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Anonymous
Some homeless cat I found. Took a pic. First time at serious photography, so it mostly sucks.

Ways to improve my photography, please.
EXIF data available. Clickhereto show/hide.
Camera-Specific Properties:Equipment MakeSONYCamera ModelDSC-T20Maximum Lens Aperturef/3.5Image-Specific Properties:Image OrientationTop, Left-HandHorizontal Resolution72 dpiVertical Resolution72 dpiImage Created2008:06:06 21:00:11Exposure Time1/20 secF-Numberf/3.5Exposure ProgramNormal ProgramISO Speed Rating400Exposure Bias0 EVMetering ModeCenter Weighted AverageLight SourceUnknownFlashNo Flash, CompulsoryFocal Length6.33 mmColor Space InformationsRGBImage Width1920Image Height1080RenderingCustomExposure ModeAutoWhite BalanceAutoScene Capture TypeStandardContrastNormalSaturationNormalSharpnessNormal
>> Anonymous
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I suspect he's deaf.

Camera-Specific Properties:Equipment MakeSONYCamera ModelDSC-T20Maximum Lens Aperturef/3.5Image-Specific Properties:Image OrientationTop, Left-HandHorizontal Resolution72 dpiVertical Resolution72 dpiImage Created2008:06:06 20:57:47Exposure Time1/30 secF-Numberf/3.5Exposure ProgramNormal ProgramISO Speed Rating400Exposure Bias0 EVMetering ModeCenter Weighted AverageLight SourceUnknownFlashNo Flash, CompulsoryFocal Length6.33 mmColor Space InformationsRGBImage Width1920Image Height1080RenderingCustomExposure ModeAutoWhite BalanceAutoScene Capture TypeStandardContrastNormalSaturationNormalSharpnessNormal
>> Anonymous
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This one was adopted 3 years ago.

Camera-Specific Properties:Equipment MakeSONYCamera ModelDSC-T20Maximum Lens Aperturef/3.5Image-Specific Properties:Image OrientationTop, Left-HandHorizontal Resolution72 dpiVertical Resolution72 dpiImage Created2008:06:06 20:54:35Exposure Time1/13 secF-Numberf/3.5Exposure ProgramNormal ProgramISO Speed Rating400Exposure Bias0 EVMetering ModeCenter Weighted AverageLight SourceUnknownFlashNo Flash, CompulsoryFocal Length8.47 mmColor Space InformationsRGBImage Width1920Image Height1080RenderingNormalExposure ModeAutoWhite BalanceAutoScene Capture TypeStandardContrastNormalSaturationNormalSharpnessNormal
>> Meese !iZn5BCIpug
Don't make things black and white because IT ENHANCES THE MOOD!!! Don't use low shutter speeds hand held. Don't put things in the dead center. Don't tilt the camera. Don't shoot in auto mode. Don't shoot at iso 400 on a p&s.
>> Anonymous
It looks deaf.
>> Anonymous
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>>199214
Looked kinda stupid in color, but thanks for advice.

Camera-Specific Properties:Equipment MakeSONYCamera ModelDSC-T20Maximum Lens Aperturef/3.5Image-Specific Properties:Image OrientationTop, Left-HandHorizontal Resolution72 dpiVertical Resolution72 dpiImage Created2008:06:06 20:59:57Exposure Time1/25 secF-Numberf/3.5Exposure ProgramNormal ProgramISO Speed Rating400Exposure Bias0 EVMetering ModeCenter Weighted AverageLight SourceUnknownFlashNo Flash, CompulsoryFocal Length6.33 mmColor Space InformationsRGBImage Width1920Image Height1080RenderingNormalExposure ModeAutoWhite BalanceAutoScene Capture TypeStandardContrastNormalSaturationLowSharpnessNormal
>> Anonymous
Op here,
Is a tripod a good investment for a measly P&S?
>> Anonymous
>>199214
Also, what iso should I use? It goes from 80 to 3200. The final ISO is noisy as fuck.
>> Meese !iZn5BCIpug
>>199209
a 1 dollar tripod at a thrift store or garage sale.
>> Anonymous
>>199214
Only sound advice here is not to use auto mode.
>> Anonymous
>>199221
Whatever is most appropriate. It depends on the situation and what you're going for.
>> Anonymous
>>199214
>Don't make things black and white because IT ENHANCES THE MOOD!!!
Fucking retarded statement. When should someone use B&W then, asshole? It's a personal fucking choice.

