I’m a Nikon Girl!

Who really cares?  A lot of photographers are stuck on one brand of camera gear.  Some even switch depending on which company is the most innovative from year to year.  Personally, I believe the big two –  Cannon and Nikon — stay neck and neck, so I don’t obsess about who is better.  Yesterday’s finest DSLR took some great pictures, why wouldn’t it still get great results today in capable hands?  Still, if  you upgraded your camera in the last four years it most likely has a button that you wonder about but have never discovered what exactly it does.

Even for seasoned pros, it’s hard to keep up with all the gizmos that come on a modern DSLR.   Though I’ve been working as a photographer for over ten years, there are many features that where invented after my last university photography lesson.  My first Nikon camera was manual focus but now I’m not even sure they make those?  One would think that with auto focus it’s going to get easier to take great pictures.  Nope, this isn’t always the case. Which of your camera auto focus settings do you need to use when?

When a new feature comes out, one of my favorite ways to stay up to speed is by watching D Town, it’s an online show on Nikon cameras and lenses.  They also cover products that complement Nikon gear and it’s free to watch!  For me, watching a person point out new features is so much better than reading my camera manual.   Even if this your first DSLR, don’t worry, the show is made for newbies.  The only problem you’ll have is trying not to run out and buy all the gear they discuss … which you will be drooling over!  If you’re a Canon user, I’m sure there is something similar out there somewhere on the web.  You might try Kelby Training, it requires a monthly subscription but they offer a a wide array of  subjects for photographers, plus entire classes on too many different camera models to name here.

If you’re just wondering what the heck a DSLR or an SLR is, here’s a link to Wikipedia on the subject.