SRK Photographers Thread Vol. 1

jdm714 · August 5, 2009, 11:14am

You guys take very good pictures.

I just bought my very first camera yesterday.
I don’t know how to use yet. :sad:

blooper · August 5, 2009, 11:18am

which camera did you get? my best advise is to learn how to compose.

jdm714 · August 5, 2009, 11:48am

Nikon D40
Got 55-200mm lens too, with VR of course.

Milkham · August 5, 2009, 12:11pm

see if you can grab a 50mm 1.8 while you’re at it. cheap and fun!

Hoonyo · August 5, 2009, 12:37pm

This one is pretty funny. I didn’t look at it closely and thought she smeared a cupcake over her head.

jdm714 · August 5, 2009, 2:21pm

Thank you Milkham.

I wanted to get a Prime Lens.
I didn’t know what or when I will buy.

Even though Autofocus on the Nikon AF NIKKOR 50mm f/1.8 (either D or non-D) not work with D40, I still want get.
There is that new Nikon AF-S DX NIKKOR 35mm f/1.8G that is available; Autofocus works on D40.

But that is not matter.
Having to manually focus an image is cool.
Good for learning, and fun.

Taking steps forward or back when taking picture would be fun too.
Laugh.

I’m going to try find Nikon AF NIKKOR 50mm f/1.8 for cheap.

Sasmasta · August 5, 2009, 2:22pm

Unless you fall over something. Then you’d have a picture of the sky/ceiling.

But no one would be the wiser unless you told them the story. I’ll never tell.

:d: “I’ll never tell.”

jdm714 · August 5, 2009, 2:26pm

Can I trust you Sasmasta? :bluu:

Rei · August 5, 2009, 8:39pm

Don’t be afraid of manual focus on the D40, because it has focus confirmation. There is a little dot in the corner that shows up when you have correct focus in manual focus mode. You can also turn on the focus confirmation beep, and have the camera beep when you achieve focus manually.

So here is what you do with the D40 and a manual focus lens.

Before you lift the camera to your eye, estimate your distance to the subject, and dial that in on the focus distance window. IIRC, your 55-200 doesn’t have a distance scale, but most of the older, non-gelded Nikkor lenses do.
Compose the shot and half depress the shutter. If you hear the beep (or see the dot), then your focus was correct.
If you didn’t hear the beep, while the shutter is still half depressed, rock the focusing ring from side to side until you hear the beep (or see the dot). Once you hear the beep, your focus is correct.
If you heard the beep at 2 or three, then press the shutter.

I used this method when I was borrowing an old MF Nikkor 105 from a friend and using on my D70. It sounds complicated, but really, it is just about as hard as doing hit-confirmation into super.

If you play street fighter 4, and you can throw out jab - jab - short with balrog (boxer) and can verify that the first jab connected before throwing out headbuttXXultra, then you can use the method above to be quicker with manual focus than most people are with auto-focus.

blooper · August 7, 2009, 12:29am

props for using a SF4 example to teach a dude photography.

DaRabidDuckie · August 7, 2009, 2:17am

I see some very nice stuff in this thread! I’m very, very impressed (and humbled >.>)

If I may contribute some myself…

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3090/2716252041_b94f8fdb27.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2069/2536513229_964db09beb.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3259/3114729052_41c7aae97a.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3222/3085764322_c4030f0321.jpg

scottind · August 7, 2009, 2:42am

Rei:

Don’t be afraid of manual focus on the D40, because it has focus confirmation. There is a little dot in the corner that shows up when you have correct focus in manual focus mode. You can also turn on the focus confirmation beep, and have the camera beep when you achieve focus manually.

So here is what you do with the D40 and a manual focus lens.

Before you lift the camera to your eye, estimate your distance to the subject, and dial that in on the focus distance window. IIRC, your 55-200 doesn’t have a distance scale, but most of the older, non-gelded Nikkor lenses do.

Compose the shot and half depress the shutter. If you hear the beep (or see the dot), then your focus was correct.

If you didn’t hear the beep, while the shutter is still half depressed, rock the focusing ring from side to side until you hear the beep (or see the dot). Once you hear the beep, your focus is correct.

If you heard the beep at 2 or three, then press the shutter.

I used this method when I was borrowing an old MF Nikkor 105 from a friend and using on my D70. It sounds complicated, but really, it is just about as hard as doing hit-confirmation into super.

I’ve been using MF lenses with the D40 for 9 months before i had a chance to buy the AF-S NIKKOR 35mm prime lens.

I dont think the Manual mode on the D40 will even have focus confirmation on older MF lenses but…

To the original person who has the D40, JDM714…
eyeballing the distance and dialing it into the focus ring is EXCELLENT advice to follow, before you frame your shot. I had a MF 50mm prime lens that i bought for $20, and i hooked onto my D40 and took some great shots with it.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3226/2933457993_6b17241e39.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3178/2937556024_4d91f13191.jpg

Don’t let manual focusing stop you from buying a wide aperture prime lens. If you don’t have that Nikon AF-S DX NIKKOR 35mm f/1.8G already, I highly recommend buying it over the AF NIKKOR 50mm for your D40. (just don’t pay an inflated price for them, i got mine for $199 at amazon)

blooper · August 7, 2009, 11:29am

did a few long exposures today, thought id share.

and some dessert.

jdm714 · August 7, 2009, 2:21pm

Rei:

Don’t be afraid of manual focus on the D40, because it has focus confirmation. There is a little dot in the corner that shows up when you have correct focus in manual focus mode. You can also turn on the focus confirmation beep, and have the camera beep when you achieve focus manually.

