What do you shoot with?
 

I finally buckled down and purchased a digital SLR about two weeks ago---the Canon Rebel XTi. So far, so good. Just curious if anyone else has recently bought a new camera or if they have any tips for me? I'm doing my best to return to the basics I learned in my high school Photography class and not use all of the camera's automatic functions.

What camera are you shooting with?

Katie: I am a camera "illiterate" so I use a Koday Easy Share, which is so basic to use, but has lots of pixels and takes good pictures as any I have owned. Used to have a fancy Pentax, but by the time you got it focused, the light setting just right, etc., the subject was gone. A good point and shoot for me. I had a Pentax point and shoot that was small but it just 'quit' on me in the middle of a home visit in Mexico. I was mad. Look in Consumers magazine for data on reliability, price, etc.

I will be the last person on Earch to get a digital camera :) When taking the film to develop, I aske them to make a set of paper prints, and a CD in addition to it. Use CD for e-mailing, WorldIsRound.

I swear by disposable cameras. :-)
Have for years. I take both the regular & the panoramic type. Then have the film put to disk/digital post-trip. Personally I LIKE automatic functions, camera's usually smarter than I am. Sometimes I then work with the photos afterwards. I have enlarged travel photos framed in my living room and get many compliments on them. People are shocked when I answer "what did you shoot with?"

Suze---you must have a steady hand---sometimes that makes the most difference I find.

Yup, I do. I have done a lot of photography in the past (with 'real' cameras).

I also 'frame' my shots when I'm making them so I don't depend on cropping later on. That's important when working with disposables.

I like the luxury of not having to worry about valuable equipment. If the camera falls off the bridge into the river or over the edge of the baot... well you never lose more than 24 shots max. and minimal monetary value.

Katie...

I just "traded up" in the camera world myself last month.

I had (and still have) a Pentax Optio digital, which is one of those compact ones (it truly fits in an altoids mint tin!). As much as I love that camera I'm starting to explore more with photography and wanted something with more megapixels and greater zoom.

I was a bit intimidated by the dSLR's out there but wanted something that would get me through the next (let's say) 5-8 years.

I bought a Panasonic Lumix with the 18x zoom. I've been using it while out and about here at home and on a weekend trip to see friends in Atlanta and I am liking the results. The pictures are great.

There are lots of modes on this camera both auto and manual, so although not a dSLR, I think I have room to grow into this camera.

I’ve been shooting with a Nikon D80 (digital SLR) for about a year now. Before that I was using the film version, the N70, for the last 6 years or so.
I grew up shooting with a 1969 Nikon F and a handheld light meter so for me to make the switch from film to digital was a very personal and agonizing decision. Now that it’s done, however, I’m very happy.
It was after I went to a wedding in Rome (American friends, destination wedding) that I realized what I was missing: the day after we all got home everyone was showing their pictures via online picture hosting sites while my film was being processed and printed.
Yes, I got everything on disc as well, but I paid much more than everyone else and I missed the boat on the fun time everyone had that day sharing their images.

As for the SLR? Point-and-shoot cameras work just fine and they’re easy to carry. I believe everyone should have one to keep in their pocket. You get no picture if you carry no camera. The thing is, PAS cameras are limited in their ability to capture some images and while the pictures you will get with them may be fine or even great, it’s the images you don’t have the flexibility to capture that let you appreciate the mechanics of an SLR.

My advice to you is to keep shooting practice pictures with your SLR and play with all the settings. Deleting digital files doesn’t cost you anything and you’ll get better as you go.
Aside from that, know that your lenses are what make the image. When I finally broke down and spent $1,000 on a serious Nikon lens, I saw the difference immediately from the images I was getting from my $200-$300 lenses.
Comparing them made me feel foolish for having shot with cheap equipment for so long.

Shooting with an SLR is a part of the craft that makes a person a photographer. Refining the aesthetic of your images is what makes you an artist.

You’re doing the right thing, Katie.

Katie - Congratulations! You won't be disappointed. I have the Canon Rebel XT and I love it!

What I was told by some photog friends when I got it was to NEVER shoot in the "green box" - BAD, BAD, BAD, BAD. At the very least, use the P mode - that will allow you to override some functions.

Normally, I shoot in the Av mode with an occasional switch into Tv or M. I can honestly say I have never shot in any of the "creative modes" and I've only shot in the P mode once for a special event for work. "F8 and be there" still stands true.

