Hi. I am just starting to take photography a little bit more seriously.
I have just bought a Nikon D5300 with an all-purpose 18-300 lens to get me started.
I am hoping to go the Wales on the 29th September and would appreciate some guidance as what to take with me or rather what additional accessories to buy without breaking the bank so to speak. Good quality middle of the range items and ideally the best place to buy them?
There is also the issue of clothing as the weather may change at short notice?
Also is there any space with someone to share a car to get there and back. Happy to cover costs?
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Help for Newby
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Paul Heester
- Posts: 622
- Joined: Fri 18 Jan 2013, 13:16
Re: Help for Newby
Hi Mata
Thanks for posting.
I will start with accessories. Firstly, you need a tripod as its the best accessory you can have (not sure if you already have one). You may think its not required on a bright sunny day (if we got those in Wales
) but it has the benefit of slowing down your photography and thinking more about the scene in front of you and what to include/exclude. A set of netral-density graduated filters would help with landscape photography. These are placed over the lens (via a special holder) and reduce the brightness of the sky, which in turn manages to retain more detail in the sky. As far as the trip to Wales these would be the main accessories to take along. I bought my tripod from http://www.parkcameras.com/ which has a shop in Burgess Hill and central London. Its better to buy a tripod in person so you can test it out and see if it suits your needs. For the filters you can visit http://www.wexphotographic.com/ to see what is available and general internet searching will explain alot more.
For the clothing, as long as you have a good waterproof jacket and walking boots you are most of the way there. Having a few layers of clothing which you can add/remove will cover the weather changes.
Im not sure whether I will be driving myself yet but I suspect who is driving with who will be covered in the weekly meetings upto the event.
Any more questions, throw them out there!
Thanks for posting.
I will start with accessories. Firstly, you need a tripod as its the best accessory you can have (not sure if you already have one). You may think its not required on a bright sunny day (if we got those in Wales
) but it has the benefit of slowing down your photography and thinking more about the scene in front of you and what to include/exclude. A set of netral-density graduated filters would help with landscape photography. These are placed over the lens (via a special holder) and reduce the brightness of the sky, which in turn manages to retain more detail in the sky. As far as the trip to Wales these would be the main accessories to take along. I bought my tripod from http://www.parkcameras.com/ which has a shop in Burgess Hill and central London. Its better to buy a tripod in person so you can test it out and see if it suits your needs. For the filters you can visit http://www.wexphotographic.com/ to see what is available and general internet searching will explain alot more.For the clothing, as long as you have a good waterproof jacket and walking boots you are most of the way there. Having a few layers of clothing which you can add/remove will cover the weather changes.
Im not sure whether I will be driving myself yet but I suspect who is driving with who will be covered in the weekly meetings upto the event.
Any more questions, throw them out there!
-
Mike Farley
- Posts: 7316
- Joined: Tue 11 Sep 2012, 16:38
- Contact:
Re: Help for Newby
Hi
I covered a lot of this ground during my presentation on Chairman's evening about my recent Dartmoor trip, so I'll repeat here the relevant parts of what I said then and expand on Paul's response.
Firstly, the lens you have should cover just about any situation we are likely to encounter. There will have been a number of compromises made in its design to cover the extreme range of focal lengths. I have not checked the reviews, but I would expect pincushion distortion at the wide end and barrelling at the other, which is typical of this type of lens. If you shoot in Raw and process the results in an application such as Lightroom which allows correction of distortions, you can overcome some of the issues. Landscape photography usually involves shooting stopped down, so you do not need to worry about purchasing something better optimised for use at wider apertures.
Tripod
The Manfrotto 190 series is popular and usually receives good reviews. The head is sold separately, with ball heads being the cheapest. Much will depend on how much weight you want to carry around, but more pounds will mean less pounds.
Graduated ND, ND and polarising filters
The best ones are made by Lee, but are expensive and require a holder and filter ring to attach them to the lens.
Graduated filters reduce the difference between the brightest and darkest areas of a scene, which can be the cause of blown highlights or underexposed shadows. If you want to keep costs to a minimum, I would recommend 0.9 hard and 0.6 soft graduated filters as being the most useful. An alternative approach is to make two or more exposures, each one biased towards just a part of the light levels in the scene, and combine them in post capture. This can be done manually using layers in Photoshop, but HDR software would also work.
