Hello from Hertfordshire

[Dantooine]

Hi there,
Im Dan, 29, from Hertfordshire in England, and i am a 'noob' to SLR photography. Ive always wanted to get into it as a hobby, feeling i have an eye for it, and over the past couple of years ive always gone through phases of looking to buy a camera - reading every review i can find on the web, looking for the best deal etc. I think mainly the cost has always held me back, but 2 days ago i thought 'sod it!' and bought one.

It was a tough choice between canon, nikon and sony. But after weighing up the pros and cons i went for the Sony alpha 200, with 18-70mm kit lens. It has received incredible reviews for its price, and while the canon 100d and nikon d60 also looked like great cameras, the sony lured me in with its features (just as many as the other models), its seemingly increase in the slr camera market share, and also the price (£100 cheaper). As it was my first camera i didnt want to spend too much but then wanted something with enough quality for decent pictures. Hopefully you'll agree!

Having literally taken afew snaps around my house and local park to get a feel for the camera i thought 'ive got to join a forum about sony slrs!' and ive found one. Having stalked around you all seem like very knowledgeable and talented people!

At the moment i dont have any burning questions, but any tips for starting out, advice etc. would be grealty appreciated! Oh actually i do have a question - UV filter, should that be one of the first things to buy??

Cheers all, and thanks for having me

Dan

[bakubo]

Welcome to the forum, Dan. Feel free to ask questions when you have them and if you get a good photo then post it.

I generally keep a UV filter on my lenses to protect the front element. Some people don't.

[Birma]

Welcome Dantooine! I'm sure you'll find this a very informative place to hang out, just as I have.

Getting a UV filter is a good way to protect the investment in your lens. The Hoya Pro 1 Digital range seems to be getting a lot of love on various forums. You can pick up the kit lens (Sony 18-70mm) for about £50 second hand, so don't go mad on the filtyer you buy to protect it Shop around on the web for filters and they will be much cheaper than in camera shops.

As another relative newb I suggest taking photos and posting them to forums is a great way to learn more from the constructive comments people will make. We all love to look at photos as well! You will also have to learn to start lusting after new lenses as this seems to be what happens to us all. The A200 is a great camera and I'm sure you will have a lot of fun with it.

Processing your shots in photo software will make a big difference to how your shots look, and so it is worth getting your hand around this area as well.

[Dantooine]

Thanks for the welcome guys, and for the advice. I shall certainly post some photos up once ive taken some good shots, im all for constructive criticism!
Looks like I shall grab a uv filter then, but like you say, i wont spend too much!

Cheers
Dan

[Dusty]

I just want to add my welcome to you, Dan. You can learn a lot form the people here.

Dusty

[Dr. Harout]

A welcome from me too, Dan.
And if you have some spare time, I would recommend to revise the articles found on the main page of photoclubalpha and scroll the topics where I'm sure you'll find very informative discussions and photos.
Glad you're with us and welcome again.