A question...

Cailin_Rua · Dec 31, 2011

Fist of all I want to thank everyone who took some time to look at the photos I posted...I really appreciate the feedback. Part of the fun of getting into photography for me is having a hobby I can improve on and unbiased eyes are a huge help.

That said and given some of the feedback I recieved I have a question regarding accesorries for my camera. As I'll need to save up I want to have a plan as to what I'm saving towards and I can take a look at different types, models etc before making a chioce. My original plan was to get a good zoom lens as the one on my camera doesn't zoom in close enough to get some good wildlife shots, I tried photographing some ducks but just couldn't get the closeups I was looking for.

If I understand correctly one of the issues with the pictures I posted was lighting so I was wondering if purchasing a flash would be the best place to start and if so what should I be looking for?

Thanks again!

Rephargotohp · Dec 31, 2011

Since budgeting is a priority, ask yourself what is most important to you

If it is shooting Wildlife you will need a long lens before you can do anything

If you have other priorities , like shooting Closeup portraits, well then maybe a flash comes first

at some point, you should have both

dxqcanada · Dec 31, 2011

With wildlife images you want a longer focal length. Most photographers that shoot wildlife have at least a 300mm lens.
A fixed focal length lens has better image quality, and also tends to be designed with wider maximum aperture sizes ... ie f/2.8 to f/4.0
The 400mm f/2.8 or 600mm f/4.0 tends to be very popular ... but very expensive also.

Many people in this forum use flashes for fill light ... I don't, so I cannot say much.

Desi · Dec 31, 2011

I've only recently gotten a flash and it is an entirely new learning curve. I'd consider working on the basics of understanding exposure and composition first. So, spend your money on a zoom lens first. Work on understanding natural light. As you learn more, you will want to move on to a flash.

I'm a beginner. I feel like I am just getting comfortable "seeing" the picture that I want and setting my camera up for getting it. When I throw on the flash, I often forget about the rest and often get worse pictures instead.

What gear do you have and what do you enjoy shooting?

Cailin_Rua · Dec 31, 2011

Desi said:
I've only recently gotten a flash and it is an entirely new learning curve. I'd consider working on the basics of understanding exposure and composition first. So, spend your money on a zoom lens first. Work on understanding natural light. As you learn more, you will want to move on to a flash.

I'm a beginner. I feel like I am just getting comfortable "seeing" the picture that I want and setting my camera up for getting it. When I throw on the flash, I often forget about the rest and often get worse pictures instead.

What gear do you have and what do you enjoy shooting?

I have an Olympus E-420 and the 17.5-45mm lens that came with it. Mostly interested in animal/nature photography. I'm leaning towards the lens for sure, just wasn't sure where my priorities should lie.

Desi · Dec 31, 2011

Oh, the lens for sure then.

get a "nifty fifty". This is a prime lens (not a zoom) which will have a much larger aperture. This will allow you to shoot in natural light in the evening and indoors when you don't have a flash. It will also let you have a lot of fun with depth of field. These are relatively inexpensive. Nikon/canon 50mm 1.8s run about $120/130.

Get a nice zoom, maybe something like a 70-300 mm lens (I'm sorry, I don't know anything about what olympus has to offer lens wise). As mentioned above, a really good, fast (large aperture) zoom lens will run around $2,000 and up. So, get a reasonably priced one. The main limitation of the reasonably priced lenses (for a beginner anyway) is that the aperture is small, so you'll have a harder time shooting in dawn/dusk and other low-light situations.

Cailin_Rua · Dec 31, 2011

Thanks, I'll look onto those then.

dxqcanada · Dec 31, 2011

Ah, four thirds ... in your case a 200-400mm lens range is great for wildlife.
Olympus has a nice 300mm f/2.8 ... though it costs about $7000.00
The 90-250mm f/2.8 is about $6000.00
The 50-200mm f/2.8-3.5 is $1200

Sonoma · Dec 31, 2011

Here is a selection of lenses available for your camera, some very pricey. You might check Ebay also, you might find used for less.

SLR Lenses

Good luck

Buckster · Dec 31, 2011

Don't know what your budget is, but for wildlife, as said earlier by someone, you'll probably want to get something in the 300mm range. It can be done with shorter lenses, but the longer your lens, the less your hunting and stalking skills will be needed to get good wildlife shots, even at the zoo.

It looks like you can get a 70-300mm lens for your Olympus for between $300-$400, based on what I saw on Amazon. You can save some money by getting a used one. Check KEH.com for some great deals on used gear.