Fresh in photography


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Japz

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Jan 2, 2004
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Hi there... me interested in digital photography.... currently searching for a good used Sony F717....

I'm TOTALLY new with digital photography.... So, should I get the F717 for a headstart?

I chose F717 based on the fantastic reviews posted in the net and mags....
 

Japz said:
Hi there... me interested in digital photography.... currently searching for a good used Sony F717....

I'm TOTALLY new with digital photography.... So, should I get the F717 for a headstart?

I chose F717 based on the fantastic reviews posted in the net and mags....

Hi, nothing aginst Sony, but why Sony for a digital Camera?
 

Japz said:
Hi there... me interested in digital photography.... currently searching for a good used Sony F717....

I'm TOTALLY new with digital photography.... So, should I get the F717 for a headstart?

I chose F717 based on the fantastic reviews posted in the net and mags....


Do you know any photography in the first place? If yes then there is no point in getting the 717, unless money is a problem. If no, other cheaper cameras like Canon G5 and A80, Nikon's 4500 are better options to learn. Even the chaeper Sony V1 is better and cheaper in my humble opinion. You do not like it your "loss" would be smaller.


Give you some tips:

Every camera can be fantastic or cannot make it. I am sure a Canon G5 user like me will say G5 is very good and the best. But does it suit your needs? Just do not believe what others say, take them lightly and choose your camera to the level you want your skill to be. Say you want to learn and upgrade later, get an A80/G5 and change to a DSLR later. Or just learn to shoot for family photos, get an A70 and forget about any upgrading.
 

blurblock said:
Hi, nothing aginst Sony, but why Sony for a digital Camera?
Well, like I said the reviews for the F717 were great.... and the image taken from the camera is fantastic...
 

theITguy said:
Do you know any photography in the first place? If yes then there is no point in getting the 717, unless money is a problem. If no, other cheaper cameras like Canon G5 and A80, Nikon's 4500 are better options to learn. Even the chaeper Sony V1 is better and cheaper in my humble opinion. You do not like it your "loss" would be smaller.


Give you some tips:

Every camera can be fantastic or cannot make it. I am sure a Canon G5 user like me will say G5 is very good and the best. But does it suit your needs? Just do not believe what others say, take them lightly and choose your camera to the level you want your skill to be. Say you want to learn and upgrade later, get an A80/G5 and change to a DSLR later. Or just learn to shoot for family photos, get an A70 and forget about any upgrading.
Honestly, I do not know any photography... I'm not even a newbie.. I'm just entering into photgraphy....

Actually, I'm also looking for a good used G5... the reviews were good too.... And also, I saw one of the member's webbie with images captured froma G5.... beautiful results...

Everyday is a learning process... given the chance I would love to learn more.... but first, I gotta start somewhere....
 

got to remember, its not the camera that makes the pictures look great, its the photographer. You can get excellent photos from 'novelty' cameras IF you know what you are doing....
 

I think i can just get a simple point and shoot like Nikon 3100 or Olympus range if u are really that new...if u buy too advanced a cam u might not know how to fully make use of the functions and might be disappointed with the pictures u take. Point and shooters on the other hand gives u excellent pictures most of the time.
 

gazamc said:
got to remember, its not the camera that makes the pictures look great, its the photographer. You can get excellent photos from 'novelty' cameras IF you know what you are doing....
It's obvious that a good photographer makes a good photo.... a skillful driver will also probably win a race.... Creativity and good mental imagery is within oneself....

I would prefer to buy something that makes me wanna explore deeper rather than buying a basic which after a while will make me crave for more...
 

Gui said:
I think i can just get a simple point and shoot like Nikon 3100 or Olympus range if u are really that new...if u buy too advanced a cam u might not know how to fully make use of the functions and might be disappointed with the pictures u take. Point and shooters on the other hand gives u excellent pictures most of the time.
Thanx for your advise... you have a point there too.....
 

if you know nuts,i suggest you get something basic to your needs, giving you all the tools at once and you will fret at what is it ever about. too many things at once may be a turn-off.

