david.elliott

Sorry for cluttering up your thread. Apparently my Amazon links refuse to work now, even

though they did when I previewed my post.

Just go to Amazon and search for the titles. :D

Grr. My links didnt work. Here, I'll try again.

<br><br>

<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Understanding-Exposure-Photographs-Digital-Updated/dp/0817463003/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1213266605&sr=8-

1">Understanding Exposure</a>

<br><br>

<a href="http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/04/strobistbookshelf.html">The Strobist

Bookshelf</a>

<br><br>

<a href="http://www.strobist.blogspot.com/">Strobist</a>

<br><br>

<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Light-Science-Introduction-Photographic-Lighting/dp/0240808193/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1213266738&sr=1-1�">Light: Science and Magic, An Introduction to Photographic Lighting</a>

<br><br>

Hopefully that worked.

If you are looking for a book explaining the basics, I found Understanding Exposure to be

great. It really helped me a lot.

http://www.amazon.com/Understanding-Exposure-Photographs-Digital-

Updated/dp/0817463003/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1213266605&sr=8-1

For help with lighting, here are some books recommended by Strobist: http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/04/strobist-bookshelf.html

And of course you may want to check out the main Strobist site itself. I only started

reading it a few weeks ago, but it has a wealth of information. Most applies to off camera

flashes, but the principles apply to any lighting situation.

At any rate, I should receive Light, Science, and Magic in a few days. It also has great

reviews, but I cannot personally speak to it yet. See here: http://www.amazon.com/Light-

Science-Introduction-Photographic-Lighting/dp/0240808193/ref=sr_1_1?

ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1213266738&sr=1-1

Best of luck, keep photographing, persevere, and have fun!

<i> David E. you stated: Capture NX is made by Nikon and will apply your in camera

settings when processing your raw files. The other programs will not.

<br><br>

Are Raw files the best way to go in place of jpeg? Also will this feature (applying camera

settings) ultimately provide a better end product?</i>

<br><br>

Hopefully somebody will correct me if I say something that is not quite accurate. :)

<br><br>

RAW will let you have more flexibility with the file. For example, you can adjust exposure

easily after the fact. The file is raw insofar as it has not been processed by the camera.

<br><br>

JPEG photos are already processed by the camera and incorporate your in-camera

settings. There is less flexibility after the fact when shooting in jpeg format.

<br><br>

Personally, I shoot in raw format. There are arguments for and against. If you search for

"jpeg vs. raw" on this forum, you will find a ton of information. I like the flexibility of raw.

<br><br>

Capture NX will apply in camera settings automatically to your RAW files. For example, if

you set a certain sharpening level or white balance, then it will be applied. Other

programs wont apply this automatically, so it is another step you have to take. Note that

Capture NX, being made by nikon, has the most accurate raw processor (access to

proprietary nikon info). Other products have accurate processors, but not so accurate as

Capture NX. That said, it hasnt been a problem for me using lightroom.

<br><br>

You can get great quality images in any of the programs described above. Capture NX

will likely let you get a single image resembling what you see on your camera LCD the

fastest out of the box. I have adjustment presets that I use in lightroom so I dont have to

make the same setting changes each time I import a photo. I assume Aperture has

something similar? I have never tried that program.

<br><br>

At any rate, I still recommend giving the free trials a whirl. Different programs appeal to

different people. You can get great images using any of them.

<br><br>

The most user friendly and easiest program would probably be Photoshop Elements. It is

also the least expensive. So you may want to check out a trial for that too. Dont confuse it

with Photoshop CS3 though, which is the full fledged program and is much more

expensive.

Here are some links to help you out:

Capture NX - http://www.capturenx.com/

Lightroom - http://www.adobe.com/products/photoshoplightroom/

Photoshop - http://www.adobe.com/products/photoshop/photoshop/

Aperture - http://www.apple.com/aperture/

Some quick comments...

Capture NX is made by Nikon and will apply your in camera settings when processing

your raw files. The other programs will not.

Aperture is mac only.

Photoshop is probably the most difficult to learn, at least in my opinion.

I dont really know what else to say. You ask which is the best to work with. Could you be

more specific as to what you are looking for?

Congrats on your purchase!

WIth regard to software, I would suggest downloading the trial versions of the various

programs and seeing what suits you best.

