bsmiley Loc: KY

Hi everyone, I am new to these discussions and know very little about cameras. I have a Nikon D60 and I thought it was awsome until I see what you all use. I feel like mine is just a toy one now. :lol: I have taken some great pictures with it even though I do say so my self. But I am really wanting to get into photography more seriously. Like for a small business or on the side. I LOVE PHOTOGRAPHY!!!! Always have. Now my ? is. Do I need to upgrade to a newer version of camera for what I want to do? I am open to all opinions and critiques. Thanks for letting me ramble on. Just a little nervous on here.

Little Rose Buds


Little Rose Buds

bobmielke Loc: Portland, OR

I think you should buy a Leica DSLR. They start at $23,000.

Seriously, don't fall into the bigger bass boat trap. There's always going to be bigger better badder stuff. Learn to use the camera you have and its full potential. I know of a photographer on another photographic forum that owns only a 6MP D40. You should see his work, Wow! If you don't know your photographic basics you'll be wasting your money and be even more frustrated. Invest in photography training at a local junior college or online with training sites like http://www.Kelbytraining.com or http://www.lynda.com/

bsmiley Loc: KY

Thanks for the suggestions. What do you think of the pics. Any suggestions on them?

bobmielke Loc: Portland, OR

Both shots at least 1/2 F-stop underexposed. Composition questionable. Ask yourself how much of the framed items can be deleted and not affect the main topic?

Original


Enhanced per Instructions

jw32003 Loc: Oklahoma

I have a very aged Fuji S2 Pro that I still love to shoot It's a 6 meg camera. If I get the correct exposure, the images are great. I really like your images but think I would do some cropping on the 2nd one. The empty space on the left is too much and I would crop some of it.

bsmiley Loc: KY

I see where you are coming from. But I was trying to keep the 2 roses together. I could still delete the extra space. I will work on that. Thanks for your advice. I will also learn as much as I can about my camera and try some learning classes as you suggested. Have a great day.

jw32003 Loc: Oklahoma

MWAC...really enjoyed the image of your rose. Just curious if you blurred the background in your editing software? Thanks.

sinatraman Loc: Vero Beach Florida, Earth,alpha quaudrant

most of my shots i post come from a nikon l22 point and shoot. 6mp will give you great shots printable to 11x14. Are you happy with your camera? then the answer is no. Its not the camera its the photographer. use what you would have spent on a new body for a course like NYIP. to improve your technique, or buy faster (smaller minimum f stop number) lenses.

MPratter Loc: Pittsburgh, PA

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6126/6200756927_2125b41182_z.jpg[/quote]

I love your watermark/name!

MWAC Loc: Somewhere East Of Crazy

Thank you, all my bokeh is done in camera. I never do any background bluring in editing, I never think it looks right, my editing skills aren't at the level to make it look natural.

The settings I used are:
Camera Canon EOS 40D
Lens: Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L
Exposure 0.017 sec (1/60)
Aperture f/2.8
Focal Length 48 mm
ISO Speed 160

MPratter Loc: Pittsburgh, PA

Go you!!

bsmiley Loc: KY

Sinatraman, Yes, I love my camera!! As I stated, I know little about cameras. I am learning more every day and am going to take classes about photography as well as learn more about my camera. MWAC, your rose is beautiful! I do not edit my backgrounds either and some of my come out like yours and I wonder how they do it. LOL I just get lucky. Not knowing what I did to get it to do that. It just happened. I am learning now how to set my camera on certain shots and I am so proud of myself. As I said, I am learning and have a long way to go. So I will keep my "toy D60" :-) and learn how to use all its great functions and maybe the user will get a lot better.

MWAC Loc: Somewhere East Of Crazy

bokeh is a result of your aperture setting, distance from subject and your subjects distance from the background. Also you lens quality plays a role in the quality of bokeh you will be able to acheive.

If your dying to upgrade, I recommend upgrading your glass before your camera body. Nice glass will give a new life to your camera and you'll be amazed at the images you will be able to produce.

Martin Loc: Long Island NY

I have a Nikon D40 and just love it, look at my photos and tell me if you can tell what camera I used. It is important to have a good camera but 90% is your eye and your photoshop ability.

Marty G

JohnnyRottenNJ Loc: Northern New Jersey

I'm of a similar opinion as MWAC. You didn't say what lenses you own. I have found that I have a growing collection of lenses, since there really is no ONE lens that can do everything. Where I differ from MWAC, is this: I own a Nikon D300 and a D7000. I was having problems with my D300, so I purchased the D7000 for a project I was working on while the 300 went back to Nikon for repair. I had previously upgraded my nikon D200 to the D300 because of the wider ISO range. The D200 could shoot at ISO 1600 and could get pushed to ISO 3200. The D300 can shoot at ISO 3200 and can be pushed to 6400 And it is a 12.2 MP over the 10.2 of the D200. Enter the D7000. It has the newer EXSPEED II chip. It can shoot at ISO 6400, and can be pushed to ISO 25,600. It can literally almost see in the dark. The D7000 is not constructed as well as the D300 though. The moisture seals are either none existent or not as good (I forget what I read about it, besides I don't take my cameras out in the rain.) Oh, and the D7000 is a 16.2MP camera. The difference in sharpness and clarity over D300 is stunning.
All of the above was to show you what can happen if you do fall into the newer/bigger bass boat trap. I don't feel trapped though, and I use both cameras regularly. Where you need to stretch a little, is your lenses. I don't feel compelled to stay loyal to Nikkor here. I do own a couple of Nikon lenses, but I have really come to love Tamron lenses. Are Nikon lenses better? ABSOLUTELY, but are they three times better? CERTAINLY NOT. But they cost three times as much. My only fear now, is that the next generation of cameras will be like the D700, and it takes a different size chip. All of my DX lenses will work, but the edges of the photos will be cropped.