Beginner Needs Help With Nikon D3

[mark_ward7]

<p>Hello!!<br>

My name is Mark and I own a Nikon D3. I must admit, I am a pure amature when it comes to photography. My questions may come off sounding elementary but, I invested in a Pro camera and want to shoot the right way under the right conditions. What mode works best for outside day time shots. Can I rely on not using a external flash when shooting day time shots. When I am inside, I use external flash. I prefer to shoot in Aperture Mode, and when I am outside on sunny days. I use an external flash with an f-stop18-22. My ISO is at 400. Inside shots are F-stops of 5.6 or a little lower. I switch to Program Mode to see if I get better results. I even used an ISO of 1050 in Program mode as well as Aperture mode. I want rich color as well as clear striking photos. Should the ISO for sunny days outside be set low between 200-400 or lower. What mode works best for night time shots. In general what would be the best mode for indoor and out door shots. Under normal lighting conditions what should the ISO be set at. A response is welcomed!!! Mark</p>

[ellis_vener_photography]

<blockquote>

<p>What mode works best for outside day time shots.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>For me aperture priority, Matrix metering, and active D-Lighting set to what the scene demands. and 14 bit lossless compressed NEFs.</p>

<blockquote>

<p>Can I rely on not using a external flash when shooting day time shots.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>If you like that look, yes.</p>

<blockquote>

<p>When I am inside, I use external flash.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Sometimes try it without it. And I never, ever use program mode.</p>

 

[rarmstrong]

<p>Wow, Mark! you have a wonderful camera. You also have a lot of really good questions that whole books have been written to answer. One of the best, IMO, is Thom Hogan's guide. I have a D300 and bought his guide after almost a year. It is well worth it and he has one for the D3 which will help you immensely. Take a look here...<br>

<a href="http://www.bythom.com/nikond3guide.htm">http://www.bythom.com/nikond3guide.htm</a><br>

And, enjoy your camera!<br>

Dick</p>

[dan_south]

<p>Exposure Mode: P (Programmed Auto) sets both the f-stop and the shutter speed for you. Stick with P mode until you understand more about how the shutter and the aperture work together, about how the aperture controls depth of field, and about shutter speeds required for handheld shooting and/or moving subjects.<br>

Metering pattern: Matrix<br>

White Balance: Auto for most cases<br>

Incandescent for lamp lit indoor shots or steady lights in the studio<br>

Daylight for sunny days, "magic hour" light, an d when using off-camera stobes (flash).</p>

<p>Quality: RAW+JPEG (this gives you the best options for post processing)</p>

<p>ISO 200 (Outdoors, bright and sunny except sports)<br>

ISO 400-800 (Outdoors, cloudy or for sports in the sun)<br>

ISO 1600-3200 (Indoors without flash; sports indoors or at night)<br>

ISO 200-400 (Indoors WITH flash)</p>

<p>Autofocus switch (beside the lens on the front): S<br>

Exposure compensation should be off (zero).<br>

Optimization mode: Normal for people and most subjects/Vivid only for saturated scenics.</p>

 

[richard_turner1]

<p>I started last year and i am not very good with instructions from manuals and such. What i did was a month on 'A' and watched videos on youtube about apature. Then i put it on 'S' for a month finally moving on to 'M'. Youtube and this place have been really helpfull, learn about 'dof' from youtube, plus they have walkthroughs for your camera on there too. I started with a Olympus E510 for 3 months and then moved on to a D300, i am still only a quater of the way through learning my camera, so don't expect to learn everything all at once but don't become a stick in the mud and find a comfort zone, keep pushing yourself. . A D3 from the start is a daunting task i would imagin, the leap from my 510 - D300 was masive, so prepare for a couple of headaches. When your out and about, if you see other photographers, say hi and ask what they are doing in such conditions, i have asked 15-20 people and never once have i been shunned. Troll through this place, nearly every question has been asked, there are a few forums on the internet but i have found this to be the best by far for quick easy to understand answers by people who really do care and enjoy sharing thier knowledge. Good luck and keep us updated on your progress.</p>

[elliot1]

