m._bingley

<p>Thanks, William, Paul, and others for providing such thorough write up! My, even manual page numbers! I appreciate the fact that you took time to share your expertise so I can take some better pictures.<br> <br />I'm strongly considering upgrading to the top DX body (D7200, it looks like). Well, it's a few weeks until Black Friday, so I can do a bit of research and think about my budget.</p>

<p>In response to Paul --<br> 1. There is no explicit rule about using flash. Knowing the crowd, I feel that they would tolerate a few pictures taken with the flash, but after that they'll complain. I know if I were dancing, I would, too. It's just too distracting even if you bounce off the ceiling.<br> 2. I was using the AF-S DX Nikkor 35mm f/1.8G lens. (Sorry, I made a mistake and wrote f/1.2.)<br> 3. I started with ISO at 3,200, the camera in P mode, AF-S ("sport" mode) & auto-area for AF (3D tracking with 11 points is unavailable in the "sport" mode). That didn't work, and the focus lamp was distracting people. So I switched to manual focus. I dialed the ISO up to H 0.7, and still found the shutter too slow. So I set the camera in S mode (shutter priority), with the shutter speed at 125. (I'm not happy with any of the pictures, but my friends are -- as their reference point is the phone cam.)<br> I'll look into using my speedlight for focusing. I'm considering upgrading -- low light has always been a hard problem for me to solve, and maybe it's time to retire the camera body that has served me for... eight years???<br> I'm really appreciative of the help you're giving! This is pretty amazing you're so willing to share your knowledge.</p>

<p>Wow, Paul, that's a lot of help! Let me respond a bit later...</p>

<p>Geln's idea of using an IR heat lamp idea is very interesting. Has anyone tried it? AF would help. I'm learning about AF-assist illuminator on the speedlight. It sounds less intrusive than the lamp on the camera body.<br> I did try to time my shots with pauses in the dance. The problem is that with a narrow depth of field and no AF, it wasn't easy. It normally takes me at least a second to focus, and by the time I get it, the shot is gone. So I tried to stay far away to create a larger depth of field, but that means cropping. At high ISO, a cropped picture looks bad. It's really beginning to sound like the only way to solve the ISO quality issue is to get a new body.<br> I don't think I can use the flash, either. Maybe just once or twice. But more than that, people will probably complain. </p>

<p>I tried taking pictures at a ball, and I found it challenging. The conditions are:</p> <ol> <li>Low light (low and constant -- this is not disco or club dancing where there may be spot lighting, but ballroom)</li> <li>People constantly moving</li> <li>No auto focus because the focusing lamp is too bright and distracting in a dark room where people are giving their all to the dance</li> <li>Obviously, I can't interrupt ("Hey, can you guys just freeze right at this point?")</li> </ol> <p>I ended up using shutter priority (S = 125), but even with f/1.2 and the ISO all the way up, there is still some blur from motion. If I take a picture of the whole ballroom from the corner of the room, there is enough light. But if I get up close to individual dancers, there isn't. Also, since I have to manually focus, with a narrow plane of focus and constantly moving dancers, I don't get to choose my shots. I basically have to "pre-sight" (set the focus for a certain zone) and shoot when they come into the zone.<br /> Naturally, with the ISO so high, the noise is substantial. Often the pictures are dark so I have to do post-processing.<br /> Is there anything I can try to get better pictures (prior to post-processing)? I'm wondering whether I might just need to upgrade my Nikon D90 body.<br /> Thanks so much for your help!</p>

<p>I think my Nikon D90 has been hunting more than usual for autofocusing. I just noticed it, and will shoot a bit over the next few days, with different lenses, to make sure it's not just a fluke. In the meanwhile, are there things I could or should check/clean/tinker with? <br> The weird thing is that in auto mode, the AF lamp comes on and the camera focuses. But in M, A, S, or P modes, the AF lamp doesn't come on -- even in a pitch dark room -- and then the camera hunts. Is this how the camera is supposed to work? It seems wrong.<br> Thanks for your help!</p>

<p>For what it's worth, I think I figured out what happened to my D90. The SD card had a piece of plastic missing. I think it broke off inside the reader, and so I couldn't use the reader anymore. So it wasn't the camera's fault. I think some people thought I meant the door -- the door was fine. <br> Anyway, Nikon fixed the problem for me, and I am rather fond of my little D90. I'll hang on to it for another generation! </p>

<p>I am building a personal site for my hobbies. I won't make money off it. How can I find free photos to illustrate the site? I located one photo database that is totally free (http://all-free-download.com). Most others charge or require that you advertise for them. I intend on using some of my own photographs, of course, and I wouldn't like it if someone were to take them without permission to use on his own site. So I won't do that to people. Where can I find photos?</p>

<p>Good memory, Rick! I have a camcorder, and I like it. So I'm not looking to consolidate right now. Maybe I'll be ready to do that the generation after D7100!</p>

<p>Thanks for all your input. I've learned something here.<br> I decided to spring for the repair. The D90 does everything I want, though it may be two generations behind. I customized a few things -- hope the repair shop won't make them disappear.<br> But I also decided also to not repair it the next time it's broken. </p>

<p>I think Shun got the $250 quote from me! That's how much the repair shop wants to charge.<br> The problem is not the door, but the lock that keeps the SD card in. I was surprised by the mechanical failure. I'm fairly gentle with all my stuff, and so I was expecting the body to last a while. I thought the electronics would be the first to go, and not anything mechanical.<br> Yes, I can get good pictures from the D90, and I also checked KEH before posting. Paying $250 is cheaper than $300+ for a used body in excellent condition -- because I think my camera, other than the card bay, is in excellent condition. <br> Stepping up to the D7100 seems like an incremental improvement for photo quality. Better video capability might be nice, but I use a camcorder for video.<br> Hmm, I guess I'm talking myself into paying for the repair!</p>

<p>Well, I need a piece of information to answer the question. If a DSLR body typically lasts 8+ years, then I'd go ahead and repair it. If 4 years is how long a DSLR lasts, then I wouldn't. How long does a DSLR body last?</p>

<p>I'm having to decide between paying $250 to fix my Nikon D90 body or getting a new camera, possibly the D7100 at $1,000+. I've had my camera for 4.5 years, and the SD card bay broke. I thought camera bodies lasted forever! But I'm wrong. What's the life expectancy for DSLR bodies? Would you fix the camera or get a new one if you were in my situation? It seems to me, if the D90 can go on for another four years, the repair cost seems worth it. But if not...<br> Thanks for your input?</p>

<p>I have had an SB-600 for three years. I don't use it very often, but it worked fine until a few weeks ago. When I turn it on, the ready light won't come on. The flash light is always red. I can't get the flash to go off. Everything else seems to work. I've tried three different sets of batteries, including brand new ones. But that made no difference. I also don't hear the flash charging up when I turn it on (I don't hear the high-pitch noise).</p> <p>Is it time to send the flash to a repair shop? If so, recommendations for a good shop? (I'm assuming that it's cheaper to get it fixed than to get a new flash.)</p> <p>Thanks!!!</p>