ray_dockrey

<p>Try cleaning the contacts on the lens and the body. I have had this issue in the past and it was dirty contacts. I use DeOxit on a lens cleaning cloth wrapped around a q-tip. You can find tutorials on youtube.</p>

<p>I have the 50mm 1.8 and although it is a great lens for the money I found that with the crop factor with the D300 I couldn't get far enough back when indoors like living rooms and tight quarters. I also have the 35mm 1.8 and it is fantastic for situations like I mentioned. I use it quite often.</p>

<p>Have you tried cleaning the lens contacts on the camera? I had a similar issue with my D300 where the body would stop communicating with the lens and I would get this kind of behavior. I cleaned the contacts and haven't had an issue since. It is worth a try before sending it off. There are some videos on youtube that gives step by step instructions.</p>

<p>CC Chang, my Tamron 17-50 VC cost me $675 after tax. Then deduct the $70 rebate which makes it around $600 and it comes out quite a bit less than a used Nikon 17-50. Plus you are getting a brand new lens with 6 year warranty and VC on top of that. It becomes quite a value.</p>

<p>I just bought the Tamron 17-50 VC lens for use on my D300 about three weeks ago. Great, great lens. They also come with a $70 rebate here in the states right now so more incentive to get it. I also have the Tamron 28-75 2.8 which I have been using for about a while now and it is a super lens also. I was so pleased with it that is why I went ahead and bought the 17-50 VC.</p>

<p>I would have to say it would be the 70-200 2.8.</p>

<p>Mark, thanks for the advice. I do use flash when I can. Actually I prefer to use flash but I just know that in most ceremonies a lot of times they don't like for you to use flash and at my church our pastor won't let me use flash during any kind of event that takes place in the sanctuary. I have the Gary Fong Lightsphere that I use all the time except for when I am outdoors using the flash for fill. I have been thinking abut trying the Demb Flash Diffuser but I get such great results with the Lightsphere I haven't picked one up yet.</p>

<p>I will do the search as you suggested and see what I need to add to my bag.</p>

<p>Nadine, I do have a carbon fiber tripod and monopod. I have four sets of four of the Sanyo Enelopes. I do plan on getting more AA's. The intelligent charger is a great idea and I will pick up one of those. I do need more memory cards so I will put that on my list also.</p>

<p>Thank you so much Joseph. I am sure I will have more questions. Thank you again so very much.</p>

<p>Thanks so much for the replies. The wedding isn't till November so I have lots of time to practice new techniques.<br>

Joey, Good question. I have the skill. I have been the sole photographer at our church. I do all the baptisms and anything else they can come up with. Our pastor doesn't like flash so everything I do is in poor lighting and I have got very good at being able to adapt at whatever is thrown at me. I also do all the photography for our high school marching band which is in poor lighting outdoors. I do get to use flash there though so that helps.<br>

Knowledge of weddings first hand no. I have studied the art of weddings from forums and articles on the net. I have shot rehearsals at my church when the wedding photog wasn't there just to see what works and what doesn't. I am fairly confident in the poses and what to get and prepare for. The only thing I am not sure of is just where I need to be and what position to get the best shots. The church the ceremony is at is two blocks away from me so I can go in and practice as much as I want till the wedding.</p>

<p>I have been asked to do my first wedding. I had doubts as I know how important this day is for the bride and groom but I got talked into it. I am familiar and fairly comfortable with low light shooting so that is okay. I just want to make sure i have the right equipment and if I need anything else. I have been shooting for about three years and i am familiar with my equipment.<br>

Camera's: D300/Grip two batteries, D200/grip two batteries, D40x (My original. Keep it around for sentimental reasons)<br>

Lenses: Nikkor 35mm 1.8, 50mm 1.8, 18--55, 80-200 2.8 twin ring version, 70-300 VR<br>

Tamron 17-50 2.8 VC, 28-75 2.8<br>

Flash: Nikon SB-600, SB-900<br>

I also have a small portable studio so I have light stands and umbrellas. I also have a Cybersync wireless setup so I can do off camera flash if I decide too. I use Lightroom for post processing and I have my own website setup through Zenfolio for viewing and ordering prints. Please let me know if there is something else I am missing. If anything I could use a vote of confidence that at least I have the right equipment to get the job done and done well.</p>

<p>I also have that lens and mine had the motor built in. I got mine about six months ago. Fantastic lens. I use it for all my portraits indoor and outdoor.</p>

<p>What size threads? Look here and see if they have what you are looking for. They are really good to work with.</p>

<p>http://www.flashzebra.com/brackets/index.shtml</p>

<p>I also have this lens on a D300 and I love it. I would go new and get the five year warranty. There is a lot in that lens that could go bad and having it warranted for five years is piece of mind.</p>

<p>If you aren't buying till December than I would wait to make a choice. By that time there may be new models out.<br>

Also, I wouldn't base any decisions off of Ken Rockwell's site. Just stick with more reputable sites and the forums and ask lots of questions.<br>

Also remember. You are buying a system, not just a camera. You have lenses you will want and external flashes and a whole host of other things. To get a majority of this stuff and then decide you want to change brands can get very, very costly.</p>

<p>Here is one from Flash Zebra that will work as well. They have several different ones.</p>

<p>http://www.flashzebra.com/products/0151/index.shtml</p>

<p>I use the Tamron 28-75 2.8 on my D200 and D300 for all my portraits and get fantastic results. Mine is the version with the built in focus motor and I paid $425 for it at B and H. I have been using it for almost a year and I have got my money out of it. It was my first Tamron lens and I was reluctant but there is now way I could come up with the two grand for the Nikkor so I gave the Tamron a shot. Absolutely no regrets.</p>

<p>You have to take into consideration what you are going to do with the print when you take the photo. When i do portraits I know I have to leave me room for 8x10 crops. If I don't it will never look right. I quit worrying about getting crops right in the camera. I leave my self plenty of room to be able to get the right print. I do worry about getting the composition right and everything else dead on. Less to do in post processing.</p>

<p>It will be real awkward at first. It took me some time to get used to it. But after I got used to it I wonder how I ever got along with out it.</p>

<p>I have those same two lenses. I used them both on my D200 and now use them on my D300. I had the 70-300 first and then decided to upgrade to the 80-200 . Mine is the non AF-S twin ring version. I agree with William. If the 70-300 was working for you there was no reason to upgrade. The only time the 70-300 starts to show its short comings is in low light. That is why I upgraded to the 80-200. I shoot our marching band in the late evenings and at night and I couldn't afford the 70-200. I use it on a monopod and get great results.</p>

<p>Hey William, That option did not go away. Page 225 in the manual tells which option you need to use for what operating system and software you are using.</p>

<p>I don't remember the menu option but somewhere you have to tell the camera to be treated as a USB mass storage device. I would invest in a a card reader if your laptop doesn't have a compact flash card reader built into it. It is much easier to deal with or at least in my opinion it is.</p>

<p>I use Zenfolio and they will allow you to do what you are wanting. They also will take payments with your custom pricelist and allow you to fulfill the order with your own lab. You can also create galleries and password protect them. Then you share that password with your client. You can do a 14 day trail to see if you like it before you pay. They are also very reasonable as the Pro account is right around $100 a year.</p>

<p>I would check your charger. It could be that it is showing them fully charged but not charging them.</p>

<p>You can use another receiver and just make sure they are all set to the same frequency.</p>