Cameras??

[onegearruss]

DB might look at the new Canon T1i. Sells for less than $900 with the kit lens and has HD video capability.

and on the nikon side the D5000

[DB]

So I am at Best Buy last Saturday and my wife sends me a text to tell me that our daughter had just broken our camera.  I've been wanting a DSLR any way so this provided the extra motivation that I needed.  I got a Nikon 3000 with two lenses for $699.  I don't know if this is a good deal not but it really didn't matter this close to Christmas.  The two lenses are a Nikor18-55 1:3-5.6 G with VR and a Nikor 55-200mm 1:4-5.6 ED with VR.  I am already blown away by the pictures from this thing. 

Now to just learn how to use it.

[monster_island]

Congratulations on your first DSLR. I think that you will enjoy it. Take a lot of photos and asks questions. You will be surprised how much that you will learn.

[johnharrison]

So I am at Best Buy last Saturday and my wife sends me a text to tell me that our daughter had just broken our camera.  I've been wanting a DSLR any way so this provided the extra motivation that I needed.  I got a Nikon 3000 with two lenses for $699.  I don't know if this is a good deal not but it really didn't matter this close to Christmas.  The two lenses are a Nikor18-55 1:3-5.6 G with VR and a Nikor 55-200mm 1:4-5.6 ED with VR.  I am already blown away by the pictures from this thing. 

Now to just learn how to use it.

Make sure you set up the editing software that comes with it and learn at least the basics of editing 1) crop a mediocre photo to make it good 2) hit delete for crappy photos

I work with a girl who does with her camera, but can't work the editor.  She takes 200 images for senior portraits and then PRINTS all 200!  whatever that costs. 

Peope will raves about your photos if you can take 200, trash the 70 which are poorly exposed or have eyes half closed.  The next group are really 3 or 4 set ups (the one with the guitar, the one with hat, etc) that each have 20 pics.   Pick 3 or 4 from each group.  Of the ones that are left, if you find the picture needs an explanation ("this picture was suppose to reflect his car in his sunglasses but it is too small to see) then don't show it to most folks

Now you have take 200 pic,  you have about 20 in your portfolio.  You will look like pro.

For nighttime football, I am happy with 20 out of 1000, Day time 50 of 500 (but it still gets cut to 20 because no one wants to see 50 football pictures)

Shoot many, don't fall in love with any but the best.

Want proof.  Shoot a volleyball game. You'll love 75 of the pictures Take you 20 best.  Shoot another and take your 20 best.  After 10 games you will find that many look just about the same, so at the end of the season, pull the forty best and be done with it....even if it doen't include that one of Mary serving for the first time.

[DB]

The software that came with it is not an editing program.  Nikon includes "View NX" with the camera.  It has no editing capabilities.  After I play with the camera for a while, I'll probably start looking for some decent editing software.

[BillyJack™]

Not a bad buy at all, but you'll want to invest in a bit faster lens if you shoot night motion shots, specially sports. 5.6 is not gonna let enough light in to run a fast enough shutter speed. Motion shots need to be minimal 125 shutter speed and ideally 250. To get the a motion shot in low light with those lens you'll have to set your ISO to 1600+ (makes the picture grainy) and even at that the best shutter you'll get is gonna be about 60-80. There are a few multi zoom 2.8 lens with Nikon mounts that you can run across at camera shops from time to time for around $800 used. Don't let used scare you when it comes to lens. With the cost of this hobby, people trade in on upgrade often so, there are a lot of lens traded in that are in perfect working order.

What you've bought and a good 2.8 and you'll be set for awhile.

[BillyJack™]

http://www.airedalenation.com/football/morrilton/morrilton.html

Here I'm shooting a 4.6 multi zoom A/F with the ISO set @ 1600 and the Shutter @ between 95-125. My lens is a bit slow for these shots and it shows.

[DB]

We're a couple of years from playing softball and even then I probably won't be too concerned with getting great night shots.  My biggest hold back on getting a DSLR was the bulk of it.  I don't even like carrying the small cameras around the zoo or Disney World.  I'm sure not going to lug this big one around and take a chance on breaking it. 

There really is a lot to learn/figure out with these things.  I don't want to just use the auto setting all the time.  I want to learn to use the ISO settings and the manual focus and all of that stuff.  So I have some time before I need to convince my wife that we need to drop another K on a lens. 

