New to photography

Znig22

Znig22

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I just received my Nikon d3200 with a 18-55 lens. First off can someone tell me what the 18-55 means and also is this going to be sufficient for capturing clear coat flaws? It's bad weather out so I can't really play with it. I have read that a 40mm lenses does best up close, Any input on this as well?
 
Znig22 said:
I just received my Nikon d3200 with a 18-55 lens. First off can someone tell me what the 18-55 means and also is this going to be sufficient for capturing clear coat flaws? It's bad weather out so I can't really play with it. I have read that a 40mm lenses does best up close, Any input on this as well?
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Welcome to the wonderful world of Nikon DSLR! Congrats.

18-55mm is the focal length. You can shoot at 18mm and 15mm, and anything in between. Its what's referred to as a mid range zoom lens.

Yes, youll be able to capture the swirls and details with that lens/body combo. It will take trial and error as its a different beast compared to traditional point and shoot cameras.

As a start, try with your F stop(how wide the lens opens) at F8, and a shutter speed (how long the shutter stays open for exposure) at 1/80. Depending on light, try ISO(how much light is allowed to the sensor) of 800. This should be a good starting point. You can adjust each setting accordingly.

Lowering the F value will increase light, as well as lowering the shutter and increasing ISO.

Raising the F value and shutter speed, and lowering ISO will lower light allowed on the exposure.

Good luck and have fun!
 
18-55 is the focal length of the lens (18mm at the widest, 55mm at max zoom, infinitely adjustable in between). These are typically called "kit lenses" that come with a new DSLR, they aren't the best but they get the job done. You should have no problem capturing swirls.

Do a search for a photography 101 thread Zach created awhile back, he did a really nice job of explaining the features of a DSLR camera, how to get comfortable taking it off the auto mode and use it to its full potential. Mike also has an article specifically about how to capture paint defects on camera.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 
Get a few prime lenses later on.

Some really great and cheap ones are

50mm 1.8g
35mm 1.8g

The 40mm lens is said to be a close up lens........ however by the time you get that close to your subject.. the lens is not getting enough light.
 
Great advice and I really appreciate it. Seems I have a learning curve ahead of me.
 
If this is your first DLSR, you should sit down with it and the manual and play with every option to understand what the camera can do. The better you understand it the better you can use it to take great images.
 
goodinblack said:
:)

Oh..... and you thought.......detailing was expensive?

Lol
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Ha! My first month here at AGO, I spent about $700. My first big purchase for DSLR equipment was over $4,000!

Regarding reading the manual, usually I'd agree, but these DSLR manuals are confusing and frustrating. I had better luck learning on the fly on my own! For me, trial by fire is a better learning tool.
 
trial by fire is a better learning tool.[/quote]

I can tell you 100% that you're wrong. So many "hidden" features in even base model dslrs that you'll never find them all even with the book. I found an outside book helped me the most with my 40D. I'll get the title and publisher when I get home from work.


I suggest getting a prime lens. They are a ton of fun and are always on craigslist cheap. I feel like a 50mm has made me a better photographer.
 
You might spend some time over at dpreview.com and subscribe so you can ask questions. Focus on the beginner forum:
Beginners Questions Forum: Digital Photography Review
and the Nikon forum: Nikon DX SLR (D40-D90, D3000-D7100) Talk Forum: Digital Photography Review

Other than maybe a tripod and basics like memory cards and spare battery, try to resist buying additional gear until you have mastered the camera. There are lots of 3rd party books that are pretty good for specific cameras (search Amazon for D3200 books) and maybe a book about mastering exposure (Bryan Peterson's "Understanding Exposure" is often recommended for that).
 
davidg said:
I can tell you 100% that you're wrong. So many "hidden" features in even base model dslrs that you'll never find them all even with the book. I found an outside book helped me the most with my 40D. I'll get the title and publisher when I get home from work.


I suggest getting a prime lens. They are a ton of fun and are always on craigslist cheap. I feel like a 50mm has made me a better photographer.
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Let me know what book that was. My dad has a D40x that I am in the process of learning how to use.
 
davidg said:
I can tell you 100% that you're wrong. So many "hidden" features in even base model dslrs that you'll never find them all even with the book. I found an outside book helped me the most with my 40D. I'll get the title and publisher when I get home from work.
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Sorry, but I'm not "100% wrong". You yourself even said you had to use an aftermarket book/guide(I'd recommend Thom Hogan). These Nikon manuals suck, bottom line.

And for the record, i said trial by fire was a better learning tool for ME.
 
Your D-3200 will do an excellent job for you just as it is. Being digital you don't have to wait or spend money to see your results. Take a lot of pictures and before long you will be getting great results. Your camera compares well to the Canon Rebel the camera Mike Phillips used (And maybe still does) for years.

While the manual modes will allow to fine tune your art allow yourself to be amazed at how well the automatic mode works on modern digital cameras. Above all, have fun.
 
Re-edited, poorly, from my phone. Once you get into bad habits they are hard to break. I take tons of photos then go back and wanna kick myself for not using the backlighting from the camera settings, or amp up the greens in certain situations. Some that just aren't as good as they could have been even using post-editing.


However, I did believe you were the OP if it makes you feel any better. Some people (few) are naturals. I'd never hand someone a flex or rotary and let them go at a scrap panel with no direction from any form; a book, youtube, or 1 on 1 guidance. Also without those directions I feel like little progress would be made with a traditional styled DA. Point is, learning as much as possible before trying to figure something out on your own is often the best approach.

Sorry for the confusion.
 
Anyone know if there's a photography forum out there that's as awesome as AGO?
 
Challynger said:
Anyone know if there's a photography forum out there that's as awesome as AGO?
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It used to be dcresource.com but the owner moved over to dpreview.com so that's what I'd suggest. The layout is clunky but great info. Its not as friendly as AGO, but its worth checking out.
 
I have been just walking around the house picking a angle of a object or objects and just taking multiple pictures. I started playing with shutter speed and wow what a difference that can make allowing for light clarity.
 
BKCA40D.jpg


KillaCam, If it's a Nikon D40 I can't help too much, but it it is a Canon 40D shoot me a PM and I'll lend it to you.

As far as forums, I'll tell you that photo-forum (something like that) is great for information! It's kinda like honda-tech when you post though. If you're not familiar I'm just gonna say put on a flame suit.


StangFan, you are defiantly right. The stock manual with any camera is horrible.





Best investment any aspiring photographer can make is a 18% grey card. Or, if you have an awesome printer you can just print one and tape it to card board for free. Learn how to use it properly. Also be sure to lock in some bright colors and play heavily with the white balance. This will make the biggest impact on your photos.

Also, if you're broke like me go ahead and start playing with Gimp 2.0. It's confusing, but works really well for a free editing system.
 
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