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Only if you try. So might as well start trying. You had a year to watch the readings. — Aaron http://www.geocities.com/~birdvalley backyard birds from home http://www.members.tripod.com/birdvalley The other out door stuff, flowers ,bugs
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I was very fortunate to learn to take pictures with a very simple K1000 – match the needles, focus and shoot and get a really terrific picture. Now, I can take equally outstanding pictures with an AF camera, set it to P and click away. But after a year of this, surely I should be able to move into manually setting the camera and lenses. Can I match the needles on an AF camera? Help. Thanking you in advance. Ginger.
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I just got a new to me camera and I don’t know anything about it…. It is a Konica FP-1 and then there is the word program under that… I have no instructions on it and I don’t know what all the settings are on the lens. Any help that anyone could give me would be a big help. Thanks Mark
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I just got a new to me camera and I don’t know anything about it…. It is a Konica FP-1 and then there is the word program under that… I have no instructions on it and I don’t know what all the settings are on the lens. Any help that anyone could give me would be a big help.
Congratulations! You have acquired one of the most delightful cameras ever made. It is exceptionally easy to use, and thanks to the high quality Konica Hexanon lenses it is capable of uncommonly sharp and contrasty images. This camera has programmed exposure automation. It sets both the shutter speed and lens aperture automatically, according to the lighting conditions and the ISO/ASA film speed you are using. To take pictures, all you have to do is switch on the camera, focus the lens, and press the shutter button. There is an exposure indicator inside the viewfinder which consists of a red LED and a green LED. If there is enough light available to take a picture, the green LED will light when the shutter button is partially depressed. If the light is insufficient for the film speed you are using, the red LED will light. If the red LED comes on, this suggests that you should use an electronic flash or a film with higher ISO/ASA film speed rating. Using this camera involves following only a few simple steps: 1. Open the film door on the back and load film into the camera. I suggest you begin your photography experiments by using ISO/ASA 400 film color print film such as Fuji Superia. 2. Calibrate the camera’s internal light meter by setting the film speed on the dial which is concentric to the film rewind crank. 3. Insure that the lens aperture ring, which is marked with f/stops such as 1.7, 2.8, 4, 5.6, 8 etc., is set to the AE or EE position. If the lens aperture ring is NOT set to the AE or EE position, the exposure automation will be disabled and the shutter speed well be set to 1/100th sec for all of your exposures. That’s all there is to it. After following these 3 steps, you simply focus the lens and press the shutter button. The film is advanced from one frame to the next by turning the plastic tipped thumb lever on the top right side of the camera body. The film is rewound into the cassette by first pressing the small release button on the bottom of the camera, then turning the rewind crank counter-clockwise. There is an accessory power winder available for your camera, which is powered by 4 AA batteries and can advance the film at 2 frames per second. These cost about $40 in nice condition. The camera has a "dedicated" flash system which works seamlessly with the autoexposure system. The best flash unit for this camera is the Sunpak 422D or 444D, with the dedicated Konica module which is sold separately. Alternatively, the Sunpak 383 Super will also work well and a lower cost – though you must set the lens aperture manually. If you have any other questions about this fascinating and unique Gene Windell
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I’m not going to give you advice on which camera to buy, as I’m sure there are plenty of people in this group who can give you more informed opinions than I can, but I will tell you that black and white developing and printing is definitely more expensive than color. Just about every drugstore chain in every strip mall across the USA has a coloring processing and printing machine, not mention Kmart, Target, Walmart, Costco, Sams Club, and all the supermarket chains. All that competition keeps the price down. If you want to shoot black and white affordably I would suggest finding a good custom lab in your area. If you take your film to a camera store they are just going to act as a courier between you and a lab, so why not just skip the middle man and go straight to the source? You’ll get your pictures back faster and it will be cheaper too. You may have to try one or two places before you settle on one that you’re happy with, but you might get lucky and love the first one. Eventually you will develop a relationship with a printer that you’ll want to return to again and again. It’s similar to the kind of relationship that a film or TV director has with their editor. In the end you’ll probably end up bringing all your film there, black & white, color negatives, and slides. Good luck to you and your wife with your new hobby. I have to warn you though, it can be very addictive! Phil Voss – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – i don’t know jack squat about cameras. my wife and i are thinking of getting into photography as a hobbie together. if we do, we want to get a nice one reasonalble priced around $500-$600 ? ) we want to know if camera stores offer beginner to advanced classes or should we take a class at a college. would it matter one way or the other in your opinion? what is the best way to get half way educated on this, i’d hate to buy something only to find out 4 mos later i should have gotten something else that i wasn’t aware of. one other little question…. is it true that it costs more to develop black and white more than color?? we want to do black and white photos. thanks for any opinions
