Advice from the people who know stuff more gooder.

Soooo I want to buy a DSLR camera. I know a little bit about cameras, how they work and stuff like that, but I want to buy something at a decent price point that I can use to actually learn about cameras and good photography.

I know a few people IRL I can ask, but it occurs to me that EoFF has some great photographers, professional photographers even, and I can ask them. And I'm going to do that in a minute, don't rush me because I have another point to make.

EoFF actually has a lot of really talented people from various backgrounds. Authors, musicians, parents, crafters, bakers and cheffers (it's a word NOW) programmers, website developers... I mean the list goes on and on.

So, I'd like to know, which of you has an area of expertise in which you feel comfortable guiding others? What is that area and how did you come about your knowledge? Secondary topic, do you have any camera advice for me?

Video games and pro wrestling, I suppose. Though I don't know how I would advise someone on either and don't consider myself the best person to go to for advice on anything.

I guess I could teach some French and maybe a bit of cooking and baking?

What's your budget, is there any particular kind of shooting you want to do, and are you looking for a brand new or a second hand camera? I think in the long run your lenses will be where you spend the money, not camera bodies. I won a second hand Canon Rebel Xti four years ago and it's still going strong and has given me no issues. I bought a 50mm lens which is great for all purpose stuff, and then upgraded to a slightly bigger one a year or so later. Personally I think I like prime lenses better because they give me less options, but if you're unsure, you could always try renting one - I've used this place and they were great.

I'm not sure I would say I was an expert on anything, but I guess I know a fair about about art history, vegan cooking, French Dadaist poetry and Britpop - so nothing useful.

This seems more like Miriel's expertise, photography-wise.


Someone summon Del's wife. :colbert:

buy a troutty camera (check second hand places for a less troutty camera at a troutty camera price) and learn about photography and how to take good photos or you'll be one of those people who buy a $$$$ camera and use the Auto function to take pics of their pets

then when you get good at cameras or you haven't decided it was a dumb temporary hobby (90% of people who buy a camera) then you can buy a $$$$ camera that you wont leave to gather dust except on birthdays or when your pet does a funny thing hope this helps

In terms of semi unique skills, I can help with writing and running related subjects.

I should probably buy a smurfing camera at some point, but I tend to travel light so that I can climb things whenever I go out (yes this is a legitimate concern).

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Originally Posted by Fonzie

This seems more like Miriel's expertise, photography-wise.


Someone summon Del's wife. :colbert:

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It seems you are neglecting the fact Calliope does photography as well, and she posted right above you. This saddens me.

Well I'm a guitar teacher in a secondary school so that would definitely be where my talents lie. Singing too I suppose though I've never actually given any lessons in that.

Also, I'd say I'm an expert on Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past so if anyone wants any advice then let me know :p

I don't have much in way of camera advice but my girlfriend's Dad is an amazing photographer. He's constantly on safari's and frequenting nature reserves and some of the pictures he gets are incredible.

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Originally Posted by ToriJ

Video games and pro wrestling, I suppose. Though I don't know how I would advise someone on either and don't consider myself the best person to go to for advice on anything.

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Exactly the same for me, but rarely does the need arise to give such advice on either topic unfortunately. Sometimes a work colleague or friend will ask about a game and whether they should buy it, or about something that happened a long time ago in wrestling storylines, but sadly these examples are few and far between.

I find it funny how sometimes I'm asked advice on things just because I do them rather than because I'm interested in them. For example I'm the go-to guy for bicycle related questions despite the fact I have no interest in maintenance or the latest models, I simply see it as my primary mode of transportation, and questions get asked about growing a beard simply because I have one. It's... really not hard.

what am I expert at? Probably cooking. And getting drunk.

I cooked with my mom a lot growing up and then just kinda taught myself as I got older. I'm better at cooking Mexican food than other stuff, but I was taught by my exes' families.

Drinking, I learned from my dad. No for realzies. He'd let me drink the foam from his beer cans after he opened them when I was like 3. :D

I guess I'm knowledgeable when it comes to talkin Mexican, but I've found that actually teaching it to someone can be difficult and I have a hard time explaining it.. I've been helping shion some, but because I don't rly speak "textbook" Spanish. I speak the way people talk daily which isn't always proper.

