Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with Canon and photo

What is a good entry-level DSLR camera model in 2012?

remi — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 18:57:12 -0800

I used Canon point-and-shoot cameras before my first DSLR camera, a Nikon D80, which just broke down. I'm interested in getting a new DSLR camera. Hi,

As I gradually stepped up in my hobby of photography, so did my camera models. I started with a Canon point-and-shoot. After my Canon PowerShot G10 (which was recommended to me by the readers here), I moved up to my first DSLR: a second-hand Nikon D80 I bought from a more-experienced photographer friend of mine.

I have asked for recommendations for a DSLR camera two years ago. But when I did, my life plans changed abruptly and couldn't purchase one right away, like I wanted to. I wonder if the advice given to me on that page still hold up today.

I took a break from amateur photography for a while as I settled with my iPhone for the casual photos. Although recently, I've been attending events which gradually pushed me to bring out my D80. Sadly, just two weeks ago, my camera broke down. The battery is charged, but one of the mirrors got really foggy, and the camera won't turn on anymore.

In no way I am a professional. My photo practice have been rusty as I got myself back into it. I still struggle with the manual settings (in other words, no more "P" mode), post-processing, and I lack in equipment (only one lens, no reflector, no flash). There are still times I get the technical terms mixed up. Likely, I didn't even know how to give good care to my DSLR camera.

I loved the Canon cameras I've used over the years, and my G10 is still working perfectly. Even if the Nikon navigation system can get me confused, it's still not a big problem, and I already have a lens for Nikon cameras anyway. Many things were told to me about Nikon vs. Canon, but I'm thinking it's mostly brand loyalty. I even heard some good things about Pentax and Sony (Minolta) cameras.

My budget isn't the biggest, but I know around how much I'll have to pay for a new entry-level DSLR body. I'm also aware that once I get into photography with a DSLR camera, money will easily be spent on maintenance, bags, equipment, lenses, etc.

So, today, I'm asking, what do you recommend for an entry-level DSLR camera nowadays? Should I stick with Nikon, go back to Canon, or consider other brands? Also, should I even bother trying to get my D80 repaired at a Nikon repair centre?

In advance, thank you for all your advice.

Just look nice please, photos

doift — Sat, 03 Mar 2012 14:26:29 -0800

Re-asking my 2008 question about photographing textiles, now with DSLR and examples. The textile art I was attempting to photograph is an embroidered comic strip that I did for most of 2009 (website link in profile). I was never happy with the photos I was getting with my point-and-shoot. Since then I have obtained a Canon EOS Rebel T2i and am slowly learning to use it. I'd like to re-shoot the comics, and eventually make and photograph more things like them.

I've been experimenting with the DSLR, and replaced the first two comics on the site with new photos; all others on the site were taken with the Canon S60. It's an improvement but I think I can do better, though I can't really articulate how. It feels like there's simultaneously too much and not enough detail, and that's somehow not easy on the eyes.

What I've been trying so far:
-Using this lens, the only lens I currently have. I'd like to try a macro lens.
-Setting ISO to 100.
-Keeping the aperture on the larger aperture/smaller f-stop end because there's not usually much depth to the subject, though I want to make similar things with more depth in the future.
-Using natural light on an overcast day with a window on the left and a big white board on the right to reflect a little. This gets much better results than overhead or raking artificial light, but it would be nice to be able to get consistent images without worrying about time of day or weather conditions.
-Shooting each panel individually and getting close enough that one panel fills the frame (lens usually about 1.5 feet away from the plane).
-Editing them together in GIMP, inevitably needing to adjust levels and colors a bit to get the black backgrounds to match and the colors to look the same across the different shots. I know a certain amount of editing is necessary but it's kind of a pain.

I don't want to spend a ton of money on photography gear at this point, but I'm not opposed to looking into new lenses or lighting gear. I'm also open to other presentation-of-images-on-the-web suggestions.

Help me take pretty pictures.

bondcliff — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 08:41:22 -0800

Relatively new Canon dSLR owner planning a trip to some Really Beautiful Places. Looking to invest in a lens that will help me take some amazing shots while I'm there as well as on future adventures. I’m not new to photography but this is my first SLR. I’ve just spent a couple months learning the camera and I think I have a good handle on it. I’m planning a big Southwest road trip in April (Grand Canyon, Zion, Page, Bryce) and I plan on spending a lot of time taking pictures. I hike a lot and generally travel to scenic places so whatever I get will be getting a lot of use through the years. I’m willing to spend a bit of money on something decent, though I’m not a pro and have no intention of ever going pro. Whatever I get will probably be my only lens purchase for a while.

What I have: Canon T3i (crop) with the 18-55mm kit lens and the “Nifty Fifty” 50mm f/1.8

I also have access to my wife’s 100mm 2.8 (thanks, AskMe!) and a Sigma 200mm zoom a friend loaned me. Between the two of us we’ll probably be taking those along, though I might leave the zoom at home since I’m not crazy about it.

