Yes, shoot with P first since you are still very new

And try shooting out in the sun (7-9am or 5-7pm are very good times for good photos), your photos will be better, with less tendency to become blurred.
With P mode, you will notice your photos will mostly be blurred under dimmed conditions (indoors/night shooting etc.), its normal.

From there you will notice that the DSLR is pretty "stupid" in P mode, enticing you to jump to S (shutter speed) or A (aperture) modes or even manual if you are a very fast learner haha XD but those are one or a few level up haha, don't worry about that 1st

And yes, shoot in JPEG 1st, until you have some clue on what is post-processing haha!

Share your photos, and keep photos that you think are very good at that particular point in time. One day you will look back at them and feel nostalgic (and will probably laugh at yourself), its a very fun process, so remember to enjoy it

Curious, which cheap mirrorless you bought?
Recent cheap ones like the NEX3n can really perform very well in terms of IQ and noise performance; sometimes even better than my previous D90 I think. Time flies!

Wah, Dubai is very beautifullei!!
Looking forward to your photos

Awww.. so cute

Well, its pretty much the only one that doesn't need a casing haha XD
Sure expensive like hell

Anyone wants to try changing lens underwater miahahahaha XD

The D90 is a bit too old tech for the price, not recommended
The D7100, on the other hand, is very new, but still quite similar in terms of performance (for normal photography) to its predecessor the D7000; get that one instead since its much cheaper. Leaving you with more money for other stuffs i.e. lenses, accessories etc.

If you are still new, just stick to the 18-105mm kitlens
With its wide focal length and decent image quality, it will expose you to the fundamentals of photography, as well as different genre of photography e.g. landscape, portrait, nature, "macro" etc. After you have used the 18-105mm kitlens for some time, you will eventually know which genre of photography you like the most, and from there only you invest in better lenses specific for it

Haha, thanks man, just the blings on my old notebook

In general, you will get more/better background bokeh by:
1) Using larger aperture (lower F value)
2) Focusing your main subject as close as you can i.e. minimum distance where the focusing still works

Yaya, listen to agito666 sifu

Take it slow bro haha, these things cannot rush one
I shot in P mode for quite a long time before jumping to M haha, and I was totally confused that time too XD

Like what agito666 sifu mentioned, M mode is more for playing with lighting. I didn't understand this until very recently. Before this I was wondering why we even need to shoot in M mode when there's A mode LOL XD

Then I noticed many Westerners or pro strobists love to take artistic photos with little light, but ALOT of shadows, that's where M mode comes in since at that mode, the camera doesn't keep on wanting to properly expose the photo for you

How about a Sony RX100 ii?
http://www.sony.com.my/product/dsc-rx100+ii

Or if want something cheaper, than the earlier Sony RX100

I have a Wacom tablet but for drawing only
For me, the mouse is still faster to use, and quite accurate with auto-masking

Yes

Aiyo, my drawings cannot compare to yours at all sifu

My 1st drawing with the Wacom:

Special Moments by PF T.J., on Flickr

That girl is using a Nikon D3200, so still not off topic I hope
Drew too detailed already, even at 100% "crop" still detailed as hell

Sexy ones cannot upload later I get permaband XD

Yeah, thanks to the 50mm F1.8 I was able to curi shoot a few sexy bars at Patong, Phuket lol
I also use the 50mm for better bokeh in tight spaces, and also macro shots, otherwise I would've sold it, love it so much

This post has been edited by [PF] T.J.: Oct 11 2013, 06:07 PM

If you take a look at the 1st post of this thread, you will notice it saying that original Nikon cameras will have the prints "NIKON MALAYSIA SDN. BHD" on the warranty card

Just try and play around with the camera and make sure everything is working (they usually do) and that there are no physical defects.
Try taking a few photos as well, if there are any "Err" warnings shown on the screen, then return immediately.
Most of the time it should be alright one
If you are worried about getting used unit, can request to check for shutter count too~

Hey man, nice to see you here
Eh? I thought you were looking for cameras that are not-lens interchangeable?
Yeah, the D3100/3200/5100/5200 are entry level cameras, good for beginners since the interfaces are made in such a way that they are easier to understand

