So just ordered a new camera setup.

[Craigthor]

With the old Point and Shoot ready to be retired after 6ish years figured I would consider a camera upgrade. Here is what I ended up getting. This will allow lots of pics of the kiddo outside, inside and most importantly some pics of the tank.

Canon EOS Rebel T3i 18 MP Digital SLR Camera with EF-S 18-55 mm IS II and EF-S 55-250 mm f/4 lenses

Will probably have to get lots of advise from here but it is a start in takign some nice pics, plus I can shoot hd video with it as well. Now we can retire several pieces of equipment and have just one thing to deal with.

Still need to pick up a tripod and probably a flash at some point but this is a good start for us.

Craig

[Patriot]

Congrats on your new camera and upgrading to DSLR

[Craigthor]

Yep got this in just a bit ago, a quick charge and off to playing around. So yeah soo many buttons and soo much different then anything I've ever used consdiering I mostly used point and shoots previously. Pictures are stunning from the few I played with and have the IS lenses is great for freehand shooting. Definitely want to get a Macro lense when I can afford one maybe for christmas.

So yeah any tips and tricks anyone wants to pass a long I would love. LOL

Craig

[TickleMyElmo]

Originally Posted by Craigthor

Yep got this in just a bit ago, a quick charge and off to playing around. So yeah soo many buttons and soo much different then anything I've ever used consdiering I mostly used point and shoots previously. Pictures are stunning from the few I played with and have the IS lenses is great for freehand shooting. Definitely want to get a Macro lense when I can afford one maybe for christmas.

So yeah any tips and tricks anyone wants to pass a long I would love. LOL

Craig

Nice! Its always amazing when first going from a point and shoot to a DSLR, it funny how you don't realize how much you've been missing until you look at your first shots from a DSLR.

As far as tips, here's one, DONT GET A TRIPOD! (especially for aquarium photography)

You may be saying to yourself, "Elmo, Y U NO LIKE TRIPODS?!?! "

Because they're not needed for aquarium photography. I guarantee you an external flash (speedlight) will be infinitely more useful than any tripod for aquarium/fish photography.

The suggestion to "Get a tripod!" pop up and spreads around here more than herpes in a college dorm, and I have no idea why. If I had to use a tripod when I do fish photography, I swear I would throw it across the freakin' room!

People claim you can use it to get good full tank shots by using a slow shutter. BS! Yeah great, you got a low ISO shot of your tank, too bad there's motion blur trails all over your tank from the fish swimming around. Fail!

People claim it helps you get steady shots of fish. BS! It makes tracking a fish 10x harder, and would only result in frustration (and throwing it across the room) A much better alternative is to use an external flash(speedlight), then you can use a shutter speed of 1/250....at which point you don't need no stinkin' tripod! (plus you're pics will be much better, and you can use it for other things too)

I guarantee any tripod you're likely to buy, including those at bestbuy or the usual department stores are so completely unstable and unsteady, that I would just advise avoiding it all together. If you really need a steady platform, I'd rather see you use a snack table or something. Heck, I guarantee you could make a stack of books into a more stable platform than any of those tripods. Hell, give me a few shots of whiskey, and I guarantee I will hold your camera more steady and securely for you than any of those three legged contraptions they have the nerve to call a tripod.

A real tripod costs at least $500, plus a ball head, plus the kirk style plates to go on it. Most real setups cost around $800. Do you need such a setup? NO! I don't even have one, and I've been doing professional photography for a while now. I do want to get one eventually, but even I don't have a pressing need for one. They are very useful, but you'll know when you get to the point that you need one, when not having one limits your creative ability (and I don't mean to take pictures of your cat)

GAH! Stop suggesting tripods people!




Thank you, this has been a Public Service Announcement on Tripods.

[Nubster]

Originally Posted by TickleMyElmo

A real tripod costs at least $500, plus a ball head, plus the kirk style plates to go on it. Most real setups cost around $800. Do you need such a setup? NO! I don't even have one, and I've been doing professional photography for a while now. I do want to get one eventually, but even I don't have a pressing need for one. They are very useful, but you'll know when you get to the point that you need one, when not having one limits your creative ability (and I don't mean to take pictures of your cat)

GAH! Stop suggesting tripods people!




Thank you, this has been a Public Service Announcement on Tripods.

My tripod is rock SOLID and I paid less than $200, new with the head. Had no issues holding my D200, with grip, and a Sigma 70-200 f/2.8 attached.

[TickleMyElmo]

Originally Posted by Nubster

My tripod is rock SOLID and I paid less than $200, new with the head. Had no issues holding my D200, with grip, and a Sigma 70-200 f/2.8 attached.

I was referring more to the less than $100 but more than likely $20 special that most noobs tend to pick up at walmart...

And I still don't see their use for aquarium/fish photography! lol...

[Nubster]

I use mine now and then for aquarium stuff, but I like mine for HDR, low light, and sometimes landscape stuff. I use it a lot for macro as well.

