steven_oster

<p>The F100 matrix meter measures the absolute value of light and puts that into the calculation. So the camera knows that it is twilight, and is programmed to deal with it. It's pretty smart! </p>

<p>If you are using a D or G lens, it will tell the camera that the fountain is the subject, so place a priority on its exposure. </p>

<p>Provia 400f isn't very good at cityscape stuff IMO, but your shots should be fine. Let us know how it goes...</p>

<p>Your camera sure takes nice pictures ;-)</p>

<p>Gary, that would only be the case if he is using the shutter button to focus. Back button focusing will eliminate that problem. Furthermore, if the photographer prefers to use af-c with the shutter button, the back button can be programmed to AF-Lock. </p>

<p>In my experience, af-c has been more accurate because the camera can take its time in making small adjustments. Although I have read other's opinion that af-s is more accurate, probably under test conditions, I don't know. Everyone has their own preference, and it's a personal choice.</p>

<p>Gary, you should always double check your facts before spreading a false statement. The button is even labeled "AE-L / AF-L", so it should be obvious. Also check page 44 of the manual, Nikon has taken the trouble to explain in more depth than I am able. http://www.manualowl.com/m/Nikon/D5100/Manual/239831?page=44</p>

<p>There is a fair bit of human error that could be attributed to your results. Products from camera companies also come with some inherent margin of tolerance, meaning that the bodies and lenses that you buy at the store are not perfect. </p>

<p>This thread covers the topic pretty well: http://www.photo.net/nikon-camera-forum/00XnSk</p>

<p>Some lens and body combinations work better with each other due to complementary errors, suppose your lens is off by "-2 units" and your body is off by "+2 units", they would zero each other out. But if they were both plus 2, or both minus 2, that would be problematic. This is an oversimplified example, these systems are pretty complex.</p>

<p>You've already sent your 24mm to Nikon, a better solution is to send the body and lens in together. Also note that the D7000 supports "AF fine tuning", meaning that you are able to make adjustments to correct for any inherent error. These adjustments are not to be made casually.</p>

<p>Hope everything is as clear as mud!</p>

<p>The D5100 uses Nikon's Multi-Cam 1000 Af module. In that particular module, only the center AF point is a cross-type. That means that your wife's method of moving the focus point around is selecting less reliable AF points. These are generally included for tracking action, and are also not as sensitive in low-light.</p>

<p>I would recommend using af-c on single-point mode, with the back-button set to "Af-on". Using the center AF point, focus and recompose, then hit the shutter. The focus will be decoupled from the shutter button, and using the center point will give the best results. This method has its limitations with moving subjects, but is good for portraits. </p>

<p>AF method is something that everyone does differently, and your wife may not like this method, but give it a shot.</p>

<p>The D5100 uses Nikon's Multi-Cam 1000 Af module. In that particular module, only the center AF point is a cross-type. That means that your wife's method of moving the focus point around is selecting less reliable AF points. These are generally included for tracking action, and are also not as sensitive in low-light.</p>

<p>I would recommend using af-c on single-point mode, with the back-button set to "Af-on". Using the center AF point, focus and recompose, then hit the shutter. The focus will be decoupled from the shutter button, and using the center point will give the best results. This method has its limitations with moving subjects, but is good for portraits. </p>

<p>AF method is something that everyone does differently, and your wife may not like this method, but give it a shot.</p>

<p>Putting the dial on M doesn't really put video into a Manual mode. ISO, and electronic shutter speed are always going to be auto in video mode. However, you can control your aperture. The way to get around this is to press the (info) button twice, select the AF/AE setting, put the setting on "AE lock (hold)". Now when you are in live view composing your shot, use the AF/AE button to lock the exposure. You may now twist the aperture ring to adjust exposure, also as previously mentioned, that lens is a variable aperture zoom, so keep that in mind. <br>

When previewing in live view, you can change the aperture to the desired setting, I'd go with 5.6 to avoid anything weird. You cannot change this with the sub command dials, but you can still use aperture ring on AI, AIS lenses. Little trickier with AF-d. Not possible with G lenses. Hope this helps.</p>

<p>Don't forget to set it back to AF-on for photo mode, that's what I do.</p>

<p>A killer portfolio/website will do alot more than listing a degree or certification on your resume. A photographers portfolio <em>is</em> their resume. Since you are a free man, I would recommend traveling to places to shoot things that matter to you. As far as education goes, a few books and lots of shutter actuations with critical analysis will go a long way.</p>

