Starter equipment

Full disclosure: I am not familiar with much that is in the posts in this forum. I know what a tripod is, I know what a lens is, etc., but I'm not familiar with the names and the specifications.

For anyone who hasn't been involved with helping me with feedback, I am just getting seriously into something that I have always loved -- nature photography -- and I am using right now a Canon PowerShot S5 IS. It does have a lot of things that you can set and change, and I'm working through that now.

Is there such a thing as good starter equipment, starting with a DSLR camera? If there is and you have recommendations, I would greatly appreciate your recommendations. Thank you so much.

If it matters, what I like best is flora and fauna, including macros and close-ups. I also do like sky and trees, but not so much landscape photography. Thanks. I'm thankful for how patient you all are.

Barbara, I will let the folks who are serious digital shooters give some ideas on a good camera body and lens to start with. For the most part every one starts out with some basic items and it usually leads to a lot of items if you keep at it long enough. My only input at this point is to buy a decent tripod. Typically you will find it around for quite sometime while other items will come & go, be added to, or upgraded somewhere along the line. The tripod is a must piece of hardware when being serious about photography and obviously it will support a variety of camera platforms overall.

Barbara:
Welcome to the world of nature photography. The advice that I give to those who ask is to put your money in lenses. Buy the best quality lenses that you can afford and then get a camera body. If you choose good lenses, they will outlast the camera body by a long way. Choose a system that meets your needs. In today's world of photographic equipment, the two big dogs on the block are Canon and Nikon. If I were you, I would choose from one of those two systems based on your needs and the equipment those manufacturers offer. Paul's advice on a tripod is right on the money.

Hi Barbara
If you like Canon, The Canon Rebel T2i is a good choice. Nikon makes equivalent entry level DSLRs as do other companies such as Sony and Olympus, but being a Canon shooter, I'm more familiar with Canon's line of cameras and lenses. Last year my wife got her first DSLR, a Canon Rebel T1i. It is a small, lightweight, capable camera. I love it.

One of the things you'll like about a DSLR is the optical TTL (through the lens) viewfinder. The electronic viewfinder in your little superzoom camera just doesn't measure up.

Most entry level DSLRs are available with a kit lens that adds about $100 to the price of the camera. The only reason for getting the kit lens is that you can't afford anything better for now and you wouldn't be able to use the camera at all without it. Put the hundred dollars towards better glass. If you like to shoot birds and other wildlife, you are going to want a telephoto lens. Canon's best lenses are designated with an L. They tend to be rather pricey. A telephoto L lens is going to cost you more than $1000. The Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM is a good mid-grade lens at well under $1000. There are good lenses available also for independent lens makers Sigma, Tamron, and Tokina.

To learn more about the details of various cameras, learn your way around the DPReview website: http://www.dpreview.com/

If you want to jump in with both feet and are willing to make the monetary commitment, see what top NPNers are using and check out the manufacturers' websites.

I concur with Paul's and Keith's good advice.

Hi, Barbara - my suggestion, in addition to the above, would be to look for a good used camera. People are always "moving up" and selling older things. You can get some fine equipment at great bargains - either from people here who are well-known, or from a well-respected place like KEH.com from whom I've bought lots of "used" stuff.
If you'd give us an idea of your budget, we can suggest specific things.
Sandy r

Hi Barbara,

The possibilities are endless and are limited only by the amount of cash you are willing to throw at it. Which brand to buy can be argued all day. I agree with Keith about lenses. Quality glass is a much better value than the latest camera body.

Looking at your NPN gallery, it seems you're drawn to small critters, flowers and birds. Take a look at the close-up (flowers and critters) galleries of NPN member Ronnie Gaubert. Be sure to look at the EXIF data below the images to see the equipment and shot settings.

http://www.pbase.com/ronnie_14187/galleries_by_subject

Also look at his pre-2008 bird galleries.

http://www.pbase.com/ronnie_14187/galleries_by_year

All of the close-up and birds were shot with a 300mmf4 and various combinations of tele-extenders and extension tubes.

For my money a 300mmf4 lens is one of the biggest bang for the buck lenses for nature out there. Also note that it doesn't take the latest pro body to get great results.