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Soft focus is a filter effect, not really the result of a particular lens. I’m not sure how much the filter costs, but I’m sure it’s much cheaper than a lens. Phil – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – a nudder question……. i’d like to do photos with a "soft effect", are these kinds of lenes costly? is there a web site for beginners anyone could refer me to? forrest ( yep, as in GUMP ) i don’t know jack squat about cameras. my wife and i are thinking of getting into photography as a hobbie together. if we do, we want to get a nice one reasonalble priced around $500-$600 ? ) we want to know if camera stores offer beginner to advanced classes or should we take a class at a college. would it matter one way or the other in your opinion? what is the best way to get half way educated on this, i’d hate to buy something only to find out 4 mos later i should have gotten something else that i wasn’t aware of. one other little question…. is it true that it costs more to develop black and white more than color?? we want to do black and white photos. thanks for any opinions
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i don’t know jack squat about cameras. my wife and i are thinking of getting into photography as a hobbie together. if we do, we want to get a nice one reasonalble priced around $500-$600 ? ) we want to know if camera stores offer beginner to advanced classes or should we take a class at a college. would it matter one way or the other in your opinion? what is the best way to get half way educated on this, i’d hate to buy something only to find out 4 mos later i should have gotten something else that i wasn’t aware of. one other little question…. is it true that it costs more to develop black and white more than color?? we want to do black and white photos. thanks for any opinions
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a nudder question……. i’d like to do photos with a "soft effect", are these kinds of lenes costly? is there a web site for beginners anyone could refer me to? forrest ( yep, as in GUMP )
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – i don’t know jack squat about cameras. my wife and i are thinking of getting into photography as a hobbie together. if we do, we want to get a nice one reasonalble priced around $500-$600 ? ) we want to know if camera stores offer beginner to advanced classes or should we take a class at a college. would it matter one way or the other in your opinion? what is the best way to get half way educated on this, i’d hate to buy something only to find out 4 mos later i should have gotten something else that i wasn’t aware of. one other little question…. is it true that it costs more to develop black and white more than color?? we want to do black and white photos. thanks for any opinions
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- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – i don’t know jack squat about cameras. my wife and i are thinking of getting into photography as a hobbie together. if we do, we want to get a nice one reasonalble priced around $500-$600 ? ) we want to know if camera stores offer beginner to advanced classes or should we take a class at a college. would it matter one way or the other in your opinion? what is the best way to get half way educated on this, i’d hate to buy something only to find out 4 mos later i should have gotten something else that i wasn’t aware of. one other little question…. is it true that it costs more to develop black and white more than color?? we want to do black and white photos. thanks for any opinions
If you’d like to ’sip from a firehose’ of generally good photo knowledge try photo.net: http://photo.net/photo/ You sound like you’re ready to read the thread on ‘building a 35mm SLR system’. Whether a camera store offers a class or not is of course dependent on where you live. Some do. I used to teach one myself (in Phoenix, while working my way through college). While I feel we delivered a good basic grounding in photography, we were of course motivated by ‘teasing’ our students with great shots taken with lenses, filters, and other accessories that we ulitmately desired to sell them. As to your last question, the consumer market drives the prices. Very few consumers demand quality B&W developing; those that desire it badly enough do it themselves. The consumer market likes color prints, and C-41 (color negative) film processors are everywhere; this drives the price down. An interesting compromise: there are now B&W films that are made to be run through the ubiquitous C-41 color processors. These films are sometimes called ‘chromogenic’ B&W films, and your resulting prints will be B&W, sometimes with a bit of color cast (this last depends on how well the particular machine is matched to the particular film). And sorry, I don’t have an opinion on the ‘best camera for you’. I’m so locked into the Nikon system (25+ years and counting) that I don’t really keep up on what everyone else is offering. Have fun! -Todd — Todd & Sharon Peach Seattle, Washington http://home1.gte.net/tpeach/NoPlaceLikeHome.htm
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a nudder question……. i’d like to do photos with a "soft effect", are these kinds of lenes costly? is there a web site for beginners anyone could refer me to?
