noobie help...

[tdiprincess]

Hey there all! I'm new here....
I'm an amateur photographer. Right now it's a hobby that I enjoy. I'm slowly building up my skill and trying new things.
I currently own a Kodak Z812 IS, 12X optical zoom, 8.1 mega pixels. It's pretty much a point and shoot. I'm starting to play around with more of the settings.

I'm looking at investing in a DSLR. I'm not quite sure what to get. I'm not looking to spend much money and I'm a beginner. Any ideas?

Also, I'm going to be shooting for a party in May. I may have the chance to get my DSLR by that time. Any hints on taking photos inside? What's a good ISO? My current camera doesn't really let you choose how much..

But, I will start posting some of my pictures as I go a long. I just took a trip with my husband to New York City, I think I may post a couple shots to get some pointers...

Thank you!

 

[Cass]

I just bought a Nikon D3000. I really like it so far. It wasn't a bad price either for my first DSLR. Best Buy has a special on it right now.

 

[chammer]

a good iso to shoot at indoors is the one that provides the desired shutter speed. its impossible to be specific as each location is different. a very well lit indoor area you could shoot at 100, and a poorly lit one you can be shooting upwards of 1600-3200 or more.

the general rule of thumb that i go by for shutter speed is 1/focal length. for example, with a 50mm lens you'll want around a 1/50th or faster. a 200mm lens you'll want at least 1/200th. there's some debate for crop sensor cameras about whether it should be 1/focal length or 1/focal length * crop factor. so in my case on the 50D shooting a 50mm i'd want 1/80th (50*1.6).

to be honest though you can shoot slower depending on what your shooting, and how steady your hands are. there's no hard set rule. experiment, have fun, and if it doesnt work try again.

oh, and also remember that if you'll be using canons IS (image stabilization), nikons VR (vibration reduction), or any other manufacturers version...it will allow you easier captures with slower shutter speeds as well. just remember to turn it off when shooting on tripod.

 

[gpardo64]

A good DSLR (entry level) is Nikon D5000. I bought it for my wife for Christmas and since then WE have been learning and taking shots with it. :hug::

 

[tdiprincess]

So the hubby and I searched around a bit and did more research...
This is what we found

A D70s. It comes with a 28-80mm lens and a few filters. I think for a while we may stick to just that lens, but there is someone we know with a D70 selling a Sigma 70-300mm zoom telephoto + macro for $120, is that a good deal? Or should we just wait and see what we think of the camera?

 

[bazooka]

If the lens is the APO version, then I'd say it's worth it. But if it's not APO, I'd pass on it. You can get a new non-APO for $159 on bhphoto. Just keep in mind, the cheaper the lens... the cheaper the lens.

 

[tdiprincess]

My first "gig".. it's more of a favor thing.. is going to be a formal dance, my mom and her friends do a host of different dances together each week. Every year they do a formal and invite friends and family and we all have a good time..
What kind of lens would be recommended for a darker indoor setting? And getting shots of people dancing? Or does the lens not really matter, just turning up the ISO?

 

[bazooka]

The lens matters greatly. You want to get a "fast" lens that has a low f/#. A 1.8 (f/1.8) or lower (f/1.4) would be ideal. The camera body does matter as well because some can do better than others at high ISO. Reading some reviews will help guide you. But the lens is the most important component.

 

[tdiprincess]

Thnxs bazooka.. I was kinda wondering. I'm so new to this. When I was younger my father gave me a 35mm cannon from the 70's. It was neat, and had started getting to know the lenses and filters and such. Then I got the Kodak point and shoot and kinda forgot that stuff.
Now its back to basics and relearning terms and techniques.

 

[kcmo al]

Canon's latest entry-level T2i is now up to 18 Mp and ISO 3200. Don't know if it's out yet but that's what I'd look at.

 

[tdiprincess]

I looked around quite a bit. That canon is my DREAM camera.. We are looking to spend around 500 on initial setup.. so far we're at 335, I think we'll be getting a quicker lens before my "gig"...
Eventually, as my technique gets better, I will probably upgrade..

 

[JPooh]

get a used d200! you will love it... its mid-level so its not too complicated but has all the features you need when you develop your skills

 

[tdiprincess]

get a used d200! you will love it... its mid-level so its not too complicated but has all the features you need when you develop your skills

Thanks.. i ended up going with a d70s.. I'm liking it, going through the manual and learning techniques on here...