a new beginning

K1W1

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So, many moons ago (27+) I had a deep interest in photography. I had a series of Olympus cameras a darkroom set up, the whole kit and caboodle!. I even did some minor work for publication (cars). But after about 1987 nothing. Fast forward to today I've just picked up an OM-D m5 after having a SP570uz for a few years. My question (took a while) is should I stick to full auto mode while I relearn everything I've forgoten about photography or should I dive in and try to manage the new camera with its myriad of settings and make a few(lots) of mistakes. Bearing in mind I bought the camera because we are off on our big overseas holiday soon and I just turned 62 last Dec.
 
Welcome back into the hobby.

There is no doubt in my mind that if you want to fully enjoy your new camera and have the freedom to make the pictures you want, you should dive in and learn what you have forgotten since. But I don't think you need to go all the way to know every single command and function on your camera. The main principles have remained exactly the same since film, so no need to go beyond that. Actually, there is a setting I leave almost always on Auto on my camera (Nikon D610) because it does a fantastic job at it. White balance being the one. In some other instances, I like to use Auto ISO when I shoot sports so I keep both my aperture and shutter speed fixed, and ISO will compensate. This feature alone is great. I'm an old timer myself too, and aside from those 2 Auto modes, I pretty much always shoot full manual.

Enjoy!
 
So, many moons ago (27+) I had a deep interest in photography. I had a series of Olympus cameras a darkroom set up, the whole kit and caboodle!. I even did some minor work for publication (cars). But after about 1987 nothing. Fast forward to today I've just picked up an OM-D m5 after having a SP570uz for a few years. My question (took a while) is should I stick to full auto mode while I relearn everything I've forgoten about photography or should I dive in and try to manage the new camera with its myriad of settings and make a few(lots) of mistakes. Bearing in mind I bought the camera because we are off on our big overseas holiday soon and I just turned 62 last Dec.



IMO photography is like riding a bicycle, you never forget how. Just don't think the first thing you can do is ride downhill no handed.

What you need at this point, IMO, is a refresher for the basics. That shouldn't take long to get down. Then you need to understand your specific camera and its peculiarities, limitations and benefits. Digital cameras have myriad settings and they can be confusing to those of us taught with film until you get a grasp on which you should pay attention to and which you should basically ignore. First, look over your menus an try to understand what features is available and how to access it without much thought or time being wasted in the search. Recognize the (rather frustrating) fact that many digital settings can and can't be accessed depending on other settings and shooting modes. Experience is your best teacher here and, if you are short on time, a cheat sheet might be useful or, at the least, a decision as to which settings are crucial to your overall success and which are not.

Since you should have a familiarity with the basics of aperture/shutter speed/light sensitivity (ISO or what we called ASA for film), I'd say go ahead and shoot on Auto mode for a short while. Most digital cameras collect shot data and display those values both on the camera's LCD screen (immediately after the shot) and in the post processing program you select. This is similar to the shot data you might have recorded in a notebook back in your film days. As you become more familiar again with the exposure triangle provided by your camera set to Auto mode, begin to experiment with one (just one at any time) of the settings or shooting modes. Only change one value at any time or you will become confused as to which value changed what in the image.

Take the shot in Auto, move to another shooting mode and then move one value and reshoot. (Many cameras have bracketing functions where the camera can automatically adjust up and down away from a pre-selected exposure setting.) It shouldn't take long before you get the idea of your camera's capabilities and begin shooting in modes other than Auto. "P" (or "Program") mode is an easy step away from Auto and begins to give more control over individual shots. IMO, your most common modes will be either Av (aperture priority) or Tv (shutter priority) so concentrate your learning on those two. If your camera has custom modes which you can build, it might be helpful, if you have the time, to build a frequently used group of settings into one of those. (Many cameras also have a "shortcut" button which tags an additional feature onto your shot with the press of one button.)

Your camera likely has "exposure compensation" controls which make easy adjustments for the most basic function of your camera. Experiment with this function along with a "program shift" function. Find both in the index of your manual.

After you feel you are getting back to the point you can get the exposure you desire, go a little deeper into the settings your camera offers. No need to become a master of the camera in a few short weeks, most essential functions are not going to change with every shot or even every situation. Therefore, do not become overwhelmed by the many changes you can make with a digital camera. Get the basics and you'll be good to go. Two nice features of a digital camera for those of us raised on film are; the captured image will automatically appear on the LCD immediately after you've snapped the shutter and you can easily take 100 shots of the same subject and throw away 99 without costing yourself a penny. So feel free to experiment and be generous in how many shots you take of any one subject until you feel more confident with your camera.

Buy an extra battery so you'll always have a fresh system ready to go. SD cards come in different speeds which means you may or may not want to spend the extra for a higher speed card which will allow higher "burst" rates if you are shooting multiple images and shorter refresh time periods between shots.

For me, the more frustrating part of moving from film to digital is the post processing required of digital to obtain a simple image you can hold in your hand. IMO, when you are just beginning in digital photography, you might want to go with a fairly basic program just for now. If you store your data on a hard drive or separate card system, you can always come back to it later for further revisions. In a digital system, virtually nothing you do is completely final until you hit "format". Make very certain of what you want before you hit "format".

Determine whether you want to store your image data as a Jpeg or a RAW file. This decision will alter the amount of space you use on your SD card, the refresh rate of the camera and the ability to manipulate the data at a later date. Many, if not most, of the better digital cameras will allow both file systems to be stored simultaneously but that too takes up even more space on your card and slows down the camera.

You might want to print out certain sections of your owners manual to have with you. Or most popular cameras have pre-printed cheat sheets available on line. Taking one with you on a once in a life time trip would, IMO, be beneficial. Also, my preferred manuals for any camera are the Magic Lantern Guide books (Canon 40Dwww.barnesandnoble.com/s/?series_id=185583). They are well written and easy to understand guides to the many options and features your camera offers. Check for availability for your specific camera.

Good luck and enjoy your trip.
 
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