Bought a DSLR, first real camera

seabeerob213
seabeerob213 Posts: 1,840
edited December 2013 in Going Digital
anon rebel EOS, T3i, 569$, love it so far, trying to get back in the hang of photography. H avent used a real camera since high school, did a bit of reading up and this one is one of the most feature packed cameras in its price range. Anyone have one or one similiar, who can give me tips and tricks on getting the most out of it? it's the 18.5-55 lens, didnt wanna spring the extra 200$ for the same model with the 18.5-135 lens.
2 Channel(work in progress):DAC: Schiit modi 2 uberAmp:Parasound 1200 MK IISub:RBH 1010-SEP Speakers: Monitor 5A peerlesscurrently running some krk rokit 3g since the HK pre outs died and i need to start breaking everything down to move in a couple monthsHeadphones:Source: tidalDAC: schiit modius epre: schiit sysAmp: AQ dragonfly black/ schiit magni2 Cans: Velodyne V-True, Grado SR225i, sennheiser x drop gaming headsetPC:DAC: schiit modius e(over spdif)pre: schiit sysspeakers: prenous eris 5 xtSub: Earthquake Sound MiniMe-P63most of my comments are passing on of info, im a noob, im just trying to help how i can, if im wrong or out of place to comment, dont hesitate to let me know :)"WITH WILLING HEARTS AND SKILLFUL HANDS, THE DIFFICULT WE DO AT ONCE, THE IMPOSSIBLE TAKES A BIT LONGER, WITH COMPASSION FOR OTHERS. WE BUILD - WE FIGHT FOR PEACE WITH FREEDOM"Seabee Memorial, Arlington, VA
Post edited by seabeerob213 on

Comments

  • nguyendot
    nguyendot Posts: 3,594
    edited December 2013
    Read a book on how to use the manual features, that will get the most out of it.

    Also buy a 50mm f/1.8 lense for portraits and low light. It's cheap ($100 or so), gives super sharp images and will be most handy when trying to get kids moving around. No zoom but trust me - no one here will disagree about having it in your bag.

    Save some money up for after learning the basics and invest in lenses. The bodies are disposable for the most part but your glass is the investment if you want great pics after shoring up your skills. Skills first, equipment later.
    Main Surround -
    Epson 8350 Projector/ Elite Screens 120" / Pioneer Elite SC-35 / Sunfire Signature / Focal Chorus 716s / Focal Chorus CC / Polk MC80 / Polk PSW150 sub

    Bedroom - Sharp Aquos 70" 650 / Pioneer SC-1222k / Polk RT-55 / Polk CS-250

    Den - Rotel RSP-1068 / Threshold CAS-2 / Boston VR-M60 / BDP-05FD
  • Mikey081057
    Mikey081057 Posts: 7,127
    edited December 2013
    If you travel alot and don't want to drag along 3 lenses, an 18-270mm lens can really roundout your kit... mine is a tamron, and it is awesome. I don't even know where my other lenses are. It has a piezo drive motor in the a f so you cant even hear it if you take video.

    The other tip is use smaller mem cards.. 8 or 16 gb cuz if you lose one it wont be as devastating as losing a 32 or 64 gb card.

    Take lots of shots, and pick the ones you like best. Use the bracketing feature.

    Enjoy.
    My New Year's resolution is 3840 × 2160

    Family Room| Marantz AV7704| Usher Dancer Mini - 2 DMD Mains |Usher Dancer Mini-x DMD's Surrounds | Usher BE-616 DMD Center | SVS Ultra Rear Surrounds | Parasound Halo A21 | Parsound Halo A52+ | MIT Shotgun S3's | Dual SVS SB 4000 Ultras | Oppo UDP 203 | Directv Genie HD DVR | Samsung 75" Q8 QLED | PSAudio Stellar GCD | Mytek Brooklyn DAC+ | Lumin U1 Mini | HP Elite Slice PC | ROON'd for life |

    ManCave: HT:Polk LSiM 706VR3 LSiM 703's LSiM 702's|| Marantz AV7002 AV PrePro Sunfire TGA-7401| Sony PS4 Pro| Sony PS4 Pro|SVS PB13 Ultra| Oppo UDP 203 | Music Hall MMF 5.3se TT w/ Soundsmith Carmen | Samsung 55" SUHD TV | Sony PS4

