New to photography - Nikon D40?

[JNGUYEN]

Picked it up today. Just wondering, where do I start? Do I just point and shoot for now and get used to all the functions? Just wanted some insight of others of what they did when they got their first DSLR camera.

Thanks guys!

 

[Dubious Drewski]

For now, just point and shoot it in "green mode". Get used to the basic controls and how to compose a shot. After you're comfy with that, then maybe spend a short time to learn what shutter does, then shoot only in shutter priority for a while. THEN learn what aperture does(the more complicated of the two) and spend an afternoon shooting only in aperture priority.

Do things like that.

 

[TBAM]

If you just point and shoot, you're not really getting used to any of the functions.

I would say. Drop your camera into full Manual, on Manual focus. And keep playing with your settings until your photos start looking presentable.

Throw yourself in the deep end and try and understand what the camera is actually doing whilst you just press a shutter release. Understand what the sensor does to get a photo.

Once you start to understand all of the factors that combine into the image you see on the LCD after you've pressed the shutter, you'll start to understand what you can do with those factors to make the photo what you want it to be.

You should never just point and shoot with an SLR (as it's majority of use), if you wanted that, you should have just purchased an SLR-like camera with an EVF (electronic view finder).

Anyways, yeah, drop yourself in the deep end, and when you get stuck. Read, read, read.

 

[maulrat]

Canon XTi with kit lens from B&H, only $609

not a bad suggestion with autofocus

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/457541-REG/Canon_1236B001_EOS_Digital_Rebel_XTi.html

Or a Canon XSi with kit lens for 50 bucks more

[ame]http://www.amazon.com/Canon-Digital-Camera-18-55mm-3-5-5-6/dp/B0012YA85A/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1224131950&sr=8-4[/ame]

 

[Resin42]

If you just point and shoot, you're not really getting used to any of the functions.

I would say. Drop your camera into full Manual, on Manual focus. And keep playing with your settings until your photos start looking presentable.

Throw yourself in the deep end and try and understand what the camera is actually doing whilst you just press a shutter release. Understand what the sensor does to get a photo.

Once you start to understand all of the factors that combine into the image you see on the LCD after you've pressed the shutter, you'll start to understand what you can do with those factors to make the photo what you want it to be.

You should never just point and shoot with an SLR (as it's majority of use), if you wanted that, you should have just purchased an SLR-like camera with an EVF (electronic view finder).

Anyways, yeah, drop yourself in the deep end, and when you get stuck. Read, read, read.

And when you haven't taken a decent shot in four hours and feel so confused you want to cry stick it back in auto and resolve to learn one thing at a time like Dubious Drewski said. Your not trying to win a race here.

Good luck with your D40, it's a great wee kit.

 

[mrodgers]

If you just point and shoot, you're not really getting used to any of the functions.
.....
.....
.....
Read, read, read.

What he said at the beginning of his post and at the end. You don't learn anything messing with the camera when you haven't a clue what anything means. Stick someone in a car who has never driven or seen the inside of a car before and they would be clueless as well. You have to start with some basic knowledge.

Google photography, read old threads here (there are useful threads on this forum that are older than what's listed in the "new posts" button...), look up and read other forums, etc.

To get you started, here's 2 sites I found when I first started that gave me some good starter insight of what all the functions do....

www.digitalcamerahelp.com (currently down for maintenance)
www.shortcourses.com

 

[Dionysus]

i lived in "understanding exposure" for a couple months before i bought my camera. I suggest you do the same to help you through the green period. It's been the greatest reference tool for me thus far.

 

[Village Idiot]

I think this is kosher to do on the forums...still new here...

Great objective review of the d40 at
http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/d40.htm

Some of the prices quoted are from when the d40 first came out...but the data overall is a great read to help you decide if this is the camera for you.

Ken Rockwell is still a joke.

 

[Bifurcator]

I disagree. No more a joke than any of us here. In fact a lot less of one. He at least has a blog instead of typing "ken is a joke" or "get the D40" in every thread 6 days a week.

