I just ordered my first DSLR camera!

[pierces]

I have one more piece of advice. Print photos! Another bit of exaggeration, but to me a photo is not really a photo unless it is printed on paper (canvas, metal, etc.) Frame them. Put them on the wall for all to see and enjoy.

 

I absolutely agree! We have several prints on metal (stunning color and detail!) and canvas but lately, I have been looking into replacing a couple of them with 40" 4K TV screens driven by an Intel-powered computer-on-a-stick. Loading an assortment of images formatted to the display onto an SD card and adding a slideshow screensaver would allow me to simply turn on the screen during the day via home automation and have it kick into the photo display after a minute or so.

 

Digital ate analog when resolution got good enough. I think 4K might have put teeth in digital home display of quality images.

 

Dave

[diane.in.ny]

I have one more piece of advice. Print photos! Another bit of exaggeration, but to me a photo is not really a photo unless it is printed on paper (canvas, metal, etc.) Frame them. Put them on the wall for all to see and enjoy.

 

Agree. We have some very special shots framed and hung around the house.

 

And I do a Shutterfly album of each trip.

[mommykim]

As for memory, you got some good advice earlier. I carry multiple cards when traveling but though I back up to my Kindle Fire nightly, I never format them until the images are loaded and backed up at home. Just get a card wallet and start collecting good brand (SanDisk, Lexar, PNY, Sony, etc.) 16GB Class 10 or UHS-1 cards when you see a sale. One per day should suffice. (So take two extra!) Switch to an empty card every morning, even if the previous one isn't full and keep the wallet in the cabin safe.

 

Better safe than sorry. The cards I bought are Lexar Professional UHS-I SDHC Memory Card at 32mb. All the cards I have so far are the same kind. The man at Office Depot said they're exactly what I need but I'd rather find that out from people who know for sure :-) I have not opened any of them so if they are wrong I can exchange them. If it matters I do not plan to shoot video at all. Just take photos.

Edited January 6, 2017 by mommykim

[pierces]

Better safe than sorry. The cards I bought are Lexar Professional UHS-I SDHC Memory Card at 32mb. All the cards I have so far are the same kind. The man at Office Depot said they're exactly what I need but I'd rather find that out from people who know for sure :-) I have not opened any of them so if they are wrong I can exchange them. If it matters I do not plan to shoot video at all. Just take photos.

 

Lexar is a good brand and makes reliable products. A UHS-1 rated card is more than capable of handling the output of your camera, even if you decide at some time to shoot video. The reason I suggested 16GB was for use as a daily card on a trip. 32GB will work just as well but will cost more to get a full one-a-day set built up. Of course, there's no firm rule. You could shoot two days on a card if that's your preference. You would likely be able to fit a whole trip on one card if you want but having too much memory in the bag is always better than having too little.

 

Dave

Edited January 6, 2017 by pierces

[mommykim]

Lexar is a good brand and makes reliable products. A UHS-1 rated card is more than capable of handling the output of your camera, even if you decide at some time to shoot video. The reason I suggested 16GB was for use as a daily card on a trip. 32GB will work just as well but will cost more to get a full one-a-day set built up. Of course, there's no firm rule. You could shoot two days on a card if that's your preference. You would likely be able to fit a whole trip on one card if you want but having too much memory in the bag is always better than having too little.

 

Dave

 

The 18GB card was $10.99 and the 32GB was $12.29. For that difference I went big :-) I know they are cheaper on Amazon but I had a Office Depot gift card so I used that for them.

[pierces]

The 18GB card was $10.99 and the 32GB was $12.29. For that difference I went big :-) I know they are cheaper on Amazon but I had a Office Depot gift card so I used that for them.

 

Travelling with "too much memory" is a nonsense phrase! :)

 

At least these days...

 

Dave

[havoc315]

Cleaning my desk, I actually found one of my first digital memory cards.. a CF card, 512mb, I think I spent between $50 and $100 on it, 11 years ago.

