Photography/Videography

[Dogwood]

Originally Posted by CrazyED

I would start with this book. Understanding Exposure is a great book to explain the basic settings of a camera. http://www.amazon.com/Understanding-...2508680&sr=8-1

2nd the above. I bought this book, and one other one, at the reccomendation of someone here on the forum (I think it was you, ED, but not sure). The title of the second one escapes me, right now. But, both are great and will slice the learning curve, dramatically. I'll be rereading them, as soon as I get a little playtime with a new/upgraded DSLR. There is some technical talk that was a little over my head, the first time through, as some of the functions discussed, are beyond the capability of the equipment I have been using.

[J. Wesbrock]

If you're looking to take snapshots and play around, you don't have to break the bank. A T3I, long IS lens, and teleconverter will give you plenty of fun. If you're looking to do professional grade wildlife photography, you'd better have some deep pockets. A friend of mine's son if a professional outdoor / wildlife photographer. He has a 7D, a 5D MKII, a 5D MKIII on order, and more money in glass than I paid for my truck, and I bought it new.

[Tooln]

I've been following this post as I am also in the market for a good camera. This is something I've wanted to do for years but never could justify the money. Now I've gotten to the point that some of the wish list are possible. I was thinking of something like these.
http://www.ritzcamera.com/product/54...igital-cameras
this
http://shop.usa.canon.com/webapp/wcs...0051_302804_-1
or this
http://www.amazon.com/Canon-Digital-55-250mm-Telephoto-DavisMAX/dp/B004G49372/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC?ie=UTF8&coliid=I3DFJKBZ86CC8O&co lid=1Q0AXQNSA12FM

I am like others here and know nothing about cameras of this quality. What would the capabilities be on a lens like this. Or which one would be a better buy. I'd like to zoom in on something 75 yards away and also be able to get a good close up of the grand kids at a birthday party or any Kodak moment. Are there any other suggestions that haven't already come out? Thanks for the help.

[John Brown Jr.]

Originally Posted by dahusker

I'm wanting to purchase a new SLR and decent video camera in the next few months. Anyone have any suggestions? I'm zoning in on a Canon T1i but is a 250 mm lense enough or do I need atleast a 300. Cannon GL2 or XL1? John Brown...got any suggestions?

I wish I could help you out but I'm afraid that I no longer keep up with the changing technology like I once did. The younger guys in our department do a great job of keeping up with the newer gear. As for the lens, I guess it really depends on what you anticipate shooting the majority of the time.

Let me say that when we were shooting the QDMA show we were running Cannon XL-1's in the HDV format. I was very impressed with not only the quality of the tape but with the toughness of the camera and the Cannon support. I remember one night, I left my camera outside on a deck and it rained. I brought it in, put it over a heating vent and a couple of hours later fired it up. It worked perfectly.

[CrazyED]

Originally Posted by Dogwood

The title of the second one escapes me, right now.

These books are must reads for anyone who is new to photography. Don't expect to go out and buy a DSLR and assume it will just take good pictures, you definitely need to learn how to use your gear. These books cover the fundamentals.

Understanding Exposure

Understanding Shutterspeed

[CrazyED]

It looks like you are definitely finding your way with that camera. It just takes practice so just keep on shooting! Just remember you really want to keep your shutter speed as high as possible. That is going to help freeze the movement and your picture will be crisp.

I just put an offer in on a 400 F5.6L. Hopefully it works out, I'm finally taking the plunge on a bigger telephoto.

[ICALL2MUCH]

Great pictures! The last one is my favorite.

Are the manual settings harder to grasp than you thought?

Again, looking good!

[Gator]

Originally Posted by CrazyED

Don't expect to go out and buy a DSLR and assume it will just take good pictures, you definitely need to learn how to use your gear. These books cover the fundamentals.
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That's my wife. She was relentless with her wanting a nice camera. She finally got a 5D and my trail cams take nearly as good of pics (exaggerating but you know what I mean).

[CrazyED]

Originally Posted by Gator

That's my wife. She was relentless with her wanting a nice camera. She finally got a 5D and my trail cams take nearly as good of pics (exaggerating but you know what I mean).

Yeah, 5D is a great camera (I own the 5D2) and I shot a rebel XT for like 4-5 years before jumping up to the big leagues of a full frame professional. There is a noticeable difference between shooting the consumer grade / mid grade DSLR versus some of the higher end cameras. Same goes for the more expensive glass. It's no different than if I tried to drive a race car. Better & higher end equipment demands better knowledge and expertise from the user.

I just keep pushing the idea that you must continue to practice your shots and learn the equipment. If you don't do those things you'll never get the quality you hoped for and it will be disappointing. With that said I hope everyone keeps shooting and sharing images. Post your pictures here and be open for some critique.

[CrazyED]

My new (used) toy purchased today!