Shutter bugs?

[gibsons]

I got a new Nikon d5000 for Xmas. I have read a ton of books, watched many videos on the camera but still really have no idea how to take consistent quality photos. I have the original lens that came with it a 18 x55 and I also have a 70x300 for her. It has a ton of functions and I'm sure, if I can figure it out, I might even get it to blow me good thread. I might learn something

sounds like you're in the same boat as me. a class is something i should signing up for.

 

[quadboy55]

It's not ISO that determines need for a tripod- it's shutter speed. One cannot reliably handhold anything with a shutter speed slower than 1/60th of a second without getting motion blur. If you have image stabilization (canon)/vibration reduction (Nikon) and a very steady hand you might get away with a shutter speed of 1/30th second.

That said, increasing your ISO causes a resultant increase in shutter speed. The faster your shutter closes, the sharper you "freeze motion".

ISO refers to your camera sensor or film's sensitivity to light. Higher ISO means increased sensitivity to light and therefore less light required to create an exposure (and vice versa). Thats how you can get away with letting in light for a shorter amount of time when you increase shutter speed. The trade-off: higher ISO means more "noisy" photos. Depends on the camera, but generally any ISO higher than 800 will start to get noisy. ( This means grainier photos and less sharpness ).

Yeah, Never said anything about me being an expert on these things. I've just been playing with it since december and still learning. Now I feel like a goof for goofing up ISO for the speed.

You make it seem to obvious and easy!

 

[crmxgirl]

I'm a camera weekend warrior. I picked up the sony A200 with the standard 18-55mm lens and I also have a 80-200mm off my minolta that fits on it. Most of my play around pictures are shot using the roof of the truck or something similar as a tripod, but I've ended up with a decent shot now and then.

 

[SledMamma]

Yeah, Never said anything about me being an expert on these things. I've just been playing with it since december and still learning. Now I feel like a goof for goofing up ISO for the speed.

You make it seem to obvious and easy!

It's not obvious or easy... Don't be hard on yourself! You are on the right track: Practice Practice Practice!!

I am guilty of never using a tripod- I will manipulate my settings until I don't have to...

Questions I always ask my classes:

1) how many of you have read your manual and picked a feature you don't understand completely and played with it??

2) how many of you know how to manually select your focus point. (This is still in Autofocus mode: camera still focuses for you, but you tell it exactly where to focus. Not the same as switching to manual focus and doing it yourself).

You'd be surprised how many people can't focus on exactly what they want. For example, when I take a portrait, I always put the focus point on the eye closest to the camera... If you can't do this, get out your manual!! After all, sharp focus makes or breaks the shot...

 

[Phyer Phyter]

Nikon user here. D300, some glass and so on.

 

[benclaluna450r]

I don't know what it's called but it takes the best pictures

 

[quadboy55]

It's not obvious or easy... Don't be hard on yourself! You are on the right track: Practice Practice Practice!!

I am guilty of never using a tripod- I will manipulate my settings until I don't have to...

Questions I always ask my classes:

1) how many of you have read your manual and picked a feature you don't understand completely and played with it??

2) how many of you know how to manually select your focus point. (This is still in Autofocus mode: camera still focuses for you, but you tell it exactly where to focus. Not the same as switching to manual focus and doing it yourself).

You'd be surprised how many people can't focus on exactly what they want. For example, when I take a portrait, I always put the focus point on the eye closest to the camera... If you can't do this, get out your manual!! After all, sharp focus makes or breaks the shot...

I think I know what your getting at, If you mean manually select an AF point and still use AF, then I can do that. And that has been my best friend sometimes.

Still not the biggest fan for MF, takes me too long.

and I'm actually quite proud of this one! I read my manual once!! :d

 

[SledMamma]

I think I know what your getting at, If you mean manually select an AF point and still use AF, then I can do that. And that has been my best friend sometimes.

Still not the biggest fan for MF, takes me too long.

and I'm actually quite proud of this one! I read my manual once!! :d

You are on a roll!! Ahead of 70% of the DSLR owning population. Just try and hit that manual more than once ;p

 

[Uturn]

Still using my XT with 18-55 and 55 - 250 f4-5.6 IS. Really like the 55-250 IS lens. I've had this DSLR since it came out, and really like it. Now I need a better body. Got into shooting ny sons High School football last year and this body just doesn't cut it!!!

I'm hoping the release of the T3i will drop the T2i body price a couple hundy. I'm torn between the T2i and the 60D body. I don't see me shooting a lot of video, but the option to do it would be nice. After a new body it will be time to step up to some prosumer lenses.

Canon has great tutorials for all their cameras. I use these more than the manual.

