Is DSLR only the way to do professional nature photography, I am confused, I used to take photos in digital cameras like nikon cool pix, now I have bought Nikon 3200 and I have 3 lens with me 18-55, 55-200 and Sigma DG 150-500. I just want to know, is Sem SLRs, digital camera with greater zooms are better than the DSLR cameras or not...
If by 'professional' you mean making money from nature photography, then any camera will work. Why? The camera and lenses are simply tools. It is the photographer and how they use the tools and conduct business that generates revenue.
Having said that, it makes sense to obtain the best tools one can afford that will do the job at hand.
In your post, you say, "Sem SLRs, digital camera with greater zooms...". I am unclear as to what you are referring to, as I have not heard the term 'Sem' before. Would you please explain?
It looks like you are new to NPN. Welcome aboard! We look forward to seeing your images and comments on the work of other members.
--P
<div style="margin-left:40px">The camera and lenses are simply tools. It is the photographer and how they use the tools and conduct business that generates revenue.</div>
Nishand, I wanted to emphasize the above comment from Preston. I am not a professional photographer, but I want to be a really good photographer, and to try to get there I study and take to heart the comments I receive here on NPN as well as studying the images of other people and the comments they receive. In my opinion, NPN is only helpful to those who really want to learn from the information the photographers here give them about making their images better. Welcome, and good luck!
Nishand, As others have said, in the hands of someone knowledgeable, any decent camera will work - point-and-shoots, Camera phones, etc as well as DSLR's. There are more than a few WP's here that were taken with simply a cell phone.
The DSLRs will have more pixels, which is important with small things like birds or distant animals.
You have very good equipment. Now, you need to invest time to learn the basics about exposure, speed, and other settings, as well as the basics about editing.
The camera shop you purchased your camera from should have lessons, or you can find online tutorials and books.
It takes time, practice, practice, and more practice.
Good luck, and - most of all - enjoy the outdoors and have fun!
My two cents. Short answer, eventually and at this point in time the answer is yes. DSLR is still the best choice. That said, now I have to back off. Mirrorless cameras are making great strides and at some point may overtake DSLR for the ability to capture wildlife at distance and/or in movement. Right now they are not there. DSLR is more "likely" to give better image quality all other things being equal - better ISO performance, better focusing, more options to suit the scene, etc etc. If your nature work is primarily flowers, landscapes, that sort of thing, heck, you could get by with a smartphone. So you see, there is no simple answer. My "yes" at the outset is a total generalization, and of course just an opinion.
You have a DSLR and a selection of lenses that totally span just about every conceivable nature photography application. So stick with all that. Master it as the others have said. Get to the point where the camera becomes a part of you and not something you have to think about. Then at that point critically analyze your images as well as your preferences to decide if a change is warranted. There are more advanced cameras than your 3200 but don't just leap to one until you assess what the next camera will do for you that the one you have won't.
Take lots of pictures. Look at the work of others. How do yours stack up? Note the differences and note why. The tough love is that the "why" is more often the person using the camera than the camera itself.
Cambridge In Color is another great resource for tutorials in easy to understand language. There is a subset there titled Photographic Concepts that you might also find helpful.
--P
Discussion
7 repliesIf by 'professional' you mean making money from nature photography, then any camera will work. Why? The camera and lenses are simply tools. It is the photographer and how they use the tools and conduct business that generates revenue.
Having said that, it makes sense to obtain the best tools one can afford that will do the job at hand.
In your post, you say, "Sem SLRs, digital camera with greater zooms...". I am unclear as to what you are referring to, as I have not heard the term 'Sem' before. Would you please explain?
It looks like you are new to NPN. Welcome aboard! We look forward to seeing your images and comments on the work of other members.
--P
Nishand, I wanted to emphasize the above comment from Preston. I am not a professional photographer, but I want to be a really good photographer, and to try to get there I study and take to heart the comments I receive here on NPN as well as studying the images of other people and the comments they receive. In my opinion, NPN is only helpful to those who really want to learn from the information the photographers here give them about making their images better. Welcome, and good luck!
The DSLRs will have more pixels, which is important with small things like birds or distant animals.
You have very good equipment. Now, you need to invest time to learn the basics about exposure, speed, and other settings, as well as the basics about editing.
The camera shop you purchased your camera from should have lessons, or you can find online tutorials and books.
It takes time, practice, practice, and more practice.
Good luck, and - most of all - enjoy the outdoors and have fun!
Sandy
You have a DSLR and a selection of lenses that totally span just about every conceivable nature photography application. So stick with all that. Master it as the others have said. Get to the point where the camera becomes a part of you and not something you have to think about. Then at that point critically analyze your images as well as your preferences to decide if a change is warranted. There are more advanced cameras than your 3200 but don't just leap to one until you assess what the next camera will do for you that the one you have won't.
Take lots of pictures. Look at the work of others. How do yours stack up? Note the differences and note why. The tough love is that the "why" is more often the person using the camera than the camera itself.
Good luck!
JR
http://online.nikonschool.com/courses/?cid=EML:NS:021817:Mar09All:VariousClasses:na:link:nav_NSO:na&ET_CID=1204636&ET_RID=118760156
Sandy
--P
With regards
Nishand Venugopal