Home · Register · Search · Software · Hosting · Software · Join Upload & Sell

	Moderated by: Fred Miranda
	Username   Password FM Forum Rules FM Forums | Forum & Miscellaneous | Join Upload & Sell   end    Internal thought process - I think I'm doing it wrong!

Chaosmonger Offline • Upload & Sell: Off p.1 #1 · Internal thought process - I think I'm doing it wrong! As a noob to digital photography I can almost guarantee i'm doing it wrong I am teaching myself to run my D90 on "Manual" instead of relying on the green button. I got some wonderful C&C from members in another thread and it got me thinking about how I "size up" a shot and what I think should be the priorities. Link to C&C thread First - I have been deciding what depth of field (aperture) I want and setting the shutter speed to get the right exposure. Second - I've been popping up my built in flash (I know I need a better flash) to add fill light or to keep the image in focus from too slow a shutter while chasing my kids around. I have been sort of "afraid" to set the ISO above 200 because someone in a tutorial said I would lose image quality. Third - Make adjustments to tweak the results. I'm at a point where I usually get pretty close to what I want however I know I can do better. Some of the tips I got from the C&C our wonderful members gave made me realize I should probably understand the lighting available first and set the camera to take advantage of it. Please share if you would some of your thought process on how you approach capturing an image. I do understand keeping one's tricks of the trade to themselves is important. I am looking for more broad approach ideas over specific scenarios. Thanks in advance to all on this board! ETA: Spelling for the grammer police below Edited on Oct 24, 2012 at 01:07 AM · View previous versions Oct 24, 2012 at 12:17 AM

jcolwell Offline • • • • • • Upload & Sell: On p.1 #2 · Internal thought process - I think I'm doing it wrong! Chaosmonger wrote: As a noob to digital photography I can almost gaurantee i'm doing it wrong I am teaching myself to run my D90 on "Manual" instaed of relying on the green button. I got some woderful C&C from members in another thread and it got me thinking about how I "size up" a shot and what I think should be the priorities. Link to C&C thread First - I have been deciding what depth of field (aperature) I want and setting the shutter speed to get the right exposure. Second - I've been poping up my built in flash... ... I am looking for more broad approach ideas over specific scenarios. I don't know the Nikon lineup, and so I don't know where the D90 fits, but ISO 200 is peanuts. If you can't get decent IQ from ISO 800 (or 3200), then it's time to trade up. Also, fast lenses are very useful for this type of stuff. What lens(es) are you shooting? P.S. you should try using a spell checker... just sayin' Oct 24, 2012 at 12:31 AM

Chaosmonger Offline • Upload & Sell: Off p.1 #3 · Internal thought process - I think I'm doing it wrong! Now that the spellin' is up to FM standards ...I still only have the 18-105 VR3.5-5.6 kit lens that came with the body. It seams to be a jack of all trades, expert at nothing lens. From what I understand the D90 itself is fairly good on the internal components and electronics but in a consumer grade body (plastic). I would like to understand more what I'm doing before I throw money at lens solutions where I could probably learn better usage of what I have. An external/hot shoe flash will be my first upgrade. Oct 24, 2012 at 01:21 AM

jcolwell Offline • • • • • • Upload & Sell: On p.1 #4 · Internal thought process - I think I'm doing it wrong! Chaosmonger wrote: ETA: Spelling for the grammer police below Grammar. P.S. that would be spelling police. Oct 24, 2012 at 02:47 AM

jcolwell Offline • • • • • • Upload & Sell: On p.1 #5 · Internal thought process - I think I'm doing it wrong! Anyway, I know what you're saying. It's often difficult to be mindful of aperture, shutter speed, and ISO. At the most basic level, that's all we have to work with. It's easy and often valuable to get caught up in the emotions or intent of the moment, but sometimes you don't consider the technical aspects of, "what to I want to do, here". One of the fastest "hands on" ways to figure this out is to use a fast prime lens. I figure you could find a 35/2 or 50/1.8 lens for a bargain price, and then you can figure it out for yourself. Oct 24, 2012 at 02:48 AM