I'm also an expert at being awesome.

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Originally Posted by AssassinDX

questions get asked about growing a beard simply because I have one. It's... really not hard.

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Step One: Grow beard
There is no step two.

Artistic music, linguistics, translations. Also, if anyone wants to learn Polish... Anyone? Hello?

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Originally Posted by ToriJ

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Originally Posted by AssassinDX

questions get asked about growing a beard simply because I have one. It's... really not hard.

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Step One: Grow beard
There is no step two.

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No! Don't smurfing say it like it's that easy! IT'S NOT THAT SMURFIN' EASY!

Not if you can't grow one, no. For others there's no real trick to it it just grows when we neglect to shave.

sharky grows a beard like no one's business and a lot of lady's find that sexy, but I dislike beards so I'm like ughhh

I'll spend the day he shaves rubbing my hands and my face on his face so I can enjoy it for the few hours it doesn't prickle me.

Anyone want to trade beard growing abilities with my boyfriend? It should work that way.

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Originally Posted by shion

sharky grows a beard like no one's business and a lot of lady's find that sexy, but I dislike beards so I'm like ughhh

I'll spend the day he shaves rubbing my hands and my face on his face so I can enjoy it for the few hours it doesn't prickle me.

Anyone want to trade beard growing abilities with my boyfriend? It should work that way.

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Yes. Please ;.;

I feel most comfortable discussing film, though I am by no means an expert.

foaface, my first DSLR, which I am currently still using, is a Fujifilm Finepix S4000. I got it for about $260 from QVC in 2012, I think, which was super neat because they let me make monthly payments on it without checking into credit or what have you. It's a good little camera, and I could have gone much cheaper but I was insistent on getting one with a panoramic option.

It has been a great starter camera for me to get my toes wet with, and everything posted in my [shameless self-advertising of photography thread] was taken with it. I don't have PhotoShop or any fancy photo-editing software, so any edits have been relatively simple little changes.

I find myself wanting to spend more money on an expensive piece of equipment and lenses that will probably put me in the poorhouse, but I'm really glad I've been able to learn with the camera I got, and I'm still learning from it and how to use it better to my advantage. I could not justify spending such money on a camera and additional equipment unless I became an expert beforehand.

I consulted Monda and Miriel before I bought my DSLR and decided to go with the Cannon T2i, and got a refurbished one. There's a T3i and a T4i, but the only difference is a swivel-screen and a touch-screen, respectively--the T2i is just as good of a camera. I'm really happy with it.

My degrees are both in child development, and I worked in child care and education for ten years, so I'm pretty comfortable in that area. It was kind of weird when people would ask me for parenting advice before I was ever a parent, but the consensus seems to be that my advice was solid anyway. I just hope I'm able to put it all into practice now...

Now if only I could figure out where that pee smell is coming from...

Questions relating to English language, all things cycling related and arson.

Long camera thoughts for foa The Canon T2i Shlup mentioned would be pretty solid. I have a Nikon D90 that I like a lot. It's been a while since I've really looked at and thought about camera equipment...

One thing to keep in mind when you get a camera is that lenses are expensive and can be more expensive than the camera itself. I'm pretty sure Nikon's lenses generally work with all of Nikon's DSLR cameras, and Canon is probably the same with their lenses (someone correct me if I'm wrong). I'd think it's worth getting a cheaper Nikon or Canon DSLR in case you might want to upgrade to a nicer camera of the same brand in the future. I've just always heard of Nikon and Canon as the go to brands for cameras these days, but I don't know for sure. This would save you money with having to buy all new lenses due to upgrading to a completely different brand of camera. Hopefully that makes sense.

