DSLR Guide 1 - Getting Started

Over the last few weeks there have been a lot of questions on UKScrappers about getting to grips with a new digital SLR, so I decided to put together a few tips to help you out. In part one, I’ll look at the basic setup and some accessory ideas.

For now, this is not intended to be a guide to choosing a digital SLR. There are a lot of really good websites dedicated to camera reviews and I recommend reading those reviews, trying a camera out at your local camera shop to see how it feels in your hand and then shopping around online and on the high street.

Before you start reading, please find your camera’s manual and have it handy - like it or not, you will have to refer to it!

This guide is intended to be used in conjunction with your camera manual - I can tell you about the common functions of DSLRs, but it would take forever to tell you how to operate those functions on every model of camera on the market. If you have lost your camera manual, you should be able to download a copy from your camera manufacturer’s website.

Checking it over

As with any new purchase, you should check the product over to ensure you’ve got everything you should have and that it works properly. The box should have a contents list - if anything’s missing, damaged or doesn’t work, contact the retailer immediately.

Setting it up

If your DSLR uses a rechargeable battery, refer to the manual (told you!) and check how long it needs to be charged for before its first use. In the meantime, install the relevant software on your computer, fit the lens, and oh yes, read the manual!

When fitting the lens, try to ensure that no dust gets inside the camera body. Once the battery is charged, format your memory card, set the size and quality of image you want to take, set the camera to ‘auto’ mode and take a few snaps just to get used to the feel of the camera. Again, check the manual to learn how to do all this. I’ll cover the other shooting modes in future articles.

Holding the camera

Digital SLRs are designed to be operable without having to take your eye away from the viewfinder. All the buttons, selection wheels and switches you’ll need while shooting have been placed where your fingers can easily find them. When you’re holding your camera to take a shot, your right thumb should remain at the back of the camera, ready to operate the rear scroll wheel (if it has one), your index finger should rest on the shutter release and the other three fingers should wrap around the grip. Your left palm should take most of the camera’s weight, the thumb should stay on the left hand side of the lens and operate the zoom/focus ring along with the index and middle fingers. Holding the camera like this will make it stable and easy to use.

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and brace your elbows against your body when holding the camera to your eye for even more stability.

Additional accessories to consider

Yes, I know you’ve just spent a big chunk of cash on your camera, but there are a few other purchases it’s worth considering...

Memory cards

DSLR packages either come with a pitiful amount of memory or none at all, so you need to budget for a memory card or two. If you plan on shooting high-quality images, you’ll need quite a bit of memory so budget for at least 1GB. I prefer to have several smaller cards rather than one big one so that if something horrible happens to one of the cards I won’t have lost quite so many photos. It is possible to get an 8GB card, but if that suddenly developed a fault you’d be looking at losing about 1,500 pictures.

Check exactly what type of memory cards your camera is able to accept and buy as much memory as you can comfortably afford. Shop around and never buy from the high street without checking online stores prices first - memory prices are constantly dropping and online stores will keep up with price changes better than high street shops. You may be able to use cards from a previous digital camera if they use the same format. On the back of the cards there is usually a space for writing, so grab a CD labelling pen and put your phone number on there so it can be returned to you if you lose it.

Lenses

Most new DSLRs come with a lens, although you can also buy them ‘body only’ if you want to use existing lenses or pick your own setup. ‘Kit’ lenses are usually a short zoom, for example 18-55mm on the Canon 350D and 18-70 on the Nikon D70. The numbers refer to the minimum and maximum focal lengths of the zoom. You will also find a series of f-numbers (eg. f3.5-f5.6) which refer to the maximum aperture. On zoom lenses, the maximum aperture available may change depending on how much you’ve zoomed in, hence the two sets of numbers.

The camera manufacturers make their own lenses, but third-party options are also available and may be considerably cheaper. Brands like Sigma and Tamron are worth a look - just make sure you buy the right ‘fit’ for your brand of camera.

One thing which slightly complicates your choice of lenses is that the focal lengths quoted are for 35mm cameras. Many digital SLRs do not have a 35mm size sensor, which increases the focal length by around 1.5x (this number varies between models). This means that a 20mm lens becomes a 30mm lens when used on a D70; a 180mm lens becomes a 270mm and a 300mm becomes a 450mm. Check your camera’s manual to find out what the conversion rate is for that model. If a lens is designed specifically for digital SLRs, it should ‘do what it says on the tin’.

Kit lenses are fine for everyday use, but if you’re interested in a specific type of photography there are a few other lenses you might want to put on your wish-list.

