Adelade Newbie

[CoryH]

Hi All, just signed up to my new fav wesite. There is some really great stuff here, have been doing a lot of reading and learned lots already.

I have just got my self a D80 with the 18-135 kit lens and bought a Nikon 70-300 AF on ebay for $99. Really only just started in photography when I got my D80 but have been interested since my 1st photography lesson at highshool.

I have done as much reading as I can, so I understand most of the theory but am yet to put it into practice with any really speccy snaps, (I'll post what i've done so far when I'm back on my other lappy). I'm very keen to learn and would love somebody to show me the ropes some time, will try and make the next mini-meet in Adelaide.

My mates wedding is coming up later this year and i'm going to have 2xD80's and do a bit of playing(There will be a pro onsite too), Was wondering what you guys think of my gear for wedding shots? I'm thinkin the 50mm 1.4 would be a nice addition to my kit and should do well in the indoor(wedding reception) environment. Is the extra $$ worth it for the 1.4 or should I save the couple hundred and go for the 1.8.

Any tips for keen young newbie photographer
Cheers,
Cory

*EDIT
Same of my photos - Good but not great.....yet!!

Shot on the side of the Murray early one sunday morning with my 70-300.


Sunset over the Murray at Talem Bend mid January this year.

Comments appreciated.

[johnd]

Welcome to the forum Cory. There's quite a few forum members from Adelaide, so I'm sure you'll be able to catch up.

The 50 1.4 and 50 1.8 are both great lenses. You should be able to pick up the 50 1.8 s/h for about $100+, whereas the 50/1.4 will cost you $300+ s/h. Your personal circumstances and style of photography will determine what's best for you. The 50 1.8 has the reputation for the best bang for the buck around. Maybe get the 50 1.8 and play around with this and the rest of the gear you've got until you start to come up against limitations. By then you will start to have an idea of what you prefer to shoot and what you don't. Then you'll be in a position to determine what you want to buy/upgrade next. There's a wise school of thought that says only buy the lens once, so don't buy just on price. Having said that, if you don't know what you want to shoot, then it's hard to decide what to buy and maybe buying multiple times is a better option. You can always sell stuff you no longer need thru the forum.

Cheers
John

[robert]

The 50mm will definatley be a good bang for buck- just leave it on one body so need to take too much time changing lenses.

I would also suggest you look into getting a flash- you'll use it for almost every shot- even the outdoors to bring a bit of light to the shadows (ie fill flash), it will give a subtle but noticeable improvement especially shooting in bright sunlight.

Robert


By the way- great sunset shot, maybe a tighter crop on the sky and dark area on left would make it even more dramatic...

[DanielA]

Welcome aboard Cory.

I'm sure you will find the information and people on here very helpful.

I agree with the other's suggestions. If you are constrained by price, go with the 50mm f/1.8 and get a flash (SB800 or SB600). You could have the 50mm and 18-135 on the bodies and swap the flash between them. Make sure you understand the effect of aperture/shutter-speed and make use of your higher ISO.

Have fun.

Daniel

[Marvin]

Hi Cory and welcome. I agree with the 50 1.8 suggestions. I would try to attend a meet and you can have a try of some different lenses there and see what you like.
Cheers,
Lee