The Learning Curve

[mickeyfan1226]

I'm in because I am wanting to learn how and what equipment I need to shoot the shows that don't allow flash. I took these photos and am happy with them but would like to be able to take better ones. I have a nikon 70d with lense 28-80 f3.3-5.6g and a 70-300 4-5.6g. I have been told on one of these threads that I should purchase a 50 f1.8 I have also read that a 18-200 would be benificial.
michelle

 

[tyedye]

I am moving from a ultra zoom (panasonic fz20) to a dSLR (XSi). When viewing images on a computer when I view them large enough to fit my screen size the image looks sharp and in focus but when I click on view image actual size, the picture loses alot of sharpness and some focus, is this normal?

I was trying to compare pictures with other camera's I have and the camera with the least loss of sharpness is a canon p&s 7.2 mp (model A620). I print mostly pictures sized 4x6, with a few 5x7 or 8x10 if they are really good to send to relatives and then maybe one 12x18 print a year (if that).

So I doubt in pictures sized 4x6 even with cropping there would be any noticeable difference but my question really is am I not getting a good focused picture if when I view it at actual size it loses sharpness and is a bit blurry?

I am really liking how fast this camera turns on and is ready to take pictures when compared to my non dSLR, and I know I have alot to learn and this thread is great but it is alot of information to take in all at once. For someone new to dSLR, what is the best area to concentrate on first? Of course part of the reason I got the new camera is for action shots of sports and I'm using the sport mode but maybe I should try something else?

 

[boBQuincy]

This may go against what many people will write, but one of the *last* things to work on is exposure. Leave the camera on auto (green rectangle) for now, at least until you have found the source of the sharpness/focus issues.

Sports mode goes for fast shutter speed at the expense of all else. With a fast or a long lens the depth of field will be minimized on this setting. Check the focus points to be sure the camera is focusing where you intended.
Try a stationary object to be sure the camera/lens is working as it should be (they almost always are), this is also a good check of your technique. The manual has tips for holding the camera and pressing the shutter button.

 

[tyedye]

So when I view the image actual size it shouldn't lose any sharpness? When I view images taken w/my Panasonic FZ20 actual size those images look more grainy and the XSi images look better than those but when comparing the image sized fit to screen vs actual size it isn't as sharp. Would it matter if I took pics w/the flash? I was hoping to go outside and take pics today but it's been raining and is suppose to rain again tomorrow. I will try and upload some pics so maybe that will help to see where the problems are.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

I'm

Welcome, Michelle. (Sorry I missed this before.) The f/1.8 should help - did you get it?

For someone new to dSLR, what is the best area to concentrate on first?

Hey, welcome, too. Boy, that's a tough question! I think the reason I was so overwhelmed was because I was trying to figure it all out at once. I read so much, I understood a lot of the theory. But I just had trouble applying that theory to practice on this frustrating little piece of equipment. It's come in bits and drabs little by little and there's no other way around it. I shoot a lot, though, and it seems that every time I do I learn something else. It often doesn't "all come together" as much as I'd like it to, but I'm enjoying the process and hopefully getting a few decent shots here and there. It's probably not this slow for everyone, I'm not sure. Bob's suggestion is a good one if you want to get some good shots right away.

As for the sharpness, sometimes these cameras have little quirks and you might need to make little adjustments to maximize sharpness - I'm not sure how it works on your camera but maybe someone here does and there's also probably information on forums and articles specific to your camera.

I'm bumping this thread up for waytoomanywebkins.

 

[mickeyfan1226]

Welcome, Michelle. (Sorry I missed this before.) The f/1.8 should help - did you get it?


Yes I did get but haven't played much. I am not sure as to how to practice shooting like what would be at the shows.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

In order to keep these all in one accessible place, I'm going to list them here. These are great for learning.

Feel free to bump them up if you missed them but want to carry on the assignment.

Low Light/No Flash

Action

Water

Autumn

Depth of Field

Older Assignment Threads

 

[Pea-n-Me]

I'm cleaning house a bit. In searching for something else, I found some other older threads that might be helpful here and added them in, some to older posts if they fit in.

Portraits

"P" Mode vs AV Mode

Focal Length

DSLR Startup Costs

Panoramics

 

[Pea-n-Me]

I'm going to put these three Dis threads here:

"P" (Program) Mode vs AV Mode

DSLR Startup Costs

Panoramics

I would like to continue discussing different topics here, however I've gotten busy these past several months trying to set up my online storage and photo galleries, learning to shoot RAW and edit, etc. I would like to pick it up again, probably after the first of the year. But please feel free to post or ask questions. Let's keep it going. There are a lot of new people around!

 

[Pea-n-Me]

I'm beginning a section here on traveling with your dSLR. If there are any other links or threads I should include, please let me know.

