Your SLR Digital Camera or Should it Read $LR Digital Camara- How to Use It

That is just as important as a Government Health Warning on Cigarettes, Cigars and Tobacco, Yessiree, This little baby can work out to be as expensive a "toy" or hobby you or your hubby have ever experienced.Cos,

if at that very first click of the shutter,

view of that picture,

fine hairs at the back of your neck rise

goose bumps

eyes sparkle

lip twitches into a self satisfied

"I've licked the forbidden cream".

YOU ARE HOOKED.

It runs a close second to mmmmmmmmmm, er, well maybe the other way around!

Congratulations!, You have now opened up a whole new world of Photography. Even if you are an experienced photographer, or an absolute beginner to this hobby. So now the first question that comes up is what is SLR?

SLR stands for Single Lens Reflex, this is not only a digital type of camera, it is also applies to the "old fashioned" type of cameras.

Simply put the viewing lens is directly in front of the photo plane, film or the photo cell collectors., so what you are viewing through your eyepiece or LCD monitor at the back of the camera is exactly what you will see as the end result, hard copy print or on your PC screen.

The other point and shoot cameras, both film and digital have compensating prisms which give you a close result, to what you want. With these you need to practice to get to know which way you need to adjust yourt view to achieve what you want, remember it is minimal,

Now Having spent what amounts to, what some would call a small fortune, for a hobby you now unpack your box.

More packaging than actual items, you carefully place everything into two or so piles. Pick up the unpacking list or instruction manual and start off by finding the ITEM CHECK LIST.

Carefully Identify and place each item where you can see them (There is a touch of of humour in some of the camera's packing, as the packing list is the Instruction Manual which you have in your hand).

Now this manual, to me, considering what the base price of the body, is a bit of a rip off. Serviceable well bound soft covered A3 booklet with line drawings and monochromatic photographs in it. This to explain to a user how ti use their purchase to the optimum. I do not know what the other camera's instruction manuals are like however I doubt very much that they would be any different.

Suffice to say that one needs 20/20 vision or a good opticial aid to read the and decipher some of the symbols that appear in the book reflecting those on the camera.

The top 3 SLR cameras usually only come with a body, as see from the unpacking instructions. Note lens was included, if you had bought a bundle you may well have had a stock lens included as part of the deal, this would have been supplied in a separate box, now days this with the most popular top end of the range cameras would be a 35mm to 55 mm with a micro of 18mm to 24 mm.

Now here is the rub, you cannot take a photo with out a lens. So if there is no lens inclued then you need to buy one. You will at the very least need a stock lens.

Then, you will need "film" which comes in the form of a card to record your photographs on, these come in a range of sizes, the bigger the pricier, as always the better again the pricier, ask what the pros use and stick to it in the long run they are more dependable. The good news, you can use the over and over again, just reformat them.

You will have to check that your PC is compatible to the software that is provided with the camera, as this is what is required for you to download your photos to your PC.

If you have an older PC you may have a problem, but before you rush out and buy the a PC that will you need to do the downloading on and basic photo manipulations that you can. You do need to look a bit further ahead!

If you are going to necome all arty and create posters and murals, etc. you are going to need an advanced photo proccessing software pavkage, some of these will cost nearly as much as you have spent for your camera, and if you check out the PC requirements maybe a tad bit more.

Well who needed that weekend trip Florida this year.

Welcome to the World of Photography

Get hold of a good supplier of good quality blank CD' or DVD's you will need it!