You should be able to handhold at shutter speeds up to twice the focal length. So, if you're shooting at 200mm, you will be OK shooting at 1/400th or faster. You may be able to shoot down to 1/200th if you're really steady. For me, I've I can handhold at 250mm at 1/250th or faster, but once I move in closer, I need the double measurement (i.e., 275mm at 1/600th, etc.)

I recommend getting additional memory cards and/or a portable storage device (PSD) if you plan on really taking photos. I've found that when I go through the photos on the camera screen, I am tempted to toss some that end up being my favorites. My rule is "Don't erase any photo unless it's of me, of the inside of the lens cap, or of a work event". I'd rather delete when I get home and see the images big. One instance, I took a photo of a snake's head. It didn't really pop and I thought about deleting it. When I got home, I looked at it on the computer screen and realized that you could see my reflection in his eye. It won 3rd place at the local fair.

What lenses do you have? They make a difference. They also cause lens envy and empty wallet syndrome. :)

The kit lens (18-55mm) is decent for the cost. It gets a lot of flack, but that's because people don't accept it for what it is and try to compare it to a $1000 L lens. I like to use this lens with some close up filters - I've gotten wonderful macros of butterflies with the pairing.

I got the Tamron 28-75mm a couple years ago as a gift and I really love it. I was using the Canon 24-70mm L lens at work and found I prefer the Tamron - it's lighter and the colors are warmer than the Canon.

My other current lens is the Canon 75-300mm USM (non IS). It's not the greatest lens, but for the money it does the trick. I've been able to get some nice shots with it.

My next lens is going to be the Tamron 200-500mm. Hopefully I'll have it by the end of May. I can't wait!!!

Also, get a decent photo editing program. Photoshop, Photoshop Elements (cheaper version), Gimp, etc. Skip the "artsy" filters, but learn how to use levels and curves and such. Those tools will allow you to "develop" your film to your own preferences, not the camera company's. And if you start shooting RAW, you'll have extra range to correct wash out and to enlarge bigger than otherwise. If you shoot in the black & white mode in RAW, you have to ability to convert the image back to color.

Wow toedtoes...thanks!

I actually did shoot on my trip almost entirely with the lens that came with the kit---I don't think it was that bad. But obviously... I'll want to upgrade. I do have something similar to your Canon 75-300mm, leftover from my time shooting with the film Canon Rebel. I haven't actually tried it out yet.

I'll definitely stick to the "letters" on the camera--- I mostly stuck to AV last week too with some use of the P. I like shooting in Manual mode but as I'm just returning to it I don't make decisions as quickly as I used to so I think it will be some time before I start using it regularly.

I stayed with friends in San Diego recently---they had a porch with a nice view of the flight path of incoming planes to the SD airport. I put the ISO at 1600 and took what I thought were pretty neat photos. The planes look like UFOs!

I do have Photoshop Elements on my home laptop and the real deal here at work. (I actually prep a lot of the photos we use on the site so I know my levels--I love these programs-mostly just for the added contrast, not the crazy stuff.)

I definitely need to be disciplined about extra cards and actual storage space. Do you back up your photos on an external drive? I have one but am not always great at remembering to back things up.

Well.. you've gotten me excited to spend the weekend with my camera. There's this beautiful cherry blossom tree that just bloomed outside my apartment. It must be captured! Thanks for the input.

I got a Panasonic Lumix (Leica Lens) FZ50 last year, and love it. It's an SLR-like Digital camera, 10Mg, 12X optical zoom. It has a fixed lens, which is great for me as I hate messing with lenses. It does have filters and add-ons I can use (I use the polarizer most). It has image stabilization and the ability to shoot RAW, two things I was especially looking for.

RAW pics take up more space (the full 10Mg, as opposed to 3-4Mg for Jpgs), but as toedtoes said, it allows for great flexibility in the post-processing I do in Photoshop. I take about 100 photos to get 3 good ones - seriously. I sell my photos at art shows during the year, and took 3000 photos in my two weeks in Ireland. I considered 100 of them good enough to print, and have only printed 30 of those.

Take shots at many different angles and perspectives. Keep in mind what your background is doing (to avoid taking photos where a stick is sticking up behind someone's head, for instance). Try different lighting and times of day. Get up close or back away. Frame things in an interesting way, like the countryside through the arrow-hole of a castle :) And have fun!!!

