Got my 10D! What do I do now?

[Cadenza]

After weeks of keeping up with this forum, I
gathered all the precious knowledge imparted
by all of you (thanks!) and finally done it: got
meself my first DSLR. I was leaning heavily
towards the 300D, but an opportunity to buy
an used 10D from someone who upgraded to
a MkII appeared, so I went for it. (I'll be eating
lots of Ramen for the next few months.)

So it is here now! It looks like it is in pretty good
condition, and paid $1425 for it. Did I do good?
Now, what happened to the little movie mode??? :?

It came with a 50mm 1.8; a UV haze and a polarizer,
the battery grip, extra battery; a 1GB Microdrive
and a neoprene soft case, so I'm ready to go. I
already own a 420EX.

Now, of course, I need to get some lenses. This is the
set I decided that I'll be assembling, I think I'll
be getting these one at a time, each two or three
months apart:

17-40 f4L
85 1.8
70-200 f4L

I like shooting people and travel photography, so
I think this will keep me happy for a while, without
straining my spine too much.

My question is, what are the best settings for hassle
free out of the camera images, requiring the least
amount of post-processing? I know about filters and
layers and actions in PS and eventually I'll get into the
nitty-gritty of it all. But this week, I just want to shoot
away without getting too much into image processing
issues, while I'm honeymooning the camera!

Cheers, cadenza

[Andy_T]

Congrats, Cadenza.

Looks like you made a good deal, considering all the stuff you got.

From your post I gather that you've dutifully read up on the forum and already know what you'll get next. Great! :lol:

Now ... this might not be a lot of help to you ... but I'd suggest that you take a lot of pictures and see how they turn out.

However, a DSLR will most likely always require *some* kind of post-processing to give you great shots, so I wouldn't completely rule out that possiblity from the beginning.

Me, I'd shoot in RAW and try to set up a workflow that does the most important things for you (e.g. USM to your preferences) and then compare how these pictures look as opposed to JPG straight out of the camera.

Best regards,
Andy

[JZaun]

Congratulations on the new camera, Cadenza. It looks like a OK buy with all the extras!! Wow you are gonna have fun.

Almost all photos will need some post processing Raw and Jpeg. You can adjust jpeg in camera to some degree. I tried both ways Raw and Jpeg and for me the best solution was Jpeg. This was for 2 reasons. 1. It is faster to post process with the canon included software (I didn't want to spend $$ for additional software) and #2 I don't have the skill level in PS to do any better post processing Raw than Jpeg....

YOU need to try both ways!!!! see which is best for you.

Have fun

JZ

[defordphoto]

Well, if you want hassle-free images then JPEG is the way to go, but when you shoot RAW, you also get an imbedded JPEG. You can select the size and quality of JPEG.

There's advantages to both methods and people have argued this subject silly, but only you can decide what's best for you. Try both and see what you get. Most people shoot RAW for keeper shots and JPEGfor just-for-fun shots. However, the JPEGs (Large-Fine) that come out of the 10D are outstanding. RAW gives you much more latitude for post processing if there's been an exposure error, or for very large enlargments.

Either way have fun. Great lens choices there too. Congratulations!!

[jim monroe]

Congratulations.
Now the fun begins. I got my 10D about a year ago, totally new to digital and photography to some extent in general, and have learned a lot from this forum. But no amount of reading the forum makes up for your direct experiences, so go out and experiment. For me, the real beauty of digital is that it costs nothing once you paid for the equipment to take tons of pictures. So try both jpeg and raw, etc. as suggested above and see what you like.

[robertwgross]

The first thing to do is to read the manual, cover to cover. Then go out and shoot a few dozen images. Review those on the computer, and then re-read the manual to figure out what you did wrong. After a few iterations of that, you'll get it.

---Bob Gross---

[Mark Kemp]

What do I do now?

erm... try taking photographs :lol:

[CyberDyneSystems]

Yep,..

Just go out and PLAY!

Your lens list looks perfect .. so don't sweat any of that.. just go shoot!

[Laziferous]

Simialr to what RFMsports posted, I recommend you shoot RAW + Large Superfine .JPG. You can use the embedded .JPG's for immediate satisfaction, and should you take a "wall hanger" shot, you've got the RAW file for ultimate flexibility. These will be large files, but with a 1GB microdrive, I don't think you'll have a problem with space... unless you're shooting sports/wildlife. I shoot RAW + Medium Superfine .JPG. I use the embedded .JPG's for web display, and the RAW files for prints. Works out well for me. You'll have to try both file formats out for yourself, and has been suggested, and see what works best for you.

Now get out, and go have some fun! Congratulations!

[Ballen Photo]

Congratulations Cadenza, I wont go into the Raw vs. jpg, as I tend to shoot both, depending on the subject.
Your wish list of lenses sounds very realistic and covers the most used ranges.
Have fun, and shoot a lot. :D
.........Bruce