There is more here about the most common brands.
http://www.digitalcameraworld.com/2013/ ... and-rated/
Neutral density filters are used to slow exposures and will be useful if we end up shooting moving water or you want to blur the movement of clouds in the sky for a dramatic effect. The more extreme ones, such as the Lee Big Stopper, introduce colour casts which might need correction in post processing.
A polarising filter can reduce reflections and glare, and enrich colours in foliage. They come in two types, but you will need a circularising one for compatibility with your camera's AF. Unfortunately they are not cheap and if you buy one to go with a filter system you will need it be be 105 mm diameter. These days, Photoshop has eliminated the need for most kinds of filters, but a polarising filter is the only one where the effect cannot be reproduced digitally.
Remote Release
Useful for triggering the shutter when the camera is on a tripod without introducing movement. As an alternative you can also use the two second delay, which is what I was doing most of the time on Dartmoor when I could not be bothered to get my release out of the bag and attach it to the camera. Nikon's own release will be expensive, but cheaper third party options work just as well. Don't forget to enable mirror up to eliminate a source of vibration and turn off IS on the lens as older IS systems cannot detect when the camera is mounted on a tripod.
Backpack
Better than a shoulder bag as it leaves your hands free when walking around the countryside. Some form of weather proofing is advisable.
Plastic Bags
Useful for putting wet gear in and placing over the camera if it rains while shooting.
Sturdy, waterproof boots
Long walking trousers and long socks
Ticks infected with Lyme disease might be present on foliage, although they are not prevalent in the Brecons. A couple of layers will help prevent them getting a hold.
Walking poles
Optional. A tripod can also be used when traversing rough ground. I am not anticipating that we will be undertaking any major hikes to get to locations, but you never know.
Torch or headlamp
Useful if we stay out for a sunset and need to return to the cars in the dark. A headlamp is the better option as it will leave your hands free.
Water bottle
Walking can be thirsty work. Ideally your backpack will have an external pocket in which a bottle can be placed.
As Paul says, shopping for gear is best done in person and both Park Cameras stores should have all the photographic accessories you need. Blacks and Milletts are good places for outdoor clothing. Rohan is good quality and there is a selection of discounted items in the "Souk" section of its site if you are familiar with their sizing and are prepared to use mail order.
http://rohan.co.uk/mens-bargain-travel- ... n-the-souk
We will be car sharing to get to Wales, but the final details have not yet been sorted out.
As Paul says, let us know if you have any other questions. Any info posted here will be useful for others who are going to Wales.
I covered a lot of this ground during my presentation on Chairman's evening about my recent Dartmoor trip, so I'll repeat here the relevant parts of what I said then and expand on Paul's response.
Firstly, the lens you have should cover just about any situation we are likely to encounter. There will have been a number of compromises made in its design to cover the extreme range of focal lengths. I have not checked the reviews, but I would expect pincushion distortion at the wide end and barrelling at the other, which is typical of this type of lens. If you shoot in Raw and process the results in an application such as Lightroom which allows correction of distortions, you can overcome some of the issues. Landscape photography usually involves shooting stopped down, so you do not need to worry about purchasing something better optimised for use at wider apertures.
Tripod
The Manfrotto 190 series is popular and usually receives good reviews. The head is sold separately, with ball heads being the cheapest. Much will depend on how much weight you want to carry around, but more pounds will mean less pounds.
Graduated ND, ND and polarising filters
The best ones are made by Lee, but are expensive and require a holder and filter ring to attach them to the lens.
Graduated filters reduce the difference between the brightest and darkest areas of a scene, which can be the cause of blown highlights or underexposed shadows. If you want to keep costs to a minimum, I would recommend 0.9 hard and 0.6 soft graduated filters as being the most useful. An alternative approach is to make two or more exposures, each one biased towards just a part of the light levels in the scene, and combine them in post capture. This can be done manually using layers in Photoshop, but HDR software would also work.
There is more here about the most common brands.
http://www.digitalcameraworld.com/2013/ ... and-rated/
Neutral density filters are used to slow exposures and will be useful if we end up shooting moving water or you want to blur the movement of clouds in the sky for a dramatic effect. The more extreme ones, such as the Lee Big Stopper, introduce colour casts which might need correction in post processing.