>Don't use low shutter speeds hand held.
Usually true, but not always.
If you have to use a slow shutter speed because of lighting conditions try to prop your arms on something, or better yet prop the camera against something.

>Don't put things in the dead center.
Good advice.

>Don't tilt the camera.
Normally true, but sometimes tilting can be OK.
But if you're going to tilt the camera it's way better to tilt it up and down than from side to side. Unless you have a specific reason for doing it a different way, horizontals should always be level.

>Don't shoot in auto mode.
Unless you're trying to capture something happening quickly. And then if you do use the auto mode you should go back and fine tune it using some image editing program.

>Don't shoot at iso 400 on a p&s.
Retarded comment.
>> Anonymous
>>199221
>Also, what iso should I use? It goes from 80 to 3200. The final ISO is noisy as fuck.

The lower the ISO the better, but it will obviously vary a great deal depending on the situation. Don't be afraid you use high ISOs, but only use them if you have to, and realize that you're going to get a lot of noise when you do.
>> Butterfly !xlgRMYva6s
>>199241
The close to base ISO the better.

Just because you can do 100ISO doesnt mean you should on a sensor thats designed around 200.
>> Meese !iZn5BCIpug
>>Fucking retarded statement. When should someone use B&W then, asshole? It's a personal fucking choice.
welcome to /p/ newfag

>>Normally true, but sometimes tilting can be OK.
But if you're going to tilt the camera it's way better to tilt it up and down than from side to side. Unless you have a specific reason for doing it a different way, horizontals should always be level.
welcome to /p/ newfag


>>Unless you're trying to capture something happening quickly. And then if you do use the auto mode you should go back and fine tune it using some image editing program.
never shoot in auto mood use aperture/shutter priority

>Don't shoot at iso 400 on a p&s.
>>Retarded comment.
enjoy your shit image quality
>> Anonymous
I don't think my camera has manual.. I may be overlooking something.
>> Anonymous
>>199244

New tripfag telling me I'm a newfag? Fucking rich.

B&W = INSTA-ART, however most of the time /p/ puts up with it if it looks good.

Yeah OK fair enough about aperture/shutter priority but since he's a total newb he may need to use auto for a while before he figures it out.

ISO 400 looks fine on some P&S cameras. The fact that these pictures look like blurry shit is probably the fault of the Photographer, not the camera.
>> Anonymous
Also, what would be a good entry-level NOT P&S camera?
>> Anonymous
>>199251
Forgot to mention, my friend owns an EOS 450D. I'm sure he would let me use it for a few days. Is it good?
>> Anonymous
>>199250

Pentax K20D
Pentax K10D

Pentax K200D
Pentax K100D Super

The best deal for a DSLR right now is finding a used Pentax K10D. Great build quality, wide variety of lenses available, and you can currently get the body & kit lens for about $600 used.
Don't let the Canikon faggots tell you otherwise.
>> Anonymous
so fucking sick of assholes telling people not to center things, not to tilt. fuck THAT. FUCK RULE OF THIRDS FUCK IT. its a fucking rule. make interesting compositions by learning how to make interesting compositions by taking MORE PHOTOS.

my advice:
don't fucking crop your photos like that.
keep taking more photos.
>> Anonymous
>>199260
Uh? No cropping...
>> Anonymous
>>199260
>FUCK RULE OF THIRDS FUCK IT. its a fucking rule. make interesting compositions by learning how to make interesting compositions by taking MORE PHOTOS.

