Am I ready for SLR?

[UGAFan0829]

I've been dreaming of an SLR camera for a while now, but can't help but wonder if I'm really ready for one! I love taking pictures...I'm always the one at family funtions and gatherings that's snapping away while everyone else is saying "Would you put that thing away". I've become the family photographer. And boy do I love going snap crazy on vacations! I think the main thing that makes me want a SLR is the difference in quality. Coming here and seeing all the amazing shots makes me want one even more. I'm just worried that I'll be to overwhelmed. I don't want to make the investment if I'm not going to learn, but then again I don't want to be overwhelmed either. And honestly, I don't want to have to spend a ton of time editing pictures either. And then there are all the lenses to learn as well. All these questions make me wonder if I'm really ready. I mean is there a point where you become ready, or is it just something that you have to jump right into and learn?

 

[zackiedawg]

You'll know when you know. You're ready when you're ready. Circular answers, yes - but it sounds like you're a very good candidate for moving to a DSLR because you seem to have a love of photography and a desire to learn more, and surely you will have a tool far more capable than you are, which gives you a ton of directions to go in your experimentations and growth...which is a primary selling point of a DSLR: it can be as basic as a P&S on auto mode, or it can be advanced enough to get you the most challenging professional shots - it's all up to your skill and the lenses you choose. However, you still have doubts. I can at least give you my opinion on your doubts, for what it's worth:

Worried about being overwhelmed: Don't. The DSLR can still work with just a kit or superzom lens, in Auto mode, and get fine shots where the camera does all the thinking. And because of the expanded capabilities in controlling depth of field, resolution and detail, low light focus, high ISO performance, etc, it can still give you far more than a P&S can (and of course can still give you mediocre and junk photos too - as can any camera if you don't understand photography!). With your enjoyment shooting, and snap-happy attitude, it's more likely that you either have or will gain good photographic knowledge and skills because you want to...and the controls to take over various functions are all there on the DSLR, just waiting for you to become brave enough to start using them.

Don't want to spend a ton of time editing photos: No worries. Plenty of very skilled, very experienced DSLR shooters use JPG mode, and perform little to no post processing on their photos. DSLRs will reward you when you learn how to nail exposures, when you take the time to 'tune' your JPG settings the way you want them, when you frame well, and when you understand depth of field and control it...get everything right when you take the shot, and there's nothing you have to fix afterwards. Post-processing is an option - a wonderful and fun one, and you may find you enjoy it more than you think - or maybe not - either way, no problems with the DSLR. Good photographers don't have to use post processing...they either choose to or don't. If they choose to, it's because they enjoy the process and like to use it as an additional tool to get the most out of their photographs...if they choose not to, it's because they've gotten their vision out of the camera. Poor photographers HAVE to use post processing as a repair tool to fix what they did wrong.

All the lenses! - It's up to you, but you can actually enjoy your DSLR even with a kit lens - the additional lenses are lovely options, things to expand into as the desire hits you. But you can also get some very versatile and reasonable lenses that can act as a one-lens solution and give you years of happiness. Superzoom type lenses like 18-200s, 18-250s, etc are immensely versatile and a good option for someone just getting into DSLRs and needing maximum range and versatility - it can cover all your needs, or it can serve primary duty until you begin to discover what focal lengths you really want and start to get additional lenses to cover specific needs or likes. The good thing is the superzoom lenses remain useful even as you become a pro - even folks with 10 or more lenses often still have their superzoom lens as their go-to all purpose or travel lens, or even as their 'kit' lens.

Hope that helps!

 

[wbeem]

Of course you're ready! Everyone is ready. Shooting with an SLR is not some mystical endeavor. Understanding exposure is not complex. If you want to move beyond snapshots, go for it.

 

[SrisonS]

The lens issue is something I worried about when first looking into getting a dslr. If you do your research, you'll hear lot of pros and cons about different lenses.... suggestions on just getting a body, and something other than the kit lens... Etc. And while some of those arguments are legitimate, they can be too much for a beginner. It's only the experienced people having those real arguments.

