@Mazdafreak Yeah I made that mistake when first getting my DSLR- I started shooting in priority modes and I kinda didn't know what I was doing. Should've started off with 'Auto' or even some of the specialty modes. I'm getting pretty comfortable with the manual modes now, but I still make a mistake every now and then. These shots that I'm posting are, as you can probably tell, still part of my learning process lol.

@lukaku145 So yeah, as @Mazdafreak said it would probably be best for you to start in either Auto or some of the slightly specialized modes (you'll see them on the camera if you get one). I wish I would have. But I've heard that it is important to start experimenting with the manual modes relatively soon so the Auto doesn't become a sort of 'crutch.' The manual modes can definitely speed up the learning process. Everyone is still learning in some way unless you're an absolute pro.

The auto setting is pretty good on the D3x00 series. Once you get the hang of the camera though, the manual controls definitely allow you to learn much more about how a picture is composed. I made the mistake of trying to shoot too much in full manual mode early on, and many of my pictures were overexposed or blurry because I didn't know what I was doing. Many of the regular users who still post on here have DSLRs and are generally more than willing to give advice and tips about how to use a DSLR, so if you do decide to pick one up, there's a wealth of knowledge on here about how to use it. I got my D3300 at Biggs Camera (on Kings Dr near the Metropolitan Shopping Center), and they are usually pretty cool about letting you try out different cameras, lenses, and the like. It's a local business as well, and I've actually managed to spot some decent cars in their parking lot haha (a 991 Carrera and a DB9).

If you choose to upgrade to a DSLR you won't be disappointed. The quality difference will be greatly noticable. As far as settings you shouldn't really have too big of an issue. The automatic modes are usually pretty good at getting the settings right and if the car is parked you can always adjust the settings a little if needed.

My main worry about a dslr is that if I don't have the settings right the photos will come out poorly, because with a iPhone all I have to do is tap to focus on the subject if I have time and it does the rest and then I sometimes edit them later. If I see a car at night tho that is far away, very small chance that I'll get a decent shot which is why I'm considering upgrading.

Thank you guys a ton for the info! I'm considering switching over, it's pretty impossible to get a good shot of a car going the other way on the highway with my phone but I would love to just raise the quality of my shots (sometimes I have to take like 20+ pictures of a car at night to get one that comes out good enough). Funny enough speaking about shooting while driving my drivers ed teacher was a car guy and let me take pictures of a p85d & Quattraporte combo as well as a red prowler while driving. My first car will almost definitely be a stick though so that will get more difficult.

I typically leave mine on auto-no flash when I'm driving around. Unless it's really bright outside, the flash will try to fire when the camera is in full auto mode, and it can really ruin the shot if there's anything in between you and the subject (like a windshield). If I'm on foot, I generally put it in shutter priority, which allows you to manually set a shutter speed but frees you from having to adjust aperture and ISO, which can be handy for panning shots and things of that nature. Otherwise, I usually just shoot in full manual mode. And haha I can understand not wanting to take pics while you drive. I just generally grab my camera with my right hand, flip the dial to 'on', and aim in the general direction of the car. Most of the time it's my only chance to get a picture of any kind, and while those pics don't typically come out very well, I have gotten lucky with a few (like a yellow E-Type driving in the other direction on I-77).

When it comes to getting photos from inside a car, of course, it's not the best scenario to get amazing photos. Nothing beats the ability to walk around the car and experiment with plenty of angles (something I'm trying to do more of lately). But, in-car shots with a DSLR are on average quicker and better than phone camera shots.

For me, sometimes I end up leaving my camera on in an incorrect setting by accident when I'm in a car (slow shutter speed for instance), which can ruin any chance of a good shot. But still, pictures are typically much quicker and higher quality than those taken from a phone camera. And of course, keep in mind, if you switch to a DSLR, there will be a learning curve, so it will take some time to get used to in-car and out-of-car shots.

Even though I have an automatic transmission in my vehicle, I never take photos while driving. I'm not comfortable with doing so regarding safety, so I choose not to. Just a personal choice though, as I know many others are comfortable with doing it.

I have a D3300, which is the previous generation of W2G's Nikon. It turns on and is ready to go as soon as you rotate the dial to the 'on' position. The only thing that can take time is taking off the lens cap and rotating the lens into its range (18-55mm, 55-200mm, etc). What I do to mitigate that is take the lens cap off, rotate the lens to about 30 mm or so, and rest the camera between my seat and the door ahead of time (my car happens to have a good place to rest the camera there that doesn't stress out the body or lens). This way I can just quickly grab my camera and snap a pic of something without having to really take my eyes off the road. It also works to just leave the camera in your lap, but I drive a stick and it's harder to drive in traffic with my camera in my lap. If you drive an auto or are just a passenger though, this technique is probably best. That way you can just flip it to the on position, aim, and snap a pic.

Back to your main question though, if you have already taken off the lens cap and extended the lens, you can start focusing and photographing faster with a DSLR than you can with most - if not all - camera phones. The only thing that would cause a DSLR to focus slowly is lack of light (when the camera can't see what you're trying to focus on), or something in between you and the subject you're trying to photograph (such as rain on the windshield).

Pretty much with any modern day DSLR you'll get fast focusing. As far as turning on time, you could always just leave it on so thats not a worry. However if you need to turn it on it doesnt take too long.

Does it take longer to get a picture with a real camera than with the iPhone? Like if you see a cool car driving the other direction from you would you have a chance at getting the shot, or does it take a while to turn on and focus?

All photos posted since February 2017 were most likely taken with a Nikon D3400 with its kit lens, an 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6. Soon, I will begin to upload some shots with my newer lens, a 55-200mm f/4-5.6, which is a bit better. But I do have a few miscellaneous shots from my iPhone that I will be uploading soon too.

Nice shot man. I would love to start taking better shots but I don't have a real camera, use iPhone 6s for everything. What do you use?

Thanks! I'm pretty happy with it...hopefully my shots will just get better from here xD

Great shot!

Interesting, I actually find them quite fitting for the car. But, black rims might look better.

Nice spec. Though one thing I would change are the rims.