Got my D90 today

[john sherratt]

Well i brought a new D90 today thought it would be good camera to learn with. Cant wait to get out and start taking pictures must admit im finding the manual daunting as its my first slr. Is there anything i need to buy first do i need any filters? thank you john

 

[FattyMcJ]

Is there anything i need to buy first

Start here: Amazon.com: Understanding Exposure, 3rd Edition: How to Shoot Great Photographs with Any Camera (9780817439392): Bryan Peterson: Books

Then go from there. I wouldn't buy anything else until you get a grasp on exposure and what subject matter you enjoy shooting most.

 

[Josh220]

I'd recommend Scott Kelby's books as well.

Amazon.com: Scott Kelby's Digital Photography Boxed Set, Volumes 1, 2, and 3 (9780321678737): Scott Kelby: Books: Reviews, Prices & more

There are three, but you can always buy them one at a time.

 

[SLRJoe]

It's worth getting a filter, if nothing else other than to protect the lens. If you've spent some decent money on a lens, there's nothing worse than scratching it... For a bit of fun with landscape photography of water scenes, try an ND8 (neural density) filter, you get some pretty great results, do a google search on ND8 filter to see the kind of shots you can take...

 

[Kofman13]

I wont reiterate what everyone already said above.
heres a few things you should do before going on a shopping spree for your D90.
experiment with picture control. You can get that by pressing the info button, lower right side of your screen. try out the different modes, you can press right on the d pad on the list to fine tune attributes for each picture setting ( portrait, standard, landscape etc).
go to the menu and first thing, autofocus settings, make your AF use single point AF. this gives you alot more control over your focal point. you can look in your viewfinder and use the d pad to move aroudn the focal point to really make sure you are focusing in the right spot.
lastly for settings etc, use program mode a little bit and press up on the d pad in picture review and study what kind of shutter speed, iso, and aperture the camera is choosing. then move onto aperture priority mode and quickly start tinkering with manual as that is the mode you are going to use most soon enough.

I would chuck your kit lens and get a prime lens like a 50mm f/1.8. you can get one for around $100 and its the best $100 i ever spent.

good luck

 

[john sherratt]

Thank you for the info both those books are already on my christmas list. Also what are the limitations of the 10-105 vr lens sorry if its a stupid question.

 

[peanut170]

Id rather buy a tripod than a filter.

 

[invisible]

Congrats on the buy, John. The D90 is an awesome camera for a first DSLR, great choice. The 18-105 is a nice all-purpose lens that'll help you discover what type of photography you have the most fun doing. I'd buy a UV filter and nothing else right now (this filter is mostly to protect the front element of the lens).

Like Kofman said, this is not the time for a shopping spree. Leave that for later, when you know exactly what type of photography you'll be doing. (For example, the 50mm lens that Kofman mentioned is a solid piece of glass, but if you're only going to shoot landscapes then you really will have no use for it.)

Now that you have all you need to get going, the next step is to shoot, shoot, shoot. Then, post your favourite images here and see how people react. Learn from your successes and your mistakes. Then go out and shoot some more. Rinse and repeat :thumbup:

 

[john sherratt]

Congrats on the buy, John. The D90 is an awesome camera for a first DSLR, great choice. The 18-105 is a nice all-purpose lens that'll help you discover what type of photography you have the most fun doing. I'd buy a UV filter and nothing else right now (this filter is mostly to protect the front element of the lens).

Like Kofman said, this is not the time for a shopping spree. Leave that for later, when you know exactly what type of photography you'll be doing. (For example, the 50mm lens that Kofman mentioned is a solid piece of glass, but if you're only going to shoot landscapes then you really will have no use for it.)

Now that you have all you need to get going, the next step is to shoot, shoot, shoot. Then, post your favourite images here and see how people react. Learn from your successes and your mistakes. Then go out and shoot some more. Rinse and repeat :thumbup:

Thank you for the reply invisable once i learn the camera i will be taking alot of landscape pictures. Thats what im intrested in your pictures really inspire me to get out there and learn.