Hi Guys,
Just to add to what everyone else has said, I was told a vague rule of thumb
a while back by an old photography friend (who shoots N*k*n - pah !).
Basically, the slowest shutter speed you can safely hand-hold is the
reciprocal of the lens length.
For example, with a 50mm lens, don't hand-hold it any slower than 1/50th of
a second. For a 200mm lens, don't hand-hold any slower than 1/200th of a
second.
Of course, this does vary from person to person, and depending on how much
alcohol has been consumed (swaying effect !) or coffee consumed (shaking
effect !) .... But this seems to work for me as a guide.
Also, I haven't seen anyone give a simple explanation of Depth of Field and
the use of the Aperture yet, so I'll have a go. As simple as I can....
With a small aperture, if you focus on something at, say, 15ft away from the
lens then things will be in focus from, say, 5ft to 25ft from the lens.
With a large aperture, if you focus on something at 15ft from the lens,
things will be in focus from, say, 14ft to 16ft from the lens. Much as
though this may seem like a downside (ie you have to focus more accurately)
it is the controlled use of the "out of focus" areas (AKA "Bokeh") which can
really make a good photograph.
Like most have said, though, until you get used to it stick with a fairly
medium sized aperture (f8 or f11 are normally fairly safe) and use faster
film to reduce the amount of light required.
Sorry if this all sounds either too much or too simple. Not exactly sure
how much experience you have. If you are totally new to photography, then
I'd recommend an evening class or the like at your local college. A great
way to learn the basics quickly, and then you can take it further if you
wish. I learned the hard way, by many years (and wasted film) of trial and
(mostly) error !
Good luck and happy shooting. We are all a friendly and helpful bunch here,
so don't feel embarrassed to ask questions. The only thing we ask is that
you let us see some of the results :). Cue Olaf to mention the TOPE
........ (Themed Olympus Photographic Exhibition) - open to all list members
shooting with Olympus gear. Go visit the site, as much for inspiration as
anything else. http://www.millennics.com/olympus/tope/
Regards,
Jon
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