Most of this is done with varous filters. Some of them are very costly, some are pretty cheap. There are several tricks for trying this ‘on the cheap’. You can shoot through a layer of pantyhose, for instance. You can also smear KY around the edges of an inexpensive protective filter, leaving the center clear (n.b.: most sources say to use Vaseline, KY is water soluble and cleans up easier). If you end up taking a darkroom class, try some these tricks under the enlarger instead. Most soft focus effects work by ‘bleeding’ the highlights; when you do it under the enlarger on a negative, you ‘bleed’ the shadows instead. Weird effect, ya gotta see it. -Todd — Todd & Sharon Peach Seattle, Washington http://home1.gte.net/tpeach/NoPlaceLikeHome.htm
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i don’t know jack squat about cameras. my wife and i are thinking of getting into photography as a hobbie together. if we do, we want to get a nice one reasonalble priced around $500-$600 ? ) we want to know if camera stores offer beginner to advanced classes or should we take a class at a college. would it matter one way or the other in your opinion?
In my area there’s a community college with a very good photo program; based on my experience with it I’d suggest you check and see if a community college in your part of the world offers a decent intro to photography class. Also check if they have equipment you can use at first while learning the basics, so that you can postpone buying your own until you know what you’re doing. This was the case at my local college. At this school, the basic photo class was a black & white class, which also fits in with what you want to know. I’ll admit right here that I don’t know anything about classes offered by camera stores, except that some *do* offer them. The only photography classes I’ve taken were at the community college. Second-best way is to read some books first. I do mean first. Then when you go camera shopping — for that matter, when you get camera recommendations from people — you’ll understand the concepts behind the terms used to describe the features. ER If you aren’t spamming, avoid the junktrap My photo gallery is at http://members.aol.com/ernreed
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Everybody here has given you such great advice, I almost hesitate to add to it. However, one thing I think you should do on top of this is just go out and take pictures- pictures- pictures. On top of all the knowledge you get from the books, classes, and the friendly people in this newsgroup, you’ll be able to apply that experience to what actually comes out of your camera. And don’t worry if you get a lot of crap initially. As to what camera to buy, you might want to consider used stuff. Although I realize that a lot of people in this newsgroup are anti-ebay, I bought my current outfit on ebay for $400.00, and I’ll compare the pics I get to anyone else’s. One caveat: make sure you aren’t paying too much for used stuff– I’ve seen some frighteningly overpriced used equipment, particularly thru the auction sites.
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Grab yourself a few books on photography from a used books store, or a library if there’s a good one in your area. The Community college route is good, or look about for a photographer, who takes students. I do this in my town and there may be someone in yours. Buying a camera is relatively simple as far as I’m concerned. Get a Canon Elan II or IIe and the Canon 50mm f1.8 lens for the lowest price, or if you can go the extra get the 28-105 USM zoom. You don’t have to know what any of this means but you do have to be specific – the differences between models can be one tiny number that amounts to a thousand dollars. Don’t worry too much about getting something you will outgrow quickly. A modern 35mm SLR will always be useful, if only as a trade in. I suggest the Elan because it is the model I use, and chose over the brand camera I had been using. My wife, who does not want to know about cameras, can use it. My students, who are learning can use it. I can use it, and I consider myself to be pretty advanced – in some areas. You can do it in your budget from B and H photo in New York City, if you do mail order. Pick up a magazine – either Shutterbug or Popular Photography to see their ad. or go to http://www.bhphotovideo.com . As a beginner I would avoid used equipment, unless you have a pretty savvy teacher. If you live in an area where there still are camera shops you should take a look at the Elan and a few other cameras in the same price range. Don’t take the salesman’s word on anything, though. Remember he is not really your friend, he’s trying to make a living. Check with this forum before you believe anything. If you can find an instructor, classes, or whatever, get some help from him or her. B/W costs more than colour to have processed, but if you learn how to do your own, it is one of the most satisfying accomplishments you can ever have. — Scanning, digital photo retouching, restoration, and web prep in Chapel Hill, NC, USA All work Strictly Confidential Before you buy.
