Just Getting Started...

[Lockeseven]

Hey everyone, I'm brand new here and wanted to ask a few questions about getting started with photography. I just purchased a Nikon D3100 and wanted to know what other accessories I'm going to need to begin. Also I'm from the Dallas/Ft. Worth area so if anyone knows of any great beginner photography classes they could recommend, I'd really appreciate it. I'm really looking forward to getting to know the people on here and I'm sure I'll have many more questions =)

 

[Patrice]

... what other accessories I'm going to need to begin.

Your first accessories, not in any particular order of importance:
An off camera flash. Many recommend SB600.
A book on understanding exposure.
And for landscapes - a circular polarizing filter and a tripod.

Don't go stupid with more lenses just yet. Learn your camera functions with your kit lens and when you understand how everything works might be when to get a fast prime.

Good luck, have fun and don't get too caught up in the sometimes insane discussions going on around here. Plenty of members will give insightful answers to a good question.

 

[LarryD]

The items suggested are a good start..

I would say, take some pictures and get inerested in what you want to capture...

Read the forums and look at those photos that intersest you.. Then you will get a feel for the items that you can add that will make your photo taking adventures more fulfilling to you..

 

[sobolik]

Awesome camera! Probably trade off my D-90 for a 3100 in the future.
Update 10-5-10
CORRECTION I WAS CONFUSED! I was thinking from memory 7100 which is really 7000 and not 3100 either so substitute 7000 in my comments.

To answer your question let me say I have over 30 years of SLR's under my belt. I have done this and that and gone through a number of pieces of equipment. I consider the equipment that I have now to be in my possession because it is needed or required. I do some weddings as well.

Here is my list that has been perfected over the years.

Camera and SD cards

Wrist strap connected to the right side strap loop. (Dropping is bad news-I KNOW!) I don't use neck straps.

Extra camera battery and flash batteries (below)

12-200mm range of lenses. After 200mm things get less desirable for me. I used to think tele was the cats meow. Over the years my best shots were often obtained with wide angle thus my developed ho-hum attitude over 200mm. To cover this range I have and recommend
Tokina 12-24mm Digital Wide Zooms
One or two lenses to cover 18-200mm range. I have the D90 kit 18-105 VR and an Nikon 18-200mm VR
I also have a Nikon 70-300mm G lens but will probably sell it. I bought it for my kid to take to Costa Rica.

UV filters for lens protection I don't buy the image degradation stuff for everyday not for sale stuff Dirty lens article

Polarizer filter results in killer improvement if the conditions are polarized. I have step up rings so all my lenses can use my 82mm polarizer as well as dedicated polarizers.

SB-400 flash unless you really need something that the SB-400 don't do. At 12mm and even 18mm with my 18-200mm lens the on board flash will cause a lens shadow. So this flash is required for that as well as the bounce flash capability.

ND filters ocassionally. I use the Cokin types and just hand hold them in front of the lens.

Cheap tripod. Light and small. My favorite is a vintage brass BILORA Biloret 2037 Compact Tripodwith or without the top slots that allow it to sit splat even with table top. Unless you have a niche that requires the often recommended big bucks pods. I just have an old heavy and very tall tripod I bought at Goodwill for when I need one to use while standing. I want it so I don't have to stoop. Otherwise my travel pod is fine for the occasional tripod need. Besides a travel pod is likely to be carried and a heavy one likely not.

Cheap Monopod from Walmart. You can set the camera timer and hoist the tripod or monopod over crowds to get shots. Or turn the camera upside down and get floor level shoots. (one poster was shooting from elevated platform for shooting bands. Mono pod down below the elevated platform) You can also use it as a walking stick.

A gym type bag to store stuff at home.

A converted lunch bag for my camera in the top pouch and the extras in the pocket underneath. What ever light and carry-able bag you can come up with and live with. I have a closet full of Lowepro top loader type camera bags that I don't use. I like my converted lunch bag the best.

Photoshop elements 5.0 I have the full blown Photoshop and others but find I always go to Elements. It is all I need 99.9% of the time. I say 100% of photos will see dramatic improvement with post processing. In other words it is not optional.

I don't use lens hoods 99.9% of the time.

That is about it. Not counting all the junk in my closet camera bag that I don't use.

 

[Jcampbelll]

I don't use lens hoods 99.9% of the time.

Why wouldn't you use the lens hood?

 

[rpm]

Awesome camera! Probably trade off my D-90 for a 3100 in the future.

why? give or take a minor number of improvements, i think the D90 is still the better camera overall.