<p>The determining factor to great photographs is you, not the equipment. Probably the most important factors in great photographs are composition and lighting (although great gear certainly helps). Until you understand basic photography and your D3 better, I suggest you set your camera on P mode, turn your Auto ISO on, select Auto White Balance, select the Standard picture control mode and shoot RAW/JPG. When using flash, shoot in TTL mode. These settings should give you the kind of results you are looking for much of the time. Once you have a better understanding of photography and what you want to achieve with your photographs, adjust your camera's settings as desired/needed. If you don't have a good image processing program to 'develop' your RAW files, invest in one.</p>

<p>I will give you some basic tips as Richard's advise is probably the best advise anyone can give you. You need both information on how to use your D3 and on general photography. Keep in mind that most of the time there is usually not one best way to do something. Rather, there are often many good ways of achieving excellent results. For example, I often shoot sports with a fast shutter speed to freeze motion. Yet I also often shoot sports with a slow shutter speed and pan with my subject to show/emphasize motion. Both yield excellent results.</p>

<p><em>"What mode works best for outside day time shots." </em> All modes will give you identical correct exposure results when used correctly. If you are trying to control depth-of-field, you will want to shoot in (A) mode where you control the aperture. If you are trying to control motion blur, you will want to shoot in (S) mode where you control the shutter speed. P mode has a programmed set of shutter/aperture combinations that will, in general, yield excellent results under most outdoor conditions but may not give you the exact control you want.</p>

<p><em>"Can I rely on not using a external flash when shooting day time shots."</em> It depends on what you are shooting. 'Fill' flash is useful under specific circumstances, for example, when shooting people at close range in direct sunlight as it eliminates/reduces shadows.</p>

<p><em>"...f-stop18-22"</em> Probably not your best choice - Depending on the len(s) you have, f8 -f10 is will probably work better for you. With flash outdoors, f5.6 is probably the maximum you want to work with. Different shooting circumstances require different settings.</p>

<p><em>"I want rich color as well as clear striking photos"</em> Shoot interest subjects and subject matter rich in color with great lighting with the correct exposure and proper focus with a really good lens with your picture control settings set up to maximize how you like your pictures to look and use lower ISOs whenever possible. Now there is a mouthful!</p>

<p>"What mode works best for night time shots." The tripod mode. I typically shoot in Manual mode with Auto ISO on the achieve the results I want and use the exposure compensation to tweak the settings or shoot fully manual (including ISO). It really depends on what you are shooting and the effect you are trying to achieve.</p>

<p><em>"Under normal lighting conditions what should the ISO be set at"</em> As low as possible while still allowing you to use the aperture and shutter speed you need to get the shot right. You get better color, definition and dynamic range at lower ISOs than higher ISOs with every camera, even the D3.</p>

<p> </p>

[richard_turner1]

<p>Another thing i found usfull was to find out what each componant did and how it worked, i couldn't get my head round the fact that all everything did was let in light. But that is all a camera does, the different componants just change the way the light is let in and understanding the componants made for a few 'ah, thats what it does's'.<br>

As Elliot said put everything else on auto to begin with, i am just trying to understand the white balance properly and have kept that on auto up until now and i am so glad i did.</p>

[kevinwalsh]

<p>Wow. One of the reasons I like this forum is the great answers you've gotten here. The other reason is the lack of derogatory, useless questions about why an amateur would start with such a sophisticated camera. Try posting this question on a few of the other forums... Anyway, it looks like all your specific questions have been answered. I might add that you should read the manual cover to cover. Also you will be looking to clean the sensor eventually. Here are two good links to start with:<br>

http://www.moosepeterson.com/techtips/cleanccd.html <br>

http://community.spiritofphotography.com/index.php?topic=217.0<br>

Finally, enjoy your purchase. It's one of the best DSLRs out there.</p>

[tholte]

<p>"The other reason is the lack of derogatory, useless questions about why an amateur would start with such a sophisticated camera." The cynic in me was about to bring up this very subject but will not yield to temptation. </p>

[Peter_in_PA]

<p>I also initially thought why would you start with a D3, but then again, if I could afford it, I would buy it, too. Lots of good advice here. If you're a reader, read this book.</p>

<p>http://www.amazon.com/Understanding-Exposure-Photographs-Digital-Updated/dp/0817463003/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1235131663&sr=8-1</p>

[ShunCheung]

