What I would like to see.....Don't know where to post this..

[sydneysteelers]

Instead of seeing all the Tutorials I see which are different everywhere you go on the net I would like to see a Mentor system in place. Not that the Tutorials are no good because they have the best information to help us all but I just get mixed up with the same subject but people saying to to it different ways.

There are a lot of Pros on this site with the best information around but it seems when you ask for information the opinions are all over the place. And to make it clear their advice is important us all.

I know you think I'm crazy, but first hear me out.

What is the best portrait lens? I know for one what the answers is, well that depends who answers this because there is so many different answers. (50mm 1.8, 50 1.4, 85, 35 etc etc) I don't know which one but I am mixed up.

What is the best starter DSLR? I am not fast at typing so I don't what to put them all here, I was told Nikon D5000.

What do you think about the 18-55mm Nikon kit lens? I have so many it's good it's bad I don't know if it is or isn't.

Here is what I have, Nikon D5000, 50mm 1.8g, 18-55mm, 55-200mm with no flash and no strobe or are they the same thing because I am not sure.

Then I was told the Nikon D5000 was not a good buy but I seem to like it for what I know about taking pictures to this point.

Use flash and then don't use flash, bang bang the head on the wall....lol

I did learn something that always sticks with me, it's not the camera it's the photographer. I figured that out when I watched more than one photographer use a phone and point and shoots and they took some of the best photos I have seen.

What I would like to see is a mentor system in place. This would be a pro mentoring amateurs by teaching them how to use their camera, settings and how to take photos. I would love to see the pro giving assignments to the amateur and them being carried out and sent to the pro.

I think you understand what I mean by what I have here so far.

After going back and forth 5000 or more times about buying a flash or studio lights I decided that natural light is something I would love to learn.

My daughter is due with my second grandchild in the first part of Feb. and I wish I knew what I was doing to take some nice photos of her right now so when her daughter grows up she will be able to look back and say her grandfather took them so she could see his little angel that was born Feb. 2012. It would be great to have a clue to take those new born photos in Natural light. I just bought my camera a week before my grandson was born and used auto the whole time so I wouldn't miss those hospital pictures and when he arrived home. It was so much fun at the hospital that day, I only took 363 photos...lol

Anyway I really like the mentor part and think it would be a lot better to learn from the pros instead of trying to watch videos and read over and over just to press the next video or site and the next person say it should be done this way instead of that way.

Thanks and now I know why I keep it on auto.

Art

[ArmySoldier777]

While the idea might be a good one, it's just not a practical one. Don't get me wrong, I first started down the photography road about a year ago, and I definitely know how frustrating it can be hearing a dozen different answers about the same thing. But there's a reason for that. The fact is, most of the time there is no direct answer. It's all subjective, and it all differs on a person's style. So while it may be hard to sort through all the different information, it gives you a better idea of just how many choices you can make about the direction you want to go. Trust me, it all gets easier in time as you start finding your own strengths and weaknesses. And then it gets harder again once you become your hardest critic. I think that's a never ending cycle.

As far as the best beginner DSLR, there isn't one. That's all dependent on the person too. What feels good in one person's hand, may not feel the best in another. What works for one person's budget, may not work for someone elses.

[mosgood]

Originally Posted by ArmySoldier777

While the idea might be a good one, it's just not a practical one. Don't get me wrong, I first started down the photography road about a year ago, and I definitely know how frustrating it can be hearing a dozen different answers about the same thing. But there's a reason for that. The fact is, most of the time there is no direct answer. It's all subjective, and it all differs on a person's style. So while it may be hard to sort through all the different information, it gives you a better idea of just how many choices you can make about the direction you want to go. Trust me, it all gets easier in time as you start finding your own strengths and weaknesses. And then it gets harder again once you become your hardest critic. I think that's a never ending cycle.

As far as the best beginner DSLR, there isn't one. That's all dependent on the person too. What feels good in one person's hand, may not feel the best in another. What works for one person's budget, may not work for someone elses.

+1, David!

Hi Sydney. The best dslr for you would be the one you can afford & feels good in your hand. If you got a steal on any camera but you hated the way it felt in your hand or found it hard to navigate the buttons, knobs, & /or menu screen (so you tossed it in the closet where it never sees the light of day), would it be a wonderful bargain then?

