Newbie with a 5d

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Welshd1k

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Name
chris
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A friend of mine pointed me in this direction I got my hands on a eos5d stupidly cheap with a lens when I was looking to buy a bridge camera to replace a old lumix fz7 that died so ended up with a mk1 5D. Good or bad decision yet to find out .

the lens I have is a 35-70 1: 3.5-4.5 that as far as I can see is basically the bottom of the line lens? I've been playing around with this setup now for a month or so and taken some of what id guess are ok photos . just I feel I need a lens with larger range ? ive been eyeing up some 28-105 etc just on a tight budget cheaper the better and from what I can work out on the EF mount there aint much in the way of cheap or is there?

any way here are some un edited jpg's straight from the camera I thought id show please feel free to comment / advise
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The seems to be an issue with exposure on these images and the focus points aren't quick right but I kind of like number 2 for overall composition.
 
Im totally noob / when you say exposure what would that be a seting I need to adjust ? (I literaly just pick the camera up got it in 'M' and take pictures look at them and adjust the settings until it looks right probably not the best way to go about it ) or would it be the lens as it is old and could have been abused?

or something I could edit out (what software to use? )
 
the 5dc is a cracker of a camera ... let me explain a a few things which may help you tho....

get a 50mm prime lens and there is no stopping you ( cheap as chips on this forum or a well known auction site)

are you shooting in raw? if not do it theres loads more adjustment


watch youtube for tips etc as the 5dc is still more than capable of taking fantastic pics
 
I'm shooting in Raw and JPG just not ever Edited ever . like I said I am a utter noob and probably out of my depths with with camera but hey ho every one likes a challenge. when you say a 50mm prime is that one of the 50mm f1.8 lens that ive seen on Egay ? how much should I realistically look to pay?
 
yeah basically raw will be adjustable in photoshop or any other editing programs and you can up the exposure
yep 50mm ermm price wise anything under 80 is a good price i guess m8
 
cool the funny thing is that the cost of some lens that ive been looking at are more than the camera got it el la cheapo :) just toying around etc never used photoshop other than in school years ago. maby time to play around :)
 
Welshd1k said:
I'm shooting in Raw and JPG just not ever Edited ever . like I said I am a utter noob and probably out of my depths with with camera but hey ho every one likes a challenge. when you say a 50mm prime is that one of the 50mm f1.8 lens that ive seen on Egay ? how much should I realistically look to pay?
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before you spend more money, read some stuff on basic techniques, in fact read lots...there's tons of it out there. Practice as much as you can and embed the new knowledge that you acquire. Take the guesswork out of it. Asking questions on here will help you but it might take you about 5 years longer than if you start reading and practicing now. :)
 
Welshd1k said:
Im totally noob / when you say exposure what would that be a seting I need to adjust ? (I literaly just pick the camera up got it in 'M' and take pictures look at them and adjust the settings until it looks right probably not the best way to go about it ) or would it be the lens as it is old and could have been abused?

or something I could edit out (what software to use? )
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Well what settings are you adjusting?

If you are using manual mode it could just be that you're using the wrong shutter speed but being a 'noob' as you said, I am surprised that you have chosen to take photos in manual mode because you could say theirs a lot to learn about how manual mode works.

I wouldn't get too caught up with advanced things like photoshop and RAW because there is a lot to learn about simple composition and the different camera modes first.
 
umm what I adjust ? theres the ISO I try to keep this as low as possible without the images coming out white . then shutter speed faster speeds for things that are going to move / lighter areas . then the Apreature( I think that's the word on the scroll wheel) changes the depth of the light from what ive read / played with probably toaly wrong then I adjust the colour temperature to change the colours to make them look more realistic .

probally being a idiot in what ive said >< haha what modes should I use the camera in or jus continue in Manual ? ive just subscribed to digital slr magazine last week and awaiting the first magazine .
 
