Thinking about buying a DSLR (on a budget)

Shine, congrats on the new camera! I can't wait to see what you do with it. FWIW, I definitely recommend some online reading on exposure, rule of thirds, ISO, aperture, and metering. Hopefully you're quicker than me at learning about some of these things and the interdependencies of shutter, aperture, and ISO. :D



Folks - some outstanding shots above. One thing I've learned over my brief DSLR tenure is that many great detailers are also great photographers. FWIW, here's what seems to have been my 'money' shot from last Sunday. 50mm @ f/1.8, aperture-priority, ISO @ 100.



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VroomVroom said:
Shine, congrats on the new camera! I can't wait to see what you do with it. FWIW, I definitely recommend some online reading on exposure, rule of thirds, ISO, aperture, and metering. Hopefully you're quicker than me at learning about some of these things and the interdependencies of shutter, aperture, and ISO. :D



Folks - some outstanding shots above. One thing I've learned over my brief DSLR tenure is that many great detailers are also great photographers. FWIW, here's what seems to have been my 'money' shot from last Sunday. 50mm @ f/1.8, aperture-priority, ISO @ 100.



2732672454_5d4494739c_b.jpg
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Again, one of the best shots I have ever seen! Just shows that Av mode can be just as rewarding as a M mode. When I am in M mode, I can never get my f/stop below 5.0.
 
evenflow said:
How can you tell I have sensor dust? I just bought the camera about a month ago is it possible to get sensor dust that quickly? Also, any pics you have with your Rebel XT? I want to see what I can get my pics looking like!
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I don't have any on hand here at work, but I am still learning as well.



In the first pic, top middle above the trees, you'll see a little circle - that's what sensor dust shows up as. Pick up a SensorKlear and a rocket blower, and be careful when you remove your lens (keep the camera pointed down to avoid dust from falling in).
 
Also - you mentioned you can't get below f/5.0 - what focal length is that at? If the lens is f3.5-5.6, it will vary between those minimum f/stops throughout the focal range.
 
Take a shot of a clear blue sky at F22 focus to infinity. You will see exactly what is on your sensor.



My XTi came preinstalled with sensor dust. I used a rocket blower about a dozen times to get it off, it was stuck on there pretty good.



evenflow said:
How can you tell I have sensor dust? I just bought the camera about a month ago is it possible to get sensor dust that quickly? Also, any pics you have with your Rebel XT? I want to see what I can get my pics looking like!
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So basically the best idea for dust is to use a rocket blower, and never come in contact with the sensor? I take it you probably dont want to use compressed air.
 
Correct. The rocket blower has a valve in it so it i does not suck the dust back in. Compressed air in a can is dangerous since if the can is tipped the wrong way it will blow the frozen propellant onto the sensor.



There are wet cleaning kits for stubborn issues.





evenflow said:
So basically the best idea for dust is to use a rocket blower, and never come in contact with the sensor? I take it you probably dont want to use compressed air.
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SHICKS said:
Correct. The rocket blower has a valve in it so it i does not suck the dust back in. Compressed air in a can is dangerous since if the can is tipped the wrong way it will blow the frozen propellant onto the sensor.



There are wet cleaning kits for stubborn issues.
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stupid Q but where can you get a rocket blower from?
 
evenflow said:
I noticed that as well, very greenish I do not like it. I believe I used "cloudy" for white balancing. I do not know what post processing is.
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Do you access to the original shots? Send one over to me, I'll PM you my email and if you send one, I'll apply some correction if I can to show you the difference. Scott Kelby's books Photoshop for digital photographers are great to learn about post processing. Try the auto white balance. There are a number of more involved ways to get the correct white balance, but auto does a pretty good job.





Steve
 
LensPen SensorKlear + Rocket Blower and you're set! The Rocket Blower will get minimal amounts of loose dust off, but if you have anything "stubborn", the SensorKlear will take care of it.



As I said, research this before you do it. If the shutter closes when you're cleaning the sensor, you're screwed! It's a good idea to use a fully charged battery, and/or an AC adapter. There's also certain things you need to know, like which pattern to move the pen / how much pressure to apply, so it's best to look into it before you jump in and use the stuff. :)
 
Bunky said:
Like detailing, it is often the person behind the camera that makes a difference. You can get some great shots from non-DLSR cameras. You can take some bad pictures with a DSLR. And, you always have Photoshop or equivalent to goose up the contrast, sharpness, etc.
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truer words were never spoken. Complimenting a photograph based on the camera is a bit like complementing a great chef based on his use of nice pots and pans. :lol
 
I agree with mborner. Skill is where it's at, it's why I get fantastic results with a coleman buffer and why I get good shots with just a minicam. Oh and if you don't like sensor dust get an Olympus slr ultrasonic sensor cleaning whenever you turn on the camera and you can also get live preview on the lcd with no loss in picture quality. I also find their menu system the most straightforward of all DSLR's. Only gripe is price for accessories.
 
Man, I just made a jump from my S3-IS to a D60 and it's awesome!!!! I originally wanted to stay with canon, but my photographer buddy talked my into the Nikon and I don't regret it at all!!! I ended up picking it up on ebay though, but for the deal I got, screw the warranty, I saved atleast $350-$400 by picking it up new from ebay. I got the D60 with a 18-55VR, 55-200VR, 4gb SD card and a camera back for $550 shipped. I haven't had a lot of time to use it yet, but I've took about 50 pics with it and it performs flawlessly!!!!!!
 
I see you already picked a new cam up, but I was going to tell you to check out your local Office Depot. I picked up a Canon Rebel XT there on close-out for $375 about a month ago. If i only knew how to use it, I could get some good shots out here. I'm learning, but haven't had much time to play with it. I'm in the middle of the GOM right now. That tropical storm developed right on top of us last week, it was pretty wild out here. Thats a neighboring Rig in the background. What setting should I have used here?

EdouardSunriseintheGulf.jpg
 
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