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Learn Photography
by Weissensteinburg on June 15, 2007

Table of Contents

intro: Learn Photography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

step 1: Picking a Camera . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

step 2: Photography Terms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

step 3: Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

step 4: Composition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

step 5: Taking Better Pictures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Related Instructables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Advertisements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Customized Instructable T-shirts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Comments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

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intro: Learn Photography
In this instructable, i'm going to teach you some basics on photography. I will be writing this mainly for digital users, but most things apply to both digital, and film.

Some history

The first camera ever, was the camera obscura. It was the size of a room, and worked like a pin hole camera. Light sensitive paint was put on the opposite wall of the
hole, and light would travel through the hole, and expose the paint. The first camera used a far sighted man's glasses lens in the hole.

All cameras have the following things:

Light tight box

Shutter
Aperture
Lens

step 1: Picking a Camera

Types of Cameras

Point and Shoot (P&S) - This is the type of camera that is often very thin. P&S cameras generally don't have options on them for controlling shutter speed, aperture, ISO,
etc. They are fully automatic, and usually have a large LCD screen on the back (digital) for taking a picture.

Advanced P&S - This is the kind of camera you will want to start with. They are small, but resemble DSLRs, they may have a flip up flash, handle, etc. But the main
reason we want them, is they they take better quality pictures, and you can control the aperture, shutter speed, and ISO (among other things). The reason they are good
to start with, is that they can be fully automatic, but you have room to grow as you get better,

SLRs - SLR stands for Single Lens Reflex, if there is a "D" in front of it, than it means a Digital Single Lens Reflex. SLRs are the cameras that professionals use, they are
the ones that have interchangeable lenses. There is no LCD screen for viewing the picture before you take it, rather, you use the view finder. The way it works, is that
light goes in through the lens, reflects against a few mirrors, and through a prism, so you can see it through the view finder. When you click the shutter button, the first
mirror lifts up, and the CCD image sensor, or frame of film is exposed to the light.

Picking the one for you

*Note* Megapixels are not the way to chose a camera. More megapixels does NOT mean a better picture. A larger image sensor does, but while you are at P&S
cameras, they are all generally the same. This is more important when you choose a DSLR.

This is based on you getting a Digital Advanced P&S:

Until you get to SLRs, there isn't a lot you need to worry about when purchasing a camera. First, look at the features. The wider the range of shutter speeds available, the
better, along with the range of apertures. Look at how much zoom your camera has as well, if you tend to zoom in a lot, go for one with more zoom. Check out what kind
of memory card the camera takes, and how much the cards cost. Ideally, you will get a 1gb card. If the camera takes SD cards, you may want more, in case you ever
upgrade to a DSLR that uses SD. Lastly, look at aesthetics, and how comfortable you are holding it.

If you are getting a DSLR, I will mention something about the brands to get. I only recommend Nikon and Canon, and to explain this bias to people, I've invented The
iPod Analogy. If you look at mp3 players, you'll notice that the iPod is not the most economic player. Other brands provide cameras that may have more features for your
money. The catch is that the iPod is compatible everywhere, any feature associated with music is built to work with an iPod, and not as much other brands. Cameras are
the same way, you're much more likely to find the lenses and accessories you want if you have a Nikon or a Canon.

Where to buy

Two very common places to buy cameras are:

http://www.instructables.com/id/Learn-Photography/
Best Buy
BH Photo Video

BH often carries their equipment for much lower prices. Make sure to get a warranty for your camera.

step 2: Photography Terms

Some terms you will want to learn about cameras:

Aperture: How wide the opening in a lens is. The larger the opening, the more light gets in. The common. Aperture is measured as a fraction, so the lower the number,
the wider the hole. Example: f/16 means 1/16...that is a small opening. f/1.8 is 1/1.8...that is a large opening. The way the fractions work, is that the diameter of a f/16
aperture, is 1/16 the measure of the lens's focal length. The basic apertures are:

f/22
16
11
8
5.6
4
2.8
1.8

Bulb: This is a shutter speed on some cameras. What it means, is that if you press and hold the shutter button, it will stay open until you let go. This is useful for night
shots.

