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
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
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Signing UpStep 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:
Best Buy
BH Photo Video
BH often carries their equipment for much lower prices. Make sure to get a warranty for your camera.
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:
Best Buy
BH Photo Video
BH often carries their equipment for much lower prices. Make sure to get a warranty for your camera.
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Mark
If I know the model, I can help you out with that sports photo challenge.
I'm sorry, i don't know if anyone already alerted you for this but, the site you provide is not working =/ the Phondeo.
great instructable, it really inspired me to take better photos and had thought me things i didn't know how it works, thank you so much for that =D
continue the great work. thank for your time.
Mastronso
p.s: just another question, you don't talk about the edition (like photoshop), do you use any of these programs? and if you do, wich one do you think is the best for someone who is starting. because i use photoshop, but i don't know how to work with it :/
Photoshop is definitely the best program to use, it's always been my favorite. As for working with it, I taught myself how to use it by looking up how to do specific tasks. There are tons of great tutorials out there. For anything abstract or that I otherwise can't find online, I would ask a friend. Slowly you build up a knowledge of what works for what.
and about the photoshop, I'm starting to do somethings in there with the help of youtube. i was asking that thinking that you had one or two tutorials about that. but i will keep looking. thank you again
cheers,
did y'all know that the links that are on the last page of it, don't go anywhere?? just wondering.... have a good one!!
I'm out of commission right now...my camera broke and Nikon has it now...
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...
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!