New to photography any tips ?

bazzer_1984

Hi i have recently got interested in Photography seems to be a good past time / hobby
i got myself a Nikon D3100 camera. I generally like to use my Sigma 18-200mm f/3.5-6.3 DC lens.
As i am just starting off i would like to get some tips advice on where in Dublin are good spots for nature. I found the dodder over near mill town looks like there can be quite a bit of nature around not sure on what is the best time of the year to go, any advice on this topic ?
i would also like if anyone could tell me if there is a way you would recommend tweaking camera for better performance or do i really need to ?

any good general tips would be helpful

Thanks in advance

CabanSail

bazzer_1984 wrote: »

i would also like if anyone could tell me if there is a way you would recommend tweaking camera for better performance or do i really need to ?

any good general tips would be helpful

There is a Learners Mistakes thread already going in the main forum. That may help you.

bazzer_1984

CabanSail Thanks i'll go check that out , theres another great website called photography Ireland similar to Boards.ie in the way you can post threads up thought i'd mention it for people who are starting off like myself it should help people along .

bazzer_1984

I would also like to ask people what there views are when it comes to Professional SLR cameras and domestic ??
I know theres a big price difference but for most people would you really notice the difference when using the camera ??

Tiriel

bazzer_1984 wrote: »

I would also like to ask people what there views are when it comes to Professional SLR cameras and domestic ??
I know theres a big price difference but for most people would you really notice the difference when using the camera ??

What exactly do you mean by domestic? Do you mean compact/point and shoot? What you spend your money on really varies from zero control (automatic point &shoot) to more control (bridge) to full control DSLR.

A photo from your phone can have incredible impact if it's an amazing shot, but technically to be printed/used etc. the device on which it was captured will dictate what you can do with it. Similarly, a point - click - capture snapshot is as good as the eye that takes it.

The skill behind the device is what most photographers are aiming at.. rather than the gear. (Not to say we don't all love gear and are limited/enabled by it).

SharkWhale

Botanical gardens or howth. You have a really good slr there i am waiting for myone in the post. I have lost three slrs so this one will get insursured for sure.

bazzer_1984

Cork_girl what i am asking is on DSLRS theres cameras advertised as professional ones along with entry level
for example Nikon D3100 would be light cost about €300 + and theres A Nikon D700 heavier cost few thousand maybe 800 + second hand i'm just curious would most people really notice the difference on a day to day basis .
No i'm not Referring to a bridge or point shoot , phones etc

would you be able to be able to help me figure this out

thanks

bazzer_1984

SharkWhale Three SLRS is allot to have lost what kind of SLR are you waiting on where are you buying from
haven't tried Howth yet been to botanic gardens really nice :-) must go again its been a while since iv'e gone

bazzer_1984

SharkWhale How would you go about insuring an SLR seems like a wise idea considering the cost

SharkWhale

Yeah stupidity, pure and simple. Im getting a nikon d3300. From expidiatsomeorother. Ill find the exact name for you. Howth is super awesome for photos. I have a bridge cam by nikon which is fine but i hate my photos noisey/blurring

SharkWhale

Cant link you now but a few companies do it. Like six euros a month. Or you can insure multiply things together like laptop or phone

Zebrano

http://touch.boards.ie/thread/2057395022/1/#post94681192

Link to a thread about camera insurance

bazzer_1984

SharkWhale €6 a month isn't bad regarding phone , laptop are you limited which brands you are able to insure ?

SharkWhale

I think it depends on prices bazzer_1984

bazzer_1984

SharkWhale The reason i'm asking is ive been told apple products you can only have them insured with apple for example if i have an Iphone i'd have to insure it with apple which i don't have an iphone. Now i,m not sure how true this it maybe you could advice me ? the insurance you mentioned seems reasonable enough do you know if there is any restrictions ?

bazzer_1984

I'd also like to promote my photography when i get to a stage that i'm a decent photographer , i know theres probably allot of different ways of doing this online and offline that i'm not up to date with just yet or haven't even thought outside the box could someone here give me a brief overview on what they would recommend doing ?

bazzer_1984

In Relation to Lenses for most of the users would VR - Vibration reduction really make an obvious difference to lenses without VR not an expert i'm just a beginner starting off and very Enthusiastic about learning more tips and skills in photography

Would love to know what time of the evening would be best for taking pics of sky with light red sky at night kind of pics does the sun go down after 5 ? what time of year would be best summer ex june

i'm probably asking stupid questions but could do with all the geeky tips

flyingsnail

bazzer_1984 wrote: »

In Relation to Lenses for most of the users would VR - Vibration reduction really make an obvious difference to lenses without VR not an expert i'm just a beginner starting off and very Enthusiastic about learning more tips and skills in photography

Would love to know what time of the evening would be best for taking pics of sky with light red sky at night kind of pics does the sun go down after 5 ? what time of year would be best summer ex june

i'm probably asking stupid questions but could do with all the geeky tips

VR is nice to have and will help you to hand hold the camera while using a slower shutter speed but it is important to remember that it will not help freeze the action so things that are moving would still turn out blurry.

