Trip Shopping list and Shooting in Public Fear.

[perkelatorz]

Hey guys,

I have a trip planned to some local mountains, and I have a shopping list for it and future trips I want to take my camera on. I have $450 to get everything I need.

 

I need a bag, I have the Nikon kit bag that came with my camera, but I hate it, walking in the thick woods behind my house it gets stuck on everything and I have had my 55-200 fall out of it twice after getting stuck on thorns. I was thinking about a backpack style bag any suggestion would be appreciated, I know almost nothing about camera bags. I need something I can have few lens in and a way to carry a tripod or monopod and maybe a flash. If I can't afford everything I would rather just use the bad Nikon bag over not getting something else on this list.

 

The next thing I think I need is a tripod, something to do long exposures in the middle of the wood, and that will work in a studio environment. I was looking at this https://www.amazon.com/Manfrotto-MKCOMPACTACN-BK-Compact-Action-Tripod/dp/B00L6F16L0/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1482252283&sr=8-4&keywords=manfrotto so far any other suggestions are welcomed I don't really know any other brands, I would like something cheaper, but that will hold up well. Currently, I have an amazon basic tripod I got for like $10 and lightly breathing on it blurs everything.

 

What kind of memory cards do people tend to trust that are cheap and work with photo and video on a D3300. 

 

Just started in photography about a year ago. Trying to decide what prime to start with, crop factor has me a bit confused. The current lenses I am looking at are the
Nikon AF-S FX 50mm f/1.8G

Nikon AF-S DX 35mm f/1.8G

I am having a problem with the 50mm and using it on a crop body I have looked up videos and if I do have it correct then the 50mm would have the same FOV as a 75mm if I do understand how this works if not then please explain or link to a video.

Most of what iI shoot so far are portraits of family, As well as tech stuff like mice keyboards and plants like the photo attached. I mostly like to shoot plants and still wildlife like flowers and leafs what other lenses would be recommended.

the reasons I am considering these lenses are because they seem to be lenses that everyone can make use of. I want something that produces more bokeh than my kit lens. I have a few night shots I have tried in my living room using Christmas lights in the background and I wanted nice little balls of light but instead got just a blur, should have kept the photos, but it just wasn't what I wanted.I really like when photographer separates the subject from foreground and background with bokeh/blur. 

 

also need a way to edit RAW photos from my camera, currently using ViewNx 2 anything better that is free or cheap and/or thing to look into in the future, would like to learn one that i can import from Nikon cannon or any other brand so if i switch one day i will not have to learn a new editing software.

 

what other stuff should I add to my list filters, any suggestion I would be happy to hear.

 

Question about public shooting. 

I live in the south of the united states, and in a pretty boring small town. Not much to shoot that I fell is interesting, I feel like the few times that I have found an interesting subject in public I never have my camera with me. Since I have started photography which has been about a year my camera has only left my house once, and then I felt embarrass to leave the car with it. Did anyone else do that when you got started, I feel like I don't know the appropriate time to take my camera with me.  Feels like a bad question because I shouldn't care what others think unless it is friendly criticism, but I feel like people where I live would get very mad if I tried any form of street photography or even have a camera around them. 

 

Sorry for the long post, I just really enjoy this as a hobby and finally have more money to throw at it because I have really enjoyed it lately, either this of a new 1070, and I don't really play game much anymore, trying to get away from the computer and I don't want to make big buying mistakes.

 

[Electronics Wizardy]

2 minutes ago, perkelatorz said:

am having a problem with the 50mm and using it on a crop body I have looked up videos and if I do have it correct then the 50mm

yep, go 35 for crop sensors

 

3 minutes ago, perkelatorz said:

Feels like a bad question because I shouldn't care what others think unless it is friendly criticism, but iIfeel like people where I live people I think people would get very mad if I tried any form of street photography or even have a camera around them. 

I have never had this problem. Just take the shot. they will probably do nothing.

 

tripod looks good, its worth a bit extra for a nicer one. cheap ones suck.

[AkiraDaarkst]

For the bag, Lowepro, Kata, Tamrac, etc. makes some decent bags.  The best thing you can do is take your gear, go to a store that sells camera bags and find one that fits the gear you want to carry and you feel comfortable using.  If you're on a hike all day long, it's your back that will suffer if the bag doesn't fit properly or not well balanced.

 

Tripods are a matter of personal needs and budget.  Heavier tripods will always be more stable than light weight ones, but they will be heavy.

