Nikon FM10, Is it a good SLR camera for beginners?
I like to learn photography. But I don't have lot of money to buy a DSLR. Planning to buy a slightly used Nikon fm10 with it's STANDARD lens. Will i be able to make some good photos? How about taking photos with blurred background (some aperture and focusing tricks) Anyone here using a FM10?
The fm10 is a film camera. You would save a lot of money by getting a digital camera, as film development and prices have gotten extremely expensive and you can't choose the way you develop your photos because usually a person behind a counter does it. Save up, by an entry-level DSLR kit (new so you have a warranty) so it comes with a kit lens. Whatever lens it comes with will be fine for learning.
With the blurred background (called depth of field) you want to use a low f stop, meaning the lowest number your f stop will go (should say on the lens f/1.4, f/2.8, f/4.5) and make sure your subject has a lot of space behind it.
Unfortunately there aren't too many "tricks" except practice.
Save money by buying digital. You'll learn way faster if you can see the immediate results on the screen after you take a photo. And it's digital which means you don't waste film… And money!
That guy is right, digital will save you money. But it's not just about that.
Film will teach you to make sure you expose properly, it will teach you to be careful whilst shooting as you only have a limited number of exposure, it will teach you to think about your composition and force you to consider each shot. It also has some sort of 'feel' that digital does not. You can experiment with it more also with things like cross processing, up/down-rating film speed and double exposures.
The FM10 is an ok film camera but there are many better ones out there. I swear by the Pentax K1000, they're fantastic little cameras and they look great. You can pick one up with a 50mm 1.2 lens for around $100
A Nikon FM10 is an SLR. It can be used to do all the same things a DSLR can do. And yes it can take good photos. All SLRs can take good photos in the right hands.
It has full manual controls, so you can indeed adjust the aperture manually for shallow depth of field.
Understanding depth of field: http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/...-field.htm
Learning photography using an SLR is a great way to get started and to learn photography inexpensively. Obviously the biggest expense you will have is in film processing. One good thing about using film is that because it's expensive to process, it forces you to think before you shoot, to avoid wasting shots - in other words it forces you to become a better photographer.
I don't use an FM10, but I own and use several 35mm SLRs, and a DSLR.