Yet another TOTALLY newbie thread. :)

AnimalRights

Right I have only ever used normal cameras before but I decided to progress to a SLR and picked the Canon D400 (Rebel XTi)
I read up plenty and decided to get the EF 50mm 1:1.8 II lens.....
Now I know this will sound totally idiotic but is it true as I appear to be finding out from playing around with Camera that I cannot zoom with it unless I have a diff zoom?

Also any other tips/suggestions, all welcome!
Thank you.

Ideo

The 50mm is a fixed lens so you can't zoom in or out with it. It's fixed. You should consider picking up the kit lens that usually goes with that, the 18-55mm or if you have a bit of cash a better lens, 18-70mm or somehitng similar. These will allow you to zoom in and out

sheesh

noob
nope you cannot. the phrase is 'you zoom with your feet' I have the same setup (although I knew it was going to be like that) what you miss with not being able to zoom in and out you make up with by taking cool depth of focus shots.

Carrigman

The 50mm f/1.8 is a fixed focal length lens which means it does not have a zoom capacity. You will have to buy a zoom lens (for example, 17-40mm, 18-55mm, 70-200mm, etc) in order to be able to use different focal lengths in the one lens. So, for instance if you had a 70-200mm you could shoot at 70mm and all the way up to 200mm. My advice is to get used to the 50mm - it is an excellent lens - and wait a while before considering a zoom. (Some photographers do not use zooms at all preferring instead to use a veriety of fixed focal length lenses. The image quality is said to be better but there is no doubt that zooms are very convenient).

evilhomer

Hey AnimalRights, congratulations on your purchase of a Digital SLR.

The reason you cannot zoom is because the lens you bought is a 50mm lens, that is the focal length.

If you look at lenses for sale on websites and see for example Canon 17-85mm f4.0-f5.6.
The 17mm-85mm is the focal range of that lens and hence the zoom for the lens.
Your 50mm has no focal range, so no zoom.

All canon/nikon DSLR's only have zoom on the lens, not built into the body (this would be some kind of digital zoom, if it were available). Optical zoom is what you get from the a lens with a focal range.
You picked a good lens to start with, but I'm afraid it doesn't have the capability to zoom.

Maybe when you get some more cash you could look at something with a focal range.

Happy snapping.

AnimalRights

Wow quick reply! (edit:lot's of quick replies!!)
I got a friend to bring it back from B&H in NYC and from what I read the 50mm was def a better lens then the 18-55mm that came standard with it in this country.
Right so if I decide to go for another lens what ones are best for gigs in small venues, wildlife in the Phoenix park etc
I am totally new to SLR but lol I suppose I will get sucked in...

What does mm mean or what way is it measured, I'm not explaining this well but if a normal compact digi camera is 3x optical zoom what would my 50mm be in laymans terms.
I need other information along these lines!!

TY

TelePaul

AnimalRights wrote: »

Wow quick reply! (edit:lot's of quick replies!!)
I got a friend to bring it back from B&H in NYC and from what I read the 50mm was def a better lens then the 18-55mm that came standard with it in this country.
Right so if I decide to go for another lens what ones are best for gigs in small venues, wildlife in the Phoenix park etc
I am totally new to SLR but lol I suppose I will get sucked in...

What does mm mean or what way is it measured, I'm not explaining this well but if a normal compact digi camera is 3x optical zoom what would my 50mm be in laymans terms.
I need other information along these lines!!

TY

Keep the 50mm for gigs, it's a great lens for low light given it's f1.8 (that refers to aperture, not sure if you're familiar as to what this is, let us know if you're not).

For wildlife you're going to need a zoom of some kind, I'd recommend 300mm. Sigma do a cheap enough 70-300mm with macro capabilities, should be enough to get you started if you use it with a tripod.

mm is millimetres, refers to focal length as far as I know. There is no exact correlation between optical zoom on a compact camera and the range of a zoom lens on an SLR, but someone here might be able to give you some idication.

AnimalRights

f1.8 (that refers to aperture, not sure if you're familiar as to what this is, let us know if you're not).

Again I like Laymans terms, while I'm reading stuff I gotta be honest and say my brain leaks memory so er sometimes I like it kept as simple as possible!
How much do a Sigma go for etc?

Calina

Sigma is about 199E new in the Dublin camera shops. I recommend the lens and have used it extensively although there's no point in trying to find anything in my flickr stream right now cos even I can't.

