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Intro and beginners questions

  • 04-07-2009 12:29pm
    #1
    LifebyPicture
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5 ✭


    Hi everyone,

    I'm totally new to photography!

    I had an interest when I was a teenager but finances and costs of cameras prevented me from taking my hobbie further.

    I've recently given up my job to be a full-time mum to our 2 children. We got married recently, found an amazing photographer who just blew me away. WE've spend thousands on pro-photo's over the years of our children so that we would have good quality pictures of them growing up. But, our wedding photographer took pictures that ate a million times better. Not one posed for picture yet each picture was perfect, full of life, full of their personality.

    This is what has sparked my interest again. I want to be able to take pictures that show's my children growing up, not standing saying cheese to a camera.

    I have enrolled in a beginners photography course. I will be using a basic digital camera (Nikon P5100) and a Nikon Film SLR which I have a few lenses for which I think will be enough for the course.

    I hope to invest in a DSLR but wouldn't have a clue where to begin and what to look for or where to research which is what brings me here!
    I see this as the begining of a life-long hobby so would rather start with a *good* multi functional camera for taking portrait photography.

    I'd really appreciate any advice, links, where to read up....anything really!

    Thanks for reading!
    :)


Comments

  • #2
    5uspect
    Moderators, Arts Moderators Posts: 10,518 Mod ✭✭✭✭5uspect


    Well if you have some old Nikon Lenses you could get a compatible Nikon SLR.
    Unfortunately many of the new entry level Nikon dSLRs don't have the autofocus motor.
    A second hand D80 might be a good choice.

    What lenses you have?

    EDIT: This would also be a good lens for portraits on a cropped sensor like the D80/D90.


  • #3
    LifebyPicture
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5 ✭LifebyPicture


    Hi There,

    The SLR is my husbands so I'm only new to using it. He has a 70-300mm (which I haven't used yet) and a 28-80mm lens. There are 2 other but couldn't find them when rooting about today :D


  • #4
    LifebyPicture
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5 ✭LifebyPicture


    5uspect wrote: »

    EDIT: This would also be a good lens for portraits on a cropped sensor like the D80/D90.


    Wow, that is far more reasonably priced than I imagined!!


  • #5
    5uspect
    Moderators, Arts Moderators Posts: 10,518 Mod ✭✭✭✭5uspect


    Well assuming they're compatible lenses you have 28 to 300mm range covered.
    Now zoom lenses like those (zoom just means you can vary the focal length, it doesn't mean telephoto) are a compromise in terms of quality. Prime lenses (where you zoom with your feet :)) are sharper and have wider apertures. That means you get nicer a bokeh (background blur) and very crisp images. That's why I recommended the 35mm.

    Now the film SLR is probably a 35mm camera. The digital sensor that replaces the film in most Nikons is what's called a 1.5 crop.That means is smaller than the film slide by a factor of 1.5. So your 300mm lens will be 300 x 1.5 or 450mm etc.

    A good portrait lens is about 50mm (on a 35mm camera). That means you need about a 35mm lens on a 1.5 crop. (35 x 1.5 = 52mm)

    This website is very popular with people here.
    There's even boards.ie 2% discount if I recall correctly.

    You can get a D90 for €690
    http://www.keaphoto.com/index.php
    But maybe its a good idea to get the kit lens version as its a good all round lens.

    and a nifty fifty for €90
    http://www.keaphoto.com/shop.html?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=194&category_id=19

    EDIT: I'm a Canon user and double check lens recommendations I make as I may be totally wrong about compatibility!


  • #6
    LifebyPicture
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5 ✭LifebyPicture


    5uspect,

    Thank you so much for the advice!! I really appreciate it!


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  • #7
    floydmoon1
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 772 ✭✭✭floydmoon1


    All the Best with the new hobbie.
    It can get addictive.
    If once you have a good few photographs taken you want to get them printed you should create a photobook.
    I got one printed of a freinds children and turned out great.
    It is printed straight to the paper.
    Checke out the below Irish website that does it.
    http://photobox.ie/


  • #8
    LifebyPicture
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5 ✭LifebyPicture


    Thank You Floydmoon.

    We are actually looking for a good place to have some photo books made from our wedding pictures. We got a CD with 500 photo's on it alond with our album but as our parents wouldn't be dvd friendly we are going to get some books made up. I will have a look at photobox.


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