 

For memory cards, I only trust Sandisk and Lexar including card readers from only these two brands.  Well, and Sony cards for my Sony cameras.

 

Between the 35mm and the 50mm prime lenses, the 35mm lens is designed for DX cameras.  The 50 is designed for FX cameras.  To understand how the FOV is equivalent on a cropped sensor, multiply it by 1.5 so a 50mm will have the FOV of a 75mm lens.  35mm will have the FOV of a 52.5mm lens.  However choosing between the two will depend on what you want to do.  If you like taking photos of plants and flowers perhaps a macro lens?

 

ViewNX is OK as a simple editor.  Software like Lightroom, Capture One, DxO Optics Pro, Photo Mechanic are better, but you pay for those software.

 

Think about investing in at least a Circular Polarizer filter.  Also perhaps a remote shutter release.  This way you can put the camera on the tripod and trigger the shutter from a distance or without having to touch the shutter button.

 

As for public shooting, some people find it easy others find it uncomfortable.  I personally feel uncomfortable doing street photography because:

• I want to try to capture candid shots, but people notice me with my cameras
• I don't want to invade on their privacy
• It's not easy finding a special or unique moment/scene

 

20 minutes ago, perkelatorz said:

Sorry for the long post, I just really enjoy this as a hobby and finally have more money to throw at it because I have really enjoyed it lately, either this of a new 1070, and I don't really play game much anymore, trying to get away from the computer and I don't want to make big buying mistakes.

Don't worry.  It's good that you enjoy photography and want to do more.  It's better than sitting in front of a computer all day and hurting your eyes, your back and your health overall.  Go out, have fun taking photos.

[perkelatorz]

9 minutes ago, AkiraDaarkst said:

Between the 35mm and the 50mm prime lenses, the 35mm lens is designed for DX cameras.  The 50 is designed for FX cameras.  To understand how the FOV is equivalent on a cropped sensor, multiply it by 1.5 so a 50mm will have the FOV of a 75mm lens.  35mm will have the FOV of a 52.5mm lens.  However choosing between the two will depend on what you want to do.  If you like taking photos of plants and flowers perhaps a macro lens?

 

So making sure I have this right. if I have a 35mm dx on a dx body and a 35mm fx on a fx body they wouldn't have the same FOV? I thought that the Dx lens where like adjusted so that they were the sameish, that makes everything way easier to understand. does this work to the kit lens as well, because if so I tend to shoot at 18mm on the kit lens and I will look into macro a lens.

[AkiraDaarkst]

10 minutes ago, perkelatorz said:

So making sure I have this right. if I have a 35mm dx on a dx body and a 35mm fx on a fx body they wouldn't have the same FOV? I thought that the Dx lens where like adjusted so that they were the sameish, that makes everything way easier to understand. does this work to the kit lens as well, because if so I tend to shoot at 18mm on the kit lens and I will look into macro a lens.

Yes. Focal length is independent of size.  The main thing about DX lenses is that they produce a smaller image circle, just large enough to cover the smaller sensor.  So an 18mm focal length lens will be 18mm on any camera body mounted, the size of the sensor will determine the FOV equivalency.

[xQubeZx]

Lenses are hard to reccomend if you don't really know what you will do. I think its best to try and go try a few and figure out more specific needs. (Like if the wider FOV of the 35 will be more useful than the closer FOV of the 50) 

 

The tripod looks pretty good to me. If you want another option I have seen the Benro iTrip25 which seems pretty decent for the price. Actually might get that one myself as I'm in a need of a new because mine is way to heavy and annoying to use. (Have especially realised this during freezing nights (-10ish) here in sweden where it has taken an enterity to set it up)

 

About shooting in public. I don't really like street photography as I get a lot of people looking at me. However I have started to get more used to it. But I preffer shooting landscapes either way so there usally isn't that much people around. I have done some street shooting in the evening with my buddy but it feels a lot nicer when you aren't alone. You feel more safe. But really, just have fun and try to don't mind other people as most won't even care. The most things I've done that got me a lot of looks when shooting was when I put up my tripod in a roundabout infront of the policehouse. Not the smartest thing but turned out cool with a long expo. Sure I got a few looks when I stepped out in cold water in the middle of winter to setup my tripod and get the shot. But it turned out amazing so I'm glad I did. 

 

Get the shot, try and don't mind what others think of you, you will likley never see them again. 