    Patio | Polk Atrium 8's | Yamaha R-N303BL |

    Office BlueSound Node| KEF LS50 | Peactree Nova 125SE |

    Bedroom | Focal 905's | Chromecast Audio |

    Garage | Polk Monitor 5B's

    Closet Yamaha M80 | 2 Polk MP3K subs| Yaqin MC100B with Shuguang Treasures KT 88's & CV181Z's | Tesla E83CC's | Marantz 2252B | Marantz 2385 |Polk SDA SRS 2.3 | LSiM 705's |
  • gmcman
    gmcman Posts: 1,739
    edited December 2013
    Get a dedicated hard drive. I take my pics using NEF (Nikon's RAW), once the card is full, use 2 sub-folders inside the single import folder. One folder for RAW, one folder for JPEG. You may want to go one step further and use a 3rd folder for a smaller JPEG for emails. You never know when you are getting a keeper and may want the full resolution, also there is more post-processing control on the RAW image.

    Save for the lenses, I agree..that's where the money is made only 2nd to your technique and skills. I would also very highly recommend using Canon lenses...3rd party has decent lenses but I would stick with Canon.

    Stay away from the AUTO modes and use your skills. I prefer aperture priority for the most part, manual for the rest.

    Get a good speedlight.

    Adequate PC with ample RAM. Or MAC I suppose... :)
  • seabeerob213
    seabeerob213 Posts: 1,840
    edited December 2013
    pc is adequate, i hae an idea of the settings from high school photo clas, and the case i bought came with a dvd on how to use manual dslr's, and i use mostly manual mode, but have some auto features turned on depending on what im doing. i will buy a hard drive in a couple weeks. lenses will be a definite addition, i want something good for landscapes and similar, because when we go muddin, we ususally find somewhere to stop and take pics for a bit.
    2 Channel(work in progress):DAC: Schiit modi 2 uberAmp:Parasound 1200 MK IISub:RBH 1010-SEP Speakers: Monitor 5A peerlesscurrently running some krk rokit 3g since the HK pre outs died and i need to start breaking everything down to move in a couple monthsHeadphones:Source: tidalDAC: schiit modius epre: schiit sysAmp: AQ dragonfly black/ schiit magni2 Cans: Velodyne V-True, Grado SR225i, sennheiser x drop gaming headsetPC:DAC: schiit modius e(over spdif)pre: schiit sysspeakers: prenous eris 5 xtSub: Earthquake Sound MiniMe-P63most of my comments are passing on of info, im a noob, im just trying to help how i can, if im wrong or out of place to comment, dont hesitate to let me know :)"WITH WILLING HEARTS AND SKILLFUL HANDS, THE DIFFICULT WE DO AT ONCE, THE IMPOSSIBLE TAKES A BIT LONGER, WITH COMPASSION FOR OTHERS. WE BUILD - WE FIGHT FOR PEACE WITH FREEDOM"Seabee Memorial, Arlington, VA
  • WLDock
    WLDock Posts: 3,073
    edited December 2013
    Good for you on getting a nice DSLR in this cell phone world we live in.

    Myself, my first decent camera was a Cannon Rebel S SLR w/ a Sigma 28-70mm Auto lens, and a Cannon flash back in the 90's. I was working in a photo lab back then and was trying to get into it. The toughest thing I did back then was a couple of weddings then later a studio shoot for a friend that was trying to get a modeling book together. I was interning at a cable station and borrowed a studio light set and made a backdrop using white sheets. I remember I gave my friend all of those negatives and had not seen the pics in years. I was suprised at my work when I saw them years later. I thought it looked better than I thought it did at the time i shot it. I guess at that time working in a photo lab and had seen some real quality stuff come through every now and then. I guess I was striving for that type of result. The best photos I saw back then were not always from the Pro's that did it for a living but from a Doctor that was into it as a hobby.