CGrindahl Offline • • • • • • Upload & Sell: On p.1 #6 · Internal thought process - I think I'm doing it wrong! I'm shooting the D700, which is a few steps ahead of the D90 in some important ways. I shoot almost exclusively with manual focus Nikkor lenses and shoot either Aperture Priority or Manual Mode. The variable is available light. If there is sufficient light to keep the shutter speed high enough for the lens mounted, I shoot Aperture Priority. If I'm shooting with a long lens or if light is low, I'll shoot Manual Mode and set the shutter speed that will work with the lens mounted. I rely on the fact Nikon offers Auto ISO and that the D700 can handle high ISO well enough, that I let the camera make the decision based on aperture and shutter settings and what the light meter is registering. It seems rather silly not to take advantage of Auto ISO in my opinion. Unfortunately, the D90 does not meter automatically with manual focus lenses. Later camera models come with what is called a non-CPU register that permits entering information including fastest aperture so that the camera can meter properly. I've known folks who use MF lenses on cameras without the register, but that requires a bit of trial and error, as well as reliance on the LCD. Manual focus Nikkor lenses tend to be very reasonably priced, so you may wish to consider them as you continue your experiment. In my opinion, manually focusing adds immensely to the satisfaction of shooting. Yes, AF is essential for some circumstances, but MF will handle quite a few. You may wish to check out the ongoing conversation on this subject at what is the most active thread on the Nikon forum. Here's a link. Manual Focus Nikon Glass It is well over 4,000 pages of comments so you might want to check out the last hundred or so. There are participants from around the world. Oct 24, 2012 at 08:04 PM

Jeffrey Offline • • • • • Upload & Sell: On p.1 #7 · Internal thought process - I think I'm doing it wrong! Noob to digital imaging or photography? If you're new to imagemaking, why would you use manual mode without a spot meter and some understanding of the zone system? I would say start with Aperture Priority and learn more, then move to manual when you are much more educated about tonal management. Oct 24, 2012 at 11:40 PM

Chaosmonger Offline • Upload & Sell: Off p.1 #8 · Internal thought process - I think I'm doing it wrong! jcolwell wrote: Chaosmonger wrote: ETA: Spelling for the grammer police below Grammar. P.S. that would be spelling police. Time to upgrade the sarcasm detector. I'll trade you mine for this prime lens you speak of . I have read and heard on more than a few occasions to look into a fixed fifty to get some additional speed and quality glass without spending too much over my skill level. And as CGridahl below mentioned the MF might be fun too. When my kids stop sucking my wallet dry..... Oct 25, 2012 at 02:02 AM

Chaosmonger Offline • Upload & Sell: Off p.1 #9 · Internal thought process - I think I'm doing it wrong! Jeffrey wrote: Noob to digital imaging or photography? If you're new to imagemaking, why would you use manual mode without a spot meter and some understanding of the zone system? I would say start with Aperture Priority and learn more, then move to manual when you are much more educated about tonal management. Easy answer, I was getting to the point where auto settings were starting to get in the way of what I wanted to see in my images. Fliping to manual seemed the best way force me out of my comfort zone. In past years and in a very different type of work we would "train till you fail". Training on things you are already good at doesn't teach you much about yourself. I like what you and Cgrindahl are saying about using the Av setting more and letting the Auto ISO do its job. It also sounds like I need to pay more attention to light metering settings (spot, locked etc.) and move it higher up in my thought process. I have the jest of the zone system but I think I need to read more and make some dedicated practice time to metering. Thanks to all for sharing your knowledge. This forum is a really nice resource for someone like me and so far a really nice group of folks! Oct 25, 2012 at 02:39 AM

	end FM Forums | Forum & Miscellaneous | Join Upload & Sell end

You are not logged in. Login or Register

Username   Password    Lost your password?