Regarding aperture, it's the size of the gap to which your lens opens when you take a photographs.

Have a look here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aperture

TelePaul

Me wrote:

f1.8 (that refers to aperture, not sure if you're familiar as to what this is, let us know if you're not).

AnimalRights wrote:

Again I like Laymans terms, while I'm reading stuff I gotta be honest and say my brain leaks memory so er sometimes I like it kept as simple as possible!
How much do a Sigma go for etc?

Aperture doesn't really have a Layman's equivalent. There are a few basic photographic terms that you kinda have to know if you wanna make the most of things. Aperture, or aperture value, is denoted by the prefix f and refers to the size of the hole which lets light onto the film/sensor. The lower the f number or f-stop, the bigger the hole, the more light is let in and the easier it is to take photos in low light.

AnimalRights

Ta people, last 2 replies was the icing on the cake.

Quackles

I started off with one of these (it's my husband selling this one, so this is me doing the 'hard sale' ) - http://www.adverts.ie/showproduct.php?product=41309&cat=51 - covered a nice, reasonably wide angle to a good zoom, got some nice photos with it, nice inexpensive lens for a starter.

AnimalRights

Which photo has the tiny scratch?
Can't notice it but then again I'm a total newbie.

Also are flashes essential?

I feel like I've opened a bottomless pit here but yet I can't turn away.

Quackles

AnimalRights wrote: »

Which photo has the tiny scratch?
Can't notice it but then again I'm a total newbie.

Also are flashes essential?

I feel like I've opened a bottomless pit here but yet I can't turn away.

I went ahead and answered your tiny scratch question on the sale thread, as I didn't want to be moving questions related to an individual sale off adverts or hijacking this thread, if that makes sense..

As for a flash.. Certainly not essential for gigs or wildlife/nature, in my opinion, anyway.. The best gig photography I've done was with the 50mm f/1.8 lens and no flash.. That lens is great for shooting with no flash. The flash is useful, and worthwhile, particularly for close up/portrait shots. Well, that's where I will use it most, but that's my favourite type of photography.. You could live without it for a while and see if it is something you feel you need in the future. I got a speedlite 420ex for christmas there, still just playing around with it, I've a lot of learning to do yet! In all areas :rolleyes:

AnimalRights

Don't laugh but.....
The LCD screen on the 400D does that preview the picture you want to take?
I only see the pic after I take it!
I went thru the manual and I own a Camcorder which obviously you have a lcd that erm is "live" so to speak.

Dades

AnimalRights wrote: »

Don't laugh but.....
The LCD screen on the 400D does that preview the picture you want to take?
I only see the pic after I take it!

Nope!

Your only preview is through the viewfinder - the way it should be!
Anyone who borrows my 400D to take a snap is always confused as to how to take the shot. People seem to have forgotten the little hole they used to look through with all cameras!

What lens did you go with in the end?

Thirdfox

Dades wrote: »

Nope!

Your only preview is through the viewfinder - the way it should be!
Anyone who borrows my 400D to take a snap is always confused as to how to take the shot. People seem to have forgotten the little hole they used to look through with all cameras!

What lens did you go with in the end?

Although live view is a feature that high end Canon, Nikon and all Olympus/Panasonic dSLR cameras have...just a matter of time before it trickles down to consumer dSLR level (for the Canikon-ites)

Moving with the times I suppose - there are situations where live view would be very useful.

I must admit I forgot about the inability to preview the final image before taking it when I first started taking pictures.

challengemaster

Chunky Monkey

It's a little awkward for me sometimes cos I wear glasses and can't see without them but I prefer it most of the time all the same. My friends got confused with it the other night as well Digital cameras haven't been mainstream for that long have they? I had a film one right up until a year ago.

TelePaul

Chunky Monkey wrote: »

It's a little awkward for me sometimes cos I wear glasses and can't see without them but I prefer it most of the time all the same. My friends got confused with it the other night as well Digital cameras haven't been mainstream for that long have they? I had a film one right up until a year ago.

Well DSLRs are certainly getting cheaper and are more widely available.

Chunky Monkey

They still ain't that cheap though. I was referring to how they were surprised you had to look through the viewfinder.

AnimalRights

Dades wrote: »

Nope!

