Just thought I'd introduce myself

[DavidHLe]

Hello all,
I've been a lurker on this board hoping to learn a few things or two about photography. Recently I decided to plunge into the hobby w/o any previous experience. I bought a Canon 20d w/ canon battery grip, 50mm f1.8 II, and Canon 28-200mm f/3.5-5.6 USM EF Lens and the usual accessories (memory cards, bag, canon shutter release, extra batteries etc...) Did I make the right choices with the lenses that I bought to start out with? It's pretty overwhelming at all the new information I have to absorb to learn new things about photography, any suggestions to where I might start? a good book maybe? Well, I'll definately hang in there. :)

[Master-9]

How much did that Canon 28-200mm f/3.5-5.6 USM EF Len cost you?

[cal.designs]

a good book maybe?

your 20d manual is the first book you should read ;) , it can teach you a lot of things

[DavidHLe]

How much did that Canon 28-200mm f/3.5-5.6 USM EF Len cost you?
$250

[dsze]

Welcome David! :) You'll learn a lot here. Its a great place to be. The manual is also a must-read to start with. Check out Amherst books later.

Your 20D is a great camera. The 50 1.8 is a super lens; most of us have one in our bags, unless we have the 1.4 version. The 28-200 is OK. If you stick with photography, you will likely want to upgrade, but for now the 28-200 should serve you well.

[Lord_Malone]

Welcome to the forum. Gotta start somewhere. ;)

[dgcorner]

Welcome aboard! The gear you bought is a pretty good start for someone without any experience... just be prepared to start spending more money down the road when you want to get better quality glass ;-)

I agree that the manual is the first thing that you should read... and none of that "real men don't read the instruction manual" crap. I keep my manual in by bag for ready reference even if I've virtually memorised the basics.

If you learn more in a visual manner, the book "The Confused Photographer's Guide to Exposure and the Zone System, by Bahman Farzad helped me with lots of diagrams to explain the concepts. I got this book off Amazon.

Another book to have a look at if you are interested in filters is "Filters" by Lee Frost. It is a little old but the concepts of filters are well explained and thorough.

Other than that, there are a whole heap of websites dedicated to learning. It is just a matter of finding a site that suits your learning style.

Lastly, and IMHO, going out and shooting pics is the best learning tool out there. Take advantage of the histogram to check that your exposures are correct. Instant feedback via the viewing screen is the best tool there is.

All the best!

[dsze]

...oh, and put your 20D in Manual mode and don't take it off. Forcing yourself to learn how shutter, aperture and ISO interact with available light is the key to really learning to use your camera IMO.

[crn3371]

Welcome to the forum. Read your manual, then read it again. Take lots of pix, play with iso, shutter speed, and aperture, watching how they relate with each other. That's the nice thing about digital, you can shoot to your hearts content for virtually no cost. You'll probably get some criticism on the 28-200, but it will serve you well while you learn the ropes. You've got all the essentials, go out and enjoy!

[Titus213]

Welcome to the forums. I remember a Pop Photo article a few years back that layed out the ideal bag of equipment. The total came to right around $50,000.

Your kit is a great place to start. The camera is top notch. You will not outgrow it for quite a while IMO. The lenses you have are good starts. I'm sure you'll be adding to your kit, especially if you hang around here much...

Have fun. Shoot and post.

[Mike_B]

Welcome to the forum. Read the manual and then read it again and again. This forum is great for learning and sharing.

Good luck.

[cbock]

congrats on the plunge!

now. . . . prepare . . . . to open your wallet! WIDE!

[Steve Parr]

now. . . . prepare . . . . to open your wallet! WIDE!

Better yet, just leave it at the door. We'll take care of spending your money for you. God knows the people here have taken care of spending mine!

Welcome!

[DavidHLe]

thanks guys, ill definately stick around this forum