Cityscape: A photograph of man made things

Depth of field: This is how much can be in focus. With a large depth of field, things that are far away can be in focus, as well as things that are close. With a small depth
of field, things have to be relatively close to each other (distance from camera wise) to all be in focus. A larger aperture (smaller number) will give you a smaller depth of
field, while a small aperture (large number) will give you a large depth of field. Small depth of fields are good for portraits, while large depth of fields are better for
landscapes.

Focal length: Measured in mm, focal lengths are basically how wide angle, or telephoto a lens.

ISO: It stands for International Standards Organization. If you have a high ISO (like 1600), you camera will be more light sensitive, allowing for faster shutter speeds, but
you will have more noise in your image. A low ISO (like 200) will force you to use slower shutter speeds, but you will get less noise.

Landscape: A photograph of nature

Noise: It's created by amplifying the signal that your image sensor detects. It's hard to describe what noise looks like, so i'll show you. If you have a lot of noise in an
image, a blue surface will look like this:

http://www.dpreview.com/Learn/Articles/Glossary/Digital_Imaging/images/123di_noise_ex_p800_rgb.jpg

noise is the digital equivalent to grain on film. Pictures can sometimes benefit from noise.

Portrait: A Photograph of a person

Reciprocation: This is how shutter speed and aperture relate to each other. My photography teacher put it like this: If you open up, you speed up. If you close down, you
have to slow down. Opening and closing relate to aperture, speed up and slow down refer to shutter speed. So, if you want to open your aperture up one stop, you need
to speed up one stop, in order to have the same exposure. Why would you want to change the settings, if you'll get the same exposure? Well, you may want to slow
down, in order to have a blurrier picture. Or, you may want to open up/close down to affect your depth of field. (See "stop" for more examples on reciprocating)

Shutter Speed: This is how long the image sensor is being exposed to light. The larger/longer the shutter speed, the more light gets in. If you have a long shutter speed,
you need to use a tripod, in order to prevent blurs (unless you are trying to get blurs in your shot). Shutter speeds are measured in fractions as well. 2000, or 1/2000 of a
second is a fast shutter speed, and requires a larger aperture. 2, or 1/2 a second is a slow shutter speed, and would require a tripod. In order to know how fast a shutter
speed you need to hold the camera by hand (and not get a blurry picture) you generally can take your focal length (in mm) and use that as the shutter speed. For
example, if you have an 85mm lens, use a shutter speed of at least 85 for a sharp picture. Because 85 isn't a shutter speed, we would go up to 125. The basic shutter
speeds are:
http://www.instructables.com/id/Learn-Photography/
1000
500
250
125
60
30
15
8
4
2
1

Stop: Stops are a way to compare shutter speed to aperture. Each shutter speed is a stop, and each aperture is a stop. This way, when you are reciprocating, if you have
a shutter speed of 30, and f/16, you know that you will get the same exposure with a shutter speed of 60 and f/11

Telephoto: Basically...zoomed in. It has a smaller angle of view, but you can view things that are farther away.

Wide angle: A focal length that lets light in from a large angle (degrees) so you can see more things (left to right) but you can only view subjects that are closer to you.

Zoom: A lot of people confuse zoom, and telephoto. Zoom lenses are able to go from a wider angle, to telephoto...it has a variable focal length.

Image Notes
1. focused
2. Focused
3. Unfocused
4. This image demonstrates a small depth of field

step 3: Lighting
Light is the most important aspect of photography. Without light, there would be no photography.

There are three types of lighting:

Direct: This is achieved when there is only one light source, and it casts sharp, deep shadows in which there are very little/no visible details in the shadows. Direct lighting
can be used in portraits when you want someone to look tough.

