BTTOS

Hi guys

I want to be good at photography like LM so I've just bought a 400d and would like some tips on how to get to learn it.

Also

1) It's got an 18-50mm lens, will this be ok for most car photography?

2) N00b question but do people use these without a lens? Ie just the bare body?

3) Any tips for not trashing it / breaking it?

All advice welcome!

If it turns out im shit with it, I'll just do a Mike H and copy my images from the tinterwebs.

How do.

1) That's a stock lens. Find what you wanna do with the camera before you buy anything for it.

2) No, No, NO!!1! Thats the sensor for the lens, you use it without a lens on eventually you will cock it up and then you your camera will be fucked. Keep a lens on it at all times, no lens? Use the lens CAP!!

3) Buy a decent bag if you are walking with it, you WILL get close to dropping it or even knocking it against something.

You wanna check out http://www.talkphotography.co.uk for ALOT of advice and they are a friendly bunch. You will ALWAYS get someone who makes harsh comments about your pictures though. Take it with a pinch of salt

Here is a link to the Automotive section of the forum

[ame="http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=47"]Motorsport - Talk Photography[/ame]

Some good pictures there!!! Ask anything, like what lens's they use etc etc MOST people will be happy to share info

Thanks Tweedie for the advice, probably saved me trashing the thing already

I think BTTOS has more than enough photo talent for what I need to know, yourself, LM, Ben, Pikie just to name a few

Here's what's inspired me!

OT but I still love that shot of LM's..

Captain Meowmix wrote:Hi guys

I want to be good at photography like LM so I've just bought a 400d and would like some tips on how to get to learn it.

Also

1) It's got an 18-50mm lens, will this be ok for most car photography?

2) N00b question but do people use these without a lens? Ie just the bare body?

3) Any tips for not trashing it / breaking it?

All advice welcome!

If it turns out im shit with it, I'll just do a Mike H and copy my images from the tinterwebs.

Was just about to give you some advice, then I saw your last line

1 - Yes will be ok.

2 - No, lol

3 - buy a bag.

TBH, I have an 18-55mm, a 70-200mm macro/zoom lens and they do just fine. The 70-200 does well for track shots when you are a bit away, and also for Macro. I use my 18-55 for stills.

The one below is taken with the 70-200 on Macro setting (the lens is made by Sigma the one I have anyhow)





And these taken with the zoom use of the 70-200. For the price, think they are about £100...it#s a fantastic lens mate











The two below are taken with the 18-55 useful allround lens mate.... good for anything but never excels really










I have a 50mm lens too....for portrait shots, but never really got into that.

50mm lens's are DIRT cheap on eBay for about £70 and thats a good lens for fast moving objects at same distance. Due to them being locked at 50mm you are not going to have fun with them if they are moving in and out of range.

Get yourself on TP for lens advice dude, just register and tell them what your looking to do

Here's two pictures i took with my phone lol





Just pissing about with the settings on my new phone to take those lol

They are BOTH unedited too lol

why is everyone saying you cant use it without a lens? i've done LOADS of pin hole photography and love the effect.

as everyone else has said, to learn to use it, join a forum, i'm not a fan of TP, it seams very clique, but there are a million forums out there, sure you'll find one that suits your needs.

The kit lens will be fine for now, you will no doubt look at other glass as you out grow what your kit lens can do, but i suspect that will be a while yet.

to look after it, a good bag, store it is a safe dry warm (not hot) place and allways keep caps on lenses and a lense or body cap on the camera, also, get a good tripod if you intend to use it at night, one that wont blow over with a small gust of wind and keep it clean, it is worth having the sensor cleaned in a shop, but if you do intend to do it your self, buy a decent kit, dont be tempted to use an oily rag (or tesco own brand kit)

Dan i never said you can't, just saying you shouldnt just for the fact that you can damage the sensor or get it dirty. The problem is everyone has a different opinion. Find your settled point and work from there. There a loads of forums, from branded canon ones to just normal ones more about the photography like TP.

I am borrowing my sisters Nikon 3100 at the moment and its a really cool camera. I am just trying to get into taking action shots of people skateboarding and roller blading but you need a fast lens for it. I have a small selection on len's i can borrow from work but not alot TBH.

How much did you pay for your 400D??

Ben, the only piece of advice i'll give you, and I'm sure anyone into photography will echo it, is just to get out and play with it. (Still talking about camera's, not school gates and underage girls).

It's like anything else, cars for example. You could give someone all the advice on the planet on how to swap an engine, but until they actually start unscrewing bolts and finding out what does what, and where bits go etc, they wont learn the actual practise of it.

Firstly, read about exposures, aperture and iso settings etc, then get your camera at hand and begin taking photos of something, even just a coke bottle infront of you. Change settings, tinker around and then flick back through the photos to see what changed with what etc.

Only way to improve is to practise.

Captain Meowmix wrote:2) N00b question but do people use these without a lens? Ie just the bare body?

Tweedie wrote:2) No, No, NO!!1! Thats the sensor for the lens, you use it without a lens on eventually you will cock it up and then you your camera will be fucked.

Tweedie wrote:Dan i never said you can't, just saying you shouldnt

I think you did.

using the camera without a lens won't cause ANY damage to the sensor, the sensor just captures the light that hits it, a lens just alters the light that hits it.

the sensor may get dirty, but you can clean it, it isnt the end of the world.


PS, what you see with the lens removed isnt the sensor, it is the shutter / mirror

I learnt the most after I bought a 50mm lens ( http://www.cameratonic.co.uk/catalog/item/7721216/8587741.htm )for my 400D, really makes you have to think about what you're doing.

I have just bought this lens for mine to give me some distance - http://www.cameratonic.co.uk/catalog/item/7721216/8587722.htm?gclid=CL2y09yHmqcCFUEOfAodWWWlcQ

Just need a decent flash now

Cheers for the advice dudes, I'll get a nice day and have a few shots for you all to laugh at and play with the settings as LM said.

Tweedie I paid £300 for it just off ebay, looks almost new. I know nothing about DSLRs but everyone keeps mentioning this so I bought it! Kind of like somebody knowing nothing about cars would buy a BMW.

couple of things that are worth a read.

[ame]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aperture[/ame]


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exposure_(photography)


[ame]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Film_speed[/ame] <- this goes a small way to explaning the ISO setting on the camera, when it talks about the film, the sensor in a DSLR camera is the equivalent

You probably wont have a clue what most of it is going on about at first, but as you get used to what settings change what on the out come of a picture, it will help you understand why changing a setting gives the result it does, then one day it will all click and make sense.