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07/20/2004 03:57:17 PM · #1 |
OK, I am ready to take some serious photos maybe even get into photography. But first I need to learn how to use an SLR camera, I will need all the help I can get. I have a few questions if you guys can help:
Which CF card should I get? What brand and speed.
Do I need a UV lense?
I purchased the kit with the 18-70 lense, do I need other lenses?
Please recommend on what I will need,
thanx!!!!!
mike |
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07/20/2004 04:08:50 PM · #2 |
Congrats!!! Its a great camera. You'll love it.
First, you should go over to dpreview.com and browse the d70 forum. Its full of good info about lenses and filters and such..
I personally found the kit lens awesome. I have also bought a 50mm 1.4 for low light indoor shooting....lens is very sharp.
I have a nikon 28-200 that is very very nice.
I have sigma 105mm 2.8 for macro...
I use a 512cf card and take only RAW pics.
UV filters? Hmm...if you get them, only get good ones...ya know? why put a cheap $10 filter on a $500 lens? I dont use them, but some do.
again, congrats and head over to the dpreview.com Nikon d70 forum..you'll love it. |
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07/20/2004 04:11:46 PM · #3 |
I too just bought that camera. Its a great camera. First things I would do if I were you. Work with the iso 200, the pictures come out nicest. Also, since 100 film is slower, go out and buy a tripod if you dont have it, you WILL need it. Next go through every aspect of the menu, with the book in your hand, and look at all the different settings you can have. If you dont know what one means, look it up in the book. Most aspects of the camera I would suggest you use on manual, like white ballence and stuff, because if your like me, you wont know exactly what it does.
If your just starting out and you dont know exactly how to use the manual feature, dont worry. You can still get good prints. You should work with the Aperature priority and Shutter speed priorety to get used to what kind of pictures you can take with this. How they work. What they can do. Remember anything under the shutter speed of 30 or so, you will want to use a tripod so it doesnt blur. If there is not much light, you can always open the aperature(an aperature of 4.5 or 4) all the way to account for it. But this will give you a shallow depth of feild, which might not be what you want if you are taking close ups so be careful.
Allright. Now for answers to your questions. For your CF card. I have to 512 and I can hold 300 of the highest quality pictures. If you are like me, you wont need this many. The most pictures ive ever taken in one outing is like 100. I delete the bad as soon as their taken. Youll probably want to get the cheepest you can get in CF cards. You can spend more money, but Im not sure if you need to. All it will do is let you be able to access the pictures youve taken fast, which you probably wont need that .5 seconds exta.
A UV lens is a good idea, but you dont need it if you are avid on using a lense cap. All a UV lens does is protect your lense from getting destryed.
On other lenses. Eventually it will be smart to get a telephoto lens and a macro lens but since you are going to be working with six mp pictures, its not nessesary. For those lenses check out what sigma has to offer. They are cheep and decent. Check out www.cameta.com for those. Good luck and good shooting. If you need any other advice feel free to e-mail me.
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07/20/2004 05:09:15 PM · #4 |
I've been pretty happy with my Sandisk Ultra II 256 MB. The speed difference isn't night and day, but it is noticeable (right now I'm shooting jpeg). I'd recommend a UV filter. I got a cheap one, but I can't afford the finer things yet. As far as lenses go, I only have 2 (kit + 70-300 G) so I can't help much, but my next lens will probably be the 50mm f/1.4
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07/20/2004 06:33:17 PM · #5 |
Originally posted by m628k:
OK, I am ready to take some serious photos maybe even get into photography. But first I need to learn how to use an SLR camera, I will need all the help I can get. I have a few questions if you guys can help:
Which CF card should I get? What brand and speed.
Do I need a UV lense?
I purchased the kit with the 18-70 lense, do I need other lenses?
Please recommend on what I will need,
thanx!!!!!
mike |
First off, congratulations! I'm certain that you are very excited and happy with your new tool. For a 1st ever SLR, you sure picked a good one.
CF cards.....get a couple of Sandisk 128's or 256's.
Don't worry about other lenses just yet.
Set the ISO at 400 and/or just put the camera in automatic.
Shoot jpeg for now, fine, medium size. (64 frames on a 128 cf card)
Turn the Grid ON
Take pictures of things that you like, people, pets, flowers, lanscsapes, where you live, family gatherings.....trying to get the focal point of your shot onto one of the grid lines.
When this is no longer fun or you run into trouble, then grow into the next phase of learning.
Wishing you the very best.
Flash
[IMO a UV filter is an absolute necessity]. Others disagree and they can do with their equipment whatever they like. It is afterall - their equipment. But for others....me included, a UV filter goes on the lense (and stays there) before a single shot is taken.
Message edited by author 2004-07-20 18:37:59.
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07/20/2004 06:47:35 PM · #6 |
Congrats!! Awsome camera!!!
DO get a UV filter to protect your lens!! It's only a few dollars but I've already knocked mine on the corner of the table and thank god for the UV filter!!! :-)
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07/21/2004 11:57:45 AM · #7 |
Wow!!!! this sight is awesome. I'm getting so much help from everyone. I'm going to learn faster than I thought.