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I have found that the most expensive thing in pfotography is indecision; not knowing what I want to take pictures of. With that in mind, I would suggest a nice Minolta XG something, with a 50mm lens, maybe $100 or $125. If you want to do a couple of headshots, add an 80 or 100 mm. Developing a roll of B/W will probably set you back about $15 and a week for terrible prints. Developing your own; $.50 and 20 mins. For the price of 10 rolls you can have a beginning darkroom. And then there is that pride thing, where the print on the wall has your name on it. Just a thought. Bob Hickey
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i don’t know jack squat about cameras. my wife and i are thinking of getting into photography as a hobbie together. if we do, we want to get a nice one reasonalble priced around $500-$600 ? ) we want to know if camera stores offer beginner to advanced classes or should we take a class at a college. would it matter one way or the other in your opinion?
Most community colleges have photo classes. Here in California junior colleges cost $11/credit so it’s a good deal. Often there are photo lab classes in addition to the lecture class. what is the best way to get half way educated on this,
Experience, aka college of hard knocks. one other little question…. is it true that it costs more to develop black and white more than color?? we want to do black and white photos.
Because 1 hour labs have sprouted everywhere color processing and especially 4×6 prints are very cheap. I’ve found b&w film processing to not be that expensive, but machine prints (or contact sheets) cost more than color from 1 hour processors. -dan
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thanks everyone for your advice
)) i hope you don’t mind me periodically asking more and more questions… in fact, i just thought of another question. what is the difference between a 35mm verses a 50mm camera. should i use one over the other being new to photography?
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – i don’t know jack squat about cameras. my wife and i are thinking of getting into photography as a hobbie together. if we do, we want to get a nice one reasonalble priced around $500-$600 ? ) we want to know if camera stores offer beginner to advanced classes or should we take a class at a college. would it matter one way or the other in your opinion? what is the best way to get half way educated on this, i’d hate to buy something only to find out 4 mos later i should have gotten something else that i wasn’t aware of. one other little question…. is it true that it costs more to develop black and white more than color?? we want to do black and white photos. thanks for any opinions
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thanks everyone for your advice
)) i hope you don’t mind me periodically asking more and more questions… in fact, i just thought of another question. what is the difference between a 35mm verses a 50mm camera. should i use one over the other being new to photography?
I don’t know of any "50mm cameras". I suspect you’re being thrown off by the ‘normal lens’ terminology. 35mm cameras are so-called because of the film they use, which measures about 35mm across (including the sprockets). The lens that most people consider ‘normal’ (i.e., not wide, not tele, just as your eye sees it) on a 35mm camera is the 50mm lens. -Todd — Todd & Sharon Peach Seattle, Washington http://home1.gte.net/tpeach/NoPlaceLikeHome.htm
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i don’t know jack squat about cameras. my wife and i are thinking of getting into photography as a hobbie together. if we do, we want to get a nice one reasonalble priced around $500-$600 ? ) we want to know if camera stores offer beginner to advanced classes or should we take a class at a college. would it matter one way or the other in your opinion?
Like several others suggested I’d say enroll in a community college beginning photo class. Most are bound to have accompanying lab classes so you’ll be exposed to darkroom fun, too. An added plus is being in the darkroom with your wife! [BUZZER!] Ooops, wrong news group. Fellow students will have different kinds of cameras where you may have an opportunity to try out since you’ll all be in the same boat. When I was in school I found working in the darkroom to be as much fun as taking the actual photo. There were many a photo where the end result was ’saved’ by extensive darkroom work. As for the camera I’d suggest begin building a system with quality equipment. Not only will it give you the best possible results but it will last you longer and — heaven forbid(!) — return more $$ if you decide to sell it. Whichever system you choose consider buying it through mailorder stores listed in the back of Popular Photography and Outdoor Photographer magazines, among others. Most people here have had good luck with B&H Photo, CameraWorld.com of Oregon and Adorama. Personally, I’ve also had good experience with World Photo, Video, etc. who usually beats the others prices. one other little question…. is it true that it costs more to develop black and white more than color?? we want to do black and white photos.
