Finally moving up to a DSLR - tell me.

Nikon AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor 18-70mm f/3.5-4.5G IF-ED

03/03/2007 09:39:53 AM · #1

I am finally making the move from a P&S (Canon A85) to a DSLR. I am hoping to get my Nikon D50 on Monday.

Now - since many, if not most, people here are well familiar with SLRs - I'd like some advice.

I have never used an SLR. I do know that I will need to go back to using the viewfinder for composition.

What else do I need to know ?
What should I expect in terms of photo differences ?

hsolakidis

Nikon D50

03/03/2007 10:03:01 AM · #2

Expect it to feel like you 're wearing two left shoes. But don't let it put you off...Give it some time, and practice, practice, practice!

Message edited by author 2007-03-03 10:03:14.

Hipychik

Sony Alpha a6000

Sony 16-50mm f/3.5-5.6 E-mount

03/03/2007 10:05:58 AM · #3

I ordered a dslr too Kashi. We'll learn together.

Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6

03/03/2007 10:11:02 AM · #4

Originally posted by hsolakidis:

Expect it to feel like you 're wearing two left shoes. But don't let it put you off...Give it some time, and practice, practice, practice!

You made me laugh - almost woke up the baby !

Two left shoes, huh ?

smilebig4me1x

Canon EOS-400D Rebel XTi

03/03/2007 10:12:41 AM · #5

be sure to read the manual...then read it again and again. theres alot that the slr can do that the P&S cant..so memorize that manual. have fun learing all the bells and whistles! congrats
~~Cher~~ :o)

Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L USM

03/03/2007 10:19:41 AM · #6

Originally posted by smilebig4me1x:

Good thing I like to read ;)

McFrikki

Canon EOS-50D

03/03/2007 10:24:23 AM · #7

Try to minimize the usage of the "idiot/auto modes". Try using all the manual modes. Don't know how it is on the Nikon, but on the Canon there is a program, aperture, shutter and manual modes (+ some weird mode). Get used to these modes since they give you more freedom on the technical side while still giving you the ease of use.

smilebig4me1x

Canon EOS-400D Rebel XTi

Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6

03/03/2007 10:25:46 AM · #8

Originally posted by kashi:

Originally posted by smilebig4me1x:
be sure to read the manual...then read it again and again. theres alot that the slr can do that the P&S cant..so memorize that manual. have fun learing all the bells and whistles! congrats
~~Cher~~ :o)

Good thing I like to read ;)

Think of that manual as your bible!
when I first got my dslr rex told me to do this. after I read it the first time I put it away thinking "i knew it all" for the next few months I kept catching myself refering back to it over and over( since the day I got my camera it has only ever been in manual mode)...so I sat and read it again front to back a few more times over the next few days whenever i was in the vehicle going somewhere(of course hubby was driving) untill setting my camera became second nature. keep that manual with your camera...trust me..u will be needing it for a while.
also..pay attention to your "light meter" inside that viewfinder...it is your friend..lol (I think nikon has it to)

Message edited by author 2007-03-03 10:26:47.

03/03/2007 10:28:12 AM · #9

Originally posted by McFrikki:

This won't be such a hard move for me. I've used AV / TV modes on my A85 for a long time now - I like the versatility it gives me compared to "auto" mode.

Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS

03/03/2007 10:29:29 AM · #10

Originally posted by smilebig4me1x:

I'll look for "light meter" info - not quite sure what this means though.

Manual = bible. Got it. Easy to remember.

awpollard

Canon EOS-5D Mark II

03/03/2007 10:48:47 AM · #11

Right out of the gate your pictures may be softer and not as vivid as your peashooter shots. Manufactures do this to give the Photog more flexibility in the digital darkroom.

Don't blame early fuzzy shots on the camera and/or kit lens (we all did). If you want your shots to be closer to what the peashooter does, read up on your in-cam parameters. Boost the Sharpen and Contrast a couple clicks.

Use your Auto mode once or twice for the novelty of it and never use it again. Auto mode on dSLRs controls every thing and produces lame results. (IMO) Start right off with Av Mode where you adjust the aperture and the cam picks the speed.

Don't be afraid of higher ISOs. You will find later that you will shoot a lot in ISO 200, 400 and sometimes 800. It is important get the shutter speed up where you can handle it.

Don't get caught up in all the fancy Auto focus points in the view finder. Start out using the Center Auto focus point only. It is really easy to get what appears to be a back or front focused shot when using All (7 or 9) AI Auto focus points. Start out like a SLR obtain focus with the center focal point and move the camera to "un-center" the subect then complete the shutter squeeze.

Start out in Single Shot Auto focus mode. AI Servo, Continuous or whatever they call it on the Nikon can produce some back focusish shots in your first days with a dSLR.

Don't run out and buy budget lenses. Had I not bought all the disappointing budget lenses that I did in the first 6 months with my dSLR I could have saved and got some quality glass and avoided the return/ebay headaches.

Message edited by author 2007-03-03 10:56:11.

03/03/2007 10:59:03 AM · #12

Likely a dumb question - but how do I, as a total newbie to the DSLR world, differentiate between "budget" lenses and "good" ? They all seem expensive to me right now !