So when you do get a dslr (it's hard to fight that itch to not jump), don't feel bad about getting a camera with a kit lens. You're the only one who'll know what suits your needs. And you'll only know what you want after having some type of decent starting point.

 

[photo_chick]

It's not the camera that gets the great shots, it's the photographer. The camera is just a tool to get there. Understanding how it works will go much further in helping you make good images than anything else. And that holds true for any camera.

There is no time that someone is "ready". If you want a DSLR get one. But don't expect it to take great images for you. You have to put in the time learning to get those. But it's not that difficult, it's just a matter of understanding how things work.

 

[disneyboy2003]

I've been dreaming of an SLR camera for a while now, but can't help but wonder if I'm really ready for one! I love taking pictures...I'm always the one at family funtions and gatherings that's snapping away while everyone else is saying "Would you put that thing away". I've become the family photographer. And boy do I love going snap crazy on vacations! I think the main thing that makes me want a SLR is the difference in quality. Coming here and seeing all the amazing shots makes me want one even more. I'm just worried that I'll be to overwhelmed. I don't want to make the investment if I'm not going to learn, but then again I don't want to be overwhelmed either. And honestly, I don't want to have to spend a ton of time editing pictures either. And then there are all the lenses to learn as well. All these questions make me wonder if I'm really ready. I mean is there a point where you become ready, or is it just something that you have to jump right into and learn?

It sounds like you're ready for an SLR. There are plenty of people with much less enthusiasm for photography who are walking around with dSLRs. I think you would probably appreciate the benefits of dSLR much more than those other folks.

If and when you do get a hold of a dSLR, the first thing you'll be pleasantly surprised about is how quick and responsive it is compared to a point and shoot camera. Have you ever tried to take a photo of someone jumping off a diving board into the swimming pool, for example? You try to take a picture right at the height of action when the person is in mid-air getting ready to jump into the pool, you press the shutter button on your point and shoot camera, and then you wait… And you wait… And you wait… And 5 seconds later, your camera finally takes the picture, just as the person is climbing out of the pool. Isn't that frustrating?

Whereas with a dSLR, as soon as you press the shutter button, the camera takes the picture immediately! Plus, you can fire off 3-5 pictures per second, so you can have a whole series of pictures and select the best one at home. This is especially great for sports photography.

As zackiedawg mentioned earlier, you don't have to be overwhelmed with a dSLR camera. You can start off by setting the camera on Auto mode, and just enjoy the experience of taking pictures without having to worry about any of the other camera settings. When you're ready to learn, you can then try the your hand at different settings to see how different settings affect the photo.

In the meantime, one thing you can do to learn about photography is to learn the basics of photography: aperture, shutter speed, and ISO. Learn how these 3 elements interact with each other to give you a photograph. ALL photos are created based on these 3 elements, regardless of what camera you're using, and regardless of whether a photo was taken in 1930, 1990, or 2011. Together, aperture, shutter speed and ISO form the "exposure triangle".

You can start by learning how to adjust the aperture, shutter speed, and ISO on your current point and shoot camera. A good book to learn from that is highly recommended on this message board is Understanding Exposure by Bryan Peterson (link to Amazon). There are also literally dozens and dozens and dozens of intro to digital photography books out there, as well as YouTube videos, community photography classes, etc. to learn basic photography.

With regard to postprocessing your photos, this is also something that is optional, but will allow you to fine-tune your photos. The photos that come out of dSLR cameras, in general, are already pretty good. Once you learn how to adjust aperture, shutter speed, and ISO for your photos, your photos will get even better. Postprocessing photos is just one more thing to add some more "punch" to your photos.

As an analogy, I see the process of taking a picture with my camera similar to using a chainsaw to carve a statue from wood, or a jackhammer to create a statue from stone or marble. I can probably get a pretty good statue using these quick and rough tools. However, postprocessing my photos would be similar to using a sander to smooth out the wood, or a chisel on stone to fine-tune the overall statue. In postprocessing for example, I like to make my blacks blacker, add more saturation to the colors of my photos, make my photos even sharper, remove any noise, crop my photo, etc. All this adds "pop" to my photos, and turns a pretty good photo into a "wow" photo.

