Ok, I'm feeling a little intimated based on everyone else's experience, but I finally have a "real" slr for the first time in about 15 years. I sold the Cannon AE1 I had that I had used when the kids were younger, but since then it's been some of the original digital cameras (anyone remember Minolta's answer to the Sony with the built in floppy with the "smart media" card called a "Dimage V" - [it's on eBay now]).
Anyway, fall has passed us here in MI, and yesterday was warmer than it will be for months, but the lighting as so flat that there were almost no shadows. So I walked around, and just shot in B&W mode most of the time. I found results to be a little flat, so I increased the contrast in almost all of these shots (could it just be my monitor - as I get into this, I know I'll have a lot to learn). Maybe it's the fact that I actually ran the darkroom back in college days, and usually enjoyed the more 'contrasty' look - maybe even a "gainer" feel as well - an that was probably as a result of what I could afford so many years ago.
But one thing that I got this for was for action shots. My daughter is a cheer leader at a large high school, and we're about to go indoors for competitive season now. I'll show you a pic or two from the bridge camera (Sony) that I have been using. I guess just pressing the shutter button will take time to get used to for me. With the Sony, I developed an instinct as to anticipate the correct time to press the shutter based on lag time. When we go indoors this season for the competitive portion of the year, I won't have those issues.
Anyway, here are some of my first pictures, and I used the K3 w/ the 18-125. I have placed a hoya HD clear filter on for lens protection (on the track, at times wind whips up sand and small particles, so I'm just not past old habits of at least placing a skylight filter on a lens - but at least these don't have any correction at all, so I'm hoping for no effect on the sensor). The light was so flat, that I though I should just enjoy the textures and patterns first time around. I'll play with color a little more in the future.
IMGP0105 | Flickr - Photo Sharing! IMGP0101 | Flickr - Photo Sharing! IMGP0091 | Flickr - Photo Sharing! IMGP0053 | Flickr - Photo Sharing!
Oh yea, this was one of the hardest nights I faced, the cheer team was only lit by the lights from the opposite side of the field. The bridge camera was probably f5 something, and only to ISO3200 and very noisy at that level. I'm excited just for the better glass on a "real" slr (like the K3). I did also get a Tamera 70-200 F2.8 constant aperture and I'm looking forward to the next part of the season!