 

 

[DyverTech]

I really like my Prime 35mm on my D5300 it's great for low light and adds a nice background blur for portrait style photos. Cropped it equates to something like a 50mm which is optimal for portraits anyway. It's pretty sharp and is versatile in what I can shoot with it. Plus it's on sale right now for like $150. As for bags, I'm also shopping around too, manfrotto has a nice backpack I'm gunna try out. It's MB VL-BP-5BB, the sling style one from Lowepro looks nice too I don't have model number. My buddy has that one for his mobile shoots and really likes it. I just use a decently fast PNY or similar brand for memory card. I think I have an 80MB/s 64GB which was in the $40 range. Tripod looks good.

 

Editing software, if you're looking for free I'm not sure, but $9.99/month for the photography set from Adobe is pretty reasonable and I do love Lightroom. I tend to take way too many photos and it makes it a breeze to quickly shuffle through them and get light editing out of the way with templates and whatnot. 

 

For the public bit, I'm right there with ya as far as nervous shooting in public. I've done a couple concerts now and the performers told me to go wherever I wanted to get shots so that quickly helped my fear of getting right in-front of people to shoot. But still on normal days I get a little weary of standing out in public taking photos. I usually will just bring my current smallish camera bag that can hold essentials like strap, my other lenses, batteries, extra SD, and it fits a flash, but I don't use it much so I may just put it aside until I actually have a need for it. I find that the whole I'd like to have it and not need it than need it and not have is a good philosophy to follow. Just keep in mind temperatures and theft and what not can be bad for cameras.

Attached is a shot with the 35mm you're looking at. 

[zdog16]

I think that you'r DX vs FX lens question has been answered but I wanted to weigh in on the public photography thing. 

If you're worried about people trying to stop you from taking pictures or you're shy about taking pictures of random people in public, don't be. As long as you'r on public property and you're not doing something suspicious like taking shooting pics through someone's front window they have no right to tell you stop. Don't be fooled you don't need someone's permission to take their photo even if they are on their property. As long as you are on public property(ex. the sidewalk, the street) you are allowed to take pics of whatever you want and nobody can stop you. From what I understand from your post your mostly looking at shooting things on the street and not necessarily people so you're fine. As long as your on public property or private property on which you have been given permission to shoot on, you're golden. If you do take pictures of people it's common courtesy to ask for their permission, but legally speaking you don't have to. 

 

If on the other side if you're worried about walking around with a camera and a camera bag, there's nothing to be worried about. No one will be suspicious of the dude bending down to take a picture of a plant. They may think your crazy until they see the image, but they generally won't bother you. Frankly the D3300 is a fairly small camera and if you just walk around with the camera and 1 lens nobody will look at you twice. 

 

And quickly as for gear, the 35mm 1.8 DX is a fantastic lens I own one that I used with my D5100 and loved it. The 50mm FX is probably a bit close of of a lens on DX bodys for street and plant photography, but keep it around for if you ever upgrade to an FX body(Which I would highly recommend if you can scrape the money together). For RAW editing the industry standard is Adobe Lightroom and I swear by that software, but if you can't afford the $10 a month then I'm sure there are many free packages out there (I just don't know what they are). Any version of Photoshop will also do a great job at editing RAW files, but again it's still a paid program(and lightroom comes with the latest Photoshop anyway). 

and here's the FX vs. DX video you asked for 

You're photo looks great, get out there and keep shooting!!

[cc143]

On the camera bag issue, I would personally consider the amazonbasics backpack, I was really impressed looking at the quality of their bags and seems quite good for the price. Sure you can get much more expensive and better bags, but I am not sure the cost benefit is worth it on a budget. That said, a bag is something you will have for a long time, so it might make sense to spend lots on it, though at ~$30 just upgrade in a couple of years, you'll still get the value out of it.

 

As far as the tripod is concerned, there I would spend more. I like the manfrotto befree (Not the one, the bigger a bit more expensive one). I bought the one and find it sturdy and overall very good for the price, I do think I should spend the extra £30 though. Still, the 32cm folded size is amazing, compared to the quality and relative steardyness. 

 

As far as the memory card issue is concerned, I wouldn't spend that much on a high speed, quality card since a) You shouldn't be able to fill the buffer that easily on the D3300, so speed is sort of irrelevant. b) Data loss sucks, but cards are quite reliable these days and since your livelihood doesn't really depend on it... I'd go for a couple of sandisk 32GB cards. That way you have a spare. 

