So your about to start looking for equipment. Where do you start?
Ok…..
This should be the beginning and fundamental base of any equipment selection. You need to decide firstly on how much you would like to spend. Digital SLR cameras can cost anything from £300 upto £7000! And remember, this is only for the body, you will have to by a lens before starting to use your shiny new camera!! So begin by setting a budget. And think about what you are going to use it for. If you simply want to take some professional looking holiday snaps then you don’t need a Canon 1Ds Mark III at over £4000! And if you’re starting out a new venture as a paparazzi photographer, then a Nikon D40 at £300 isn’t going to cut the mustard. So begin by realistically deicing which camera body you require. Also bear in mind the cost and availability of certain brands of lenses. If you buying a Nikon DSLR Camera Body then you will need a Nikon Lenses or lenses with a Nikon mount so it fits your camera body. Ok, so you’ve picked your Camera, next you need….
The first thing to consider is Lens Speed. This may seem straight forward, it indicated how fast the lens or lens shutter opens and closes. This has a fundamental effect on your photography. It is indicated by the F number or F-Stop (such as F/2.8 or F/4). The smaller the number the faster the lens. You will need a faster lens for sports photography or for situations which need more light, a faster lens opens wider so lets in more light in a shorter space of time. Also faster lenses have a shallower depth of field. A shallow depth of field is where the subject is in focus but the background is not. If you want the background and subject to be in focus, then you need a lens with a deeper depth of field.
A good all-round lens would be an F/4, not too fast but not too slow either.
If you are going to shoot indoors without flash then you need a very fast lens such as an F/2.8 of even F/2, but be prepared to get your wallet out, they can be expensive.
The next thing to consider is the focal length. It is shown in millimeters such as 24-105mm or 70-200mm and the best way to explain is it is the distance from the focal point of the cameras sensor to the center of your lens. This will affect how much a subject will be magnified when you shoot it. It will also affect whether it is a wide angle shot (a large and spread scene) or more of a cropped focused shot.
The focusing distance is something slightly different. This is the distance from the end of the lens and the closest point where the shot will remain in focus. Something to consider if doing very close up photography where you will need a macro lens.
A newer implemented technology which we are seeing a lot of these days is image stabilization or IS. This one is pretty self explanatory. The lens implements a mechanism which steadies the shot and produces a sharper image which is less prone to camera shake or jolt.
So you have your new DSLR Camera Body and Lens, what now?
Now, this is pretty straight forward, if you shooting in dark conditions you need a flash. Some Cameras will have a built in flash, but sometimes this will not provide enough light. Most good DSLR will have a hot shoe on the top to enable you to add an extra flashgun. Also you have the option to add a remote flash for times when you would like the light to come from the side or back of the subject rather than the front.
Filters will screw onto the end of your lens to give certain effects to your shot or to eliminate unwanted effects such are flare and reflections.
Remember focusing distance? The distance between the end of the lens and closest point where the lens will focus to. Well, en extension tube shortens that distance. It is added between the lens and the camera and in effect provides 2 lenses for the price of one, enabling you to shot close-ups with a longer lens.
This does the opposite job of an Extension tube, it increases the focal length.
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At present the best light meters on the market are Sekonic. A good Sekonic light meter will allow you to judge light levels and correct exposure before taking that all important shot.
They do what it says on the tin! Allows you to take pictures remotely. Most have controls for shutter control, but some of the more expensive version have controls for aperture and focus. Again make sure you buy the correct one for your particular camera.
The Tripod connects to the bottom of the camera and provides stability in your shot. Some will come with a
Well, there you go, hopefully that had shed some light on the wonderful world of Digital SLR photography, and will help you along the way on you first purchase of photography equipment.