You may end up building a darkroom. B&W is fun in the darkroom. Good luck. Bob
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[standard advice on camera buying 1A] What you should be looking for in a new/1st SLR is something that takes 35mm film (APS SLR’s offer no significant advantage), something made by a company you’ve at least vaguely heard of (Nikon, Canon, Pentax, Minolta), and most importantly something that feels good in your hands. If you plan on doing something more than just casual snapshots (for which you might be better off with a Point and Shoot), make sure the camera has a Manual mode. Then go to a camera store. Tell the clerk you’re interested in handling the cameras to see how they feel. Hold them to your eye. Play with them a bit. Have the clerk show you how they work. Then go someplace else and do the same thing, just to make sure. All the major players make good cameras. All have very good lenses available for them (all also have not very good lenses – mostly in the kits the stores will try to sell you…). It would be hard to go wrong with any of them. So, go to the store and do some camera fondling. If you know what you hope to take pictures of most, have that in mind. And be open with the person behind the counter – some are like car salesmen, but I’ve found more of them (oddly at chain stores, rather than my local individual store) are avid photographers who will happily tell you what they use, and what works for them. To answer your other question, B&W photography is more expensive if you let the labs do the work. However, the chemicals and equipment involved in B&W developing and printing can become economical if you do your own work. Some local colleges or parks and rec districts or photo clubs or even photo stores, have darkrooms available for rent, and you can do the work there. -i don’t know jack squat about cameras. my wife and i are thinking of getting -into photography as a hobbie together. if we do, we want to get a nice one – reasonalble priced around $500-$600 ? ) we want to know if camera stores -offer beginner to advanced classes or should we take a class at a college. -would it matter one way or the other in your opinion? – -what is the best way to get half way educated on this, i’d hate to buy -something only to find out 4 mos later i should have gotten something else -that i wasn’t aware of. – -one other little question…. is it true that it costs more to develop black -and white more than color?? we want to do black and white photos. – -thanks for any opinions
— http://www.evolve.com/~drseuss "I have no humble opinions."
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-thanks everyone for your advice
)) i hope you don’t mind me periodically -asking more and more questions… in fact, i just thought of another -question. what is the difference between a 35mm verses a 50mm camera. should -i use one over the other being new to photography? Well, a 50mm camera would probably be closer to Medium Format, but I’ve never heard that designation. You’re confusing film size (35mm) and lens size (50mm). A 50mm lens takes pictures closest in terms of how much you see compared to the human eye. It’s a very good beginner lens because you don’t have to try and learn to expand or restrict your vision outside of the camera’s viewfinder. They also tend to be the fastest (work in the least amount of light) for various reasons of physics (ok, optics) and mechanics. The other film formats out there are APS (which uses 24mm film), Medium Format (which comes in various sizes), Large Format (again, multiple sizes) and Digital (which isn’t really film at all, but that’s beside the point…). Most folks here are recommending 50mm lenses because they force you to do a number of things you can’t do with a zoom lens – walk closer to what you want pictures of, or farther to get more coverage and also, because they’re generally the least expensive lenses you can buy, a good way to get a large range of aperatures (f-stops) so you can play with extreme differences in Depth of Field (which is what allows you to have just the subject in focus with everything behind either sharp or really fuzzy). Remember – while there *are* stupid questions, you have to really know your subject to figure out what they are. — http://www.evolve.com/~drseuss "I have no humble opinions."
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I fell in love with photography while taking classes toward my associates degree in commercial art. The problem with photography is that its possibilities are endless! Before you buy a camera, you must try to have some idea as to what you’re wanting to take pictures of. If you want to take close-ups of nature (flowers, butterflies and other small things), you’re really going to need a macro lens for your camera. If you’re wanting to take portraits, 135mm-150mm lens would work well. I could go on and on. Photography is exciting and it is tempting to just jump in, but you must do your research first to determine what it is you really need. I’d definitely advise locating a school where you can take an intro class to get your feet wet. If they are like my intro class was, you’ll get to experience the darkroom as well, learning to develop your own film and develop your own pictures in black and white. Your photography education will make all the difference. Equipment is secondary to your "eye" for a good picture. (Cameras don’t take good pictures, photographers do.) As someone else in the newsgroup pointed out, all the familiar brand names are going to be good product (Minolta, Canon, Nikon, etc.). Be warned . . . photography is addictive! "B"
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-one other little question…. is it true that it costs more to develop black -and white more than color?? we want to do black and white photos.
