My Camera Journey (…so far)

camera comparison, food blogger camera and lens tips and advice

Who knew I’ll be into cameras and photography?

I didn’t.

At least until the time about one year ago when I decided that I needed to get some more beauty and color into my life and a camera seemed to be the best device to help me in that quest.

Grabbing a camera might have been a really tiny step for a mankind but to me it was huge.

I don’t really understand how it might work but through the lens of a camera beauty gets magnified, colors become richer, little worlds get bigger, unknown reveals itself and, as a sweet result, a soul gets happy.

Amen.

 

My camera journey started with a cute little blue point-and-shoot from Olympus called Mju: 600.

I love the name.
camera comparison, food blogger camera and lens tips and advice

When I started to take photos with the point-and-shoot I knew completely nothing about photography.

Still, that little blue thing allowed me to take rather lovely pictures.

Like this one.

camera comparison, food blogger camera and lens tips and advice

Or this one from our vacation in Hungary.

camera comparison, food blogger camera and lens tips and advice

But when it came to food – which meant getting very close to the photographed subjects – it didn’t look optimal.

The pictures were blurry.

Even if I had a sufficient dose of caffeine and my hands weren’t shaking.

I just knew I needed more.
camera comparison, food blogger camera and lens tips and advice

Since I am a very lucky person in general, I remembered that my boyfriend had bought a big solid camera a couple of months back.

It was Canon 1000D (in US known as Rebel XS).

I knew he loved his camera but I also knew I needed it.

So, what would a decent girl do in such a situation?

She steals the camera and snaps away like no one’s business.
camera comparison, food blogger camera and lens tips and advice

This is the first picture that I took with my new camera.

I made it after I’d received one minute’s worth of camera-operating instructions from my man.

One minute of instructions, that’s what I asked for because my attention can’t take any more.

Nevertheless, I was impressed with the result.

The pictures were crisper and more professional looking.

I loved it.
camera comparison, food blogger camera and lens tips and advice

As time went by (and my boyfriend went slightly mad) me and the camera became good buddies.

When the light was sufficient we were able to do wonders.

camera comparison, food blogger camera and lens tips and advice

But when there was little light and I had to bump up the ISO to its full potential – which is 1600 – then that nasty grainy noise appeared.

I hated the noise.

You can clearly see it in the background of the above picture.
camera comparison, food blogger camera and lens tips and advice

The noise mostly was the reason why I, again, wanted more.

And since, as you already know, I am a very lucky person, the family board (consisting of me and my boyfriend) agreed to buy me this Canon 550D camera (in US known as Rebel T2i).

To make the family board agree it only took a little – basically we are talking about six months of throwing myself regularly on the floor, a lot of high-pitched screaming and many different forms of threatening toward the other member of the family board.

Easy.
camera comparison, food blogger camera and lens tips and advice

When I got the camera I took a few pictures and then I died.

Then I took some more pictures and died again.

 

The camera had quite a few wonderful features.

I especially appreciated that it had 18 megapixel resolution (the Canon 1000D had only 10 megapixels).

And the second thing which makes me almost cry is its unbelievable 12800 ISO.

That ISO means that you can carelessly stand in the darkest corner of your kitchen on a gloomy rainy day with no lights on over a pan of frying cauliflower and take the most wonderful pictures with your ISO working at only one quarter of its potential.

That’s gorgeous, my friends!

But do you want to know what’s even more gorgeous?

There’s almost no noise!

Oh. My. Gosh.
camera comparison, food blogger camera and lens tips and advice

I just love this camera.

I love it from the bottom of my heart… up to the top of my heart.

Next time, I think I’ll show you my lenses.

I love lenses.

I want many.

I think it’s a dangerous game.

 

22 thoughts on “My Camera Journey (…so far)

  1. 1
    ldh says:

    Love the clarity and results from your new camera! Great photography, Petra!

  2. 2
    cherokeebydesign says:

    Seems you have got bitten by the bug.

    Keep up the great work.

    Raven

  3. 3
    ingrid says:

    🙂 Thanks for sharing! I’m jealous of the noiseless photos, …a little. Now I wanna know about the lenses.
    ~ingrid

  4. 4
    Lili says:

    Great post and I love your blog… but please please please write about your lenses too! I am just about to buy Canon 550D and need to know what lenses would be the best ones to get to start with (and I am not getting too many!).Thank you!!

