Playing with the new camera....I have a LOT to learn!

[Tim Lingor]

Re: Playing with the new camera....I have a LOT to learn!

Hey Andy,

Perhaps I was being a little harsh. But the reality is, the best pictures have a lot to do with the skill of the person taking them. Point and Shoot cameras photos can look awesome, but the DSLR with the right shooter will take better photos.

I still have a LOT to learn but here are a few of mine from the last 2-3 weeks. I am using a Canon 40D.

Sorry, they are a little larger than we at MOL like, but I never planned on posting them. I am a little camera shy still.
















I think they look good, but I still have a lot to learn!!

Tim

[Andy M.]

Re: Playing with the new camera....I have a LOT to learn!

Hey Tim,

Those are showroom quality photos! Nothing to be camera shy about.

I think you could branch out between everything else you already do, you could open up your own photography studio!

Andy

[BlueZero]

Re: Playing with the new camera....I have a LOT to learn!

Tim...

We should get a photography thread going. I've been out of it for years but really enjoyed it.

[VoicesInMyHead]

Re: Playing with the new camera....I have a LOT to learn!

Tim...

We should get a photography thread going. I've been out of it for years but really enjoyed it.

I just got back into it after many years. A photography thread would be cool!

[TimG]

Re: Playing with the new camera....I have a LOT to learn!

Them pixxies look very good!....

[J. A. Michaels]

Re: Playing with the new camera....I have a LOT to learn!

Hey guys those pics look incredible.

Nick, good luck with the new camera.

The idea of a picture thread sounds good. Great idea.

[Nick Chapman]

Re: Playing with the new camera....I have a LOT to learn!

Hey Nick,

Firstly, looking at your EXIF data, your are using way too open (numerically small ) aperture. A couple things to keep in mind, a small sensor in a point and shoot is very different that a sensor in your Rebel. The PS at F4 is really like F16 on a DSLR. The numerically higher the number the more that will be in focus. Do not go above f16 with a crop sensor unless you are shooting macro. Otherwise, distortion sets in.

Secondly, you are using too slow of shutter speed. The rule is that your shutter speed should be 1/focal length. For example, shooting at 50 mm you should be at least using 1/60 as a shutter speed.

Third, DSLR's often use an anti aliasing filter to stop harsh reflections. This is quite different than a polarizer that you have to use at right angles to the sun or they simply do not work. Your Sony did not have a polarizer as that filter has a completely different look to the shot than what you have. This AA filter may cause pictures to look soft. Comapnies are notorious for boosting the sharpness in PS cameras. With DSLR, some Post Processing is almost expected. Use the Canon DPP software that came with the camera. For now, shoot in Large Jpeg and later shoot in Raw mode.

Finally, do not take this the wrong way, but it is not the camera.

Here is what I suggest, go into Av mode and select f11. In Av mode the camera will adjust the shutter for you. BUT you still have to have a shutter speed of 1/focal length. So if you are shooting at 35 mm, you need at least 50 mm (crop sensor camera's use a 1.6 sensor so you must compensate). I assume you bought the kit lens but even if it has image stabilization, keep the higher shutter speeds. What if you can not get a shutter speed that high? Then increase your ISO. In the sun, you will use mostly iso 100, but under heavy cloud or overcast skies, depending on the lens, you may need iso 400 or higher. Be careful as over iso 800 on the Rebel, noise starts to appear in the photo. If you still can not get a high enough shutter speed, you may need to go to f8.

There is a LOT to it. I have been at it for a while and still have a lot to learn. You will get the hang of it. When you do, there is NO comparison to the picture quality of your new Rebel versus your old Sony. Quite simply: the Rebel will slaughter it!

Thanks Tim!

I know I have a lot to learn with this new camera. So you're not insulting me in any way. I just have a huge learning curve that I need to overcome. Prior to this camera, all I have ever used was a point and shoot, I even used the Sony H1 as a point and shoot camera, never messed with any of it's settings.

I'm going to play with AV mode and Program mode, and see which one I'm more comfortable with for now. Once I get a little more comfortable with it, I'll start venturing out a little more with other modes and/or settings. I also need to invest in a tripod!

I'll start with AV mode and F11 and go from there.

Thanks,
Nick

[yalerd]

Re: Playing with the new camera....I have a LOT to learn!

Nick good luck with your new camera

Tim !

I don't know what can I say, you may be shy but damn you are good!
I thought I had an "eye" for taking pictures, but now I realize that I"M TERRIBLE

[Tim Lingor]

Re: Playing with the new camera....I have a LOT to learn!

Thanks Tim!

I know I have a lot to learn with this new camera. So you're not insulting me in any way. I just have a huge learning curve that I need to overcome. Prior to this camera, all I have ever used was a point and shoot, I even used the Sony H1 as a point and shoot camera, never messed with any of it's settings.

I'm going to play with AV mode and Program mode, and see which one I'm more comfortable with for now. Once I get a little more comfortable with it, I'll start venturing out a little more with other modes and/or settings. I also need to invest in a tripod!

I'll start with AV mode and F11 and go from there.

Thanks,
Nick

Morning Nick,

Program mode was what I used to use and was disappointed in the picture quality as it got the shots, but they were not like the ones I was seeing on various photography forums.

Now, I usually shoot in manual mode as I can control the exposure better, but for landscapes or car pictures Av mode is the easiest IMHO. Also to prevent camera shake while you are getting use it, try using the 2 second timer. It will allow you get a little more steady.

A good tripod is essential for the sharpest photos. I suggest a Manfrotto 055 with a 488RC2 Ball Head. Buying a GOOD tripod is essential as the cheap ones are usually pure junk. I have the above tripod/ballhead, I have a Manfrotto Monopod also with the same Ball Head.

I will suggest a couple of books for you:

1. Understanding Exposure, by Bryan Peterson
2. The Digital Photography Book 1 and Book 2 by Scott Kelby

The three books above are all excellent books in getting you started.

I hope this helps! I am still learning myself, but I sure enjoy photography!

Tim

[Tim Lingor]

Re: Playing with the new camera....I have a LOT to learn!

I just got back into it after many years. A photography thread would be cool!

Cool shots!!! Is that grasshopper on an echinacea plant? What kind of bird is that?

Tim

[Nick Chapman]

Re: Playing with the new camera....I have a LOT to learn!

Morning Nick,

Program mode was what I used to use and was disappointed in the picture quality as it got the shots, but they were not like the ones I was seeing on various photography forums.

Now, I usually shoot in manual mode as I can control the exposure better, but for landscapes or car pictures Av mode is the easiest IMHO. Also to prevent camera shake while you are getting use it, try using the 2 second timer. It will allow you get a little more steady.

A good tripod is essential for the sharpest photos. I suggest a Manfrotto 055 with a 488RC2 Ball Head. Buying a GOOD tripod is essential as the cheap ones are usually pure junk. I have the above tripod/ballhead, I have a Manfrotto Monopod also with the same Ball Head.

I will suggest a couple of books for you:

1. Understanding Exposure, by Bryan Peterson
2. The Digital Photography Book 1 and Book 2 by Scott Kelby

The three books above are all excellent books in getting you started.

I hope this helps! I am still learning myself, but I sure enjoy photography!

Tim

Wow! Thats a lot of money for a tripod

Might have to start out with a cheaper model, then move up later on.

Thanks for all of your advice!

Nick

[VoicesInMyHead]

Re: Playing with the new camera....I have a LOT to learn!

Cool shots!!! Is that grasshopper on an echinacea plant? What kind of bird is that?

Thanks man! Not quite in line with your quality, but I'm practicing!
Yup, it's a grasshopper... have no idea what kind of flower it's on.. The bird is a peacock shot with a Canon XTi & an EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM Lens.

Right now I'm attempting to get a cool humming bird shot... they just move so fast, I have to use manual focus, and I just can't get the shot I'm looking for yet. Any tips on capturing the fast action will be accepted!!

[RaskyR1]

Re: Playing with the new camera....I have a LOT to learn!

WOW!

This makes me not want to get a DSLR. I'm having trouble getting my new PS to look as good as my old one. My color always seems off and I can't pick up swirls/cob-webbing as well as the old one either. I now have to adjust color to get my pics to look the way they should.

I thought about getting a DSLR but reading all that goes with it worries me.

[Nick Chapman]

Re: Playing with the new camera....I have a LOT to learn!

WOW!

This makes me not want to get a DSLR. I'm having trouble getting my new PS to look as good as my old one. My color always seems off and I can't pick up swirls/cob-webbing as well as the old one either. I now have to adjust color to get my pics to look the way they should.

I thought about getting a DSLR but reading all that goes with it worries me.

I've spent about 2 full hours with mine(total time over the last day or so). I'm getting a better understanding of it now(thanks to Tim and some others). The only complaint I have, is that I can't see how I'm shooting until I load them up on the computer. The 3"LCD screen just doesn't show the true picture So if I shoot something and look at it in the LCD screen, it looks great! Then load it up on the PC, and it doesn't look so hot anymore

[Tim Lingor]

Re: Playing with the new camera....I have a LOT to learn!

I thought that was a peacock! Cool! I hate to say this but I use peacock herl for tying flies for fishing.

Humming birds are tough as their wings move so fast! You would probably need a shutter speed of around 1/1500+ as the wings are moving at right angles to you and therefore requires a higher shutter speed. The problem is obtaining that speed as you will probably need a f2.8 - f4.0 to be able to pull it off. Plus you want the Depth of Field to be really shallow to emphasize the bird and blur the background. This adds even more challenge to the equation as you have to have your focus dead on or it will be blurry. I would also photograph the bird with the camera in high speed continuous mode, firing off 6-10 pictures at a time. Using a tripod, you could also pre-focus on the spot the bird feeds from, then set the lens to manual so it stays focused on that spot. That should give you a little more time to get the shots. I would also use a remote so that there is no camera shake from pushing the shutter, which is really important when using telephoto lenses.

I would probably set it up this way:

Tv Mode at 1/1500 or so
f 4.0
Set the exposure by using the iso to match those numbers, probably around 640 iso or so.
Use AI Servo mode for continuous focusing
High Speed Continuous Mode
Remote release
If you are really quick, I would use mirror lock-up with the remote.

I know that some people that photograph humming birds use a special trigger set up that once the bird flies in front, it trips the shutter. But that set up is not cheap.

I have not photographed a humming bird so I am only guessing at the shutter speed so you may need to experiment a little.

I hope that helps...

Tim