BetterPhoto Q&A
Category: New Answers

Interested in starting photography.. Suggestions?

When I started my DJ business I was poor so I had to buy equipment that I could afford, but in the end was really a waste of money that I could have invested into the top of the line equipment I have now.

So here's my question or questions. I would like to start out by getting a great 35mm SLR camera. What do you suggest?? lenses??

Thanks in advance for any information.

Jeff

To love this question, log in above
October 04, 2005

You need to learn about composition, lighting, perception, different kinds of lenses - all of which can be done with used, relatively inexpensive equipment because the "principles of photography" don't care about what camera you use.

Go to a reliable store and buy a used 35 mm film camera in good condition. Reliable storekeepers will not stear you wrong since they'll be looking for the next sale once you're ready to invest in newer equipment.

Lenses are the most important thing to consider. Buy the best you can afford and remember the camera system. So, if you consider Canon today, you can look to EF lenses that will fit film or digital EOS cameras.

Remember [and I've said this in other threads] all camera bodies are the same. They're black boxes to hold the film [media cards] and lenses. Newer, more expensive bodies have more bells and whistles than may make picture-taking easier, but camera bodies don't take the picture.

The old reliable Pentax K1000 has been a reference camera for years, most often recommended as a beginning camera by instructors. You might want to get an auto-exposure, auto-focus camera - Canon's EOS 620/630's go for +/- $200-250, depending on condition. Nikon has comparable units.

I don't own a digitial camera. Folks I know, who do, continue to fall back on their film cameras for competition work. That's not to say they're right or that digital isn't the right way to go. But, to replace some of the capabilities my Canon EOS 3 offers, I'm looking at the Mark II Series with price tages to $8,000. And, I can't justify that kind of price.

I marvel at the many, many threads in BP.com. Too many of us buy a very expensive camera and then write a question asking "how to questions." In fact, one questioner aising questions about very expensive Nikon equipment - well, I would have thought that someone who could spend that kind of money would know much more about photography [from basics to business aspects.]

Crawl before you walk, walk before you run, learn the essentials of photography with used equipment that will be serviceable as back-up in the future, decide AFTER you learn the kinds of features you want/need in your camera body.

But, as I started out - don't ever skimp on lenses!

To love this comment, log in above
October 04, 2005

Regards,

Regards,
Philip Pankov
Pictures of Ireland - Fine Art Black & White Photography

To love this comment, log in above
October 04, 2005

To love this comment, log in above
October 04, 2005

To love this comment, log in above
October 05, 2005

When I started studying photography some 50 years ago, I began by using an inexpensive $35 Yashika-A twin lens reflex, because that's what my teacher recommended at the time. When I could no longer do what I wanted to accomplish with the camera, I upgraded to another TLR with interchangeable lenses and used one lens, until I could no longer accomplish what I wanted, and then bought another lens.

What I have learned, as well as have been taught, is that you can spend a fortune on photography without even trying. It is one of the most expensive professions there is. You can have the most expensive camera and lighting equipment on the market and not know how to produce wonderful images. Or, you can have an inexpensive point and shoot and make wonderful images.
Look at the incredible work of Patricia A. Kuniega
http://www.betterphoto.com/gallery/gallery.php?mem=42507

She began digital photography with an Olympus Camedia C-5050 Zoom Digital Camera, basically a point and shoot camera. But, she's an artist. She knows composition and uses her artistic skills to the utmost.

So, regardless of the camera you buy, go slowly. Learn everything you can about the camera with one lens, before buying another and build up slowly. Learn and perfect your composition, lighting, and exposure. Learn your lenses and equipment, so you can work blind-folded or can feed the film into cartridges in the dark. Learn everything that is possible about your camera before moving on.

Wedding photography is difficult if it is done well. Exposure, composition, lighting using several light sources simultaneously, bouncing light, are all needed. You need to learn first, then expand your repertoire in both knowledge and equipment.

When I moved from my TLR to a 35-mm camera, it was because I accidentally damaged my TLR and needed an inexpensive camera immediately. Therefore, I bought a 35 mm Pentax K-1000 SLR film camera with a wide angle, and 80-200 mm zoom lens. Years later, I had an opportunity to buy a Nikon FE, secondhand, which I dearly loved and used until it died in the middle of a classical portraiture workshop. I bought the Nikon FM3A because it had NO learning curve and it was available for use that very day. I had only two lenses for my Nikon, so not too much was invested when I chose to change technology last year.

In December, 2004, I purchased a Canon Elan with three of my favorite lenses to prepare me for the camera of my dreams. The Elan 7E taught me about Canon EOS cameras and prepared me to better understand my first digital, a 20D. Now, at the age of 63, I think I've settled down into my last camera. But, I've learned well from each upgrade, and only purchased the next camera when I could no longer get what I needed from the last camera.

AVOID BUYING SOMETHING THAT IS TOO ADVANCED. Even though I had been both a student and a professional for years, it was difficult for me to learn the various modes of Canon technology, even though I knew how to make a manual camera do what the advanced –creative modes—could do when used properly. After daily practice in the various modes, I decided I was ready to take my new Elan with me to China last spring. Then, after babying more than 40 rolls of Provia slide film through the airport security in China and the USA and paying for its processing and have better slides copied to CD’s at $1/slide, I decided it was time to go digital. And, when the camera of my dreams went on sale this spring, I bought it.

I’m very comfortable with both my Elan and the 20D, but digital darkroom work is a whole new ball of wax. It’s going to take quite a while to learn my way around even though I did black and white film processing decades ago.

No more upgrades until I learn what I’ve gotten myself into. Go slow, young man, go slow!

To love this comment, log in above
October 09, 2005

The reason I say this is because when you are first learning you need to play with different settings to see how it effects the photo and if your using film, processing can get quite expensive when your taking 5 or 6 shots of the same thing at different setting just to see what happens. With digital the learning curve goes way quicker!

To love this comment, log in above
October 09, 2005

The extra money you spend on the camera will more than be made up by the savings on film and development/printing. Plus, you get the benefit of IMMEDIATE feedback; you can see the exact photo you took on the camera's LCD screen, you can check exposure and focus, etc.

You can't go wrong with one of the 6 to 8 MP cameras from Canon, Nikon, Konica/Minolta, or Pentax. (I use a Sigma SD10 which is nominally 3.4 MP but will provide image quality equal to its 6 and 8 MP brethren.) They will shoot as good as ISO 100 color negative film and give prints as good or better... if you do your job when you press the shutter.

Where I wouldn't spend a lot of money is in buying the latest and greatest 12 to 16 MP cameras. These are overkill for most purposes, cost a LOT more in proportion to the increase in picture quality, and will be priced affordably in the next couple of years anyway.

You can get a 6 to 8 MP dSLR body with a couple of 'kit' lenses from the body manufacturer (or you can use the 18-50 and 55-200 DC lenses from Sigma) for around $1,000, and you will be well-served for landscape, portrait, and wedding work (with flashes). And, this gear will ALWAYS be good for these tasks.

My advice would be to NOT buy film cameras... at least not at first, for learning. When you get better at photography and find that you want better image quality than your dSLR can give (for portraits and landscapes larger than 16"x20"), then you might want to consider buying used MF film gear. Until then, enjoy and learn from your dSLR.

To love this comment, log in above
October 09, 2005