Beginner needing help..

Cutsie

Cutsie

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Hi all,

I'm new to this forum, and photography for that matter!

I have always loved photography but never managed to get started with it for one reason or another, and now I would like to.

My first problem is choosing the right camera (and everything else I may need).

I have been looking at the Nikon D80 as it seems to get excellent reviews, however it is expensive, and being so new to photography I wouldn't know if I was making a big mistake in buying it.

Can anyone please give me some advice on buying my first camera.

I would be very grateful for any advice or information you can give me as I need plenty!

:thinking:
 
Firstly, hello. :)

There are twp ways you can approach this I guess. The first and probably the most fun if budget allows is to sit down and try to work out what kind of photography you're going to be doing and then spec a kit to suit.

The other, less fun and more pragmatic way is to get something a little out of date and cheap to see what you actually end up liking to shoot. Once you know what your shooting, you can sell the old kit (hopefully not losing much cash as it was fairly dated anyway) and invest in the right tools for the job.
 
Thanks for the reply :) I think the first option suits me the best (although my bank probably wouldn't agree). I think I would prefer to get the kit I want to use as soon as possible and start getting used to that. Of course the cost means I can't afford not to do research first!

This may sound really stupid, but what are the different types of photography that require different kits?

I know I'm not looking to do studio type photography, but aside from that I'm interested in anything that would make a good picture. When I think of where I want to start, I would say any interesting scenery I come accross, flowers, animals, anything at all to be honest!

Again, a stupid question but am I right in thinking the camera can be used for pretty much any type of photography, but the lens is what needs to be changed depending on what your photographing?

As you can tell, I am clueless!
 
Pretty much thats correct. My first thought would be to just start with the kit lens that comes with the camera (18-55mm normally) and from there you'll probably make a decision to that type of lenses you want to use in the future.

On a side note, the D80 is a cracking camera and well worth the money IMO.. best purchase I've made in a while... Although the Other Half doesn't agree I don't think :lol:
 
Again, not stupid, for the type of photography you are suggesting, a D80 will serve you incredibly well, and like the rest of us poor skint photographers, you build you kit up over time. Yes, its the lens that will need to be changed when necessary, but if you start with the basic kit lens 18-55 or 18-70 seem to be Nikons usual inclusions], and see where you feel you are lacking in focal length first, before deciding on your next lens. It maybe that you want more length, so you will go for a longer zoom, or more width from landscape, so a wide angle zoom may suit, or even that you want to work close up with tiny subjects, so macro lens may be your next choice.

The great thing about a Nikon [or canon equivalent] is the greatest range of third party accessories available to you, such as Sigma lens, as good in many cases as its brand equivalent, but a much smaller price tag.

However, BEST advice, get your self down to a camera shop and 'have a feel' [ :eek:] - play with several different cameras, see which fit your hand best, which have controls and buttons you like, look at other brands like Olympus and Pentax too [though bear in mind, the range of lenses/accessories is more limted than for Nikon/Canon] and when you have had a real fiddle, THEN make your mind up. ;)
 
Thanks for the reply. I think the first option suits me the best
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Well that's the first test passed with flying colours. Photography is art and art shouldn't be practical. :lol:

You're right, any camera will take a shot of what you point it at, just some do different stuff better than others. Sports vs landscape. Portraits vs shots from the tops of tall mountains........etc.

LadyLens is spot on, canon, nikon, olympus, pentax, sony will all do pretty much the same thing for you. canon and nion have the biggest range of stuff to spend you're money on once you have the camera. The smaller makes have good stuff like anti shake built into the camera which is really good. Go play and see what you like the feel of, it's all good. :D
 
You need to decide if a dSLR will suit you first.
A well spec'd point and shoot camera is easier at parties etc as it's easier to carry and less obtrusive.

If your serious about going dSLR and your happy with what the NIKON brand offers you, the D80 is a stonking piece of kit and will be a camera you can grow into as you develop your skills.

Photography is an expensive and addictive hobby, start off right by getting the camera right first time.
 
Thank you all for being so helpful, I really appreciate it!!

I think you have settled my worries about the D80. I was concerned I was looking at too complicated a model for my first camera. I haven't physically looked at it yet though, I just assumed due to it's price it might have been a camera for pros only.

I definately intend to have a feel though ( :naughty: ) to see what works for me.

As for the lens, I will take your advice and stick with the one I get with the camera to start with and see how it goes. :)

The only other thing I wasn't sure about is a flash. I'm assuming buying a good flash is another thing that comes after my initial purchase (and dependant on what I'm taking pictures of)?

