Not getting on with my camera

[stevieb]

I have had a 350D for around 18 month now and have recently (6 months) been experimenting with the various Manual Settings.. A, S and full manual.

My success rate for a good photo is around 1 in 500..

But i have found the camera fiddly as it small to change things quickly when taking a photo.

My problems is probably down to the lens only have a kit lense! but i have borrowed 2 camera from friends over the past 2 weekends. a Nikon D300, and a Canon 40D. To be honest i had a greater success rate and more photos in focus on the subject rather than something just behind. But the camera i did prefer was the Nikon.. Everything just seems a lot easier to get to either when taking the photo, and going thorugh the menus.

2 Questions though

New lenses for a Canon 350D or new camera a higher standard Kit lens.. My budget is £900 but will not stretch to a Nikon D300.

[stigmundfreud]

a lens makes no difference to using manual settings, what ever gave you the idea it is your lens that is effecting your success rate - its you.

Why, out of itnerest, would you use M mode at all unless you need to completely override the shutter and aperture (as in controlled flash lighting shots or where you are wanting a specific under/over exposure in which case use the AV bias)

S mode? I've owned canons and the 350d and never recall the S mode unless its in the creative (automatic) zones. You sure you are not on about Av (aperture) Tv (shutter) or M (manual)?

What exactly is the issue with the shots when you go out of the automatic zone as I guarantee it isnt camera related!

Increase your budget to 9000 quid and include a course on photography or read the manual and learn the manual modes and how they work. You can throw as much money as you have got and unless you understand the tool in your hand you could still end up with upsetting results.

You prefer the d300 over the 350d? WOW really? Amazing, considering the d300's physical size.

Either you are serious or trolling

Edited by stigmundfreud on Monday 2nd June 09:31

[GetCarter]

I've never touched a 350d - or a D300, but surely they are in a differnt league? The D300 is about 3 times the price and has the same sensor as the D2X. All the reviews I've read on the D300 say it's astonishingly good for the price.

And I don't want to start a Nikon / Canon thing !! (I use Nikon but have been recommending Canon for much of the past 3 years).

[Steve Evil]

I have a 350d myself and I'm firmly stuck in the enthusiastic amatuer camp, I've spent more money than I should (considering my level of ability) on lenses so far, but I have plenty of shots with the kit lens that I'm more than happy with.

I bought a couple of guides (magic lantern and similar) specific to the camera, but these didn't really expand much on the manual that came with the camera, I also bought 'Understanding Exposure' after loads of recommendations on here and found it both engaging to read and inspiring in that it made me want to try out the techniques he had laid out.

I've a long way to go with my photography, but I know it's me that is the thing preventing me from getting perfect results, rather than the camera.

[stevieb]

stigmundfreud said:

a lens makes no difference to using manual settings, what ever gave you the idea it is your lens that is effecting your success rate - its you.

Why, out of itnerest, would you use M mode at all unless you need to completely override the shutter and aperture (as in controlled flash lighting shots or where you are wanting a specific under/over exposure in which case use the AV bias)

S mode? I've owned canons and the 350d and never recall the S mode unless its in the creative (automatic) zones. You sure you are not on about Av (aperture) Tv (shutter) or M (manual)?

What exactly is the issue with the shots when you go out of the automatic zone as I guarantee it isnt camera related!

Edited by stigmundfreud on Monday 2nd June 09:31

A- Mode Apature Priority

S - Shutter Priority.. I can not remember what the dial calls them..

But i have used M Mode when i have looked at the X-if info from a photo and have tried to use the same settings in a similar situation.

stigmundfreud said:

Increase your budget to 9000 quid and include a course on photography or read the manual and learn the manual modes and how they work. You can throw as much money as you have got and unless you understand the tool in your hand you could still end up with upsetting results.

You prefer the d300 over the 350d? WOW really? Amazing, considering the d300's physical size.

Either you are serious or trolling

My Problem with the 350D is the size.. Its just not bigenough and using some of the features is now getting to be a pain as i am wanting to experiement more.

But Needless to say i have been thinking of posting on here for a while, but after seeing responses like your on other threads i wish i didnt bother

[Simpo Two]

I think Stigmund was a bit rough with you but his main points were valid. I'm going to ask you a question that may appear rude but is entirely practical - would you be better off, and have more success with, a compact? What photography are you trying to do?

[stevieb]

GetCarter said:

I've never touched a 350d - or a D300, but surely they are in a differnt league? The D300 is about 3 times the price and has the same sensor as the D2X. All the reviews I've read on the D300 say it's astonishingly good for the price.

And I don't want to start a Nikon / Canon thing !! (I use Nikon but have been recommending Canon for much of the past 3 years).