Best Regards,,,,,,David

Barbara,
I agree with everything stated above... FWIW, I am a Nikon user and started out with an entry level and within a year moved up a bit (D60 to a D80). The kit lenses are great but, like stated above, the money should be spent on the lenses. As for the camera, from a Nikon perspective, look for a good used one and I would strongly suggest getting one with an internal motor for focusing. The D3000, D5000, D40's and D60's are wonderful cameras the only drawback is they lack an internal motor so you have to purchase AF-S lenses which can run a little more in cost.

You didn't indicate an overall budget that you were looking at. Based on you budget, you could find a good used camera and then look at pricing good glass.

Good Luck,
Troy

Barbara,

I don't know much about Canon gear I shoot with Nikon bodies but you should be able to find an entry level DSLR for a reasonable amount from either one. I put my money in the lenses.

Actually, you have a pretty fine camera as is.
Lots of manual controls and a great zoom, along with macro capabilities that are often unmatched by DSLR cameras (0 cm. close focus in Super Macro mode!). Why not familiarize yourself with what you already have before spending a lot of $$$ on something else? It's not the equipment you have that will improve your photography, but lots of patience and practice.

Here is one piece of advice that is not directly gear related. Whatever you do or brand you decide on, do not go to the back of any camera magazine and buy fro the cheapest place that offers the gear you want. There are unfortunately a lot of companies that even pond scum wouldn't willingly associate with.

KEH is mentioned above - they have a very good reputation for used gear. B&H for new gear is also very good. I tend to buy a lot from Midwest Photo in Columbus.

B&H's prices are also about the minimum of what you should be paying from a company that is reputable. Due to their size, they can get the best prices from the manufacturers. Anyone that is significantly below their prices should be looked at very carefully.

p.s. Buy Canon (Disclaimer: I am a Canon owner. Seriously, I'd probably look most closely at either Canon or Nikon, due to them being at the forefront of technology, having the most extensive product line-ups and every third party company supports their gear out of market necessity.)

I remember how confusing my search was when I started...when you decide on a tripod, be sure to get one that uses a "quick release". You may also want to attend a program that allows you to borrow equipment and gives you tips - well worth the money if you can find one. I attended a program in Mass. a couple of months ago - local shops combined with Canon and Nikon (on different days) at a historic or scenic location and allowed use of their high-end cameras and lenses - fantastic way to weed out what you do and don't want and talk to reps without sales pitches. Perhaps you can check the Canon and Nikon websites to see if they have something going on. I wish I knew about these programs before I chose my equipment!

Barbara, there's lots of good advice here. I'll add that if you do purchase a tripod early on in the process, do so with a mind toward your eventual goals for gear. That is, be sure you don't buy a tripod that is too light for that big telephoto you're hoping to purchase in 6 months or a year. Take a good look at what other people are using, and look especially close at the people whose work you admire. The advice to focus more on the glass than the camera body is good too.

Barbara, tons of good advice so far. My two cents is to be deliberate. As John noted, master the concepts and controls of what you have and you'll be better able to judge what you want to move to. I'd also suggest that you be very hard on yourself as to why you want a DSLR. In the classes I teach I frequently see folks who buy a DSLR and then want me to recommend the one single lens to buy so they never have to change lenses. If that's the case, then why not simply buy a high-end, 20x zoom, point and shoot? Lot's of advantages there...never dust on the sensor, built in macro without spending another $1000, etc. You might try to find a camera club or photo classes in your area where you can meet people who have DSLR's and/or learn more about using them which will then help also. With a club, you can actually get your hands on some of all brands. I live in Jacksonville and teach in and around it. There are at least two camera clubs in Jacksonville and I'm sure more in the area. If after careful consideration and all this work, you're sure a DSLR is for you, then you can't go wrong with the Canon T2i or a used older Canon. If you do opt for an older vintage body regardless of brand, just don't go "too old" because the technology and advancements the last couple years have been truly remarkable, especially as far as high ISO performance. Feel free to contact me directly if I can help. The journey has begun. Hang on and enjoy the truly wonderful ride! John

Great advice from every single person so far, Barbara. I'll focus on re-emphasizing a few things that if I had known when I started out, it would have saved me sooooo much $$$ in the long run. Do whatever you can to buy the best lenses! Have a few garage sales; sell the heirlooms-- GOOD GLASS makes all the difference. Get the best tripod and head, which combo will run you about 1400 for new equipment. For all the tripods and heads I've bought over the years, I could have bought 3 of what I have now. And I believe the best advice of all comes from John M.: shoot a lot before you plunk down the big bucks for any gear. Shoot hundreds of photos a day for a year (not kidding) with the equipment you now have. Familiarize yourself with the features on your own camera so that you know what you do and don't like about it. It will help enormously to choose your new gear and you won't be so dependent on the sales pitch. If you want to try gear other than your own, rent it for a couple days; wish I had done that.
Look at lots of photos here on NPN and elsewhere. It's a good study for discovering what kinds of images look great to you, which ones you gravitate to and would like to shoot yourself. Most of all, enjoy the passion and shoot, shoot, shoot-- anything, everything, all the time!