I recommend checking out at least one camera store that has a wide variety of cameras available. Read some photography reviews to narrow down your search. But the best way to know which camera is best for you is how you like the way it responds to you. Can't get that from other photographers or reviews. While some may say Canon, others like Nikon, but there's many more out there....Sony, Pentax, etc.

[Lamar]

Art,

Have you tried to find a local club in your area. I googled "camera club, my city, my state" (assuming you're US based) and found one for me right away. The local club here meets once a month with guest speakers and workshops. Plus they have month photo trips. That could be an avenue to finding someone who can help one on one.

Also, make sure you're giving yourself enough time to achieve the quality you desire. It does take a lot of practice to get to the next level.

Lamar

[sydneysteelers]

When I was talking about which camera I did say (Here is what I have, Nikon D5000, 50mm 1.8g, 18-55mm, 55-200mm with no flash and no strobe or are they the same thing because I am not sure.) but then I was saying I was told it's not a good one to start with.

Then when you get to that information overload and it gets frustrating you type something like this to see what type of replies you get and you go back to the start again....lol

Thanks
Art

[jdepould]

People have emailed me on occasion with questions about this or that, sports shooting, gear, whatever, and I generally try to be as helpful as I can, but mentoring digitally is difficult. I think doing it over video chat, where you could link images back and forth while having a real conversation would be easier.

Part of the problem with the example questions you posted is that none of them have a clear-cut answer. The best portrait lens could very well be a 14mm, and an 18-55 is still better than the camera on my fiancee's BlackBerry (though I'd probably choose my iPhone over the kit lens). Most of it is subjective. If you asked me what the best entry level camera was right now, I probably wouldn't pick any SLR at all.

I've used flash, I've used a full-on studio with an 8-foot octobox. I've also shot available light outside, at night in an October snowstorm in upstate New York. Absolute control over a scene can be nice, but I like serendipity too. I'm working on a 365 right now just trying to find interesting ways to use light and color, nothing is out of bounds. I just want to see what we can shoot.

I guess the point I'm trying to make is this: my ideal is to reach a level of technical and creative fluency that the tools don't matter. That doesn't mean I don't take my tools seriously, but if my iPhone is the camera within reach, it's the one I'll be grabbing. I can generally figure out what look I want before I hit the shutter, and I'm comfortable enough that I can get what I want with a variety of setups.

[sydneysteelers]

You just answered one of the questions that I say we get different answers for. I have seen that question so many times. Is the 18-55mm kits lens ant good and a lot say yes and a lot say no but you said an IPhone is better then that lens.

Now you know what I mean about asking a question and getting different answers but you would have to be the first person that has ever said you would sooner the IPhone instead of the 18-55mm lens. WOW.

I think you just confirmed what I was talking about in my post.

Thanks
Art

[ArmySoldier777]

I can definitely get better quality pictures with an 18-55 kit lens than my iPhone lol, but I do see where he's coming from. And that's why mine is on sale on craigslist lol.

[doctorjames]

I guess the issue here is that it is opinion.

If someone asks me what I would buy, I tell them what I would buy.

Me trying to make decisions for someone else just isnt going to be sensible.

Should I use flash?, should I use natural light?, should I use a reflector?, again, these are all opinions.

If you ask for opinions then you are going to get differing ones, thats just life, you just need to work out whose opinions you value. Sometimes this is clear cut - like the person that showed me the best way to turn off the computer at work (just using the socket), other times there isnt going to be a right answer.

Oh and my opinion on your question about portrait lenses?... All of them are right.

[ArmySoldier777]

Originally Posted by doctorjames

Oh and my opinion on your question about portrait lenses?... All of them are right.

That's a good point, and I'd like to extend on that a little bit too. There is no "right" portrait lens for every person you shoot. Some people look better at closer distances while using the 35, while others look a little disfigured. If somebody has a longer than average nose, it's going to become hugely apparent "honestly, no pun intended" while shooting up close at a wide angle. For somebody like that, you'd want to put distance between yourself and your subject, possibly using the 85mm. And it can work in the opposite way too. Some people don't look as well compressed with a longer lens as they do up close with a wider angle.

So, not trying to complicate things even more than you were already dealing with, but those are some other things that you have to take into consideration too lol.