Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with dslr and cameras

EASY secrets of taking great photos

JensR — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 01:31:34 -0800

What are your favourite photographer's tricks that an amateur could use to create stunning photos on a hobbyist budget? As a hobbyist DSLR photographer, I find that once in a while, I stumble across some simple little trick-of-the-trade that instantly makes my photos much better... and it is these little "Wow!" moments that keep me motivated to keep shooting and learning.

I am not talking about expensive studio rigs here, or vague lifelong lessons ("learn about composition and color theory", "know your camera"). I am specifically talking about the low-hanging fruit that a low-budget amateur photographer like me could apply and see an instant difference.

If there are any photographers out there who have experienced the same kind of "Wow!" moment after trying out some new technique or equipment, please share your best suggestions in this thread.

Help me spend somebody else's money on a new camera!

synecdoche — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 17:49:32 -0800

Shopping for somebody else and looking for a digital SLR camera that can handle a handful of specific requirements. I know nothing about these things. I work for somebody who is in the market for a new digital SLR camera. I've been tasked with the job, being the go-to person who knows more about tech than the other employee, but I confess to knowing little about digital cameras. I am hoping the hivemind might point me in the right direction.

What I am after is a very user-friendly camera, a digital SLR if at all possible, that does really well with indoor light. The camera's most important function will be to take picture of things in museums, including presentations of text. The text will need to be legible on the image (This can involve the descriptions of displays, as well as text that is itself the display--treaties and whatnot that are, presumably, legible enough to read when one is not using the camera.) There is a possibility that some of these images will be reproduced in a (non-glossy) book in the future but for the most part it is for capturing material for a research project, for future reference.

The price range for this is between $300-$600 CDN.

Thanks!

Strike a pose, please.

jadepearl — Mon, 05 May 2008 06:31:54 -0800

Getting a DSLR today. What lens options should make a good set to take the plunge? having read all the threads or at least the most recent ones on DSLRs and having handled the various body cameras at a store, I have settled on the Sony A200. Before all the hatin' starts I say that the reasons I decided on this system were:

it felt good in my hands
worked when chasing a VERY active 14 month old around the store;
photo lag was minimal to me;
photos looked good of said active child;
price point was reasonable for quality and features. Mr. Jadepearl is a Nikon man but he was disappointed in the performance of the D40 while the camera clerk told me that the introductory Canon in this range was not a good competitor on price performance at this level
Older Minolta lenses work with it

So, what lens do I need to make a complete kit? The immediate plans are to take photos of kids, plants, landscapes and scenes from a moving vehicle. Did I mention that I travel with two hand puppets that I pose in ludicrous poses at famous locations or break some rules on museum displays and proximity?

So what lens should I go for to cover the widest possible conditions for this photo newbie? I plan to have this camera for years and figure that Sony is seemingly committed to their camera line.

I want a Nikon camera; I love to take a photograph, so hivemind, please help me choose!

odi.et.amo — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 05:49:15 -0800

What camera should I buy? I want to buy myself a camera for Christmas, but I can't pin down exactly what I should get. I want a camera that will take good quality pictures and that has plenty of manual settings for me to fiddle with as I learn about photography.

Portability is somewhat of a factor - I'm going to England next year, so I wanted something good enough to capture the beauty of old cathedrals but still be manageable as I tour and travel. I will also be taking the typical silly pet cat pictures and landscapes, as well as pictures from a moving car while on drives through the country.

To this point, I was planning on getting a Canon S5 IS. Decent image quality with occasional red fringing in certain situations, and small enough that I could stick it in my purse for travel.

On the other hand, I still want a DSLR. The Nikon D40 appeals to me quite a lot, for several reasons. I've used a friend's before, and loved it! For me, there's just nothing like the heft of a good camera. Also, my parents have several lenses from their Nikon film SLR - shouldn't these work with the D40, thus saving me oodles of money on good lenses? (money is another important factor here...) I'd consider Canon's entry DSLR, but the appeal of re-purposing my parents' unused lenses is strong!

If the answer is a DSLR, what bag would work that can carry my purse-ish stuff as well as the camera pieces and still protect me from the riff raffs and pick-pocketers?

What should I do, hivemind?

Finish my work for me

AnyGuelmann — Fri, 16 Feb 2007 06:31:42 -0800

Help me find the perfect digital SLR camera to substitute my Minolta Maxxum 300si I have already done research and read reviews, now I need to be influenced towards one of my available choices.
Biased photographers, influence me away.

Myself as a photographer:
- Totally amateur
- Totally pretentious
- Not quite there as far as technique goes, but eager to improve

My preferences:
- 8x plus zoom
- 6 Mpx at least, but no real need to go beyond that
- Fast startup
- Manual focus, or an auto focus that gives me choices and lets me choose
- Possibly a stabilization feature, as long as somebody tells me it really works
- $500 - $800 range, lens included

My targets:
- Architecture and art - wide angle just important as good zoom (right?)
- Close ups of "step by step" DIY projects, Instructables style
- Pets, lots of close ups
- Travel and vacation, with a flare for those (pretentious) artsy shots

The selection so far:
- Pentax K100D / 18-55 mm
- Nikon D70s / 18-70 mm
- Canon Digital Rebel XT / 18-55 mm
- Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ50s / 12x zoom

My doubts:
- Will I be able to screw in filters on all of these? I like filters.
- Should I buy separate body and lens?
- Btw, what are the basic filters I should have? I currently have the somewhat tacky fog and four-point star
- I guess a couple of these are not really SLRs, but will that make a difference, based on I told you above?
- The Maxxum 300si was discontinued, but did Minolta substitute it with any equivalent digital camera I might take a look at?