Hello & Query from a Newbie

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-Tracy-

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Hi All

I have been reading through various posts as a guest for sometime and you all seem to be a very friendly bunch, not to mention knowledgeable so I thought I would join, say Hi and then rack your brains for advice, hope that's ok!

I am a complete novice but would love to take up photography, it is something that fascinates me but which I have no clue as to where to start. Years ago my hubby was bought a Praktica SLR which he said I could use to test the water as such but I was wondering would this be ok to start with or do I really need a DSLR? I am so used to being able to view & delete pictures on my compact digital camera that I don't know if I could actually work with a physical film after all this time, I know daft eh.

I had thought about doing an online course as like I say I am a complete beginner, online because I have full time job and as hubby works shifts so evening classes are out, but can't imagine that a non digital SLR would be accepted. I was also looking at perhaps getting a Nikon D40 DSLR, they seem pretty cheap and as I have no idea whether I am in fact going to be any good didn't think that it was worth spending a fortune at this early stage. Lastly, now this is probably a really stupid question but do all Nikon lenses fit all Nikon cameras or are there specific lenses for each model, see told you I had no idea :shrug:

If any of you lovely people out there are able to help in anyway I would love to hear from you. Thanks
 
Hi Tracy and welcome to the forum:thumbs:

You may be better posting your questions in the Talk Basics or equipment sections.

Nowt wrong with an SLR and film is still relatively easy to get hold of.

With regard to courses - you may find it easier to use a digital camera as it is easier to email and post images online. Unless you have a scanner, of course. Posting images could be a bind I imagine.

With regard to the D40 - great starting point I would have thought although I have Canon personally. I am not sure whether all Nikon lenses work an all models - some of the Canon ones don't. Again there are plenty of Nikon users who could point you in the right direction:thumbs:
 
Welcome Tracy :wave:

Your praktica will be fine, yes you wont be able to view the pics as you take them, and expect some expense on film/developing [you can have them put onto disc at the same time for viewing on computer and posting on the forum for advice] Many people started with film slr's when that was the only option, so no reason why you couldn't now, plus we have a really good film section here full of advice and help.

On the otherhand, would it be worth saving that money you will use on film/dev and buying a s/h dslr while you get to grips with the basics? Thats something only you can decided, but is also worth thinking about.

Nikon lenses will fit all Nikon bodies, so yes to that, however, the thing you do have to look out for is whether you want auto-focus? Almost everyone does, especially in the begininng when you are learning about all the other bits and pieces like aperture, shutterspeed and ISO settings.
The D40 you mention and a couple of other smaller nikons don't have inbuilt motor to 'drive' the autofocus on the lens, which means only those lenses with their own built in will auto-focus, which limits which ones you can buy.
To get round this, can I suggest you look for a D70 or D70s or even a D80 [depending on your budget]- they are very low priced these days and have that motor and will serve you very well indeed. I still have mine, it was my first dslr and now my 17yr old daughter is using it to learn on. If you want some idea of the kind of picture you can produce, there is a lovely chap round here called Forbidden Biker, he is using one for all his stuff, always has done, have a look ;)

Anyway, welcome to the forum, as you know, there is loads of help and advice around :thumbs:
 
Hi All,

Thank you all so much for your warm welcome, your comments are very much appreciated and already a great help. I will now look at the Nikon D70s and D80 as you kindly suggested Yvonne, thank you. I will also look for Forbidden Biker to check out his pictures.

This forum is addictive I must say albeit a little over whelming for a newbie but hopefully I will get the hang of it soon. I look forward to chatting with you and getting to know you all a bit better over the coming months.

Thanks again, Tracy.
 
Welcome Tracy :)

I'm going to disagree on a couple of things here. If you try using film, knowing what you know about digital, you will give up in five minutes. Learning will be much slower

I also wouldn't worry about Nikon lens fittings with a D40, just get the AF compatible lenses with it - most of them are anyway.

Get a DSLR :thumbs:
 
Yup, although film is not that expensive you will soon rack up a big bill and time waiting for the processed film, at least with a DSLR you can shoot 36 shots and look at the computer then go and shoot again.
Each time you will learn more, I still get black photos, and when testing its alot cheaper.
If you look at it as an investment, because if you dont enjoy there is always someone who will buy it off you.
Good Luck
Simon
 
Hi Tracy,
I would have to agree with the majority of comments and say go digital. I have been into photography for many years, and although I still miss the magic of seeing the image appearing in the developer I wouldn't go back to film. In those days you didn't have any option but to wait until your film had been developed and printed, whether by yourself or commercially, before you could begin to learn properly, and although obviously it is still possible to learn from film, the learning curve is much less steep with digital as the images are immediate, and can be saved or deleted as you choose. With regard to used DSLRs, if being able to use older Nikon lenses and being able to auto-focus is important to you, don't forget the D50 which also has the in-built motor. I bought mine after the D40 & D60 were out for that very reason, although having said that all 3 of my lenses are AF-S so it wouldn't have mattered, but it's nice to have the knowledge that I may drop on a bargain oldie, but it hasn't happened yet, and although I am considering up-grading, it will be to a D90 which also has the body motor. Just a few thoughts for you to ponder.
 
As a newbie myself I would definitely recommend digital.

99% of the images I shoot are hopeless and go straight in the bin. I dread to think what the cost would be if I was using film.

Using digital also gives you the chance to salvage some images that don't make the grade by using photoshop or an equivalent image manipulation system.

Now I have learned how to straighten up a photo that looked great through the viewfinder but was at a 45 degree angle when processed, or crop a pic where the subject somehow moved to the top corner rather than the centre of the image between the camera and the computer, I find photography much more satisfying.:lol:
 
Hi Tracey - I bought the D40 when I started because of financial constraints and have taken some good pics (to me) - I use two lenses - the kit one that came with the body and I bought a second-hand zoom (Sigma DG 70-300mm).

I'm still a bit of a snapper rather than a serious photographer but I'm sure similar kit would suit you to start. When buying lenses ask advice in shops, I've found that they will let you try them on your own camera before buying, so you can check if they auto focus or not. This chart may help too http://www.nikonians.org/nikon/slr-lens.html

Good luck
sue
 
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