Dreaming/drooling over getting a new camera - preferably DSLR

[TinysMom]

Is this a good price for the two lens set?

http://www.ritzcamera.com/product/SLR1206.htm

Basically - could y'all help me find the best price (and recommend a warranty if you feel I need it) - for both the 1 lens and 2 lens sets?

And to the person who told me I deserve to do something for myself - I'm gonna kick you in the rear. I told what you said to Art - and he agreed and is now on my case that I need to get a camera for me 'cause I'm all the time doing for others.

 

[TinysMom]

Here is an album of some of the photos I took this weekend. I'd like to work on the following pictures for certain reasons (ok - I'll share the numbers in a bit).

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2067447&id=1256253569&l=acfc4d71c4

 

[TinysMom]

Picture 1 - I was trying to get a feel for taking a photo that wasn't centered and it was going off into the distance. You can see this in photos 23 & 24 of the album also.

I LOVE LOVE LOVE photo 16 with the cannon and the church backdrop. I don't know why that spoke to me so much - it had something to do with the cannon being a part of war and so often the church is a place of peace and refuge. Yet - we need to protect our freedom of worship...so the two together - I don't know. I wish I could make those pop.

In photos 11-15 you have this whole Americana/Fourth of July (old style gazebo, etc) going on - but if you look at the bench...its modern. Somehow it just...caught my eye - the difference in the styles.

I love photo 19 - especially the "guest lofts" - but I can't tell you why.

For some strange reason I love photo 27...its "busy"...and yet...I don't know. But I wish I could make it "pop".

Some of the later photos are of a canyon that is flooded - thanks to the hurricane which is several hundred miles from us.

I was telling a couple of friends yesterday that I have this super crazy notion that I could get a portfolio of some different pictures like these - get them printed on notecards and the local gift shops might like them to sell (the feed store is always looking at something unique like this).

Silly dream - I know. I'm not nearly talented enough with the camera...but we are close to Big Bend National Park (about 3 hours away) and it would be neat to get some photos down there and see if the shops down there would be interested in some notecards.

Tell me I'm crazy - ok? I'm already telling myself I'm crazy for having a dream like that since I have no talent at this....and no training.

 

[MikeScone]

TinysMom wrote:

Is this a good price for the two lens set?

That looks like a pretty good price for that kit, and Ritz is a "real" camera store. However, that set has the NON-VR 55-200. I'd strongly recommend getting the VR (Vibration Reduction) version - it's only $50 more, and well worth having the VR in the longer lens (there's a "Consider this upgrade..." link on the page). That feature will make it much easier to get sharp pictures at the longer focal lengths.

When you get the kit, there are a few "must have" add-ons: It doesn't look like that kit comes with memory - unless you already have some SD cards from your earlier cameras, you'll want to get some ($25-40 depending on the memory size). Also, be sure to get a UV filter for each lens to protect the front elements from dirt and scratches (and bunny noses)($25-50 for two, depending on the brand of filter). That will add about $50-100 to the price of the kit.

Add the VR lens and those accessories, and the total kit would be about $900.

I checked a few other stores, and that's still a very good price. What I'd suggest you do is add up everything you'll want - not just the basic kit, but also the memory (if you need memory) and UV filters and maybe an extra battery - and call to get a price from Ritz, Cameta, Adorama and Berger Brothers. I'd bet you'll find they're all within a few dollars of each others - most will meet the price of another major dealer. I'd be comfortable buying from any of them. If you want to save some money, ask if they have any factory refurbs.

I'd avoid looking only for the cheapest price for the basic kit, since there are too many scams out there.

 

[TinysMom]

I just bought a pretty big card for my camera - the largest size that Walmart had (I want to say it was 16 GB but it might have been 8 GB - it was about $45).

I would prefer to stay away from the refurbs from what I've been reading....

I just feel so guilty buying this camera for myself when...I don't know - it feels like a 3 year old wanting to drive daddy's car cause that's what the big people do...when I have no real camera experience - and a crazy dream.

 

[MikeScone]

TinysMom wrote:

Picture 1 - I was trying to get a feel for taking a photo that wasn't centered and it was going off into the distance. You can see this in photos 23 & 24 of the album also.

First, I think, in general, the pictures are pretty good - when you get your DSLR, a lot of the "pop" you're looking for is going to come with the territory.

Picture 1's OK, but the framing's problematic. If you're going for "going off into the distance", you have to show going off into the distance. Here, you're using leading lines, which is good, but they're leading out of the frame. The viewer's eye follows the lines - and then bumps into the edge of the frame. Ouch. I'd have swiveled right until you could see down the road a bit, so you can see where it leads. Photos 23 and 24 are better in that sense.

I LOVE LOVE LOVE photo 16 with the cannon and the church backdrop. ... I wish I could make those pop.

The picture is technically pretty good. About the only suggestion I would have made would be to crop a bit more tightly, to put the cannon on the 1/3 line instead of centered and crop out the light pole (I also brought up the shadows a bit to show a little more detail):

For some strange reason I love photo 27...its "busy"...and yet...I don't know. But I wish I could make it "pop".

I'm not much into Photoshop filters, but somehow that picture seemed to want a sketch effect ("poster edges", to be precise):

 

[Pet_Bunny]

TinysMom wrote:

For some strange reason I love photo 27...its "busy"...and yet...I don't know. But I wish I could make it "pop".