<p>If you look in the sky, those things that look like raindrops or something are stars, out of focus of course. And that's the busy city street down below in Sedona, AZ. Notice how the city lights totally overpower the stars? And this is on a dark mountainside. I think the 50mm 1.2 AIS is another wonderful lens.</p>

<p>I've used, and still have the 24mm AIS. I like that lens. Be aware that it vignettes wide open (which isn't necessarily always bad). That's a good lens for this purpose.</p>

<p>As far as prints from slides go: These days, the preferred method is to scan, and then print. There are different ways to scan, and different ways to print. That's something to research other forums about, or ask your lab about.<br>

The cost effective way is to just get the slides developed normally. To view them, put a slide against your 50mm 1.8 (front element side) and look through the rear element while pointing it at a light source (desk lamp, or bright window works great). You've already got a great loupe! This will beat the heck out of any 4x6, trust me. <br>

Take the winning slide(s) to your custom lab, and discuss prices/sizes/methods and I'm sure you will find some method that you like.</p>

<p>As far as print quality goes with "rich and varied star color against a deep dark sky". The major challenge is for you to get the shot. It probably won't be on your first try. These shots are challenging because you only get one shot per night per camera. This can be an experimental area of photography, and you've got more things that can go wrong than can go right. As far as getting a beautiful print, yes, 35mm slides can look as good as any other medium when done right.</p>

<p>As for illuminating your foreground: For subtlety, I like to use a flashlight. Using a flash off camera can be a bit much I think. Keep in mind the color temperature of your flashlight. Incandescent bulb will be amber color, LED is usually bluer. This is easier on digital because it usually takes a few tries to get effect you are looking for. If there is some sort of moon out, a few hours exposure will be illuminated.</p>

<p>The following is a pic illuminated with a LED flashlight. Taken on a D90 with 50mm 1.2 wide open.</p><div></div>

<p>Hey Donald, I've done a few star trails. Light pollution is the most important factor. Get away from the city, and forget about the stars if there is a full moon out. </p>

<p>These shots are usually done with a wide angle lens, your 35mm will be your first choice, although you can use whatever. If you want to buy a wide angle lens for this project, look at the nikon 18-35mm f/3.5-4.5. That will get you something really wide for about $250. I really like that lens.</p>

<p>Film- Kodak E100vs is my first choice. Reciprocity is the major factor here. Some people like Velvia, or Provia. I stay away from C-41 for this, never tried it, but I imagine the grain to be ugly, and colors lacking. Go with slide, trust me. Some people recommend tungsten, but the stars won't show their varied spectrum which is the nicest thing about star trails on film.<br>

Choice of aperture: 5.6 for about 6-8 hours, f/4 for 4-6 hours, 2.8 for 1-3 hours. These are ballpark figures, a lot of factors go into this choice. Overexposing will give you a washed out sky that looks like daytime.</p>

<p>35mm print enlargement is so subjective, you will get so many opinions on this subject, and there is no real answer. Ballpark figure: 12x18 inches assuming it is done expensively by a quality lab. This of course is dependent on your expectations, and what you consider 'quality'.</p>

<p>Composition: If going wide, stick something in the foreground. A cactus, person, building, antique truck, you get the idea. Be able to identify the north star and factor that in your composition. </p>

<p>Hope this helps!</p>

<p>The argument against the 5 minute time limit seems irrelevant to me. It would be some sort of special purpose when you need more than that. When I do interviews, sometimes they can last 10-15 minutes, but I just stop and restart at a good time. My final products are 45 seconds-2 minutes long after editing. No one is going to watch a continuos 20 minute clip of anything. Even Bigfoot would get boring. When was the last time you've seen a shot in cinema lasting more than 5 minutes? It's mostly 20-45 second shots. It's rare to see a shot lasting anything more than 2 minutes. In the final editing process for my purposes, each visual shot is 5-10 seconds long. <br>

See the link in my original post for example.</p>

 

