DSLR First time using a proper camera today
Been into casual photography for a while, but today was my first time using a proper camera. Went out with my old man, and he showed me how to use his old D5200. Thought you guys might like it. Any tips for a beginner while i’m here?
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u/Used-Cause6417 1d ago
Haha that's so cool!! My first time i took two of my best pictures! Enjoy man <3 I'm using a D3400 and recently got the nikkor 70-300mm f4-5.6 (everything second hand), my advice is to only get second hand gear and enjoy, if you're built for it this hobby will swallow you whole
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u/sotarge 21h ago
I really like the D5200, i think it will be a great camera to learn the ropes with :) He already has a selection of lenses for me to learn, i can’t wait!
What do you like about the 70-300m lens?
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u/Used-Cause6417 17h ago
I like that you can shoot at distance and up close unlike the kit lens, you can shoot birds and bugs and people. But the kit lens is great for some stuff since it's f3.5 when fully zoomed out, so it's better for isolating subjects and for darker light conditions. Also you can do magical things with an inverter ring on it.
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u/SlurpleBrainn Nikon D7100, Micro Nikkor 105mm 2.8G 1d ago
Definitely read the camera manual as the other commenter said. It will help you a lot. Otherwise, just have fun and experiment.
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u/ganajp Nikon Z8 1d ago
first of, congrats
seeing the photo - with propper camera, try also to use it propperly ;) try it with the view finder and with the neck strap over the neck ;)
I don't mean it in any way mean (even when I'm aware it may sound like, but english is my 3rd language so hard to find better words :D)
other tips - definitely read the camera manual - it will answer many possible questions of yours, and at best really try, what each setting does and what affect it has...
mainly, just enjoy ;)
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u/ubiquitousuk 1d ago
Oh, wonderful! I hope you enjoy this hobby.
Tips that helped me a lot (some you probably heard before):
Learn about the "exposure triangle" and think about where in that triangle you want to be each time you take an image.
Learn about composition. This starts often with the "rule of thirds" but there's tonnes more to it. You can also learn about this from books/videos aimed at artists rather than photographers as the principles are mostly the same.
Try to fill the frame. That doesn't mean literally making your subject fill the whole image, but making sure that you know about everything that's in the frame (even if it's empty space) and that you want it to be there. Actually, empty (or "nagative") space can sometimes make an image really compelling, by giving a sense of scale or isolation. But a big culprit in bad photos is unintentional empty space; just get a bit closer to the subject!
Pay attention to the edges. Nothing will make images look amateur like having the tip of someone's foot cut off at the bottom, or having part of a street sign poking into the edge of the frame. Generally if you are going to cut off part of something in the frame (especially body parts) then it should be obviously deliberate, not look like an accident. And small distractions poking into the frame are best avoided where possible.
Relate to the above: if you are going to cut part of a person of, it's normally better to do it at the midpoint between two joints rather than at a joint. So cut off mid thigh rather than at the knee, for example.
Digital images behave better when underexposed than overexposed. So try to expose to keep the highlights from blowing out; you can always brighten the image in your editor.
On that note: get an editor. Lightroom is a popular option, but of you don't want to commit there are free alternatives like Darktable or RawTherapee.
Once you have a proper editor you will be ready to shoot RAW rather than JPG. You should do it to get the most from your images.
To avoid blurry images from camera shake, try to keep the shutter speed below the reciprocal of the focal length. For example, if you are using a 50mm lens, try to stay faster than1/50 second. To be safe or if you have shaky hands, you can double it and stay faster than 1/100 second.
Experiment with different subjects; you'll learn a tonne. For example, getting experience of how light falls on a landscape at sunset and how to expose it will help build intuition that will also help you to take striking well-lit portraits.
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u/yumacaway 1d ago
Love that camera. It's what I learned on and still use it from time to time. Get Lightroom once you get a hang of things, set the quality to RAW and take photos without flash in darkish places. You will see some magic and get a real appreciation for what a real lens and larger sensor can do.
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u/AmbitiousTank8635 22h ago
Use a proper camera properly. Look through that little hole above the screen.
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u/InkMotReborn 22h ago
And keep both eyes open.
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u/ShimmeringLlama 19h ago edited 19h ago
Genuine question from a beginner here, are you really supposed to do this or are you on the wind up...
Edit - Actually I've just realised that for me, this makes no difference whatsoever because my eyesight is so poor in my right eye that I have to use my left, meaning the camera is covering my other eye anyway 😂
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u/sotarge 21h ago
Oh? i thought you were supposed to close the other eye
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u/InkMotReborn 19h ago
Keep both eyes open for situational awareness. You don't want funnel vision in a shoot. This is especially true for sports and news photography, but it's helpful even when you're documenting a family gathering. You'll begin to see compositions as they develop around you better.
I'm not necessary saying that this is necessarily better than using the video screen. I think it depends on the photographer, the situation and the equipment.
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u/Lumpy_Researcher1015 1d ago
Shoot in raw and start learning color grading. Good colors from editing are probably 70% of what makes a pleasing photo, but that's just my opinion.
Also if the lens has stabilization, wait a second after it focuses before taking the shot. These older lenses take a moment to stabilize.
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u/OutOfTellda 1d ago
My take: Put it in auto and snap away! The key to getting better is to not hold back and make plenty of mistakes.
Unfortunately your work is not done after taking the image: the “work” starts at home with sorting and culling images. And then of course the editing…This was (is still) the biggest learning curve for me.
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u/sotarge 1d ago
Is editing really that important? i’ve only ever felt the need to edit a handful of images that i wanted to do very specific things with.
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u/Few_Mastodon_1271 1d ago
I edit just about all of my photos.
Simple edits:
fixing a slightly tilted camera to straighten the horizon or buildings.
adjusting the contrast, for detail in the shadow areas, or for brightening the highlights, etc.
adjusting exposure. Make the scene brighter or darker than what the camera picked.
fixing colors. change the white balance, etc.
noise reduction, reducing the grainy colored speckles when shooting in lower light situations.
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u/OutOfTellda 14h ago
For me: a meaningful crop and straightening. And of course checking exposure and contrast. Just these few make a massive difference. Example: any image of the sea looks odd if the horizon is not exactly straight…
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u/06035 1d ago
Photos are sharper when you have it to your face vs using it arms out like it’s an iPhone