Nikon Beast
Nikon Beast
Help with using manual mode on Nikon Dslr?
Hi all, I am learning about photography, and sometimes I would like a little more control than the auto settings seem to offer. I have a Nikon D40x, 18-55 kit lens f3.5, 70-300 zoom f4, and a Sigma 10-20 f4. I have fun experimenting with all lenses!
The beast I cannot crack though, is using the camera in fully manual mode (as opposed to using Auto, Portrait, Lanscape, etc…). How can I get started? I know, read, learn etc… but are there some common setting or guidelines to get me started? My brain hurts, help!
Instead of going to full manual why not try Aperture Priority? In this mode you set the aperture for Depth of Field and the camera will select an appropriate shutter speed.
At any aperture there is only one correct shutter speed for the light level you have, you can let the camera find it for you (or close to it), or you can thrash about blindly to get the exact same result.
The only times I use manual is when I want to blend ambient light with flash and when I’m using an old lens that has no connection with the camera.
Turn on the Histogram and shoot to that, Keep the ‘hump’ of pixels as close to left as you can without actually touching the left hand side. This ensures the maximum amount of data within the image file.
I’m well aware that metering systems can be foxed (the ubiquitous white cat in snow resulting in a grey cat in grey snow). Shooting to the Histogram overcomes this problem, use the Exposure Compensation to put the ‘hump’ of pixels as above and you won’t go far wrong. That’s what its there for.
If the ‘hump’ goes right across the Histogram from left to right then the subject you are trying to photograph has too much Dynamic Range for your sensor, then you can try filters to hold back the bright areas or bracketing and combining in PS.
Chris
[Rain CF] 11.03.2010 Rain Bi nikon New CF