<p>I agree about the abundance of features on every consecutive camera model. I never used the video feature until I started working at the newspaper, it just seemed like a gimmick. But after making so many movies for the website, I realized that it is a serious tool in the right hands, and with the right editing. In the 6 months of owning the camera before using video, I never really thought about the feature/medium. It never got in the way, and I mostly forgot that it was even there.<br /> I can sympathize with those that wish their camera was without some features. I am sort of an elitist/purist snob when it comes to the mode dial on the top panel. I like the MASP, but could do without action, portrait, and whatever else is on there. It's even sort of embarrassing to have that junk on there. My friend once said "Dude, just put it on mountain!" It would have cost $800 more to get rid of that stupid dial, so I live with it.</p>

<p>Has anyone seen the "pictmotion" feature in the menu? It puts on a slide show with cheesy music. That's definitely a feature I could do without! I would delete it from the firmware if I had the option, but it's not really detracting from anything.</p>

<p>I predict that all future Nikons will have video on them. Only because it's a point of contest between rival manufacturers of a product. The convergence of media is putting a demand on professionals to produce a relevant product. There have been newspapers that have gone out of print and are web only. The Seattle Post-Intelligencer is one of them.</p>

<p>Consumers of news/media are buying printed news less, reading web sites more, and seem to enjoy 1-2 minute video clips the best. The newspaper must then cater to that demand to stay competitive, photographers must then make video if they want to be secure in their job position, and camera manufacturers must make a product that the professionals need to bring information to the masses.</p>

<p>So about photography and video being two different mediums? That's right. But things are changing. We live in interesting times.</p>

<p>I've been reading some of the critiques of Nikon's video feature in their SLRs, and I find some of the criticism to be unfair, or inaccurate, so I'd like to share my experience.<br>

Over the summer, I've procured an internship at the Houston Chronicle as a photojournalist. One thing that I learned is that newspaper photojournalists are wholeheartedly expected to shoot video as well as still photos for the newspaper website. This was new to me, and whenever I interview someone, they are often puzzled at what the local newspaper is going to do with a video of them. Most of the photographers are kitted with consumer grade camcorders to go along with their pro-grade Canon gear. All that extra gear seems to be a pain when you are expected to get video and stills for an assignment, but the photographers I've worked with are not afraid of carrying tons of gear around. (There are full-time videographers at the Chronicle who use pro-grade video equipment as well).</p>

<p>One of the photographers uses his own 5dMKII, and we came upon a bus on fire. We were both able to quickly shoot video and stills of the fire. His 300mm 2.8 was a lot more powerful than the camcorder zoom, and the video quality is amazing at 1920x1080 30FPS. (That quality never shows on the compressed clips on the website though). </p>

<p>I use a Nikon D90, and have done a few videos for the Chronicle. I feel that it gives great quality for what it is. For me, the weak point is definitely the audio. An input like the 5DMkII, or D300s would be wonderful.<br>

Some of the issues that people have are as follows:<br>

1. Manual exposure: You can lock exposure by going to the info screen and selecting the "AE (hold)" setting. Furthermore, if you use a lens with an aperture ring, you can lock exposure and have full manual control by manipulating the aperture ring. You can also place the "green rectangle" on the face of the person and lock exposure. To me, this is a non-issue.</p>

<p>2. No AF during shooting: For interviews, this isn't important. For tight shots and B-roll, this is still not important. For moving things, I've used manual focus while watching the screen carefully. Focusing slop does show, but post processing can cut to the more accurate seconds that look good. The new D300s can AF, although I've been mostly disappointed with liveview AF speed and accuracy.</p>

<p>3. "Rolling Shutter" artifacts. I think this is more accurately called sensor refresh rate. In real-life, this hasn't been a problem. I've seen some nasty examples, but for my purposes this hasn't been an issue. Most of my stuff is tripod mounted, so I think that helps.</p>

<p>4. D90 has no microphone input. This has been close to a deal-breaker for me. The video tech says that my audio quality is at the lowest they can post to the website. I was tempted to buy a quality voice recorder, and sync the sound in post, but with the D300s, I'd rather get the new camera. The features that seem like fluff to some are just what the doctor ordered for others. Now I can put a lavaliere mic on the interview subject, and get quality voice without the background noise.</p>

<p>5. "Only" 1280x720 24p: For web clips this is more than enough. For a 1080 TV, this may be lacking. Not very many people can see the difference between 24p, and 30p. For my purposes, resolution is great!</p>