Again I really appreciate all of your help!!

Time to get saving now!!
 
Initially, most low to mid range dslr's like the D80 has an onboard flash, which with practice can acheive a lot, and again, its a case of finding out how much use you would make of a seperate flash before splashing out on one. I use one rarely, therefore have prefered to spend my money on stuff I do use, like lenses, a decent tripod, etc. Others find flashes, studio equipment and so on take priority, so again, get the camera and familiarise yourself with the camera and your own style.

Good luck :thumbs:
 
Cutsie you seem to have your mind more or less made up on the Nikon D80 and I can vouch for it being an excellent camera, but don't ignore the offerings from Canon. The Canon 400D is also a very good camera with an excellent pedigree and with Canon's 'cashback' offer it's approx £200 cheaper at the moment than the D80.
 
I haven't totally made my mind up until I've seen the cameras. I'm not one to part with that amount of money without making sure it's worth it.

I guess the reason I have that particular camera in my head is due to reading about it in a magazine review, and reading other reviews online (not to mention a lot of people on this forum seem to have one). It seems to keep popping up everywhere I look which is a good sign.

I'll keep you posted on my progress anyway, as I no doubt will have more questions!! :)
 
I had a similar decision to make recently and tried both the 400D and the Nikon. In the end I went with the 400D, partially on price because the money left over could go towards an additional lens, but mainly because I preferred the feel of the Canon in my hand.
I recommend the 400D but at the end of the day it's personal preference all the way!

Good luck which ever you choose. I'm looking forward to seeing your pics.
 
Looks like you're pretty well covered for advice, I'd definately second (or is it third or fourth now ;)) going and getting a feel of the available options.

I did and ended up with the D80 as it felt better. However, if you do decide to go for the D80 look carefully at the choices of lenses I bought the 18-135 and occasionally regret it, mostly when I am shooting landscapes as it doesn't have a distance guide window on the lens which would allow me to set the focus at the hyperfocal distance. The 18-70 does though.

Final thing I would say is that selecting your first SLR camera is important as you are buying in to a camera system and making the wrong choice will be very costly in the future if you have to change systems, research where you'd like to end up and check you can get there in your chosen system be that Nikon, Canon, Sony/Minolta, Olympus or Pentax/Samsung.
 
I was in the same situation as you. Ive never done photography in any way shape or form, and was worried that spending lots of money on a camera that I knew COULD take brilliant pictures would be wasted on someone like me who didnt know how to use it. I went for the Canon 400D as the Nikon alternative just seemed a little bit more expensive for a similar spec (at the time). I dont suppose it will really matter nikon/canon, Im sure your question was more focused on - can a beginner use a spanking dslr to any great effect? -

the answer is yes

it takes a bit of time to get used to the controls and the settings and all the technical bits, but the cameras are very user friendly, and the learning curve is very steap. Just do it, you wont regret it.

I would officially recommend the Canon 400D to a total beginner.
 
I can't wait to get the money now! It's good in a way that I'm skint though, as it will force me to do plenty research and have a good feel :eek:of all the cameras out there.

I'm thinking it will be a good plan to try the Jan sales (hopefully I'll have the mula then).

Regarding the lens, I'm glad you raised that Simon, as there seems to be quite a bit of choice as to which lens you would like (when buying a kit package).

I know it does depend on what I want to photograph, but is there any advice you can give on which would be good to start with as a good 'all rounder'?

Being new, the numbers mean little to me. Of course I will be asking questions in the shops, but I'd like to know as much as possible beforehand too.

P.s Hope you are all enjoying bonfire night!! :)
 
I too was in your position a couple of weeks ago. I knew I wanted a DSLR, but had been using a point and shoot until then. I spent ages going through magazines and trawling the internet for reviews and like many others narrowed it down to the Nikon and Canon 400d. I had almost made my mind up that I was going for the Nikon, until I went into the shop and held both cameras. I found the Canon just felt better in my hands, and I liked the arrangement of the buttons better. It is a very personal thing, and the only way is really to play with them in the shop. Also ask if you can take them outside and have a play, so you can see how they perform in the real world! Don't be persuaded that you want something that you know doesn't feel right. Everyone has their own opinion on what is right, but really you are the only one who knows what is right for you. I have had my Canon for a couple of weeks now, and love it to bits, I know I did a lot of reading, and investigating before hand, but it has paid off, because I have the camera that feels right for me. Good luck, and enjoy your new camera.
 