GreenDragon, Good to hear about new cameras. Katie_H, I'll be interested to hear how you get on with your new one.

Myself I've been eyeing a new Pentax, that is digital but looks kind of like my old Pentax from the 70's. I've been holding off buying a digital (though I borrow them at the office) because they're so teeny and I'm still having trouble adjusting to shooting by looking at the little screen to set the photo, instead of thru a viewfinder.

Happy shooting all :-)

The key to quality pictures either digital or film is the glass. High quality lens on a cheap body will produce a superior picture to a cheap lens on an expensive body. I would go with one good lens (I use only Zeiss lens) over a collection of medium priced zoom lens. Focus on your picture and not your equipment. The posting about using a throw away camera is more significant than 18x zoom cameras.

Shooting with my new rebel I only use the viewfinder. Perhaps the screen is set off by default I don't know---anyway, I haven't see it come "on" in that way. Perhaps I should get around to reading the instruction manual...

Reading the instruction manual is a good thing - there are all sorts of options you can miss out on if you don't :P

Katie... there may be models where this is not applicable, but for the most part with an SLR, your view finder is probably your only option. Not sure if there are SLRs on the market that emulate the point and shoot style of looking at the display at the back while you shoot. Any SLR emulates the mirror-flipup to expose the sensor, same as the old one's exposed the film. But there may be some that worked around that somehow. Don't think it's the Rebel though.

I shoot with a Nikon D200. Usually take a long lens, a wide angle and a prime 50mm which is my fav for portraits. I think what seems to wow a lot of people is getting the handle on a nice shallow depth of focus (the blurry background to make a subject pop). Managing DOF is the key thing I like about an SLR over a P&S. And the basics, like the timing to have good low angle warm light of course for dramatic shadows in outdoors shots. Stuff like that.

ps - I like switching to manual sometimes too, but do appreciate the automatic features for capturing "moments", like when street shooting.

I have a Canon 5D (and the original Digital Rebel - 6.3MP). Neither of them has "live" view like many P&S digitals have. I think the new 40D has it but I didn't think even the newest Rebel had this feature. I think you are going to be using the viewfinder like the rest of us. :-) Honestly I like it better that way.

My old Rebel is a great camera. I found that even the cheap kit lens (18-55mm) that came with it is very adequate for many basic situations. Not sure what kit lens you got if any (maybe a lens with Image Stabilization?) but I imagine you'll do fine with it.

I shoot landscapes and scenics and often want a wide-angle lens. For my Rebel I had the 10-22mm EF-S wide angle lens - it's really nice and not much distortion (you can do some correction for it anyway). Keep that lens in mind if you find yourself not able to shoot wide enough. (I can't use that lens on my 5D though, because it doesn't have the EF-S mount that the Rebels can use.)

Suze - which Pentax are you looking at? A point & shoot or a dSLR? If you're looking at the dSLRs, you won't have to worry about not using the viewfinder (that's all you can use to take the picture). Very few dSLR have live preview (which is where you look at the screen instead of the viewfinder).

Katie - I've heard the 1600 is better with the XTi than with the XT. On mine, I'm better off using ISO 800 as my highest. I only go to 1600 if I have to take the picture and there's no other way. If you do find that noise gets in the way at that ISO, grab a problem like NeatImage (it's free). It really helps with reduction. I usually do any adjustments with levels, etc., then run NeatImage on the photo, then go back into PS and do an unsharpen mask (which is much better than sharpen).

When you look at digital lenses, remember that the XTi has a 1.6 field of view crop. That means that your 75-300mm lens on the digital will actually give you the same field of view as a 120-480mm lens on your old film camera. You get more zoom for your buck, but you lose out on the wide angle end. The 10-22mm lens that Andrew mentioned is a really good lens if you do lots of landscapes. (P.S. The 200-500mm lens I'm eyeing will give me a 320-800mm field of view. :-d)

I used my 75-300mm lens to get my hummingbird shots(www.toedtoesproductions.com click on Photography, then Galleries, then Animals). It definitely wasn't an expensive lens, but it's made me very happy at times. Usually when I'm disappointed, it's because I'm trying to reach too far. I've found I'm not going to get good detail unless the subject fills up about 1/2 to 3/4 of the image. Then I can enlarge it and retain good detail. Less than that, and the lens isn't pulling in enough detail to handle the enlarging.