<p>6. Video is for amateurs: I argue otherwise. Video is for working pros. In my application, the D90 has been great, and I think the evolution of Nikon's DSLRs will only get better. I like the analogy of how autofocus was snubbed in the F3/F4 era, I think this is the same sort of thing. It's the D3/D4 era!</p>

<p>I'm sure there are some other issues, but those seem to be the most common complaints. I hope my experience is informative.</p>

<p>Everyone likes to see examples, so this is an example of my work. Shot entirely on the D90.</p>

<p>http://www.chron.com/content/chronicle/special/07/templates/listpop.html?bcpid=823433113&bctid=30239025001</p>

 

<p>Hello, to answer your questions:</p>

<p>1) Yes, you can use live-view and see the changes in color balance as you adjust WB. </p>

<p>2) No, there is not a dedicated button to disable auto ISO. However, you can customize the D90 to have that feature readily available. You can set the function button for auto-ISO, in which case you will have a dedicated button. I have set my function button to color profiles, but one tap to the left on the arrow pad brings you to your own custom menu. I keep a short list of about 6 things that I need rapid access to on the 'my menu'.</p>

<p>Hope that helps.</p>

<p>I have recently purchased a 55mm 2.8 on the auction site. The lens is in wonderful condition except for the smallest bit of oil on the aperture blades. This is a known issue with this lens, but it doesn't seem too bad with my copy. The blades are not gunky, just the hint of sheen on every other blade.</p>

<p>I have tested the exposure at all apertures, and have tested it stopped down at fast shutter speeds at 4.5 frames/sec. Exposures are accurate and consistent throughout the range.</p>

<p>Question: Is it inevitable for the oil on the blades to get worse? Or is there a possibility that it will be fine for years?<br>

I suppose that once the lubricant separates, it can only get worse?</p>

<p> </p>

<p>Re-post</p><div></div>

<p>Charlie. that's my foot in the corner!</p>

<p>SXSW street band performance <br>

Nikon 10.5mm at 2.8</p><div></div>

<p>Nikon 10.5mm</p><div></div>

<p>You'll see the same defect in firmware if shot on film. Think about it, the camera is recording the wall behind you 2 times for every 1 time that you are in the example photo. </p>

<p>I am planning a lightweight backpacking trip through the Appalacian trail, and would like to bring a 55mm macro lens for use on a Nikon FE. The lens will be used primarily for landscapes with the occasional close up. In other words the usage will be weighted more heavily at the infinity mark than at 1:4 or 1:2 ratios.<br>

I have searched the forums to find which lens is better suited for infinity landscape use, but the answers are conflicting. The 2.8 has CRC, so it would seem particularly useful at any range. But there are some reports that the later version of the 3.5 is sharper at infinity.</p>

<p>I suppose any macro lens will be a great performer, but I would like to get the most suitable lens for my particular use. Thank you for any insight.</p>

I am thinking of buying a Nikon D90 and a 18-xx kit lens. One area of lens performance that is important to me is barrel distortion at the

wide end of the zoom range.

 

I understand that the newer cameras like the D90 are able to correct JPGs for CA and distortion, and working in RAW is easy enough to

correct these problems in post-processing I suppose.

 

The 18-105mm AFS VR seems to be an attractive option, but nikon offers plenty of options!

 

 

My question is whether barrel distortion is a relevant consideration in lens selection with the ability to correct it in-camera.

1.I am interested in doing some night-time landscape photography and would be

interested in knowing which screen would give a bright image to work with.

Seeing DOF is not important, as I will be working mostly at infinity. I

understand the M screen may be good for this? Any other suggestions?

 

2.I would also like another screen for focusing a 50mm 1.2, the K screen is

alright, but I like to hear some suggestions, perhaps a G2, or H2? This would be

used for low-light portraits wide open. With the K screen I find the fresnel

area easier and faster than the focusing aids for focusing on people's eyeballs,

but perhaps the larger microprism area of G and H screens would be easy?

 

thank you.

I did some rough backpacking for about 4 months in europe. I recomend the slik sprint pro tripod with a folded length of 19 inches, and a full height of almost 6 feet. I used a 35mm camera with 18-35 lens for wide angle. 50mm 1.8 for low light/ portrait. and 200mm f/4 for telephoto. it was a good setup.