For planning sunsets it is important to know not what time the sun is going to set but also where in the sky it will set, the photo ephemeris is a great (and free on PC) tool to help with this. As a rule of thumb 30 minutes either side of sundown are usually pretty good. http://app.photoephemeris.com

bazzer_1984

flyingsnail Is VR only really useful when using slow shutter speeds i believe theres a few different VR type lenses but if i don't use slow shutter speed would they still be worth buying ?

flyingsnail

bazzer_1984 wrote: »

flyingsnail Is VR only really useful when using slow shutter speeds i believe theres a few different VR type lenses but if i don't use slow shutter speed would they still be worth buying ?

Nikon has a fairly good description of the VR modes and when they are useful but in general yes VR is not that much use if you are using higher shutter speeds as the higher shutter speed is usually enough to freeze any vibration in the lens / camera. There is a rule of thumb that some people use of minimum shutter speed = focal length, i.e. you have a 50mm lens you minimum shutter speed should be 1/50th or 200mm lens would be 1/200th but it is only a rough guide as some people will be able to hand hold slower than others.

http://www.nikonusa.com/en_US/IMG/Images/Micro-Sites/VR/experience/tips/focusing/index.htm

bazzer_1984

flyingsnail seems like you know your stuff thanks for that info if i was going to go to buy VR where would you recommend i should buy is there any decent price shops you would refer me to would you go Sigma or Nikon ?

flyingsnail

I should also point out that the 1/200th of second with say 3 stops of VR should be hand holdable at 1/25

Sony or Nikon, neither I shoot canon

As for shops I use a mix of Local, Whelans and O'Connors in Limerick and on line Wex and Amazon.

bazzer_1984

flyingsnail Online as for best bargains what would you recommend might look into VR if i can get a good deal which site would you say be worth it ?

bazzer_1984

Has anyone ever used MPB photography to purchase lenses accessories for there cameras looks to be a decent site but i've never used it only down thing is that the pricing is in sterling not bad prices from what i've seen would love to know if there any good for buying from.

bazzer_1984

Any advice on filters for lenses when using camera in very bright sun ? what would anyone recommend

flyingsnail

bazzer_1984 wrote: »

Any advice on filters for lenses when using camera in very bright sun ? what would anyone recommend

What sort of effect were you looking for? a circular polarizer can help deepen the blues in the sky or a neutral density filter can help block light coming into the lens. If you are looking for somthing to block stray light hitting the lens and creating lens flare then you want a lens hood.

bazzer_1984

flyingsnail i'm looking for something i can use in very bright sun such as the Eclips that may damage lens / camera so looking for a filter that will protect any advice on this topic please ?

flyingsnail

Well if you want to block light then neutral density filter is the way to go, but honestly I don't know if you really need one or not.

Alltherage

Unless you plan on travelling for it it'll be a while before there's another solar eclipse to worry about that you can see from Ireland.
For that last one I had intended to use a 10 stop lee plate filter and also had another camera body with a pretty cheap variable circular ND which has an awful colour cast. Of course in the end I didn't really need any of it as the only shots I got were through fairly thick cloud.

If you're looking into picking up a plate filter lee is the only manufacturer with bricks and mortar market penetration worth mentioning the other brands are either the less expensive low quality efforts or vanishingly rare or both. They're pretty expensive though.

I will say that a lot of shots that people take have the sun in frame with no filter. Eclipses cause problems because everybody is focusing on the sun for an extended period and generally (hopefully) making use of live view which will be exposing your sensor if you have a mechanical shutter. (Sensors with an electronic shutter are exposed anyway.)

bazzer_1984

flyingsnail why do you think i wont need one like would high power sun damage camera if i don't use one i'm using a nikon d3100

pablo102

If you are shooting against bright sun, the shutter speed will be to fast for the sun to damage the sensor.
You can still try ND filters for various effects, i.e. photographing moving water.