[s0uljah]

Originally Posted by absynthguzzler

The actual model is Tamron SP AF17-50mm F/2.8 XR Di-II VC LD Aspherical (IF) .

This is the latest offering with built in VC. The non VC version is retailing at 18.5k (same as the Sigma) and this one at 24k. And the SP prefix is supposedly the "professional" range in Tamrom.

Quality wise, the reviews and sample photos are equal on both brands, but I'm going in for this one because of the VC.

Which one did you end up getting?

Lots of ancedotal reports of the non-VC being sharper. Then again VC needs to be turned off I think in a lot of situations so that it doesnt interfere with images.

[jacs]

Hi Guys,

I started shooting with my 1000D and 50mm 1.8 prime. Would have to admit that success rate is <5% as of now, miles and miles to go .

From recent clicks, I felt the need for a wide angle lens and a telephoto zoom lens. Any suggestions for a beginner with limited budget in hand.

[shajufx]

Originally Posted by jacs

.....Would have to admit that success rate is <5% as of now, miles and miles to go

Not getting an idea what you are doing with it ,
1) are you looking through the view finder ?
2) check the diopter setting if it has one
3) what mode are you shooting ? (Auto/Aperture/Shutter/Manual)
4) what format are you decoding ? (RAW/ JPEG)
5) test ISO-100 with f/1.8 and f/8 outdoors

My 35mm f/1.8 is always on the camera these days, I cant find any other lens as sharp as this one I have ever used.

Familiarize with all the basic combinations (ISO/Aperture/Exposure/Metering) before buying new lenses.

[jacs]

Originally Posted by shajufx

Not getting an idea what you are doing with it ,
1) are you looking through the view finder ?
2) check the diopter setting if it has one
3) what mode are you shooting ? (Auto/Aperture/Shutter/Manual)
4) what format are you decoding ? (RAW/ JPEG)
5) test ISO-100 with f/1.8 and f/8 outdoors

My 35mm f/1.8 is always on the camera these days, I cant find any other lens as sharp as this one I have ever used.

Familiarize with all the basic combinations (ISO/Aperture/Exposure/Metering) before buying new lenses.

Guruji, please find my response.

1) are you looking through the view finder ? Yes
2) check the diopter setting if it has one - Yes
3) what mode are you shooting ? (Auto/Aperture/Shutter/Manual) - Manual
4) what format are you decoding ? (RAW/ JPEG) - RAW+JPEG (Still not comfortable with RAW, some issues even when opened through Canon software!)
5) test ISO-100 with f/1.8 and f/8 outdoors - Yeah I am shooting regularly now to familiarize with settings. Right apperture settings is yet to master, got some spongy images in some combos which I am doing R&D!


I am really satisfied with my 50mm, tried some portraits with reasonable success rate (shall upload after taking approval from Model's parents). I am telling <5% rate because all my shots are still experimental and learning. Only challenge is when I wanted to shoot groups, I had to literally walk away from them .

This wide angle and tele zoom is in my wishlist but not at all urging to buy. I will do enough research with experienced guys and then only decide on. Just thought what Canon users has to say about it.

[Abbas]

Originally Posted by shajufx

2) check the diopter setting if it has one

what is diopter setting ? pardon my ignorance, i am very new to photography. i also use the 1000D.

[jacs]

Originally Posted by Abbas

what is diopter setting ? pardon my ignorance, i am very new to photography. i also use the 1000D.

Abbas, let me try to answer you! There's a small dial adjuscent to the view finder with + and - markings. It is used to adjust the view finder to display sharp view depending on the power of your eyes.

[proton]

Originally Posted by jacs

Hi Guys,

I started shooting with my 1000D and 50mm 1.8 prime. Would have to admit that success rate is <5% as of now, miles and miles to go .

From recent clicks, I felt the need for a wide angle lens and a telephoto zoom lens. Any suggestions for a beginner with limited budget in hand.

Hi Jacs, I think this is a pretty common problem with beginners: we don't know what we want to shoot. The normal solution is to buy a cheap zoom and shoot PnS style!

Then after a week or two (or more!) check what you have got and see which are the most common settings you have used. Now you are ready to decide. It could be a wide prime. Or a tele. Or maybe the zoom was all you need for NOW!

DSLR Lens For Beginners – Sigma 18-250 | Digital Camera World

jjmehta.com eShop

[shajufx]

Originally Posted by jacs

3) what mode are you shooting ? (Auto/Aperture/Shutter/Manual) - Manual
4) what format are you decoding ? (RAW/ JPEG) - RAW+JPEG

GuGuru, here is my thought;
Shoot in aperture priority until you get a hang of the overall settings. Manual is a punishment for a learner. Also its like you are forced to play world cup before qualifying for the village soccer According to the 2 days session I attended and the number of books read, Manual is not an ultimate level for any photographer, its just a choice. There are 1000s of masterpieces done completely on aperture or shutter priority modes. Professionals use full manual when specific situations require it (eg. studio shoots where you have control over everything)

Try shooting JPEG only for a while, RAW requires good post-processing too. Save that time and shoot more. I dont know if JPEG only is possible on 1000D.

[jacs]

Originally Posted by proton

Hi Jacs, I think this is a pretty common problem with beginners: we don't know what we want to shoot. The normal solution is to buy a cheap zoom and shoot PnS style!

Then after a week or two (or more!) check what you have got and see which are the most common settings you have used. Now you are ready to decide. It could be a wide prime. Or a tele. Or maybe the zoom was all you need for NOW!