  5. 5
    Apicius' Apprentice says:

    WOW. I’m in love with this blog. This post is awesome!

  6. 6
    sonal chopra says:

    your blog is absolutely beautiful… loved all the pictures you have posted!!! absolutely gorgeous! even the ones from your old cameras. incidentally, i’m shopping around for one too and will definitely try out the Rebel T2i.

  7. 7
    martina says:

    Great blog and pic, loved the way that u are explaining stuff. At the moment I am facing huge dilema…NIKON D90 or your CANON 550D. Till now I worked with Panasonic Lumix fz50, but kicking and screaming for a year to get NIKON or CANON….
    Stay well :-))

    • 7.1
      ZoomYummy says:

      Hi Martina!

      Most I can say as an avid Canon user is that I love my Canon ;)! (Oh, I just heard Nikon Police knocking on my door! 🙂 )

      Well, any of them you choose, I’m sure you’ll be pretty amazed and satisfied!

      Happy picture-taking to you and have a wonderful day!

      🙂 Petra

  8. 8
    Jude says:

    Hi Petra,

    Thank you so much for your explanations and sharing your experiences with cameras and lenses. I am a complete newbie to photography and your posts have been invaluable to me. I especially loved your post on aperture.

    Hope you have a happy holiday.

    Jude

  9. 9
    Mashed Potato says:

    Amazing quality all over the place….!
    And the camera story is sooo inspiring!
    Im going to try that cauliflower soup of yours sooon!

  10. 10
    michelle says:

    I have the t2i and love it also! amazing pictures, makes me look like I actually know what I’m doing!!

  11. 11
    Becky says:

    I am jealous of your camera! My brother and sis in law have the same one and I would die for one. Cant afford one just right now but in due time I will get one! Beautiful pictures

  12. 12
    Sandy Case says:

    I never did get my turn at having the camera our family had. We came from a large family of ten kids and everything seemed to be handed down. I had a long wait too as I was the Baby Girl. By the time the camera finally got to me, they had quit making film for the Kodak Brownie Box! I still have it though even if I can’t use it, It’s still cool.

  13. 13
    Mel says:

    Reading your camera journey so far I can not believe how similar it is to mine, I too had a blue point and shoot and now have a 550d, alothough my photo journey has been of my children and family holidays love reading all of your blogs please dont stop!!!

  14. 14
    Jaclyn says:

    I always love your photos! How did you get that amazingly gorgeous photo of the cherry?

    • 14.1
      Petra says:

      Thanks so much, Jaclyn!! That was a little trick I did there, I used a wooden skewer but shot it from an angle where the skewer couldn’t be seen 🙂

  15. 15
    Safiyyah says:

    Greetings Dear: I admit I haven’t visited you here in a long time (tears), but, I came back to introduce two of my rookie photographer friends to your blog. While here, I am re-reading, smiling, and my heart is melting the way it used to. I bought this camera back then based on your experience. I, too, am equally in love with it, today 🙂

  16. 16
    Angela says:

    I love your story and with pictures!! I have a story similar…first a point and shoot, I now own a fugifilm 14 megapixel 24 zoom. I know I wanted better sunset pictures and close up eagle shots for my new camera. I live in a small town in Alaska and had very small selection of cameras. I have been happy to go take pictures and am excited when I am uploading them and going through them is just as exciting. Your story is encouraging me to move forward and get myself a camera and I am going to look into a Cannon 55oD…thank you for sharing…I enjoyed your story. No matter the weather I go out and take pictures and it has enriched my life like I never thought possible! Angela

  17. 17
    Jenny says:

    I’m being completely serious when I thought you bought all the pictures on this site, they’re so good! Congratulations on finding something you enjoy that you have such a talent for, hopefully I’ll find something similar one day!

  18. 18
    Rahm says:

    Yor’re so attractive and all of your photos and stories are quite amazing!! COOL!!!!

  19. 19
    April says:

    I just love your photography, your recipes and the way you write. You’re so witty! This is also the most “unboring” explanation of ISO I found. I have been searching the internet for camera tips before I finally buy a DSLR but everything’s been boring and takes more than a minute to understand – we both have a very short attention span. =) and I remembered your site. Thank you!

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