Hi from Cambridge!!

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whirlybat

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Name
Chris
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:wave:

I've been lurking around the forum for a while but thought it was about time I said hi to everyone at the TP.

I've taken my fair share of holiday snaps with a point and shoot (in auto :p) but have never used a DSLR. I'm at the point now where I'd like to progress to using a DSLR to get more out of my photography. I have to admit I'm a bit overwhelmed by it all at the moment having never had a camera out of the auto mode yet :thinking: but I'm slowly learning the basics about hardware, lenses etc but have so much to learn about the actual mechanics of taking a good shot. Seeing some of the pictures posted on the forum makes me eager to learn and hopefully I'd like to be able to post a few of my own up in time :lol:

I've tried to start out by doing things in the right way, learning as much as I can before making any purchases to prevent expensive mistakes. I finally took the plunge last week and ordered a Canon 40D body from Park Cameras but have yet to receive it yet as it's on back order :shake: I resisted buying one with a kit lens preferring to choose my own lens. I managed to secure a nice 50mm 1.8 Mk1 from a certain auction site that I thought would be a good starter lens that would give me good IQ without spending an absolute fortune right at the start. I hope I made a good choice? :shrug: I've seen lots of posts with people advocating having a nice 50mm prime in their collection so I figured why not start out with one. I also treated myself to a nice Hoya CP filter. The irony is that I'll have both the lens and the filter before I get the camera!

Can I just say, I'd like to have bought stuff in the classifieds here but find the restrictions very limiting for a newbie that wants to buy kit from scratch. How many people have been here for 30 days and made 30 posts before they have even bought a scrap of kit? not many I'd guess but I can understand the need for caution in the classified section even if it means it can be inconvenient for people like myself. There are bound to be bits and pieces that more experienced people have outgrown and have lying around that a newbie such as myself could make use of but alas I can't use the 'Wanted' section yet :bang:

On that note, I did manage to secure myself a copy of Bryan Petersons Understanding Exposure from another forum to try and get to grips with the basics while waiting for my camera to arrive :p

Cambridge has so many oportunities for good shots I just hope to be able to gain enough skill to take advantage of that and get away from just taking what I would call 'tourist' shots to taking something a little more creative. Tough to explain but I'm sure you know what I mean...so who has a spare copy of 'Learning To See Creatively' lying around :lol:

Wow, look at me waffling, this was only meant to be a brief introduction too!

I'll just sign off by saying I've had a wonderful time so far and hope to learn from you all in the future,

Chris
 
I'll keep it short, welcome Chris.
 
Hi Chris, and welcome :wave:

Good choice of camera! And the 50mm lens is a definite keeper -expecially the Mk I version with its metal lens mount and better build. Of course on a 1.6 crop camera it becomes effectively an 80mm short telephoto, so you'll probably be wanting something wider fairly soon.

If you're familiar with an auto-everything P&S camera, I'd suggest you start off with the 40D set to P or even the "green square" until you become comfortable. There's nothing wrong with letting the camera decide on the exposure to leave you to concentrate on composition.

Good luck, and hope your 40D arrives soon! :D
 
Hi Chris, I'm just up the road in sunny Soham (well it is today anyway).

Complete novice here too - got my first DSLR last month, Canon 450d plus some extra glass to keep me occupied. Hope you enjoy your 40D :)

Shaza
 
The number of Cambridgeites on TP continues to grow... welcome!
 
whirlybat said:
Hi Chris and a very warm welcome.

You've made some excellent kit choices there - the nifty fifty in mk1 is a cracker of a lens and a great way to start. By electing not to go for a telephoto/zoom, you're going to have to think more about composition and zooming with your feet. Once you get the camera, just get out there and play, play, play!!

Just hope that the sun remains out for a bit so you can bring the cp into play too.

As you say, you're in a great place to take photos - the colleges, the market, the Backs, all those other buildings, the buskers, Grantchester Meadows.
:clap:Go to! Go to!
:clap:
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Thanks for the welcome snowy and the advice on beginner settings, I shall certainly give that a try.

Hopefully the 40D should be here by next week..especially since the lens arrived today :woot:

I do actually have a 30D sitting here in front of me (it's a long story) but basically I was passing a shop on Sunday and saw it sitting forlornly in the window along with a pile of other red and white boxes ;) saying 'buy me'!

On closer inspection the lot included:

D30 body
BG-E2 grip
RS Shutter remote
100mm 2.8 USM Macro lens
ET-67 Hood
Kirk L-Bracket (for tripod mounting with grip attached)
There was even a nice Sandisk Extreme III card inside it!

The previous owner was obviously a keen photgrapher and looked after it very well. Everything was in 'as new' condition, even the software cd's were still sealed and the manual looked untouched.

At that time my 40D was on order but because this lot was being offered at such a good price I figured why not buy it and sell it on using any profit for a lens for my 40D :D as the second hand value was a good 60% above the price that was being asked for it.

