fast lens, high iso.

11/25/2009 2:29:29 PM

um. that looks like it uses a bit of flash. very well metered flash or some sort of frontal light source.

11/25/2009 2:31:25 PM

hmm that sucks, i'm stuck with my stock lens for a long while, but i'm sure i can be doing better with what i have.

i'm going to try to get some practice in this week.

11/25/2009 2:35:48 PM

Any way to get into this SLR game for less than $400 with lens? I'm wanting one for xmas but $499 is a little steep for a xmas present.

I thought at one time the D40 with one lens was $399 or so?

11/26/2009 9:10:49 AM

Look for deals. Though most anyone on here would go for Canon or Nikon, I got my Sony Alpha for $217.

11/26/2009 10:15:37 AM

Cheapest I can find right now is an Olympus 420 for $399 or the Nikon D3000 for $499 (kit). The D40 kit is $439 but I dont want to buy outdated technology.

11/26/2009 11:39:36 AM

unless you plan on buying the D9000 yesterday you are always buying outdated technology.

11/26/2009 1:37:54 PM

^^ there's nothing wrong with buying old tech. Unless you have money, you will always buy non-bleeding edge technology. D40 is still a very capable camera and I highly doubt that you will need anything more than that, everything else is just "extra features" in the grand thing. 6MP is still big enough to print 16x20's.

11/26/2009 3:08:19 PM

First off, do you guys have any good resources on getting started in the DSLR thing? Links, books, youtube vids?

Second, would buying the body and lens seperate (to split cost amongst family members) be a smart idea. A D3000 body is only $270 or so. What would be a good lens to put with it? I guess I could answer my own question if I did some reading.

11/26/2009 4:59:52 PM

has anyone seen any black friday lens deals?

11/26/2009 5:38:04 PM

^^^^^ got the D40 w/ kit lens earlier today from Adorama for $399... no tax or shipping

^^ i'm wondering about that too - that being the resource thing

[Edited on November 26, 2009 at 9:44 PM. Reason : .]

[Edited on November 26, 2009 at 9:45 PM. Reason : .]

11/26/2009 9:40:31 PM

Took this one yesterday, pretty proud of it.

how can it be better?

11/27/2009 2:35:38 PM

i'm no pro, and I like the look of it in general. But read some on the rule of thirds. A little bit of different framing and that pic would look better IMO

11/27/2009 3:10:46 PM

I have owned a d40 for exactly 1 year now... It sucks wretchedly in 2 VERY important categories.

1) Autofocus.

3 points in the middle... you have to be pointing exactly at what you want to shoot. When dealing with low light or pictures with a lot of sky it often seeks without finding on my sigma 10-20mm.

2) Lens compatibility

The d40-60 won't work with several of the popular low cost nikon lenses like the older 70-300mm

Bright points, it's a couple hundred cheaper than the entry Canons, but for <$1k I would go with Canon if I had to do it over again.

I've gotta get a better monitor to do color correction...





[Edited on November 27, 2009 at 3:32 PM. Reason : added another picture]

11/27/2009 3:24:10 PM

i love my d40
my only beef with it is the issues you have with the lens choice and manual focus on the 50 prime. i typically have no issues with the 3 auto focus points though

use this for a good resource
http://digital-photography-school.com/

i use it a lot

cleverfith, what was the specific subject? the sun? if so...neat picture
the stuff in the top right corner and the flare at the bottom is distracting to me though

11/27/2009 3:41:02 PM

Quote :

"i'm no pro, and I like the look of it in general. But read some on the rule of thirds. A little bit of different framing and that pic would look better IMO"

and ^

yea i was going for the sun, i thought the "flare" and a few clouds looked pretty neat. I took a couple pics standing straight up but it didn't look like anything special so i decided to lower the camera under a log that had fallen over a trail to take the pic and it turned out a lot better. I wanted to lay flat on my belly to frame the picture better but it was a little muddy and i was in my turkey day clothes so i decided against it and just snapped the pic blindly.

11/27/2009 3:57:43 PM

Quote :

"See, how do i take pictures like this? i suck at taking low light action shots without flash?"

I used a Metz flash on manual mode, with a 17-50mm f2.8 tamron VC lens.. I was about 25 foot from subject. I'll have to check on the settings. I'm not at home right now. Another lens I like to use is the canon f1.8 50mm prime, bump the iso to 1600 and apature wide open...and no flash required

[Edited on November 27, 2009 at 6:49 PM. Reason : .]

