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 #12 Re: Crash Course On How To Use An SLR!! 27/02/2008 @ 22:26:26 |
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| In reply to post #1 ... |
best thing to do... play about!! very technical i know!! thats how i learn most things though!!( this is how i learn sports, photography and website creating on dreamweaver(though i did have some help witht the last one )) i find personal experience works alot better than rounting through some tiresome manual trying to work something out!! that way you find out what what works best for you! each photographer has different techniques and style and you pick up more if your actually doing something!! learn by making mistakes! |
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| #11 Re: Crash Course On How To Use An SLR!! 17/01/2008 @ 08:20:37 |
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| In reply to post #10 ... |
people will have different opinions on this, at the end of the day it is really up to you and which camera you get on with...
remember though that when you buy an slr that you will largely be choosing the brand that you will use for a very long time (possibily the rest of your life) due to the nature of lens fits / systems
so get yourself into a shop, have a play about, see what you like, go away and have a look at the reviews then buy  |
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The difference between eccentricity and madness is an engineering background
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| United States |
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| #10 Re: Crash Course On How To Use An SLR!! 17/01/2008 @ 01:08:29 |
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| Revision #4 (Last edited: 17/01/2008 @ 01:14:27) |
| In reply to post #1 ... |
what for you guys is the best slr?
I'm thinking of buying one... and i'm not sure what to get yet. |
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| This is where I get my snowboard tricks coz I'm a snowboarding fiend. |
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| #9 Re: Crash Course On How To Use An SLR!! 10/01/2008 @ 15:42:52 |
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| In reply to post #4 ... |
For Iso, set it to 200 for most days, 400 for dark overcast.
You will want to set 0.7 or 1 stop of over exposure for snow.
Leave the focus in the auto/general setting.
Read the bit about WB, set the white balance when you go out there by taking a bit of grey card in your backpack. The inside of a cereal box is a good approximation, or fill the viewfinder with a section of freshly groomed track, where there's equal parts of snow in the direct sunlight and shadow.
I cannot overemphasize to need for flash when shooting people on snow.
Particularly for times when the sun is behind your subject.
This obviously only works when they are close to you. |
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| #8 Re: Crash Course On How To Use An SLR!! 05/01/2008 @ 11:55:42 |
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| In reply to post #7 ... |
White balance isn't desperately important, I'd just leave it on auto and then alter it on Photoshop when I get home if it needs it. The auto WB on my 30d is very good though.
It's much more important to get the right shot in the first place, with the right amount of light. The settings will all depend on the conditions, but I'd probably start by using shutter priority (Tv mode on mine, not sure what it's called on the Sony) with ISO400 (less if it's bright) and start off at around 1/100. Then you can fiddle about with the shutter speed and see what you like - too blurred change to a faster speed etc. |
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| #7 Re: Crash Course On How To Use An SLR!! 02/01/2008 @ 15:11:00 |
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| In reply to post #6 ... |
I dont have much experience wih Sony's but I know that dfferent brands auto mode differ a great deal for example, my Canon on auto takes very warm pretty natural colours in all but the most extremem conditions(snow would be one of these) my friends auto setting takes really cool almost like there is a flourescent light everywhere, his camera is a Nikon, another friend of mine has a Olympus and its colours are really bright in Auto.
I reckon you should spend a few minutes at different times of the first day you arrive and just try and get something reasonable on the viewfinder, change things in big chuncks so its obvious to you what you are actually changing and how it affects the photo, but dont change to much, you wont have to the white balance and the shutter speed will make biggest difference obviously. get a couple of settings and then just switch between them at diffrent times of the day.
You cant expect yourself to be able to read the manual and hey presto so give yourself a break and a little time in the beginning to sort it and remember photoshop is your friend  so if you have a couple of duffers dont worry about it PS will fix it for you when you get back and there are tons and I mean tons of online PS tutorials to help you if you dont know much about it.
Oh and one other thing, some shots in snow just wont come out e.g. if the angle is wrong for the sun light and its streaming into your lens or vice versa then you could be there all day trying to get a shot thats never gonna happen without the right equipment so dont beat yourself up about it. |
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| I dont mind hurting I just dont want to break! |
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| Wiltshire |
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| #6 Re: Crash Course On How To Use An SLR!! 02/01/2008 @ 14:52:38 |
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| In reply to post #5 ... |
| The problem with auto WB is that it when used in the snow it will underexpose darker subjects if there is a lot of snow around, I have a similar problem filming tandems against a cloud filled sky. |
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Buzz
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It's nice to be important, but it's more important to be nice |
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| #5 Re: Crash Course On How To Use An SLR!! 02/01/2008 @ 14:37:15 |
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| In reply to post #4 ... |
doesn't that camera have auto white balance?
its digital, you can play around and tinker about until you get the right result |
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| #4 Re: Crash Course On How To Use An SLR!! 02/01/2008 @ 14:15:20 |
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| Revision #3 (Last edited: 15/01/2008 @ 15:25:25) |
| In reply to post #3 ... |
I leave next week.
Its the dial with ISO, W/B, Focus, and a few other settings that I dont know what to do with!! - What mode to I put/leave it on for shooting in the snow?
Or if anyone could recommend a good book, i.e 'SLR's for Dummies'!!
Cheers |
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| Ranked Posts: 157 |
| Wiltshire |
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| #3 Re: Crash Course On How To Use An SLR!! 02/01/2008 @ 14:02:43 |
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| In reply to post #1 ... |
| When are you off to Canada? |
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Buzz
xxxx
It's nice to be important, but it's more important to be nice |
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| Ranked Posts: 1043 |
| Nottinghamshire |
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| #2 Re: Crash Course On How To Use An SLR!! 02/01/2008 @ 12:55:44 |
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| #1 Crash Course On How To Use An SLR!! 02/01/2008 @ 12:51:32 |
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I have had an SLR for a few months now but havent made use of it, but I am leaving for Canada and want to so..,
Being a camera numpty, and what with the SLR having lots of buttons and switches can someone give me a crash course on what mode I need to put it onto be able to point and shoot decent photos!
The camera is a Sony A100 Alpha
And I have tried reading the manual, albiet very breifly :-) but its in camera speak and I dont know what it is banging on about!!!
All help appreciated
Thanks |
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