trapper1 wrote:
I wanted to upgrade from my Canon point and shoot so after performing due diligence, I decided to buy a Nikon 5600 despite never having owned a replaceable-lens camera, my ultimate goal being macro photography. The camera having duly arrived, I am certain I am in over my head. The vast amount of potential activities and all the bells and whistles and the PDF manual delineating how to perform them have served to make me wonder if I should return the 5600 and opt for a Nikon 3500SLR which I have been assured is a far more simple camera for my intended purposes. Would appreciate thoughtful opinions on this subject.
I wanted to upgrade from my Canon point and shoot ... (
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There are point-and-shoot devices, such as smartphones and pocket cameras, and then there are complicated cameras.
ALL adjustable cameras and interchangeable lens cameras have lots of controls and options. But you can set them on Auto, or intelligent Auto, or intelligent Auto +, or Program mode, and not have to think much.
CAMERAS do not make photographs. PHOTOGRAPHERS do. A camera is just a tool. It's not what you have that makes the most difference... It's what you KNOW, what you've EXPERIENCED, and HOW you use it that counts!
Whatever skill you possess in life, you didn't come by it in a day, week, or month. It took time to study, practice, make mistakes, and try again, until you got it right most of the time. Photography (REAL photography) is not different.
What will accelerate your growth and learning is structure and principles. If you start with WHY, the what, when, where, and how will follow more naturally.
Read The *Fine* Manual and it will explain WHAT the controls do and HOW to use them. To learn why, when, and where, you need a different source. You can't scratch through the brick wall of knowledge without a little (mental) pain.
*Understanding Exposure,* by Bryan Peterson, is a good book to start with.
*Stunning Digital Photography,* by Tony Northrup, is helpful. However, don't drink the Northrup's cool aid (pun, not brand name) without question. When they get opinionated, they mislead. Stick to their "how to" stuff, like this video on your camera:
https://youtu.be/Sjym7d0K9qYConcentrate on learning and understanding:
> Principles of exposure
> Light (color temperature, specularity, intensity, spectral continuity, and how to control it)
> Focal length and its effect on field of view
> Camera-to-subject distance and its effect on perspective
> Depth of field and its relationships to distance, focal length, focal point, and aperture
> Shutter speeds and their effects on motion and light
> Apertures and their effects on depth of field, light, and lens performance
> ISO and its effects on sensitivity vs dynamic range, color depth, and noise, plus its relationships to the volume of available light, desired action stopping ability, and desired depth of field
> The inverse/square law (radiation — light — dissipates as the INVERSE of the square of the distance to the subject)
Beyond those PHYSICAL and TECHNICAL aspects of photography, you should also learn about the communicative and artistic principles of photography:
> Composition principles and techniques
> Timing the moment of exposure for editorial purposes, or capturing peak action, or capturing peak expression, or freezing whatever moment that represents the story you want to tell.
Of course, there's a world of opportunity beyond all that. Photography is a HUGE field of applications.
Don't let ANY of this intimidate you. Take things one at a time. Read, then try, then evaluate, then try again. It's digital, so making mistakes is free after you pay for the equipment. There isn't any film, paper, chemistry, or other supply involved unless you print something.