Sorry if this has been asked a lot already. I couldn't find anything in a search. I'm considering getting an EOS-20D. It would be my first digital SLR, and even my first autofocus SLR. I'm currently using a 30 year old Olympus OM-2 (excellent camera, but a bit outdated now). I know there are tons of books out there on DSLRs, but could someone help me sift through them to find the best one for me? I'm not a total beginner at photography, but by no means advanced either. I am fairly well versed at the computer end of digital graphics (pretty good with the Adobe CS suite). I soak up lots of technical information. Of the few photography books I have, my favorites are those of John Shaw on nature photography, if that helps to give you an idea of what I'm looking for. Thanks for any suggestions.
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Originally Posted by pmuhlrad
Sorry if this has been asked a lot already. I couldn't find anything in a search. I'm considering getting an EOS-20D. It would be my first digital SLR, and even my first autofocus SLR. I'm currently using a 30 year old Olympus OM-2 (excellent camera, but a bit outdated now). I know there are tons of books out there on DSLRs, but could someone help me sift through them to find the best one for me? I'm not a total beginner at photography, but by no means advanced either. I am fairly well versed at the computer end of digital graphics (pretty good with the Adobe CS suite). I soak up lots of technical information. Of the few photography books I have, my favorites are those of John Shaw on nature photography, if that helps to give you an idea of what I'm looking for. Thanks for any suggestions.
Paul
The camera manual is a good place to start. Other than that I don't really see much difference between dSLRs and SLRs. The only major difference is that the dSLR will handle the focussing for you instead of doing it yourself.
I myself use a Canon S1 IS, which is a fixed-lens SLR. I come from a background of Nikon FMs and although I used a few digital compacts, really don't see much difference between digital and film in terms of use. Well, possibly in night exposures when I can simply take the battery out of my FM, lock the shutter open and return some while later. Most digitals aren't so hot with the bulb setting. Many don't have one. I believe the D20 does, however.
Depth of field is generally greater with digital because of the smaller sensor size. Wide-angle lenses such as 24mm etc will cost an arm and a leg because the digital equivalent is something like 17mm. Generally, it seems best to take the sharpest picture with the greatest depth of field and then to blur everything that's not needed, in photoshop.
There's something to this. The dSLRs essentially push DOF higher into the telephoto range. For instance, if I put a 50mm lens on my Nikon D70, compared to using the same lens on a film camera, say a Nikon F100, I have the same depth of field in both instances, because the lense is in the same place relative to the focal plane. But on the film camera, that DOF is at 50mm "normal" while the D70 has the same DOF at "75mm short telephoto".
I had no problem with the 1.6 factor used to determine the effect of using a specific lens on a dslr. Then I started thinking. Bad news! If they are saying that they a simply using less of the image because the senser is smaller than the film would that nessarily translate to a lens 1.6x. Is the depth field the same? Is the angle of view the same?
Now if you take a picture on film from 3ft to 12 ft, with an image in focus from 5 ft to 10 ft, then crop out of this picture the equivalent foto size you would get with a dslr ... wouldn't only the 5ft to 10ft be in the dslr shot and be in focus?
I know this explanation is confusing, but I am concerned that the fotos taken with a digital camera is only 'cropped' and the angle of view stays the same. Any comments?
I myself use a Canon S1 IS, which is a fixed-lens SLR.
No it isn't!! It's a fixed lens point & Shoot. Don't get me wrong, it's a very nice camera, but under no stretch of the imagination could you call it an SLR
Sorry if this has been asked a lot already. I couldn't find anything in a search. I'm considering getting an EOS-20D. It would be my first digital SLR, and even my first autofocus SLR. I'm currently using a 30 year old Olympus OM-2 (excellent camera, but a bit outdated now). I know there are tons of books out there on DSLRs, but could someone help me sift through them to find the best one for me? I'm not a total beginner at photography, but by no means advanced either. I am fairly well versed at the computer end of digital graphics (pretty good with the Adobe CS suite). I soak up lots of technical information. Of the few photography books I have, my favorites are those of John Shaw on nature photography, if that helps to give you an idea of what I'm looking for. Thanks for any suggestions.
Paul
If you use an SLR then a dSLR will not boggle your mind, although it may amaze you. Once you know where the functions are that's about 90% of it. The technical part is not really as important as the creative part. Just like film.
The best reference material you willl find is in the reviews done by Jeff and others (like The Imaging Resource, DP Review, Stevesand Rob Galbraiths site). I still keep a printout of some of these, insted of carying the manual, as a fast reference for my D70.
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Once you go dSLR you'll never go back
Sorry if this has been asked a lot already. I couldn't find anything in a search. I'm considering getting an EOS-20D. It would be my first digital SLR, and even my first autofocus SLR. I'm currently using a 30 year old Olympus OM-2 (excellent camera, but a bit outdated now). I know there are tons of books out there on DSLRs, but could someone help me sift through them to find the best one for me? I'm not a total beginner at photography, but by no means advanced either. I am fairly well versed at the computer end of digital graphics (pretty good with the Adobe CS suite). I soak up lots of technical information. Of the few photography books I have, my favorites are those of John Shaw on nature photography, if that helps to give you an idea of what I'm looking for. Thanks for any suggestions.
Paul
If you use an SLR then a dSLR will not boggle your mind, although it may amaze you. Once you know where the functions are that's about 90% of it. The technical part is not really as important as the creative part. Just like film.
The best reference material you willl find is in the reviews done by Jeff and others (like The Imaging Resource, DP Review, Steves, and Rob Galbraiths site). I still keep a printout of some of these, insted of carying the manual, as a fast reference for my D70.
The only other software you will want is Noise Ninja. Actually you should have this for scanned images as well. Truely an amazing tool in the removal of noise and grain.
best book(s) for getting into dSLRs
Linear Mode
