The biggest obstacle is often a way of beginning digital photographers, the lens that was bundled with its digital reflex (SLR).
The market is flooded with digital SLR touting fantastic resolution and tons of features, but most first time buyers do not realize how complicated these cameras really are.
Inevitably, camera kit, buying something like a Nikon D40x or Canon Rebel XTi with a 18mm to 55mm zoom lens and a 1 GB or 2 GB of memoryCard and 'get worse when one with an inch from 28-135 mm.
Simple as these cameras are complicated? In terms of functionality, and how are all the same. But as far as user-friendly and intuitive, as you change settings and so on, which is something else entirely.
Before It's no longer a simple matter to turn into something like a very simple on a camera. The analog film camera of yesterday, it was everything you need to know how the ISO setting orfilm speed, the aperture, shutter speed, read the exposure meter, how to load and unload the camera and of course where the shutter release button is located - essentially there were only 4 settings you needed to know to work any camera. I intentionally left out focussing because I expect everyone knows how to look in the viewfinder and turn the barrel of the lens until the image in the focussing screen appears sharp.
2. These days all these very basic settings are hidden under multiple layers of menus. To change let's say something as basic as the ISO, you have to hold down one button and turn one of two possible dials. Even after you do that, you can't be sure you've changed the correct one. For instance you might think you've changed the ISO because you see the numbers on the LCD change from 100 to 125 to 160 and 200. Well, that could also be the shutter speed you just changed.
Unless you've read the manual, how can you be sure? To further complicate matters, some cameras even let you choose settings that are 1/3 of a stop. Shutter speeds on film cameras used to be 1/1000, 1/500. 1/250 etc. Now there's in between settings like 1/1250, 1/640, 1/350 etc. No wonder novices are overwhelmed.
Bear in mind, we haven't even considered those settings unique to "digital" like choosing compression or quality or file sizes, white balance, formatting of the memory card or auto focus sensor and motordrive modes to name just a few.
3. I didn't realize how confusing all these numbers can be to a novice until midway into my teaching an introductory digital photography class. I think I was telling my students to set their exposure for 1/125 of a sec at f11. One of my students looked up at me and asked if that was the focal length she was supposed to set or if it was the ISO. Perhaps it was my failing as an instructor that left her befuddled, but boy, did I learned something that day!
There are way too many variables on the digital SLRs out there especially if they are 1st time users. And on those zoom lenses they buy with their cameras, I hadn't even explained to them that the aperture on their zoom lenses are variable. It is f3.5 on the 18 mm end and f5.6 on the 55 mm end!
There was a lot of wisdom in the days of film photography when camera manufacturers bundled a SLR with a standard 50 mm lens. It meant beginners could concentrate on getting their exposure right, without contemplating why a lens had one aperture opening on the wide angle end and another on the telephoto end.
Composing by moving closer or moving back instead of zooming in and out using a variable focal length lens taught beginners not to get lazy and explore their subject by moving around.
It is for all these reasons that I find myself recommending that 1st time buyers also buy a 50 mm fixed focal length lens with maybe a aperture of f1.8 to start their adventure in photography.
Sure, that standard lens is more expensive, but in the long run, novices will learn much faster. A lens like a 50 mm f1.8 is extremely versatile.It allows you to shoot in low light.It is small and compact and is actually an 80 mm lens when you factor in the 1.6x magnification factor--perfect for portraiture.
The worse lens kit out there I've seen is one of the range from 28 mm to 135 mm. When you factor in the magnification factor of 1.6 x, on the long end, that is actually a 216 mm lens.
A 216 mm lens with an slow aperture of f5.6 is extremely limiting. That means the lens can only be used in the bright outdoors. Typical exposure for a sunny day at ISO 100 is about 1/500 sec at f 5.6. The moment the sun goes behind a cloud, they have to increase the camera's ISO.
So if you're new to photography and you're shopping for a digital SLR, consider buying a normal lens or what used to be called a standard lens--the 50 mm. Consider this also: do you really think that lens that came with the camera body can be that great?
If you price that same camera body without a lens against the whole kit (camera and zoom lens), you'll see that some vendors even throw in a bag, a lens cleaning kit and even a tripod. Do you really think they'll be able to make a profit if that lens is not a piece of junk with lousy optics?
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