11/27/2009 6:47:29 PM

my aperture's lowest/highest setting is like 4.5, i cranked the iso but the pics were still darker than my liking.

boo hoo

11/27/2009 7:10:52 PM

My hardest lens to use is also the most rewarding...

a 50mm nikor f1.4 mf from the 1960's. I paid $60ish shipped on ebay for it.

that's what I took the pictures above with...

When I found out the d40 wouldn't focus any of the 50mm primes I figured I'd just go all out with the old school mf version.

It has forced me to know what shutter speed to use and it rather hard to focus with f/1.4 because the beautiful depth of field doesn't show up at ALL through the view finder and it's got an odd spot (circular disk to the lower left) that becomes the focal point and I've learned to use it through a TON of trial and error that there's no way I could have done if I were using old school film. I love shooting with it but it takes a lot of patience and I blow shots all the time if I have it on if I get excited and step back while shooting... It's also fun on a sunny day to shoot very fast things at iso 4000...

11/27/2009 7:41:09 PM

Quote :

"my aperture's lowest/highest setting is like 4.5, i cranked the iso but the pics were still darker than my liking. "

If you are going to take pics in low lighting, you're going to have to upgrade your lens. I'd recommend the canon (or Nikkor if you shoot with a nikon) f1.8 50mm for a cheap , very rewarding upgrade. You can find them online for around $90. If you're serious about photography, get a 17-50 f2.8 lens. There are a bunch of options in this range as far as brands. I really like the tamron VC that I picked up, but its in the $600+ price range.

11/28/2009 10:47:58 AM

the non vc version is $450 and a really good choice to break away from the kit lenses.

11/28/2009 2:21:31 PM

i got the Tamron 17-50 f/2.8 non-VC lens for about $300 used and it is the lens i use most. soooooooo much better all around than the Canon XSi kit lens. i would definitely recommend it.

11/28/2009 2:28:38 PM

50mm normal lens is very hard to use/frame, specially on crop bodies like the D40 or the rebel's. Then end up being short tele's with the 1.5/1.6x cf, but in general shooting with just a 50 will force you to think about your perspective and framing more so than most other prime lenses or zooms. It still challenges me.

And if you have to manually focus, it makes you a better photographer too... Screw that Autofocus crap... lol

11/28/2009 7:17:04 PM

looking for a good starter DSLR in the $500-$700 range

i'm looking at the Canon XSi & T1i, Nikon D3000 & D5000

anyone point me as to the best bang for buck?

thanks.

11/29/2009 12:57:52 AM

D3000 on amazon for 469, d5000 for 599....and I think XSI for around 600 I think.

11/29/2009 2:40:47 PM

Just bought a Pentax K-x for $550 - hoping it's decent.

11/30/2009 8:29:05 PM

I just got a Pentax K20D...still finding my way around this thing.

11/30/2009 9:15:52 PM

these are not my mine, i only wish i could take photos like this. its from a polish guy that did a motorcycle ride into Afghanistan. he's especially talented at capturing people, i find the last example here really moving. here's a link to his ride report (basically its a photo essay) if you're interested:
http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=504942















[Edited on November 30, 2009 at 11:17 PM. Reason : .]

11/30/2009 11:15:58 PM

either way, good stuff man

11/30/2009 11:22:05 PM

NON-dslr pic: A photo from an old Pentax MX I took while in Hawaii two months ago.

Right now I'd probably pick up a Pentax dslr if i was new to dslr's and not planning on going full frame.

12/1/2009 1:53:18 AM

I know where Ronny lives now.

12/1/2009 3:18:20 AM

http://cgi.ebay.com/Canon-EOS-Rebel-XS-10-1MP-Digital-Camera-w-Lens-Kit-NEW_W0QQitemZ280431310292QQcmdZViewItemQQptZDigital_Cameras?hash=item414b0235d4

Is this one of those too good to be true deals? I mean, $220 for a new DSLR is amazing right?

12/1/2009 11:01:48 PM

older model, yea, i'd say it's still a good deal, but most items like this double in price in the last 12 hours, so don't count your chickens before they hatch... i'm guessing the final bid will be near $450

12/1/2009 11:45:56 PM

I keep seeing in the adds like this that its the camera *body* and the lens *kit*. The way they word the add it makes it seem like is the camera body with no lens, but all the lens accessories.

