Absolute beginner

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wormy

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Hi,

I like to take photos of local sporting events, however I don't know anything about photography.

1. What camera should I buy? (I don't have a set budget in mind)

2. What's a good book, that explains everything in detail.

Thanks,
 
I recommend the D3000, Its perfect for a new person coming into the world of photography. It has a guide that you can go off, and to be honest the lens is great too, I mean depending on your budget you could buy a new one e.g. 75-200mm but the lens you would get with it would be 18-55mm, but this is my personal opinion.

I was asking the exact questions a couple of months ago. A book that explains stuff in detail...To be honest you gather it all from expriance, n then once you get used to it, you then end up reading books/magazines/hand books etc.

Hope this helps

http://www.jessops.com/online.store/products/76463/show.html

:) :thumbs:
 
Make a list of the features you 'must have', go to a high street shop and handle a few cameras that have these features. shooting sports usually means a couple of hours shooting so you need to get one that feels comfortable in your hands and with easily reachable and intuitive controls also think about what lenses you will need and try them with the camera if possible.
 
A good book to read

"Understanding Exposure" by Bryan Peterson.

Welcome to TP:)
 
Thanks for the replies. I will buy the suggested camera for now and once I learn a bit more I will buy another one. Because right now I don't have a clue about what lenses or etc I need.
 
Oh dear, this is a really loaded question. Knowing your budget is of course essential, as is experience and the type of sports you wish to shoot.
You say you know nothing about photography, so being able to pick up a DSLR and start shooting sharp action photos is perhaps aiming too high. You will need to learn about light, aperture and shutter speeds, panning techniques and depth of focus.
I suggest you start off with a bridge camera such as one of the excellent Panasonic superzoom models. These will enable you to start shooting right away but will also give you a little flexibility when you start getting adventurous with the various settings and want to leave the 'Auto' mode behind.
If in a year or two you decide that you have gone as far as you can with that, then chop it in and look around for a DSLR.
 
eccles said:
Oh dear, this is a really loaded question. Knowing your budget is of course essential, as is experience and the type of sports you wish to shoot.
You say you know nothing about photography, so being able to pick up a DSLR and start shooting sharp action photos is perhaps aiming too high. You will need to learn about light, aperture and shutter speeds, panning techniques and depth of focus.
I suggest you start off with a bridge camera such as one of the excellent Panasonic superzoom models. These will enable you to start shooting right away but will also give you a little flexibility when you start getting adventurous with the various settings and want to leave the 'Auto' mode behind.
If in a year or two you decide that you have gone as far as you can with that, then chop it in and look around for a DSLR.
Click to expand...

well initially I like to spend between £200-£600 until I learn a bit more. Then I am willing to invest more in camera and equipment.

About a month ago I went to a mixed martial arts event with a point and shoot digital camera but all the pictures came out blurry. I will upload the pictures somewhere to show how bad they came out.
 
In all honesty, if you don't get the settings right on a DSLR the pictures will also come out blurry.

Don't be fooled in to thinking that just because you have a good camera you will automatically get good pictures. You need to understand how the camera works, and how to set it up for any given situation to get the best out of it.

Rather than jumping straight in and buying a camera, perhaps you can do a bit more reading and research first to get a better idea of what will ultimately fulfill your goals.
 
Scarecrow said:
In all honesty, if you don't get the settings right on a DSLR the pictures will also come out blurry.

Don't be fooled in to thinking that just because you have a good camera you will automatically get good pictures. You need to understand how the camera works, and how to set it up for any given situation to get the best out of it.

Rather than jumping straight in and buying a camera, perhaps you can do a bit more reading and research first to get a better idea of what will ultimately fulfill your goals.
Click to expand...

I totally agree with your comments. What do you suggest for "reading and research" for a total beginner like me?
 
Really make sure you go and actually handle all of the cameras in your price range as well, people here can recommend but if its not comfortable for you to use then you will not want to use it! At this price mark all of the cameras available to you will be much of a muchness, with pros and cons so grab a comfortable one and get snapping!
 
decide what you want, shooting sports you may want a higher frames per second rate (the number of times you can shoot per second) some cameras are 3.5 some are 6.5 some higher.

you might want Image Stabilisation in the camera, which will point you in a certain brand direction.

Go to some shops handle them and see what feels right.
 
wormy said:
About a month ago I went to a mixed martial arts event with a point and shoot digital camera but all the pictures came out blurry. I will upload the pictures somewhere to show how bad they came out.
Click to expand...

This is likely to do with Shutter speed. To increase the shutter (and therefore freeze the movement instead of a blurred picture) you have a few options:

1) Increase the ISO on the camera (so you can look for ISO performance on the camera).
2) Use a Flash
3) Use a 'fast' lens. Lenses with low aperture numbers eg f.14\1.8\2.8 etc allow more light into the camera meaning they can take the picture at a higher shutter speed than a lens which is say f5.6. Lenses can often cost as much or more than the camera - but there are bargains to be had!
4) IS can help is the blur was caused by the camera not holding the camera steady, however this won't help if the photos are blurred simply because the people are moving quickly.