Welshd1k said:
umm what I adjust ? theres the ISO I try to keep this as low as possible without the images coming out white . then shutter speed faster speeds for things that are going to move / lighter areas . then the Apreature( I think that's the word on the scroll wheel) changes the depth of the light from what ive read / played with probably toaly wrong then I adjust the colour temperature to change the colours to make them look more realistic .

probally being a idiot in what ive said >< haha what modes should I use the camera in or jus continue in Manual ? ive just subscribed to digital slr magazine last week and awaiting the first magazine .
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Your not a million miles away...

Manual mode is great when you need to make sure that certain things remain consistent between shots. For most of my stuff I am using aperture priority(a) or shutter priority(s) (sorry but dont know the mode names for canon), the key is choosing the right one for the right shot. For whichever you choose, the camera will pick the correct settings for the other.
 
+1 for aperture priority, I use it most of the time and let the camera work out the shutter speed for a decent stab at the correct exposure.

I just set the aperture I want and keep an eye on the shutter speed. If it is too slow/fast adjust the aperture or ISO accordingly.

I hardly use M mode and only shutter priority when the correct shutter speed is more important.

Doing the above gives me more time to think about where I am focussing
 
thanks for the tips going to have a play around this week as im off work for a week and got nothing to do other than rebuild 2 motorbikes so loads of time walking the dogs and well doing nothing :)
 
I'm a firm believer in P mode (and adjusting to get any specific settings). If you feel the need for a faster shutter speed (or indeed slower), roll the wheel and if you want greater/less depth of field (DoF), roll the other wheel. The other parameter you'll probably want to play with is the ISO setting which (in effect) controls the sensitivity of the sensor to light, so in bright light (sunlight), a low ISO will give you useable shutter speeds while indoors you may need significantly higher settings. Have a play and see how high you can go before the noise (speckling [usually most visible in dark areas]) is too much for you to bear!

Pretty much any modern camera will be very capable as far as metering goes so trust it! Pretty soon you'll know when it's likely to get the exposure wrong and know which way to nudge the exposure compensation dial to improve/correct it.

I'm also a firm believer in JPEGs over raw in most situations. I begrudge spending loads of time in PP when the camera gets it right most of the time anyway! If you feel you need the raw files, save both so you have the raws if needed.

Ignore anyone who says you've got a camera that's too good for a newbie - they're (in the main) just jealous! Assuming you can read (a safe bet since you've written!) and have reasonable intelligence (again, a safe bet - you've joined this forum!!!), you can find a load of VERY useful information in the manual and most questions asked here will get good answers. Many people will have started with a basic DSLR then have trodden a well worn upgrade path when they've felt the need (or more often the want) to do so and many will have lost a few hundred quid in so doing. You've leapt over the upgrades and started with a very capable and fairly advanced body so won't need to upgrade for quite a while (although the GAS itch will probably strike in a few months...) There's plenty of room for you to learn with the 5D.

Get to a library and take out loads of photography books - if any grab you, keep an eye out in charity shops for the title or even have a look at Amazon. In general, books aimed at photography in general date slower than those aimed at digital specifically - there may be a few chapters on film choice and developing but they're easy to ignore (or could even be of interest!).

Finally, welcome to the hobby and the forum. Kiss goodbye to some of your disposable income - unfortunately it's not a cheap hobby but you do eventually end up with all the kit you need (but there's always something else you WANT, hence GAS - gear aquisition syndrome!!!)
 
Firmly agree with the 50mm idea. I wish I would have had one when I started, cracking for portraits!
 
Welshd1k said:
Im totally noob / when you say exposure what would that be a seting I need to adjust ? (I literaly just pick the camera up got it in 'M' and take pictures look at them and adjust the settings until it looks right probably not the best way to go about it ) or would it be the lens as it is old and could have been abused?

or something I could edit out (what software to use? )
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You should not be (and in most cases CAN not) editing out mistakes after the fact. You need to understand the basics of exposure. You are using a professional camera, in manual, as a point and shoot. That will never work.

You have 2 choices:

A) put it into a fully automatic mode and carry on using it as a point and shoot, which is a little silly as all you'll end up with is a very expensive point and shoot with ability to change lenses. (although you will have some limited control still).