Direct diffused: This is achieved when the one light source is allowed to bounce against walls, or is diffused through something like silk, or the leaves of a tree. Shadows
have some detail in this type of picture.

Fully diffused: This is achieved when light is coming equally from many directions, and there is little shadow in the pictures. Use this kind of lighting when you want a
female model to look angelic.

Sometimes people take available light pictures, This is when you just use what light already exists, versus using a flash, or other light source. This often includes sliding
glass doors, and windows.

Certain times of the day provide lighting that people go after as well. For example, there are two hours during the day called the "Golden Hour" these are:

1. The hour before sunrise

2. The hour after sunset

It's when the sun isn't directly shining, but there is a golden glow...

You can also utilize the sun's position to create whatever shadows you want.

Using a flash can help when the available light is insufficient, or you want certain parts of your picture to have more light. You can point your flash at a wall or ceiling, so
the light light will bounce and diffuse into the direction you want. On camera flashes are often frowned upon, as they will create harsh lighting, and red eye. For an on
camera flash, consider getting a diffuser. The Fong Lightsphere is a favorite of many photographers. You can also fashion one for built in cameras, out of whatever you've
got laying around...silk can work nicely.

Consider a reflector, to eliminate shadows that a person's face can make. Look at the picture of a baby below, It would be ten times better, If I had had a reflector when I
was taking the picture. A reflective sun blocker from a car works well, and is cheap.

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Use your lighting to accentuate parts of the pictures that are important to you. Movies are good places to observe lighting, as they control light expertly. Also, just browse
through other pictures, and see how they do it,

Image Notes
1. On the verge of direct, and direct diffused

Image Notes
1. Fully diffused

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step 4: Composition
A picture becomes art when you utilize your angles, and make the viewer wonder. Just taking a snap shot of something isn't really art. You need to explore the image,
and see what angles, or lighting makes it interesting. getting low to the ground, or just showing part of something can help make your pictures be more interesting.

A good article on angles

It's very hard to get a good portrait if your subject is centered, so try and offset people when you are taking pictures of them, it hows where your subject is, and more
importantly, who it is.

Image Notes
1. Being down at the dog's eye level helps the viewer relate to the the dog...it adds emotion.

step 5: Taking Better Pictures

The only way to take better pictures, is to take more of them. Take your camera everywhere, and snap a photo of whatever peaks your interest. Then, you should show it
to other people and get their opinions. Forums are a good place to do this.

A friend and I run this website together. It's small, but we have a few very good eyes there, who will help critique your images, and help you with whatever you need. Be
careful what forums you get suggestions from. For example, Nikon Cafe is a good website, but I don't like it for sharing pictures. I find that everyone there is too nice, and
praises everything you put up. A site like Phodeo will tell you what is wrong with pictures (nicely) and help you to improve them. As a beginner, stay away from sites that
praise everything, or it will reinforce habits that aren't so good.

I'm also available to help you with anything you need.

Most importantly...have fun with photography. Take pictures of what you enjoy, and have patience.

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Comments
50 comments Add Comment view all 72 comments

venkatasuresh_g says: Dec 4, 2008. 5:00 PM REPLY

Its a nice quick lesson ,Thank you

tinyelefant says: Nov 27, 2008. 10:40 PM REPLY

awesome photography guide, once I get my camera I'll use this a lot. thx :) Also you might see me on phodeo.

killerjackalope says: Nov 23, 2008. 8:36 AM REPLY

Good job W'burg, I've never seen this before, I'll have to have a poke around your site some time soon...

Weissensteinburg says: Nov 23, 2008. 8:46 AM REPLY

Thanks =]

I'm out of commission right now...my camera broke and Nikon has it now...

killerjackalope says: Nov 23, 2008. 8:55 AM REPLY

I'm still up and running surprisingly despite the last few weeks, however there's not much going on here for a few weeks and the valleys a bit smoggy
ruining the best few hours of photography so I'm just working on stop motion...

pah, nikon, I was always for canon, granted the little olympus is a great stand in for some stuff, 3200ISO with minimal grain is impressive...

