[ttcgreg]

Hi Everyone


My name is Greg and I am brand new member and I say hello from Toronto.


I am brand new to DSLR photography by being inspired by my older brother and the beautiful images he has captured, who I did not know, is quite the photographer. He has a Canon camera...but...we won't talk about that(LOL!!! ). So here I am.


I just purchased(yesterday) a Pentax K3 camera. I know that is a lot more camera for one that is just starting out in DSLR photography, but the price was right. It was an 'open box' special with only a 127 shutter actuations and at a considerable price reduction over a brand new one. So I took the plunge. With some advice from my brother, he suggested a good prime to start with, so I also purchased a Pentax 50mm F1.8 lens. I hope I made good choice for my initial lens. Like I said, quite a bit of camera for one to start off with, but as I grow, my camera grows along with me, that is why I thought the Pentax K3 was a good choice.


I am reading the manual and I have to admit it is a bit over whelming for a new comer to DSLR camera. It was relatively easier with my original point and shoot camera(LOL!!!). I now to pick the knowledge base of my fellow members. I would love to here suggestions, advice, methods to learn about operation and settings of the camera, future lens considerations, etc... If you have any this advice I would greatly appreciate them. I am sure all of you can put yourself as a new DSLR/SLR camera user and the joy of starting something new and the intimidation of that as well. So I do look forward to all your replies.


Take care Everyone and enjoy your day.
Happy Photography.
With kind regards,
Greg.

[normhead]

Welcome to the forum...

You might want to join this group... they have metopes every now and then...
Toronto Pentaxians - PentaxForums.com

Personally if I was starting out, I'd probably put the 50 on the camera, and just go for a walk, hopefully with a tripod. And take every image at ƒ 1.8, ƒ 5.6, ƒ 11, and ƒ 22, just to get a feel for the APS-c depth of field.

Depth of field - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[ttcgreg]

Thanks for the welcome
I like your suggestion. I good way to start and learn some of the settings. Yes I do have a tripod.
Funny I was reading that article in Wiki when I was making while I was making choice for camera purchase, I will finish to read now.
I am glad I joined the forum, This is the type suggestion I am looking for as being new to DSLR/Pentax photography


Thanks, Greg

[Undot]

Welcome to the forums. The K-3 is a real beaut, what a way to start into DSLR life.
I bought a book with it, from a photographer explaining all it's features, which I found a great help. The manual only tells you what's there, but not what or how to use it.

The 50mm was my first prime as well, really nice for portraits, and you can't get a better prime for that money... err, except for its 35mm sibling which I got shortly after (beware, this forum can make you do things like that ).

There's a recent article explaining the different shooting modes: Pentax DSLR Shooting Modes Explained - Articles and Tips | PentaxForums.com
And there's a recommended settings page in the Review: Pentax K-3 - Recommended Settings | PentaxForums.com Reviews

Maybe this will be of use to you.
So, have fun and enjoy your stay.

[panoguy]

Welcome, ttcgreg!

Following Norm's good advice, you'll notice that if you put the K-3 mode dial on the green square (the sometimes maligned "green mode") and press the Info button (on the lower right of the back LCD screen) many of the camera settings are also green. AWB (auto white balance) is green, AF.A (autofocus automatic) is green, the AF area is (green) auto, metering is matrix (green segmented rectangle), and even drive mode is single shot (green rectangle outline). Green means "go," right?

So it's really a way to limit the number of choices, and confusion, to just framing and pressing the shutter button at the right moment. Really, these are the two most important non-camera parts of photography (some might say most important in any sense), so get comfy with them.

[ttcgreg]

Welcome to the forums. The K-3 is a real beaut, what a way to start into DSLR life.
I bought a book with it, from a photographer explaining all it's features, which I found a great help. The manual only tells you what's there, but not what or how to use it.

The 50mm was my first prime as well, really nice for portraits, and you can't get a better prime for that money... err, except for its 35mm sibling which I got shortly after (beware, this forum can make you do things like that ).

There's a recent article explaining the different shooting modes: Pentax DSLR Shooting Modes Explained - Articles and Tips | PentaxForums.com
And there's a recommended settings page in the Review: Pentax K-3 - Recommended Settings | PentaxForums.com Reviews

Maybe this will be of use to you.
So, have fun and enjoy your stay.

