Hi, I'm a new starter trying to pick up on long forgotten terms

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hockeyumps48

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Steve
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Hi
I am new to this site having been recommended it. I am thinking of getting a DSLR (had an SLR in my late teens/early 20s but got rid of it 40 years ago for point and shoot as did not like carrying around too many and bulky lenses).
Not done anything other than point and shoot snaps until I get a Sony RX100 2 years ago and have been trying to take better photos (all sorts for personal record of trips etc). Some scenery I need a longer lens and am thinking of Nikon D5xxx but am confused on lenses as I want to be able to have a good walkabout zoom lens (I don't want kit that is too heavy and I am only going to be a hopefully better snapper). I have seen the kit 18-140mm but wonder whether the 18-200 or 18-300 would be better suited to all round, landscapes, nearer photos and some action shots, in varying light conditions. I note advice about looking for second hand kit - camera and lens, particularly as a start.
 
Hello and a very warm welcome to you.

Useful Sections for New Members (click links)

> The Help section contains some good general information about how we do things around here and how the forum works.
> FAQs and Guides can be found here.
> Forum Help and Support is there for you to ask questions and get one to one support if you're having problems finding your way around or working out how to do things.
> Link up with other photographers in your area for local events and days out in Meeting Place.
> Or maybe you fancy a challenge . . . Take a look at some of the organised TP challenges and competitions here.
 
Hi Steve, enjoy the form :wave:
 
Hi Steve and a warm welcome to TP.
Hope you enjoy yourself here :)
 
Greetings Steve, And welcome aboard TP. "Enjoy".
 
hockeyumps48 said:
Hi
I am new to this site having been recommended it. I am thinking of getting a DSLR (had an SLR in my late teens/early 20s but got rid of it 40 years ago for point and shoot as did not like carrying around too many and bulky lenses).
Not done anything other than point and shoot snaps until I get a Sony RX100 2 years ago and have been trying to take better photos (all sorts for personal record of trips etc). Some scenery I need a longer lens and am thinking of Nikon D5xxx but am confused on lenses as I want to be able to have a good walkabout zoom lens (I don't want kit that is too heavy and I am only going to be a hopefully better snapper). I have seen the kit 18-140mm but wonder whether the 18-200 or 18-300 would be better suited to all round, landscapes, nearer photos and some action shots, in varying light conditions. I note advice about looking for second hand kit - camera and lens, particularly as a start.
Click to expand...

It would probably be worthwhile posting your lens question in the Equipment forum, as you'll probably get more responses there. Generally speaking lenses that have a wide focal range (e.g. 18-200, 18-300 etc) are of lower quality. Yes you can then just use one lens, but that kind of defeats part of the reason for having a DSLR. I'd suggest getting with either the 18-140mm kit lens, or the more normal 18-55mm kit lens for now, start taking photos, post some on here to get feedback, and go from there
 
Last edited:
Mike

Many thanks for the advice.

Here's a photo I took at the weekend. I have never been very artistic so I just tend to have a snap, although I am trying to use different settings on RX100 to learn. Any advice would be appreciated.
 

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Hi Steve - that's not a bad shot but overexposed as the highlights are burnt out.

Such a scene will often defeat the camera because you have a mixture of dark and light and although the shadows have rendered quite well they have caused the highlights to be overexposed.

In this situation you need to use exposure compensation to reduce the exposure by at least a stop - maybe even two - if you want to get detail in the highlights.

You may then have the shadows darker but the whole scene will look a lot more balanced.

If your camera has a histogram on the viewer then turn it on and learn how to use it.

The same with "blinkies" which will show an area of the picture actually blinking on and off - or a different colour, usually red - to show the area of over exposure.

Hope that helps a bit.
.
 
Hi Peter

Many thanks for that. I will read the manual more and see what I can do. Current camera does not appear to have a histogram, and I will need to read up as I don't know anything about them in photo context.
 
Hello and a lovely welcome to you :D
 
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