File :-(, x, )
Just starting Emanon
Hey everyone, I'm going to be going on a military tour for a while and I wanted to get start photography as a hobby while I'm gone. If I'm gonna be seeing the world why not take as many pictures as I can. I'm just a beginner in photography so I don't know much as far as cameras go so I was wondering what you guys would suggest. I did alotta research and so far it looks like the Canon EOS 400D is ranked pretty high, but yeah again I don't know. Thanks alot in advance!
>> eku
If you don't have the slightest idea of what f/number or shutter speed mean, don't buy dsrl. Instead, buy a good p&s and some good photography book which explains the basics (I can't suggest any, haven't read any).
Otherwise your just wasting your money.
>> Emanon
Ahh that's real good advice. I'll start checking out things in that area then. Thanks alot
>> Anonymous
I started with a point and shoot but was really interested in getting into more serious photography. I also started with a 400D with a 17-85 f/4-5.6 IS lens.

My buddy gave me a pretty good primer on photography basics and gave me a few books. There isn't a huge amount of things to learn, really. Once you learn what aperture, shutter speeds, ISO, and how they all relate to each other, I think you have the basics down enough to understand how an SLR works. There's a lot more to learn after that, of course, but once I got the basics I started taking much better shots.

I dunno, I'm a little biased because I got the same 400D, so I would suggest it to you if you have the funds. But I'd also suggest you get a better lens to go with it (ie. just buy the body and buy another lens).
>> Rawr !pBDDkuoH3.
So...how do you plan on fitting that large a camera to yourself?

Get something rugged. Olympus Stylus series are rainproof and probably also pretty resistant to dust.
>> Anonymous
Since you're in the military, you need a weather and dust proof camera.

The cheapest I know of is the Pentax K10D, which is also an excellent camera besides.

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/specs/Pentax/pentax_k10d.asp

As a side note to /p/, I've heard the military has a fully rugged digital camera with an electronic viewfinder that has, at the lens mount, an insane number of different attachments to let it mount virtually any lens ever made. Has anyone heard anything about this?
>> Anonymous
>>45329
Let me rephrase: the cheapest dust and weatherproof camera that isn't something unsuited for real photography.

If that wasn't a concern, I would suggest a high-end point and shoot (Panasonic FZ-50, FZ-8, Canon S3IS, etc.), but it is.

I don't know much about the Olympus Stylus cameras a previous poster mentioned, but a quick look shows they have digital image stabilization. And again, while I've only shot with optically (that is, in-lens or on-sensor) stabilized cameras and ones without any stabilization, I understand that it's better to have none than to have digital stabilization.

Even worse, they don't have a manual exposure mode, so you won't be able to control how your photographs turn out much at all.
>> Conditions Handling? Canon PSA710IS illogical
>>45304
A bit off topic.

I have a question, how do you think a Canon Powershot A710 IS would handle in minor military conditions? It does feel pretty solid, I'm just wondering I can carry it on base without nothing too bad happening to it, maybe at a rifle range ect, or I just might reuse my Powershot A300 since it's already old and worn [Dusty Lens, Damaged/scratched Lens].