I’d like something wide, something I can use to take beautiful sweeping vistas and sunsets, with and without people or other things in the foreground. It would also be nice to be able to zoom in a bit at a lizard or a mountain lion just before he mauls me. Something sharp and clear.

I’ve had some suggestions so far (17-40L, 17-85IS, Sigma 10-20) but would like to weigh some more options. Samples of shots taken with the lenses, and reasons why I should choose a particular lens would be helpful.

Bonus question: Should I get/do I need a tripod? What kind? I’m interested in taking waterfall shots in Zion as well as sunset and sunrise shots. I'll be getting one eventually, I'm sure, but is it worth it to have one on this trip?

Autoexposure bracketing question about the T2i...

no bueno — Tue, 17 May 2011 18:51:22 -0800

AEB on a Canon T2i. Is there any software to allow more than 3 exposures while using AEB on a T2i? I've read about CHDK for point and shoot cameras and Magic Lantern for DSLR video but I can't find any software mods to increase the number of exposures I can take in one pass.

How can I immediately preview on my Macbook the picture I just took with my SLR?

jwhowa — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 20:50:13 -0800

Please help me use my Mac as an immediate preview/proof window for the picture I just took with my digital camera. This has to be doable right??? So, what I want is this... Hook my SLR (It's a Canon xsi) up via USB to my Macbook, and when I snap a picture on the Canon, I want it to show up in... SOMETHING on screen on my Mac immediately. No fiddling with imports, flash cards, etc. Just CLICK... Preview... Next shot...

Is this possible? I sure can't find a way.

Thanks so much for any suggestions!

Tips for starting a photography business?

no bueno — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 21:20:53 -0800

Tips for starting a photography business? So I just found out I love shooting photography and I would love to use it to make some money on the side. My full time job is a teacher but that gives me plenty of time during the summer and on breaks etc to take pics (Don't worry, I know it takes time, and it's not just something to dabble in. I've been a post-processor for a wedding photographer and been a 2nd shooter at weddings so I know what's involved in the whole process).

I wouldn't mind being a full-time photographer but I'm not putting all my eggs into that basket just yet. My problem is I hate taking posed shots so I wouldn't be in to portraits weddings etc. I love candid shots and street photography but I have no idea how to turn that into a business/make money on that.

Tried the stock photography thing and it's just not for me. Should I try contacting shops in the area and see if I could hang some pics up there?

As I said I'm just getting started so what you see if from 2-3 trips around Denver and the mountains.

Help me choose a beginner DSLR?

kylej — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 10:26:13 -0800

What beginner's dslr should I buy? I'm looking to purchase a camera within the next couple weeks. I have around 600$ to spend, and I'm looking to buy a beginners dslr.

Right now I'm leaning towards the Canon Rebel XSi.

It seems like it has a lot of options for me to learn and Canon has a nice lens selection if I want to buy more.

I've seen other questions on here, as well as numerous online reviews, but I wanted to see if you guys can think of any other options that would be good for me.

Stuff I'm planning on using it for:
Snapshots of friends
Macro(ish) shots
Travel shots(for when I go to Spain this summer)
Probably some informal portraits too

Another camera I was considering was the Nikon D3000, which is geared towards beginners, but I feel like it might be limiting as I get better at photography.

Thanks for your input!

how do I control exposure for panorama photos?

intermod — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 11:10:11 -0800

I just bought a new Canon digital camera, an SX110IS, and have discovered that it doesn't have the stitch assist mode. I may yet return it, but I'm wondering what would I need to do to still do a decent panorama without the assist? Obviously I have to frame the photos for overlap, but the real benefit of stitch assist mode was the exposure control. What should I do, manually, to get good panoramas as a result? I love making panoramas while traveling, and the stitch assist mode in my older Canon A720IS was great for this. Besides guiding you on the image framing for overlap, it would hold the exposure settings across the series, so that they'd blend well later when you stitched them.

Frankly I just assumed that all Canon digital cameras came with that feature now, but I see now that the lower end SX110IS and SX120IS don't have it. Once you step up to the more expensive SX200IS and up, you get the feature. Bah!

So, do I need to put the camera in some sort of manual mode, and which exposure parameters exactly should I control? Aperture? ISO? I'm not much of a photographer.

I'll give it a shot during travels next week, and if it doesn't work so well for me then I'll return the camera, but I'd like to avoid that hassle.

Your Tips and Resources for Using An External Flash

nfg — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 08:32:34 -0800

Help me make the absolute best of my new external camera flash! I have a Canon XSI, and have just purchased a Canon 580 EXII Speedlite flash (which I'll be getting my hands on at the end of this month). I really want to make the best of this setup, so what are your tips for using an external flash? Any pointers to resources (websites, books etc) that would help would be much appreciated to.

