Beginner Question!

[eyeadoreu_]

The D50 looks like a promising first camera, I'll look into my local bestbuy's and check it out.

 

[AaronLLockhart]

The D50 looks like a promising first camera, I'll look into my local bestbuy's and check it out.

you're going to need to buy that used... they don't manufacture it anymore... Check your area craigslist... Make sure you buy with a fairly low shutter count.

 

[peter27]

What you could do, is get a digital and only give yourself 36 shots (like a roll of film). Make each shot count.

You need an iron will do do this!

Seriously, though, if you do start with digital, then my advise would be to shoot jpg at first. This will make you far more concerned with getting things right in camera than if you shoot raw. Also, don't chimp too much and don't delete images based on what they look like on the small LCD monitor on the back of the camera.

 

[Judobreaker]

What you could do, is get a digital and only give yourself 36 shots (like a roll of film). Make each shot count.

You need an iron will do do this!

Either that or a very small SD card.

 

[Benco]

What you could do, is get a digital and only give yourself 36 shots (like a roll of film). Make each shot count.

You need an iron will do do this!

Either that or a very small SD card.

Years ago I get myself a digital P&S that came with a memory card included...a 16Mb card...that was big enough for 8 shots. :shock:

 

[o hey tyler]

Lord Of The Rings Behind The Scenes Photos Lord Of The Rings Behind The Scenes ? Stickboy Daily

That look like canon dslr's to you?
If you think they're shooting that kind of movies using simple dslr's you're sadly mistaken.

There have been a lot of high profile shows and movies shot on DSLRs. Lord of the rings didn't happen to be one of them.

 

[AaronLLockhart]

There have been a lot of high profile shows and movies shot on DSLRs. Lord of the rings didn't happen to be one of them.

Wasn't LoTR shot on RED cameras?

 

[o hey tyler]

Wasn't LoTR shot on RED cameras?

More than likely. There was an episode of house that was shot on 5DIIs though.

 

[imagemaker46]

Wow, talk about a crapfest of mixed answers. I don't think anything is occurring here except for confusing him even further.

Let's get the basics down.

- He needs a camera. It doesn't matter if it's film or digital... he needs a camera. There is no photography without it.
- My preference is film for beginners, but If he wants to go digital let it please be known that, since he has nikon glass, he needs to purchase a Nikon model WITH a focus motor in the body. In this department, I think the D80 would be an excellent starter cam for digital. He won't put in an arm in a leg out of his wallet for it, and it still produces good quality work.
- He DOESN'T need to attend any classes to get to know photography or his camera, not even to become a professional. Learning photography can be done very easily out of the classroom.

My personal input is that he either purchases a very inexpensive Nikon 35mm body, such as an N55, N65, N75, or N80. However, even the n005 he currently have would be a great starting point. He's got at least two threads going on about the same topic in two different areas. This leads me to believe that using the older n005 is intimidating to him.

So, instead of intimidating him further, by adding a bunch of crap and irrelevant input to his situation, how about we encourage him that the equipment that he already owns is not hard to use, and he is very capable of learning it?

In this day and age you would seriously recommend that a beginner start by shooting film, doesn't need any classes or additional information to start learning how to take pictures. I suggested that he take some classes, get as much information as he can. How is his taking a few classes not going to be beneficial?

It will end up costing him a lot more to start shooting film, getting it processed and printed or scanned than it would starting with an entry level digital camera. So he has a Nikon lenses, he can learn manual focus. How much does he know about light, or how to understand and read light, wouldn't a few classes help.

He would end up getting more frustrated shooting film than digital.

I'll tell you how much I know about shooting film. I had been shooting for 5 years before I came here to TPF, and I have never shot film. I had a K1000 that my grandfather handed down to me sitting in my bedroom. I was referred by a member here to start film. I SUCKED at shooting digital back then... Within 6 months of shooting with film, trial and error, and learning to get it right, learning how to use external light meters, read DoF calculators on lenses, etc... my digital quality in photography increased well over 100%.

Looking back, I wish I would have started with film. When you have less shots... and the shots are costing you money, you learn much faster. That's all I'm saying. As for the schooling part, there are so many resources available on the internet, taking "a class" is absolutely pointless. You can get just as much information by searching for it.

I shot film for over 30 years before going to digital. I'm not so sure that learning how to take pictures these days has anything to do film shooting film or digital, the same mistakes will be made using both, the only difference is that with digital you see your mistakes right away and make the corrections. Shooting film as a beginner will be more frustrating. I have always said that people who learn photography using just digital won't have a true understanding of just how many different challenges there are shooting film, and most people really don't care. In this day and age shooting film is pointless.

The op is planning on taking some classes in photography, which is a good step. Making a statement that taking a class is absolutely pointless and he could learn just as much from the internet, is a pointless statement. I think it's great that your digital photography improved because you shot film, and that you learned how to use a light meter, that's all good. How often do you shoot film now, or use the light meter?