As for backing up, I've been trying to get the RAW images all on CDs, and then I put the DNG copy (I have an older version of PS, so I have to convert the Canon RAW format to PS's DNG format) on CDs and on an external harddrive. Then when I process the DNG format, I save the result as TIF and save that to CD and external harddrive. Then if I'm posting online, I save a small copy of the TIF as a JPG and save that on my harddrive.

Unfortunately, I tend to fall behind and do major catchup sessions (which I need to do again).

Definitely get the extra cards. For travel, I got myself a PSD. I ended up with the Hyperdrive. It's very fast and runs on AA batteries. I bought it with a 60gb drive and upgraded to a 120gb drive last year. I will take the 60gb drive when I travel so I can switch drives if I fill up the 120gb. Between the drives and my cards, I've got 187gb of storage when traveling. I spent about $380 for the PSD and the 2 drives.

By the way Amazon has 2gb Sandisk Ultra II CF memory cards for $18.50. Good price to stock up with.

toed toes... thought of you this weekend.. finally went to get some of my photos uploaded on to my computer. You're right when you say "don't delete"; a few photos were definitely more interesting when I viewed them in their entirety. If I get around to posting them on a site I'll be sure to let you know.

Katie - size does matter... :-d

I'd love to see your shots. There are several threads in the lounge that are about online photo sites - take a look at them before signing up for any. Make sure you don't sign up for any site that claims perpetual and irrevokable rights to your photos. You have to read the fine print in the TOS.

What about flickr? Seems you retain all rights there.

According to their TOS:

<i>With respect to photos, graphics, audio or video you submit or make available for inclusion on publicly accessible areas of the Service other than Yahoo! Groups, the license to use, distribute, reproduce, modify, adapt, publicly perform and publicly display such Content on the Service solely for the purpose for which such Content was submitted or made available. This license exists only for as long as you elect to continue to include such Content on the Service and will terminate at the time you remove or Yahoo! removes such Content from the Service.</i>

That's good. They are only using it for the purposes you posted it and only until you delete the photo. (I had one site that kept copies of your images even if you deleted them).

P.S. All the sites will state &quot;you retain all rights&quot;, but it's deceiving - they're only talking about half of the problem.

As the photographer, you automatically have copyright to your photo the moment the image is taken. If you are under employ as a photographer (i.e., staff photographer), the copyright is often assigned to the company per your employment agreement.

As the copyright owner, you have all rights to sell, distribute, modify, etc. that photo as you wish.

Now, if you sell your photo to me, you can identify in the agreement what rights you wish to confer with the photo. You may agree to give me rights to publish the photo in my 2nd edition &quot;What's a Fodorite?&quot; book, or you may give me rights to publish the photo in all editions of &quot;What's a Fodorite?&quot; book. In these cases, I am not legally allowed to publish the photo in any other book I might write or publish.

Perhaps, I want your photo to use to advertise my business, Fodorville, LTD. In this case, you would give me express rights to use it for print and/or website use for the sole purpose of advertising Fodorvile, LTD. This means I cannot legally use your photo during a tv commercial.

While you as the photographer have retained full rights to your photo, you have granted me, the buyer, specific rights to do certain things with your photo without additional compensation to you.

In the case of the photo sharing websites, they all say (usually right up front) that you &quot;retain all rights&quot;, but they don't make it so clear as to what rights they claim in return for posting your photos. Flickr is good - they claim only enough to post your photos while you are subscribed with them. Others are not so good.

Be wary with photo contests also (online and otherwise). Some claim rights, for any purpose, to every photo submitted without any further compensation to you. Others claim only the right to use the winning photo(s) to advertise a specific thing.

The former is bad because they can then sell or use your photo in anyway at anytime for any purpose without your ever seeing any compensation of any kind.

The latter is good because they only use the winning photo for a specific purpose in exchange for your receiving the prize.

It's dizzying to get a grasp on it, and many people think &quot;oh, no one's going to steal my photos&quot;, but you'd be amazed. A friend in Africa explained it this way:

Suppose you took a photo of an elephant at your local zoo. You posted it on an online photo sharing site who claimed all rights. Three months later, your photo is promoting a business offering &quot;Elephant hunts&quot;.

