So I've done it first real camera

[Lee_sec]

OK so after lots of deliberation reading reviews and trying to work out what I want I've bit the bullet and scored myself a good deal on the Amazon Prime Day deals for my first mirrorless camera...

I've gone for an Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV Micro Four Thirds System Camera Kit, 20 MP sensor, incl. M.Zuiko Digital ED 14‑42mm F3.5‑5.6 EZ Pancake lens

and

OM SYSTEM M.Zuiko Digital ED 40-150mm F4-5.6 lens, telephoto zoom

this gets great reviews from what i've seen and given my ultimate goal is continuing my underwater photography this has great options for housings to enable that...

any tips for a newbie getting started? Good intro guides to get my head around this next level of photography? Everything i've done so far has been phone based

[Derek Smith]

Excellent camera, although, to be fair, there are few rubbish ones about if you stick with the established makers.

What type of photography do you do? I know you said underwater, but that's quite a range.

I know nothing about underwater, but there's a fair bit of how to on YouTube and lots of images and footage, plus FB. Best of luck with your hobby. Don't forget to post images on here.

[StevieBee]

Just get out there and shoot stuff!

Be self critical.

Learn the rules of composition (rule of thirds, etc).

You want to become 'one' with the camera. 90% of the setting options you'll never use so figure out the 10% you will and make these intuitive. That's only achieved through repetition.

Be creative - shoot common things in a way that people don't normally see.

Have fun and post some of your stuff here.

[gangzoom]

Lee_sec said:

any tips for a newbie getting started? Good intro guides to get my head around this next level of photography? Everything i've done so far has been phone based

I cannot remember the last time I got out my OMD. The reality is providing you take into account composure and lighting, I think I can get a better picture out of my phone than my OMD.

[Derek Smith]

gangzoom said:

Lee_sec said:

any tips for a newbie getting started? Good intro guides to get my head around this next level of photography? Everything i've done so far has been phone based

I cannot remember the last time I got out my OMD. The reality is providing you take into account composure and lighting, I think I can get a better picture out of my phone than my OMD.

That's helpful.

StevieBee said:

Just get out there and shoot stuff!

Be self critical.

Learn the rules of composition (rule of thirds, etc).

You want to become 'one' with the camera. 90% of the setting options you'll never use so figure out the 10% you will and make these intuitive. That's only achieved through repetition.

Be creative - shoot common things in a way that people don't normally see.

Have fun and post some of your stuff here.

I'd reinforce the 'be self critical' suggestion. Photograph for yourself. Seek criticism, but be prepared to ignore it. Treat the 'rules' of composition as mere suggestions, half-hearted ones at that. If someone mentioned Stravinsky, the image that comes to mind contravenes just about every 'rule'. What you like is what you want.

As the man says; get out there, press the shutter, have fun.

[CooperD]

A good choice. I had an OM-10 for a few years but I upgraded last year to the OM-5. I have used Olympus cameras since the 1980's when I was given an original OM-10 for my 17th Birthday. The choice of lenses is very good too.

[Simpo Two]

Lee_sec said:

Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV Micro Four Thirds System Camera Kit, 20 MP sensor, incl. M.Zuiko Digital ED 14?42mm F3.5?5.6 EZ Pancake lens and OM SYSTEM M.Zuiko Digital ED 40-150mm F4-5.6 lens, telephoto zoom

any tips for a newbie getting started? Good intro guides to get my head around this next level of photography? Everything i've done so far has been phone based

A lot to learn and understand.

You can just snap away and you'll probably get some decent results, but you won't know how you did it. You'll get much further if you understand some or all of what's going on.

Try to ignore the marketing waffle and features you don't really need (try to read the manual because although much of it will be taken up with things you may never need, it will tell you where the things you do need are) and concentrate on the basics of recording an image the way you want it. Many things interact to achieve this. Exposure (aperture/shutter speed) - you can get the same exposure but results can look very different depending how you set them. Composition - framing/focal length/position. Depth of field (see aperture).

Like driving a car, you learn what the pedals do and how to steer it. Then you can drive, and learn the lesser things as you go along

[bcr5784]

Simpo Two said:

Lee_sec said:

Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV Micro Four Thirds System Camera Kit, 20 MP sensor, incl. M.Zuiko Digital ED 14?42mm F3.5?5.6 EZ Pancake lens and OM SYSTEM M.Zuiko Digital ED 40-150mm F4-5.6 lens, telephoto zoom

any tips for a newbie getting started? Good intro guides to get my head around this next level of photography? Everything i've done so far has been phone based

A lot to learn and understand.

You can just snap away and you'll probably get some decent results, but you won't know how you did it. You'll get much further if you understand some or all of what's going on.

Try to ignore the marketing waffle and features you don't really need (try to read the manual because although much of it will be taken up with things you may never need, it will tell you where the things you do need are) and concentrate on the basics of recording an image the way you want it. Many things interact to achieve this. Exposure (aperture/shutter speed) - you can get the same exposure but results can look very different depending how you set them. Composition - framing/focal length/position. Depth of field (see aperture).

Like driving a car, you learn what the pedals do and how to steer it. Then you can drive, and learn the lesser things as you go along

Some sound advice. You will probably find the myiad of options to configure buttons and menu screens initially mind-blowing. Best not to bother initially. HOWEVER, once you home in on the facilities you use most often, you can make your life much easier by working on the best configuration for you. I stick a label behind the screen to remind me of how things are configured. I also photograph my settings so that if I ever have the camera repaired or I have to do a reset, I can quickly restore my settings.