Thankx everyone!!!!!
mike |
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07/21/2004 12:02:41 PM · #8 |
Originally posted by m628k:
OK, I am ready to take some serious photos maybe even get into photography. But first I need to learn how to use an SLR camera, I will need all the help I can get. I have a few questions if you guys can help:
Which CF card should I get? What brand and speed.
Do I need a UV lense?
I purchased the kit with the 18-70 lense, do I need other lenses?
Please recommend on what I will need,
thanx!!!!!
mike |
Welcome to the DSLR world, even if you have a Nikon :P Anyways, about needing lenses, who cares about NEEDS? Even if you don't need more lenses, you'll WANT more lenses. I used to say I only needed a couple and I have 3 right now and 2 on in the mail. I've spent almost as much on lenses as I paid for the camera, and their not pro lenses, so if you want top notch glass, be prepared to shell out top bucks.
June
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07/21/2004 12:13:34 PM · #9 |
I would get a spare battery as well - I find the battery life quite good, but the battery meter quite bad (little or no warning when the battery is about to go bad). Best to have a spare handy.
I saw below somebody say they can get 300 highest quality .jpg pictures on a 512 MB card - I don't think that is correct. I have a 2GB microdisk and it will only get 582 : at the highest resolution and "fine" quality. Also, the cheapest cards are the slowest - the Nikon is a fast camera, if you will want to take full advantage of that you may want to consider going with the faster cards. I have the microdisk and a cheap 256MB CF card as a backup - I wish now I'd paid the extra $ for the fastest CF card for those times where I really want the speed.
Joe
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07/21/2004 02:10:00 PM · #10 |
The fastest card for your camera will only be measurable with the same model. The circutry that works best in another camera is not relevant to you.
Get that second batterey, and I also like UV filters. Yes they do dimish optical quality a tiny bit, but not as much as a nice nick in the front element, and they clean up much faster than multi-coated glass. help keep dust out too.
Don't be in a hury to buy more lenses, your kit lense is quite nice. Look at what you most enjoy shooting long nature shots on a tripod then your next lens will not be the same as if you like taking closeups in crowds.
And use the d70 forum at DPReviw. for all those interesting questions that will come up. |
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07/21/2004 07:01:45 PM · #11 |
Ok here is a problem I'm running into. How come the quality of the pictures I take suck? They are not clear images, I'm using full autofocus. I'm getting so aggravated. My first couple of picks were very clear, maybe I pressed a wrong button somwhere. My images are not as clear anymore.....
mike |
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07/21/2004 07:31:13 PM · #12 |
| Maybe I have back focus????????????????? |
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07/21/2004 07:38:58 PM · #13 |
I'd post some pics as examples (either here or the DPReview D70 forum). Can't help unless we can see whats wrong ; )
A quick suggestion would be to check your shutter speeds. If they're less than 1/60, you might be seeing camera shake.
Also check your custom menu and make sure you have AF-S selected rather than AF-C. AF-S disables the shutter unless a focus lock is made while AF-C will let you trip the shutter even if focus confirmation isn't made.
Message edited by author 2004-07-21 19:39:30.
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07/21/2004 11:19:27 PM · #14 |
Here is a problem I ran into the first time I started shooting with the lens that came with the camera. It is extremely hard to get into focous. I constantly check and recheck. But your using auto foucus which brings up this point. DONT USE AUTO FOCUS. The thing about auto focus is you have to do as much work as manual focous. This camera is so advanced that you have to tell it which part of the screen you want to be in focus. The auto focus seems to not work well because it wants to make the first thing the light hits in focus. look at one of my pictures. pictures. Notice how the blades closest to the lens are in sharp focus while the rest are out? That is what auto focus tends to do. My advice is to just use manual focus.
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07/21/2004 11:43:22 PM · #15 |
My recommandation... as always....
get a good camera (see dpreview.com)
get 2-3 good lens (fremiranda.com)
get high quality filters
take course and read a lot
for me the camera HOLD that lens.... in 2-3 years, your camera will be a joke... and new one will kill in term of feature and speed and quality.... so you will get a new one but you will keep the lens... your good lens... expensive lens...
Pay more fot the lens that the camera... i paid my camera 1300$... my lens 1600$... i am already looking for the next generation of camera.... but i am really happy with my lens...
Anyway get to know the sweet spot of your material, and use it this way... dont try to do what your material is not good at....
ciao
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07/22/2004 09:13:54 AM · #16 |
Originally posted by Thousands_Fall:
The auto focus seems to not work well because it wants to make the first thing the light hits in focus...Notice how the blades closest to the lens are in sharp focus while the rest are out? That is what auto focus tends to do. My advice is to just use manual focus. |
There are different settings for the focus point in the menus (my camera is at the shop getting the mirror sticking problem taken care of )C: so I can't turn it on...wait...manual). The Focus area selection menu has the manual focus area (I use that, when it is in MAS and P), but you have to have the AF Area Mode NOT set to Closest Subject (which is what I see may be the problem). the Single Area is what I leave it on, unless i know I am going to be shooting a movinng target like my 2 year old. See pages 64-74 of the manual
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