Trouble is I'm now in a quandry because even though I didn't see things like a grip and remote as a necessity when starting out, I keep thinking why not keep it seeing as it will fit the 40D. I found a site where they have a lens section with each lens having it's own thread where people can post up shots taken with that particular lens and although the 100mm has a degree of versatility I figure it's just a little too 'niche' for me to keep. My finances don't allow for me to keep it on a whim unfortunately :(


The only problem I have is that the 30D is incomplete in that the there was no neckstrap in the box or data cable so, call me fussy, but I'm trying to replace these before I offer it for sale. So if anyone would like to donate either or both in exchange for a small donation to the forum then let me know :thumbs:


Snowy - Re your comments on needing something wider in the lens dept., I had a couple of lenses on my short list as walk around lenses the first being the 17-55 2.8 and the other was the 17-40L. Both seem to be very capable lenses with good IQ. Obviously the 17-40 has the L kudos and build quality but I'm favouring the 17-55 2.8 for the handheld advantages at higher shutter speeds and low light performance ( I go to quite a few gigs!). This lens would appear to have IQ on a par with the L lens but less robust in the build quality dept. from what I've read. The only issue I see is that with it being an EF-S lens, I would obviously have to let it go at a later date if I went to FF unless I wanted to keep a spare body to use it on, but I figure if I can find a good used lens then I should'nt lose much, if anything, when selling it later.

I would like to use the camera at motorsports events like Goodwood so would eventually need some extra length but I'm happy to just try and get a little closer to the action until I can afford something fast and long!

Chris
 
whirlybat said:
Snowy - Re your comments on needing something wider in the lens dept., I had a couple of lenses on my short list as walk around lenses the first being the 17-55 2.8 and the other was the 17-40L. Both seem to be very capable lenses with good IQ. Obviously the 17-40 has the L kudos and build quality but I'm favouring the 17-55 2.8 for the handheld advantages at higher shutter speeds and low light performance ( I go to quite a few gigs!). This lens would appear to have IQ on a par with the L lens but less robust in the build quality dept. from what I've read. The only issue I see is that with it being an EF-S lens, I would obviously have to let it go at a later date if I went to FF unless I wanted to keep a spare body to use it on, but I figure if I can find a good used lens then I should'nt lose much, if anything, when selling it later.
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I can't advise on the 17-55 as I have a 5D so have to buy FF lenses :D
I've heard it's good, and close to L quality, but I'll leave it to others to share real experience. I do have the 17-40 though, and even though it's "only" an f4, it's a great lens and one I won't be trading any time soon!

Also I would wait until you've tried out the 100mm macro before selling it on - it's also a great lens, although at 160mm equivalent on your crop camera(s) you may find the 60mm EF-S macro a more comfortable choice.

I hope you're out there with your camera enjoying this nice Spring weather :p
 
Wow!! three more welcomes while I was writing my last reply :)

Thanks Shaza, KelV6 and tikkathreebarrel.

Shaza, looks like you've got a head start on me so I'll know where to come for advice hehe. Like I said it's all pretty overwhelming at the moment but I'm keen to learn. Congrats on your 450D, my daughter is keen to buy her first dslr and thats the very model I advised her to buy, I'm sure you'll love it!

KelV6 - There does seem to be a few of us doesn't there? Potential for a meet maybe?

tikkathreebarrel - Your comments on my choice of kit is comforting! I already have my eyes on something a little longer as we speak, see my previous reply. I'm still not 100% sure which way to go, I've asked advice before re the 17-55 vs 17-40 and got a few recommendations for the 24-105L with people saying they wished they had got the longer length sooner...grrr decisions! I guess time spent behind the camera will be the best way to judge what I need ultimately but I'm impatient ;)

Chris
 
snowy said:
I hope you're out there with your camera enjoying this nice Spring weather :p
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No, not unless you can count the trip to the sorting office this morning to fetch the 50mm! Other than that I'm about to leave for work in an hour, I'm working 2-10 this week. I work some strange hours but it has the advantage of me being up and about at more unusual times, good for pictures I'd say. It will also explain why you may see me posting at unearthly times!
 
whirlybat said:
I guess time spent behind the camera will be the best way to judge what I need ultimately but I'm impatient ;)
Chris
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Well, you can walk, or you can run. Either way, I'd go straight to the home of Mr & Mrs L Lens if you can possibly afford it. The 17-40 L is an excellent lens and will happily fit "under" your nifty fifty.
 
Hi Chris, look forward to hearing how you get on with the new camera. Suddenly seemed to be a flurry in the Cambridge area, at this rate you will soon be up to 30 posts !
 
Haha, strangely it's only showing me as having made 1 post :)

Welcome to the forum rookx
 
whirlybat said:
Haha, strangely it's only showing me as having made 1 post :)
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Yeah that's really odd - all your posts are showing as "Posts: 1". Might be worth contacting a moderator about that, unless you're happy never to be allowed onto the sales/wanted area :D
 
snowy said:
Yeah that's really odd - all your posts are showing as "Posts: 1". Might be worth contacting a moderator about that, unless you're happy never to be allowed onto the sales/wanted area :D
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OK, I've just been told that some of the forums don't contribute to the post count, and this is one of them! You live and learn...
 
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