Just bought a DSLR camera

Just bought a DSLR camera

Like the title says, I bought an entry-level dslr - Canon 450D.

I bought it earlier today online and I hope to get it by this Saturday. I'm quite excited. I've always been into photography but my last 'almost SLR' camera was sold off 5 yrs ago because I was discouraged (learning slr can be quite daunting).

BOO!!!! Nikon baby!!! Joke lang.

Congrats on your new camera. I got a D80 myself but I haven't been taking photos for a while.

oh man, you should sell it to me lol

i probably can't afford it though

welcome to the canon team d: lol

really, it's all about the picture in the end...
first thing first, buy a 8gig sdhc card and then invest in DxO... make cheap lens perfectly linear, eliminate vignetting and make everything oh so perfect



kinda stuff I've done with the 450D (raw) and DxO, then I stitched them in photoshop

lol what is DxO? is that a brand of lens?

http://www.dxo.com/us/photo/dxo_optics_pro

it's a raw processer, quite a bit better than even expeed, and digic.
plus correst optical flaws in cameras.
and optimizes lightning to viewable range without looking horribly fake like those over processed HDR photos.

if you want, send me a raw image you've shot and I'll process it for you so you can see.

set your camera to JPEG and RAW, so you can see the difference

interesting! i just checked my order status and it will arrive on the 22nd There is a picnic event coming up that I will be attending on the first week of May..perfect time to test the camera out! I'm going to try and learn as much as possible within the two weeks before the picnic...

I'm so excited!

it's a piece of cake, you'll probably learn it in 2 days top.

now, developing the mmmm and "aahhh" eye of photographer... it's a life long journey.

CANON FTW!! lol.

RAW is def the way to go. Don't keep it in AUTO either. Well you can't if you're shooting RAW.

I was never feeling the 450D for some reason. But its def a good starting camera. My next camera is gonna be the 5D Mark II. I just gotta save up for it..lol.

Saber..that DXO software looks real good. Question though. When working with RAW files, can you make the changes on that RAW file or does it have to be JPG, DNG, etc? And once you make the corrections to the RAW file, can you export it as a RAW file to use in Photoshop?

I use LightRoom so whatever i do in Lightroom automatically saves to the XMP file so I just double click on the RAW file and the adjustments I made in LR automatically pop up to use in Photoshop. Depending on your answers, then buying this software is something I may highly consider.

Yeah I'm going to learn on the 450D, all the basics and build up from there...for example, exposure.

That's pretty much everything you need to know for Manual mode. F stop, Shutter Speed, ISO. Then you gotta figure out what to meter for to get the right exposure. Alot of people say (and some argue about it) is to start off at ISO 100, F 8 and 1/125 sec.

Then its pretty much playing around with the f stop and shutter speed. ISO should be the last thing you adjust.

go to www.photography-on-the.net and go to their forums. Its a canon forum that I visit alot. Great stuff on there and from what I see, people are there to help others if they have questions.

I think i have the oldest canon dslr within this group...

nice.... my buddy has the same camera and is starting out just like you.

I've had the chance to play around with it, seems like a pretty solid body

Just try not to use liveview too much lol

which one?

lol what about the liveview? im a noob so i dont get it..lol

it doesn't modify the raw, it creates a new jpeg/tiff/dng (whatever you choose)

there is an importing plug-in for CS4

live view is when you use the lcd on the back to compose pictures, drains batteries dead on DSLRs

10D and 20D

LOL... gj on the new camera...

I have an oldER slr... I dont even have a D yet (

I can get lended a nikon F5, nikon F4, D200, D2X, D100...

but my canon out do them all.... except the F5, full frame and negative technicalities

Oh I have old slr thats older too. In fact, they are older than me by about .. humm two decades. still works though.

i know im a noob and all but im seriously debating if i should get the EF 50mm F1.4 USM lens for my 450d

that 1.4 aperture is gonna save your butt in dark places OR and more importantly, freeze time... or if you have the luxury, set the focus point right in the eyes and basically blur everything behind the person to blurry oblivion.

I never got one, I wished I did tons of times.
all I had was 18-55 and a 55-250 both IS.

so, anyone downloaded the trial for DxO? lol...

Thats a good fast lens, but you have to question yourself, do you really want a prime lens?

I personally like to keep my options open. I don't have the 50mm f1.4 but I have the f1.8. I also have a wide angle lens and a telephoto lens. Then again, that'll all depend on what you plan on shooting. Do you plan on doing landscapes alot? macro shots? etc.

Oh and I forgot to say, once you go with a fast lens, you will never look at the kit lens again. You might as well just play catch with it and hope it falls and breaks..lol. I haven't touched my kit lens ever since I got my first real lens..lol.

does prime lens mean, it it doesnt have zooming?

I should of stated what I was talking about..my bad. Prime lens is a lens that is a set mm. It has no zoom to it as you said. So a 50mm is set to 50mm and thats it. My wide angle is 24-70mm so I get some play with it but its not good for everything.

If you go to the link I posted earlier for that canon forum, they have a section where people sell their used equipment. I'd look into that section. I've purchased a battery grip and its perfect. Of course like any other forum, you have to be careful but there aren't that many horror stories and alot of people who sell stuff have been there for a while.

I see you're in NYC also. There are 2 stores in Manhattan that is worth the trip.

B&H (they sell new and used stuff)- http://www.bhphotovideo.com/
Adorama- http://www.adorama.com/

People swear by B&H and they know their stuff. If you ever have questions regarding a lens or anything camera related, go there and ask them out or even call. They have weird hours though. I wanted to go there the last time I was in NJ but I didn't make it to NYC in time. But I'm hoping to go this weekend when I visit NJ again. Hopefully I can get up early enough..lol.

eehhhh... since you're starting... I don't recommend the 50mm 1.4 *GASP ... funds wise, the 50mm 1.8 (nifty-fifty) is far better in terms of a low light budget lens: used price you're looking at a difference of $75 to $350... so that'll allow you to at least try a decent prime first before you splurge... with the money you save, get a 430ex, or even 580ex flash which would expand your horizons much more. Heck, even a wide angle for like $1-200 more would be better investment as you'll tend to want to do wide angle shots much more. Also, look on craigslist for deals.

I got a Nikkor equivalent 30mm F1.4 and I love taking portraits with it.

Anyway, unless your getting that lens because of a good deal I suggest you learn and abuse your kit lens for the mean time. Once you've out grown your kit lens that's when you start buying all the other lens.

i already ordered the lens online but i'm going to try and restrain myself from using it until i get used to the kit lens.

thank you for the explanations and i will definitely make a trip to B & H.

must be nice to have B&H around the corner. I have to shop online. hehe

I keep hearing that B&H is like walking into camera heaven..lol.