[sevenof400]

http://www.airedalenation.com/football/morrilton/morrilton.html

Here I'm shooting a 4.6 multi zoom A/F with the ISO set @ 1600 and the Shutter @ between 95-125. My lens is a bit slow for these shots and it shows.

Good lord BillyJack - did you have a chance to actually watch the game???

Seriously, that's a LOT of photos you posted and there are many good shots there even in the light (kind of makes an interesting effect)  - I imagine you probably took 10 (or more) times that many...

I'm playing around with an Olympus E510 these days and I am enjoying the info posted in the photography board.  Thanks to all of you who offer tips and ideas.

[sevenof400]

The software that came with it is not an editing program.  Nikon includes "View NX" with the camera.  It has no editing capabilities.  After I play with the camera for a while, I'll probably start looking for some decent editing software.

DB,

I know there are likely many better editing programs but for the price point, you might want to consider Adobe Photoshop Elements.  As a Mac user, I am finding Elements to be quite useful even though I already have iPhoto. 

[BillyJack™]

http://www.airedalenation.com/football/morrilton/morrilton.html

Here I'm shooting a 4.6 multi zoom A/F with the ISO set @ 1600 and the Shutter @ between 95-125. My lens is a bit slow for these shots and it shows.

Good lord BillyJack - did you have a chance to actually watch the game???

Seriously, that's a LOT of photos you posted and there are many good shots there even in the light (kind of makes an interesting effect)  - I imagine you probably took 10 (or more) times that many...

Nope, believe it or not, for the web I don't cull out but maybe 5 shots per game. I take 20 or so the first quarter and another 20 or so the forth and post whatever I capture. The only images I don't post are the few that you can't make out at all. Since I don't use them for print, I can get away with that and still have time to watch some of the game. On fields like Morrilton where the field lighting is weak, I just take more crowd and sideline than I do action.

[shah_guido_g]

....
There really is a lot to learn/figure out with these things.  I don't want to just use the auto setting all the time.  I want to learn to use the ISO settings and the manual focus and all of that stuff.  So I have some time before I need to convince my wife that we need to drop another K on a lens. 

You might do well by buying a book such as "Understanding Exposure" ( http://www.amazon.com/Understanding-Exposure-Photographs-Digital-Updated/dp/0817463003/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1262037202&sr=1-1 ).

It can help with understanding how various settings are related to one another.

[johnharrison]

http://www.airedalenation.com/football/morrilton/morrilton.html

Here I'm shooting a 4.6 multi zoom A/F with the ISO set @ 1600 and the Shutter @ between 95-125. My lens is a bit slow for these shots and it shows.

Good lord BillyJack - did you have a chance to actually watch the game???

Seriously, that's a LOT of photos you posted and there are many good shots there even in the light (kind of makes an interesting effect)  - I imagine you probably took 10 (or more) times that many...

Nope, believe it or not, for the web I don't cull out but maybe 5 shots per game. I take 20 or so the first quarter and another 20 or so the forth and post whatever I capture. The only images I don't post are the few that you can't make out at all. Since I don't use them for print, I can get away with that and still have time to watch some of the game. On fields like Morrilton where the field lighting is weak, I just take more crowd and sideline than I do action.

Wow!  I sometimes take 20 per play!  and even then don't always get something I like.  (and yes, lightning at Morrilton is sub-optimal) 

Shooting in daylight really increases the options three ways.....more light more light more light.

Faster shutter speed reduces blur
Lower ISO reduces noise
Smaller f-stop increase depth of field (and makes up for focus errors)

The more "detailed" image allows tighter cropping on smaller areas without loss of quality.  You may be  on a running back but find two linemen in the same frame with higher appeal.  You can easily  crop very very tightly.

[BillyJack™]

I use to take enough snaps to link them together like a video, but like I said my shots are for web only and with the luxury of no print it gives me a lot of leadway. Plus I have video back up from Airedales On The Air to steal frame shots from if I miss something good. With a little luck, next season I'm trying to come up with an entry level pro HDD HD Camcorder. That would give us another angle of video on the TV show and I could snap shots frames for stills for my web from the footage. It would also make volleyball and basketball a LOT easier to shoot.