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Finally picked a camera!

Joined
Apr 15, 2013
Messages
1,299
Reaction score
22
Location
Beeville
First Name
Bryan
Last Name
Hughes
I finally picked one, the Canon T5i. I tried to go through Precision Camera, but I could never catch Robert do to our schedules being off, and the 2 ladies that tried to help me made be so aggravated I could have kicked a baby. I ended up going through Austin Camera and Video. Nice guys and I feel gave me a good deal on a new T5i kit.

So much to learn. It's like learning a whole new language. ISO, aperture, when to use, how much to use. But it's fun. This thing can do so much. It's got an auto mode, but I feel that just dumbs down the user. And I don't need any help there lol.

Anyways, if anyone has any tips or wants to get together and trade drinks for tips let me know.:mrgreen:

First thing I learned. I NEED REAL GLASSES! I've been using just readers for 2 years now. They've worked fine. But I can't see the little things in the cameras screen. On the picture in the rain I was trying to focus on the little green clover looking thing. That didn't work. And with the tractor I was trying to focus on the seat, but it focused on the light. SO, there goes another couple of hundred. My real glasses will be in this week.

Oh, that's our resident jack rabbit. He's bigger than my moms dog, and he isn't the biggest we have out there.

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Congrats on the new purchase!

Now, about those monster-sized images.... :giveup:
 
Neat how you allegorized your first shot with Genesis, then, In the beginning, the next shot was clearer, and so it goes. Enjoy your new camera.
 
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Neat how you allegorized your first shot with Genesis, then, In the beginning. The next shot was clearer, and so it goes. Enjoy your new camera.

:clap: Cool, glad you picked up on that. I'm sure others did or would, but you are the first to state it.

That bible is one my grandfather carried as a tanker in WWII. He kept it until his passing at 86. It has been too small of a print for me, but now that I'll have real glasses I will be able to read it.
 
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Nice, Bryan. I have my grandfather's WWII US Army issued pocket New Testament.

My fav is the Ford tractor also.
 
:clap: congrats. Welcome to the addiction.
some very nice first pics.
I find I shoot Aperture priority 90% of the time.
I learned something new from you; didn't realize you could share pics outside of FB from FB.
 
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I have an aging pocket Canon, and I gave my wife one for Christmas maybe 2 seasons ago. We love them both. You really can't go wrong with a Canon, in my opinion.

Cool story about your dad's Bible. I never thought to ask my dad about his wartime Bible (sadly, it's too late now) - I'm sure he had one ever present while he was in the Solomons. But he probably owned 50 or more in his lifetime, and I was never aware of one or another being special. Nice first pic.

By the way, that's inspired me to start a "What did your dad do in the war" thread. Stay tuned for that.
 
I bought an online course for my Canon t3i and it helped big time. To me, it was well worth the 49 dollars. Plus, I still learn every time I take it out. As for what mode to shoot in, it just really depends on what you're shooting. My problem is that I have 4 cameras plus the phone and they are all just a little different. Sigh.
 
I find I shoot Aperture priority 90% of the time.

Same here. My standard setting for when I pick up the camera is on Aperture, f4, with Auto ISO turned on and set to a max of 6400 and 1/50th shutter. Then I go from there depending on what I am shooting.

However, for most photos that I end up posting on here or various other places; I find that most of those shots are usually shot in full manual. But that is because I am usually using off camera flash or doing some long exposures that end up messing with the camera's brain.
 
Nice, Bryan. I have my grandfather's WWII US Army issued pocket New Testament.

My fav is the Ford tractor also.


Thanks Dave, figures the moto/car guys would like the one with a motor better :lol2:


:clap: congrats. Welcome to the addiction.
some very nice first pics.
I find I shoot Aperture priority 90% of the time.
I learned something new from you; didn't realize you could share pics outside of FB from FB.

I've still got a lot to go before I understand enough about the aperture. I like night time photos too. So shutter speed and ISO will be a big deal as well.


I have an aging pocket Canon, and I gave my wife one for Christmas maybe 2 seasons ago. We love them both. You really can't go wrong with a Canon, in my opinion.

Cool story about your dad's Bible. I never thought to ask my dad about his wartime Bible (sadly, it's too late now) - I'm sure he had one ever present while he was in the Solomons. But he probably owned 50 or more in his lifetime, and I was never aware of one or another being special. Nice first pic.

By the way, that's inspired me to start a "What did your dad do in the war" thread. Stay tuned for that.

Thanks Tim, BTW it's my grandfathers. There's a funny story about how he shot the end of his finger off. Start your thread and I'll tell you.


I bought an online course for my Canon t3i and it helped big time. To me, it was well worth the 49 dollars. Plus, I still learn every time I take it out. As for what mode to shoot in, it just really depends on what you're shooting. My problem is that I have 4 cameras plus the phone and they are all just a little different. Sigh.

