Need help w/ my D70!

[jettlich]

I've e-mailed this forum before, about a year ago w/ questions about lighting,

and here I am again.

 

I've had my D70 for 2 years and I've never been wholeheartedly satisfied w/

the hard-copy print look and quality. In fact, still - for 2 years, I've been

questioning whether or not to go back to my N80 (film). Digital just does not

seem to produce the same saturation of color and lack-of-flatness that film

does.

 

I think the part that does worst is my photos INdoors. I even have the SB80-DX

flash from Nikon and I just do NOT like the way my photos look. I feel I'm in

this constant state of figuring out what I may be doing wrong, so that I can't

work on the art of my photography.

 

In a nutshell, I think you can tell, I'm very frustrated. Any hints from

anyone? Is there some magic setting I should use?

 

Typically, I use the P (multi-program priority) when I taking pictures. But

even if I change to shutter priority or one of the other manual-types, I don't

get what I want. I've learned that digital is VERY unforgiving for any small

error in exposure.

 

Perhaps film is just still best. Thanks a lot for any encouragement. Jenna :)

[frank_skomial]

Why did you wait a year to ask again?

 

For once, you use SB-800DX that is not compatible with the D70 camera latest and greatest modes like iTTL and mode advances features from the CLS.

 

To start with, get rid of the SB-80 and get SB-800 or couple of them, and start using the more advanced lighting techniques.

 

I cannot tell what flash mode you use with D70 and SB80-DX, but there were reasons why Nikon invented the new CLS. Do you use a flash light meter to determine flash exposure ? Do you use flash Auto, Manual, your SB80-DX in D-TTL will not work - so perhaps you cannot use the major feature of it ?

 

The D70/SB-800 has many iTTL modes, balanced, spot, compensations, Flash Value Locked, etc, all for good reason. Using SB-80DX you deprive your camera of all of that iTTL, and seems that you do not substitute with your experience. Even with what you have, you should be able to get great pictures, if your exposure is determined correctly, and have a good lens, and proper camera and flash modes.

[jim_gifford]

Digital is pretty forgiving if you underexpose.It is not so forgiving if you overexpose.

 

The SB-80DX is not particularly compatible with the D70 body. If you want the camera and flash to cooperate and reduce your brain's workload for flash photography calculations, you want a flash that understands Nikon's Creative Lighting System iTTL language, and that means an SB800 or SB600.

 

The main problem is this: with digital photography, you are in charge of both capturing and processing the images. With film photography, you only had to do half the work. You captured the images and let the lab process them.

 

You can go back to film and let the lab do half the work again. Nothing wrong with that.

 

If you stick with digital, my recommendation is that you get a CLS-compatible speedlight and look into digital photo processing software that can help you get the "look" you want in prints.

 

That will also require putting in the time to understand the technical nature of whatever seems lacking to you in the digital prints you've gotten so far. In other words, you need to know what "the same saturation of color and lack-of-flatness" for your film-based prints means in the digital photo processing software universe... so you can capture it with digital processing.

 

Finally, if you are asking your D70 to save files in JPEG format, with in-camera sharpening, consider instead saving RAW (NEF) files so you can handle any compression and sharpening in a personal computer AFTER pulling images off the card.

 

The magic you want is in the RAW images somewhere, waiting to be coaxed out of your images with a little software tweaking.

 

I am not the person to solve the DETAILS for you, sorry. But if you describe just what camera settings you use to save images, and what (if anything) you do in the way of post-processing images on a PC before printing, some folks will probably jump in and help you get closer to your goal.

 

Be well,

[paul_sokal___dallas__tx]

Jenna,

 

I was an old film shooter from the 60's and I wouldn't go back for anything. What is it you're having problems with? What in your digital flash pictures looks different from your results with film? If you can be more specific, we could give answers. Also post an example. You might want to consider upgrading your flash to an SB600 or 800 as they have Nikon's best iTTL system and are designed to work with DSLR's.

 

As far as saturation and contrast, that can be adjusted in camera and/or in Photoshop. How are you processing your images? WHat program? When you shot film, did you precoess and print yourself or did you send it to a lab. What some film shooters don't realize is that their labs were doing a lot of work for them that is now there resposibility in the digital world. And if you don;t have a good handle on postcapture processing of your images, you will likely remain disappointed.

[michael s.]

No magic setting, Jenna.

 

Your question leads me to wonder not so much how you're setting the D70 (which I use), but what you're doing *after* the photograph is taken ?

 

If you shoot film, your lab can and does adjust color, contrast, brightness, etc. But when you shoot digital, you need to be the one who does that. Not sure what you're using to turn the files into finished photos, but I'd recommend something along the lines of Photoshop Elements (now up to version 4.0), remarkably powerful and versatile and around $79 -- or much less if you catch it on sale.

 

Incidentally, I don't believe that flash is the one you want. Two newer ones were introduced, either of which would have features and offer compatibility your current flash lacks.

[klix]

Remember that photography has two components:

 

1) what happens whan you capture the image -- composition, exposure, etc...

 

AND

 

2) what happens after, i.e., post-processing.

 

You need to spend time on BOTH. Other than getting an SB600 or 800, you may also need to spend more time in the digital darkroom.

 

KL

[robert lee]

"Digital just does not seem to produce the same saturation of color and lack-of-flatness that film does."

 

A picture is worth a thousand words. Please upload a sample of the unsatisfactory photo here. I'm sure you'll get lots of P.N respondents posting back their fixes and what was done to get there.

[jcuknz]

Your comments are typical of the folk who do not accept that with film they normally had a lab do much of the work for them and expect digital to be similar. So get that Elements #4 or better Paint Shop Pro from version 8.1 onwards and buckle down to learning what can be done in the modern darkroom instead of blaming the camera or your photographic technique. The 'magic setting' is how you use your editor.

[scott_eaton]

<I>Digital just does not seem to produce the same saturation of color and lack-of-flatness that film does.</i><P>No, you just can't figure out where the setting is in the D70 to increase saturation, which is hardly rocket science. At this point I've concluded some people need to move back to print film because the minimum wage lab tech choosing color and density for you is the actual "artist" and one making the effort.