The last memory card I bought -- a couple months ago, 128gb, 80mb/s, for $40.

So wow, how things have changed. In just a decade, 250x the memory, for a lower price.

Just that memory card, is bigger than the hard drives of my computers from just 7 or 8 years ago.

[GUT2407]

Cleaning my desk, I actually found one of my first digital memory cards.. a CF card, 512mb, I think I spent between $50 and $100 on it, 11 years ago.

The last memory card I bought -- a couple months ago, 128gb, 80mb/s, for $40.

So wow, how things have changed. In just a decade, 250x the memory, for a lower price.

Just that memory card, is bigger than the hard drives of my computers from just 7 or 8 years ago.

 

My first CF card was 256 MB cost near enough to $100 Aus. That was when I got my 300D.

 

Back in the 80s I sold computers, sold a 10MB HDD $15K.

 

1 MB floppy drive (8") $10k (it was dual drive so I guess fair to say 2MB)

[pierces]

My first CF card was 256 MB cost near enough to $100 Aus. That was when I got my 300D.

 

Back in the 80s I sold computers, sold a 10MB HDD $15K.

 

1 MB floppy drive (8") $10k (it was dual drive so I guess fair to say 2MB)

 

It is amazing. My first 1gb hard drive was the size of a car stereo and the 512gb SSD I just put in my computer is hardly larger than a stick of chewing gum. It's also a fraction of the price and probably 1000x faster.

 

I guess it's a great time to be a computer user too!

 

Dave

[FireStation46]

Cheat Cards are handy. I have a full set hanging off my camera bag. Helpful since I am not a Pro Photo guy

 

I believe you camera will wirelessly transfer photos to another device. I use a Nikon Coolpix AW130 that can go underwater. So after a snorkle trip on a cruise I can transfer all my photos to my iPad. I keep the photis on the camera until I am home but nice to have them backed up while I travel.

 

SD Cards can fail, not usually but not unheard of. Unless you do a lot of videos you do not need huge capacity cards but having one or two SD cards as back up is helpful.

 

I usually just fill up as much on a card per Cruise, keep the card and get a new card for my next adventure on land or sea. So I have pics on the Cloud and saved also on the SD card. Cards are inexpensive these days.

 

As the other poster said, peactice with it well before you trip.

 

One other lens yo may want is a macr lens. Helpful for very close up shots on flowers etc. A wide angle lens is a nice feature fir large landscap shots.

 

A tripod for steady shots.

 

Flash diffusers are helpful. I like Gary Fong diffusers

 

A camera bag to haul all the gear especially back up batteries for your flash.

Edited January 9, 2017 by FireStation46

[mommykim]

Well, that did not take long. I got the camera Friday late and prdered my first lens on Sunday. Not a major purchase but a nicely priced starter lens I think. I got a Nikon AF-S DX NIKKOR 35mm f/1.8G.

[pierces]

Well, that did not take long. I got the camera Friday late and prdered my first lens on Sunday. Not a major purchase but a nicely priced starter lens I think. I got a Nikon AF-S DX NIKKOR 35mm f/1.8G.

 

And so it begins....

 

:)

 

Dave

[kenevenpar]

I checked, and the Lexar Professional card is on the Nikon approved list. You are good to go!

[jimmyvegas29]

If you want an amazing book to read i would suggest "Understanding Exposure" By Bryan Peterson.

[pierces]

If you want an amazing book to read i would suggest "Understanding Exposure" By Bryan Peterson.

 

Great book but check the publish date. It's been updated several times.I think it's in its fourth edition now.

 

Dave

[BigWI]

I have to admit I did not read all the responses so if this has already been suggested I apologize.

 

I would take a laptop and back up my pictures every night. That way you have them on a memory card and laptop hard drive.

 

Also don't be afraid to take a lot of pictures, remember this is digital not film. It costs the same to take 10 pictures as it does on.

