Would like to buy a beginner-level DSLR - need help

**pauland** · 11 June 2012, 08:01 AM

Remarkable. The shadow is quite strong and the background quite dark, so fooled me!

**mvssysprog** · 11 June 2012, 11:23 AM

Nice to meet another turner out here... That's a really pretty simple bowl you turned and it looks great. I'm going to stick with my camera for now. I just need to figure out the limited settings I can use to try to get the color more representative. I spend a lot of time on Corel to get the colors close. I shouldn't have to do that..

Thanks to everyone for talking me out of a rather large expense. I'll keep working using the Sony I have...

Dave

**Big Frank** · 06 September 2012, 12:21 PM

I have an EOS30D but if the lighting is rubbish then the camera cannot do magic for you. I built a lightbox and put aluminium foil on the left and right insides to try and get the light to bounce around more. I have been quite happy with the results. I'm still using the standard lens that came with it but for very close up work I simply added a couple of stepping rings. You get great depth of field and real close zoom. But I'm no expert so my experience stops there.

**CubifyFan** · 18 September 2012, 05:41 PM

Originally Posted by sledger

Yes it is lit, by the sun of course

► https://dl.dropbox.com/u/250070/Photos/trike1x1.jpg

My camera in those days was a cheapo Russian Zenit 35mm.)

Wow! The first person I've seen that even knows about that camera! I had one in the mid-1976's! What a BRICK! LOL! Thanks for bringing back some cool memories!

**CubifyFan** · 18 September 2012, 05:54 PM

Dave,

Two things.

First, you will find that you can get perfect color if you invest in a system, either card or plastic cube, that has White/Black/Grey patches that you can use to set perfect White balance after-the-fact. Q-Card is an inexpensive printed card system. But, my favorite is the SpyderCube from DataColor. It is a plastic cube having white, absolute black and grey features. It's works magically to allow you to use PhotoShop to pop the colors into place with three simple dropper clicks.

Secondly, shoot in RAW rather than JPG. That is probably not possible with your current camera. RAW give you a LOT more control over the colors when processing your images. Most all of the dSLR cameras provide you with the ability to shoot in RAW. The Canon series goes one better by giving you a free tool to process the RAW images with a few simple clicks. If you do want to try an SLR, then I'd suggest the new T4i as a wonderful choice. I no longer use Photoshop for processing my images because Digital Photo Professional that comes with Canon cameras is so easy and good.

As for depth of field issues, take a look at photo stacking applications like Helicon focus. ALL cameras have limited field of view and products like Helicon Focus can be used to over come those limitations.

**Burone** · 30 October 2012, 05:54 AM

Originally Posted by mvssysprog

Hi...

I have been using a point-and-shoot camera with tripod and photo tent to build my gallery on my website (www.stoppersnstuff.net). I continue to be really unhappy with the coloring coming out of the camera (I know that this is not what the p&s cameras are meant for). I would really like to buy a beginner's DSLR that will take truer colored photographs and works well on closeups (within the photo tent). I have been looking at Nikon D3100, D5100, and the Canon rebel t3i. But the problem that I have been reading about is that the standard lens that comes with all of these cameras are not suited for closeups. I realistically spend at least 10 minutes a photo, using Corel Photoshop X4, trying to get the colors more realistic.

I would really appreciate any recommendations that anyone has about which is a better camera to start out with as well as the type of lens I would need to get if I was just buying the camera box and getting the lens separate.

I am hoping to take some camera classes this summer at a local community college after purchasing the camera.

Thanks in advance for any assistance anyone can provide.

Dave

Can you Pm me some pics, other details and exact price you want