[Da Plant Man]

I have a $400 manfrotto tripod. $800 set-up? Psh. Sometimes it just comes down to what deal you get. I shoot freehand aquarium shots, but I love my tripod. With the intervalometer my D5100 I can do cool time lapse's, 20min exposure, and some other things. I also love my remote. Were these needed? Heck no. But I love them

BTW, I got my tripod for $20 at a thrift store. Sometimes the perfect deal walks by and you get lucky. To bad I didn't have $50 because I could have gotten a 100mm tamron macro.


My tips? Take lots of pictures. LOTS. Then go through and delete the worse ones. Look at the photo after taking them.

I know this might sounds weird, maybe its just me, but I can take 20 shots without looking and half of them might be over exposed or under exposed.

When taking aquarium photos, have your aperture as open as possible (f2.8-f5.8, depends on the lens). This allows for a quicker shutter speed. Makes it have a more shallow depth of focus, but after awhile, you can get the best photo ever with some practice.

MANUAL FOCUS. 'Nuff said about that.

One more tip: Nikon is better.

Hope I helped!

-Caton

[GraphicGr8s]

I'll second the "Don't get a tripod". Only time I really use mine is for studio work. And then it's to hold my camera and the laptop. Oh, when I actually take a shot the camera is in my hand. And since I shoot tethered it's a great spot to keep the laptop so it won't dump on the floor. There are other times I do shoot on the tripod but mostly for long exposures or where I am using a remote to fire it because I can't be behind the camera.

Caton, as for your tip, anything is better than a Canon. But Pentax is still better than Nikon. Just saying. Bless your heart.

[Nubster]

Pentax.


and I'd rather then shoot Canon.

[Nubster]

Ok, for the record, I'm a Nikonian but I have no ill will towards other makers...I post the above all in fun.

[speedie408]

LOL

Congrats Craig. You're welcome to join the Canon Pimp Club if you please haha.

A cheap tripod is good for shooting video so I'd get one if you like doing video. Otherwise, the only other use I really use mine for is to hold my flash to free up my hands.

[manualfocus]

I'm not going to jump into the Nikon VS Canon VS ??? debate. Every company makes good, quality stuff. I shoot Canon because I shoot Canon. Moving on.

Shoot in .RAW format. Annoying to deal with the huge file sizes at first but the payoff is worth it. You can make infinite adjustments to your photo later on.

Also, most people don't need 19283781231x19023931927" photos, so turn down the resolution. I'm not sure, but maybe the T3i has an "sRaw" feature, which allows you to take a smaller sized photo in .RAW format. A ~8 MB image file is so much friendlier than a ~20+ MB image file.

Sell both of those mediocre lenses and get one good one. Many people make the mistake of dumping all their money into a camera body and then buy a cheap lens. A good quality lens truly is the best investment you can make in regards to photography. It'll retain it's value much better, and you'll enjoy your photos much more. A few suggestions for (relatively) inexpensive, but good lenses: 28mm f/2.8, 50mm f/1.4 (don't get the cheap 1.8), 17-40 f/4L, 85mm f/1.8, 100mm f/2.8.

Lastly, see username.

[GraphicGr8s]

Originally Posted by Nubster

Pentax.


and I'd rather then shoot Canon.

You're just jealous!

And this:

Ok, for the record, I'm a Pentaxian but I have no ill will towards other makers...I post the above all in fun.

Manualfocus, I shoot RAW+ jpeg whether paid shoot or not. 78.6587112% of the folks here shooting jpeg don't want to get so involved with all the PP required for RAW. The settings that the camera has they are fine with and many wonder why raw files don't look good.

And this:

A good quality lens truly is the best investment you can make in regards to photography.

[Craigthor]

Originally Posted by manualfocus

I'm not going to jump into the Nikon VS Canon VS ??? debate. Every company makes good, quality stuff. I shoot Canon because I shoot Canon. Moving on.

Shoot in .RAW format. Annoying to deal with the huge file sizes at first but the payoff is worth it. You can make infinite adjustments to your photo later on.

Also, most people don't need 19283781231x19023931927" photos, so turn down the resolution. I'm not sure, but maybe the T3i has an "sRaw" feature, which allows you to take a smaller sized photo in .RAW format. A ~8 MB image file is so much friendlier than a ~20+ MB image file.

Sell both of those mediocre lenses and get one good one. Many people make the mistake of dumping all their money into a camera body and then buy a cheap lens. A good quality lens truly is the best investment you can make in regards to photography. It'll retain it's value much better, and you'll enjoy your photos much more. A few suggestions for (relatively) inexpensive, but good lenses: 28mm f/2.8, 50mm f/1.4 (don't get the cheap 1.8), 17-40 f/4L, 85mm f/1.8, 100mm f/2.8.

Lastly, see username.

Nicer lenses to come these will be great to play with and for the wifes use as she wants easy to IS and AF will be ideal to get her into using it.

Craig