 

For the lens, the 50mm is ~ the equivalent of your own field of view so its mostly used for street photography. On APS-C crop, that is ~a 35mm yes. Keep in mind that aperture also has to be multiplied by your sensor's crop factor (1.5 for Nikon.). Personally, I'd go with the cheaper of the 2 regardless at this point, which should be the 50mm. You can always buy the 35mm in the future, the 50mm is more versatile in my opinion. Is the lens suitable for a FF camera too? I would keep that option open just in case. If the price difference is insignificant enough though I'd go with the 35mm. 

 

You get used to taking shots in public after a while, keep a couple of things in mind though: 

1. If someone doesn't want you to have their picture, just apologise and delete it for them, that usually saves you of any trouble.

2. A neat trick is to keep the same position after you take the shot, so your subject is not sure you were taking their picture. They won't walk up to you and stir up trouble if they are not sure, well mostly. 

3. If you are nervous  about it then its more likely your subject will react negatively, if you are more confident about it, they are going to be more comfortable about it as well.

 

Look at Kai from DRTV, the guy walks up to someone's face to take a shot and never gets any trouble because he is just so confident.  

[AkiraDaarkst]

There are two different "shooting in public" being mentioned in this discussion.

• The first is shooting street photography, where you are out in public trying to find interesting scenes to capture.
• The second is shooting events, where you are either doing it for fun or working a gig.  This is by far the easier of the two. 

With street photography, you have to look for interesting scenes, or a scene that represents the city or lifestyle, while trying to take candid photos of complete strangers, perhaps taking risks that you are invading their privacy (which in some countries can be illegal, even in public places) or end up annoying them. 

 

With event photography, it's simple "you're there to take photos, they see you working as a photographer".  There's almost nothing they can do about it.  Unless you're not supposed to be there and they can kick you out.

 

And remember, it is better to apologize after than ask permission first.  In some cases.

[perkelatorz]

I have 500$ to get everything I need, I am debating getting both the 35mm and the 50mm listed above the other option I am looking at the is sigma 17-50, The problem I see with it is the price and the corners would be soft from my understanding. not really sure if I need both. I have also debated getting the 40mm micro but I shoot in dark places a good bit and want to do some night photos.

 

The bag I found is Lowepro Slingshot Edge 150 AW. I like the look and I like the space anything like it that is cheaper let me know suggestions I like one strap bags problem is I am a very big guy, 6'5' 350 pounds.The biggest reason I like photography is that it gets me away from the computer, and so far I have lost nearly 50lbs in last year pretty much only due to photography, just walking through my woods. No local camera shops, I have looked and the only one (that has anything) is around 40 miles from me and problem is that it takes nearly all day to go there and back just from the amount of traffic.I have the Nikon kit bag, but the strap is too short. I need a bag so amazon basic may be what I go with, I need something to store most of my gear that I care about in safety.

 

Need a different tripod, after looking more at the Manfrotto I really don't like the head on it, it just looks bulky. I only want to spend around 50$ and if I can't get one that cheap I either am going to need to wait on it or just get one lens. Not sure, more glass is always great but I want to shoot some timelapse and some long exposures, like light art. 

 

software, I think I am going to just suck it up and pay 10$ for lightroom a month.

 

Thank you, everyone, for the help with public due to the responses I assume that everyone is worried about it when starting. I feel like a lot of my problem is that I am overweight and myself hate to be in front of the camera which is a bit ironic for someone that is trying to get a start in photography. I am just going to work on getting the shot and get my friends and family to be models for me, they seem to enjoy it anyway. Also, another reason I am having a hard time is where is live I don't see photographers very often and not really any friends or anyone I know that is a photographer. So I have no idea how people will react around me when I take photos even near them. I mean I hardly see people taking selfies or food photos, in public. 

 

anyone suggestions let me know and does anyone take their camera everywhere, like not to the corner store, but like the mall, social events or shopping trips. I am thinking about it and is part of why I want a nice bag, a lot interest me when I am out and about and I have never had my camera with me.

[zdog16]

2 hours ago, perkelatorz said:

I have 500$ to get everything I need, I am debating getting both the 35mm and the 50mm listed above the other option I am looking at the is sigma 17-50, The problem I see with it is the price and the corners would be soft from my understanding. not really sure if I need both. I have also debated getting the 40mm micro but I shoot in dark places a good bit and want to do some night photos.

