As always, feel free to ask any photo related questions in the forum. That said, sometimes you get an answer quicker by just doing a google search. There is tons of photography related information out there. You will probably get it quicker that way, than waiting for people to answer your specific question on any forum.
1. What camera should I buy/ is this camera any good?
It is hard for someone to answer this question without knowing, what you are after in general. This answer can vary depending on what you are looking for in a camera. Are you looking to take photos inside the house, at outdoor sporting events, scenic settings, or portrait type stuff? Do some Internet research for yourself and your options will start to narrow. A good starting point is always:
Digital Camera Reviews and News: Digital Photography Review: Forums, Glossary, FAQ
Or other sites that you can search through reviews of cameras
Choosing which digital camera to buy - A guide to the best cameras out there - Reviews and comparisons and good deals 2. What settings do you use for xxxx type of pictures?
There are many tutorials and FAQ’s online. These questions can be answered easily by doing a google search for:
“Photographing _________”
Just put what ever you are looking for in the blank. Lightning, Football, Bands, clouds, or what ever you want… it is all out there for your taking, and it’s free.
3. After seeing someone’s really nice pictures…. What camera do you have? Your camera takes really nice pictures. I want the same camera so I can take pictures like that.
The camera is only part of the equation. A professional photographer once told me, “he could shoot a sporting event with a $250 point and shoot, but he just wouldn’t get as many keepers”
The big thing is to learn how your camera works, and how to use what you do have. Once you learn this stuff, you may find you don’t need to spend $1000 on a DSLR, and another $900 on a zoom lens. Plus you will get much better pictures with the camera you have, I guarantee.
See:
Using Your Digital Camera-Contents How to take good pictures with the camera you have - Illustrated tips and tutorials 4. How do I get my camera to do ______?
The rude answer to this has always been RTFM (read the F’n manual). This is a necessary thing to do, but some manuals don’t always tell you much about how to use the functions available. That is when things like Field Guides for you camera come in handy, or a book like these.
Amazon.com: Using Digital Cameras: A Comprehensive Guide to Digital Image Capture (Practical Photography Books): Joel Butkowski, Andra Van Kempen, Andra Van Kempen: Books Amazon.com: Basic Digital Photography: A Comprehensive, Step-By-Step Guide to Selecting and Using Digital Cameras, Computers, Scanners, and Software: Ron Eggers: Books Amazon.com: (The Complete Beginners Guide To) Using a Digital Camera for the First Time: Bill Hall: Books
Don’t forget to check your local library. Remember, it’s free!
5. I want a new lens, what lens should I buy.
Again this all depends on what you are looking to spend and the situation you are shooting. You can really spend more on one lens than on a DSLR itself. The more you spend the more you get….I know DUH! When it comes to camera lenses though this really seems to ring true. You can get a 70-300mm F4-5.6 zoom lens for $150, or a 70-300mm F2.8 for over $1000. You will see that the second lens will take sharper images since it is made of much better glass, it will allow you to shoot in lower light, and hold its resale value for years and years. That said, if you shoot in situations that supply plenty or light, why spend all the money on a F2.8 lens. As stated before you can find a lot of info by looking at reviews on these as well.
Good article:
Digital Camera Lenses - Choosing an Interchangeable Digital SLR Camera Lens | OutdoorPhotographer.com What lenses for my digital SLR (Canon) 6. My pictures are blurry. Why?
There are many causes for this, but if you learn how a cameras shutter speed and aperture work you can answer your own question most times. Likely candidates are shutter speed is to slow, and your getting a moving targets motion. Second possibility is you are introducing the blur by hand when you press the shutter release. The rule of thumb is you want your shutter speed to be faster than your zoomed in mm. For example, if you were shooting a deer in a field at 300mm zoom, you would need a shutter speed of at least 1/300 of a second or better. If this doesn’t allow you to take a bright enough picture you need to adjust your aperture or ISO to make up for it. See I told you; you needed to learn how a camera works. Lol.
7. My pictures are too dark, why?
Easy answer, you camera isn’t letting enough light in. This is accomplished by using a longer shutter speed (see above ? about blur though), a larger aperture (lower number = larger aperture), or increasing your ISO (tends to make more noise in pictures).
Books like these are great for anyone asking almost all the above questions and many others.
Amazon.com: Using Digital Cameras: A Comprehensive Guide to Digital Image Capture (Practical Photography Books): Joel Butkowski, Andra Van Kempen, Andra Van Kempen: Books Amazon.com: Basic Digital Photography: A Comprehensive, Step-By-Step Guide to Selecting and Using Digital Cameras, Computers, Scanners, and Software: Ron Eggers: Books Amazon.com: (The Complete Beginners Guide To) Using a Digital Camera for the First Time: Bill Hall: Books
There is so much info on the Internet about photography, all you have to do is search. You can find good settings for almost any type of shooting, reviews on anything photography related, and tips and hints to make your photographs better.
In a way a camera is like a car, if you don’t know what the buttons or controls do, things are not going to turn out good.
I hope this will help people to find the info they are in search of.
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