CHRISTMAS DILEMMA

[FotoPhreak]

Ok here's the deal:

Christmas is coming the goose is getting fat ... please put a penny in the 'L series lense purchasers' hat.

No seriously, here's the dilemma.

I am in the process on deciding on a camera and lense to purchase before Christmas.

I am looking at a DSLR and some L-glass, but am new to the DSLR environment. I have used a digital point and shoot and film SLR in the past.

What I am trying to decide is whether to start using the camera before Christmas and ruin the satisfaction of opening and fiddling on Christmas day?

The reason this is a bit of a dilemma is that we will be getting together with family who we do not often see alot, so I'm hoping for the first time to produce a decent set of photos rather than the underexposed incorrectly determined white balanced photos like others have taken in the past.

So I have one of two options:

1. As I mentioned above, open the camera early and sadly (very much sadly, as I am a bit of a 'surprise' Christmas softie) reduce the 'wow' affect, but at the same time getting practice earlier.

2. Or if anyone out there can give some advice on settings for the following situations:

a.) Inside photography, reasonable light, maybe electric maybe natural - portrait/group photos as people are opening their presents.

b.) Outside photography, possibly sunny, possibly not - the usual sporting activities to relieve the parents of the kids kept inside all morning?

I would really appreciate the suggestions to the above, as Christmas is the most important time of the year for me in terms of memories and family, and as such I really want to get the best photos I can, but also have that enjoyment factor of opening/using my present on the day.

PRE-CHRISTMAS WISHES TO EVERYONE!

[GenEOS]

If you open it on Christmas day you will forget about your relatives you never see. You won't see them. Better open it now.

[mebow]

If by chance the new unit is the 1Ds you better, at a minimum, start reading the manual today. Although they do make the new DSLR's user friendly, they are still a long way from either the older 35's or the point and shoot type units. New units have so much more to offer in terms of setup prior to shooting.

Merry christmas.

Mike

[Gibmeister]

OPEN IT NOW! Read the manual, charge the battery, practice, practice, and practice some more then start having fun. Then put it back in the box on Christmas Eve, wrap it up and open it on Christmas morning. Then you can start writing your Christmas list for next year. Enjoy

[gsmx2]

Absolutely OPEN IT RIGHT AWAY.

If you open it Christmas day you will likely have to set it on AUTO MODE and essentially have a 6.3 mp Point and Shoot camera.

At my wedding, I had a good friend who is a good photographer as one of the three people invited to the wedding. I asked him to take the photos and handed him my Nikon autofocus camera, which was a better camera than his Pentex manual focus.

Huge mistake. He was unfamiliar with the Nikon and it showed.

Scott

[johneo]

I'll agree with the others ...

"OPEN BEFORE CHRISTMAS"

... While it may be easy to learn to use I wouldn't want to spend Christmas and "family time" buried in the manual and missing all the fun AND great shots.

For the most part, there is a learning curve and by what you state as your experience ... for best results, read the manual and practice, practice, practice ... before!

Here's and idea! Open it, get familiar with the camera and take a lot of practice shots and when you feel comfortable ... rewrap the camera and put it under the tree. When guests arrive, open the camera, act totally surprised and make everyone think you're a genius when you take the camera out and produce perfect photos from the start!

[Scottes]

Don't even get the camera. Buy your family something nice.


ROFL - There's no way that's going to happen!

[Belmondo]

Yeah, like this is a real problem.

Life is short. Start using the camera as soon as you can.

Tom

[nosquare2003]

Yes, you also need to test all your new equipments after purchase. You can take as many "test" shots as you can, i.e. you are not "using" your camera before X'mas.

[CyberDyneSystems]

It needs to be open so that you can lord it over your relative's inferior point and shoot cameras right from the start! :D

[imago57]

Uh...you want to open it now just to make sure it is working!

[samdring]

Have a quick trip to Belgium or another Low Country where Christmas comes earlier than UK/US (St Nicolas) and do both

[billhercus]

Try and shoot in RAW. Then white balance, exposure corrections etc., all done at leisure.

That's what I'm doing with all the family here. Have just sent off for Sigma's amazing 100-300 f4 EX. Santa will be good this year!

[FotoPhreak]

scottes wrote:
Don't even get the camera. Buy your family something nice.


ROFL - There's no way that's going to happen!

Thankyou Scottes,

You are the first person to make laugh today, something I think we all do a little to infrequently.

FYI I always buy something nice for my family anyway, but your right ... swapping the camera solely to buy them presents isn't going to happen.

To redeem myself to those thinking I'm somewhat selfish, and to those thinking that they have fully converted me into a Canon freak (and I mean that in an endearing way) ... I am only relatively young, so not exactly choosing buying a camera over putting food on the table/buying presents for kids! =)

[FotoPhreak]

And to the rest of you.

I went away last night, probably day to all of you, thinking about my Christmas dilemma, and actually came to the same conclusion which most of you provided ... which is reassuring as many of you will know by now I am one of the worlds greatest procrastinators!

Hopefully ordering camera today, getting early next week, shooting, reading, shooting, reading, shooting, bringing out Christmas day and getting some fantastic memories.

Now I just need to go and find some other Chrissie presents for myself for family to give so I can have my surprise and a take photos with an awesome camera ... Christmas day will be heaven on earth (a kind of funny religious thought if you think about it)

[iwatkins]

At this rate, you won't have a camera or lens in time for Christmas. :)

Just go and order a camera and lens(es) now and get using it. I wouldn't worry about it being Christmas or not, it is only a story after all. :p

The last thing you want once you get a new camera is to be sitting there doing family stuff when all you want to do is take photos of rulers and such like.

I would go and buy a camera and lens now and start using it. But also buy all the accessories you will need and wrap them up so you will at least have something you can open on Xmas morning with lots of fake gasps of glee.

Xmas ? Bah humbug.

Winter Solstice Cheers

Ian

[timnelsonic]

I had the same dilemma and struggled for weeks. Here's how I solved it: last Friday I went to Best Buy with my 10% off coupon and picked up a D Rebel. Been shooting pix ever since and haven't looked back. No regrets...for the price, this camera rocks. (BTW, I used your rationalization -- I "needed" a better camera to shoot pix on Christmas eve, etc.)

I told my wife not to buy me anything, but hopefully she'll get me a new shirt or something so I have SOMETHING to open on Christmas morning!

Buy it now...you'll get over your misgivings about 10 seconds after you start shooting!