Before "What lens should I get next?"

[bink]

Shamelessly stolen from here. I think some of this is pretty good advice for a new owner.

So.... how many have you done?

One of the most common questions found on this forum is “what lens to get?”. Often this question is asked by someone who describes themselves as new to dslr or awaiting the arrival of their newly purchased camera. I would like to make the following suggestions before someone considers purchasing a new lens to replace the kit lens:

1. Experiment with the kit lens. Find out what it is capable of. This lens will amaze you with what it can do if only given the opportunity.

2. Take pictures at all zoom levels, f-stops, and shutter speeds.

3. Discover the relationships between the variables listed in #2. Learn how to expose an image differently by altering one variable and then another.

4. Try taking the same picture with different ISO settings. See how f-stop and shutter speeds are affected by different ISO settings.

5. Use each of the different program modes found on your camera.

6. Intentionally underexpose or overexpose an image to create a feeling that you want to convey to the viewer of your picture.

7. Experiment with bokeh and use it in a creative manner. Yes, the kit lens is capable of bokeh!

8. Set your lens to a zoom level and leave it there all day long. Practice zooming with your legs.

9. Spend an entire day with the lens set on manual focus. Learn how to focus without relying upon the automatic focus feature.

10. Take some pictures at slow shutter speeds (handheld and on a tripod). Learn at what shutter speed you can no longer hold the camera steady enough to take a shake free image. Create a feeling of motion in an image that you would like to hang on your wall. Slow a waterfall down until the water looks like slow moving fog. YES, the kit lens is capable of all this.

11. Take some pictures at fast shutter speeds. Stop action in mid air.

12. Take pictures in the bulb mode. Star trails, automobile taillights, ghost images, and fireworks are all great opportunities to create an image you would be proud to share with others. Yes, the kit lens can do all this too.

13. Capture an image of a lightening bolt.

14. Take a picture of the moon. Not a close up of the moon, but a landscape picture which includes the moon.

15. Try panning. Fast moving vehicles or an athlete at a sporting event are great subjects to practice the technique of panning.

16. Take some pictures of water drops until you get one that you want to print.
17. Take some portraits of your friends.
18. Take some candids of your friends.
19. Ask 10 strangers if you can take their picture.

20. Take some self-portraits of yourself. Find one that you would like to share with others.

21. Try taking some pictures of items close up. You may not be taking true macros, but you will be amazed at what the kit lens can do.

22. Go downtown at night and take some exposures without the flash. Learn to use the available light.

23. Be thankful that Canon gave you an onboard flash. Learn how to use it. Try using a coffee filter/tissue to soften the flash’s effect or an index card to create a bounce effect.

24. Take pictures in the middle of the day. Learn how shadows can create a mood.

25. Catch yourself knelling on one knee to capture an image. The best angle is not always found standing up.

26. Make someone laugh with a picture you took.
27. Make someone pause and reflect with a picture you took.

28. Practice using your software program that you process your images with. This is your darkroom, learn how to make most of it.

29. Visit someone else’s online photo gallery. Find an image you like and see how close you can imitate it.

30. Look through a magazine. Find a picture you like and see if you can imitate it as well.

31. Print these suggestions out and highlight those that you have not done with the kit lens. Do those that you highlighted.

Once you have followed these suggestions and others you will discover along the way, ask yourself what you enjoyed the most, what you would like to do more of, what would you like to do easier, differently, or in another way. Then you can begin to answer the question, “what lens should I get”.

[Jamey]

Nice one, cheers.

[[n00b]Zippy]

Good advice, it's very easy to try to run before you can walk!

[blurr]

Whats "bokeh"?

[milou]

Nice one but think of Canon's/Nikon's/Sigma's poor profits.

Bokeh is the quality of the out of focus background when you take a shot at a very wide aperture.

[Q-Target]

Originally Posted by blurr

Whats "bokeh"?

Like bukkake but you spuzz on the lens instead of the subject...or what milou said.

[Jamey]

BTW bink, I thought about stickying this thread but I want to try to keep as few stickies as possible really. I think the more you have, the less people pay attention to them. I may make one uberthread which is an amalgamation of the links/tutorials and the "thinking of buying..." threads with a bit of lens action thrown in for good measure at some point. Perhaps. If I can be bothered.

[Jonkai]

Nice find, thanks

[bink]

Originally Posted by fingerz

BTW bink, I thought about stickying this thread but I want to try to keep as few stickies as possible really. I think the more you have, the less people pay attention to them. I may make one uberthread which is an amalgamation of the links/tutorials and the "thinking of buying..." threads with a bit of lens action thrown in for good measure at some point. Perhaps. If I can be bothered.

I actually thought I'd got the link from one of the sticky threads already which is why I'd never posted it before

I've sent this link to a few of my mates who have just bought DSLRs and it does make you realise what there is to do out there with just the straight-out-of-the-box camera. I think I've done most of them now, apart from #19 because I'm far too chicken

[Darksaber]

cheers mate

I get stuck on 19 too, I never know how to approach the subject(s)

[The Dark One]

Originally Posted by blurr

Whats "bokeh"?

"Bokeh describes the appearance or "feel" of out-of-focus backgrounds and foregrounds..

Unfortunately the good bokeh doesn't happen automatically in lens design. Perfect lenses render out-of-focus points of light as circles with sharp edges. Ideal bokeh would render each of these points as blurs, not hard-edged circles."

http://www.kenrockwell.com/tech/bokeh.htm

[Jamey]

Ken Rockwell's a wicked name. I wish I was called Ken Rockwell.

[The Dark One]

Sounds like a pornstar name

[milou]

Ken Rockwell the Third would do. I actually met a guy through my work called Kurt Wildblood II.

[Goody]

Personally i view photography as the same as everything else (despite being shit at it), with most other things having restrictions when your first starting out isnt necessarily a bad thing , it makes you use more creativity to try and get around those. For a bad analogy look at playing the guitar , ideally when you start you dont want to be playing an electric guitar with all the effects pedals you want and a great amp..why? Cause itll hide your mistakes meaning you wont correct them , it might give you a quick ego boost but you wont advance half as fast, when your starting out at anything i dont think you want to try and compensate for any defecits in your own ability with equipment. It can be frustrating more from that frustration arises the will to become better!

[Ribby]

Why wasn't that added to my funny name thread? Eh, Ken?

[TheOne]

Just discovered this thread as it was brought up again. I know it's old but I thought I'd link this page I found the other day, has a little bit about bokeh.
http://www.the-digital-picture.com/r...ns-review.aspx