Photography chat thread - for all who are into Photography in whatever form

[Selks]

Just starting a thread for all folk who are into photography - whether you are a happy snapper wanting to improve, a serious shooter, or somewhere in between.

Lets chat on here, share tips, techniques, dilemmas, ideas, show our photos if we want to, discuss cameras and equipment, support and encourage each other.....or just chat whatever photography related chat you might feel like!

selks - Gerund has given some very good generic advice, but there is one Nikon-specific thing you should do.

You should switch to 'RAW' capture.

To do this -

Press 'Menu'

From the shooting menu, find the 'image quality' setting and change it to 'NEF (RAW) + JPEG fine'

Once you've done this, whenever you take a shot it will be stored in both Nikon 'NEF' (i.e. raw) format and also JPEG format.

So why would you want to use RAW format?

Because it gives you a time machine!

A time machine Which lets you, from the comfort of your computer, go back and correct a number of parameters as if you were setting them on the camera at the time that you originally took the shot!

In particular -

1. White balance - on the camera just set the white balance to 'Auto' and forget about it.

1. Exposure - you can make exposure corrections of up to 2 stops either way - with absolutely no degradation. So for example you can take the shot with the camera up to 2 stops under-exposed, and still get a perfect picture on the computer. Obviously you should normally aim to get the exposure right, but if you don't, it's rarely a disaster.

1. Picture controls - you can leave this on standard and change it on the computer later

1. D-Lighting - again you can leave this on 'auto' and change it on the computer later.

Basically in the field you set all these controls to 'auto' or 'standard' and concentrate on your subject matter, composition and focus etc.

Then back at the computer you can do what you like with the exposure, white balance, saturation etc. Modifying these from a raw image gives a much better result than using (say) the photoshop 'brightness' slider on a JPEG image. You can use the free Nikon View software which came with your camera to do all this. The final stage is to export to JPEG format to publish your pictures, send to friends etc.

The only downside is that raw image files are much bigger than JPEGs, so you get fewer on your card - but you've got a huge card anyway.

Strictly speaking you don't need to keep the JPEG as well (i.e. set it to just 'NEF (RAW)' rather than 'NEF (RAW) + JPEG fine'), but I find the camera JPEG useful in the field for viewing on other devices (smartphones, tablets etc).

I think we talked shooting in raw on the first thread? (but not sure - can't find the thread now). I used to do the NEF + JPG thing but now don't bother with the JPG. If you use Windows I would definitely recommend installing Microsoft's NEF codec pack (free download) as this will allow you to see thumbnails and previews of NEF files in Windows.

Gerund I've gone the other way - I used to shoot NEF only but the 44 MB files that my D800 produces are just completely unmanageable except on my desktop computer at home. So now I shoot NEF + JPEG as the JPEGs are useful for viewing on other devices (e.g. tablets) in the field.

Can I join please :)

Fab photos everyone.

Im an amature photographer. I mainly photograph my girls but like a bit of nature too.
I like natural portrait photography and prefer natural lighting too. Most of my photos are taken outside too.
I have been lucky enough to photograph for friends and familes children too and have done a few paid sessions too. (just token amounts)
We have recently moved (house and area) so sadly my photography has taken a back seat to the decorating but hopefully once we are more settled I can get back into it and maybe look into starting a proper little business or something.
Anyway.. Heres some of my favs.

I'm an amateur photographer (very amateur! lol), I photograph for the love of it as I enjoy it so much. I have a flickr page so would love to get some feedback,I need to learn, so good or bad feedback, all is appreciated.

my photo's

I'm loving the photo's here! Does anyone struggle with what setting to put the camera on in each situation? That's my biggest struggle, any tips would be great!

Can I join you? I am right at the beginning, just deciding what camera to get. I posted on the other topic asking for advice as follows:

Hi, sorry to hijack the thread but I would be grateful for some help. I'm a photography beginner with a point and shoot. I'm looking to upgrade but I don't know what to go for. I have got about £350 max to spend and can't afford to but loads of stuff on top of that. I'm not sure yet what sort of photography I'm going to 'specialise' in so at the moment I want something that's capable of anything - close ups of insects/flowers etc but a decent zoom too. I know DSLRs are the best but I'm worried the kit lens won't be versatile enough and as I said I can't afford to buy more, so I'm wondering if I'm going to be better off buying a bridge camera as they seem to have much better zoom than the DSLRs with kit lens. I keep reading different guides but I'm just getting more and more confused!