Do you want your photo used for something that you may not agree with, without any right to complain, deny, etc.?

Makes sense... I actually was immersed in legalese recently as we went to work on the details for a photo contest that we are about to run on the site. (It actually launches tomorrow---and is for Alaska specifically.)

Thanks for explaining the ins and out from your perspective.

My pleasure. I'm looking forward to seeing the Alaska contest (and the TOS ;) ).

I get long winded on this subject, but it's near and dear to my heart - hopefully others will learn from this info and companies will start to make their Terms of Services less one-sided.

I have a Canon Rebel XT, which I love. When I bought it, the XTi was not out yet. Before that, I'd had a Canon EOS 650 (film SLR). I love the feel of the Rebel XT, and I, too, use only the viewfinder. Using the viewfinder actually makes the camera more stable, as you hold it against your face.

The lenses that I have are the 18-55, and a 100 to 300 zoom. At least that's what I think I have. The former is the Canon lens that came with the camera, and the other is a Tamron lens. I'd love to have been able to afford the Canon version, with stability control, or whatever they call it, but at over 2 grand, it was way over my price range.

I, also, bought 2 extra batteries. The first one from the dealer, than a 2nd later at discount. I have several 1 and 2 GB Compact Flash memory cards, and recently purchased 2 4GB cards. Unfortunately, my husband used the camera, and has no idea what he did with those 4GB cards. Grrr. I think they were around $50.00 or so each. Maybe less. They're going on sale at Costco on the 9th of June, if you have one of their summer Passport coupon books. I think I'll get a couple more.

Actually, I also bought a Nikon Coolpix S52 a couple of weeks ago. I can keep it in my purse. It is about credit card size, 9 Megapixel, ISO 3200, with a 3 inch LCD screen. Since it has no viewfinder, I have to use the LCD screen. I must admit, I love the little thing. I comes with a case and strap, and that VR (stablization). One &quot;bad&quot; thing, is that the shutter response is much slower than the Rebel XT. By that I mean the time from when the shutter is pressed until the camera takes the picture. I apologize for using the possibly incorrect terminology, but hopefully, you'll know what I mean.

So, when I go on my next trip, I'm trying to decide if I should just take the new Nikon Coolpix, or carry the Rebel in its case, with the extra lenses, and throw the Coolpix in it, too. Unfortunately, it uses SD cards, so I have to buy extras of those too. My husband never goes anywhere without his notebook computer, so we can transfer the pictures, each night, of the trip. We're going by plane, so weight is a big problem. Sigh.

Maxine - At first I worried about getting a third party lens like the Tamron. I read all the comments that you should buy L glass only even if that means you only buy one lens every 10 years.

Then I started shooting and realized that if it took me 10 years to save up for a 100-400 L lens, then I'd spend 10 years missing shots. My first third party lens was the Tamron 28-75mm and my work had purchased the Canon 24-70mm L - no quality difference at all between shots.

Now I read reviews and judge them (similar to hotel reviews) to what I feel is important. If the review only dings the lens in comparison to L glass, but doesn't ding it against other lenses, then I know it's a good choice.

As for travel, my logic is that I bought the equipment to take photos - if that means all my carryon is camera equipment, then so be it. If it's not worth bringing the equipment, then it's not worth photographing. :)

Maxine, your Rebel should have one big advantage over the Coolpix: sensor noise. Do you know what I mean by noise? It's kind of like &quot;grain&quot; on film. Speckles kind of. If you ever shot high ISO film like ISO 800 film you'd probably know what I mean.

Anyway, with a Canon Elph point and shoot - lovely camera otherwise, about the size of my wallet - I found that pictures shot in good light (low ISO) were excellent. But if the light wasn't good and the camera needed to use higher ISO, the Elph pictures were pretty poor quality. Very noisy. By contrast, my Canon 5D's pictures are fantastic even at ISO 400 and not bad at 800 (and acceptable even higher).

Digital SLRs like the Rebel should have much lower noise sensors than the little point and shoots. At ISO 400 or 800, I think you'll see a big difference in image quality between the two cameras.

So if I were you, I'd take the Pepsi challenge: shoot some pictures (same image) in low light with both cameras. Print them both. See if you can tell the difference.