B) Learn about exposure, metering, shutter speeds and apertures. The very cornerstone of photography.

Go here.....

http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=440126


Start there. That's where your journey begins.



Jamie Smith said:
Firmly agree with the 50mm idea. I wish I would have had one when I started, cracking for portraits!
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People... he has no idea about exposure, metering, or any of the fundamentals of photography... lenses are not his problem.

owenb said:
yeah basically raw will be adjustable in photoshop
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Really poor advice for someone who is a raw beginner and doesn't understand the basics yet. He needs to be understanding what the camera is doing, and using either Aperture, shutter priority or manual... and learning how to get it right in camera.



The first 2 shots are really interesting, and show a great deal of attention to detail, and an interesting, raw attitude to composition... usually found in beginners before it gets hammered out of them from camera club types who bang on about rules of thirds and golden ratios.... there are no rules....

...however, your exposures are all over the place, and you really need to sort that out.
 
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Given you have a camera as good as that you need learn about ISO, shutter speed and aperture, what they do and how the interact and the effect they have on the final shot, but you seem to be starting out pretty well,

As said read lots, in addition to the guides on here, this site -

http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/

- has some useful tutorials.

Did the camera come with Canon's own photo-editing software? If so that would be a good place to start before spending any money on editors.

Dave
 
agreed defo needs to learn the basics however raw is a lot more forgiving (provided you know how to edit which in this case poss not)
 
thanks for the advice any advice is advice ive read through a few posts and guides and may attempt a few more photographs latter . as for the focus what sort of distance should I be able to focus on something from (close up ) with my lens as im convinced it isn't working 100% as the zoom jammed on it the other day and I had to remove the back to get it to move again (probably something I shouldn't have done but as it is a cheap lens I thought what have I got to loose)
 
been out playing around and used my best mates 5d mk3 (who I bought the 5d mk 1 off)

and kind of contemplating getting something with live view and HDR inbuilt am I being an idiot for thinking this was looking at a 650d in pc world and the d5100(probally buy brand new for what the 5d is worth)

or would people recommend sticking with the 5d and learning with it (as people keep telling me its a full frame its the best etc)



out playing yesterday (not sure if im getting better or worse lol )
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I think you are having problems deciding what exactly you want to be doing with photography. I would suggest you do the most research online you can to try and clear up that confusion then you will be able to move on.

You have a much more professional camera than what you are looking at in PC world, it comes without all the things that the beginner camera do so you need to get up to speed quickly to get the most out of your 5d.
 
Welshd1k said:
been out playing around and used my best mates 5d mk3 (who I bought the 5d mk 1 off)

and kind of contemplating getting something with live view and HDR inbuilt am I being an idiot for thinking this was looking at a 650d in pc world and the d5100(probally buy brand new for what the 5d is worth)

or would people recommend sticking with the 5d and learning with it (as people keep telling me its a full frame its the best etc)

out playing yesterday (not sure if im getting better or worse lol )
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It's clear from looking at your photos that you do have an eye for photography. You know, an entry level camera is more than capable of performing and can result in stunning shots, it's just about the photographer. Maybe you need to spend some time researching the technical side of photography, and really get to grips with the cameras functions. Then, find a genre of photography that you like and start some projects.

Also, 5d is a wonderful camera. I'd also invest in photoshop, and watch some tutorials (however I am a much bigger fan of adobe Lightroom). For the record, I use the manual function for shots that I want to take time on and perfect. I tend to use AV or TV for quicker shots but still give results.
 
Also, don't worry about HDR and live view and all those silly little add ons and gadgets. A real photographer needs a body and a lens and that's all. That's how they did it before all of this!
 
Stick with the 5d, as you progress it will really come into its own.
 
Stick with it and learn with it. If/when you outgrow its capabilities, you'll have a much better idea as to what YOU want/need that the 5Mk1 can't deliver.

Resist the GAS as long as possible!
 
:) picked up a 50mm f1.8 for £23 .. well 2 of them 1 was busted both boxed etc and had a play with it yesterday :)

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