ray_l

<p>Krista,<br /> I found this book "Understanding Flash Photography How to Shoot Great Photographs Using Electronic Flash" <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Understanding-Flash-Photography-Photographs-Electronic/dp/0817439560">https://www.amazon.com/Understanding-Flash-Photography-Photographs-Electronic/dp/0817439560</a> by Bryan Peterson to be very helpful to understand how to use flash. His book "Understanding Exposure" was also helpful. One drawback for you would be that he uses Nikon equipment. I found his explanation of how shutter speed and aperture affect ambient and flash to be useful regardless of equipment manufacturer.<br /> Hope that helps, <br /> Ray</p>

<p> </p>

<p>Thanks to each of you for your replies, in response I have decided on the following courses of action:</p>

<p>Shun - I am going to wait to send in the camera for possible repair until I have taken the following actions. <br>

<br>

Andrew & Simon - I will note how I am holding the body when pressing the playback button to determine if my hand is accidentally pressing another button. <br>

<br>

Kari - The images I am looking at are the ones that I had just taken. In many instances I was looking at that image and after the view timed out I pressed the playback button and it did not bring the image back up to view.<br>

<br>

Barry - I will wait a little longer and try it again to see if that helps in those instances. I will also call Nikon to see if they have any suggestions.<br>

<br>

Thanks again to each of you for taking the time to help me out!<br>

<br>

Best Regards, Ray<br>

</p>

<p>I have been experiencing an intermittent issue with the playback button on my D4. From time-to-time after viewing an image on the LCD after the viewing function times out and the LCD goes black when I press the playback button to view that image again I get no response. I press the button several times to no avail. Any thoughts on what might be causing this?<br>

Thanks in advance!<br>

Ray</p>

 

<p>Ralph,</p>

<p>I have no doubt that you will do great, you have dedicated a LOT of thought to, and planning for, the big event! You definitely have the equipment and it sounds like you have also given a lot of thought to the flow of the events and the associated images that you want to create.</p>

<p>Regarding your equipment cart, since you will have a lot of expensive equipment on that cart how are you planning to secure all of this?</p>

<p>I wish you the best and based upon several of your previous posts I have every confidence that your first wedding shoot will be a big success!</p>

<p>Best Regards,</p>

<p>Ray</p>

 

<p>David, if this will be your first experience with a Mac computer I echo (strongly) the earlier recommendation of purchasing the one to one option. I changed to Apple products after using PCs for more than 25 years and there was a steep learning curve. That being said I wouldn't expect that you would have that problem with Lightroom, it appears the primary differences between Mac and PC in LR are minor (option vs alt, etc). The steep learning curve for me was with IOS vs Windows and especially with MS Office (for work) shortcuts. I have been using a 2012 MBP 17" with LR 4/5 and am very pleased with the performance in both speed and color rendition on the monitor.</p>

<p>Laura,<br /> I second Matt Laur’s suggestion that under exposing an image will usually contribute to increased levels of noise at higher ISOs. I have a D300 and have found that when I under expose the image I do get more noise especially at ISO800 and above however if I keep the histogram more to the right even though sometimes the image might look too light on the LCD if I don't clip the highlights I can easily adjust the image in post processing to a more pleasing final result with much less noise.<br>

<br /> To test this try the following: Mount your camera on a tripod and adjust the shutter speed to the in-camera meter recommendation. Using the exposure compensation button shoot the same shot at EV -1.7, -1, 0, +1.7 and +2 and then without applying any post processing evaluate each of those images for noise. Make note of the histogram position for each of these shots and I believe you will find that those that are exposed with the histogram more to the right will have less noise.<br /> Let us know how it goes. <br /> Best Regards, <br /> Ray</p>

<p>Brittany, I'm just curious have you looked at your files to see how often you are shooting wider than 2.8? If you are seldom wider than 2.8 that would seem to add weight in favor of the 24-70.<br>

Ray</p>

<p>John and Matt,<br>

Both answers are very useful. John, I can already think of other ways I can use that technique and Matt, since it is "free" I will give ViewNX2 a go at least for these kinds of issues.<br>

Thanks again!<br>

Ray</p>

 

<p>Never mind, I made extreme adjustments with both sliders in ACR Red/Cyan -68; Blue/Yellow -42. I still have a lot to learn about these adjustments!<br>

Ray</p>

 

<p>Matt,<br>

Thanks for the quick response. I use CS4. I tried adjusting both fringe adjustments in ACR but they had no effect. The "fringing", or whatever it is, is actually black. Is there another way to adjust for "CA" or "fringing?"<br>

For the attached image I made no adjustments. I opened in Bridge, cropped it while at 100% and used the photoshop image processor to convert it to jpg.<br>

Any other thoughts?<br>

Ray</p>

<p>I have been experiencing some issues with dark outlines on high contract areas of some images. Please see the attached image of the Maroon Bells shot in RAW with D300, 15-55 at 17mm, ISO 200, f11, .5, underexposed 1/3 stop.<br />Any help would be appreciated.<br />Ray</p><div></div>

<p>Carol, I went from the D70 to the D300 so while I could get to the basics (ISO, shutter speed, aperture) pretty quickly there were other features that I didn't understand as I went through the menu. I did read the manual but I also purchased the magic lantern book and DVD and found that watching the video with my camera in one hand and the remote control (so I could pause) in the other hand was helpful. While the video does not cover all of the features and functions, nor does it claim to, it still provided a quick and useful education. <br>

The D300s is a great camera and I know you will enjoy it very much after you use it for a while.<br>

Best wishes,<br>

Ray</p>

 

<p>Matt, thank you for your response. It was very helpful.</p>

<p> </p>

<p>Matt, just trying to learn more so upon which part of the face did you focus and what focus mode did you use? </p>

<p>Glenn,<br>

Thanks for posting the images and for the interesting points. <br>

With regards to the comment "... that the 17-55 doesn't have any advantage except speed" I do have one thing to add to the advantage that the 2.8 aperture brings that I have not seen mentioned here and that is the increased selective focus ability that I am unable to achieve with a 5.6 lens. I find that with the improved digital performance at higher ISO that I use the wider apertures more for selective focus than for speed. Although with PS I can mimic that to some degree I find it much more preferable to do it in camera than with PS.<br>

Take care,<br>

Ray</p>