So here is what you do with the D40 and a manual focus lens.

Before you lift the camera to your eye, estimate your distance to the subject, and dial that in on the focus distance window. IIRC, your 55-200 doesn’t have a distance scale, but most of the older, non-gelded Nikkor lenses do.

Compose the shot and half depress the shutter. If you hear the beep (or see the dot), then your focus was correct.

If you didn’t hear the beep, while the shutter is still half depressed, rock the focusing ring from side to side until you hear the beep (or see the dot). Once you hear the beep, your focus is correct.

If you heard the beep at 2 or three, then press the shutter.

I used this method when I was borrowing an old MF Nikkor 105 from a friend and using on my D70. It sounds complicated, but really, it is just about as hard as doing hit-confirmation into super.

If you play street fighter 4, and you can throw out jab - jab - short with balrog (boxer) and can verify that the first jab connected before throwing out headbuttXXultra, then you can use the method above to be quicker with manual focus than most people are with auto-focus.

Thank you for telling me of the method you use Rei.
Putting in Street Fighter IV is funny.
Laugh.

scottind:

I’ve been using MF lenses with the D40 for 9 months before i had a chance to buy the AF-S NIKKOR 35mm prime lens.

I dont think the Manual mode on the D40 will even have focus confirmation on older MF lenses but…

To the original person who has the D40, JDM714…
eyeballing the distance and dialing it into the focus ring is EXCELLENT advice to follow, before you frame your shot. I had a MF 50mm prime lens that i bought for $20, and i hooked onto my D40 and took some great shots with it.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3226/2933457993_6b17241e39.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3178/2937556024_4d91f13191.jpg

Don’t let manual focusing stop you from buying a wide aperture prime lens. If you don’t have that Nikon AF-S DX NIKKOR 35mm f/1.8G already, I highly recommend buying it over the AF NIKKOR 50mm for your D40. (just don’t pay an inflated price for them, i got mine for $199 at amazon)

Thank you for the advice scottind.
Thank you for the recommendation.

For real you guys.
I didn’t even have idea of dialing in the estimated distance with Focus Ring.
I guess that is what the Distance Scale is for.
Laugh.

I’m not all that scared of manually focusing though.
It may take a few seconds to get the most sharp.

What will scare me is when I want or need to mess with Aperture and Shutter Speed. :sad:

Oh yes.
When I wake up, I will go out to buy a Hoya Lens Filter.
I just want something to protect.

scottind, I hear you are super in beatmania IIDX.
I only play beatmania because I’m not cool with 7-Key.
Laugh.

I tried IIDX once and it just made me so confuse.
Although can also set for 5-Key too.
I just stay away for safe.

blooper · August 7, 2009, 8:22pm

ive been leaving my filters off a lot lately. main;y because i shoot out on the street at night where glare/refraction/ghosting/flare becomes an issue. getting rid of the UV filter helps a bit.

jdm714 · August 7, 2009, 9:18pm

The yellow lights one, it is like Sprint.
Laugh.

I want to try Long Exposure when I get my composing down.

Digital_Master · August 9, 2009, 2:24am

You guys got amazing pics.

I got a Nikon Coolpix P80 several months ago and i love it,how do you guys rate this camera? I mean for a person that wants to learn photography? I really don’t know much about that but I’m seriously thinking to study some photography.
I just love taking pics :lovin:

Here are some test pics from my P80:

http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/kk168/chailstorm/Test%20Pics/DSCN0748.jpg

http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/kk168/chailstorm/Test%20Pics/DSCN0764.jpg

I just saw this on a wall and had to take a pic

http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/kk168/chailstorm/Test%20Pics/DSCN0779.jpg

DaRabidDuckie · August 9, 2009, 5:58am

I like the angle of the sidewalk on that one. It’s like a straight path that’s no-so-straight.

The_Mullah · August 10, 2009, 2:19am

hi guys, i’m plunging head first into photography and have been bought a nikon d5000 and i want to know what lenses i will require to achieve shots like those i quoted.

can you reccomend good lenses for macro shots and for nice blurred background and sharp forgound shots ? is there a definative website that tells you all about lenses and whichones to buy?

thanks, some of the photos here are great

blooper · August 10, 2009, 2:56am

like anything else you want to get good at, youre going to have to do a lot of studying and practicing.

understand what aperture is and how that effects your shutter speed and exposure.

heres a link that reviews all lenses so you can get an idea of what youre looking for.
http://www.fredmiranda.com/

and heres a little read on blurry backgrounds.
http://www.bobatkins.com/photography/technical/bokeh.html

just make sure you know what you want before you buy anything.

what equipment do you have so far?