 

[AaronLLockhart]

I shot film for over 30 years before going to digital. I'm not so sure that learning how to take pictures these days has anything to do film shooting film or digital, the same mistakes will be made using both, the only difference is that with digital you see your mistakes right away and make the corrections. Shooting film as a beginner will be more frustrating. I have always said that people who learn photography using just digital won't have a true understanding of just how many different challenges there are shooting film, and most people really don't care. In this day and age shooting film is pointless.

The op is planning on taking some classes in photography, which is a good step. Making a statement that taking a class is absolutely pointless and he could learn just as much from the internet, is a pointless statement. I think it's great that your digital photography improved because you shot film, and that you learned how to use a light meter, that's all good. How often do you shoot film now, or use the light meter?

All the time. I own 14 vintage film cameras. Film is a HUGE passion of mine

Http://pholectorsbag.wordpress.com

Not only do I still use film equipment. I also fix and restore film equipment, and I have done 3 complete camera restorations so far.

I've never sat in a photography class a day in my life. As said before, photography isn't rocket science, and time in a classroom is not required to learn. There is so much information at the click of a mouse, you can literally teach yourself with ease.

Mind you, that is not geared in disrespect for anyone who has gone to school for it, or is currently going. It's simply a statement saying its not 100% necessary. Sorry if you're offended by this, but it's the truth.

 

[imagemaker46]

I shot film for over 30 years before going to digital. I'm not so sure that learning how to take pictures these days has anything to do film shooting film or digital, the same mistakes will be made using both, the only difference is that with digital you see your mistakes right away and make the corrections. Shooting film as a beginner will be more frustrating. I have always said that people who learn photography using just digital won't have a true understanding of just how many different challenges there are shooting film, and most people really don't care. In this day and age shooting film is pointless.

The op is planning on taking some classes in photography, which is a good step. Making a statement that taking a class is absolutely pointless and he could learn just as much from the internet, is a pointless statement. I think it's great that your digital photography improved because you shot film, and that you learned how to use a light meter, that's all good. How often do you shoot film now, or use the light meter?

All the time. I own 14 vintage film cameras. Film is a HUGE passion of mine

Http://pholectorsbag.wordpress.com

Not only do I still use film equipment. I also fix and restore film equipment, and I have done 3 complete camera restorations so far.

I've never sat in a photography class a day in my life. As said before, photography isn't rocket science, and time in a classroom is not required to learn. There is so much information at the click of a mouse, you can literally teach yourself with ease.

Mind you, that is not geared in disrespect for anyone who has gone to school for it, or is currently going. It's simply a statement saying its not 100% necessary. Sorry if you're offended by this, but it's the truth.

I've never taken any classes or read any books on photography in the 40 years I've been shooting. I'm just saying for a beginner it is important to learn the basics, and taking some classes will help him with that, there is a lot to be gained. Not everyone can just pick up a film or digital camera and understand what they are doing.

I'm hardly offended by anything anyone says on this forum, we all have opinions.

Being able to fix cameras doesn't make you a better photographer, it's of little importance really. I think it's great that you have the ability to do so, and collecting cameras is a great hobby, I have several friends that also collect them.

Do you have a web site where I can see some of your photos?

 

[amolitor]

Spend time looking at photographs. Really looking at them.

- Think about what's IN the frame, and what's OUT of the frame.

- Think about the objects in the frame, where they are relative to one another.

- Think about what is dark and what is light. Think about where the light is coming from, and how bright it is.

- Think about the colors, are they muted or saturated? Are they realistic or unreal? Is there an overall color cast to the picture?

- What else do you see in the picture?

- Think about what you like, and what you don't like.

Now you want to ask yourself, and discover, how the photograph was made. Was it candid or posed? Were there flash units involved or not? Long shutter speed or short? Small aperture or large? Do you think it was handheld, or on a tripod? You don't know how to answer many of these questions now, go find out how to answer them. You can't always tell from the picture, but the clues are often there, and you can learn to recognize them.

Practice, go take some pictures and look at your pictures in the same way. Compare what you see in your photographs with what you see in other photographs. What do you like, what don't you like? How could your photographs be different to make you like them more? How can you accomplish that difference? Go back and forth between looking at pictures and taking pictures, but look, always look at the pictures. Look at them for twice as long as you think you need to, three times. More.

The camera itself hardly matters. Use whatever is the easiest thing to get hold of, for now.

When you know what you like, and you know what pictures you want to make, and you know how those pictures need to be made, then you'll know what kind of camera and other equipment to get to make those pictures. Right now, I think you don't know any of those things.

 

[sharon167]

Hi, I am new to this forum but wanted to add that I have just completed a 20 week beginners photography course and found it great fun. I met lots of other people with the same interest, we went out on days out photographing and even though I did read lots about the subject before starting the course the tutors help was invaluable.
I did take around 40 pictures of the same sunset as it went down once, changing the settings each time which really did help me understand my camera.
No idea yet on how to put my Flickr link on this forum yet but you can search my Flickr page 'Sharon 167'