What happened anyway? Our 10D has never had a break down and my mates nikon seems infallible, you must be fairly hard on it...

Weissensteinburg says: Nov 23, 2008. 8:57 AM REPLY

I'm not sure, something with the mirror. When I took a picture, the mirror stayed up, I got "Err" (weird for nikons, normally there's an error
number), and then when I hit the shutter again, the mirror flapped down, up, and down again. Never taking a photo. But it was covered under the
warranty, and I just checked...they've already shipped it back.

killerjackalope says: Nov 23, 2008. 9:19 AM REPLY

Our tech cameras do that occasionally, but when you switch the off button it goes to sensor cleaning then it's fine again, one thing I'm jealous
of, I don't have magic sensor cleaning, granted its one less thing to go wrong...

I'm working on some ideas at the moment, you got me thinking about it when I was out for a smoke, now I just have to play the waiting game
with the light, also the clouds shifting out of the way a bit...

http://www.instructables.com/id/Learn-Photography/
 Any tips for getting a good white balance in extremely strange lighting, around dusk I've been seeing loads of purple and orange at the same
time and the camera has trouble understanding it, I've had a little luck with sampling images but it's still a nuisance for some stuff...

Weissensteinburg says: Nov 23, 2008. 9:24 AM REPLY

Either get a grey card and set it yourself...or shoot in RAW

killerjackalope says: Nov 23, 2008. 9:55 AM REPLY

I'll give setting it myself a go, tried testing on card etc.

Maybe RAW would be less effort...

Weissensteinburg says: Nov 23, 2008. 10:35 AM REPLY

If you have a camera that shoots raw and photoshop (or light room, or aperture, etc), it's definitely going to be easier.

killerjackalope says: Nov 23, 2008. 11:02 AM REPLY

Aye, just reminding me that I need a bigger memory card too but I suppose it's the best bet, they're close to home though...

Weissensteinburg says: Nov 23, 2008. 11:08 AM REPLY

Memory cards are pretty cheap these days.

killerjackalope says: Nov 23, 2008. 11:52 AM REPLY

I know, it's jsut a case of getting them... One upside to the tech course I'm doing is that I have access to lots of handy
bits and pieces like a big shooting area for still life and a proper portrait setup aswell...

hojop25 says: Nov 1, 2008. 4:48 AM REPLY

i love photography, i have done since i was like 7, and the nikon d-40 is my favourite camera :D

Aburame Shino says: Jul 19, 2008. 5:16 PM REPLY

Simply. Amazing.

My friend Nell is an amazing photographer, and she imspired me to start myself. I wanna get in some experience before college (plenty of time, I'm only just
turning 14 this November) because I don't think Western Hills supports a Photography class.

I'm unseasoned, so I wanna know what I should look for in a camera (advanced point-and-shoot, I reckon), some ideal brand names, and possibly a cost
quote?

BTW: Nice photos, and happy snapping!

~ Will has spoken. Er, typed.

Weissensteinburg says: Jul 19, 2008. 5:48 PM REPLY

Thanks!

When you're looking for an advanced point and shoot, brand doesn't matter as much, because you won't need brand specific accessories to carry over if
you upgrade. I would just look for a brand that is familiar...Nikon, Canon, FujiFilm, and Olympus are all good. Price-wise you're looking at anywhere from
$200-$400.

What to look for:

Optical zoom over digital zoom

As manual as possible (it will be auto, too. But you want the option of manual)
A good view finder

Just read reviews online, and see what people think about the camera you're looking at. Good luck!