Which DSLR would you pick?

ddaavviidd — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 12:59:43 -0800

I need to choose between buying a used Nikon D50 and a used Canon Rebel XT. I would like to hear about your experience with any of these fine cameras. Both cameras pretty much have the same specs, and I can get them at the same price ( about $400 CAD), both come with the 18-55 kit lense, the Nikon also have a dx nikor 55-200 F4,5-5,6 and the canon comes with a sigma 70-300 F4,0-5,6. I will use this camera both inside and outside, and I don't plan to print huge posters. I'm not doing sport photography, mostly landscape and people. I was also looking at new Nikon D60, but they are still over $500 and I can't afford that right now.

I'd like to hear about your experience with these cameras. I'm leaning towards the D50 for its larger lcd, but I heard the XT does a better job for inside shots. I don't own lenses, so I'm not sold to any brand. Anything I should be aware of to help my choice? I've done lots of photography before, using manual settings and all, but always with point-and-shoot cameras.

How could a digital camera break like this? Is it worth fixing?

Nelson — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 16:50:31 -0800

How could a digital camera break like this? Is it worth fixing? My partner's little Canon Elph S500 has broken in an odd way, resulting in distorted pictures with lots of horizontal black lines and a striking absence of green. There's a lot of vertical blurring, too, and the weird thing is it's uneven. The image is equally distorted in the live preview as the stored JPGs, so it seems to be the sensor, not the processing / compressing / storing part that's broken. FWIW the camera hadn't been used in a few months and had been in a moving box for awhile, so could possibly have been jostled.

I know a fair amount about how digital cameras work, but for the life of me I can't figure out how it broke this way. Any guesses?

Also, is it worth repairing? I found some online site that promises a repair for $135. Brad new similar cameras with more features are about $350. But I hate feeling so wasteful with a relatively new piece of equipment.

Take my pictures....please!

um_maverick — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 10:32:26 -0800

My snazzy new DSLR camera (Canon Rebel XS) just arrived, so now I need to know what to do with it. My Google skills have failed to find me a useful photography class south of Boston (Brockton/Tauntron/Attleboro-type range). Please help! I'm looking for classes that will show me how to take pictures - composition, color, lenses, settings, etc. At this point, I've read a lot online, but am a hands-on noob. Something once or twice a week, maybe with some field trips built in, would be ideal.

I found courses at the Cambridge Center for Adult Education, but that's farther than I'd like to go. I also checked some area community colleges, but the only one I found (at Bristol Community College) looks like a film class - darkroom techniques, etc... Maybe I'll get to that point eventually, but right now I just want to take some good pictures, and maybe learn digital post-processing techniques.

Thanks!

I want to see individual threads.

doift — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 09:42:28 -0800

Photography tips, please: I'm photographing some flat but textured textile art, and want to capture the texture in as much detail as possible. And I don't so much know what I'm doing. I want to be able to zoom in to the finished photo and clearly see individual threads. I'm using a Canon S60. Right now I have it set on a tripod, parallel to and about two feet away from the textile piece- any closer and not all of the 18x22 inch piece is in frame. Light is the overhead room fluroescent light plus a worklight near the tripod. So far my best results have come from just letting Auto Focus do its thing, but I suspect it could be better. The instructions in the camera's manual for Manual Focus are unhelpful; I get as far as "adjust the arrows until the image appears focused," but no matter where I adjust it, the LCD screen looks exactly the same level of grainy.

Assuming I know very little about photography, what are some techniques (or links to resources where I can read about techniques) I can use?

help me choose between 2 photo printers

TedW — Fri, 29 Oct 2004 06:58:31 -0800

Printers: I am looking at photo printers and have pretty much narrowed it down to the Canon i9900 and the Epson Stylus Photo 2200. Which should I choose? (Output continues inside) I plan on using this printer primarily for photos and occasional color graphics. I will keep my current laser printer for B/W text, or might buy a new laser printer. My main concerns are quality, works well with OSX, and output is reasonably fade-resistant(>20-30 year). Unfortunately I have found little info about longevity of Canon's inkset for their printer, even at Wihelm Research. Any useful info is appreciated, especially negative feedback about either model. I am still willing to look at other printers too, but am reluctant to stray from one of the major brands due to my experience with an Alps MD-500. Thanks for your help.

Lens advice for a Nikon D70?

stbalbach — Thu, 01 Apr 2004 00:40:44 -0800

I'm thinking of buying the new Nikon D70 digital, Nikons answer to the Canon Rebel. What lens should I get? I want to do travel photography big landscapes, nature, and occasional cultural/people shots. Someone mentioned this 17-35mm as very good but is that the best for this kind of photography?