Want to get a serious camera? things to know?

hassman789

Arachnobaron
Old Timer
Joined
Dec 2, 2009
Messages
576
Hi I have been thinking about getting a good camera. Is there a specific name for the types of cameras I'm thinking of? (big lens that you focus yourself) The problem is I don't know alot about photography I have only worked with digital cameras which seems like it would be harder and not as good quality. So I don't want to rush into a big expensive camera without knowing anything. With my digital camera I have been taking good shots (I moslty like pictures of bugs etc...) but All I've been doing is pointing trying to get the camera to focus on what I want for like an hour and shooting. So obviously I need to know how everything works if I want a good camera. Does anybody know of a good site or somthing I can learn all the basic and what everything means and how to use it? And does anybody know of a good "actual" (not a thin digital camera) camera start with that I can research. Thanks for any advice, It's somthing I'm already into but want to take it a step further.:)

Also with digital cameras I find without a flah your whole picture is blurry and the flash can be to harsh. And It takes too long to take the picture. I asked my friend about these (who is into photography) and she told me a bunch of things I could try that didnt work. And I notice my friends with good camera use them with such ease (thats partly experience) and it takes pictures much faster and they have all there settings for things (which is what I need a source to research for, how it works)

And a problem I have is I don't really know WHERE to start my research.
 
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blacktara

Arachnobaron
Old Timer
Joined
Jan 23, 2005
Messages
355
Also with digital cameras I find without a flah your whole picture is blurry and the flash can be to harsh. And It takes too long to take the picture. I asked my friend about these (who is into photography) and she told me a bunch of things I could try that didnt work. And I notice my friends with good camera use them with such ease (thats partly experience) and it takes pictures much faster and they have all there settings for things (which is what I need a source to research for, how it works)

And a problem I have is I don't really know WHERE to start my research.
That's not unique to digital.

Any exposure longer than about 1/60th of a second will not be razor sharp unless you tripod - with or without flash

You can cut exposure time without resorting to a flash by using a higher ISO setting - this is the equivalent of using more sensitive film. You lose some resolution but better cameras will still give good pics even at high ISO (granted, to get good results above about ISO 400 you are talking about an expensive body)

Flash is often misused. I see people using the little flash units on a small digital camera to take pictures in the dark when they are shooting at something many yards away - it wont work if the flash is only powerful enough to illuminate a few feet away. In other words, the flash is only strong enough to provide a foreground fill but people think it's lighting up their subject that's far away
 
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