Some of the other links I use.

DIYPhotography.net | Photography and Studio Lighting

http://neilvn.com/tangents/flash-photography-techniques/



DPChallenge - A Digital Photography Contest

 

[quadboy55]

You are on a roll!! Ahead of 70% of the DSLR owning population. Just try and hit that manual more than once ;p

I'll have to dig it up and flip through it, and probably pick up one of those photography mags next time I make a Dirtwheels run!

Still using my XT with 18-55 and 55 - 250 f4-5.6 IS. Really like the 55-250 IS lens. I've had this DSLR since it came out, and really like it. Now I need a better body. Got into shooting ny sons High School football last year and this body just doesn't cut it!!!

I'm hoping the release of the T3i will drop the T2i body price a couple hundy. I'm torn between the T2i and the 60D body. I don't see me shooting a lot of video, but the option to do it would be nice. After a new body it will be time to step up to some prosumer lenses.

Canon has great tutorials for all their cameras. I use these more than the manual.

Some of the other links I use.

DIYPhotography.net | Photography and Studio Lighting

http://neilvn.com/tangents/flash-photography-techniques/



DPChallenge - A Digital Photography Contest

T3i is 999.99 at Futureshop. The T2i was 950 regular so hopefully it drops more. I got my T2i for 730. After the card, lens, tripod and case it was 1200.

 

[Uturn]

This is a great place to watch for good deals. Find what you want, the go to somewhere like Future Shop and they will beat it by 10%.

Photography, Digital Camera, Lens Price Comparisons for Canada - photoprice.ca

 

[CUSO]

I have a D5000, 18-105 and 55-200 lenses. and a few filters.

I did a lot of research on which to buy and it seemed that the nikon was the best entry lever DSLR for the money.

I took this course: A practical intro to SLR photography
For $209 you can't go wrong. When your done, you will never need switch out of manual mode, (unless you let someone else take a picture of you).

No matter what anyone says, you will never achieve better focusing than auto focus.

Course Content:

The basic basics
Diopter
LCD brightness
Formatting vs. deleting
Manual vs. automatic
Shooting in Manual Mode
Basic Elements of manual exposure: ISO, shutter speed, aperture
Metering & exposure
Histograms
Accessory Flash & Manual Mode
Adding Flash
Basics of flash
On-camera diffusers
Metering Modes
Drive Modes
Aperture-Priority & Shutter Speed-Priority Modes
Automatic, ‘P’, & Specialist Modes
Colour Temperature & White Balance
Basic menu settings
Cleaning & Maintenance
Off-Camera Considerations in Pro Photography

 

[CUSO]

a couple of pics while in mexico, just playing around, still practicing.

 

[CUSO]

A few more

 

[gibsons]

nice pic's. almost looks like a little turd in your hand. did that a couple years, pretty cool sending them back to the ocean.

 

[arcticdodge]

Canon has the T3i out now.. There is a place in Medicine Hat where my brother in law works that sell cameras and lenses. Boylan Photocopy is the place. Talk to Shane and tell him Mark sent you from this site and he is usually pretty forgiving on the price. (Always charges me double to save you a few). :d

 

[quadboy55]

I got a few landscape pictures from Kelowna, you guys can all comment on 'em and tell me how bad they are once I upload 'em when I'm back in Edmonton. :d

 

[~Rowdy~]

Here's a couple...

1.) Offering Class in Bali Indonesia
2.) Cleansing Fountain in Bali Indonesia
3.) Played hookey for the day and went to Field, BC
4,) Havana, Cuba
5.) Me in the terrain park, Whistler, BC (my friend Rachel took the pic with my camera.)

 

[FTBeaver]

Lots of cool pics guys. The wife got into photography a few years ago and taught her self. Since then it has cost me a fortune to set up her business. Her first two cameras were xti's then she upgraded to a t2i which she loves but now is saving for a 5d mark 2, she does portraits and weddings now so she wants to go to a full frame camera. Had to buy her a 70-200 a while ago and she loves it just figures the full frame camera will help use the full potential of this lens. A few weeks ago she got a 24-70 lens. This will be her new main lens replacing her older 15-85. She has a few other cheaper lenses but never uses them. She has been taking online tutorials that she has paid for I can't remember the site but she has learned a lot and I am wanting to get into it with her. I think it would be fun to be her assistant or second shooter. I just have to learn to actually listen to my wife so she can teach me something. I want to try and get some HDR shots of my quad when things green up. I love the way HDR pics look. I already asked and she won't let me take her gear out when I go quadding.

 

[quadboy55]

I'm lazy.. Forgot to upload.