    So, that is my best advice....keep your camera with you and shoot everything. Keep reading and keep looking at the photo's of those that do it well whom you have access to to ask questions. Yes, having good equipment and expensive lenses is one thing but....having an eye and knowing how to shoot is more important.

    Thanks! as this post reminded me that I need to get nice DSLR myself. I only have Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ5 point and shoot currently. Its not easy having too many costly hobbies!
    2.2 Office Setup | LG 29UB55 21:9 UltraWide | HP Probook 630 G8 | Dell Latitude | Cabasse Stream Amp 100 | Boston Acoustics VS 240 | AUDIORAX Desk Stands | Mirage Omni S8 sub1 | Mirage Omni S8 Sub2
  • seabeerob213
    seabeerob213 Posts: 1,840
    edited December 2013
    for some reason, not all of the pics will upload to the PC, and my samsung tv doesnt count as a high enough resolution monitor to open the software, so i guess a new tv or a dedicated monitor may be in my future, or just reserve the camera stuff to the laptop
    2 Channel(work in progress):DAC: Schiit modi 2 uberAmp:Parasound 1200 MK IISub:RBH 1010-SEP Speakers: Monitor 5A peerlesscurrently running some krk rokit 3g since the HK pre outs died and i need to start breaking everything down to move in a couple monthsHeadphones:Source: tidalDAC: schiit modius epre: schiit sysAmp: AQ dragonfly black/ schiit magni2 Cans: Velodyne V-True, Grado SR225i, sennheiser x drop gaming headsetPC:DAC: schiit modius e(over spdif)pre: schiit sysspeakers: prenous eris 5 xtSub: Earthquake Sound MiniMe-P63most of my comments are passing on of info, im a noob, im just trying to help how i can, if im wrong or out of place to comment, dont hesitate to let me know :)"WITH WILLING HEARTS AND SKILLFUL HANDS, THE DIFFICULT WE DO AT ONCE, THE IMPOSSIBLE TAKES A BIT LONGER, WITH COMPASSION FOR OTHERS. WE BUILD - WE FIGHT FOR PEACE WITH FREEDOM"Seabee Memorial, Arlington, VA
  • bikerboy
    bikerboy Posts: 1,205
    edited December 2013
    Get a good photo editting quality IPS monitor and Lightroom from Adobe. A tripod will be the other must have. I use one with a qr plate. Let's you use it easier and faster. I use a Sony nex 7 and three lens plus adapters for legacy lenses. Have fun.
    Main system: Lyngdorf TDAI 2170 w/ Pioneer 42" plazma-> Polk LSiM 703 w/Tivo, Marantz tuner, BRPTT: Nothingham Spacedeck-> Pioneer PL L1000 linear arm-> Soundsmith DL 103R-> SUT->Bottlehead ErosDigital: I3 PC w/ Jriver playing flac -> Sonore Ultrarendu -> Twisted Pair Audio ESS 9028 w/ Mercury IVY Vinyl rips: ESI Juli@24/192-> i3 PC server
  • gmcman
    gmcman Posts: 1,739
    edited December 2013
    Also keep in mind the T3i uses the APS-C sized sensor and this is not a "full-frame" sensor, meaning you will have 1.6X crop factor. Technically speaking your 50MM lens will become an 80MM effective focal length. This really becomes a factor on wide-angle lenses, you need a 12MM lens to obtain the 18MM of a FF sensor or film camera.

    What I said earlier about using 3rd party lenses I tend to go back on with wide-angle lenses. Really comes down to cost and I have had great results with 3rd party lenses, sometimes it's hard to tell the difference but needless to say Canon has spectacular lenses.

