shots beforehand.
I think http://www.dpreview.com/ has some of this info. There are websites for a lot of this stuff. Just google. No need to waste money on a book, as they go out of date pretty much before they get printed anyway.
Oh and really familiarise yourself with your camera manual. I'm still working through the functions on my own camera (Canon EOS 400D).
oh yeah, get yourself a flickr.com account. It's free, you can upload your pics to share with friends/family, and you'll find community boards on there with lots of info. If you use facebook there are photography groups there too. |
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| djbruuen |
Buy THIS book!
If you have enough time to read it through (and its an enjoyable read as well) you'll definitely be taking better pictures on your trip with a much better understanding of how everything works.
edit: i wouldn't bother with a macro lens either, for a good one it'll be a lot of money for a very specific form of photography, so unless you're rich, don't bother. Look into a Prime lens. Although it doesn't have zoom, the quality of your photos will we far superior to one with a large range. |
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| chinamon |
| i wouldnt spend the extra money on a macro lens if i wasnt planning on doing any macro photography. a standard zoom will do the job just fine. |
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| MikeyN |
basically listen to chinamon, djbruuen, and malek, and you'll be fine.
oh and the guy on here who uses an olympus DSLR, forget his name though. |
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| malek |
start by returning your olympus and get yourself a real dslr--> canon
/end of canon fan boi
are you planning to shoot insects and flowers? or hot chicks on the sand?
if the later, you don't need a macro lense, but only rubbers. |
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| jchung52 |
| quote: | Originally posted by MikeyN
oh and the guy on here who uses an olympus DSLR, forget his name though. |
otis |
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| djbruuen |
| quote: | Originally posted by malek
start by returning your olympus and get yourself a real dslr--> canon
/end of canon fan boi
are you planning to shoot insects and flowers? or hot chicks on the sand?
if the later, you don't need a macro lense, but only rubbers. |
I'm still hoping to make an upgrade soon. The choices: Rebel XTi, (the new) Rebel XSi, or 40D. (i'm most curious how the XSi will stack up to the 40D) |
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| Oldman1313 |
| quote: | Originally posted by malek
start by returning your olympus and get yourself a real dslr--> canon
/end of canon fan boi
are you planning to shoot insects and flowers? or hot chicks on the sand?
if the later, you don't need a macro lense, but only rubbers. |
well I bought the olypmus because I got a great deal and even though I dont know to much about it, the Live View caught my eye.
Anyone know the pros/cons about this 4/3 system? |
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| Shaya007 |
| quote: | Originally posted by malek
start by returning your olympus and get yourself a real dslr--> canon
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| zack3082 |
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| chinamon |
| quote: | Originally posted by zack3082
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cool shot. starlight filter? |
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