ChessieFL - My first questions would be what point and shoot have you been using? Are you sure that you've squeezed every last bit of capability out of it? What would you like to do that it cannot?

We should really wait for the answers to those questions about where you are now - but I'm impatient so I'll cheat instead...

If you want to learn photography as an art and craft, then it's likely that the most suitable tool for that will be a DSLR.

The latest edition of Amateur Photographer magazine has an article comparing the best second-hand DSLRs available for less than £200

The article is not on their web site yet (there's always a lag, otherwise nobody would pay for the magazine) but it will be soon. I suggest you take a look at that when they post it.

When buying something as complex as a DSLR, I would recommend buying from an old-fashioned camera shop (if you can find one) or from one of the reputable online retailers (like Ffordes). Definitely not Ebay (until you're an expert).

Bridge cameras are just fine if you basically want a compact but with a huge zoom range - but they generally have very small sensors (compared to any DSLR) and that huge zoom comes with major optical compromises. There are some good bridge cameras from Panasonic and Sony - but they cost £800+

I wouldn't worry too much about zoom range (unless you're solely into wildlife) - virtually all the best pictures taken by the best photographers in history were taken on fixed-focal length (aka 'prime') lenses...

Thanks FBX
My current camera is a Canon Powershot SX110. I've had it for just over 5 years now. It's not a bad camera and is fine for taking everyday family snaps (and I will keep it for that purpose!). However I've tried experimenting with some of the different modes and the photos just don't seem to look that different, even when taking the same photo from the same place. I've also found that I can't get really close up to something - the camera has to be a reasonable way away from something before it will focus. What I also find very annoying is that it takes about 4 seconds from taking a photo to it being able to take another, which is very frustrating when trying to take photos of anything in action. I'd like something that can take photos in much quicker succession.
Sounds like I'm looking for a DSLR then!

ChessieFL The SX 110 was a pretty reasonable camera in it's day - it has a huge zoom range (36-360mm equivalent) and good exposure controls (these are the 'modes' labelled P, Av, Tv and M) - these are the same as DSLRs where they are usually called P, A, S and M).

You can learn the fundamentals of exposure with this -

• By switching to 'M' (Manual) mode and varying the aperture and shutter speed you'll see how to control the amount of light captured.

• By switching to Av mode you should be able to see the changing depth of field as you vary the aperture.

• By switching to Tv (shutter priority) mode you should be able to see the different degrees of movement blur as you vary the shutter speed.

In Tv and Av (and P) modes you can see how exposure compensation alters the overall lighting of the image.

You can switch to manual focus mode and experiment with focusing on near and far subjects, also in conjunction with varying the depth of field in Av mode.

Yes on the SX 110 you have access to all the classic controls that you have on a DSLR, although they'll be a lot more fiddly to use.

And yes, you can ignore all the 'scene' modes (i.e. the ones with the pictures) on this or any other camera - they are always useless.

However - even 5 years ago the SX110 was criticised for being slow.

All low-cost bridge cameras share the same speed drawbacks as compacts.

So basically, if you want to shoot anything moving quickly, the DSLR is your most practical option (well there is another option - the Nikon '1' series CSCs are lightning fast in operation - but they cost more than a low-end DSLR).

Buying new, the best low cost DSLR available at the moment (IMHO) is the Nikon D3300 which is currently £375 at Wex photo (inc 18-55mm lens). Or they'll do you the D3100 (a slightly older model) for £279 (also with the 18-55mm lens).

Secondhand you can now get a decent DSLR for £200 or less - but you take a bit of a risk over the condition unless you buy from a reputable place that guarantees that it's 100% working.

Hi FBX
I've taken the plunge and bought a Nikon D3100 - I've played with it a bit tonight and seems great so far! Hopefully I'll get out at the weekend to really start getting used to it. Thanks for your advice!

Hello there. I've been reading this thread avidly. So interesting, especially about crop factors among many other things. I've been using a popular bridge camera (Lumix FZ45) for 3 years now. It's good fun and lightweight. I'm starting to find it's limitations now I'm following an online photography course. In particular, the poor quality photos at higher ISOs and macro photos have purple lines on the edges of objects. Really annoying. I played with a friend's top of the range Canon the other day and the difference is incredible. Speed of focus, lovely out-of-focus backgrounds on low apertures, high speed bursts. ISOs that allow you to handhold and get lovely clear shots in gloomy rooms. Just lovely.