Your only preview is through the viewfinder - the way it should be!
Anyone who borrows my 400D to take a snap is always confused as to how to take the shot. People seem to have forgotten the little hole they used to look through with all cameras!

What lens did you go with in the end?

Hehe

Got the 50mm f/1.8 and gonna buy that cheap 2nd hand from adverts.ie on Saturday.
http://www.adverts.ie/showproduct.php?product=41309&cat=51
Took my 1st ever pics with it today up in the park, twas fecking freezing!
Most were on auto and an odd one on portrait, cannot remember which.






I trimmed this one and gotta say while I'm no expert I liked the few proggies that came with the cam
Loved water reflections.



I know theres plenty of faults probs with this but I liked the birds in full motion.

I am a total newb so would like to hear views on photos so I can learn etc

TelePaul

Chunky Monkey wrote: »

They still ain't that cheap though. I was referring to how they were surprised you had to look through the viewfinder.

Well point and shoots are a relatively recent phenomenon, and everyone's so used to the image preview on an LCD screen. We forget that before those days we were all jamming our faces up to a viewfinder. If a person has already owned a film SLR, there's nothing weird about it. Also wear glasses and find it a pain in the ass.

challengemaster

you can adjust the viewfinder if you have bad eyesight to suit your eyes - it's the little dial on the side of it (for canon - anyway)


also B&W some of those pics... I'll do a sample to show you

edit: note: just a quick B&W conversion to the first two...




I think it suits them a little better.. (then again, I think B&W suits everything better >_> )

just my opinion

AnimalRights

Interesting!
The Chain and Lock one especially.

Dades

AnimalRights wrote: »

Got the 50mm f/1.8 and gonna buy that cheap 2nd hand from adverts.ie on Saturday.
http://www.adverts.ie/showproduct.php?product=41309&cat=51
Took my 1st ever pics with it today up in the park, twas fecking freezing!
Most were on auto and an odd one on portrait, cannot remember which.

If your using the 50mm f1.8, read about the AV setting in your manual first to get the best out of it. When you set the camera to AV, turn the adjustment wheelie thing until the aperture setting on the display is 1.8. You'll find shots like that one of the lock, or the bird that you took will look much more interesting.

AnimalRights

Dades wrote: »

If your using the 50mm f1.8, read about the AV setting in your manual first to get the best out of it. When you set the camera to AV, turn the adjustment wheelie thing until the aperture setting on the display is 1.8. You'll find shots like that one of the lock, or the bird that you took will look much more interesting.

Cheers! It's tips like this that keeps Newbies happy.

Dades

AnimalRights wrote: »

Cheers! It's tips like this that keeps Newbies happy.

I'm a virtual noob too - I only have my 400D 6 weeks and got that 50mm lens from Mrs Santa!

Don't forget to read up on why different settings do what they do, and when to use them. That's the key to leaving noobness behind!

Chunky Monkey

I think it suits them a little better.. (then again, I think B&W suits everything better >_> )

just my opinion

Or even sepia





Those chains look weird, like they were superimposed, or is it just me?

floydmoon1

anyone know of any good books to teach bout all the different settings for a dslr.have a canon eos 350d for nearly 2 years now and havent used it much.want to get back into taking pics but dont just want to use the auto settings.

challengemaster

Chunky Monkey wrote: »

Or even sepia

uhm, no. mine look better!

Those chains look weird, like they were superimposed, or is it just me?

way too over-exposed is the problem. doing a b&w conversion i had to bring the exposure down to like -3.4 in lightroom..

floydmoon1: you could try reading the manual..

or..

http://www.diyphotography.net/

AnimalRights

The chain + lock were just like that!
Why I took the pic.

PopeBuckfastXVI

Chunky Monkey wrote: »

It's a little awkward for me sometimes cos I wear glasses and can't see without them but I prefer it most of the time all the same. My friends got confused with it the other night as well Digital cameras haven't been mainstream for that long have they? I had a film one right up until a year ago.

Yes I'm also a speccy four eyes, I find the main problem being seeing the settings at the bottom of the view finder, but still, not like it's annoying me enough to rush off to the laser eye clinic!

Chunky Monkey

Laser eye surgery *shudder*

Dades

Chunky Monkey wrote: »

Laser eye surgery *shudder*

Been there, done that - about 9 years ago!

I seriously recommend it for all you speccy-four-eyes out there. Tax deductible too!