Aburame Shino says: Jul 19, 2008. 6:04 PM REPLY

Mm. I'll also get Nell's opinion on it, but 200 dollazz? Demms. I'm lucky it's gunna be my birthday! Of course, knowing my grandmother, she'll more'n
likely give me a good 50 dollars to cut down.

http://www.instructables.com/id/Learn-Photography/
 alvincredible says: Jul 12, 2008. 11:52 PM REPLY
wow i love that picture of the dog you took. The composition is so well done i just love the lighting. The eye-level angle of view definitely does the trick!

How'd you get it to look that way and have the colors look they way they did?
It looks almost like a HDR with a bit of tonal mapping done to it. But also could not have been post-processed at all!!

Do you have a flickr page or some other way for me to see your photography?

I just got my new Canon 40D and it is AWESOME! I'm assuming you shoot with the Nikon D40? That camera is definitely a fun camera too. I got to play with
my friends for a week when I went on vacation. I'm surprised he trusted me enough to use it! :D

alvincredible says: Jul 12, 2008. 11:54 PM REPLY

geez i would love that shot as a wallpaper or just to have! any chance you could email that to me? :D Every time i look for photog instructables, I come
across this one and it's one of my favorites because your compositions are very well done! bleehhhhhh

Weissensteinburg says: Jul 13, 2008. 8:53 AM REPLY

Thanks. It was actually shot on film, and the print was scanned. I then desaturated the fence. The film was a few years past the expiration date, so
that gave me some funky colors.

I have a flickr, but it only has an album from a battle of the bands shoot I did. You can see some other stuff at weissensteinburg.com

I use a D50...although if I were to buy one now, I would go straight to the D80. The D40 doesn't support AF-S or AF-I. Seeing as I scanned the
original prints, it's a pretty small file (unfortunately, because it's one of my favorites) But i'll see what I can do for you.

Thanks again!

alvincredible says: Jul 14, 2008. 2:21 PM REPLY

cool! you can look at my flickr page here() if you want, but all I have posted are my first shots with my new 40D. Man that thing is amazing.

and thanks to you too! haha concerts and any staged events are fun to take pictures of just 'cause they have such awesome lighting and colors
nice portfolio

Stick4444 says: Jun 4, 2008. 8:32 AM REPLY

I just wanted to point out the flaw in the second statement: "But the main reason we want them, is they they take better quality pictures."
I've seen pictures taken by a disposable fujifilm camera that were WAAAAY better than some of the shots I've seen from a "Photographer" with an EOS-1ds.
SLR's and DSLR's allow you to to more with the pictures(long exposure, macro, etc.) which can expand the user's creativity, but not the quality of the picture
itself. Its all in the eye of the beholder after all.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/thestickness

Weissensteinburg says: Jun 4, 2008. 9:16 AM REPLY

You are obviously taking my use of the word "quality" into the wrong context. I did not mean artistic quality, but technical quality. DSLRs use better
hardware that allow for a better photograph in terms of clarity, detail, etc.

Stick4444 says: Jun 4, 2008. 10:19 AM REPLY

My mistake

Weissensteinburg says: Jun 4, 2008. 10:44 AM REPLY

Not a problem =]

John Smith says: Jul 1, 2007. 9:15 PM REPLY

I want a DSLR, but don't have the money. I've been thinking about getting a advanced P&S, but don't know much about them. Can you focus them like
SLR's? That's one main reason why I like SLR's.
What type of camera do you have?

LinuxH4x0r says: Oct 27, 2007. 8:48 PM REPLY

My old skool canon A75 (3.2 mp) can be manually focused.
All the new cameras dissapoint me. Arnt thing supposed to get better over time?
Good luck finding a camera

Labot2001 says: Apr 16, 2008. 6:46 PM REPLY

Arnt thing supposed to get better over time?

You mean like my brand new egg beater that breaks contantly, while my grandmother has had her same one since the 50's?

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 LinuxH4x0r says: Apr 17, 2008. 3:22 PM REPLY
exactly!