Its like schooling to most people, if you start at primary one and start giving them secondary school text books, its not going to help their education at all.

if you are interested in photography, what about learning what is it about and understanding the various factors to take a picture, then go shopping for a camera that can serve your needs.

i got a friend who started photography 1 year earlier than me. He strumbed upon a second hand sony 505 many years ago, paid slighty $1000 for it. For all this time he was happy snapping and shooting.

Recently he give this camera to his sister and bought a A1 after looking thou a while. For a moment he was awed by D2H, or 10D (latest cameras) when he asked his senior from australia about what new and good., He spent lots of moola on flashlights, battery grip, batteries, storage cards. He had about three-fours years in digital photography and chased for the 'best' consumer cameras with all the bells and whistles.

There was once i went out with him for a shoot and i have notice he was using the auto mode. I asked if there are other modes he ever uses but he says he never really understood the basics, shutter speed/aperture etc and he could not move beyond that level.

ok, all i'm trying to state is know what and where your passion lies, save good money for yourself. you may be earnest in learning, get a basic camera for your needs and master them first.
 

very good point that Belle@sebastian raised. otherwise buying a fantastic camera will end up surely as a "P for professional" mode user :p

actually, there's no harm in getting something top-end, so long as the buyer is willing to experiment slowly - from either shutter/aperture priority, and move on from there.
 

I agree with both sehsuan and Belle&Sebastain. Rather than be caught in the "buy buy buy" frenzy and equipment angst, master what you can reasonably afford first. If finally, you find that you have explored all the camera can offer you (and I'm not talking about P/auto modes here), and that the camera is indeed limiting your growth as a photographer, you'll know that it's finally time to move on to something better. I find this article at the Luminous Landscape website helpful: http://www.luminous-landscape.com/essays/digital-class.shtml
 

I agree with the 3 of you (Belle&Sebastain, sehsuan and teL).... Thanx for the advises...

Any suggestion which digital camera I should buy?

Anyway, like what sehsuan said...

"actually, there's no harm in getting something top-end, so long as the buyer is willing to experiment slowly - from either shutter/aperture priority, and move on from there."

I don't mind getting a top-end camera, I'm willing to experiment slowly... I know I can ask for help, tips and advises from the members here.... like you guys...

Thanx..
 

Belle&Sebastain said:
There was once i went out with him for a shoot and i have notice he was using the auto mode. I asked if there are other modes he ever uses but he says he never really understood the basics, shutter speed/aperture etc and he could not move beyond that level.

Well, look at Tay Kay Chin. He doesn't know jack about any of those but he still gets international recognition for his photo. :bsmilie:
 

Japz, i think most of us can give you a billion suggestions - but these will help

1. budget?
2. any specific applications for shooting? or long-chong bao one?
 

sehsuan said:
or long-chong bao one?

Took me a few seconds to figure that one out. I prefer to call it Bao Sua Bao Hai photography. :bsmilie:

Is there a specific reason why you'd like to start off with digital photography? Does the thought of exposing film scare you? If there's one reason why i favour starting off with film, it's because film makes you think about the shot before you actually snap past the point of no return. I personally started off with a film camera, and just bought my 300D recently. I still have my film SLR, but can't use it for the moment since the rewind function is shot (hey...it's about 14yrs old already).

In any case, starting off with film allowed me to learn a lot about photography, since you'd need all the know-how at your fingertips before you shoot. Of course, there's always experimentation and all that, but the learning curve seems to be a lot steeper with film. With digital, i feel that we tend to get spoiled by the lack of committment towards the shot. Don't like the first one? Do it again with little to no loss.

Perhaps you might be interested in attending courses organized by Stanley Lim Colour Centre, or even just reading up extensively on the subject before you decide what you want to do with photography. Saying that you want to do it is easy, but many people give up for various reasons. Imagine if you buy the G5, and discover that it's a pain to lug that "tank" around. Then how? I don't think the 717 is that small either is it?

I might have somewhat skewed off topic here, but i think there are lots of factors to consider before you make that big purchase.
 

IMHO it doesn't matter if u r using a disposable film camera or a DSLR.

I used to have a Prolink webcam which is low res and didn't have a LCD to preview the pics, but I enjoyed using it. Because in the end, I just enjoy taking photos :D
 

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