Otherwise, just go for something cheap. If you don't care about upgrading cameras and what have you, the camera Shorty mentioned is perfectly good as you can see from the pictures she takes with it. You can sometimes find some good deals with Nikon and Canon too for a sort of starter set with one of their lower end DSLRs and a lens or two. The most important thing for good pictures is just exploring the different settings and practicing. A good picture comes from a good photographer and the camera doesn't matter THAT much in the end. Pretty much any DSLR, a shorter lens, and a telephoto lens will give you plenty to work with in learning how to manipulate camera settings and such.

This is lots of advice.

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Originally Posted by Calliope

What's your budget, is there any particular kind of shooting you want to do, and are you looking for a brand new or a second hand camera? I think in the long run your lenses will be where you spend the money, not camera bodies. I won a second hand Canon Rebel Xti four years ago and it's still going strong and has given me no issues. I bought a 50mm lens which is great for all purpose stuff, and then upgraded to a slightly bigger one a year or so later. Personally I think I like prime lenses better because they give me less options, but if you're unsure, you could always try renting one - I've used this place and they were great.

I'm not sure I would say I was an expert on anything, but I guess I know a fair about about art history, vegan cooking, French Dadaist poetry and Britpop - so nothing useful.

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My budget really depends on whether I go with something new or used. If I'm buying new it looks like I'm spending a minimum of $500.00 but eBay does have some previously owned cameras that seem pretty good to me for about 1/2 or 2/3 the price of brand new.

The highest I will go for a DSLR with a 18-55mm lens is less than $500.00.

I have always liked Canons and my favorite point and shoot camera ever was the Canon SD1100 because the camera interface was easy to use, but more importantly it was quick. The photos always turned out pretty good for a point and shoot. The only draw back that camera had, I think, was that the color wasn't always 100% true - but I think that's a limitation of lighting as much as the camera itself. My current point and shoot is a horrible samsung thing that is just horrible. It's horrible. Horrible.

I'm interested in taking photographs of my family, pets, animals and landscapes. I'm also interested in plant and macro photography because I'm learning about foraging and local plants.

I don't need a camera with a crazy huge ISO range, but taking some dusky photos would be nice. I also have done enough research to know that a kabillion megapixel camera isn't really worth my money. I will be printing photos, but the largest print I'll probably ever do is .. what, 14x20? Even then that's a pretty huge portrait.

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Originally Posted by Parker

buy a troutty camera (check second hand places for a less troutty camera at a troutty camera price) and learn about photography and how to take good photos or you'll be one of those people who buy a $$$$ camera and use the Auto function to take pics of their pets

then when you get good at cameras or you haven't decided it was a dumb temporary hobby (90% of people who buy a camera) then you can buy a $$$$ camera that you wont leave to gather dust except on birthdays or when your pet does a funny thing hope this helps

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Even if it doesn't turn out to be something I do everyday, I know I will want to take nice photos of my family! But I am thinking second hand is good.

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Originally Posted by Shlup

I consulted Monda and Miriel before I bought my DSLR and decided to go with the Cannon T2i, and got a refurbished one. There's a T3i and a T4i, but the only difference is a swivel-screen and a touch-screen, respectively--the T2i is just as good of a camera. I'm really happy with it.

My degrees are both in child development, and I worked in child care and education for ten years, so I'm pretty comfortable in that area. It was kind of weird when people would ask me for parenting advice before I was ever a parent, but the consensus seems to be that my advice was solid anyway. I just hope I'm able to put it all into practice now...

Now if only I could figure out where that pee smell is coming from...

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I have been looking at the T3i but that swivel screen is not important to me at all. it seems somehow harder to find the t2i though? Like they're apparently more expensive on Amazon? That doesn't make sense.

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I have been looking at the T3i but that swivel screen is not important to me at all. it seems somehow harder to find the t2i though? Like they're apparently more expensive on Amazon? That doesn't make sense.

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Probably has something to do with the release of the T5i. In that case, just get whichever one you find a good deal on!

My dad has a Sony with a digital viewfinder; I don't like it as much. There are some neat point-and-shoot cameras out now, but they were out of my price range (like $900+).

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Originally Posted by Madonna

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Originally Posted by Fonzie

This seems more like Miriel's expertise, photography-wise.