Another difference: the Coolpix shoots in a more square aspect ratio than your Rebel. The Rebel shoots in the same ratio as a 35mm camera (3:2) which means it's the perfect size for 4x6 prints. Your Coolpix shoots pictures are more square (4:3); when you print 4x6 prints, the top and/or bottom of each image will be cropped off to fit. Try it and you'll see what I mean.

I started using a SLR 15 years ago. I was in the army for 5 years and it went everywhere with me. I was stationed in Egypt for 6 months. The worst mistake I ever did was have the film developed there. Sometimes got back scratched negatives and some of the film was never returned. Apparently they were notorious for removing shoots of their antiquities and monuments at the local film shops.

About 5 years ago I got my first digital point and shoot. Sadly the SLR went in the closest and collected dust. After two models of point and shoot I have just bought my first (used) Digital SLR. A canon 20d. The professional photographer I bought the camera from gave me the starter lens it came with (18-85mm). Not a great lens (or so I been told). I did however find an almost new canon lens (24mm-135mm US IS) off of someone on Craig’s list.

My tip is that you can sometimes find a better lens than the one supplied with the camera from someone who is a professional and doesn't use a &quot;lower&quot; standard lens. The lens I got was never used (came with his Canon 40d) and I got it for $250 dollars (they sell new for $470).

Now the question I have is...Does anyone have tips for traveling with a DSLR as opposed to Point and Shoot.

I am traveling to Italy (Rome, Florence, Venice) in September and will be taking the camera with me. Of course we plan to do a lot of walking. Are there restrictions in museums or churches for using cameras (lens, flashes, tripods)?

I had never heard of a PSD until the tip above. Thanks by the way. Any other tips about carrying that weight and protecting the camera would appreciated. Thanks

Arteagac - Welcome to the dSLR club, I think you'll enjoy it!

Take what's said about the 18-55mm lens with a grain of salt. Actually, take a lot of what you here about any lens with a grain of salt. :)

The 18-55mm is a great little lens for under $100. I've seen photos taken with it that are amazing. For that focal length, you won't find anything better for less than at least 3-times the cost. If you don't have a lot of need for a wide angle, the 18-55mm is a great lens to have - it doesn't take money away from lenses you'd prefer to have and it will get the shots you need when you do want a wide angle.

I've actually used it with close-up filters and extension tubes - it makes a great inexpensive macro lens.

Also, don't discount the third party lenses. The Tamron 28-75mm f2.8 is an extremely nice lens for under $400 new. It actually beats the Canon 28-135mm IS in reviews at fredmiranda.

For traveling, first you have to decide what you want to travel with. Do you want to take ALL your lenses or do you plan on just taking one lens? What type of shots do you usually take when you travel? These questions will help identify what you need for traveling.

Until this year, I was using the Lowepro Photorunner beltpack for my XT, 18-55mm, 28-75mm, and 75-300mm, PSD, extra battery, charger, memory cards, remote, 3 extender tubes, cleaning kit and cell phone. It was small enough to carry on the plane as a personal item and was convenient for switching lenses while I walked around.

Since my purchase of the Tamron 200-500mm lens, I've had to rework my bag and am now using a Pelican softsided PCS152 and I slip it over a wheeled platform by California Innovations (it came with a softsided cooler, so I took the cooler off and put the bag on). I'm very happy with this setup.

The slingbags are quite popular as they provide more security than the backpacks and you don't have to take them off to get the camera out.

You'll hear a lot of folks comment on using diaper bags, etc. because it doesn't look like you're carrying an expensive camera. My belief is that as soon as you take the camera out of the bag, the thieves know, and if you aren't going to take it out of the bag, then why bother bringing it.

I do recommend buying your bags at a local store where you can bring in your gear and try out the bags. It's VERY difficult figuring out if a bag is big enough vs. too big online. It will cost more to buy it locally, but testing it first is cheaper than having to replace ones that don't work.

Personally, I want a lot of padding in my bags. I really like Lowepro for that - they seem to have the most padding of the companies. Tamrac comes pretty close. I also like the multiple closures - zippers AND clips. Some bags only have a clip closing the bag which means that dirt and dust can get in the bag and things can fall out of the bag. Zippers can fail with pressure. Having a zipper protects the gear from the dirt and dust and the clip provides added security against zipper failure.

Hope that helps.