I have been toying with buying a new lense, but before i do i need to make sure i have got the right camera body. I am not getting into the nikon canon debate.

But does anyone else find the Canon 350 small and fiddly to use. Or is it just me? Previously i had a Minolta Dynax 8000i (second hand) and didnt have a problem with thumb and fingure space.

[stigmundfreud]

MY replies on other threads in here?

Look I just gave you some good quality advice which is to learn how to use the modes rather than getting upset with the results on your camera thinking an upgrade will help. The size difference does make a lot of difference to the ergonomics but it doesnt effect how the mode works.

Here is where I am coming from your original post:

stevieb said:

I have had a 350D for around 18 month now and have recently (6 months) been experimenting with the various Manual Settings.. A, S and full manual.

Good! Experimentation is what its about but when you are experimenting do you know what you are experimenting with because....

stevieb said:

My success rate for a good photo is around 1 in 500..

would suggest not.

stevieb said:

But i have found the camera fiddly as it small to change things quickly when taking a photo.

That is only an issue if using the full manual mode and you are needing to change things quickly which if thats the case you are in the wrong mode which takes me back to the previous point.

stevieb said:

My problems is probably down to the lens only have a kit lense!

What leads you to believe this point? Why do you believe its probably down to the lens, the statement alone would suggest it is down to your knowledge.

stevieb said:

but i have borrowed 2 camera from friends over the past 2 weekends. a Nikon D300, and a Canon 40D. To be honest i had a greater success rate and more photos in focus on the subject rather than something just behind.

Makes no sense to me. You are suggesting that on the d300 and 40d you get focus on the object but on the 350d its more on the background? Again if its a focusing issue I would firmly put this at user error not the camera. The 350d was a seminal entry dslr and lasted for so long with out any upgrades for a reason. In fact the 400d wasnt even an upgrade to it.

You might be refering more to the depth of field which can be effected by more than one thing.

stevieb said:

But the camera i did prefer was the Nikon.. Everything just seems a lot easier to get to either when taking the photo, and going thorugh the menus.

thats what you get for 5 years technological advancement and a larger body. I completely understand how you feel about this having both a large 5d body and the now seemingly tiny 350d body.

stevieb said:

2 Questions though

New lenses for a Canon 350D or new camera a higher standard Kit lens.. My budget is £900 but will not stretch to a Nikon D300.

You've got a tough choice. If you ditch your 350d and go for a nikkon body you will not get the feel of the d300 that you have experienced. You might get a larger body but more than likely it would be similar in size to your 350d.

IF you only have the 18-55 kit lens then its worth trying a good budget replacement lense that will cover a longer range. Sigma do a cracking lens for 100 notes which is a 24-135 lens that would be what I would try but you would then be going down the canon route in lenses so that will limit you to their bodies in the future.

I'm sorry for my kurt initial response but you were about to go out and blow money in the wrong direction (learnt from my own experience).

[stevieb]

Simpo Two said:

I think Stigmund was a bit rough with you but his main points were valid. I'm going to ask you a question that may appear rude but is entirely practical - would you be better off, and have more success with, a compact? What photography are you trying to do?

I have got a compact. But i am starting to take more photos at airshows and also of the military training near where i live. so a compact does not provide me with the zoom i need.

But i am also doing some astrophotography so a D-SLR is easier to mount to my telescope.

[Steve Evil]

I'm not a small bloke and my hands aren't particularly girlish, but the 350d feels fine to me, I usually end up holding it with my little finger curled underneath, but a battery grip would solve this issue completely.

I bought a Sigma 70-300 DG APO lens as my second lens as I found the kit lens lacking when I was panning at a track day, I've yet to try it out properly with any panning, but it would certainly give you the extra range needed for air shows. I got it for about £130.

[GetCarter]

stevieb said:

But does anyone else find the Canon 350 small and fiddly to use. Or is it just me? Previously i had a Minolta Dynax 8000i (second hand) and didnt have a problem with thumb and fingure space.

I use a D2x (big bugger) but have also used a D40 - which has the same fiddly size... but it's not the size that's the main problem between big and small cameras, it's that on my large camera I have all the contolls under my fingers... physical buttons and dials, and I virtually never have to go into menus to adjust anything.

[Simpo Two]

stevieb said:

Simpo Two said:

I think Stigmund was a bit rough with you but his main points were valid. I'm going to ask you a question that may appear rude but is entirely practical - would you be better off, and have more success with, a compact? What photography are you trying to do?

I have got a compact. But i am starting to take more photos at airshows and also of the military training near where i live. so a compact does not provide me with the zoom i need.