In no particular order: capture nx, lightroom, photoshop, aperture

My personal preference is Lightroom. I really like the user interface. For me, it is the

easiest to use.

I'm a beginner so hopefully somebody else will chime in.

Can you post a sample image?

Sounds like it might be a white balance problem though. Try measuring off a grey card and

then taking your photographs. See if that rectifies the problem.

I really like the black and white photos. Thanks for sharing!

Feel better soon.

Thank you all for your comments.

I'd reply individually, but I am really tired so it is off to sleep. Thanks again.

It is really nice to return home from work to read such kind and encouraging comments.

Thank you all.

Michael: I will absolutely be out and about taking more photographs. Please feel free to let

me know what you think of the photos.

Sam: Thanks. I am going to put the lens buying on hold for a bit. I want to get used to this

lens first and enjoy it thoroughly. Next on the purchase list is a monitor calibration system.

... After that I will return to lens buying. Good thing you wrote out what LBA stands for - I

would never have guessed. :)

Matt: I will definitely check it out. Maybe there is a local camera store with one in stock so

I can take some test shots.

Howard: Thank you. I am really enjoying this prime so far. I'd recommend giving this

prime a go. It is not too expensive and it is a ton of fun. If it turns out that it just isnt for you,

well then there is always ebay. :D Compared to the 18-70, this lens is MUCH smaller and

lighter. The auto focus is a bit louder than on my kit lens, but it is very quick. Manual

focus is smooth and easy on both. The viewfinder seems brighter with the prime. I have

zero complaints.

Carl: Thanks. I really enjoy the prime. I may just have to try out some others in future.

Dan: The lens really is small! I was absolutely surprised when I took it out of the

packaging. Tiny compared to my 18-70mm! Still, no problems handling it at all despite its

small size.

Eric: Absolutely. It is a very low key lens - not an attention grabber. Packs a wallop

though! I do have the Tamron 90mm macro in my sights for an eventual purchase. In the

meantime, I purchased a set of kenko extension tubes to use with this lens. I like to take

photos of my watches and it has worked great in that respect! Thank you for the

recommendations.

Wayne: I agree (at least with respect to myself). With the zoom I just stood in one place

and zoomed to crop. This is much more interactive; walking back and forth to get the

photo how i want it. Still, I did have to do some cropping in Lightroom. I think that I will try

turning on the gridlines in my viewfinder and see if that helps.

Brett: Thanks. It really was a lot of fun. The compactness of the 50mm made it easier to

take photos in the butterfly exhibit. It is fairly small in there and can get a bit crowded.

The tickets were, if i remember right, $6. In my opinion they could charge several times

that and it would still be worth every penny. It is pretty hot and humid in there though.

~88% or so was the readout on the thermostat. It was great though. The butterflies are all

around you.

With regard to white balance, I leave the camera on auto and deal with it in lightroom. I

use the eyedropper (push W) tool in lightroom on a neutral color. Then, if necessary, I

slightly adjust the slider to give a cooler or warmer look to suit my preference.

I really like the photos you chose. The first one, I actually have an alternate version of it

up there that is a pale, bluish purple color. That resulted from a sneeze while moving the

white balance slider. :D

Peter: Thanks. Always good to learn and share what one learns.

Diane: Thank you!

Bruce: Sure thing. I actually was not sure if this sort of thread was appropriate. I havent

been here at photo.net long but I dont think I have seen another thread of this nature in

my short time here. So, I emailed Shun last night and asked if I could make a post like

this. Thankfully, he said yes! I hope others share their photographs and experiences here

too. I would love to see that.

Kent: Fast lenses sure seem fun. Definitely allows me to do things I couldnt do with my

slower kit lens.

I thought I would share with you my recent experience with the Nikkor 50mm f/1.8d. I

should start out by saying that I am a true beginner.

While I have had my Nikon d70 with 18-70mm kit lens for a few years now, I had only

really used it for basic family events - bbqs, birthday parties, and the like. And I had

only used it in auto mode!

Side note: I recently purchased Understanding Exposure (another recommendation

from the forums) and found it to be very very useful - particularly for a beginner like

me.

Based upon recommendations from this superb forum I purchased the 50mm f/1.8d.