Mirrorless cameras, as the name suggest, does not have a mirror which reflects what the lens "see" and showing it to the user through an optical viewfinder. Because of that, they can be designed and built in a much smaller profile unlike DSLRs. With that, you get a lot more portability at a minor expense in terms of ergonomics and comfort, a compensation many are willing to make

So I guess it all depends on you, if you like to keep things simple and light when you go out, then its definitely a mirrorless camera for you. Go for the ones with larger sensors like the NEX series for better performance

If you are looking for a beginner level DSLR, then its usually: Nikon D3200/D5100, Canon 600D/650D, Sony a58 to consider

My advice is, save the money
18-105mm is good enough for you to learn~
Save the money for the next lens (which will undoubtedly be more expensive) after you are done familiarizing with the kitlens haha XD

Most beginners started with 18-55 I suppose haha XD
18-105mm is already a relative luxury~

I started off with a 18-105mm, and managed to try alot of things with that lens alone
Some might say the kitlens is not very sharp, but with a little bit of pp, that can be easily rectified

Its not until 1 year later that I get a 50mm prime

No worries man, picking a camera is much easier than a notebook/desktop And they are much easier to maintain too~
I thought Canon's community is much better here in LYN, or even Malaysia? XD
You are right, Sony's NEX lineups consist of mirrrorless cameras; whereas Sony Alpha consists of their DSLR or "DSLR".

Correct again~
D3200 is the successor to the D3100, and D5200 to the D5100. But in the camera world, newer isn't always better.

Most of the time beginners compare D3200 with D5100 (assuming Nikon only lol) since they usually start with a budget of RM2k. If you need more megapixels and better recording capabilities, go for the D3200. If you need a flippable screen and slightly better ISO performance (better performance at night/dim conditions), then pick the D5100 Most go for the latter Since you have the budget, go for the one that comes with the 18-105mm kitlens (instead of 18-55mm)


Yeah, with prime lens the user will be forced to walk around and compose their shots. And that is not exactly a bad thing, since most of the time, using a prime lens will get you better composed photos yo Most users experienced an improvement in composition after using a 50mm F1.8 lens, most of the time the 2nd lens people buy after they have mastered using their kitlens and DSLR.

Higher ISO means higher "film" sensitivity = brighter photo, good when taking shots indoors or during the night. But higher ISO also means more digital noise in your photos. So have to learn which settings to use depending on location and available lighting. Noneed worry too much about these 1st, for a beginner, just go and have fun shooting under the sun and you will be alright haha XD

As what exquisite_markas has mentioned. THe aperture opening is indirectly proportional to the F value; lower F value = larger aperture, more light comes in = brighter photo. Larger apertures (low F value) will also mean better bokeh (blur) in out-of-focus parts; whereas smaller apertures (high F values) will ensure everything in your photo is sharp (like photos taken with compact camera/ handphones)

An example of bokeh (notice how only the eyes of the cat is sharp? Everything else is blurry):

Cute Kitten 1 by PF T.J., on Flickr

Yeah, a good way to try out the "feel" of a prime lens haha

This post has been edited by [PF] T.J.: Oct 12 2013, 02:59 PM

Thanks man haha, lucky shot
Can take photos of notebooks and tablets also yo, they can be very interesting also

Great shot man
Very interesting modification haha~

Its usually D3200 vs D5100 (not D5200). Those who can afford a new D5200 can already buy an even premium D7000 XD

Both the 600D and D3200 are entry-level DSLRs which are beginner friendly, so both are good. Which one to choose from depends on:
1) Your personal preference. Like what 5p3ak said, test both units out, and see which one you like more, in terms of comfort, ergonomics, built, craftsmanship etc.
2) What most of your friends are using XD Its best to follow what the majority is using, so that you can learn faster, and also borrow lenses

Yeah, a good lens will bring about huge improvements in terms of image quality, but that is something left for later after you are familiar with shooting Even a kitlens can do wonders if you are good at composing and capturing the right moments

For beginners, just stick to the normal package And get a UV filter to protect your lens
See here for prices and packages: https://forum.lowyat.net/index.php?showtopic=1578033&hl=

*Can check out garage sales for more offers haha. Different sellers often offer different stuffs

Looks like Canon is the better pick for you man
Its a huge advantage to have someone to guide you along the way with tips and advices as you will learn faster
But of course it also depends on how passionate you are la haha~