? for all of you....

[party of 3]

This is a 2 part question.....

If you had the Cannon Rebel and just used it as a point and shoot and wanted to get more into the settings how and where would you start?
and
If you wanted to buy a new DSLR camera what kind would you buy and why?

I have always wanted to get more into it and thinking it is time to upgrade to a better camera. My friend has a Nikon and she loves it. Is that they way to go?

Thank you to those that take the time to answer!

 

[DVC Mike]

Well, if you were a Nikon shooter, their line starts with the D3100, then the D5100, and then the D7000.

If you already have a substantial investment in Canon lenses, just upgrade to a newer Canon body, such as T3i or 60D.

You didn't mention which Canon Rebel model you have.

 

[JoeDif]

This is a 2 part question.....

If you had the Cannon Rebel and just used it as a point and shoot and wanted to get more into the settings how and where would you start?

Thank you to those that take the time to answer!

Understanding Exposure This is a great place to start. Highly recommended by many on this forum.

 

[Gianna'sPapa]

In a previous thread Zackiedawg put it very well. I'm paraphrasing now, but in todays market the differences between manufacturers isn't as great as it was years ago. If I was you, I would start with education. There are many resources, books, classes, online tutorials, etc., that are available. The book I used as my foundation was the much recommended Understanding Exposure by Bryan Peterson. Just the other night I picked up another nugget of information and this was after having read it cover to cover twice. I refer to it often. Once you have increased your knowledge of photography and determined what time of photographer you want to be, then that will help guide you down the equipment road. My family has been shooting Pentax for many years and I'm sort of attached to it. When we switched four years ago from SLR film to DSLR, it was sort of pre-ordained that we went with what we knew and stayed with Pentax. For myself (and I'm speaking only of myself), the Pentax line works well. If I was going down the professional road and didn't have a lot invested, then I may have chosen the Canon or Nikon line. Most of the sports photographers I work with use Canon/Nikon equipment.

Again, my recommendation is to learn more about photography before investing in new equipment.

 

[photo_chick]

This is a 2 part question.....

If you had the Cannon Rebel and just used it as a point and shoot and wanted to get more into the settings how and where would you start?
and
If you wanted to buy a new DSLR camera what kind would you buy and why?

I have always wanted to get more into it and thinking it is time to upgrade to a better camera. My friend has a Nikon and she loves it. Is that they way to go?

Thank you to those that take the time to answer!

I would not buy a new camera at that point. I would learn the basics of photography before spending any money on more equipment that I didn't know how to use.

 

[ukcatfan]

I would not buy a new camera at that point. I would learn the basics of photography before spending any money on more equipment that I didn't know how to use.

I have to agree. How do you even know you need an upgrade if you do not even know how to use your current camera up to its full potential? Maybe a new lens would be a better investment.

 

[Meskamooska]

Hi!

First of all, I HEARTILY AGREE with the endorsement of Bryan Peterson's books. All of them are fantastic! They are easy to understand, fun to read and make those somewhat intimidating, aw heck, let's get real here, extremely intimidating settings on the camera become more like channels on tv than like coded messages from mars.

Start with Understanding Exposure, then pick up Understanding Shutter Speed and you will be off and running. The up side is that you will suddenly find that you are much more able to make your camera do your bidding. The down side is that once you learn what your camera can do then you will start finding out about what it can't do and that is when it will start to get expensive . Be prepared to start lusting after lenses, flash attachments, camera bags and even filters (yes, they are still very useful even with in camera enhancements and Photoshop) in a way that you never have before.

As for whether you should upgrade now or not, that is a tough one since it all depends upon your investment in your current system, your willingness to spend extra money and most importantly, your hoped for end result.

In some ways I would be the worst person to answer this question since I tend to jump head first into the deep end whenever I get interested in something new and it ALWAYS tends to wind up being expensive. I also am a confirmed gadgeaholic so I am easily seduced by the new and shiny.

That being said, if, after you have given the books a good going over and find that what is contained within actually interests you, you might give a look at not only the current models in the Canon family but also give strong consideration to the Olympus system. They offer 4/3 and micro 4/3 cameras (which has to do with the size and aspect ratio of the sensor which records the pictures). The camera bodies themselves (E system 4/3) vary in size depending upon the model and thus offer a variety of different feels for different sized hands.

The E-P1, E-P2 or PEN cameras (micro 4/3) offer the size of a larger point and shoot body with the interchangeability of a DSLR. They also offer HD video recording capability (if that is important to you).

One big plus for the Oly cameras, in addition to their in-body image stabilization feature (which means that whatever lens you attach to the front of your camera will be able to benefit from this feature whether it is an Oly lens, an older non digital SLR lens or another makers lens - all of which can be attached with the appropriate adapters), they also have a built in dust reduction system which automatically helps clean your sensor to help keep your pictures looking good. Oh, and Olympus makes some of the best "glass" in the business. These are the folks who make lenses for ultra super high end telescopes and electron microscopes and the like.

Oh, and one more word about the IS or image stabilization feature, since it is built into the body not the lens it means that you only pay for the technology once and not every time you wish to buy an additional lens which means that more of what you spend goes into the actual cost of the lens not the feature.
Olympus also has some really amazing color reproduction.