DSLR Lens For Beginners – Sigma 18-250 | Digital Camera World

jjmehta.com eShop

Thanks Proton. I am clear what I need but not getting that and that's the problem! I was always for an all rounder lens but it has its own share of issues and would go out from our kit soon. I am with a very narrow budget so experimenting would not be an option now. Its just 3 weeks or so, am sure after a month or two my experience would be altogether different .

Originally Posted by shajufx

GuGuru, here is my thought;
Shoot in aperture priority until you get a hang of the overall settings. Manual is a punishment for a learner. Also its like you are forced to play world cup before qualifying for the village soccer According to the 2 days session I attended and the number of books read, Manual is not an ultimate level for any photographer, its just a choice. There are 1000s of masterpieces done completely on aperture or shutter priority modes. Professionals use full manual when specific situations require it (eg. studio shoots where you have control over everything)

Try shooting JPEG only for a while, RAW requires good post-processing too. Save that time and shoot more. I dont know if JPEG only is possible on 1000D.

Yes Shaju, found only RAW or RAW+JPEG mode in 1000D when the dial reaches creative side (Tv/Av/M). As of now I am taking the JPEGs and storing CR2 files for future use when I start learning post processing!

Complete Manual mode is tedious to use but I thought it would help me learn the numbers fast. Let me take your advise here and switch to Av mode to make life little more easy. Anyways you are the person who is going to suffer when ever I am stuck .

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Originally Posted by shajufx

My 35mm f/1.8 is always on the camera these days, I cant find any other lens as sharp as this one I have ever used.

Canon 50mm f/1.8 is said to be sharpest around 2.8 - 3.2. Try that. Also, make sure the focus is perfect.

Check this out, for inspiration, ideas and possibilities with the lens. Fantastic learning oppurtunity.
Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II - Nifty Fifty - Page 589 - Canon Digital Photography Forums

EDIT: Totally agree with Shaju. Av is my favourite mode as well. Shooting manual doesn't necessarily help improve photography. It sometimes becomes more of a burden, while Av allows some freedom as well as manual control, IMO.

[maverick555]

Originally Posted by maverick555

Hi All

just got myself nikon D3100 with kit lens .love the grip and feel of the camera.
still going through the manual to figure out all the features.

want some suggestions for screen protector .
should i go for hard plastic one or the normal film screen protector.


It will be better if someone can post some links for buying screen protector online for D3100.


Thanks

Hi gurus
Can anyone help me with this ??
Also should i put UV filter on lens as the shop owner was telling it will protect the lens from scratches.
If yes ,which brand to go for and what will be the approximate price?


Thanks

[RaguHolla]

Originally Posted by maverick555

Hi gurus
Can anyone help me with this ??
Also should i put UV filter on lens as the shop owner was telling it will protect the lens from scratches.
If yes ,which brand to go for and what will be the approximate price?


Thanks

Any multi coated UV filter withing your budget will do the tasks. Filters do induce flares and ghost, so you need to go with multi coated filter which reduce these effects! Current generation lens have multi coating for scratch resistance, you can as well not put filters. For further reading LensRentals.com - Front Element Scratches

[Aroy]

Originally Posted by jacs

Complete Manual mode is tedious to use but I thought it would help me learn the numbers fast. Let me take your advise here and switch to Av mode to make life little more easy. Anyways you are the person who is going to suffer when ever I am stuck .

If you want to learn exposure, then manual mode helps. What you can do is to check the histogram and adjust the exposure accordingly.
Also note that you use the aperture to set your depth of field if the subject is reasonably static. You use the speed to either freeze fast motion or stretch motion, as in water flow.
Last but not the least is the camera shake. It takes time to learn to hold the camera rock steady. Try using a good tripod for static shot - groups, scenery etc. Here are a few useful links for greater insight
Understanding-Exposure
DOF

Originally Posted by maverick555

Hi gurus
Can anyone help me with this ??
Also should i put UV filter on lens as the shop owner was telling it will protect the lens from scratches.
If yes ,which brand to go for and what will be the approximate price?
Thanks

Yes a filter will protect the front element of your lense. But it should not add to the distortion. The quality of glass in front of your lense should be at least as good as the lense. Thus if you have an inexpensive lense use a normal UV filter. But in case your lense costs a lot, it makes sense to have a high quality filter. Hoya filters are good for most of the consumer lense. For professional lenses, costing upward of 50K, B+W is preferred as they offer better optics with linear transmission and low aberration. Please go through http://www.schneideroptics.com/info/...dbook_Full.pdf to get an idea of what is involved.
An article on filters Filter basics

[jacs]

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

Canon 50mm f/1.8 is said to be sharpest around 2.8 - 3.2. Try that. Also, make sure the focus is perfect.

Check this out, for inspiration, ideas and possibilities with the lens. Fantastic learning oppurtunity.
Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II - Nifty Fifty - Page 589 - Canon Digital Photography Forums

EDIT: Totally agree with Shaju. Av is my favourite mode as well. Shooting manual doesn't necessarily help improve photography. It sometimes becomes more of a burden, while Av allows some freedom as well as manual control, IMO.

Thanks CD, I am still exploring things on my cam. I am switching to Av mode from now to experience it. Link is useful since nifty fifty is all I have now

[adityabenz]

Originally Posted by maverick555

Hi All

just got myself nikon D3100 with kit lens .love the grip and feel of the camera.


Thanks

How much did it cost you ? and what lens is supplied with it ?