Also need help with camera choice

Cmike2780

lol. We're all just a bunch of addicts.

Image quality, when you enter the world of DSLR, has more to do with technique and controling how much light enters the camera. Lighting is key to any great picture. Controlling that light is what makes a DSLR so different from most point and shoots. There is too much info to really start comparing lenses here, plenty of info on the web.

Some basics:
Focal length: It's that ??mm on the lens. Zoom lenses will have a range like 18-55mm for example. The lower the number, the wider the angle. Fixed lenses, a.k.a. Prime lenses have a fixed focal point.

F-Stop: That's the f/? number on the lens. F-stop controls how big an opening light passes thru the lens. The lower the number, the bigger the opening and vice-versa. Also, the wider the aperture, the smaller the depth of field, and the smaller the aperture, the larger the depth of field.

Shutter speed: Measured in seconds or fractions of a second, controls how long to keep the shutter open. A fast shutter speed freezes movement and low shutter speed blurs it. The longer you leave it open, the more light reaches the sensor.

ISO: It's like film speed. It lets the sensor know how sensitive to light it should be. Higher ISO like 800 or higher will let you take fairly clear pictures in low light without a tri-pod. The only downside is it creates noise in the image the higher you go. Leave the ISO to the lowest possible. Raising it should be a last resort.

Hint: To take really sharp pictures, use a tri-pod, mono-pod or anything to steady the shot when you can. Leave the ISO low and use the timer or a remote trigger.

All SLR Lenses will let you focus manually. For starters, I suggest purchasing the Nikkor 50mm f/1.8D. It's a "prime" lens, meaning it's fixed (not a zoom). It's really cheap for a sharp lens at about $130 new, even cheaper used. The "fast" f/1.8 f-stop lets you take pictures in low light without a flash or raising the ISO too high. At f/1.8, you can take close-ups of objects/people that leave a nice bokeh (back blurry, but subject is in focus). The D3100 is a DX-format camera, as oppose to the full frame FX-format. The only problem with this lens is that its not the newer DX-format lens with internal autofocus. The Auto-focus will not work for the D3100 but the lens will still work. If you wait a little longer, Nikon will soon bring out a DX-format Nikkor 50mm f/1.8G that will let you have Auto-focus sometime next month. They also have a DX-format Nikkor 35mm f/1.8G that's available now, but its a wider angle. Thoses two will cost around $200 each. 50mm is considered a normal lens, meaning it's seeing roughly the same focal lenght as your eye (not zoomed in or wide angle).

Another Hint: Don't use the built-in flash on any camera! It's a gaurantee for "ordinary" looking pic's.

Here's a pic I took with the Nikkor 50mm f/1.8D on a D90.

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azn370z

I'm thinking of buying an entry level slr for better pictures. What I don't like about point and shoot cameras is that unless I stand 30 feet back the picture gets distorted. Which lens won't distort the picture if I stand 10 feet away.

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2010 k23
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dP3NGU1N

Professional lenses by Nikon and Canon have minimal distortion throughout their zoom range. By professional I mean L-lens and L-lens equivalents for Nikon. If you're using a prime lens by either manufacturer then even the nifty-fifties have little to no distortion. Ofcourse there aren't any lenses with ZERO distortion, however, unless you have a habit of taking pictures of grid boards I wouldn't worry about it.

azn370z

I'm thinking of spending a little more and buying the t3i over the d3100. I want the 50 mm lens which lens do I buy?

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2010 k23
H&R sport springs / Spc rear camber arms / SSR SP1 / Berk cbe / Varis cf lip / Nismo S-Tune side skirts

Cmike2780

It depends on what your shooting and how much you want to capture. 50mm (on a d3100 for example) covers about same area as your eyes see. That's why they call them "normal" lenses. We see in perspective and the lens works the same way.

At 10 feet, you will have less distortion at 50mm than you would at 16mm. the more you zoom, the less distortion basically. There's no camera lens available that I know of that can completely avoid this. Perspective control lenses lessen this phenomenan, but that's more usefull for architectural type photography...also very expensive.

A good single 16-85mm or 18-200mm lens just about covers most situations, I do understand what you mean though. Anything more than 200mm, especially with a point and shoot is pretty much useless and will probably use less than 1% of the time, if that. Your camera for example, has a min aperture of f/11 at its maximum zoom. You would have to hold it steady for over a minute in anything other than a really sunny outdoor shot. Either that or boost the ISO so high it creates a lot of noise. Try it indoors and you'll see what I mean. That's the main difference between high zoom point and shoot lenses and those huge zoom lenses you see at sporting events. They have an aperture at around f/2.8.

It pretty much comes down to what you can afford to spend. A fixed prime 50mm prime lens will be sharper, faster aperture at f/1.8 or less (better in low light), cheaper and compact. The draw back is that its fixed at 50mm obviously.

When looking at zoom lenses, they usually trade off maximum aperture (at around f/3.5 for lower end lenses) for zoom capability. Larger aperture zoom lens are available, but they get really pricey. For most people, a good 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 lens covers 90% of what you would normally shoot. A 18-55mm covers about 75% of what you would normally shoot. I would stick to a Canon brand or Nikon brand lens, but that's just me. As a rule of thumb with zoom lens, I would buy the most expensive lens within my budget that's specific to what I would need. I can usually pick up a better used lens at a camera shop than a lesser "new" lens even if its an older model. Image stabilization like VR for Nikon and IS for Canon have a premium over non IS or VR lenses. They're nice to have, but not critical. They do help a little with hand held low light or high zoom shots, but other techniques will yield better results.

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azn370z

I want to take pictures perhaps 10 to 20 feet away from my z. I know the camera can be bundled with a 18-55 mm lens, will this lens do what I want or am I better off buying just the body and the 50 mm lens? What's the disadvantage of the 50 mm, no zoom? Thanks

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2010 k23
H&R sport springs / Spc rear camber arms / SSR SP1 / Berk cbe / Varis cf lip / Nismo S-Tune side skirts

Cmike2780

Simple answer is Both. A 50mm prime lens can be had new for about $130, so I would pick it up in addition to the kit if its within your budget. The kit lens 18-55mm will be more useful if I had to choose. Wide angle shots are pretty great when used properly. You wont have to stand 30' away to take group picture for example. The kit 18-55mm can also be had pretty cheap used since people tend to sell them when they upgrade. An alternative could be to buy a new DSLR body, used 50mm and used 18-55mm and still stay within your budget. Just go to reputable local camera shop. They usually have a six month warranty on used lenses. eBay is OK, but it's hit or miss since most no longer have any sort of warranty. B&H sells used equipment also. Nothing wrong with going the used equipment route when it comes to photography. Just about every pro that I know of has bought used gear at one point.

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[09][MB][6-Spd MT][Touring][Stillen Gen III][K&N][Borla CBE][Evo-R]

azn370z

I think I will get the kit. I've been reading about the settings and such. I plan to take photos early or late in the day, or maybe on a cloudy day. Do I need a polarized filter? Which filter do you recommend?

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2010 k23
H&R sport springs / Spc rear camber arms / SSR SP1 / Berk cbe / Varis cf lip / Nismo S-Tune side skirts