Rule of thirds exists as an easy way for people who are new to photography to use a tried-and-true method to take photographs that are more interesting. Plenty of good pictures don't use it, but ones that do use it tend to be more interesting than ones that don't, ESPECIALLY if the photographer is new to all this shit.

You're like one of those art school faggots who's all "FUCK TECHNIQUE MAN JUST FUCKING PAINT" and then you make these hideous turd-colored messes while you're stoned and think that you're the most awesome thing that God ever shat out.

The way you think is stupid.
The way you think is wrong.
The way you think is why Deviant Art and Flickr are so full of horrible fucking photographs by people who don't know what they're doing but think they're hot fucking shit.
>> Anonymous
rules are for fools,the wise need no rules to follow
>> Anonymous
The wise learn the rules first, and then break them once they fully understand why they exist and what they do.

Breaking a rule for a reason can have awesome results.
Breaking a rule because you don't understand them is pathetic.
>> elf_man !!DdAnyoDMfCe
>>199274
sage this shit.
0/10
learn2observation vs. rule
>> Anonymous
"The rules of composition are important, but the idea is to learn them and then break them. You can't divide a picture down the middle? You can do anything if it works. Composition should become intuitive; I see now mostly in terms of color, form, light, and shadow."- William Albert Allard, interview in the "National Geographic Photography Field Guide," a rather middling "how to make your pictures of your kids not suck" photography textbook with a prestigious brand name that's worthwhile to own for the really instructive profiles of and interview-tip-sessions-with great photographers inserted into the book at different points.

Also, keep in mind: Cartier-Bresson was trained as a painter in a studio that emphasized classical rules within a modernist context. He left, after getting all that training, because he didn't want to get tied down to the rules. Then he went to Africa, picked up a camera, got sick, came home, and saw "Three Boys at Lake Tanganyika" and the rest is history.

"The rule of thirds" in and of itself is pretty much a good "how to make your pictures not suck" two-minute-lesson-thing. But once one internalizes composition, it pops up quite a bit without one even realizing it. Llots of great pictures composed intuitively end up with it anyway- one of the best shots I've done (I can't post it, personal obligations to one of the subjects) is vertical, with the top horizontal bar cutting right across one person's mouth and another's eyes, the bottom one cutting in half one of the latter's hand, the lefthand bar intersecting the same eye, and right hand one intersecting the eye of the guy whose mouth is intersected with the top bar. And it just happened to turn out that way.
>> Anonymous
>>199269
This is probably the most beautiful thing I've ever read on this board.
>> Anonymous
>>199253
>The best deal for a DSLR right now is finding a used Pentax K10D. Great build quality, wide variety of lenses available, and you can currently get the body & kit lens for about $600 used.

Back to OP's question about cameras.
This is probably correct.
If you're on a tight budget the new Sony Alpha cameras are also OK. But they're pretty new, so they don't have any history to talk about long-term reliability or anything. Pretty good prices though, and you can use old Minolta lenses.
>> Butterfly !xlgRMYva6s
>>199346
Aside from buying minolta and using their designs? no, they dont have any experience with it (considering they're fixing 9s for everyone)
>> Anonymous
>>199348

I mean the Alpha bodies don't have a history.
If you think Sony's using the same factories and doing everything exactly the same only pasting a "SONY" sticker over the old "Minolta" branding you're a fucking idiot.
>> Meese !iZn5BCIpug
>>199350
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/SonyDSLRA100/page2.asp
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/KonicaMinolta7D/page2.asp
they do look similar...
>> Anonymous
>>199350
Indeed, you'd have to be blind not to notice the orange ring.
>> Anonymous
>>199354
i actually have a 7d and used a a100.

granted there are certain similarities in design but they are very different cameras.
>> Anonymous
>>199360
WHAT! IM TOO YOUNG TO BE BLIND, WTF

Youre kidding right?
>> Anonymous
>>199350


wow.

l2/minolta/

Minolta's Dynax/Maxxum/Alpha mount is THE oldest AF mount.

gtfo.