There is a learning curve when learning all this, but you don't have to be overwhelmed. You can easily learn all this by taking little steps at a time. The very first step is to start learning about the basics of photography: aperture, shutter speed, and ISO. Also learn some basic rules about composition, such as "rule of thirds", leading lines, etc. You can do all this with your current point-and-shoot camera. However, once you purchase a dSLR, a whole new world of photography opens up to you (...and your wallet).

Hope that helps.

 

[UGAFan0829]

WOW!! Thanks so much to all of you for taking the time to write responses to my questions--especially the lenghty ones. You've answered a lot of my questions, and even some that I'm yet to ask, but already had in the back of my mind. I've always enjoyed coming to this board because everyone seems to friendly. Thanks again so much!! I'm thinking I may just be getting that SLR sooner rather than later!

 

[mom2rtk]

Hi UGAFan!

Go for it. No reason not to. You can get TONS more camera for TONS less money than ever before.

Then pick up a copy of "Understanding Exposure" by Bryan Peterson and learn the exposure triangle. Pretty soon you'll understand what all those settings are for.

And hang out here for a while. Read all the new threads and you'll be surprised at how quickly you pick it all up. And don't be afraid to ask questions!

 

[boBQuincy]

If you are ready for the size and weight, if you are ready to carry it around, then you are ready for a dSLR. As others have noted, there is nothing magical or mystical about it, a dSLR in Auto or Program handles a lot like a large P&S camera. Actually, over 90% of my photos are taken in Program mode, I only go for Aperture or Manual when the situation requires it and that is not often.

Go for it!

 

[ThurlFan]

Here's what the tipping point was for me: I was shooting with a Canon S3 IS and getting a lot of good pictures but I had reached the point where my photography was limited more by my equipment than my skill/knowledge/vision. I knew what I wanted to do, but the camera wasn't capable of making it happen.

Of course, making the switch put me in the opposite position: My results are much more limited by my skill and knowledge than by my equipment...but with the kind help of the folks here I'm catching up

 

[Bstanley]

I think the main thing that makes me want a SLR is the difference in quality. ... I'm just worried that I'll be too overwhelmed. I don't want to make the investment if I'm not going to learn, but then again I don't want to be overwhelmed either. And honestly, I don't want to have to spend a ton of time editing pictures either. And then there are all the lenses to learn as well.

Something to keep in mind - you don't have to jump from 'Camera the size of a deck of cards with a single button' all the way to 'Camera with enough buttons that you need three hands PLUS a crate full of lenses that cost more than the suggested retail of a new Buick' in one jump.

There are a number of very capable crop frame sensor bodies (SLR and other) for roughly the same money as a high end Point and Shoot. Couple that with a modest priced wide range zoom (18mm - 270mm for example) and you are good to go.

Simply leave it in 'Auto' mode at first and you will have a 'Point and Shoot' that works over a MUCH wider range of lighting with MUCH greater capability than any tiny frame sensor pocket camera.

Then one day you won't be able to stand it any more and you will move the selector to 'P' mode, then 'Av' and before you know it you'll be boring all your friends with endless chatter about The Golden Hour and Bokeh (which is OK because they deserve it - all they want to talk about is which shotgun is best for whacking some of God's little creatures ).

 

[DopeysGal82]

It sounds like you're ready. As long as you have interest and willingness to learn, you're ready. There are plenty of people who own DSLRs who don't want to learn anything and shoot in Auto mode, which to me defeats the purpose. yes, a DSLR is better than a P&S, BUT it's the photographer, not the camera.

Go to the camera store and try a few out in your hands to see what feels right to you. I would not go for all the bells and whistles, and you CAN start with a kit lens if you'd like, and then as you learn, then you can investigate other lenses.

I HIGHLY recommend the book "Understanding Exposure" referenced above. I got the chance to read it recently, and it covered a great deal of what I learned in years of HS and college photography classes.