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Nikon DSLR Cameras
D5100
What are the best imaging products, gadgets, software for D5100?
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<blockquote data-quote="Horoscope Fish" data-source="post: 138250" data-attributes="member: 13090"><p>Well first of all realize that good photography skills and great photos don't come from equipment, they come from learning good technique. If creating great photos was as easy as spending money the world would be awash in great photographs taken by dumbs--ts with $5,000 camera's they don't understand but, I think it's safe to say, neither is the case. The world is not awash in great photos and the ones that do exist were not taken by dumbs--ts with $5K cameras and little to no understanding of photography. </p><p></p><p>Personally I don't suggest you buy *any* piece of equipment until you can clearly explain why you need it: If you can't, you don't. Don't ask yourself, for example, "What lens do I need to get the shot that I want?" but instead ask yourself, "How do I get the shot I want with the lens I have?" One solution is easy, the other hard. One question leads to equipment acquisition the other leads to better photography. </p><p></p><p>If you can, take a class in photography, nothing beats structured assignments, professional guidance and group feedback. If you can't take a class, read some books. Learn about your camera first (read your manual) and then get something like David Busch's <a href="http://www.amazon.com/David-Buschs-Nikon-Digital-Photography/dp/1435460855/ref=sr_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1366112512&sr=1-4" target="_blank">D5100 Guide to Digital SLR Photography</a> or the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Nikon-D5100-Digital-Field-Guide/dp/0470633522/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1366112512&sr=1-3" target="_blank">D5100 Digital Field Guide</a>. A good book on composition is <a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Photographers-Eye-Composition-Digital/dp/0240809343/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1366112067&sr=8-2" target="_blank">The Photographers Eye</a>. </p><p></p><p>In short, throw your money at deepening your understanding and as you do, you'll acquire the equipment you need based on a better understanding of what you're trying to achieve and not the other way around.</p><p></p><p>If I had to rattle off one piece of essential equipment though, even for someone just getting started, I would have to suggest a decent tripod. Not that you need spend hundreds of dollars on one, but a tripod is just so essential in my opinion. It will allow you to really focus on framing your shot (a valuable skill in it's own right) and so many other things... So yeah. Deepen your understanding and get a good tripod geared for someone just starting out. This <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Vista-Explorer-60-Inch-Lightweight-Tripod/dp/B000V7AF8E/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1366113998&sr=8-1" target="_blank">Vista Explorer</a> tripod from Amazon is only $25 and has some pretty nice features. Something like this would serve you well for quite some time.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Horoscope Fish, post: 138250, member: 13090"] Well first of all realize that good photography skills and great photos don't come from equipment, they come from learning good technique. If creating great photos was as easy as spending money the world would be awash in great photographs taken by dumbs--ts with $5,000 camera's they don't understand but, I think it's safe to say, neither is the case. The world is not awash in great photos and the ones that do exist were not taken by dumbs--ts with $5K cameras and little to no understanding of photography. Personally I don't suggest you buy *any* piece of equipment until you can clearly explain why you need it: If you can't, you don't. Don't ask yourself, for example, "What lens do I need to get the shot that I want?" but instead ask yourself, "How do I get the shot I want with the lens I have?" One solution is easy, the other hard. One question leads to equipment acquisition the other leads to better photography. If you can, take a class in photography, nothing beats structured assignments, professional guidance and group feedback. If you can't take a class, read some books. Learn about your camera first (read your manual) and then get something like David Busch's [URL="http://www.amazon.com/David-Buschs-Nikon-Digital-Photography/dp/1435460855/ref=sr_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1366112512&sr=1-4"]D5100 Guide to Digital SLR Photography[/URL] or the [URL="http://www.amazon.com/Nikon-D5100-Digital-Field-Guide/dp/0470633522/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1366112512&sr=1-3"]D5100 Digital Field Guide[/URL]. A good book on composition is [URL="http://www.amazon.com/The-Photographers-Eye-Composition-Digital/dp/0240809343/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1366112067&sr=8-2"]The Photographers Eye[/URL]. In short, throw your money at deepening your understanding and as you do, you'll acquire the equipment you need based on a better understanding of what you're trying to achieve and not the other way around. If I had to rattle off one piece of essential equipment though, even for someone just getting started, I would have to suggest a decent tripod. Not that you need spend hundreds of dollars on one, but a tripod is just so essential in my opinion. It will allow you to really focus on framing your shot (a valuable skill in it's own right) and so many other things... So yeah. Deepen your understanding and get a good tripod geared for someone just starting out. This [URL="http://www.amazon.com/Vista-Explorer-60-Inch-Lightweight-Tripod/dp/B000V7AF8E/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1366113998&sr=8-1"]Vista Explorer[/URL] tripod from Amazon is only $25 and has some pretty nice features. Something like this would serve you well for quite some time. [/QUOTE]
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Nikon DSLR Cameras
D5100
What are the best imaging products, gadgets, software for D5100?
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