Me and my camera
Tue Dec 26, 2006 2:22 pm
I just bought a Canon for myself and now I cant afford to eat, but thats beside the point. 
I got it because I was planning on taking a photography class at school to prepare for the airshow season, but am now out of luck.
Can someone explain to me what I need to know.
I have the Canon Digital Rebel XTi.
Oh and I did try and read the manual, it was no different from reading Chinese.
I got it because I was planning on taking a photography class at school to prepare for the airshow season, but am now out of luck.
Can someone explain to me what I need to know.
I have the Canon Digital Rebel XTi.
Oh and I did try and read the manual, it was no different from reading Chinese.
Tue Dec 26, 2006 7:50 pm
Excellent! Soon you'll be another victim of ABPS (Airplane Buff's Photo Syndrome) -- if you didn't take a picture of a plane, it won't even "count" that you saw it!
I'm not a huge fan of digital but I have an XT (without the i) and can offer the following tips.
You can get pretty decent static shots on the ground just by figuring out how to load the card, charge the battery, set the dial to the green rectangle (probably it's already there), point, and shoot.
For better quality, you'll want to shoot RAW format, not JPEG. Just switch the dial from the green rectangle to "P" (if you don't want to be bothered with exposure settings). Use the menus to set the highest RAW file quality. After that it's not much more difficult than the green rectangle was.
In very bright sun with high contrast, dialing in 1 stop of underexposure may give you fewer unattractive "blown out" highlights.
Mostly, just get out there and shoot stuff!
You may find you get the most satisfaction out of it if you learn photography from first principles. Switch the camera to "M", buy a basic photography book that explains about f-stops, depth of field, and the zone system (maybe the one that was going to be used for your course), and pretend for a few weeks that your camera is a $100, manual-everything klunker. If you're like me, you'll end up leaving it that way; if not, at least you'll know what the robot inside the camera is thinking about.
Did your camera come with Photoshop Elements or some such program? This is your "digital darkroom"; almost no picture is really finished until you have worked with it at least a little in such a program. It has a steeper learning curve than the camera itself.
We'll be expecting to see your results once the airshow season gets underway!
August
I'm not a huge fan of digital but I have an XT (without the i) and can offer the following tips.
You can get pretty decent static shots on the ground just by figuring out how to load the card, charge the battery, set the dial to the green rectangle (probably it's already there), point, and shoot.
For better quality, you'll want to shoot RAW format, not JPEG. Just switch the dial from the green rectangle to "P" (if you don't want to be bothered with exposure settings). Use the menus to set the highest RAW file quality. After that it's not much more difficult than the green rectangle was.
In very bright sun with high contrast, dialing in 1 stop of underexposure may give you fewer unattractive "blown out" highlights.
Mostly, just get out there and shoot stuff!
You may find you get the most satisfaction out of it if you learn photography from first principles. Switch the camera to "M", buy a basic photography book that explains about f-stops, depth of field, and the zone system (maybe the one that was going to be used for your course), and pretend for a few weeks that your camera is a $100, manual-everything klunker. If you're like me, you'll end up leaving it that way; if not, at least you'll know what the robot inside the camera is thinking about.
Did your camera come with Photoshop Elements or some such program? This is your "digital darkroom"; almost no picture is really finished until you have worked with it at least a little in such a program. It has a steeper learning curve than the camera itself.
We'll be expecting to see your results once the airshow season gets underway!
August
Wed Dec 27, 2006 5:05 am
Congratulations on getting your new camera!!!
A few things related to the digital cameras:
The lens are as important or more than the camera itself. If you bought the Canon with the regular light weight lens that it usually comes with, try your best to get a stabilized lens. They are expensive, but very well worth the investment.
An EFS 17-85mm image stabilized, will be a good lens to have.
The problem is, that although this lens will allow you very good close-up shots, you will soon want to get those long range shots, and the lenses steadily increase in price as the focal length increases.
If you can get an additional -fast writing speed- data card, do so. You will spend less time waiting for the camera to "write" down the data to a fast card.
Same suggestion would go for an additional battery; last thing you want is to run out of juice when that rare airplane shows up.
Protect your camera; make sure that the strap is securely attached at all times; buy a filter to protect the lens; either a sky or a polarizer filter will be of great help. Again, quality means price, and you can easily spend up to $100 and more on a polarizer filter, but it is very well worth it.