The reason I mention 3 is that you need to consider the lens as well as the camera.

A lot of people seem to recommend the camera they own so keep that in mind!

You could consider buying second hand, I only know a bit about Canon (but you should also consider Nikon, Sony - Sony appear good value -etc brands).

So for example you could pick up a 20d for circa £200 and then get a Tamron 17-50 f2.8 within your budget, or a 50mm f1.8 well within your budget. The 20D might be too big for your hands, in which case the xxxd range like a 400d might be more suitable.

Good luck!

Al
 
Hi

Like you, I was a beginner and had used plenty of compact cameras.

Dont buy a DSLR and expect miracles... especially if you intend keeping it on Auto.

I think that a lot of shots on auto from a compact are better than those shot in auto on a DSLR.

You need to learn about Depth of Field, it will impove your photography immensely.

Go through forums, go to workshops, get some coaching from a pro... thats what I did.

I've still got a long way to go, but I'm definitely getting better.

I only have a 1000d as it was a entry level cam on special offer when I got it... I will be upgrading soon!

Whats the point in spending £600 on a cam when you dont have a clue how to use it, or even if you will enjoy using it.

Get a SH cam, and then you can always sell it on and upgrade!

I might be going on a bit, but there is a lot more to Photography with a DSLR than buying the cam and reading the manual.... the settings are a lot more intricate than those of a compact.

Books are OK, but there is no better learning curve than practice!
 
I also recommend you start with a good bridge camera, don't know anything about the Panasonics, but the Fujis are certainly pretty good. Don't get fooled into thinking that it's all about the megapixels, in my opinion (particularly if you want to do sports) it's all about start up time, focusing time, shutter lag, write time etc. It's hard to find these figures published anywhere, so as other people have said, go to a shop and try some but be aware how fast it is.

I would also recommend the Understanding Exposure book by Bryan Peterson.

The next and most important thing is read the camera manual and learn how to use it.
 
akr said:
This is likely to do with Shutter speed. To increase the shutter (and therefore freeze the movement instead of a blurred picture) you have a few options:

1) Increase the ISO on the camera (so you can look for ISO performance on the camera).
2) Use a Flash
3) Use a 'fast' lens. Lenses with low aperture numbers eg f.14\1.8\2.8 etc allow more light into the camera meaning they can take the picture at a higher shutter speed than a lens which is say f5.6. Lenses can often cost as much or more than the camera - but there are bargains to be had!
4) IS can help is the blur was caused by the camera not holding the camera steady, however this won't help if the photos are blurred simply because the people are moving quickly.

The reason I mention 3 is that you need to consider the lens as well as the camera.

A lot of people seem to recommend the camera they own so keep that in mind!

You could consider buying second hand, I only know a bit about Canon (but you should also consider Nikon, Sony - Sony appear good value -etc brands).

So for example you could pick up a 20d for circa £200 and then get a Tamron 17-50 f2.8 within your budget, or a 50mm f1.8 well within your budget. The 20D might be too big for your hands, in which case the xxxd range like a 400d might be more suitable.

Good luck!

Al
Click to expand...


Thanks for the great feedback.
 
wormy said:
I totally agree with your comments. What do you suggest for "reading and research" for a total beginner like me?
Click to expand...

see post 4
 
wormy said:
Thanks for the replies. I will buy the suggested camera for now and once I learn a bit more I will buy another one. Because right now I don't have a clue about what lenses or etc I need.
Click to expand...

Hi and welcome to the forums.

Just want to reiterate what others have already said - it's no good just going out and buying the first camera suggested and expecting it to take great pictures for you. It's just not going to happen.

You really need some understanding of what you are buying to be sure that you are getting the right bit of kit initially - and that you are buying into the right system in the long run. It's not just a matter of buying a new camera further down the line - a DSLR body is nothing without a lens attached to it. If you get the right camera body now then you won't need to upgrade once you've learned more (you might get gear envy and want to but that's a different matter!). That leaves you open to building up a collection of lenses that do what you need them to do.

There is nothing wrong with a D3000 but if you buy it with the kit lens then that isn't going to be ideal for indoor sports photography. Don't rush into it too much as you could well be disappointed.

As for where to learn?

You're already here ;)

Break out the search function, read the tutorials, browse the sports bit of the forum and see what kit other people are using etc etc - and ask questions. Someone will almost certainly have the answer.
 
Hi,

Welcome to the forum and the wonderful world of photography.

You have some superb advice above from people who have probably learnt the hard way like you are going to.

The best advice I can give you is:

Understanding Exposure book by Bryan Peterson

Buy it, you won't regret it.

As to what camera to start with, do not under any circumstances just go and buy anything as you will most certainly be disappointed.

You have mentioned sports photography and then stated 'Martial Arts'. Does this mean your photography will be indoors? Also what do you want to take photos for? Yourself? To give to a club you are a member of? A paper or local magazine?

These are important questions because it will help us to understand at what level you are trying to leap in at!

It might be worth telling us where you live as one of us may be able to meet up with you and give some practical advice? Just a thought.

Best regards

Chris
 
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