 

The bag I found is Lowepro Slingshot Edge 150 AW. I like the look and I like the space anything like it that is cheaper let me know suggestions I like one strap bags problem is I am a very big guy, 6'5' 350 pounds.The biggest reason I like photography is that it gets me away from the computer, and so far I have lost nearly 50lbs in last year pretty much only due to photography, just walking through my woods. No local camera shops, I have looked and the only one (that has anything) is around 40 miles from me and problem is that it takes nearly all day to go there and back just from the amount of traffic.I have the Nikon kit bag, but the strap is too short. I need a bag so amazon basic may be what I go with, I need something to store most of my gear that I care about in safety.

 

Need a different tripod, after looking more at the Manfrotto I really don't like the head on it, it just looks bulky. I only want to spend around 50$ and if I can't get one that cheap I either am going to need to wait on it or just get one lens. Not sure, more glass is always great but I want to shoot some timelapse and some long exposures, like light art. 

 

software, I think I am going to just suck it up and pay 10$ for lightroom a month.

 

Thank you, everyone, for the help with public due to the responses I assume that everyone is worried about it when starting. I feel like a lot of my problem is that I am overweight and myself hate to be in front of the camera which is a bit ironic for someone that is trying to get a start in photography. I am just going to work on getting the shot and get my friends and family to be models for me, they seem to enjoy it anyway. Also, another reason I am having a hard time is where is live I don't see photographers very often and not really any friends or anyone I know that is a photographer. So I have no idea how people will react around me when I take photos even near them. I mean I hardly see people taking selfies or food photos, in public. 

 

anyone suggestions let me know and does anyone take their camera everywhere, like not to the corner store, but like the mall, social events or shopping trips. I am thinking about it and is part of why I want a nice bag, a lot interest me when I am out and about and I have never had my camera with me.

As far as the lenses it will ultamly be based on what you want to shoot, but like I mentioned before I own the 35mm DX lens that I used with my D5100 and I think that it's a great versatile prime. The 35mm focal length works out to about a 50mm full frame equivilent which is a standard prime lens for portrait or landscape work. It has really nice boka even on the crop sensor body and you will be amazed at the amount of light you can get into the camera especially at night. Here is a pic that I took with that lens on my 5100 years ago that I'm still really proud of.

 

As far as the bag goes Think Tank makes a line of 'Street' Bags that I hear are very good, I don't own one but they look like they are good quality and there are plenty of options to choose from. I also would suggest looking at regular backpacks and then just getting some foam dividers to keep all your gear safe and organized. Personally I carry a 511 Tacitcal Rush 10 every day and I often throw a DSLR and an extra lens in it for run and gun shoots where I don't want to bring my pelican case. 

 

For the tripod, if you only want to use it for stills, you don't need anything fancy. Just make sure that your camera is under the weight rating(the D3300 is pretty light so you will have a hard time finding a tripod that won't support it). If your you're looking to do fancy art photography I would get one with a ball head, which will allow you to position the camera at funky dutch angles and things like that. I found this one on amazon for $50. Tripods start to get expensive when you need high weight capacities and 'fluid heads' for video. A basic set it and leave it tripod is not that expensive. 

 

Keep posting questions and pics it's great to interact with other people who love photography. I always like to come on the LTT fourm and talk with other photographers share pics and swap questions(and hopefully answers). I would love to see more of your pics!

[perkelatorz]

UPDATE: I am going to get Lowepro slingshot edge 150 aw for a bag I like how it looks and seems to be a good size

going to get the 35mm because of crop factor and I tend to shoot at 24 to 35 from using lightroom to look at what i use the most. 

one last question is there a good 24mm for dx that is semi cheap, under $200? if not just have to take a step back.  Tripod I have the amazon basic just gonna use it, for now, it is not like my camera is very heavy and I might put a hook on the bottom to weigh it down I if I need to or maybe get  joby gorilla since being able to take photos by wrapping around a tree would be kind of cool and light weight.

 and spent the 10$ on lightroom I like it but don't see the hype, could be because only day one and I have no idea what I am doing with it. and I have a few extra dollars may get a new monitor while they are on sale and that is nice

[AkiraDaarkst]

2 hours ago, perkelatorz said:

 

I didn't mention it before, but now that you've found a kind of bag that you like have you looked on Ebay?  Sometimes you can find better prices for the same bag or very similar to the ones you like.  Of course, there is the "waiting to be delivered time" that you will have to endure.

