[swizzle]

Originally Posted by Naga Royal Guard

I will stick to my F1.8 and maybe one day ill try out the F1.2L, but its really the 16mm F2.8L that I want

There are nice wide zooms by Sigma that are of good quality with very reasonable cost. Unless you need the high cost lens, treat yourself to a less expensive one and start seeing if you "need" the more expensive glass.

Christmakwanzakah is coming. Go sit on the lap of a fat, bearded man in a red suit and see what happens. :naughty:;)

[Naga Royal Guard]

If SIGMA makes anything thats full frame compatible I would be interested (EF not EF-S) and I enjoy the constraint of prime lenses being forced to move around more to get what I want.

[swizzle]

Originally Posted by Naga Royal Guard

If SIGMA makes anything thats full frame compatible I would be interested (EF not EF-S) and I enjoy the constraint of prime lenses being forced to move around more to get what I want.

Sigma does in fact make full frame compatible lenses for digital

[Naga Royal Guard]

yeah I saw it after making that post

[mucus]

I've been using my Sony a380 for four years now. It came with 18-55mm & 55-200mm lenses, after a couple of years I finally got my hands on a 35mm f1.8. I wanted to get a "nifty fifty" but I also found it not wide enough in certain situations. All the pictures on my page http://fb.com/heisnap were taken by my trusty a380. I admit it's not a great camera but I didn't regret buying it either. I take pictures of cars 99% of the time and I can only wish for a fast lens for better panning shots. Otherwise I'm contented with snapping static cars with the 35mm f1.8 :).

[Naga Royal Guard]

I owned my Nikon D90 for many years before I could actually take a good photo with it; I really think if you have an SLR of any kind you are already well equipped.

[swizzle]

Indeed and with digitals you can take thousands of photos, delete the garbage and learn, learn, learn. Film was more expensive.

[mucus]

Yes Naga main reason I bought a dSLR was to experiment with the manual settings. At least now I get more understanding instead of letting a point 'n' shoot camera doing all the work.

And the joys of shooting digital! I heard some people say you have to experience shooting on film to appreciate photography, but honestly I don't think I have the enough patience (and money) for that.

[swizzle]

Originally Posted by mucus

Yes Naga main reason I bought a dSLR was to experiment with the manual settings. At least now I get more understanding instead of letting a point 'n' shoot camera doing all the work.

And the joys of shooting digital! I heard some people say you have to experience shooting on film to appreciate photography, but honestly I don't think I have the enough patience (and money) for that.

There is no reason to shoot film to learn photography. I still shoot film in my Pentaxes and Mamiyas for nostalgia sake, but my Canon DSLRs (cheap rebels) can exceed them for image quality.

There is no reason to shoot all manual either. That would be like demanding a 5 speed manual Porsche 911 without any stability control. The technology raises the game well beyond the pedestrian. A basic Nikon or Canon DSLR is a Porsche 911 for a Mustang V6 price. That is how amazing these cameras are. Why Nikon and Canon? Superior optics. You can go wrong with NEITHER.

Photography's technique has shifted massively. When I got my degree in it, you needed to know technique and composition. The digital age allows a person to focus on composition, which is BY FAR the most important skill of the two. As I have taken classes to remain current, I have been stunned by what I no longer need to know versus what I need to know on a technological level.

IF a person plans to turn professional, then technique comes back into play, but it is NOT the old f-stops and shutter speeds mentality but rather a "using the technology" mentality. The camera can manage the exposure and photoshop can fix glitches.

My degree in photography is no longer valid given the leap of technology which is why I am constantly taking classes to remain in the swim of photography.

[Naga Royal Guard]

I second that. Getting color temps, and ISO set right on a dSLR is a big part of the game. My 5D does great on Program or even *gasp* full automatic. Let the camera calculate and you focus on composure.