A polarising filter can reduce reflections and glare, and enrich colours in foliage. They come in two types, but you will need a circularising one for compatibility with your camera's AF. Unfortunately they are not cheap and if you buy one to go with a filter system you will need it be be 105 mm diameter. These days, Photoshop has eliminated the need for most kinds of filters, but a polarising filter is the only one where the effect cannot be reproduced digitally.
Remote Release
Useful for triggering the shutter when the camera is on a tripod without introducing movement. As an alternative you can also use the two second delay, which is what I was doing most of the time on Dartmoor when I could not be bothered to get my release out of the bag and attach it to the camera. Nikon's own release will be expensive, but cheaper third party options work just as well. Don't forget to enable mirror up to eliminate a source of vibration and turn off IS on the lens as older IS systems cannot detect when the camera is mounted on a tripod.
Backpack
Better than a shoulder bag as it leaves your hands free when walking around the countryside. Some form of weather proofing is advisable.
Plastic Bags
Useful for putting wet gear in and placing over the camera if it rains while shooting.
Sturdy, waterproof boots
Long walking trousers and long socks
Ticks infected with Lyme disease might be present on foliage, although they are not prevalent in the Brecons. A couple of layers will help prevent them getting a hold.
Walking poles
Optional. A tripod can also be used when traversing rough ground. I am not anticipating that we will be undertaking any major hikes to get to locations, but you never know.
Torch or headlamp
Useful if we stay out for a sunset and need to return to the cars in the dark. A headlamp is the better option as it will leave your hands free.
Water bottle
Walking can be thirsty work. Ideally your backpack will have an external pocket in which a bottle can be placed.
As Paul says, shopping for gear is best done in person and both Park Cameras stores should have all the photographic accessories you need. Blacks and Milletts are good places for outdoor clothing. Rohan is good quality and there is a selection of discounted items in the "Souk" section of its site if you are familiar with their sizing and are prepared to use mail order.
http://rohan.co.uk/mens-bargain-travel- ... n-the-souk
We will be car sharing to get to Wales, but the final details have not yet been sorted out.
As Paul says, let us know if you have any other questions. Any info posted here will be useful for others who are going to Wales.
Re: Help for Newby
Many Thanks Paul/Mike.
There is a lot of information to take in. I have had a look at the 190 tripod with a 4 way head at Parks. The price is (£224 Inc. of head and carry case.) similar to the ones I have seen so far on the net.
This may seem a silly question? Is a polarizer and graduated filter the same thing??
I will have a look at the clothing over the next few day. Not something I have had to think about before.
Another question - Is there club discount organised with any suppliers of camera equipment/clothing?
I think I will pay Park cameras a visit next week and go through the whole list of items in one place. If there is anyone interested going please let me know? We can arrange a meeting place.
There is a lot of information to take in. I have had a look at the 190 tripod with a 4 way head at Parks. The price is (£224 Inc. of head and carry case.) similar to the ones I have seen so far on the net.
This may seem a silly question? Is a polarizer and graduated filter the same thing??
I will have a look at the clothing over the next few day. Not something I have had to think about before.
Another question - Is there club discount organised with any suppliers of camera equipment/clothing?
I think I will pay Park cameras a visit next week and go through the whole list of items in one place. If there is anyone interested going please let me know? We can arrange a meeting place.
-
Mike Farley
- Posts: 7316
- Joined: Tue 11 Sep 2012, 16:38
- Contact:
Re: Help for Newby
Answers to your various questions below.
Short answer, no. The longer explanation is that a graduated filter has two sections. The top half has a neutral density area which restricts the amount of light reaching the sensor, while the lower section is clear. In a scene which has both sky and shadow areas, the difference between the lightest and darkest areas might be too great to record, typically the lightest area being the sky. Placing the ND section against the sky restricts the amount of light reaching the sensor fom that area, reducing the risk of blown highlights, but without having to under expose the shadow areas. See this link for more info - http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tutori ... ilters.htm.