What course did you take? I've been looking for something but they are all in the 200s. I can't pay that. I spent too much as is and still need a tripod.





Same here. My standard setting for when I pick up the camera is on Aperture, f4, with Auto ISO turned on and set to a max of 6400 and 1/50th shutter. Then I go from there depending on what I am shooting.

However, for most photos that I end up posting on here or various other places; I find that most of those shots are usually shot in full manual. But that is because I am usually using off camera flash or doing some long exposures that end up messing with the camera's brain.


I really want to stay away from auto mode. I'm not knocking anyone for using it though, it's a great feature. But for me I feel if I do that I should have just stayed with my Samsung S6 Edge. It takes really good pictures it self. But after seeing some of the photos on here (like your black and whites a while back) I found myself wanting to do more. And I really do like the micro/macro type photos. I like seeing the fine details of objects.

But man, why can't I find a cheap hobby to get into. I've blown thousands on cars, trucks, jeeps, bikes and guns and I've never came out head or broke even. And I know this is a money pit lol.

I already have a few lenses I want and they range from 2-700!

Oh well, you can't take it with you.
 
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Auto mode is great, but you don't learn as much because you're not forced to make decisions. I bought a lot of Kodak mini-books in the early 70s at a discount store, and they helped me understand the critical relationships between shutter, aperture, depth of field, and of course light. Having a manual SLR helped because, like I said, the camera couldn't help me think through the picture taking process.

Nowadays, I typically use 'P' mode about 90% of the time. It gives me enough control to make minor adjustments, while putting most of my limited brainpower toward composition. When necessary, I switch to Shutter or Aperture.

Weirdly, I rarely use Manual because, in today's world of cameras that assume nobody will actually use that mode, it's harder to read the meter quickly. Also, I can never remember in the heat of the moment which button controls the aperture. Sometimes, I miss my ancient Petri, but not enough to return to shooting film.
 
I miss my ancient Petri, but not enough to return to shooting film.

Funny, I bought a house last March. 1700 sp ft 3 bd 2 bath. My rooms are pretty large. I bet I could count on one hand the number of times I've been in the front room. I just don't need it. And once my kid leaves for the military I'll have another room that I wont be using. I've kicked around turning the front room into a dark room and learning how to develop film. But I don't know enough yet to do that.

I've also thought about turning it into a sound room or a video room (movies and video games). And I think my best idea yet, because it's next to the garage, taking down the wall and turning it into a wood working room lol. But really non of that will happen.:lol2:
 
Developing & printing are their own reward. Certainly no financial benefit in doing it. But I used to do my own darklab work at Army Special Services hobby labs. The printing process is basically the photographic process in reverse. When you start playing with an enlarger, you're messing with the same basic variables - light, shutter, aperture - but in a compressed timescale because you see the product of your work in about a minute. Photo printing helped solidify my understanding of those variables.
 
But man, why can't I find a cheap hobby to get into. I've blown thousands on cars, trucks, jeeps, bikes and guns and I've never came out head or broke even. And I know this is a money pit lol.

I already have a few lenses I want and they range from 2-700!

Oh well, you can't take it with you.

You know... I wouldn't let lenses burn a hole in your wallet. Depending on what exactly you want to shoot, it can be done with not all too expensive of a lens. Heck, most of my landscape photos I've ever shot were using a sub-$200 35mm lens. In fact for a year or two, that was my only lens. If I couldn't come up with a shot for that lens, I didn't push the button. Then I moved on up and bought an 85mm. So now I had a 35 and an 85, but no zooms. Adding the 85 worked very well for me for another few years.

Sure, the 85mm was $500, but it is one of the most crystal clear lenses available today from Nikon. And if you compare the f1.8 of it to pretty much any zoom even close to that type of caliber, $500 is a bargain.

Now that I have my D750, it came with a very nice straight f4 zoom. Truth be told, about 85% of the time when shooting with it, I would rather give up the zoom to be able to get down to f1.8 over an f4. Why not just put the 35mm lens back on you might ask? Well, that is my Wife's favorite lens so it seemingly stays on her camera all the time. LOL

Honestly, photography is one heck of a fun hobby. Once you have a decent entry to mid-level DSLR and lens (which you now have), add a photo software like Lightroom to the mix, and get a semi-decent tripod; you can be pretty much done spending money for the most part. And it literally costs nothing to shoot, go home, mess with photos, and see what you can come up with. Try that with any of your other hobbies!

As for learning, what worked for me is starting to read books. I started with Scott Kelby's Digital Photography series and it was awesome. He really starts at the beginning, and then takes you from there.

After that, I personally started to really get into off camera flash so I started reading any and all books and watching every video I could from Joe McNally, Zack Arias, and David Hobby. And don't forget good all fashioned getting together with buddies that also like to take photos. I have never had more fun than shooting with Scott, other Scott, other other Scott, Duke, Rusty, and so forth. The things you will learn just from being around other folks and seeing what they see and do is some of the best learning you will ever get to be part of.
 
