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Looking for beginner resources to learn about cameras and jargon

4K views 11 replies 10 participants last post by  Sharicks 
#1 ·
I have always been interested in photography but have no idea where to start. I want to get a camer but i cant decide between a point and shoot or a dslr. I understand with dslr you get a body and then lenses but thats the extent of my knowledge.

Hoping someone can point me in the right direction for online resources.

I have a nikon coolpix s570 which is awful and a friend loaned me a cannon sx710hs which i love! I would be happy with the cannon on my person during trail rides but a part of me still wants to learn about dslr.

Thanks all!
 
#3 ·
I have always been interested in photography but have no idea where to start. I want to get a camer but i cant decide between a point and shoot or a dslr. I understand with dslr you get a body and then lenses but thats the extent of my knowledge.

Hoping someone can point me in the right direction for online resources.

I have a nikon coolpix s570 which is awful and a friend loaned me a cannon sx710hs which i love! I would be happy with the cannon on my person during trail rides but a part of me still wants to learn about dslr.

Thanks all!
Dont get hung up on SLR, technology is evolving and there are many cameras now that rival the advantages that SLR used to have.
Key thing you want if you want to learn more about photography is the ability to manually control settings, the basic shutter speed and aperture. There are many higher end "point and shoots" that are capable of this now. Biggest growIng segment is the "mirrorless" cameras. On chip AF sensors, fast electronic buffering and speed have all but negated SLRs AF and viewfinder advantages. Sensor size is the main advantage left, and there are a number of cams with large sensors too
 
#6 ·
Key thing you want if you want to learn more about photography is the ability to manually control settings, the basic shutter speed and aperture.
That ^

All the fancy features on a $2,000 DSLR camera can be outdone by a $100 camera using manual controls. Creative photography comes from creative control. And all the technology and post processing in the world can't fix a photo that has bad composition.

Most community colleges have intro and advanced photography classes that are open to non students. They're usually pretty inexpensive, and you'll learn the basics of things like composition, exposure, etc.

The only thing I'd say about cameras is that going with a camera that has removable lenses will allow more flexibility through the use of various lenses that you can build an inventory of over time, or as your interest changes in the type of photography get into. I'd start with something like a basic Canon or Nikon camera body, for example. Even look at used ones. What ever lenses you invest in work in will work on newer camera bodies you may upgrade to in the future (do a little homework on compatibility). Canon, in particular, has been maintaining compatibility over many years (from the 80's to the present). Heck, I still use a couple of lenses that were used on my old 35mm film cameras that work just as well on my newest full frame digital SLR's (less a couple of features like stabilization). And I suggest focusing on better lenses than on camera bodies. It's the lenses that can have a bigger impact on image quality. Most of the time, any goofs the camera made (i.e. the user made with the camera) can be fixed in post processing. But of the image isn't clear through the lens, your options are limited. Having said that, camera body sensor size is a factor to consider as well.

Now... riding trails with a DSLR can be a challenge. It's been one of mine. My daily use DSLR camera is a large full frame sensor Canon body with a batter pack, and a heavy 24-105 lens on it. Way too heavy and big to though in the pack and ride. Not to mention, the thought of crashing with $3k+ of hardware in my pack worries me. I instead switch to my smaller APS-C sensor Canon body, but use the same lens (there's that compatibility advantage). Much lighter and smaller, and fits in my hydration pack's expansion pouch. And instead of a large battery pack, I just take extra batteries if I think I'll need 'em. My point here is more food for thought when considering how you want to invest in photo equipment. Thinking it though up front can save you down the line.

By the way, I focus on DSLR because that's what I invested in years ago, and will continue to build on that. Like root said, don't get too hung up on SLR. Mirror-less is up and coming, and can be a smaller, lighter alternative for tossing into a pack for riding. But I'd still focus on a mirror-less camera body that supports interchangeable lenses.
 
#7 ·
Pick up the book "Bryan Peterson's understanding photography field guide".

I got my first dslr about a year ago. With all the info available on the web, what more do I need? I read a LOT online, and, I thought, learned a lot. But, I still felt kinda lost on settings. I read a lot of guides that said "for this situation, use this setting", but without a real explanation as to "why".....

Then we took a trip to the Grand canyon, of course I took my "good camera".... Took lots of pictures. 723 to be exact. And... They were kinda crappy..... Like... I got a few that were pretty good, but 99% of them I wasn't happy with. Many of the pictures my wife took with her cell phone blew mine away....

Well. That was it, I decided to buy a book and see what happens. It couldn't hurt, right?

This was the first one I got. My wife saw it in the Amazon cart and said "You don't need to waste money on a book, you have the internet."
Well..she was wrong. So wrong.

Seriously, this book is an eye opener. He explains not only what settings to use, but WHY, and when.

The biggest revelation to me in the book, there are no less that SIX different combinations of settings for any picture taking situation, and then he explains why one setting would be better in some situations than another....
 
#10 ·
Lol, smaller my ass...



Admittedly, this is on the extreme end of the spectrum (currently anyway.)

That said, mirrorless is definitely paving the way anymore. In some systems it CAN make for a smaller/more compact system, although that will depend entirely on your own needs/wants/budget for the glass you attach to it. The technology is progressing well though, and there really aren't any advantages to having the big old mirror flapping up and down anymore.

To be honest, I'd recommend just picking up a used 1-2 gen old Canon Rebel series with kit lens and learn/practice with that if you're new to the photography world. You skip a lot of the cost (and depreciation) and still get a great piece of equipment that you can learn on. You may find that you want to upgrade quickly, or you may find that you aren't even interested in diving that deep into the intricacies of photography. Or maybe you'll be in just the right place.

In any case, it's like most other things in life. Start with the basics, and do lotsa reading/youtube video watching/learning and find your path from there.

Also, I personally found this site to be insanely valuable early on (and even now) as a very info-rich resource.

https://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tutorials.htm
 

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#9 ·
Honestly I've done a bit of it all. Had a Nikon DSLR (was a D90 at the time), then switched to a Fuji mirrorless. Although the size is actually smaller, still feels too big to put on a small backpack. So when I want to ride comfortable, I only take my phone and, if I need wide angle, a GoPro.

If I were to do different, I wouldn't mind to use a superzoom if I wanted better quality than smartphone.
 
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