D70 essentials

[easyrider]

Ok so I have the camera and 18-70mm lens

Lowepro pack100 ,4gig card,

what would come next thats a must have for a newbie DSLR user?

[Dogfish_magnet]

Lot & lots of time to play and learn - go out and take pictures , take pictures of the same object with different settings on the camera so you can see how it affects the final image , try different times of the day so you can see the affects of different light on an image -but mostly enjoy it. When you have some pic's post them up on here and people will provide lots of help and constructive criticism to hopefully help you improve.

[Impartial-Witness]

What sort of things do you enjoy to photographing?

[fletch5]

as above, dont worry bout equipment list now, the wishlist grows too quickly to over stretch this early, wait till you find your lenses too short or too long.

[easyrider]

What sort of things do you enjoy to photographing?

I live on the east coast,so I fancy taking some coastal shots to start to

understand lighting and depth of field etc..


Took some pics of my collie dog today running about and was amazed at the sort of shots I got just on Sport setting.:)

Anything really.


My 17yrs old cousin has just won his first race as a jokey so I think this will be a challaging place to start getting some nice shots of him when racing...

[Impartial-Witness]

Get a protection filter for the lens, to save the front element from scratches and some nice lint free cleaning cloths to keep your gear clean plus an airblower although you might not need that untill you buy other lenses.

If i think of any other essential stuff i will add it...

[minimeeze]

A good read of the manual so you know what your camera is capable of. Don't be afraid to experiment with different settings. I made the mistake of going out and getting lots of different stuff far too soon - half of which I never use. Have a look at the 'Understanding Exposure' book - do a search on here and you'll find out why ;)

[Duckydoodle]

I bought my dslr in February and had just the kit lens and the same Lowepro bag and just took it out and practised lots and lots. Read your manual and maybe get the book suggested as it is highly recommended though I haven't ventured to buy it yet. The main thing is getting used to your camera and it's settings and have lots of fun. Posting your pics good and bad and getting critique positive and negative will also help enormously. Happy shooting :)

[easyrider]

Thanks for all the replies...


Can anyone suggest a cleaning kit I can buy that would meet my needs including cloths etc...

I have googled but I'm aware of buying tat and wasting my money.

Thanks


easyrider:)

[Dogfish_magnet]

You could try a Giottos rocket blower or Q ball & a lens Pen.

[fletch5]

ive had my camera since christmas and havent needed to clean it yet, so i wouldnt worry too much till you need it.

try www.warehouseexpress.co.uk if you need one though
or jessops
or www.mpbphotographic.co.uk

[easyrider]

Cheers for the links fletch5:thumbs:

[iGiDK]

1. Giottos Rocket Blower (a simple air blower to help get rid of loose particles that may become attached to your camera body/sensor, lens etc.)

2. After blasting with a rocket blower, you may need a lint free microfibre cloth to clean your glass especially if you're shooting at the seaside (sea spray) - just search amazon or ebay for 'optic cloth' or something similar, or get one of these lens pens (never personally needed one...)


As echoed above, I'd advise you just go out and enjoy shooting and make the most out of that 18-70mm for now.

I suspect that after this period, the next items on your shopping list will be a second lens with a longer focal length, and probably a tripod

Enjoy

[easyrider]

^^^^ Seen this^^^

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=320252164714&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT&ih=011

Is a cloth just as good?

[PsiFox]

Get a spare battery.

[Jas]

I think PSiFox is right, next two essentials are spare battery and spare memory card to help you get out and shoot lots of pics.

If you want to shoot landscape, the next relatively expensive item is a tripod and head, especially if you shoot in low light. When I started out, most of the stuff I bought was second hand and have been able to sell it all on again as I have had the funds to upgrade.

Happy snapping
Jas

[easyrider]

Get a spare battery.

I have one.The D70 came with a Battery adaptor that holds normal rechargables.:)