Something to think about.

I kinda like what he has to say too. 99% of it is correct. That's better than the 80% at places like dpreview and etc.

 

[asc]

I kinda like what he has to say too. 99% of it is correct. That's better than the 80% at places like dpreview and etc.

[thread hi-jack]
Being new to TPF, I'll have to search around to see what/why the general consensus is about rockwell's site.

I agree with Bifurcator that there are some great objective things he does...like comparing the sharpness of the d90, d200, and d3 (http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/d90/sharpness-comparison.htm). Sure...sharpness isn't everything, but it's a useful 'test' to show the quality of the d90 in this one area.
[end hi-jack]

I really hope the OP posts about how he likes his new camera soon, as well as some of his shots!!! What a great community where we can post questions, ideas, and recieve so much feedback!

 

[TBAM]

I understand that it can be a little daunting, and perhaps I should have been a little open minded when giving my advice.

I was mainly speaking from personal experience.

When I first got into photography, I had no idea what aperture, shutter and ISO were. I had never ever even had a P&S. My first camera was a fujifilm s5500 which is an SLR-like P&S with a manual mode.

I'm a tech head so threw it into manual, without knowing what things do, and for me, atleast i pretty quickly learnt that adjusting the knob on the top (which controlled the shutter speed only, although I didn't know this) made the pictures brighter or darker.

This then made me read the manual to figure out what it was.

I then realised you could adjust aperture too, though at that time, It wasn't about depth of field, aperture was just another mechanic to make the picture brighter or darker.

Then you just play and play.

I understand it's going to be a bit confusing, but, I mean, you don't buy an SLR without any camera experience at all. Furthermore, if you are interested in photography ENOUGH to spend the money on an SLR, you didn't buy it to stay in Auto mode whilst you figure things out.

By your measurements, he wouldn't know what shutter speed is, or aperture is to even know what the camera is doing whilst in those priority modes. Just as my advice, for a total newbie, it will just be a case of brighter or darker, or a few shots being out of focus due to DOF issues, and no idea how to fix it.

Maybe i'm overshooting the mark here, but if it's taking 4 hours of manual mode to even get a decent exposure, then perhaps it shouldn't be case of going back to priority modes, but reading the manual.

Sorry if my post seemed a bit narky, or overbearing, but I'm a big advocate of throwing yourself in the deep end. If you spent the money on an SLR you're not going to give up after 4 hours, even without any good photos. You buy an SLR because you want to master the settings, and for me, going in the auto mode isn't the reason why I purchased an SLR for the first time, or anyone I know who purchased an SLR.

But then again, i'm not everyone, so I apologise if my advice is not very universal. It worked for me, so it was the advice I gave.

Although it may not work for everyone. But then again, that is the reason why everyone can post, to give different points of view.

 

[austriker]

i bought a d40 a few weeks ago and i LOVE it!!!!!! its so nice, feels great and offers a great amount of options for the cheap price..

price- i got mine off ebay for $330 but that was after 2 weeks of constantly monitoring ending auctions..

 

[Dubious Drewski]

Tbam, no. You couldn't be more wrong. Some people may prefer to jump neck-deep into something like this, but most people just get discouraged if they do this. It may work for you, and congratulations for that, but you have to consider that other people are not like you. In addition to selling cameras for a living, I tutor alot. So I teach people how to use SLRs and photoshop every week. You MUST teach one concept at a time; you cannot let your students drown in information, because they will then abandon the whole thing. This has happened to my students in the past, when I was still learning how to teach.

When using your brand-new, unfamiliar SLR for the first time, Green mode is valuable - you must learn how to hold the camera, how to point it accurately, where all the buttons and dials are physically located and how to choose your dominant eye, etc. Then once you're comfortable with the basics, THEN you learn the concepts of aperture, shutter, ISO, hyperfocus, diffraction limiting and so on.