Dis Threads

Storing photos without a laptop while on a 23 day trip for France - thanks, Sam.

Ladies, what camera bag do you use for both camera and necessities?

It would probably be helpful to have a similar thread for men's bags. If anyone wants to start one, I'll include it here.

 

[spinetnglr]

Pea-N-Me thanks so much for keeping this thread going. I just recently started posting here on the Photography Boards but have been a lurker here for a long time and have found so much useful information in these links and pages.

 

[annnewjerz]

I'm cleaning house a bit. In searching for something else, I found some other older threads that might be helpful here and added them in, some to older posts if they fit in.

Portraits

"P" Mode vs AV Mode

Focal Length

DSLR Startup Costs

Panoramics

I see that you found on old thread on taking portraits, but I don't see it as a link. I tried searching for old threads with tips for taking portraits and didn't have any success. If you still have the link easily accessible, would you mind posting it?

Thanks!

 

[spinetnglr]

I see that you found on old thread on taking portraits, but I don't see it as a link. I tried searching for old threads with tips for taking portraits and didn't have any success. If you still have the link easily accessible, would you mind posting it?

Thanks!

The links for the portrait section are located on page 5 post #64

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Let's see if we can get this going again for all the people who got dSLRs for Christmas!

 

[Pea-n-Me]

I've been wanting to do this here for a while but got busy. I thought it might be interesting to those just learning to see my progress.

So I bought my camera in March. I've been shooting on average once or twice a week since then. For those who don't know, I use an Olympus E-510 and have two kit lenses, a 14-42 and a 40-150, plus I bought a pancake lens, which is a 25mm f/2.8. I don't have a burning desire to get more lenses, other than a longer zoom, which I think I'd enjoy for wildlife/bird photography when the warm weather comes again. (This should be good news to those who fear you automatically get Blank Aquisition Syndrome as soon as you get a dSLR. With that said, Olympus kit lenses are known to be very good quality and I'm happy with them. I knew from the beginning I was not going to go crazy with this.)

I'll be honest, it's not always easy being an Olympus user. I feel a little like the Maytag Repair Man sometimes, a little lonely other than a few other users here. There are lots of critics of the 4/3 system and sometimes it's hard to continue to believe in it when much of the photography world, for the most part, doesn't. I'll admit that when I don't get a shot the way I want it, I question whether it's the camera, or me. There are times I've even thought about switching brands for that reason. But then I remind myself that the vast majority of new users have some trouble, regardless of the brand of camera they use. And I have to remember the good things about why I bought it in the first place. I know that if I myself were better at it, then my photos would be better as well. I've seen from the Olympus Masters and more experienced users that it can absolutely be done. So that's what keeps me going. (I'll also admit I do like a challenge and this certainly has been a big one.)

It took me a while to get to a point of feeling intuitive about what I needed to do with my camera in order to get whatever shot I was trying to get. I'm still not completely there yet, but it's certainly gotten better, thankfully. I'm pretty good about picking out which lens I want to use. Sometimes I have to fiddle around with settings a bit, which is something I'm less intuitive about, especially when it comes to focus points and metering more so than anything else. Shutter speed settings are still a sticking point for me, so that's currently where I'm focusing my learning. I still have a long way to go, but at least I have a lot better understanding of things than when I first began.

I wrote this on another thread and I think it pretty well sums it up:

That learning curve was fairly painful, especially at the beginning. It hit me recently that there was a good reason for that. There were three major things I had to learn in becoming a first time SLR/dSLR user. 1) I had to learn the basics of photography in and out; 2) I had to learn my camera and all the bells and whistles that come with and go along with it; and 3) I had to learn how to use editing software and other technology in order to make it all work. For someone like me, who kind of missed the boat on all of this stuff years ago, every one of those things was a huge challenge in and of itself. But the fact that I've learned it all (at least to the point I can feel moderately comfortable) - on my own - makes me feel pretty good about it. I guess you could say that if I can do it, I'm sure you can do it too. You just have to decide if that's the path you want to take, or not. (I will say that when my children were small, I don't think I would have had either the time or patience to do it. Fortunately, they're a little older now and my work schedule allows me time to devote to this as a hobby.)

Any questions, ask away.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

This seems to come up a lot. Will put these threads here.

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2037965&referrerid=70088

 

[ottawa-newbie]

Subscribing - Santa brought me a Nikon D40 for Christmas and I have no idea what I'm doing with it

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Subscribing - Santa brought me a Nikon D40 for Christmas and I have no idea what I'm doing with it

Welcome, and congratulations.

 

[Big Vic]

A DSLR rookie here as well.

Santa brought me a Canon XSi.

 

[spinetnglr]

Subscribing - Santa brought me a Nikon D40 for Christmas and I have no idea what I'm doing with it

woohoo another D40 user