MelonMusketeer

Nikon D7000

Nikon MF 50mm f/1.4

03/03/2007 10:59:17 AM · #13

I shot film for about 30 years with an all manual Canon FTb, and it took me about a month to get fairly comfortable with my first DSLR, a Fuji S3 Pro. I learned the bells and whistles one at a time, a new one about every 3 days, until I knew about all of the ones that I expected to use. Get a good camera bag, and keep the manual with the camera for the first few months and it will be helpful when you need to know how to set something.
Have fun with the D50, it is quite a ride when you get your first DSLR, and tons of fun to use. The first big difference that I noticed is that there is no long wait for the shutter to trip.
Try not to panic when you see your first dust bunny on the sensor.
Obtaining lenses is also a big adventure.
I look fwd to seeing some images from the D50.
If you can afford to get the Nikon ED (Extra Dollars) lenses, the image quality difference will make you very happy if you are picky about sharpness and contrast. I like to shoot manual, and have a good selection of older manual lenses which I use a lot with the S3 with good results. They are much less expensive and can still produce great images. There is a good site, naturfotograf.com by Bjorn Rorslett, with good hands on evaluations of a large number of the Nikon lenses old and new, which has guided me well in buying decisions about several lenses.

Message edited by author 2007-03-03 11:11:10.

03/03/2007 11:04:18 AM · #14

Thanks - I'm excited. Feel like a kid just a few days away from Christmas.

I've thought about this for a long time - years literally. But needed to wait for 2 things before making the jump.

First - and mostly - money.

Second - some basic knowledge. I didn't want to get a DSLR until I was more familiar with apperature, shutter speeds, a little lighting - stuff like that. Figured it was a waste to buy a DSLR I'd just leave on auto mode.

Nikon AF-S Nikkor 16-35 f/4 ED VR

03/03/2007 11:04:42 AM · #15

what awpollard said!

in think, i´ve never had my d50 on one of the auto/preset modes, shot from the beginning in the av/tv/auto modes.
next i learned was using the manual color settings, that are kinda important for me, cause the standard settings don't give a nice result imo.
for portraits use color mode I or III, not adobe rdb, and put the contrast on the lowest level, it gives you more dynamic range, you can always higher the contrast in pp. same with sharpness, use no sharpening or -2/-1, i read in the other thread, that you will use the 50 1.8 for the shooting, this lens is just tack sharp.

hope that helps a bit ;)

darnok

Nikon D850

03/03/2007 11:05:14 AM · #16

Originally posted by kashi:

Likely a dumb question - but how do I, as a total newbie to the DSLR world, differentiate between "budget" lenses and "good" ? They all seem expensive to me right now !

Here's a lens review site: //photozone.de/8Reviews/index.html

03/03/2007 11:10:23 AM · #17

Originally posted by Mephisto:

Thank you.

I'm comfortable using AV or TV on my current camera, so while I know I need to learn how this applies to the DSLR, at least the concept is one I'm familiar with.

The colour modes and settings will make more sense when I have the camera in front of me to look at and refer to as I read your suggestions.

That the lens is sharp is a good thing - and one I've heard often enough to convince me it's worth the money outlay to buy it right away. It's not expensive overly - under $200.

03/03/2007 11:11:01 AM · #18

Originally posted by Raziel:

Here's a lens review site: //photozone.de/8Reviews/index.html

Wow - info overload. Got it bookmarked though, to refer to. Thank you.

Nikon AF Zoom-Nikkor 18-135mm f/3.5- 5.6G ED DX

03/03/2007 11:14:43 AM · #19

oh and i have to disagree with awpollard in one point: the noise in the d50 is higher than for example in the 350d (rebel xt), so try not to use it too much on higher iso levels, i think 400 is most to get ok results.
you should have bought the d40 instead of the d50, the noise levels are amazing in this new nikon, a lot better than in the d50.
and for the lenses i can recommend the tamron 28-75 as an "allround" lens and the tokina 12-24 f4 for the wide angle, both are more than affordable and guaerantee really good quality. as a zoom lens, i heard the sigma 70-300 is best you can get for the price of less than 200$.

xXxscarletxXx

Nikon D80

03/03/2007 11:15:22 AM · #20

Aslong as its Nikon ^_^

hsolakidis

Nikon D50

Nikon AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor 18-70mm f/3.5-4.5G IF-ED

03/03/2007 11:24:56 AM · #21

Be happy you got a D50 -you can now go buy a Sigma 70-300 Apo macro. Try www.onestop-digital.com. That's where I got mine, cheaper than anywhere else. Lovely lens for £120, very long, and you get an introduction to macro (make sure you use a tripod). I'm assuming you haven't got $$$ to spend, otherwise there are better options but at (much) higher prices. Excellent lens, use it to learn, won't let you down. And when the time comes to upgrade, ebay it, lose what, £40? Pfff....

This lens doesn't work on the D40 because it doesn't have a focusing motor.

Harry

03/03/2007 11:32:00 AM · #22

Originally posted by hsolakidis:

This lens doesn't work on the D40 because it doesn't have a focusing motor.

Harry

yeah that's the lens i was talking about, looking forward to get one maybe next month...
and yes, i almost forgot about the focusing motor issue in the d40, i did'nt know it would'nt work with the sigma 70-300, just heard about the "incopatibility" with the nikon 60/f2.8...

03/03/2007 11:42:38 AM · #23

Okay - now you guys have gotten to talking gibberish on me !

That 70-300 lens is $200 CDN

03/03/2007 12:28:04 PM · #24

Originally posted by kashi:

Okay - now you guys have gotten to talking gibberish on me !

That 70-300 lens is $200 CDN

just like i told you...;)

Originally posted by mephisto:

i heard the sigma 70-300 is best you can get for the price of less than 200$.

Message edited by author 2007-03-03 12:29:10.