 

Only problem with that is you have to go through them at some time.:)

[bobmacliberty]

I'll add my vote for buying the book "Understanding Exposure". Someone recommended it to me a few years ago and it helped me tremendously. Lots of other good resources online. Take a look at AdoramaTV. I like the Mark Wallace series of videos. His earlier videos do a good job of covering several basic to intermediate level topics. All free.

 

I find that I am naturally better at the technical aspects of photography than the artistic aspects (I'm an Engineer). While I've read a lot of material to help me better understand things like lighting and composition, I really need to continue to practice a lot for this to sink in and become more natural. For example, I will still occasionally take shots without thinking about the background, and end up with something sticking out of my subject's head. One of the ideas that I read about that works for me is to force myself to take pictures when I normally wouldn't, just to look for creative options. I'll sometimes go somewhere and give myself 15 minutes to find all of the shots that I can get. A variation is to walk 10 minutes, or drive 10 miles and then stop and shoot. The idea is that you end up in a random location and are force to think about good photo opps wherever you end up. I also get inspiration from looking at photos from other people (like pierces :D)

[Sodicoff]

Dan K said "The single most important thing I ever did to improve my photography had nothing to do with equipment. That single thing was joining our local photography club. Every month we enter photos and have a photographer critique them. Hearing other people's comments about my photographs over the years has vastly improved my photo taking skills."

 

I think that's exactly right!! Join.

[knittinggirl]

If you want an amazing book to read i would suggest "Understanding Exposure" By Bryan Peterson.

Great book!

 

I've also taken his course by the same name at BPSOP.com plus a few others. He critiques lesson photos each week, and they have a nice forum for questions. I really like Kathleen Clemmons' Fine Art Nature Series. Half involve shooting and half involve photoshop.

 

I say shoot a lot, then pick 5 to 10% to make into books or prints.

 

Scott Kelby's course series has a course on shooting at high sun, which most of our days in port end up being. I'm so relieved when we get cloudy days in port. I take pictures of the clouds, then photoshop them into those plain white overcast days.

Edited January 18, 2017 by knittinggirl

[sigmastar]

I also recently purchased the Nikon d3400 which came with two lenses and a camera case. I have been looking at you tube videos about the camera, reading the manual and of course taking many pictures. My cruise is not until October 21st, so by then I should be able to take some decent pictures. I am really surprised at some of the pictures which I have taken. Be sure to download SnapBridge and have it sync to your phone, laptop or tablet. I have mine sync to my iPad, even if I am not in a wifi area, when I am the photos automatically appear later on my iPad. I also created a Nikon ID and my photos are sent there. When I finally logged into my Nikon account all the good, bad, and ugly pictures were there. (I did finally delete a lot of them). You can set up various albums and this will free up storage space. I hope you are enjoying your camera because I am truly having fun learning how to use mine.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

[rockdoctor]

I used to carry a DSLR and all the lenses. Don't any more. Two things 1. The weight and 2. IPhone takes better pictures. The unbelievable discounts this Christmas confirm that their market is dwindling. Sell you Nikon stock.

[ski ww]

Google, KenRockwell, he writes all about Nikon cameras. I down loaded the instruction manual for my camera from his site.

Allan

[dltvermont]

I certainly cant add to the great information you've gotten above but for memory cards, I have one for the Ship, one for each stop and one for before/after. If you have everything on one or two, and you either lose one or have it go bad, you've lost all or most of your pictures.

 

As for what to do with it while snorkeling etc, thats always a tough one for me. I carry mine to every place we go but one of us is usually near it to keep it safe. Kind of stinks when you want to just swim together etc but.....Ive seen other posts about bags you can lock to your chair or post etc which wont STOP someone from trying, but may slow them down in time to stop them from GETTING it!

[mommykim]

 

I had a blast on the cruise and with the camera. I am not very good but I loved the colors in this one.

[TruckerDave]

Google, KenRockwell, he writes all about Nikon cameras. I down loaded the instruction manual for my camera from his site.

Allan

 

mention that name on photography message boards you better duck for cover. :eek: