i kinda new in this field.. i nid some advice for tips on how to take some nice shots and also.. i wanna ask whether by starting this field do i nid a manual focusing camera or a auto focusing cam?? if manual focusing camera, which is a good camera model i shld gt?

auto focus is the way to go...only use manual focus when you have fully understand the fundamentals or photography and wanna try smth new...

if you really want to do manual focus, you can get s D40x and a 50mm 1.8. Some crazy dudes does that for model shooting sessions!!

lol... darthbaboon

yeah,i agreed.

i've been using auto focusing with my sony 8mp for sometime.. yet i kinda gt bored with it.. manual focus camera cost how much?? i mean lik normal 1.. not too advance. can i gt 1 for around 500-600??

lol...you wan MF with digicam is it? wa...lidat hard to find lor...i think only prosumer supports that...

can say lik tat lo.. D40 is lik 2k near 3k++... way out my budget.. lolz.. haha.. i kinda saw 1 mf at cam shop.. price tag i think is 600+

lol, thats d80 range of price. d40 with all accs can get 1.8k ady.

my tips :
a) learn and always use the rule of third, then when you can compose nicely, its up to you whether to use it or try something new.
b) avoid shooting in AUTO mode.
c) read a lot, and see a lot of pictures for references.
d) practice

i use manual focus when i just bought my 1st dslr D40, its good if you want to train but not practical for most situation.

forget about manual focusing with LCD screen, or Electric ViewFinder in prosummer..

the screen is not detail enough for you the determine ur focus point,

if u wan manual focus, DSLR is the way to go.

MR.Shiney.. sry boyut the price range~ lolz my budget is not hight yet i'm vry keen in learning in this field.. how i goona start in this field as i'm stiill student?? my parents wont gt a mf cam or even a dslr cam..

thx for the tips mindkiller6610

any suggestion on any newbie mf cam which cost less?

Lol....

Thanks to my group members and models for being so patient with my slowness.

let me ask u this question,

why u want to manual focus in the first place ?

Most of the ppl around the world use autofocus, and demanding a higher speed and accurate AF everyday..

the most probably time where they use manual focus, will be in macro shooting, where autofocus cant seem to focus the details in low depth of field.

This post has been edited by mindkiller6610: Jul 6 2008, 06:32 PM

Bro, manual focus can do some things that auto focus cant..lik focus on one object and leave others blurr.. snap mini mini objects and taking fast moving objects i mean really fast which af cant cuz the shutter time is controlled.. rite?? mayb i'm wrg.. well i'm new.. tats why i'm opening this thread for advices and tips on photography.. AF surely hav it's own advantages.. yet i still wan to experiment and try new things.. i'm keen and willing to learn bro.. as long u're will to teach i'm willing to learn.. u can always start to teach me with af then tell me more on mf.. i'm using a 8mp sony cybershot camera.. anyways to improve my photography shoots?

If you are really keen as you say you are, then there is no choice but to get a DSLR. Save, work part time, beg for donation, buy second hand whatever, just get a DSLR that can give you full manual control. RM1K or 2 is not that crazy difficult to earn these days if you're willing to put some effort into it.

In simple terms, DSLR means 1 body and (at least) 1 lens. You can add more lens later.

In fact I bought an old (early 80's) 50mm f1.4 manual focus lens to pair with my K10D for about RM150 or so recently.

i try my best to make u understand more

1) manual focus can do some things that auto focus cant..lik focus on one object and leave others blurr

that's not the effect of manual focus, it is the aperture, (aperture, the hole of the lens that the light passes thru),
the bigger the hole, the lower of the depth of field, focused object is clear, out of focus area, often called as 'bokeh', a Japanese word for blur.
Google Aperture and Depth of field, u sure can learn more on there..

just some conclusion for you :

things that affect depth of field (DOF) (High DOF, less blur background)

1) Sensor size - Point And Shoot camera has small sensor size, thus the DOF is high, that's why u cant have a very blur background.
while the sensor size of the DSLR is bigger, the DOF is lower.

2) Aperture - measured in f/number, f/2 means bigger hole than f/18, = low DOF, = blur background.

3) Focal length - that's the Zoom in point and shoot and prosummer camera, higher the zooming, the more blur background.

4) The distance between camera and object - The closer the camera to an object, the lower the DOF, the more blur the background, that's u see macro shot have a very thin DOF.


2) snap mini mini objects and taking fast moving objects i mean really fast which af cant cuz the shutter time is controlled.. rite??

Correct on the the mini / micro objects, but it all depends on how close, ( the magnification ratio) of your camera / lens can produce,
I am sure u have times where it cant focus on a object that is too close to ur camera right ?

Not really on the fast moving objects, if AF really fails on fast moving object, the chances u can get it focused with MF is very low, unless u are practiced very well for MF, u know where and how much to twist the focusing ring for the distance between u and the object, and ur reaction must be fast too.. BUT, you can only do all this with a DSLR, where u can see it clear with the optical view finder, not those digital screen.

Most DSLR AF is pretty well, and it gets better when u climb one level to the another. even my nikon d40 able to snap some flying birds, fast moving cars. Just that you need some practices and skills.



and lastly, not to disappoint you, but, MF only works well with DSLR.. no even on prosummer, but the good thing is, you dun really need MF to improve your shots.
You can improve you shot, even with you 8mp cybershot compact camera, things u can do :


1) Composition,
Google the infamous rule, Rules of Thirds.
U can use AF to focus on the object you wan, the compose the frame, eg, the object on the side of the frame instead of the center.

2) Angle of View,
Don't snap photos with normal eyes level, get high or get low, create an interesting angle of view.

This post has been edited by mindkiller6610: Jul 6 2008, 07:13 PM

ok.. kinda understand abit.. wanna ask.. mf is those cams which u can play around with the lens and af cant rite? enlighten me bro

it depends on which type of camera you were referring, basically, they are 3 categories of digital camera,

1) point and shoot, knows as compact camera too.

2) prosummer, slightly bigger than compact, it offers more manual controls over the camera.

3) DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex) which uses the light straight away from the lens to the viewfinder. And u can change the lenses too.

Most manual focus controls on point and shoot and prosummer are in digital, where u scroll up and down for the focusing distance, which is slow.

I know there is a prosummer camera (forget whether it is a Fuji or Panasonic) where it allows u to twist the focusing ring to MF, and zoom ring to zoom, just like DSLR.

All dslr can manual focus, by twisting the focusing ring on the lens, and u see the result instantly from the viewfinder.
Go to a camera shop, and test some DSLR, I am sure u can tell the difference between the DSLR's optical viewfinder and the Optical viewfinder in your PnS camera.

This post has been edited by mindkiller6610: Jul 6 2008, 07:22 PM

Which model of Sony are you using ? Some of them have manual focus mode like the H and W series.

i'm using Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T100.. cant manual focus..

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Added on July 6, 2008, 8:47 pmbro compact cam is the normal we buy frm stores 1 rite??

then prosummer and Dslr?? wat is the diff? plz tell.. sry to take yr time

This post has been edited by evilbaby: Jul 6 2008, 08:48 PM