Annabelle, I am here!!! I have a Minolta Dimage 7. It is a digital SLR camera. The only thing I cannot do with it is change lenses, but I do believe I can add lenses to the end of mine for more zoom power. Let me know if I can help.
I just bought a canon digital rebel with 28-200mm macro lense and a telephoto too. Since I will have pretty excellent equipment, what are your tips for the beginer here? Yep, I'm excited!
Annabelle, Mind you, I am no pro here, but I do all the photography for the company I work for. Just a question, why the macro lens? I use a 100mm macro for photography of coins, and have to get pretty close. I use a digital Nikon at the office, but use a Canon Rebel 35mm for personal use. ( still REALLY like 35mm - and the digital quality still hasn't come close). I guess what I am trying to say is, what are you planning to photograph?
~Iago
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Without order nothing can exist - without chaos nothing can evolve.
Annabelle, First off, I would tell you to just start taking pictures of anything and everything. Since it is a digital camera, you don't have to worry about developing film costs. Get a large memory card for it, at least a 256MB, otherwise you will not be able to take very many picture before you run out of memory. Second, digital SLR's kill batteries quickly, buy an external power supply, or two. I have one for my camera and even with the external supply I can usually only get about 40 pics before the camera will start missing pictures, I call it the black screen of death, since the shutter will not open. This usually happens if I am taking a lot of flash pictures. But most of all, have fun with it! Any other questions just ask!
oo, macro lens. Nice. The only macro photography I've been able to do was done by holding my 28mm wide angle lens backwards, up against the camera body. (Yes, this really works, and is a nice little trick, though it's really hard to get a clean shot with such little room for error). Like Vettegal said, get snappy. Too bad you're so far south, because this is the perfect time of year to take nature photos. That is, if you can find a forest turning its leaves.
It's good to keep a log, too. As you take a picture, write it down in a notepad, or book. Ex.
Red flower 3 (if you know what the file name is, that'll be even better) time: 5:35pm Sun: (in relation to you, not the object) 7:30 Weather: Clear with occasional cloud Specs: 28-200mm, 200 ISO, SS 250 (shutter speed), App. size (apperature size. Look in your owners manual to find out how to set this. Usually it's just the inner collar on your lens).
This may seem like a lot of extra work, but when you sit down and look at your photos all together, and you have a refference like that, you can see first hand what effect each setting will have on the image. For the first while, I advise changing certain settings and taking the same image, only changing one setting at a time. Like take the same picture of the red flower at the same zoom, the same ISO and SS, but change your apperature size for each image. It'll seem like a waste of time, because your photos will end up being mostly garbage, but you will learn more about your camera this way than randomly fiddling.
Once you know how to use your camera, then you should concentrate on composition, or the subject.
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Caw
"I am a Canadian by birth, but I am a Highlander by blood and feel under an obligation to do all I can for the sake of the Highlanders and their literature.... I have never yet spoken a word of English to any of my children. They can speak as much English as they like to others, but when they talk to me they have to talk in Gaelic."
-Alexander Maclean Sinclair of Goshen (protector of Gaelic Culture)
Adam you are so right! The Log has been suggested to me but you gave me the spec's I need to keep track of on each exposure.
I have an up coming trip planned and I'll be sure to bring along.
I origionally bought the camera for several reasons but the foremost reason was my new grandbaby that is due in Feb 2005. I wanted professional looking pictures. When I started college I began as a Art Major. There I found I had a deep interest in photography. I had begun to show in art shows and fairs some of my drawings, paintings and photography. The photography was a strong interest but money being limited I had to borrow a camera from the school for all of my projects. After the semester ended I no longer had access to equipment. So I shelved my deep love of photography. After a while I met a woman who was a nurse and she was a pediatric nurse for terminally ill children. Her love and compassion for children and what I could do for others turned me from my love of artistic endevors to nursing. I've always had a strong artistic side but never the time, money or opportunity to meet those needs.
The second reason I wanted this camera is so I would have better photo's to put on Celtic Radio. I'm so glad everyone has enjoyed looking at them. It's been fun and I love the people I meet and people are so accomadating to let me take their picture to put on here.
Third reason is I can't keep this artsy side under wraps any longer. What the heck am I waiting on? I'd better do it while I can enjoy it! No time like the present to enjoy a hobby...
Keep those suggestions coming everyone! Thanks all!
Yes, get a tripod. I wish I had one. I borrowed my Dad's when I took the trip around the Cabot trail. It was a huge asset. You'll need one for sure if you're going macro. It doesn't take much movement to ruin one of those shots.
Just be prepared to recieve lots of advise and direction from passers by. I noticed, any time I had the tripod set up, someone would mention some great shot just around the bend as they walked past.
I love for people to offer suggestions. Advice should be listened to at all opportunities. I always thought 2 minds are better than one. (gosh wish i had the one)
I did get a tripod! And I've got my wishlist for equipment made up all ready. But it will have to wait til payday.
I started playing with my camera and I love this thing!
I ordered a 75-300MM telephoto lens today for my camera. Can't wait to get it. Found a really good deal on it. Usually $400.00 got it for $138.00 plus $9 to ship. Wow!!! Big savings!
OR the new telephoto len is awesome.....it's made by Canon and a wonderful tool.
I'm loooking at a RoadStar CD Burner. Some one in my house played with my new camera today and erased all of my photo's.
I had spent hours using the macro to take close up's of flowers. Now all gone. I even used BackLight in the afternoon to highlight many of the pictures and they had been awesome. Now all gone.
I can redo all of the flower pictures but there are some on there I can't replace. O well I'll have to do another road trip....
I am gonna definitely get the Roadstar to protect my photo's and I've informed everyone not to touch my camera of they will lose their face...
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