I agree with John and Catherine that one of your best options is to work through the first part of the learning curve with the camera you have. The S5-IS is an excellent camera for macros, it has a hot-shoe so you can use an external flash arrangement (very helpful for low light macros), it has full manual controls and it has a versatile lens (35mm to 435 mm equivalent). The camera will produce some exceptional images in decent light. You definitely want to get a good tripod though (one that can hold your camera close to the ground for those macro shots).

I would shoot tons of photos (as Catherine suggests) and focus on learning what the primary tools (aperture, shutter speed & ISO) do for your image. Learn how to determine the correct exposure for each particular shot and use your camera's settings to accomplish that goal. While you are shooting lots of photos to learn the mechanics you can also study up on the basic rules of composition and do some trial and error shots to see the difference. Then, in your spare time when you're not outside shooting, you can get a decent processing program, if you don't already have one, and learn how to improve your photos and process them for online publishing and printing. As you work through these learning processes you'll be amazed at what you can produce with the camera you have. In the meantime, start setting money aside for your future equipment plus read, learn and keep current on the modern cameras. Then, when you truly feel the camera is your limitation, take a look at what is out there for equipment that meets your newly developed preferences and needs and make the investment. I suspect that the hardware will have changed significantly by that time.

You don't have to invest thousands of dollars to learn techniques, enjoy photography and even sell photos. I have been shooting for 8 years now and still use a fixed lens camera (Sony R-1). In the last 4 years I have sold well over 1,000 prints and many of those were photos taken with my first 5 mpixel digital camera, a Sony F707. The total investment for my current hardware is around $1200.

Whatever your decision, enjoy, learn and stay connected with NPN!

Thank you all so much. I will reply more specifically later but wanted to say thank you now. I'm in Atlanta visiting my daughter & son-in-law & beautiful baby boy first grandchild right now, so spending less time on the computer for the moment. I have, however, found out about CHDK, or Canon Hacker Development Kit, which adds the ability to shoot RAW and expands other setting options. I have to spend more time reading the information and then will probably install that. But I will respond to you all more specifically later on today. Thank you again.

You've given me so much help here, and I really appreciate it. I did get a very inexpensive tripod that works with my existing camera, which possibly wasn't the best idea, but it was only $59, so it won't be a big deal if I only use it for a while.

I think I'm going to try the CHDK that I mentioned above and work with my S5 a little longer, as a few of you suggested. I think I need to know that I am really, really ready to move on from there before I do.

I would never have even thought about the fact that people move up and sell their used equipment, so I really appreciate being made aware of that.

When I do move to a DSLR camera, I will remember that the lenses are the most important thing. Thank you for the specific suggestions on camera bodies and lenses.

As far as budget, I don't really have one, but I also won't be charging anything. I usually try to find the most value for the money at any given time, but not on the low end. I've been self-employed for almost 10 years, and I do different things at different times as far as discretionary spending, so this will be one of those things.

I will continue studying your comments above and I will be closely studying Ronnie Gaubert's photos.

Thank you!

I have, however, found out about CHDK, or Canon Hacker Development Kit, which adds the ability to shoot RAW and expands other setting options. I have to spend more time reading the information and then will probably install that. But I will respond to you all more specifically later on today. Thank you again.

I loved having CHDK installed on my S2 IS when I was starting out. It was nice to be able to play with the RAW files. However, I wasn't able to get terrific results with them, since the RAW converters didn't directly support the camera. (Well, good results were possible but with some major settings changes and effort.) So don't count too much on the RAW support - although trying to process them is still an excellent learning experience.

Barbara - You might also want to take a look at this thread I posted when I was having issues with CHDK.

Also, as an update to that post, I quit using RawTherapee when I got an SLR and full version of PS CS4. Overall it was a nice program, but very slow.