 

[mishele]

Welcome to the party!!! For right now I would say an imagination would be a good way start!! Go out and shoot and then go out and shoot some more!! Have fun and learn on the go!! I don't know the names but there are some good books out there. Maybe someone else here can help me out and give you a title or 2.

 

[sobolik]

Awesome camera! Probably trade off my D-90 for a 3100 in the future.

why? give or take a minor number of improvements, i think the D90 is still the better camera overall.

1st let me answer the previous post asking about lens hood. The reason is that I don't like lens hoods is three fold
1) They are a protrusion that gets in the way of swing around and getting in and out of my camera bag.
2) They don't work with polarizing filters. the polarizer value is many fold more than the lens hood which is probably not needed anyway - see 3.
3) Any time I get flare I just use my hand to hover in the right spot to shade the lens.

About the D90. I have never held nor has the 3100 been out long enough to get feedback on yet. But if it is as good as the D-90 I will probably trade for the extra mega pixels due to my technique.
My technique is to take wide angle photos to capture a lot of stuff at the Large and Fine setting. I then crop out 4x6 prints from this original photo. For example at a wedding reception I will take a 12mm shot that might yield the pair of couples worthy of their own composition. Just one of those couples worthy of a composition and maybe a couple of other extractions. Not to mention the original photo standing on it's own as a composition. Most of the time the only limiting factor is will the crop produce a quality 4x6 print. The extra mega pixels of the D-3100 can be a benefit to this technique.


But since I am still uneducated on the D-3100 I am looking for those that can offer actual experience feedback before I buy one.

10-5-10
CORRECTION I WAS CONFUSED! I was thinking from memory 7100 which is really 7000 and not 3100 either so substitute 7000 in my comments.

 

[Lockeseven]

Just wanted to say thanks to everyone for all the responses! Your input has definitely given me a good place to start from. I'm off to the camera store as we speak to buy things =)

 

[sobolik]

Awesome camera! Probably trade off my D-90 for a 3100 in the future.

why? give or take a minor number of improvements, i think the D90 is still the better camera overall.

1st let me answer the previous post asking about lens hood. The reason is that I don't like lens hoods is three fold
1) They are a protrusion that gets in the way of swing around and getting in and out of my camera bag.
2) They don't work with polarizing filters. the polarizer value is many fold more than the lens hood which is probably not needed anyway - see 3.
3) Any time I get flare I just use my hand to hover in the right spot to shade the lens.

About the D90. I have never held nor has the 3100 been out long enough to get feedback on yet. But if it is as good as the D-90 I will probably trade for the extra mega pixels due to my technique.
My technique is to take wide angle photos to capture a lot of stuff at the Large and Fine setting. I then crop out 4x6 prints from this original photo. For example at a wedding reception I will take a 12mm shot that might yield the pair of couples worthy of their own composition. Just one of those couples worthy of a composition and maybe a couple of other extractions. Not to mention the original photo standing on it's own as a composition. Most of the time the only limiting factor is will the crop produce a quality 4x6 print. The extra mega pixels of the D-3100 can be a benefit to this technique.


But since I am still uneducated on the D-3100 I am looking for those that can offer actual experience feedback before I buy one.

CORRECTION NOT THE D3100 I meant the D7100 ONLY TO FIND TODAY IT IS ACTUALLY D7000 not 7100 I AM REFERRING TO. I THOUGHT FROM MEMORY THAT THE D90 REPLACEMENT WAS THE 7100 THUS CONFUSING 3100 and 7100.
BUT WHEN I PICKED UP A D3100 IN BEST BUY TODAY I SAID - DUH! WRONG REFERENCE NUMBER! BAD MEMORY! This is one thing I don't like about Nikon DSLR's is that their number names are hard to keep track of since there seems no rhyme nor reason to them.

So I want to correct all comments about the 3100 to read 7000 about upgrading and not out long enough to get feedback etc. Except the 3100 is still a great camera.

 

[kundalini]

Welcome Lockeseven.

You might find this video and thread useful.

http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/...7-alright-newbies-whats-your-5-year-plan.html

 

[rpm]

So I want to correct all comments about the 3100 to read 7000 about upgrading and not out long enough to get feedback etc. Except the 3100 is still a great camera.

now that makes more sense, a 2MP difference wouldn't really be sufficient enough increase and with all the other features that the D90 would have, it would still be the better camera overall...

btw i completely agree with you Nikon's naming convention is headache inducing, they should follow Canon's system, sooner or later Nikon is going to run out of marketable numbers...they cant possibly release a camera and call it the D10,000 or D1,000,000 (D1Ms? lol)