<p>The D3 may lack some of those "scene modes" on the D40 and D60, but otherwise it is not more difficult to use than the D700 and D300. Eventually it comes down to composition, lighting, timing, aperture/shutter speed/sensitivity ISO controls and therefore depth of field, sharpness, etc. One can learn the basics with a D40, D90 or D3. In fact, it is easier with the D3 because it has better AF and a few additional features.</p>

<p>The main hurdles are the cost and for some people the weight/size for the D3. Apparently those are non factors for Mark.</p>

[wpahnelas]

<p>mark, one thing you did not mention was which lens(es) you use on your D3. there are so many choices, depending on what you like to shoot and (perhaps) your budget. lenses are definitely not all created equal, and while performance is not necessarily proportional to price, buying an excellent camera is only one aspect of building a kit. many argue that the lenses are far more important than the body -- and there's considerable truth to that. with that in mind, what are you using now, and what are your ambitions beyond what you may have and be using now?</p>

[rossb]

<p>Lot's of good advice given already. The D3 is a wonderful camera and should last you for decades..I think Aperture priority is the probably the single most popular shooting mode. If you shot in manual sometimes it would be a little more difficult at first but I think you would lean the relationship between f/stop and shutter speed that way..Basically every f/stop, shutter speed or ISO changes the amount of light that strikes your sensor.. You can alter these setting independently or together to achieve the result you want..I do not see how you will learn quickly using P mode. Also if you have a lens that has f1.8 or f2.8, then it is fun to shoot that way sometimes so you can see how the background will blurr out for you. It can make for some dramatic pictures. Try it shooting a portrait. If you do not have a lens of this type then the 50mm f1.8 would be a good start for an inexpensive lens that has top notch performance. It would be hard to visually see any difference in ISO 100, 200 or 400 on your camera..However with flash the ISO 400 will help out with battery life and recycle time because it requires much less power from your flash unit. For scenics I usually use a tripod and ISO 100 because I want a very low shutter speed. I attempt to get some movement in my scene in the leaves on trees, or movement in water (slow shutter speeds repuires a tripod). For action a faster shutter speed is important but also still trying to find some movement in say the spokes of a bicycle wheel or the propeller of an airplane..It's all fun. Good luck with your camera..It's a camera that most of us only dream about. But basically go shoot pictures, there is a learning curve to but you will learn very fast. A lot of folks hammer you with rules of photography or try to get you to limit yourself in many ways. That way you can become another boring photographer. Don't be afraid to step outside of the box, reject rules, experiment and find your style. There is a wonderful world of light right in front of us. </p>

[carl_becker2]

<p>I suggest you use the base ISO of 200 when ever possible. It might be helpful if you used the manual meter mode to get a feel for changes in exposure. Use your shutter speed to control motion, either to blur or freeze action. Use your aperture to control the depth of sharp focus. Look at others photos and notice sometimes the back ground is completely out of focus. These where taken with a small f value like 2 or 2.8. Landscape pictures may have everything sharp, with high aperture numbers like f11, f16 or higher. Ask more questions when you are stumped. It may be very worth while to purchase ByThom's manual although I have not. When you feel like taking on more I suggest you download some trial software and shot in RAW. This will allow you to process your pictures to suit you. Enjoy!</p>

[robertbody]

<p>Mark, shooting right under the right conditions -- that's a good plan.<br>

Right conditions are first 3 hours of sunshine and last 2 hours too.<br>

It's all about the light, then technique, then equipment. Many factors come into play and along the way become natural to you, but it takes months, years. The equipment is important but is just the beginning.<br>

Stay in ISO-200 when you can. There are many directions to go in, many things to try.<br>

Which lenses are you using? Which kind of pictures are you after?<br>

Focus on something, do it over and over, read about it, get feedback, see others' work, repeat. Tripod matters. Flash? Sometimes.<br>

Get some books for inspiration, John Shaw has some landscape books, Art Wolfe does too, for nature, wildlife, if that's what you're after.<br>

The camera is just the beginning, you still have to use it right, so keep asking questions and practicing, and good things will happen :-).<br>

<img src="http://robertbody.com/animals09/images/2009-02-19-riparian-pintails-98237.jpg" alt="" width="750" height="500" /></p>