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Most of what you might have learned from me was probably what NOT to do :doh: :lol2:
 
You know... I wouldn't let lenses burn a hole in your wallet. Depending on what exactly you want to shoot, it can be done with not all too expensive of a lens. Heck, most of my landscape photos I've ever shot were using a sub-$200 35mm lens. In fact for a year or two, that was my only lens. If I couldn't come up with a shot for that lens, I didn't push the button. Then I moved on up and bought an 85mm. So now I had a 35 and an 85, but no zooms. Adding the 85 worked very well for me for another few years.

Sure, the 85mm was $500, but it is one of the most crystal clear lenses available today from Nikon. And if you compare the f1.8 of it to pretty much any zoom even close to that type of caliber, $500 is a bargain.

Now that I have my D750, it came with a very nice straight f4 zoom. Truth be told, about 85% of the time when shooting with it, I would rather give up the zoom to be able to get down to f1.8 over an f4. Why not just put the 35mm lens back on you might ask? Well, that is my Wife's favorite lens so it seemingly stays on her camera all the time. LOL

Honestly, photography is one heck of a fun hobby. Once you have a decent entry to mid-level DSLR and lens (which you now have), add a photo software like Lightroom to the mix, and get a semi-decent tripod; you can be pretty much done spending money for the most part. And it literally costs nothing to shoot, go home, mess with photos, and see what you can come up with. Try that with any of your other hobbies!

As for learning, what worked for me is starting to read books. I started with Scott Kelby's Digital Photography series and it was awesome. He really starts at the beginning, and then takes you from there.

After that, I personally started to really get into off camera flash so I started reading any and all books and watching every video I could from Joe McNally, Zack Arias, and David Hobby. And don't forget good all fashioned getting together with buddies that also like to take photos. I have never had more fun than shooting with Scott, other Scott, other other Scott, Duke, Rusty, and so forth. The things you will learn just from being around other folks and seeing what they see and do is some of the best learning you will ever get to be part of.

I really like photos like this.
closeup-dragonfly.jpg

I don't think either lens I have will do this. I'm also big on night time photos.

Resized them for you.:mrgreen: I took these this morning on top of my parking garage. I see my pictures are leaning a little. That's what happens when you use your wallet for a tripod. :trust:

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exoJwhgieQ8HzsMTC50vZ25anKnv0PgGc69aEsag4f-bHSJXJzkjiD9Z3t1MRmLCCcPIysHgcDmIKKcWajfNnFGmz9ef3eDWtjoyldo86HGO87FCY0QZmaq2-dkExCiTCiKESKN95hm22zxW9BubVy0otgkniV9eNGP3CDXyCQte8QSWvt2eIRF_Br5FiE4eNkCKuF2YuSNzGgPGHd6PN_FPWq_BG78VPQ49NHUByVDzUA76xuux3sUpChoeDNHAxas0FEi10xIwfMow_pvk48aMIC0CjNb6xaMJo2ojU2mk-GpPqyo_6HljZHeTdmeWWsne5xYwHhtTuxunkDQQFSgpJ80X7Pp6OVWBypkiuXUhiJ32fbFFw0Ca9wgPLrULUW2lduEqlTAOxIcdO1VTp30SmSvPetoFnZoWcAE_GS3QJeYL_EcrodSZf42dyIIX9bcmgmxSSWhA97OamgCVDOVaE298tOaHgcSEROO9ijrH1qD051XmNr2_cJ1LM9zzCn-9bN1oPCdGYeTuHfsHB1G-2nuYJeMbI-YQkNbiCLczIx3_z5VGBjGtwCkDjEtlvr2Oj16aWix7Id1uZMsJLFU41QNMBlRJcJ_hwpkOZaSrvB5u=w1424-h949-no



I love the rich colors and dark backgrounds. I think I really only need 2 more lenses to be able to do all that I'll want to do for a long time. But I have to recoup some money first.

Does the bottom photo look fuzy on the bottom? What's wrong with it? I have a buddy that's going to let me use his tripod until I can get one.
 
Night shots can be rewarding. This one was on South Congress outside Doc's for their weekly bike night. Tim Hutcherson used his flash to illuminate the front bike some.

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This one was at the capital later the same evening. All available light on the grounds, no flash or fill light.

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I don't spend enough time in photography, not as much as I want to at least.
 
I'll get the hang of it. Main thing is to be able to see. I'm heading to the eye people now. For the 3ed time.
 
Congrats on the new camera! I'm relatively new to the DLSR world, so last year I picked up a T3i and I love it. The price was right, and it takes great photos if there is enough light. I would highly recommend the Canon 50mm 1.8 prime lense 'nifty fifty'. Its a great lense! From day one, I forced myself to shoot all manual just so I could learn how to compose a basic photo. I've learned a ton from all the folks on here, i'll always be a newb but its a lot of fun!
 
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