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I would recommend joining a user forum that is dedicated to the brand that you have chosen for your photography gear and then read all of their threads. Photography is a lot about reading how other people have learned how to use their cameras.
Also, you would benefit from some new lenses. I shoot with a 50mm lens a lot because I like the results more than my kit lens. Any prime lens that you purchase will be significantly better than the kit lens. I tend to keep the kit lens set at f8 and use it like a P&S.
Don't feel like you need to upgrade your camera body unless you have money burning a hole in your pocket or the one you have dies.
^This! You'll learn a ton about your camera pretty quickly by reading threads by people who have the same camera but maybe more experience. I started doing that before I even got my first DSLR and it helped a lot.
I partially agree on the prime lens. While it may not be practical to go ahead and buy several primes, a good 50mm prime is a great addition, even early on. You can get some very nice images even with a fairly cheap prime, and it forces you to work within the confines of that particular focal length, which for me, tends to make me a little more creative I think. Sometimes I set out with only my 50mm lens and camera body, leaving everything else at home. With my film camera I only use my two prime lenses: a 50mm and a 28mm. That being said, if you can't justify the cost of a couple of primes, your kit lens should be fine for now. I used the kit lens on my Digital Rebel more than any other lens overall, and some of my best photos came from that lens, even though my prime is a better lens.
Another thing, all of my zoom lenses seem to do best at their minimum focal length. My old kit lens produced better images at 18mm than at 55mm. My 55-250mm lens produces better images at 55mm than at any other (and subsequently, better at 55mm than my 18-55mm lens) My 17-40mm lens seems to do best at 17mm. I'm not sure it's like that for every lens, but it certainly is for mine. I've also found that my lenses generally give me better images when I'm not shooting with the aperture wide open.
Yep! on the primes. I would also recommend a 24mm, 35mm and a 50mm for walk around lenses. Currently, I don’t have a 35mm and trying to get lucky with either a fast Super Takumar or Minolta. Clearly, I am not into splurging on new lenses either, as the old ones deliver pretty much all and perhaps more character. I simply ignore zoom lenses now, except for one travel zoom (Sigma 18-250mm) that I wanted to stay on the camera purely for convenience.
I seem to be enjoying manual lenses more than I ever did. Although, a high speed lens like the Minolta 200mm/2.8 is better served in automatic mode. In fact, it is a hassle to go manual on that one whereas a pleasure to work on the old Pentax/Takumar and on Russian lenses like Helios-44 (58mm/2), Industar-61 (50mm/2.8) and Jupiter-37A (135mm/3.5).
Quote:
Originally Posted by Lamplight
Another thing, all of my zoom lenses seem to do best at their minimum focal length. My old kit lens produced better images at 18mm than at 55mm. My 55-250mm lens produces better images at 55mm than at any other (and subsequently, better at 55mm than my 18-55mm lens) My 17-40mm lens seems to do best at 17mm. I'm not sure it's like that for every lens, but it certainly is for mine. I've also found that my lenses generally give me better images when I'm not shooting with the aperture wide open.
May be true with your lenses, but it appears that most of these zooms, and especially super zooms are optimized more towards the middle than at either wide or tele end where they tend to go soft. That appears to be the case with Sigma 18-250mm. Professional reviews also suggest that. But for most part, the compromise measured against flexibility more than makes up for that.
I would recommend joining a user forum that is dedicated to the brand that you have chosen for your photography gear and then read all of their threads. Photography is a lot about reading how other people have learned how to use their cameras.
Also, you would benefit from some new lenses. I shoot with a 50mm lens a lot because I like the results more than my kit lens. Any prime lens that you purchase will be significantly better than the kit lens. I tend to keep the kit lens set at f8 and use it like a P&S.
Don't feel like you need to upgrade your camera body unless you have money burning a hole in your pocket or the one you have dies.
I literally looked at hundreds on top of hundreds of photos yesterday in a flickr group of Pentax K100D & Pentax K100D Super pics and almost convinced myself that I needed to get the Super...
....but I also read dozens of posts on a Pentax forum about lenses. I think I will keep my body and invest in 2-3 more lenses and take it from there
^This! You'll learn a ton about your camera pretty quickly by reading threads by people who have the same camera but maybe more experience. I started doing that before I even got my first DSLR and it helped a lot.