Fooling around with the lens in my house, it really seemed like I could exert more

control over the photographs than I could with my slower kit lens, i.e. isolating the

subject. And for the first time, I found I could do more than take mere family

snapshots. (Of course I could with the kit lens too, it just never dawned on me...)

Lens in hand, I went out to Washington DC. This was the first time I had taken a trip

with the sole purpose of taking photographs. It was awesome.

I spent the entire day in the city, taking just shy of 300 photographs. I have put

together a gallery of (keeper) photos from the Botanic Gardens and Butterfly Exhibit

from the Natural History Museum. (Link below) Note: post processing was done in

Lightroom.

Things I learned on the trip:

(1) I was able to get many shots that would have been impossible on my slower kit lens.

(2) I need to remember to adjust my ISO as the lighting changes.

(3) I am absolutely unable to manually focus on butterflies.

(4) Being unable to zoom does not bother me in the least. In the past, I would simply

zoom to compose the photograph and having to take steps toward or away from the

subject forced me to interact with it more. I really enjoyed using a prime. I was able to

better focus on getting the basics down.

(5) Photography is very rewarding.

(6) My attempts at panning a carousel all resulted in failure...did look cool though.

(7) People dont mind strangers photographing them so long as you are polite and

introduce yourself first.

(8) When you carry a camera in the city, you notice everybody else carrying one.

There were dozens and dozens of tourists and locals alike out photographing.

I am sure I learned more, but my lunch break is just about over, so I will cut short my

ramblings.

--------------------

Thanks for being such a great community, helping out and talking to beginners like me

as well as pros. I have learned a lot from this forum and I only wish I had found it

years ago.

Here is the gallery for those that are interested:

http://home.comcast.net/~david.elliott/WDCGardenButterflies/index.html

I hope you enjoy viewing the photos as much as I enjoyed taking them.

Tim,

Probably. :D

"Wouldn't you assume a lawyer that charges $300 an hour is better than one that charges

$150.00 an hour."

No. And I'm in law school. :)

Just another nod to Understanding Exposure. Great book.

Best of luck with your photography! I am sure you will enjoy it.

"He said that he worked in the UK otherwise he wouldn't be able to afford that camera. "

^^Doesnt at all sound like a blanket statement to me. It is a statement about what one man

said about his own situation.

I think you read way too much into that Dariusz.

I'm a beginner so hopefully some other people will chime in.

I've never used an extension tube on a zoom lens, let alone the one you are asking about so I'll just side-step the question.

I think an easier and less expensive route would be to use a close-up filter. I'm not sure if it will get you to true 1:1 though. Have you considered that option?

Maybe you could buy the 105mm macro and at the same time take your wife shoe shopping. New shoes solve most marital issues. :D

Best of luck!

Alternatively, could go get a D70 via ebay. :|

good luck!

On my D70 there is also a hook. If you are looking at the camera as if you were looking into

the viewfinder, it is on the left hand side (i.e. northeast of the mode wheel). You can see it

when the flash is up.

Hope that helps.

regarding the 50mm f/1.8 option---

General google image results:

http://images.google.com/images?

q=50mm+f/1.8+nikon+extension+tube&hl=en&client=safari&rls=en&um=1&ie=UTF-

8&sa=N&tab=wi

Other links that may prove helpful:

http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1034&message=12462668

http://www.flickr.com/groups/bokeh_/discuss/72157594175043300/

I'd try to find more, but I'm in class right now. Hope that helps a bit.

--

I agree with Mr. Hamm. I think that a true macro lens would be the best option.

The reason I went with the 50mm and extension tubes is that I own the D70 with kit lens

and thats it. I figured that the 50mm f/1.8 would let me do other work and not just

macro. I still wanted to do close-up work though so I am getting extension tubes to go

with it.

I was looking into macro lenses as well, but decided to get the 50mm f/1.8 nikkor and a set

of extension tubes. It seems that lots of people have had success with that route (searched

this site and normal google search). You may want to just purchase that lens for ~$100.

I'm an absolute novice though so hopefully somebody else can chime in regarding this

suggestion. :)

Good luck!

Thank you for all your responses so far. I really appreciate it.

///////

Ronald Moravec:

Do you have any recommendations for the "reflectors, diffusers, lights of your choice." I realize that these may not fit in my budget now, but I could perhaps purchase them later in

the year. I hadnt thought about using an extension tube but that seems like a good alternate avenue.