Portraits

Generally you don’t want to distort the subject’s features, so the classic lenses used for portraits have focal lengths ranging from 40mm to 120mm. A favourite among many photographers is the 50mm f1.8 which is cheap, as lenses go, and high-quality. This is a ‘prime’ lens (one which has no zoom) and they are usually better quality and have a wider maximum aperture than zooms, which is good news for faster-moving subjects and better performance in low light.

Landscapes

The wider end of the kit lens on most systems is fine for landscapes, ensuring you’ll be able to fit the whole scene into the frame.

Macro

If you want to fill the frame with small subjects like flowers, insects etc. you might want to invest in a macro lens. Look carefully at the specifications before you buy. A true macro lens can focus very close to the subject and reproduce the scene at life size. You should see ‘1:1’ (ie. life-size) in the lens details. Sigma’s macro lenses are cheaper than most, but still high quality. I have the 105mm f2.8.

Sports/Wildlife

For subjects which you can’t get very close to, you’ll need a telephoto lens. A 70-300 zoom is a great low-cost option and don’t forget that if your camera has a conversion factor, you may get the equivalent of a 105-450mm lens for your money.

Camera Bag

If you want to protect your investment, you shouldn’t just chuck your DSLR into a normal bag but instead buy something which is designed to protect it from knocks and scrapes. There are a few choices here - shoulder bags; belt packs; backpacks and ‘sling’ bags. The choice is really up to you but consider how quickly you can get to the camera when you need it - and how quietly. If you’ve got a sleeping animal (or child!) to photograph, having to rip through layers of Velcro isn’t a great idea! I can personally recommend Crumpler bags for sturdy protection and funky designs and the Lowepro Orion Trekker II as a perfect DSLR kit daypack. When you’re choosing a bag, don’t buy one that’s far bigger than you’ll need - it’s not completely bonkers to take your kit into the shop to try a bag for size!

If you find that carrying the camera round your neck is uncomfortable after a while, try fitting a different neck strap. Those supplied with DSLRs do the job but they’re not very comfortable. If you can get hold of one, the Op/Tech Pro neoprene strap is a fantastic option.

Cleaning Gear

At the very least you should have a microfibre lens cloth in your bag at all times so you’re prepared for the odd raindrop or sticky fingerprint. A blower brush is also a sensible idea, especially if you have more than one lens, as changing lenses can allow dust to get inside the camera - a blower will get it out again. I recommend the Giottos Rocket Blower, available in Jessops (in their own brand packaging) and at Warehouse Express. If you start to see any specks of dust appearing in your images and they don’t correspond to dirt on your lens, your camera’s sensor may need cleaning. Your manual will give instructions on how to blow dust from the sensor, but if that doesn’t work it may need to be professionally cleaned. Don’t be tempted to use a compressed air spray to clean the sensor - it’s too harsh.

Spare Batteries/Chargers

As long as you fully charge your battery between shoots, you shouldn’t have too many problems with dying batteries. Having said that, it is always a good idea to have at least one spare battery charged and ready to use. Most DSLRs use a high-capacity rechargeable battery which will normally last for between 400 and 2000 shots, depending on whether you’re using the flash, the LCD screen, autofocus etc. Battery life can also be affected by the temperature - the colder it is, the less battery life you get.

Other battery accessories include car chargers and battery adapters which allow you to use widely-available lithium batteries in place of your usual rechargeable - handy in an emergency. Again, your manual should include a list of accessories which are compatible with that model.

Tripod

Essential if you want pin-sharp images when you’re shooting in low light or at slow shutter speeds. Also useful for macros and formal portrait shooting. In addition, you may want to look into buying a remote control or an air release, which allows you to trigger the shutter without touching the camera.

External Flash

I’ll cover this in more detail later on in the series of articles, but for now I’ll just mention that an external flash can give a much more flattering light than that of the pop-up flash, especially when angled to ‘bounce’ light off a wall or ceiling. If you find that a lot of your pictures feature harsh shadows behind the subject, you might want to consider this optional accessory.

Filters

Although software packages can work magic on photos, there’s nothing like getting it right at the source. Filters are pieces of treated glass or resin which fit over the end of your lens to create a different effect. One which I think is essential is the polariser, which makes blue skies bluer and cuts down on glare from all sorts of surfaces - great for landscapes and beach shots. If you’ve got polarised lenses in your sunglasses you’ll see what I mean.

Rather than buy one for each different lens I own (as they all take different sizes of screw-in filter), I opted for the Cokin P Series filter system where the square filters just slot into a holder.

In the next article: Pre-shoot checks for your camera.

External Links

Camera Reviews

DPReview.com: Seriously in-depth camera reviews including samples.

Steve’s Digicams