One of my dad's friends has a 20 year old microwave, but ours never make 4

Weissensteinburg says: Oct 27, 2007. 8:50 PM REPLY

What about them is disappointing to you?

LinuxH4x0r says: Oct 28, 2007. 1:19 PM REPLY

My 3 year old Canon A75 has manual focus, manual aperature, manual speed, manual everything, along with auto everything. My dad recently
baught a 5 mp cacon that can't do any of that.
Older cameras may have lower quality pictures, but they have more artistic freedom.
The same applies with film cameras. My dad's AE1 could do more than his new fancy camera witha auto everything.
They even last longer. -Why do you think everyone has stereos from the 70s?

New technology dissapoints me. Now its all capitalism, versus old stuff that was based on quality.

I could go on forever ...

I feel sorry for the people who will have to live in the future. :(

Weissensteinburg says: Oct 28, 2007. 2:16 PM REPLY

Is your dad's new canon an SLR? Because DSLRs can all do manual everything as well. The same applies with film, both of the cameras you
name are SLRs, but by the way you describe the new ones, they are both point and shoot. Most poeple don't keep their new stuff as long any
more simply because there are newer upgrades that cost less than their old one did. Back in the time of the AE-1s there were few
improvements that didn't cost a fortune. Digital cameras from 7 years ago still work, but the disposable ones they sell at CVS have better
quality than them, so why continue to use them? The quality of film cameras doesn't differ, so there's no reason to upgrade. Especially since
most people who still use film prefer the simplicity of older cameras,

LinuxH4x0r says: Oct 28, 2007. 4:33 PM REPLY

Sorry I wasn't clear - he got 2 new cameras. 1 digital, 1 SLR(film). And the thing about the cvs ones - can you cange aperatute, speet,
etc? It's a question of artistic freedom VS quality. The reason he upgraded was because it was a business thing, and his AE1 was stolen
this summer. :(

Weissensteinburg says: Oct 28, 2007. 4:42 PM REPLY

My point about the CVS camera is that the reason people don't use digital cameras forever, is that the quality of picture is quickly
outdated by newer, less expensive cameras.

You really can't compare a point and shoot to a SLR camera. What film camera did he get? Because every SLR i've used (film or
otherwise) allows you to do everything manual, if you so please.

LinuxH4x0r says: Oct 28, 2007. 6:09 PM REPLY

Its a cannon EOS 630. I think its supposed to be a SLR for beginners or something like that. Its really goofy, especially after I got
used to the AE1.

I agree with your point about the digitals getting chaeper and better, but my 3.2 mp cannon still woks fine for me. Its a matter of
consumerism and a waste of $200 for something thhat will be obsolete in 2 years.

instantnoodle says: Jul 3, 2007. 5:18 PM REPLY

hey, i have a point and shoot, but the thing is that you can't manually focus it. it just focuses itself =P. I'm not sure, but I'm pretty sure you can't focus it
manually. Reason is, the lens retract into the case, and because of that, the lens aren't that big.

Weissensteinburg says: Jul 3, 2007. 5:35 PM REPLY

Apparently my post never went through...

No point and shoots allow for manual focus. I don't think there are any advanced point and shoots that allow for manual focus. I know there are some
that let you use a barrel to manually zoom, though.

When you use a camera that allows for manual focus, however, you'll probably find that you wouldn't use it as much as you might think.

hailster says: Jul 6, 2008. 10:34 AM REPLY

My old camera was a Canon A530 and I was able to manually control the focus with that camera. That camera is pretty nice since it's just a P&S,
but you can still control a few more aspects of it.
I've finally upgraded to a Canon Eos Digital Rebel XT the other day though.

http://www.instructables.com/id/Learn-Photography/
 mmalecky says: Apr 18, 2008. 3:55 PM REPLY
My Canon A720IS has complete manual controls but it's still technically a point and shoot. Great little portable camera, you can buy one for
less than $200.
There's a small dial on the top of the camera that lets you choose from Auto, Program, Shutter Priority, Aperture Priority, or full Manual, along
with some scene modes. My new Canon dSLR 400D has pretty much the exact same dial.
I can even manually focus on the P&S, if I want. It's just slow because there isn't a ring for it around the the lens.