///////

BW Combs:

Thank you for your compliment. It means a lot ot me.

Do you have any specific recommendations for the lighting gear? I would prefer to buy new, so I may just have to purchase the lens now and then the tripod and lighting gear

several months down the line after I begin my summer job (I am still in law school).

Thank you for your lens suggestions. I havent had a chance to look at the Tokina yet, but both the Nikkor and the Tamron seem excellent. Everything on the internet seems to be

quite positive about those lenses. What are your thoughts on the Sigma MACRO 105mm F2.8 EX DG? It seems to run $370 - $400. Anybody else have any thoughts on that lens or

on the 50mm or 70mm versions?

I agree that a tripod is a solid investment. I dont want to break the bank on one, but I dont want to skimp either. Bogen seems to make good products in my price range so that is

great news!

I really like that photo of the Fossil. The watch really pops. Also, great contrast stitching on the strap. :)

///////

Cameron Price:

Thank you for the specific tripod and head suggestion. Those seem to fit the bill perfectly and I have written them down.

Unfortunately, I wont have the funds ready by the end of April so I will miss out the Tamron deal, but thank you for bringing it to my attention all the same.

I could swing the additional amount, it just means that I have to wait a few weeks so I can save up the difference. I also think it is worth it.

///////

Walter Schroeder:

Thanks! Very kind words. :D

Good to know that the lack of metering shouldnt really hinder the use of a 55mm f3.5 AI Nikkor lens. I was a bit disappointed when Mr. Price said it wouldnt meter, but seems like

it wont matter much in the end. :) I will need to look into the lens more this weekend. I need to think more about how often I will be photographing subjects other than watches

and take that into consideration.

///////

Michael Kohan:

Thank you for the tripod / head recommendation. I havent had an opportunity to look at it yet, but I will soon. Seems to be about ~$80 less expensive than the Bogen discussed

above.

///////

Elliot Bernstein:

Excellent photo of an excellent watch. Very cool!

I think the main problem I have with the current photos is that I had to heavily crop them. I would estimate that roughly 80% of the original photo was cropped out. With my current

lens I just couldnt get close to the watch. I ended up with a large swath on each side of the photo that was cropped out.

Second problem, my lighting was terrible. I had to fix it after the fact and it would be nice to get it right with the initial setup.

Really, with the inability to get in close and with the shoddy lighting I was unable to capture the dial work or the movement to my satisfaction. For example, I couldnt capture just

the '25 Jewels" on the movement or just the "Swiss Made" on the dial. I really want to be able to capture all the details and intricacies of the watch.

I think overall the photos are pretty good, but could pop a bit more. You'll note, that if you look around the edge of the Le Locle dial, there is a different dial pattern. In proper

lighting, it has a neat shimmer to it that I was unable to capture.

///////

I think that covers all the replies. Hope I didnt miss anything.

Once again, thank you for your help so far.

-David

Hello,

First post on this forum. I am a beginner to the world of photography and am seeking some help in

putting together a macro setup on a budget of $500.

I did a quick search and it seems like this question has been asked several times before, but not

recently. I figured I would ask again in case new products can be incorporated into the setup. Hope

you dont mind.

Basically, I collect watches. I plan to mainly use the setup for watch photography, but may also

photograph plants, flowers, or small ornaments in the future. The goal will be to capture the dial work

of the watch as well as the movement via the exhibition back.

My camera is a Nikon D70 with the kit lens. I purchased it a couple years ago. I do not own a tripod,

lighting gear, external flash (or remote), etc. Just the D70 and kit lens.

At any rate, my budget is $500 max.

(1) A proper lens for macro photography (does not have to be Nikon - so long as it is compatible of

course!). The lens need not autofocus. I prefer manual focus.

(2) Tripod

(3) Lighting gear

(4) Any other equipment you deem necessary

---

For reference, in case it helps, here are some of my photos:

http://home.comcast.net/~david.elliott/LeLocle/

The "lightbox" consisted of several sheets of white paper and a single desk lamp. So, the lighting needs

some work. I used a stack of textbooks as my homemade tripod.

Side note: Comments on how to improve the photos are welcome and appreciated! The photos received

some work in Lightroom.

---

If you have any questions or need additional information, please let me know. Thank you.

-David