New to the D200 and want to know what the optimized settings for shooting a wedding would be as far as sharpening etc.. THANKs

Any suggestions? also what is the most effective way to white balance?

I pretty much turn everything off or to normal in camera as I prefer to optimize in post processing where I have more control. I have started shooting color mode I though as I prefer the warmer tones for weddings.

Shoot in RAW, and none of it matters whatsoever - you can, using Capture NX, re-create what the camera WOULD do (as is applies sharpening, saturation, etc., to the raw capture to produce a JPEG), and white balancing can be done after the fact - in batches, if you have a long series of shots under the same lighting conditions.

My settings:

Shooting Menu

Optimise Image:

Custom:

+1 Image Sharpening

- Tone Compensation

1 - color mode

0 - Saturation

+3 - Hue Adjustment

I shoot RAW and also some little post processing with Nikon Capture ONLY, no photoshop!

I shoot wedding most of the time!

I have 2 D200 +2 SB800 and 2 MBD200 and some excellent lenses.

Picture result is excellent!

Good luck

Antonio

12 GB and 16 GB memory cards become common, so you should not be limitted by the size.

 

Shoot both RAW + Large Fine JPG. For JPG you can use settings as adviced by Antonio. Personally, I would not add too much saturation, but you shoot RAW just in case you need it. If using Antonio's settings perhaps your JPG pictures could be ready for print, but can be improved, altered, or salvaged, from the RAW files.

 

Before the wedding, and during the wedding, inspect picture or two for presence of any dust. You can shoot dust reference picture to make it easy to inspect and making sure you have NO dust. You can do it easily on the LCD screen by zooming max and panning across inspecting entire frame carefully.

 

After the wedding, take immediately the Noise Reference Picture, as described in the camera manual, just in case you may need it, hopefully not! RAW files and the Noise Reference Picture could be your rescue.

 

Most likely your JPG pictures will be good to print. For larger print size or posters, perhaps working on RAW file will provide better result, if you have the time and experience with photo processing software. Your RAW files will be you assurance, even if you do not use them.

I would never use a 12 or 16GB card, too much to lose if it craps out.

Re not using large memory card. Very true if it craps out, also very true if one of many cards were lost. Both are possible....

I thinks it's commonly accepted, and common sense all the same, not to put all your eggs in one basket in case you drop it and the eggs break! But its a free world so do precisely as you please, Felix.

If you shoot only JPG, so on 3 times larger card you will loose 3 times more pictures.

 

Here advice was given to shoot RAW + best JPG, for reasons already explained. Benefits of RAW + JPG are unquestionable.

 

Shoot JPG only on 4GB, and get perhaps a 600 pictures, depending on camera and setings. Shoot RAW + JPG on a 12 GB could get about the same number of pictures or less. Since RAW files are about 3 times or more larger than the JPG, you could actually loose more JPG pictures on 4GB than on 12 GB (RAW + JPG)

 

Advantage of using RAW + JPG was already explained, and that may require larger memory cards.

 

Size of memory card perhaps has no relation to rate of failures, can anyone prove otherwise ?

 

Using your eggs and basket analogy, you are putting much bigger eggs in the basket if you shoot RAW + JPG.

 

The only better assurance is to use more than one camera, so you have two baskets, and are reducing probability of disaster by 50 % only.

The best thing to do is to familiarize yourself with you (new)equipment first under a variety of lighting conditions. Considering the old adage "film is cheap" then relatively "digital is close to free".

Another point is find out what the customer wants. Ask them if they like, then adjust accordingly to their needs. Wedding photography is about the bride and the groom, not the photographer. The couple are the art directors in a sense.

The photographer should be intimately familiar with his equipment, tools and techniques to be able to meet and adapt to the situation.

When it comes to settings there are no right or wrong answers, it all depends.

Go in prepared and with a plan, conceptualize and familiarize,...