    Also, this tripod head works great with lenses smaller than what the pro's use at a NFL game....I love it and couldn't live without it.

    http://www.adorama.com/US%20%20%20%20603724.html?gclid=CI7DqaXszrsCFW9nOgodnEUAaQ
  • seabeerob213
    seabeerob213 Posts: 1,840
    edited December 2013
    figured out how to upload them, other than a couple lenses and a basic tripod, not gonna do too much with it for now, just take pics. I have a car, and stereo that come first with money. I have bought a 55-250 mm canon lense with IS, 30% off + no tax, 270$. software and stuff can wait for now, the pics are on an EXT.HD and not going anywhere. Also, i use my laptop for photos, as the software all works pretty smoothly with it.
    2 Channel(work in progress):DAC: Schiit modi 2 uberAmp:Parasound 1200 MK IISub:RBH 1010-SEP Speakers: Monitor 5A peerlesscurrently running some krk rokit 3g since the HK pre outs died and i need to start breaking everything down to move in a couple monthsHeadphones:Source: tidalDAC: schiit modius epre: schiit sysAmp: AQ dragonfly black/ schiit magni2 Cans: Velodyne V-True, Grado SR225i, sennheiser x drop gaming headsetPC:DAC: schiit modius e(over spdif)pre: schiit sysspeakers: prenous eris 5 xtSub: Earthquake Sound MiniMe-P63most of my comments are passing on of info, im a noob, im just trying to help how i can, if im wrong or out of place to comment, dont hesitate to let me know :)"WITH WILLING HEARTS AND SKILLFUL HANDS, THE DIFFICULT WE DO AT ONCE, THE IMPOSSIBLE TAKES A BIT LONGER, WITH COMPASSION FOR OTHERS. WE BUILD - WE FIGHT FOR PEACE WITH FREEDOM"Seabee Memorial, Arlington, VA
  • Shizelbs
    Shizelbs Posts: 7,433
    edited December 2013
    Knowing what I know now, here is what I would do;

    1) Buy a fixed 50mm lens.
    2) Buy and learn how to use a good speedlight/flash
    3) Buy and use Adobe Lightroom
  • seabeerob213
    seabeerob213 Posts: 1,840
    edited December 2013
    thanks for the tip shize, i'll start looking into stuff
    2 Channel(work in progress):DAC: Schiit modi 2 uberAmp:Parasound 1200 MK IISub:RBH 1010-SEP Speakers: Monitor 5A peerlesscurrently running some krk rokit 3g since the HK pre outs died and i need to start breaking everything down to move in a couple monthsHeadphones:Source: tidalDAC: schiit modius epre: schiit sysAmp: AQ dragonfly black/ schiit magni2 Cans: Velodyne V-True, Grado SR225i, sennheiser x drop gaming headsetPC:DAC: schiit modius e(over spdif)pre: schiit sysspeakers: prenous eris 5 xtSub: Earthquake Sound MiniMe-P63most of my comments are passing on of info, im a noob, im just trying to help how i can, if im wrong or out of place to comment, dont hesitate to let me know :)"WITH WILLING HEARTS AND SKILLFUL HANDS, THE DIFFICULT WE DO AT ONCE, THE IMPOSSIBLE TAKES A BIT LONGER, WITH COMPASSION FOR OTHERS. WE BUILD - WE FIGHT FOR PEACE WITH FREEDOM"Seabee Memorial, Arlington, VA
  • audiocr381ve
    audiocr381ve Posts: 2,588
    edited December 2013
    I'd also recommend the 50 1.8. It's a sweet little lens that is great in low light, it's light weight, & great for blurring out that background when you want to draw your viewers eye to something specific as opposed to everything in a shot. I own the 50 1.4 and the 50 1.2 L and the $100 50 1.8 holds its own. The build quality is absolute crap, but the images it produces are nice.

    The more you start shooting, the more you'll figure out what you like to shoot. You may find yourself gravitating towards certain things like landscapes or portraits or architecture or street photography or whatever.. Once you figure out what that is, you'll start getting interested in which lenses make your subject matter look its best. You'll also learn what you like and don't like about gear. Some guys like to travel ultra light while others will bring whatever it takes to get the absolute best image in their eyes. This will effect the choices you make when buying new gear.

    Here are a few of from my 5D MKIII and 24-105 L.

    https://www.dropbox.com/s/2kql094wegt1kuv/downtown.jpg

    https://www.dropbox.com/s/9jqm19m2g0shz5c/915A3820.jpg

    https://www.dropbox.com/s/ibiro0ud99iasuh/915A2821.jpg

    https://www.dropbox.com/s/jnjwmtiqggp7odr/915A4333.jpg