Light falling on the surface of a lens reaches it at all angles, but a polarising filter reduces that to a single direction. Since the filter can be rotated, it is possible to vary that angle and control the effect, with the result that glare and reflections are reduced or eliminated entirely, and hues become more saturated. As the amount of light reaching the sensor is reduced, there is a corresponding increase in the amount of exposure required, making it more likley that the camera will have to be on a tripod. There is more at this link - http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tutori ... ilters.htm.
The club does not have any such arrangement.
I am going to be at Park Cameras' London store next Friday AM as I am collecting a loan camera and returning it the following Monday PM. We can meet up there on one of those days if you wish.
Mata wrote:Is a polarizer and graduated filter the same thing??
Short answer, no. The longer explanation is that a graduated filter has two sections. The top half has a neutral density area which restricts the amount of light reaching the sensor, while the lower section is clear. In a scene which has both sky and shadow areas, the difference between the lightest and darkest areas might be too great to record, typically the lightest area being the sky. Placing the ND section against the sky restricts the amount of light reaching the sensor fom that area, reducing the risk of blown highlights, but without having to under expose the shadow areas. See this link for more info - http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tutori ... ilters.htm.
Light falling on the surface of a lens reaches it at all angles, but a polarising filter reduces that to a single direction. Since the filter can be rotated, it is possible to vary that angle and control the effect, with the result that glare and reflections are reduced or eliminated entirely, and hues become more saturated. As the amount of light reaching the sensor is reduced, there is a corresponding increase in the amount of exposure required, making it more likley that the camera will have to be on a tripod. There is more at this link - http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tutori ... ilters.htm.
Mata wrote:Another question - Is there club discount organised with any suppliers of camera equipment/clothing?
The club does not have any such arrangement.
Mata wrote:I think I will pay Park cameras a visit next week and go through the whole list of items in one place. If there is anyone interested going please let me know? We can arrange a meeting place.
I am going to be at Park Cameras' London store next Friday AM as I am collecting a loan camera and returning it the following Monday PM. We can meet up there on one of those days if you wish.
Re: Help for Newby
What camera are you loaning?
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Mike Farley
- Posts: 7316
- Joined: Tue 11 Sep 2012, 16:38
- Contact:
Re: Help for Newby
I am borrowing an Olympus E-M1 and 12-40 lens, using the extended test drive facility Olympus is currently offering in the UK.
viewtopic.php?f=2&t=1117&p=5405&hilit=olympus#p5405
viewtopic.php?f=2&t=1117&p=5405&hilit=olympus#p5405
Re: Help for Newby
So what you are saying is that you should have both in your kit bag. A Polarizer and a graduated filter!
I was planning to go this Monday (15th) but I can wait till Friday (19th).
What AM time on Friday are you planning to be there? I know Rathbone Place.
I was planning to go this Monday (15th) but I can wait till Friday (19th).
What AM time on Friday are you planning to be there? I know Rathbone Place.
-
Mike Farley
- Posts: 7316
- Joined: Tue 11 Sep 2012, 16:38
- Contact:
Re: Help for Newby
Mata wrote:So what you are saying is that you should have both in your kit bag. A Polarizer and a graduated filter!
You'll only need one polariser, but a set of ND grads of different strengths with both hard and soft gradations would be the better option.
At this link you will find a shot I took recently where I used a 0.6 soft grad filter to hold back the light areas at the top of the trees. A hard grad would not have worked as the transition from the ND to clear area on the filter is too sudden. viewtopic.php?f=6&t=1125.
A ND filter without any gradation would also be useful for long exposure effects.
Mata wrote:
What AM time on Friday are you planning to be there? I know Rathbone Place.
I am aiming to be on the 9:39 from Sanderstead, which will allow me get me to Park Cameras at around 10:30 or just afterwards.
Re: Help for Newby
Hi
Sorry Mike not able to do this Friday. I can confirm next Monday (22nd) if you are still going to Park Cameras.
Many thanks for the links to the Cambridge in Colour website.
This tutorial video on LEE Filters website makes understanding very simple. http://leefilters.com/index.php/camera- ... dation-kit
Sorry Mike not able to do this Friday. I can confirm next Monday (22nd) if you are still going to Park Cameras.
Many thanks for the links to the Cambridge in Colour website.
This tutorial video on LEE Filters website makes understanding very simple. http://leefilters.com/index.php/camera- ... dation-kit
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