LinuxH4x0r says: Oct 28, 2007. 4:34 PM REPLY

My canon A-75 3.2 mp point and shoot has autofocus

CameronSS says: Sep 1, 2007. 11:50 PM REPLY

I just want a digital that can take good macros...I do too many small Instructables. Our P&S Nikon Coolpix 2500 can take beautiful macros, but it
takes ten tries before the camera will focus on the right spot. My dad and I agree that there should be some way to manually focus all cameras.

Weissensteinburg says: Sep 2, 2007. 5:25 AM REPLY

Indeed, there should. Unfortunately, the point and shoots are designed for quick snap shots.

P.C. 111 says: Feb 12, 2008. 9:41 PM REPLY

I have a D80.

johnnyqwe says: Jan 28, 2008. 1:37 PM REPLY

Hi all am a newby and hope to learn from you pro's.Thanx for all the advice.

ledzep567 says: Nov 16, 2007. 5:08 PM REPLY

what kind of camera would you recomend for taking pictures of paintings?

I am an artist and have been looking for a camera of my own for a while now...

Weissensteinburg says: Nov 16, 2007. 8:37 PM REPLY

It depends on what you want to do with the paintings..it's more the way you take them than the camera itself. Do you have a stand for the camera that's
made for taking picture of art? If not, it's just a tripod at a 90 degree angle right above the picture. Don't have any shiny things like glass or shrink wrap
over top of it. You also might want to invest in a polarizer filter for your camera to reduce glare. Lastly, think of the lighting, use fully defused
lighting...bounce all your lights off the ceiling, or a reflector, making sure to keep it all even.

As for the camera, an SLR will give you the best quality, as it has a larger image sensor, and more mega pixels will just give you a larger picture...not
necessarily a better one.

royalestel says: Nov 7, 2007. 5:43 PM REPLY

Great start on a great subject! Just skimmed it first through, but I think pictures of example camera types in step 1 would help visualize for readers.

JayKay says: Sep 21, 2007. 7:49 PM REPLY

I recently switched to digital. Did I waste the extra $200 I spent on the Nikon D40X instead of the D40.
Effective Pixels: 10.2 million (D40X)
Image Sensor: RGB CCD, 23.6 x 15.8 mm; total pixels: 10.75 million, Nikon DX
format.(http://www.nikonusa.com/template.php?cat=1&grp=2&productNr=25424)

Effective Pixels: 6.1 million(D40)

Image Sensor: RGB CCD, 23.7 x 15.6 mm; total pixels: 6.24(D40) million, Nikon DX format
(http:www.nikonusa.comtemplate.phpcat=1&grp=2&productNr=25420) About the same size. The X seemed to have better defination in one of the Pro tests i
found.
(http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/nikond40x/page26.asp)

Weissensteinburg says: Sep 21, 2007. 7:55 PM REPLY

The biggest difference between the two is how large you're able to blow up a picture. So if you make large prints, than no. If you don't, still no, because
you never know what you might want to get a print of.

JayKay says: Sep 22, 2007. 5:48 PM REPLY

First thanx for the great article "Learn Photography" and your swift reply to my query. I love my D40X, but then my favorite 35 mm is my Nikon F3HP
(have a Canon EOS Elan 7 and a few other cameras also). One problem though if anybody out there is thinking about buying a D40/D40X; not
all(maybe most) Nikon auto focus lenses will be functional in auto focus mode. D40s have no built in focus motor in the camera body. Most, I believe,
can be manually focused though.
The D40/X can be relatively easy to use if one sticks to the presets or you can use it in manual modes as well .

http://www.instructables.com/id/Learn-Photography/
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