I know I sound like an Olympus Fanboy (which is a pretty neat trick what with my being a girl and all and I am but it is because I have had an amazing time working with my Oly and therefore want to share my joy.

The truth is that whatever you choose, you can be happy with and if you do your homework before purchasing an entirely new system or choosing to upgrade what you have you will be.

And speaking of homework... I would STRONGLY advise you to head out to a good, reputable camera store (not just your local Best Buy or the like) and get your hands on as many cameras as you can. Talk to several folks in the store including the customers, try not to get swayed by the sparkly displays and shiny banners and read a heap of reviews (dpreview is a great resource for this) on whatever camera you think you fancy. But make sure that you buy something that feels good in your hand.

I hope that helps! Take care, help lots of people and have a "Wonder"ful day!

Tisza

 

[ssanders79]

Understanding Exposure This is a great place to start. Highly recommended by many on this forum.

Excellent book, but if you want to learn how to get the mist out if your camera grab the manual that came in the box. After reading a DSLR instruction manual Understanding Exposure is even better.

 

[party of 3]

thank you everyone! I've picked up the book and I am starting there!

Thanks for all the great advice!

 

[zackiedawg]

That's a good move - you have a DSLR, and no matter how old or how basic, it can do far far more than you are asking it to do by shooting in Auto modes. While there are excellent newer cams out there and some new DSLRs can probably do even more than your current one can, you need to get on the stairs before worrying about climbing higher. In auto mode, you're still standing at the base of the stairs looking up. Start learning your camera, basic photography, start actually putting that learning to use by getting out and shooting, testing and pushing yourself with new techniques and settings, and start climbing those stairs. Only then can you find out if the stairs don't go high enough, and you need another camera to get to the next floor.

And while the books are fine advice, I cannot overemphasize how important it is to get out there and DO. If you've never tried P, A, S, or M modes, try them. As you learn more about what various apertures do, and how to expose a scene by controlling the shutter, aperture, and ISO, start pushing yourself to areas you'd never thought to try and put that information to work. Try night photography, try action photography, try panning, try to photograph moving cars, moving birds, try to freeze flowing water or waves...then try longer exposures to blur or streak them...really get out there and experiment and grow. The oldest, worst, lowest-spec DSLR out there can do 80% more than most DSLR owners can do with them, yet everyone's worried about what brand they have or whether to upgrade to the latest highest megapixels!

Here's an analogy: let's say you want to get into some amateur weekend car racing. You have a car that can probably go 100MPH, but you've never gone above 40MPH with it. The race requires that you go 90MPH. So would it be cheaper and easier to buy a new car capable of going 200MPH, or simply learning how to drive your car at 90MPH? Once you've learned and you get good, maybe you find yourself enjoying fast racing, and after years of driving in the 90MPH race, you are finally confident enough to move to the 130MPH race. Now it's time to worry about what car to upgrade to, because you've finally pushed your current one to its limits. But look how much growth you made, how much you learned, and the years of fun you had with your current car, now that you learned how to get 100% out of it!

You're currently driving your camera at 10MPH around a parking lot - no need to be eyeing the new 200MPH cameras. Let's get your current camera up to speed, and start exploring what it can do first!

 

[WilsonFlyer]

I would not buy a new camera at that point. I would learn the basics of photography before spending any money on more equipment that I didn't know how to use.

Ding! Ding! Ding!

You'd be surprised at the number of great photos I've seen taken with old Rebels from YEARS ago. I'm as guilty as anyone of buying new equipment constantly searching for the holy grail of photography. The sad news is that I know better. GOOD photography is 90% in the photographer and 10% in equipment. That might be slightly exagerrated but the point is well intended.

I'll be the first to admit that had I invested the time in learning the equipment I already own instead of being continually in search of something magical, I'd be a 100x better photographer today than I am.

Now I need to make myself re-read that a few times. Seriously.

 

[alloyd1170]

For additional learning ops, check out your local community college. I took a great photo certification class at ours (originally signed up for just the basic course, but switched to the cert group for the added time in the computer lab on photoshop and shooting assignments. Our local college offered a program too, but it was way more $$$, a full semester, and didn't teach as much. There were also classes offered in composition, creative photography, etc.

 

[DisFam95]

Nothing wrong w/ an old Rebel!! I had a Rebel XT as did one of my co-workers.

SHe would always see my pictures and say "Wow what amazing photos - what kind of camera do you have?"

To which I would respond "Same as yours "

Composition is a HUGE aspect I'd say even bigger than exposure. Most people put faces in the center of the viewfinder, stand way back from the subject. When you look through a viewfinder don;t just place your eye on the face of the person or the flower in the garden - scan the whole screen edge to edge because all that you see will be on your print.

Most high end or professional camera stores will offer classes too. Probably more flexible than at a college.

Also go to sites like Flickr and just pick a subject (disney for example) to search and just look at peoples pics. Whenever I travel I also go on there and search to get ideas for shots.

The Rebels are capable of changing settings but they just make it a tad harder to get into (an extra button or 2 to press). They were geared towards people who don;t want all that extra confusion of ISO and F-what's so they did want novices wandering easily into so much 'confusion'. Get out the manual and read up on that too.


Good luck!!