 

For the tripod, I suggest you save up.  Wait until you have enough saved up to buy the one you like.  Cheap tripods that you have to make compromises on will not really last you.  And as you said, you can make your current tripod stable by hanging a bag off a hook (if it has one) or just put your camera bag against one of the legs.

 

You gotta get used to Lightroom.  It's a fantastic piece of software.  You should also look at Scott Kelby's guides on using Lightroom.  Here's my workflow in LR.

1. I plug in my memory cards to the card reader.  In Lightroom I have a preset setup for importing photos, organized in folders
   1. Camera Model > Year - Month - Day
2. I've also created a default metadata profile I assign to my photos on import.  Filling in missing EXIF/IPTEC info, copyright info, etc.
3. After importing, I go through the newly imported photos, flagging them or assigning them stars or color flags to sort out between the ones I will keep and ones I may discard.  I use the color flags to group the ones that I will use to make a HDR or Panorama.
4. I use the filters near the top of the LR window to filter out the ones I've picked as keepers.  Then I assign Keywords/Tags.
5. Then I go to the Develop tab and start editing.  If the editing I want to do is not enough, I right click on the photo and select Edit In - (Photoshop, Nik Collection)
6. I have presets and profiles set up for exporting, publishing to places like Flickr, 500px, etc.  For printing.
7. You can geotag in Lightroom.
8. Lightroom can be used for tether shooting.
9. In Lightroom you can synchronize Metadata, Edits, Settings.

Here's a few things you should do in LR's preferences, especially if you shoot RAW. Under the external editing tab, make sure you set the following:

• Color Space: ProPhoto RGB
• Bit Depth: 16 bits/component
• Resolution: 240 or 300
• File format: Tiff (this is what I recommend)
• Compression: None (for Tiff)

For all other settings under the preferences, read the Scott Kelby book.  There's so many things you can do in LR and I don't have the time to cover everything.  I'm assuming a lot of beginner/amateur photographers only see the basic what's shown by default in LR and don't realize there's so much stuff hidden that can be used to make their workflow faster and better.

 

I highly recommend this set of plugins for Lightroom, it is completely free.

https://www.google.com/nikcollection/

 

If you have spare cash, I recommend buying this book (either brand new or used).  When I started using Lightroom years ago, with version 2, I was sort of put off.  But when version 3 was released and I got a copy of a book like this, it just completely made Lightroom much more enjoyable to use.

https://www.amazon.com/Photoshop-Lightroom-Digital-Photographers-Voices/dp/0133979792

 

 

For lenses, I know of some cheaper 24mm'ish Nikon lenses.  However, unless you have a Nikon body with an in-body AF motor (Nikon D7#00 model and above) those lenses will be pure manual on the entry level bodies (D3#00 and D5#00).  You can find something like an old Nikon 24mm 2.8 for under $200-300.

[DyverTech]

Have you ever checked out Ken Rockwell's site? He has a good write up on the best lens combo for DX cameras. http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/dx-dream-team.htm 

I'd love to get the 10-24 but I think I'd like to upgrade to full frame before spend that much on a lens though. 

[cc143]

I second the tripod thing, trust me you will regret not spending the extra cash immediately after you buy it. The befree line up I mentioned is quite good for the price, just don't go with the one, the live is a great tripod, but you pay quite a lot for the head, which I'm not sure is worth the Cost benefit for Photographers. I always liked the panning handle as opposed to a simple ballhead, but I'm just not sure it's worth the extra money. 

 

For the bag, I find prices on amazon are usually on par, if not lower than ebay, especially if you have prime. Still, checking ebay may save you some money in some instances. Also try b&h or other camera e-tailers, they may have offers now that ebay or amazon may not. 

 

I'm not sure the gorillapod is worth it tbh, I bought mine for ~£50 (SLR ballhead) and see them going for ~£60 on amazon now. Also, I would go with the focus given my experience with the SLR-Zoom, which is plainly too expensive unless you get a knock off. 

 

Some more stuff: 

1. If you are hiking and taking pictures, I would recommend going with something like this: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B01AFZTJVU/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 I have mine on my backpack strap all the time and just put the camera on when I carry it. (granted it's not handling the 5d3 as it did my 50D or a6000, but still.) This way you don't have the camera moving around while on the strap, which I'm sure you know is annoying on long hikes, while you still have easy and quick access to it. 