Someone summon Del's wife. :colbert:

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It seems you are neglecting the fact Calliope does photography as well, and she posted right above you. This saddens me.

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This post has started realizing it's potential.

I purchased the T2i a few years ago and it works fine for what I do with it: film video and sometimes I use it for photography. I don't see the point in shelling out more money for the canon 5D, 7D or whatever else D when they do the same damn thing pretty much. It matters mostly the lens you have. I'd spend more money on that than the camera itself. There was a good lens I had bookmarked that was only $100. I'll have to try to see what browser and computer it's saved on.

Of course I can be asked questions about anything concerning video production. I know how to use most cameras and due to my graphics background, I can help with things like Illustrator, After Effects, and Photoshop.

The Canon rebel series is always the one I recommend to people who are wanting to get started with a DSLR. But the thing I always mention is that the camera really is only as good as the lens. And the standard kit lens (which would be your 18-55) is not a great lens.

And I always recommend refurbished, because a big chunk of my gear is refurbished and it works great and you save a lot of $$$.

I can forward you the PMs where Amanda and I talked about cameras and lenses and stuff.

People can ask me about DSLR and pro-level or film camera equipment if they want. But I know jack trout about point-and-shoot cameras, even though I get asked all the time about them. You know what's a good point-and-shoot and the one most professional photographers use or know anything about? The iphone. The iphone is a great camera. Some of my favorite work recently has been on the iphone. Otherwise, I'm totally baffled when people ask me about random point-and-shoots.

I'm also handy to have around if you have questions about food or cooking. I have a degree in Sociology but that's rather an in depth subject matter and one that can get exhausting to discuss.

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Originally Posted by Shiny

I purchased the T2i a few years ago and it works fine for what I do with it: film video and sometimes I use it for photography. I don't see the point in fleshing out more money for the canon 5D, 7D or whatever else D when they do the same damn thing pretty much. It matters mostly the lens you and I'd spend more money on that than the camera itself.

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There is a definite difference, but one that shouldn't be too big of a concern if you're just starting out or if you only really want the camera for limited uses. The 5D remains one of my favorite cameras ever, and definitely surpasses any of the rebel series by a long shot. But again, it's not something that many people might notice. It's also nearly a decade old at this point so you can pick it up fairly cheap. The only the is that I figure most beginners would like a lighter camera to start off with, and the rebels are great cameras at a good price point while still being pretty much the smallest DSLRs you can get without going toward the micro four thirds route.

If it's not something most people would notice, than it's not worth spending more money on. The Rebel series works just fine for people at a beginner and intermediate level of photography. I've used it for more advanced things and it still holds up pretty well.

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Originally Posted by Shiny

If it's not something most people would notice, than it's not worth spending more money on. The Rebel series works just fine for people at a beginner and intermediate level of photography. I've used it for more advanced things and it still holds up pretty well.

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Well not exactly... Just because someone who is new to photography and might not immediately need the extra capabilities of a higher end camera doesn't mean that there ISN'T a difference or that the different price points isn't justified. And the higher up you go in the series the more massive the differences. For example, one of the series finales of House was filmed entirely on a 5D Mark II. That's something you never ever eveeeer would have gotten away with if using a rebel. That's how good the 5 series can be. It's worth the money if you want a camera with certain capabilities, even if you're a beginner.

And I guess "notice" was the wrong word choice. You'll notice the difference, but for most consumers, capabilities have to be weighed against price point and accessibility. It's kind of like how 8gigs of ram would be plenty good for most people and will get you by just fine. But you can't exactly argue that 16gigs isn't better or definitely worth the investment if you have the money to spend or the need for that extra speed for running photoshop/Lightroom/final cut.

That being said, it's all just a tool. I know people making terrible images on amazing cameras and other people making amazing images off things like the iPhone. Your mileage may vary. Just always keep your eyes trained on finding good light, that matters more than equipment ever will.

I think perhaps the best advice I can give is to ask if you truly need a DSLR, or if a non-DSLR exchangable lens camera is fine. These are often cheaper, and have smaller size while still offering a lot better quality and features than regular compact cameras.