http://www.thenallynotes.com Thu, 04 Sep 2008 23:10:28 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 http://www.thenallynotes.com/?p=8&cpage=1#comment-4 Kimberly Kwan Thu, 04 Sep 2008 23:10:28 +0000 http://www.lifedecanted.com/thenallynotes/?p=8#comment-4 quite frankly, once you get used to the RAW workflow, it will SIMPLIFY your life. As long as you shoo reasonable well-exposed images and know how to use Custom White Balance, you are 80% of the way there. AND...if you bite the bullet and buy Lightroom, your workflow processes will be made SO MUCH more user-friendly! I went RAW about 2 years ago and have never looked back! The Nikon D40 should make your 1st time oh-so-pleasurable! ;P quite frankly, once you get used to the RAW workflow, it will SIMPLIFY your life. As long as you shoo reasonable well-exposed images and know how to use Custom White Balance, you are 80% of the way there. AND…if you bite the bullet and buy Lightroom, your workflow processes will be made SO MUCH more user-friendly!
I went RAW about 2 years ago and have never looked back! The Nikon D40 should make your 1st time oh-so-pleasurable! ;P

]]> http://www.thenallynotes.com/?p=8&cpage=1#comment-3 anonymous Thu, 12 Jun 2008 18:40:33 +0000 http://www.lifedecanted.com/thenallynotes/?p=8#comment-3 Oh, and one more thing -- the 6MP D40 is a huge leap up from any point-and-shoot 5-8MP camera. Don't be boggled by the pixel count. A better measure is the size of the sensor. The D40 image sensor is probably 3 times the size of your Canon A610 ... the D40 will gather more light and provide truer colors and contrast. Even Nikon's top of the line D3 drops down in pixel count in certain modes, because the pros know that you don't need a bazillion megapixels to take a great photo. Get the D40. In a few years, the 12MP camera bodies will be under $500, and you can upgrade. Oh, and one more thing — the 6MP D40 is a huge leap up from any point-and-shoot 5-8MP camera. Don’t be boggled by the pixel count. A better measure is the size of the sensor. The D40 image sensor is probably 3 times the size of your Canon A610 … the D40 will gather more light and provide truer colors and contrast. Even Nikon’s top of the line D3 drops down in pixel count in certain modes, because the pros know that you don’t need a bazillion megapixels to take a great photo.
Get the D40. In a few years, the 12MP camera bodies will be under $500, and you can upgrade.

]]> http://www.thenallynotes.com/?p=8&cpage=1#comment-2 anonymous Thu, 12 Jun 2008 18:35:50 +0000 http://www.lifedecanted.com/thenallynotes/?p=8#comment-2 No, no, no ... don't wait. Seriously, you will kick yourself for having waited this long to get a DSLR. I am a Nikon guy, but I'd have no problem recommending a Canon to someone if they wanted to go that route. Since you are already an SLR person, you already know the benefits, but you just need a push. Do it. Yes, they will just get cheaper and more capable, and then you will just find another reason to wait. Just one shot will have made it worth your while. A shot of your daughter in low-light, where you were able to get a fast shutter because the camera automatically boosted the ISO to 800 to give you a 1/60s release ... or an arty, large aperture/shallow depth of field shot that you'll take in your garden ... there just isn't any comparison. I started with a D70 4 years ago, and just got a D300. I can't bear to put it down. The processing can be a bear, I admit, but it is better than sending the film off to get printed, or the mess and bother of your own darkroom, right? Buy the camera, get a decent zoom lens (18-70, or even 18-55) and maybe get a good 50mm prime. In a few months buy an flash unit. You won't be sorry. The great thing about DSLRs is that the bodies get cheaper but lenses continue to be useful with a new body. So, in 3 years, you can buy a D500 and still use all your lenses and most of your accessories. By then you'll have an 8-year old that you won't mind loaning your D40 to, justifying your D500 purchase. ;^] No, no, no … don’t wait. Seriously, you will kick yourself for having waited this long to get a DSLR. I am a Nikon guy, but I’d have no problem recommending a Canon to someone if they wanted to go that route.
Since you are already an SLR person, you already know the benefits, but you just need a push. Do it. Yes, they will just get cheaper and more capable, and then you will just find another reason to wait.
Just one shot will have made it worth your while. A shot of your daughter in low-light, where you were able to get a fast shutter because the camera automatically boosted the ISO to 800 to give you a 1/60s release … or an arty, large aperture/shallow depth of field shot that you’ll take in your garden … there just isn’t any comparison.
I started with a D70 4 years ago, and just got a D300. I can’t bear to put it down.
The processing can be a bear, I admit, but it is better than sending the film off to get printed, or the mess and bother of your own darkroom, right?
Buy the camera, get a decent zoom lens (18-70, or even 18-55) and maybe get a good 50mm prime. In a few months buy an flash unit. You won’t be sorry. The great thing about DSLRs is that the bodies get cheaper but lenses continue to be useful with a new body. So, in 3 years, you can buy a D500 and still use all your lenses and most of your accessories. By then you’ll have an 8-year old that you won’t mind loaning your D40 to, justifying your D500 purchase. ;^]

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