 

2. I believe you mentioned timelapses and Landscapes, Get yourself a cheap ~$15 intervalometer (check if you camera has a remote port). It doubles for timelapses, as well as long-exposure landscape shots where you don't want the camera to move at all. 

 

I was talking about street photography not events in my earlier post btw. In events the biggest issue is people tend to pose which looks unnatural most of the time. Best shots I have taken when working in clubs or concerts are of people who are drunk and don't notice I'm there;Ρ 

 

I thought most people who get into photography do so because they hate being in front of the camera themselves. I do, I always try to find a way not to be in the shot, It's a reverse Barney from HIMYM thing, I just can't find a way not to look stupid in a picture.

[AkiraDaarkst]

1 hour ago, cc143 said:

1. If you are hiking and taking pictures, I would recommend going with something like this: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B01AFZTJVU/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 I have mine on my backpack strap all the time and just put the camera on when I carry it. (granted it's not handling the 5d3 as it did my 50D or a6000, but still.) This way you don't have the camera moving around while on the strap, which I'm sure you know is annoying on long hikes, while you still have easy and quick access to it. 

This looks like a nice product and with a very good price.  The other options are something like the Spider Holster or BlackRapid Straps.

 

14 hours ago, zdog16 said:

As far as the bag goes Think Tank makes a line of 'Street' Bags that I hear are very good, I don't own one but they look like they are good quality and there are plenty of options to choose from.

TTP makes some of the best camera bags on the market, from backpacks to shoulder bags to roller bags.  However they are not cheap.  For hikers, there is a partner of TTP that makes very good camera bags.  MindShift Gear.

 

2 hours ago, cc143 said:

2. I believe you mentioned timelapses and Landscapes, Get yourself a cheap ~$15 intervalometer (check if you camera has a remote port). It doubles for timelapses, as well as long-exposure landscape shots where you don't want the camera to move at all. 

There are intervalometers available for most cameras.  On some camera systems it connects to the USB port or to the multi-function port (that looks like a variation of micro/mini USB) and on other cameras (usually pro models) they connect to a dedicated remote control port.

 

Here's one that should be compatible with a D3300.

https://www.amazon.com/VILTROX-Intervalometer-Remote-Control-Shutter/dp/B00N3JQW7U

 

 

2 hours ago, cc143 said:

Best shots I have taken when working in clubs or concerts are of people who are drunk and don't notice I'm there;Ρ 

I'd love it if people didn't pause to pose or look at the camera at the events I cover.  Sometimes I get lucky, other times people see me with the camera (because I have to be close) and their body posture changes.  Some try to ignore me and their posture looks natural.

 

From a recent event, a conference.  At least this is a good pose.

[cc143]

44 minutes ago, AkiraDaarkst said:

This looks like a nice product and with a very good price.  The other options are something like the Spider Holster or BlackRapid Straps.

 

I'd love it if people didn't pause to pose or look at the camera at the events I cover.  Sometimes I get lucky, other times people see me with the camera (because I have to be close) and their body posture changes.  Some try to ignore me and their posture looks natural.

 

From a recent event, a conference.  At least this is a good pose.

It's good enough for the price yes, I'm not sure if the blackrapid is any better tbh. I just think that £60 is way too much for ~200g of aluminum and a bolt. Its convenient, but 60 candybars is better;Ρ 

 

EDIT: Just realised blackrapid is a strap, I meant the kickstarter guys that made those everyday bags or wahtever, it was them I saw this from and looked for a knockoff. 

 

Well to be fair, i'd not be able not to look if someone came over with a 1dx, 580EX and 70-200mm on it. 

 

The pose is fine I guess, but there's something comedic about the guy's face, I just want to laugh, it doesn't seem natural for a person in that setting and that attire to have that facial expression I guess.

 

The first is a 6 year old pic, its not technically that good, but I like what's going on in the image. 

The 2nd is a friend from this summer, it was a sort of shout "hey" at them and take the pic as they turn. 

 

None of them are by any means perfect, but I find these look much better than people I shot at events that saw me and tried to pose. 

 

[AkiraDaarkst]

6 hours ago, cc143 said:

 

They're still better photos than most.

[Mihle]

I dunno if you need it, but another free Photo editing software is Rawtherapee, but it has advanced functions, but you dont need to use them.