Black-and-white is more expensive if you pay someone else to do it. If you develop and print it yourself the cost can almost be characterized as negligible. And the *pride* that comes with having done the whole thing from beginning to end is immense. The equipment budget you mention will put together a nice system from any of the major manufacturers. A good place to start would be www.photo.net. There a number of articles that address exactly your questions. VK
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Go to the library & get some basic photography books. For B&W today, you really must, need, and will want, to do your own develop & print work. B&W darkroom work is the simplest, cheapest and most rewarding way to get your work on paper. Get a basic book on B&W darkroom to get some idea of the space in your home suitable for it. Take a basic 101 class in B&W that covers developing and printing B&W as well. This will quickly de-mystify the process and show you how simple it is. You will get to work with the materials & process for next to nothing. If you can’t do the home darkroom (…if you stick with it, you eventually will), find a community, club, or school darkroom to rent/use. …A camera? hmmmm… alot depends on where & what you want to photograph. Maybe something ultra basic ala K1000 style…? I don’t know. …Or load up the P&S with Delta 400. Wait & see what goes on in the B&W 101 class/workshop you take. Maybe you can try some different cameras there or get some ideas. …Maybe an old med. format folder for $100? Good luck, you will have fun. Gary Frost – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – i don’t know jack squat about cameras. my wife and i are thinking of getting into photography as a hobbie together. if we do, we want to get a nice one reasonalble priced around $500-$600 ? ) we want to know if camera stores offer beginner to advanced classes or should we take a class at a college. would it matter one way or the other in your opinion? what is the best way to get half way educated on this, i’d hate to buy something only to find out 4 mos later i should have gotten something else that i wasn’t aware of. one other little question…. is it true that it costs more to develop black and white more than color?? we want to do black and white photos. thanks for any opinions
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: Be warned . . . photography is addictive! Photography is slightly cheaper than doing drugs… but not by much. C.J. — C.J. Morgan
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I am looking at buying a camera and taking on photography as a hobby… I am looking to spend about $300 for the camera and lens, and am looking for something along the lines of a minolta htsi or canon rebel 2000. Can you offer any suggestions on other cameras I might look into ? Any other suggestions for a new photographer ? Thanks, Mike Before you buy.
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If you don’t already have one, get a library card. Check out some beginning photography books (they’re in section 778 I believe). Or, you can save about $20 from your budget and get Peter Burian’s book. Adult education classes in photography are usually offered by local high schools and community colleges. These can really help to jump start you into the hobby, by avoiding many things that you don’t usually get for one reason or another from reading. Have you considered a used manual focus camera? I know it’s exciting to get an auto focus/auto exposure camera, but the cost of the AF body doesn’t leave much room for a decent lens. If you can afford one, get a 50mm fast lens like an f1.8 (no matter what type of body you choose). These are usually high quality lenses that you’ll appreciate for a long time, unlike the low quality zooms usually supplied with the "kits". Later, a flash and/or tripod would be the next obvious steps. Welcome to a great vocation/hobby. Beware though. The frustration levels can be only compared to golf sometimes. :~) Richard – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I am looking at buying a camera and taking on photography as a hobby… I am looking to spend about $300 for the camera and lens, and am looking for something along the lines of a minolta htsi or canon rebel 2000. Can you offer any suggestions on other cameras I might look into ? Any other suggestions for a new photographer ? Thanks, Mike Before you buy.
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Thanks Richard! I will be heading down to the local camera shop this weekend and talking with the guy there to discuss a camera. I’ll stop by the library as well. Thanks again, Mike – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – If you don’t already have one, get a library card. Check out some beginning photography books (they’re in section 778 I believe). Or, you can save about $20 from your budget and get Peter Burian’s book. Adult education classes in photography are usually offered by local high schools and community colleges. These can really help to jump start you into the hobby, by avoiding many things that you don’t usually get for one reason or another from reading. Have you considered a used manual focus camera? I know it’s exciting to get an auto focus/auto exposure camera, but the cost of the AF body doesn’t leave much room for a decent lens. If you can afford one, get a 50mm fast lens like an f1.8 (no matter what type of body you choose). These are usually high quality lenses that you’ll appreciate for a long time, unlike the low quality zooms usually supplied with the "kits". Later, a flash and/or tripod would be the next obvious steps. Welcome to a great vocation/hobby. Beware though. The frustration levels can be only compared to golf sometimes. :~) Richard
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I am looking at buying a camera and taking on photography as a hobby… I am looking to spend about $300 for the camera and lens, and am looking for something along the lines of a minolta htsi or canon rebel 2000. Can you offer any suggestions on other cameras I might look into ? Any other suggestions for a new photographer ? Thanks, Mike Before you buy.
Before you buy.
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