The Indian and the Pana

I got a new camera. Well, not exactly new, but a second hand DSLR from an Indian national here in Singapore. It's a Canon 60D which includes the 18-55 kit lens. I'm adamant at first to buy a second hand unit, especially for something with electronic components. I asked my mentor-slash-friend to accompany me and inspect the camera first before buying it. The camera was tested by my friend thoroughly, taking a few shots and inspecting both the camera, the lens, and the output. So far, so good.

Canon 60d with a different kitlens , image from kenrockwell.com

This is my first time to actually own a DSLR, and my initial thought was it fits comfortably in my hands. The weight of the body and the kit lens is heavy enough to be stable but light enough to carry it around. Perfect, I can do street photography now with this.

However, I found out that shooting with a DSLR is an entirely different ballgame now. I've been very much accustomed with using cameraphone, using the "live view" to frame my shots. With DSLR, framing using the viewfinder is different. I need to familiarize myself with the camera and be comfortable with the viewfinder. Of course, the DSLR is also equipped with live view, but shooting with this is slower.

I was also able to find my way around the complex menu and assortment of buttons, thanks to the 300-page manual which I've downloaded from the Internet. With this, I've learned how to navigate and adjust the ISO speed, aperture, and shutter speed. I tried to experiment with various settings and I've observed that while keeping the aperture constant, exposure will be the same if the ISO and shutter speed are adjusted correspondingly. The noise will be more apparent, especially at higher ISO, which in my camera starts to becomes noticeable at 400.

ISO 400, f/5.6, 1/3s

ISO 100, f/5.6, 1/3s

Now, I should practice more with this newly-acquired "pana".