I simply darken the picture to give it more contrast.

 

[TinysMom]

Sometimes I really love coming here cause y'all give me hope that I might be able to take decent photos....

By the way - when I posted them on facebook - I mentioned at the time that I hadn't cropped them - but I knew Eric wanted to see them ASAP...and I was dog tired.

With the cannon/church photo - I wish I could take out the sign right by the cannon - so that you mainly see the cannon, church and trees. Can that be done?

 

[Pet_Bunny]

TinysMom wrote:

I wish I could take out the sign right by the cannon. Can that be done?

Anything is possible with Photoshop, but that is alot of work.

 

[TinysMom]

The more I'm pricing everything - the more I think I'll wind up buying a 1 lens set....with the stuff Mike mentioned and then add another lens later on (birthday or whatever).

I was at Walmart today looking at them cause Art was like, "Stop putting yourself down...go buy the &*((* camera..." and I considered just getting another Nikon digital - but Robin pointed out that I'd be paying $279 for the one I was looking at - then turning around and paying $500 or more later on for the one I REALLY want. Why not buy the one I really want now?

I hate it when my family is logical. (I'm a mom - aren't we SUPPOSED to do without so our families have more??).

Anyway - I'm still looking but all the options make my head spin.

 

[TinysMom]

Ok - here is what I'm looking at from Amazon.com

Nikon D5000 new - with ONE lens (VR)

Tiffen UV Filter to protect lens ? - 52 mm (was recommended w/ camera)

Camera case plus dvd course for camera

TOTAL - with shipping to get here on Wednesday - $712.06

Does that sound reasonable? Should I add something else?

Those other websites just confuse me so much....

 

[TinysMom]

I've edited this one a bit - when I saw it - I thought "Loneliness"...thinking of getting away from it all for the weekend...leaving the green - going off into the dull color.

My husband saw the same thing and thought "Adventure" - thinking of taking a motorcyle and going on an adventure....

 

[TinysMom]

This is sort of what I was trying for with the cannon and church...

 

[MikeScone]

TinysMom wrote:

TOTAL - with shipping to get here on Wednesday - $712.06
Does that sound reasonable? Should I add something else?

Sounds reasonable to me.

I assume that's with the 18-55VR lens? If so, then 52mm is the right size UV filter.

 

[MikeScone]

With the cannon/church photo - I wish I could take out the sign right by the cannon - so that you mainly see the cannon, church and trees. Can that be done?

It's just necessary to pick other parts of the picture and clone them in where the sign and post was.

Actually, I cheated a little bit - Photoshop CS5 has a "context-aware" fill function. I selected the sign and that function, and the area was instantly filled with leaves. I touched it up a bit, and manually cloned out the pole. I also adjusted the levels a little bit - made the whites whiter. That's something else the D5000 will be better at.

 

[TinysMom]

Mike- that is what I was going for....exactly. (I can't afford photoshop right now but I just downloaded a free photo editor that someone suggested to me).

Now here is my question....would something like this be considered a "good" picture?

 

[MikeScone]

TinysMom wrote:

Now here is my question....would something like this be considered a "good" picture?

Well, I like it, and you like it, so who else matters?

Seriously, there are lots of "rules" which explain why one photograph "works", while another doesn't, and the final version of this picture is a good example of that. One important rule is the Rule of Thirds. The Rule of Thirds says that a picture is stronger if you put the subject off center, preferably on one of the lines you get if you divide the image vertically and horizontally in thirds, like a tic-tac-toe board.

That's sort of what I was getting at when I suggested cropping this picture as you did, to put the cannon on the "thirds line" instead of centered. So, this picture works better this way than the original with the centered cannon (and light pole), in large part because the center of the cannon is now at the intersection of two thirds lines (lower horizontal line and left vertical line). Notice that the final version of your car-with-store picture obeys the same rule - the car is on the lower right intersection of two thirds lines.

In the end, though, it really does come down to what you like.

 

[TinysMom]

But then it comes down to - what do you do with "good" pictures that you like? I mean...sure...you can enjoy them.

But isn't there some way to....help others enjoy them?

Part of me says, "People wouldn't like my work enough to buy it in a note card at the local gift shops"....but part of me says, "Print up a few and try it".

I guess part of it is - I want others to like what I do also.

I have a couple of friends who really encourage me to go for my dreams and others that sorta...tear me down. Its hard to explain.

But yes - I really like what you did with the picture...

 

[TinysMom]

Someone please kick me? I just submitted the edited photos to Texas Monthly....I probably should have asked y'all for permission since you helped me out....but my husband's best friend told him I should do it...

Now I'm scared....

WHAT IF THEY LIKE MY WORK???

 

[MikeScone]

TinysMom wrote:

Someone please kick me? I just submitted the edited photos to Texas Monthly....I probably should have asked y'all for permission since you helped me out....WHAT IF THEY LIKE MY WORK???

Then they'll print it, and you'll be a published photographer, and how neat would that be? I always get a kick out of it when one of my pictures appears in print.

(copyright attorney hat on) You don't need my permission, they're your pictures. I just tweaked them here and there. (copyright attorney hat off)