I need advice from the Pros!

HKYStormFront

there are some... but not many. most of them are smaller local shops, since wolf camera etc have gone online only

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Patrick // 06 Frontier 6spd Nismosis // Mods: Uprev Tuned @ Z1 Motorsports: 257whp & 292 ft lbs
09 Pontiac G8 GXP // M6 // Sunroof // Tint... For now

Huck

Yeah I was gonna hit up a best buy or an hhgreg or something, I'll do a search for an actual camera store first though...


Sent from my iPizzle using magic and new-fangled science stuff

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Huck

So I went to HHgreg and bestbuy, none of the people really new much about cameras but I was expecting that. I liked the feel of the T3i's grip, but the simplicity and ease of the D3200 attracted me a little bit more I think. I'm gonna do a little bit more reading up and then make my decision, but as of right now the D3200 is the first pick for me.

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asdfsammich

I'm looking for an entry level dslr as well. Good thread lols.

Funny thing, I went out to play with some and ended up liking the d3200 best for some of the same reasons.

Maybe the specs aren't fully the best but does seems easiest to learn plus the phone ota connectivity might be pretty convenient to have.

Tapatalk & such etc

HKYStormFront

either one of those are good cameras. in fact, i tend to favor the lower end nikons for first time DSLR buyers. they seem to be just a tad more user friendly compared to the rebels but it's really six of one, half dozen of the other.

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Patrick // 06 Frontier 6spd Nismosis // Mods: Uprev Tuned @ Z1 Motorsports: 257whp & 292 ft lbs
09 Pontiac G8 GXP // M6 // Sunroof // Tint... For now

axmea?

So what did you end up getting Huck? Post sample shots will ya.

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Huck

I haven't gotten yet, but I think I'm gonna be going with the Nikon 5100. I ended up doing a side by side comparison of features. If a camera had a better feature than the other two, I gave that camera a +1. The D5100 and the T3i ended up tying for first place, so I'm gonna do the Nikon since its a lot cheaper. I'll be getting it for the wife for Christmas, so I'll post up pics after she opens it up. thanks again for all your advice!


Sent from my iPizzle using magic and new-fangled science stuff

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Huck

Well I bought the D5100, but I was a little disappointed because I had looked on amazon and thought I saw it for about $450, which is a lot better than the $600+ the T3i costs, so I was happy. But I went to purchase it today and saw that that price had been for just the body, no lens. I ended up paying just under $700 for the camera, stock lens, 2 year warranty, memory card, hand strap, and carrying case. I think it's still a decent deal, just more than I thought it was gonna be.

Anyway, when it gets here pics will soon follow! Now if I can just find someone to buy the wheels I have for sale, everything will be great!

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Red__Zed

I think you made the right call with the 5100. It's a great unit and you should be able to grow with it.

dP3NGU1N

I wish I had found this thread sooner. You should realize unless you take the time to learn how to use a DSLR and manipulate it to create the shot you want there is basically no difference between a DSLR and a point-and-shoot camera.

I've seen plenty of people who buy a DSLR and leave it on "auto" the whole time expecting the camera to do all the work. These same people are the ones who leave scathing reviews complaining that their images have actually gotten worse than if they had their coolpix or what have you.

My point is that the camera is just a tool and all cameras operate based off the same principles of exposure time, aperture, and filmspeed (ISO). Unless you learn how to use all the extra features and flexibility that a DSLR provides then there won't be a difference between photos that were shot with the DSLR and one that was shot by a cellphone.

Good luck!

Huck

That's what I'll be learning after I get it. I want a camera that's ABLE to take better pictures, and once I get it I will learn HOW to take better pictures.


Sent from my iPizzle using magic and new-fangled science stuff

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HKYStormFront

you, sir, have the right attitude

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Patrick // 06 Frontier 6spd Nismosis // Mods: Uprev Tuned @ Z1 Motorsports: 257whp & 292 ft lbs
09 Pontiac G8 GXP // M6 // Sunroof // Tint... For now

Huck

Hahaha try telling my mom that


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Huck

Finally! When I put it in her hands her mouth dropped to the floor, so that's a success for me Here's a sample shot after playing around with the setting for a second, there's more to come later on...

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Cmike2780

Great choice and a great start. The 5100 is more than capable of doing a lot more once you know your way around a D-SLR. You'd be surprised how little of a difference there is between these and the Full-frame $10K counterparts for normal use. Your next investment should be either a AF-S NIKKOR 50mm f/1.8G or a Speedlight flash. If you take a lot of indoor shots, the flash is going to be a godsend and will make your images a 1000 times better.

A few easy tips without spending a dime:
-use anything you can that will steady the camera (a tripod would be best) or make sure the room/area is well lit. The kit lens it comes with isn't "fast" since your aperture is probably limited to f/3.5 at 18mm and goes all the way down to f/5.6 at 55mm. This means the camera has to either slow down the shutter speed (longer exposure....more blurry cause by movement or vibration) or increase the ISO (more sensitive...but more noise in the images). By having the camera as still as possible, you'll get sharper pictures without having to spend money on expensive lenses.

-IMO, the best setting to use if you're just starting out but want to be creative is "A" aperture priority and let the camera meter the shutter speed. Then just use the exposure compensation button (it's that +/- square button) to make it lighter or darker.
***Basic rule of thumb for aperture (simplified):
---Smaller aperture number means a bigger aperture opening and a larger number means smaller aperture opening. You either let more light or less light enter the camera.
---Larger aperture has less stuff in focus and creates that blurred background look (low numbered f-stop), Smaller aperture (higher numbered f-stop) will have the opposite effect and will have more of the scene in focus. A drawback to smaller apertures (higher f-stop number) is that it lets in less light...so the camera has to leave the shutter open for a longer duration or increase the ISO.

-For portraits, always shoot at above 50mm or higher to avoid unflatering destortion....especially women. You just need to stand farther back. They also look best in "portrait" since it doesn't distract you from the main subject of the image. You've got a gorgeous girl, no one needs to see the Mountain Dew on the table

This:


vs. This:


You may know some of this stuff already, but I figured it might help others.

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