So. What SLR camera to upgrade to? I thought it best to choose a brand then buy a mid-range camera? How interchangeable are the lenses between models? I like taking portraits, macro and wildlife photos the most. Any suggestions would be very gratefully received.

Ive just caught up on this thread too - I love it! Im sure there are far more knowledgeable people than me, but if youre looking at something mid-range have you thought about the 700d? This is still entry level but one of the more high spec entry levels - supposed to be excellent

Great thread- Fabulous photos here too.

What a great thread. I love photography too. i am definitely a Nikon girl and have a D3000, which is old hat nowadays but there is no chance of upgrading it. I live in NZ and gear is so expensive here and the second hand market is tiny. I have a couple of prime lenses, which i love, but my fave is a Tamron 10-24, which is great for landscapes. I would really love a Leica and some vintage lenses, but these are practically unavailable here. I am doing an on-line diploma which I should complete this year - it has taken 3 years part time and I have learnt so much. Here are some of my shots - the blurry one with the bird and the jetty won a competition this year!

Can I ask for any recommendations for a good bridge camera for dd and gcse photography? Looking at budget of £250.

Oh I like the look of that Nikon d3100. I'd kind of discounted dslr as not been necessary for gcse level and therefore the extra expense and more importantly the weight not being warranted.

I don't want to get her a heavy camera which puts her off.

But the specs say the weight is about 500g. Is that without the lens? How much extra weight would a lens be? Is the lens it comes with 18-55mm enough or would she need more lenses for more zoom?

Some bridge cameras I had been looking at reviews of were the Fuji hs50. But that weighs over 800g. And I think a canon powershot sx50 which is 600g.

Viva, i would definitely go with the DSLR as she is likely to outgrow the bridge camera quite quickly and will be unaable to mess around with lenses. My friend's 16 year old daughter likes to come out with me to take photos and she has bought herself a D3100. She handles it with ease and gets some lovely results. She also uses her smart phone and photo editting apps - this is all beyond me but I admire her ability to chop and change and look for opportunities. The beauty of a Nikon is that you can use old Nikon lenses even on a modern camera body if you shoot in manual mode (very steep learning curve here). If weight is an issue, get her a decent padded neckstrap and a comfy camera bag - back packs are good, although I prefer a cross body bag. My bag is by Bilt and is made of wetsuit fabric - it looks like an ordinary black bag, but holds my body plus four lenses and other stuff.

Flatpacker - I'd go with the Nikon D8000, plus a 10-24 lens and a 50 prime lens in addition to the kit lenses that come with the camera. An 80mm Macro lens would be a lovely addition too and you might need a close up lens for your wildlife. (and I don't think you necessarily need Nikkor lenses - I like Tamron and Sigma) I konow that the D8000 has a cropped sensor, but the full format cameras are soooo expensive and aimed more at pros I think. You could have lots of fun with the 8000 and keep your eye open for old cameras and lenses at car boot sales - I use a vintage lens that I was given and it takes beautiful portraits.

Hi all, I've been a photographer for 20(mumblemumble)something years and you never stop learning.
I'm taking my portrait business in a more fine art direction right now.
I would recommend just shooting, shooting and shooting some more - the beauty of digital is you can see instantly if your idea/lighting/composition has worked or not and adjust accordingly.
Pinterest/YouTube is great for online tutorials.

byron. That's interesting about the Nikon and old lenses working. I have an old Nikon slr and some lenses of my dads. They're not digital, but would they work? I'll attach a photo, have no idea what sort of zoom they are and don't even know if the one attached to the camera comes off?

I've found another lens which looks like a big one! They're all Nikon but will be really old I think.

I've found another big lens. It's a Minolta one which says af so I guess is auto focus.

I've read that it might fit some Sony dslrs. Is the lens good enough that I should get a Sony? Maybe an a58. Or is it not worth influencing me?

Here

I'm going To start a new thread. Have found more cameras!

Have just ordered a Nikon d3200. Was the one dd liked best when we went and looked at them. £50 off in Currys as well.

I've fallen in love with the Sony a6000 for myself and am so tempted to get it. If I buy it before the weekend Sony are doing £50 cash back!