But i am also doing some astrophotography so a D-SLR is easier to mount to my telescope.

Fair enough. I know nothing about astrophotography but airshows are certainly demanding on focus and exposure - usually a dark plane against a bright sky. If your plane-in-flight shots are out of focus it may be that the camera can't track focus well enough, or you're using the wrong focus point, or it may be set to (if the 350D has it) shutter priority release as opposed to focus priority release, and/or your planes are coming out as silhouettes because the meter is being fooled by the bright sky behind. In short, you know what you want, but the camera isn't telepathic - you have to anticipate these problems and tell it what you want. Feature-wise, lack of spot metering may be an issue here. But I'm sure it's possible to get good airshow photos from a 350D, you just have to ride it harder.

ETA: Kit-wise, the next logical step could be a 70-300.

Edited by Simpo Two on Monday 2nd June 10:39

[stigmundfreud]

I shot at fairford a good few years back on a 350d and the 70-300mm canon USM mk2 and had no problems witht he focus or speed. We're having a nice email conversation just to prove I'm not too kurt!

As Mr Carter has said the ergonomics of the larger bodies are fantastic and much less fiddly but thats the nature of having a larger body

[stigmundfreud]

Simpo Two said:

ETA: Kit-wise, the next logical step could be a 70-300.

Edited by Simpo Two on Monday 2nd June 10:39

Now the new version is out the older ones are very cheap, but even 150 for the new one isnt end of the earth, in fact its a ferkin bargain.

http://www.warehouseexpress.com/product/default.as...

(with cash back too I think but might be wrong) or for an extra 200 notes they do the IS version http://www.warehouseexpress.com/product/default.as...

I'd probably look at the IS version tbh as if and when you want to use it the extra stops it permits is a bonus. Those are new prices you can get bargains on ebay

[stevieb]

stigmundfreud said:

I shot at fairford a good few years back on a 350d and the 70-300mm canon USM mk2 and had no problems witht he focus or speed. We're having a nice email conversation just to prove I'm not too kurt!

As Mr Carter has said the ergonomics of the larger bodies are fantastic and much less fiddly but thats the nature of having a larger body

I will dig out a couple of photos this evening and post them up. But i think i have a couple of good attempts at photographing birds of prey.

[chris.mapey]

I'm going to wade in and say before you ditch the 350d, have a look at the autofocus settings.

When I started with my D70 and left the camera in Auto, the camera would choose the focus point for itself.

I soon disabled this, as I often found it focussing on things that were not the subject of the shot

I'd have a look in to the menu of the 350d and set up a way of leaving the focus point as the one in the centre of the frame. If you want to focus on something near the edge of the shot, then aim at that, half press the button to focus, and then with the button down reframe the shot.

I'd also (as mentioned before) stay away from manual mode - use Aperture priority (choose the depth of field) or Shutter priority (to freeze motion)

With those onboard, have another go and see what your hit rate improves to.

Also, if you are looking at shooting planes at airshows, then get the Sigma 70-300. If you use the kit lens and crop the shot to see the plane, it will look really jagged as you are reducing the number of pixels used in the image - ie cropping down from 6MP to less than 1MP to fill the frame.

To sum up:

Check the setup of the camera
Get a cheap "long" (70-300) lens.
Improve your hitrate BEFORE buying a new camera (or else you'll blame that & feel you have wasted a chunk of money)

HTH

Chris

[J111]

It's about a year since I used a 350d, but doesn't it have selectable focussing areas ? If you're framing based on the centre of the viewfinder being sharp, but the camera's focussing on the top of image (below):

you'd always be focussed beyond the subject, as you describe.

Might be worth checking that you're not in a peculiar mode, before doing anything else.

(this explanation not brought to you by the Clear English Campaign )

ETA: As Chris said

Edited by J111 on Monday 2nd June 11:09

[stigmundfreud]

Chris already mentioned the af point in email as thats what it sounds like to me too easy mistake to make same as well you know putting the bias -2ev on the flash and wondering wtf nothings lit as you want. OR the other one of setting the iso speed a at 1600 then doing manual readings at 100 shooting away and wondering wtf everything is bright white

[ofcorsa]

I love my 350D

Ive been shooting in Tv and Av modes. I think my hit rate is around 20% of usuable photos, which i find acceptable as im still learning.

The top right of the back of the camera is a button you hold down to select AF points.

My hands arnt huge but i do feel comfortable, As far as lenses go, i bought the 50mm 1.8 which i love and now i really cant like the 18-55mm kit lense, F5.6 seems very limiting so im saving pennies for suitable zoom.

[stigmundfreud]

The kit lens is good, just because its free dont make it crap