12/2/2009 9:36:23 AM

12/2/2009 6:29:50 PM

an ovation, no doubt.

12/2/2009 6:44:34 PM

indeed

12/2/2009 6:55:12 PM

My wife and in-laws and I went to the NCSU vs. Marquette game in Milwaukee today.

Earlier in the day, we all went to a camera shop to get a flash for my mother-in-law's Canon dSLR. While we were there, I asked to see the Nikon 70-200 2.8. I put it on a demo D90, and....WOW. Very nice. Too bad it is $$$$$.

I really could have used it at the game today. I have a D40 and I used my 55-200 VR. Auto ISO was really nice, but my photos were a bit dark...oh well.

12/5/2009 6:59:57 PM

I've been looking lately to pick up a p&s to compliment the dslr's that I have. Anyone have a suggestion? There's like too many for me to choose on the market. I'd prefer to spend as little as possible, but still have enough features to keep me entertained and creative. I really want a G10, but sadden that the G11 is out and can't find any of them new from retailers.

I have my eye on a few Canon p&s but not to knowledgeable about other brands, anyone got some advice? I really want one that is small and compact, easy to use, have some decent image quality and is a bit durable. I also want one that's either water proof or has a water housing case as an option like the Canon's. But I really want to keep it in the 100-200 range if possible for the camera alone. Although I do have my eye on the Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX3 for the lecia lens. Plus I like the fact that it has a hot shoe even though it's a bit pricey for a p&s in my eye.

12/5/2009 9:25:33 PM

SOME SPORTS, SORRY GUISE

12/6/2009 1:46:24 AM

For anyone that's interested, I figured I'd mention this here as well...

100 days in Glacier National Park
http://www.glacierparkmagazine.com/100_days_in_Glacier_National_Park/100daysinGlacierNationalPark.html

Highly enjoyable photo blog.

12/6/2009 10:59:42 AM

^ i'm jealous as all hell

that's very cool

12/6/2009 11:11:21 AM

My wife bought me a Nikon 35mm f/1.8 for my D40 last night. It is in my first prime lens...I'm thinking I'm going to enjoy it.

12/6/2009 11:59:57 AM

I like the sports pics, keep posting plz

12/6/2009 2:43:04 PM

Arlington:

12/7/2009 8:11:49 AM

cool shot, but it being kind of crooked is a slight distraction. (referring to the top line of the tombstones)

[Edited on December 7, 2009 at 8:16 AM. Reason : k]

12/7/2009 8:15:34 AM

Quote :

"For anyone that's interested, I figured I'd mention this here as well... 100 days in Glacier National Park http://www.glacierparkmagazine.com/100_days_in_Glacier_National_Park/100daysinGlacierNationalPark.html Highly enjoyable photo blog. "

omg <3 optimum

12/7/2009 10:44:27 AM

Quote :

"3 points in the middle... you have to be pointing exactly at what you want to shoot. When dealing with low light or pictures with a lot of sky it often seeks without finding on my sigma 10-20mm."

I actually prefer doing it that way. I'm not shooting with a D40, but I intentionally turn off all the autofocus points but the center. I put it on what I want to focus on, half-press, then frame the shot. I've always done it that way, even with my old Sony H2. While cameras are pretty smart these days I've yet to find one that focuses on what I want to focus on if I frame the shot first then rely on one of the points to pick up what I want. Plus with a really fast lens you can have a DOF so thin that focusing on someone's nose instead of their eyes throws the whole shot off.


Anyway, here are a few from the Raleigh Winterfest kick off even Friday night:

12/7/2009 11:22:42 AM

Quote :

"cool shot, but it being kind of crooked is a slight distraction. (referring to the top line of the tombstones)"

true true. I tried to fix it, but the then trees weren't vertical... Damn crooked land. Any suggestions for improvement?

12/7/2009 3:10:21 PM

If anyone wants some sample pics from a D3000, here are 2. As a warning, I'm not trying to impress anyone. I just wanted to share in case anyone is interested in the image quality since a few people have asked about the entry level dslr's recently. I was just screwing around the house testing out different settings and this is what I got. Both with the kit lens

1sec, iso 100, f/5


1/60sec, iso1600, f/5


[Edited on December 7, 2009 at 8:25 PM. Reason : ]

12/7/2009 8:22:34 PM