[Russet Grange]

Back button focus and shooting RAW.

Trust me.

[petrolsniffer]

I've also just bought an EM5 Mk IV under 1000 Actuations from japan

Can't decide on a lens though that pancake is suppose to have issues with the AF motor dying but maybe i'll just get it off MPB they offer a years warranty as standard.

As for advice etc follow a guy called robin wong on youtube https://www.youtube.com/@robinwong

Hes an offical olympus brand ambassador,Lots of great tips on OMD cameras and lens reviews.

[craig1912]

Russet Grange said:

Back button focus and shooting RAW.

Trust me.

He’s a newbie, give him chance to get to know the camera first. Olympus jpegs are pretty good straight out of the camera and BBF doesn’t suit everyone (I tried but could never get used to it and isn’t needed for many types of photography).

[S47]

lee_sec
Just do your own thing with it - don't let all the know SFA's put you offf - photography is an art, all the clubs are basically a bunch of old farts with a loudmouthed know it all guiding everyone else. Your camera is modern and will enable you take pics like you see online or in mags, you as the operator decides the results. enjoy it

[Simpo Two]

S47 said:

lee_sec
Just do your own thing with it - don't let all the know SFA's put you offf - photography is an art, all the clubs are basically a bunch of old farts with a loudmouthed know it all guiding everyone else. Your camera is modern and will enable you take pics like you see online or in mags, you as the operator decides the results. enjoy it

The OP seems to have gone, so it's a pity he'll never know how close he was to getting the cover of Vogue.

[Lee_sec]

Not gone fear not! Just work shifts and have been trying to start taking some of the advice here and taking pictures and trying to figure out the HUGE number of settings to get my head around! Thank you for the useful(?) advice and comments above - this is a whole new world to immerse myself in and one I need to put the time in to learn how to make the most out of the equipment i've got.

Here's a few early attempts - I'm not sure i'm quite ready for the cover of vogue just yet but ya never know - one day...

[petrolsniffer]

Some nice shots there I like the last one

I finally got a lens for .mine only a kit lens but hoping to get out there this weekend

https://youtu.be/7v7m9coZTrY?si=bWDPEJfxCTffh2Ic


I watched this about 3 times last night setting mine up helped me alot I'm no stranger to photography I used to have dSLRs and film.etc years ago but stopped all the settings are crazy

[Simpo Two]

Lee_sec said:

Here's a few early attempts - I'm not sure i'm quite ready for the cover of vogue just yet but ya never know - one day...

That was aimed at the comment 'Your camera is modern and will enable you take pics like you see online or in mags'.

I can see you like architecture, and experimenting with monochrome - which is a rich hunting ground for good images.

An important step in improving is to be able to look at your own work with a critical eye and think 'Is that exactly what I wanted to achieve? If not what could have I done better? And how would I do that - by adjusting the camera, or my technique/position, or in processing?'.

The closest to a keeper IMHO is the fifth one down in contrasty b/w. So here's a test for you - I find two simple things wrong with it - can you see what they are?

[bcr5784]

petrolsniffer said:

I watched this about 3 times last night setting mine up helped me alot I'm no stranger to photography I used to have dSLRs and film.etc years ago but stopped all the settings are crazy

I do think the vast array of options is likely to put off users moving from phones. Many phones don't allow users to set even basic things like shutter speed, aperture and iso. So the transition to a camera with a myridad of options can be everwhelming. The online manual for one of my cameras runs to nearly 1000 pages! Even the manuals for entry level models in the same series are not much shorter. Some software allows users to limit the options - with beginner, standard or advanced menu sets. I can't think of a camera which takes a similar approach with the in camera menus - but it would be a good idea if they did.

[Simpo Two]

bcr5784 said:

I do think the vast array of options is likely to put off users moving from phones. Many phones don't allow users to set even basic things like shutter speed, aperture and iso. So the transition to a camera with a myridad of options can be everwhelming. The online manual for one of my cameras runs to nearly 1000 pages! Even the manuals for entry level models in the same series are not much shorter. Some software allows users to limit the options - with beginner, standard or advanced menu sets. I can't think of a camera which takes a similar approach with the in camera menus - but it would be a good idea if they did.

The problem with the manual - which I do recommend everybody tries to read - is that it tells you what everything is, but not when to use it or why. Same way a car handbook tells you what the pedals are but not how to drive.

The risk of having a 'beginner' option is that marketing people invariably lapse into 'modes' - like portrait mode, night mode, pet mode, sports mode - but you don't know what they're doing to the settings so you haven't learned anything...

[bcr5784]

Simpo Two said:

The problem with the manual - which I do recommend everybody tries to read - is that it tells you what everything is, but not when to use it or why. Same way a car handbook tells you what the pedals are but not how to drive.

The risk of having a 'beginner' option is that marketing people invariably lapse into 'modes' - like portrait mode, night mode, pet mode, sports mode - but you don't know what they're doing to the settings so you haven't learned anything...

But "modes" are what phones often do - and cameras shouldn't. To give you an example, my camera can do 2 types of RAw files and 4 types (sizes) of jpegs in any combination. It has umpteen ways of optimising focus tracking. And so on. Those options (and many more) could be missing from the menus in "basic" mode.