Thanks for your welcome.


Thanks for your assurance on making a good choice for my first lens. Always makes one feel good knowing with a limited knowledge you have made a good decision and hearing that from someone with great knowledge.
Yes I will start using the great database here in the forum by reading those articles you have suggested. You mentioned a book, do you have the title??? I will check bookstores here and see if I can find some title that will be useful for a neophyte like my self(LOL!!!)


Thank you,
with regards,
Greg

---------- Post added 10-25-14 at 10:04 AM ----------

Welcome, ttcgreg!

Following Norm's good advice, you'll notice that if you put the K-3 mode dial on the green square (the sometimes maligned "green mode") and press the Info button (on the lower right of the back LCD screen) many of the camera settings are also green. AWB (auto white balance) is green, AF.A (autofocus automatic) is green, the AF area is (green) auto, metering is matrix (green segmented rectangle), and even drive mode is single shot (green rectangle outline). Green means "go," right?

So it's really a way to limit the number of choices, and confusion, to just framing and pressing the shutter button at the right moment. Really, these are the two most important non-camera parts of photography (some might say most important in any sense), so get comfy with them.

Thanks for that suggestion, a good one.
I did read in the manual about this setting, and lieu of a better term, it is like the camera's AUTOMATIC setting. Yes a good way to start.
I really appreciate your reply to my introduction to the forum. This is prime example of what the forum can bring me, everyone vast knowledge base and good approaches to one starting out in DSLR photography.


With kind regards,
Greg

[Undot]

You mentioned a book, do you have the title???

Sorry to say, but it's German, so the title probably won't help you.
And there's certainly no big knowledge on my end. I've been using DSLRs for a few years but consider myself quite a newb. But learned so much once I started visiting this forum.

Is the 50mm the only lens you got for your camera or did it come with a kit lens, too?


/edit: oh, one very good advice I got from that book is to change the way autofocus works. Preset, and what most people know from their point and shoots, is that you focus when half pressing the shutter release. But you get a lot more control if you disable that and only use the AF button on the back of the camera instead (because otherwise you can't take a picture without it refocusing at half press).
Takes a bit getting used to, but not too bad.

You can find that in the camera menu page 4 "Button Customisation" - "AF Button" and set it to "Enable AF2".

I don't mean to overwhelm you by adding to what's new to you, though. I've been perfectly fine using the standard half-shutter-press for years.

---

Last edited by Undot; 10-25-2014 at 08:26 AM.

[ttcgreg]

Sorry to say, but it's German, so the title probably won't help you.
And there's certainly no big knowledge on my end. I've been using DSLRs for a few years but consider myself quite a newb. But learned so much once I started visiting this forum.

Is the 50mm the only lens you got for your camera or did it come with a kit lens, too?

The 50mm lens was one I got for my camera, not a kit lens. It too was an 'open box', as it nice to save a bit of $$$

[panoguy]

You mentioned a book, do you have the title???

If you're more comfortable with English (as opposed to German), then Yvon Bourque, another Canuck, has the best "why to use each setting" book, along with function explanations, for Pentax DSLRs. As has already been mentioned, the manual is a function-by-function reference source, and Yvon provides more of a how-to guide.

Only available as e-books (PDF download, print it out if you want), and here is the K-3 book link.

[Kerrowdown]

Welcome aboard, enjoy that new K3.

[Jean Poitiers]

Bonjour from France and welcome to PF, Greg ... Hope to see some images soon! Salut, J

[eddie1960]

Welcome aboard from another Toronto member that's an excellent starter kit if you are to add another lens I'd suggest the Plastic Fantastic twin of the 50, the DA 35 f2.4, those 2 lenses give you a normal Field of View (the 35) and a moderate Portrait lens/short Tele then save toy pennies for the 21and the 70 (a fair number more pennies) and you really have all the bases covered beyond sports and shooting birds etc. the first 2 though would really cover most needs and do it well (I like a wide lens myself, not sure i'd chase the longer lens as much - my current kit is 18/23/35/56 - but Fuji)