looking to begin shooting pics.

[2.0civic]

ive seen some of the stuff you guys post, namely nemesis digital and AP photography(sp??) and the shots are ALWAYS great looking. im looking to start doing some photography on my own. Ive seen many good spots(few parks and some other places around gwinnett) i want to take pictures of but i dont have equipment or knowledge...i was wandering what people on here would recommend as far as a beginner cam and equipment..i need to keep it relatively cheap but i dont want a peice of crap either. Any info you guys give is highly appreciated.

[Nemesis]

Thanks for the compliments man. Ill try to explain what I know from learning from others in my experience.

Either way you go, you should start out with an entry D-SLR. Either a Nikon D50 or RebelXt is a great choice. Both cameras have their ups and downs, and you can check out both if you read the reviews at dpreview.

One thing you have to remember is camera bodys go, but lenses last forever. So if you make one purchase and you purchase a wide array of lenses for that body brand, then you should stick with it. I decided personally to go with Nikon. Why? Because Ive always heard good things about Nikon. Not saying the opposite of Canon, just how my photography preferences went. And from my personal experience I dont regret it. My first purchase was a Nikon D50 and still to this day I still have it as a back up. Its a great camera that is easy to setup quickly and quick to navigate various menus. About a month ago I invested in a Nikon D200, almost three times the cost of a D50, but I absolutely love it. American Photo put it side by side with the Canon30D and it beat it. However, some say the D200 is better paired up with the 5D, but of course the 5D cost much more. If you get an XT or D50 you wont be dissapointed with either, and youll learn to love either one of them as a tool. However the D50 is a camera youll grow out of and the D200 is a camera youll go into. The Canons have the L lenses and the Nikons have the ED glass. The Canon has IS and the Nikon has VR. A lot of the stuff is similiar so in the end its up to you. Go to the store and dont be afraid to ask and try out a camera, see which one is right for you. If you want, you can try some of my stuff out sometime if you wanna meet up.


George

[2.0civic]

cool man. What price range should i be looking at spending for a nice cam and lens setup?? i been looking at a few on ebay and stuff but cant really decide on what i wanted yet. Thanks for the info..im gonna check into that

[Nemesis]

Unlike the Canon kit lenses, the Nikon kit lens (the 18-55 and the 18-70) is great and a very sharp glass

http://cgi.ebay.com/Nikon-D50-Digital-SLR-Camera-18-55mm-DX-Zoom-Lens-Kit_W0QQitemZ140001955700QQihZ004QQcategoryZ122616 QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem


That set comes with the 18-55. The 18-70 is a better choice though and a lens you wouldnt mind keeping for a long time.

Stay away from buy this body and get 3 lenses in the package. Advice: keep your extra money and buy one really nice lens. If you cant pick up the Nikon stuff, look into Sigma. They make great stuff for sure.

[imbosile]

good info

[2.0civic]

i neen looking this stuff up as i see the info posted but two terms that are confusing me a little are you said that Nikon had VR and Canon had IS...im assuming that has something to do with perspective but im unsure..

[Nemesis]

i neen looking this stuff up as i see the info posted but two terms that are confusing me a little are you said that Nikon had VR and Canon had IS...im assuming that has something to do with perspective but im unsure..


Basically VR is Vibration Reduction and IS is Image Stabilization. They both perform the same functions when shooting, you can shoot at a longer exposure but at almost 3-5 stops higher. Im sure im butchering the real technical side of it, but yeah, its a luxury that you dont need to shoot great shots.

[2.0civic]

lol, thanks for clearing that up. another dumbass question but im going to ask anyway...a buddy of mine has a red 350z with a veilside kit on it and another buddy took a pic of it...he used a certain lense on it and it made the headlights sparkle a little...are there lenses that do effects like that or is it more the angle??

[Nemesis]

lol, thanks for clearing that up. another dumbass question but im going to ask anyway...a buddy of mine has a red 350z with a veilside kit on it and another buddy took a pic of it...he used a certain lense on it and it made the headlights sparkle a little...are there lenses that do effects like that or is it more the angle??


To cause forced sparkles in the shot use a cross hatch filter. Any lens can use this option as long as the filter fits the lens. Filters range from 20-80 bucks.

[2.0civic]

cool bro. thanks for the info. if i think of anything else, ill post it up

[A.P. Photography]

Well it seems I am a little late to this thread, lol. Thanks for the compliment and yes Nemesis pretty much sumed up what I would say anyway :) I shoot with the XT and love it so it is really just which you prefer. Good luck with it and feel free to ask if you have anymore questions.

[2.0civic]

appreciate all the info guys. both of you..Shit though, makes it a little harder now knowing that you two use different brands. im going to go play with some tomorrow. Where is a good place to buy one?? i know theres wolf camera and shit but i didnt know if circuit city or anything would sell them

[A.P. Photography]

appreciate all the info guys. both of you..Shit though, makes it a little harder now knowing that you two use different brands. im going to go play with some tomorrow. Where is a good place to buy one?? i know theres wolf camera and shit but i didnt know if circuit city or anything would sell them
I maybe mistaken but the main place will be Wolf. They will have the best selection of bodies and lenses to try out and see if you like them.

[Nemesis]

Wolf is known to be more expensive than others.

[A.P. Photography]

Wolf is known to be more expensive than others.True, go to Wolf to try them out and then find them somewhere else cheaper ;)

[Nemesis]

Definitly. Hit up Wolf , find out what you like then hit up ebay. However, try to find a licensed retailer, because I know for Nikon if you buy gray market goods they wont honor warranties.

[A.P. Photography]

^ same with Canon