Regarding learning the use of the camera, settings and so on, if you go to either Barnes and Noble, or to Borders books, you will find good, and cheap books on digital photography.
Do not get discouraged if at first, the results are not as good as they were with film cameras; once you understand how the little gizmo inside works, you will get better and better shots.
Ask questions. Most people will be glad to tell you about their experiences with cameras, and you will pick useful tips along the way.
And finally, there is a good aviation forum at Fencecheck.com, and there is a section where you can ask questions from the guys who shoot professionally and you can post your own photos there, for critique and advise..
Again, congratulations!
Saludos,
Tulio
A few things related to the digital cameras:
The lens are as important or more than the camera itself. If you bought the Canon with the regular light weight lens that it usually comes with, try your best to get a stabilized lens. They are expensive, but very well worth the investment.
An EFS 17-85mm image stabilized, will be a good lens to have.
The problem is, that although this lens will allow you very good close-up shots, you will soon want to get those long range shots, and the lenses steadily increase in price as the focal length increases.
If you can get an additional -fast writing speed- data card, do so. You will spend less time waiting for the camera to "write" down the data to a fast card.
Same suggestion would go for an additional battery; last thing you want is to run out of juice when that rare airplane shows up.
Protect your camera; make sure that the strap is securely attached at all times; buy a filter to protect the lens; either a sky or a polarizer filter will be of great help. Again, quality means price, and you can easily spend up to $100 and more on a polarizer filter, but it is very well worth it.
Regarding learning the use of the camera, settings and so on, if you go to either Barnes and Noble, or to Borders books, you will find good, and cheap books on digital photography.
Do not get discouraged if at first, the results are not as good as they were with film cameras; once you understand how the little gizmo inside works, you will get better and better shots.
Ask questions. Most people will be glad to tell you about their experiences with cameras, and you will pick useful tips along the way.
And finally, there is a good aviation forum at Fencecheck.com, and there is a section where you can ask questions from the guys who shoot professionally and you can post your own photos there, for critique and advise..
Again, congratulations!
Saludos,
Tulio
Wed Dec 27, 2006 8:21 pm
Thanks. I was afraid no one would reply.
I have been playing with it the last couple of days. And will plan on going to Barnes and Noble tomorrow.
As far as the accessories go I will look into those in the future since I cant even afford to eat right now. 
Oh I forgot about the Photoshop Elements, it only came with Digital Photo Professonial. How much is the Photoshop, and where?
I have been playing with it the last couple of days. And will plan on going to Barnes and Noble tomorrow.
As far as the accessories go I will look into those in the future since I cant even afford to eat right now.
Oh I forgot about the Photoshop Elements, it only came with Digital Photo Professonial. How much is the Photoshop, and where?
Thu Dec 28, 2006 1:43 am
SOaD,
Basic Photoshop Elements costs around $75-100 depending on where you go.
A web site I visit every now and then for tips on the Canon digital stuff is
http://photography-on-the.net/forum/ind ... f840215055
Try not to get lost in there, it is everything CANON
Basic Photoshop Elements costs around $75-100 depending on where you go.
A web site I visit every now and then for tips on the Canon digital stuff is
http://photography-on-the.net/forum/ind ... f840215055
Try not to get lost in there, it is everything CANON
Thu Dec 28, 2006 6:39 pm
Roger Cain wrote:SOaD,
Basic Photoshop Elements costs around $75-100 depending on where you go.
A web site I visit every now and then for tips on the Canon digital stuff is
http://photography-on-the.net/forum/ind ... f840215055
Try not to get lost in there, it is everything CANON
Oh yea, Ive been there before. Lost one whole day.
nice...
Sat Dec 30, 2006 1:50 am
yeah, I'm looking for the nikon version of this! any pointers?
this is quite the site... very impressive..
hh
this is quite the site... very impressive..
hh
Wed Jan 03, 2007 3:57 am
SoaD:
have you checked your PM's?
Tulio
have you checked your PM's?
Tulio
Fri Jan 05, 2007 8:50 am
I just boght a Nikon D 50 with an extra 70 -300mm zoom. I love it. I can't wait for airshow season now.