Topic: Understand your DSLR

[Simon]

This might be a good place to start. 

http://www.wikihow.com/Understand-Your-Digital-SLR

[Clive]

Looks a very useful website!  My digital is not an SLR but I am considering buying one.

[Rik]

Go for it, Clive, but start by looking at the lenses you will want. Personally, I favour Nikon optics, but most of their lenses don't yet have image stabilisation, though they do a wonderful f2.8 AF 21-36mm equivalent, then a 36-105, also AF f2.8. The front element of the former is a brute, the lens weighs 33 oz!

There's also a good all-rounder 18-200 (27-300) f3.5-5.6, but the big brutes are great.

The big difference with DSLR is the number of choices you have to make in camera: image size/quality, white balance, ISO sensitivity (film speed). Plus a plethora of shooting options, eg AF point, metering type etc.

[Clive]

I went through all that with my original Pentax ME Super and bought all the lenses and filters.  Will they fit?

[Rik]

Possibly, but obviously only a Pentax or Samsung.

[sam]

I keep thinking about buying a DSLR but I doubt I could be bothered carrying around all the lenses.

[Simon]

I guess you just carry round a basic all rounder, and take the more specialist ones with you on planned photo excursions.  That's probably what I would do, anyway.

[Rik]

It's the way I work, Simon. The all rounder is an 18-200 (27-300 equivalent) f3.5-5.6 max aperture with VR (image stabilisation). That will get almost any job done, but it's not a perfect lens. When I'm out with the tripod, I carry the 14-24 (21-36 equiv) f2.8, the 24-70 (36-105 equiv) f2.8, plus a 50 prime (75 equiv) f1.4. The latteris particularly good for candid portraiture in low light. At some point, I'll probably add the 70-200 f2.8, but it's a hack of a price and weight. Even the 14-24 weighs just about 1kg. I don't tend to shoot a lot at the telephoto end, I'm much more a wide angle > medium telephoto photographer, so I might add a w/a prime at some point, and a macro in the 60-70mm range.

[Simon]

Any chance of getting out and about with the new camera soon?

[Rik]

Sadly, not yet. I bought the damned thing two days before I was taken into hospital and I'm still not strong enough, or steady enough, to use it without a tripod. I'm working on it, though.

[Simon]

It's good to have something to work towards, and I'm sure it will help the recovery process, albeit, psychologically. 

[Rik]

For now, I'm reading the manuals and getting familiar with the controls, so it's not totally lost time.

[Simon]

You could always take some indoor shots.

[Rik]

I have, but the shakes are still an issue, and will be until I get off these meds. Hence, I've added a monopod to the tripod this week...

[Simon]

  When is London?