I partially agree on the prime lens. While it may not be practical to go ahead and buy several primes, a good 50mm prime is a great addition, even early on. You can get some very nice images even with a fairly cheap prime, and it forces you to work within the confines of that particular focal length, which for me, tends to make me a little more creative I think. Sometimes I set out with only my 50mm lens and camera body, leaving everything else at home. With my film camera I only use my two prime lenses: a 50mm and a 28mm. That being said, if you can't justify the cost of a couple of primes, your kit lens should be fine for now. I used the kit lens on my Digital Rebel more than any other lens overall, and some of my best photos came from that lens, even though my prime is a better lens.
Another thing, all of my zoom lenses seem to do best at their minimum focal length. My old kit lens produced better images at 18mm than at 55mm. My 55-250mm lens produces better images at 55mm than at any other (and subsequently, better at 55mm than my 18-55mm lens) My 17-40mm lens seems to do best at 17mm. I'm not sure it's like that for every lens, but it certainly is for mine. I've also found that my lenses generally give me better images when I'm not shooting with the aperture wide open.
Thanks for the insight...I have no shame in admitting that the pictures I've taken to date have been done without any knowledge of f stop, aperture, etc. I literally had to look the terms up last night.
I'll be in the libary (with my camera) this weekend!
I literally looked at hundreds on top of hundreds of photos yesterday in a flickr group of Pentax K100D & Pentax K100D Super pics and almost convinced myself that I needed to get the Super...
....but I also read dozens of posts on a Pentax forum about lenses. I think I will keep my body and invest in 2-3 more lenses and take it from there
Don't forget to occasionally check the website I sent a link to yesterday. I see a lot of great deals there. Look for 24mm/2.8 and 50mm/1.4 (or 1.7) Pentax lenses (I believe there is one available right now). For short tele (135mm or so) and longer, you could simply go for a zoom for now.
Don't forget to occasionally check the website I sent a link to yesterday. I see a lot of great deals there. Look for 24mm/2.8 and 50mm/1.4 (or 1.7) Pentax lenses (I believe there is one available right now). For short tele (135mm or so) and longer, you could simply go for a zoom for now.
Yep, I will definitely be keeping a look out on that link
Well, I probably tripped on my tongue with that one.
I, quite incorrectly, got the impression you didn't want to do post processing yet, and figured that saying much about that or even pointing that direction would be confusing.
In fact, working on camera skills and processing skills are equally important. For some people one or the other is more fun, but to some degree both are required; and to become truly a proficient photographer both are totally required!
So... work on whatever is the most fun at the moment. When you have a camera in hand, work on that aspect. And later, when there's time to relax at the computer, work on that aspect. It's all fun!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Floyd_Davidson
And I would think, from looking at your examples, that as time goes on you are going to just get better and better. Pretty pictures of flowers (or sunsets, sexy girls, fireworks, and children) are all attention grabbers that don't really indicate much about where a new photographer's talents are. Those last two images, and your comments about them, are a pretty good indication that your ability to visualize a photograph is a talent you can develop skills to match! Go for it...
PS Edit: After I posted the above, I downloaded the last three of your examples. That's when I noticed a simple fact: you are a lot more sophisticated than you let on in that article. Particularly that 4th shot that we both like... is no accident.
May be true with your lenses, but it appears that most of these zooms, and especially super zooms are optimized more towards the middle than at either wide or tele end where they tend to go soft. That appears to be the case with Sigma 18-250mm. Professional reviews also suggest that. But for most part, the compromise measured against flexibility more than makes up for that.
Actually my lenses may be just like you say as well, but I find I almost always use them either zoomed all the way out, or all the way in, so I should have clarified that but I didn't think about it. Mine seem better at the shortest focal length than the longest. Maybe I need to be using the middle! Regardless, it tells me that I should probably be shooting with a handful of prime lenses instead, since I just seem to mostly use the extremes with my zooms. Like I said, with my film camera I just use the two prime lenses, and I haven't really needed anything else yet.
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*blushes*