Cutsie said:
Regarding the lens, I'm glad you raised that Simon, as there seems to be quite a bit of choice as to which lens you would like (when buying a kit package).

I know it does depend on what I want to photograph, but is there any advice you can give on which would be good to start with as a good 'all rounder'?
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I am presuming that you are going to go Nikon where there are generally 3 kit lenses that Nikon offer

18-55mm - The most basic of kit lenses, reported to be very good and certainly better than the Canon equivalent. I beleive it has a plastic lens mount.

18-70mm - A very good lens on which to start a reasonable lens collection. It has a distance window (so you can see how far away your focus point is - useful for landscape photography when you are trying to maximise depth of field) and a metal lens mount. Reported to be very good and increadably sharp for a consumer lens - actually beats many pro lenses in sharpness, but is let down by vignetting and chromatic aberations however, both can be corrected to some extent in software.

18-135mm - As explained doesn't have the distance window that is useful in landscapes and has a plastic lens mount. Is almost as sharp as the 18-70 but again is let down by vignetting and chromatic aberrations.

The numbers after the focal length refer to the maximum aperture the lens can acheive (this is usually a low number like f2.8 or f3.5). The lower the number the more light can be let in by the lens. If a range is mentioned e.g. 3.5-4.5 it means that as you extend the zoom the maximum aperture changes and at the longer lengths the less light is let in to the lens at its maximum setting (remember in aperture maximum means small numbers - confusing I know and I have to keep checking myself :lol):

Personally, I would recommend the 18-70mm as a good starting point and then if you want longer lengths look at getting a 70-300mm VR (about £350ish).
 
hi

i was in your position a few weeks ago and wish i had asked the question
in the end i went with a nikon d40x which is great for me as a total beginner but really i could have afforded the d80 and was just put off because they really recommended the d40x for a total beginner
i hope i made the right choice.

francesca
 
SimonTALM said:
I
Personally, I would recommend the 18-70mm as a good starting point and then if you want longer lengths look at getting a 70-300mm VR (about £350ish).
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:thumbs: I have to agree, its great 'every day' lens with a nice focal range that I still use nearly every time I take the cameras out, and whilst not the quickest tool in the box in terms of F numbers [F3.5] its still lovely and sharp and really does the job, giving you a good starting point to decided where to move on to.

However, I havent looked at what is available with kits recently, so I had a quick browse and its 'appears' to be a less common option than it was...this may just be I am looking in the wrong places, but certainly shop around and see what is offered.
 
From reading your advice to me, and other threads that are quite similar, the key seems to be finding out which one feels right, which I'm so curious to find out now!!

As for the lens, that helps alot, as I'd hate to make a mistake with that.

I also have to shop around to find a good deal too..phew, this photography lark is hard work already! :p
 
Cutsie said:
As for the lens, that helps alot, as I'd hate to make a mistake with that.
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You need to relax Cutsie :D :massage: you'll make the right choice.

There are no bad cameras these days, and if I'm honest I don't think many people could tell the difference between a photo taken on a 10MP canon with their 18-55mm lens (the camera is good but the lens is reported to be one of the worst out there) and a 10MP Nikon with the 17-55mm f2.8 (pro spec lens costing >£700) I certainly doubt I could (provided the lenses were set at f8 that is ;))

P.S. Francesca, I think you made an excellent choice - you have a camera and can take photos, better than none at all :D. Plus if you didn't spend all your money on the body you should have some spare cash to spend on some decent glass - IMO the lens matters more than the body. :thumbs:
 
Cutsie said:
I'm thinking it will be a good plan to try the Jan sales (hopefully I'll have the mula then).
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If you're considering a Canon 400D be aware if you leave buying it until the Jan sales you'll miss out on Canon's £50 'Cashback' offer.
 
hi simontalm

thanks i think you are right buts lens confuse me at the moment so i think i am going to do some research

francesca
 
Not really much i can say that hasnt already been said..

I started off with a Fuji S9600, I couldnt afford to buy an SLR from the outset but wanted something "decent" to learn on, i deffo made the right choice, it gave me a better insight to photography and shortly afterwards i picked up a D80, which, withouta doubt is the best purchase i have ever made!

My friend had the D40x which he swiftly upgraded to a D80 after using mine..

the mian thing to remember is that SLRS will make your bank manager very unhappy, pretty much all my spare cash goes on new lenses! :(
 
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