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Seeking advice on camera upgrade
Hello:
I am seeking advice on camera upgrade. I currently use a Nikon D40 w/ the 18-200mm zoom lens and a Hoya circular polarizer. I have been shooting with this since Dec 2007. I usually shoot in "P" mode and change exp. compensation frequently. I will do "S" mode to get the water to smooth out. White balance usually on Auto, sometime Cloudy or Florescent for effect. I always leave ISO on 200.
Anyway this shot is typical of what I like to shoot (sunrise or sunset, with low light). This is as shot, with auto-level and sharpening done in Apple Aperture. Any idea if I have reached the limit of what D40 can do for this type of shot? What capabilities would a higher level Nikon offer to improve the out-of-camera quality of these types of pics (I am happy with the D40 for regular daytime shooting). Seems to me like the sand where the water just receded should be glistening, but it seems kind of dull .
Thanks,
Fatima
I am seeking advice on camera upgrade. I currently use a Nikon D40 w/ the 18-200mm zoom lens and a Hoya circular polarizer. I have been shooting with this since Dec 2007. I usually shoot in "P" mode and change exp. compensation frequently. I will do "S" mode to get the water to smooth out. White balance usually on Auto, sometime Cloudy or Florescent for effect. I always leave ISO on 200.
Anyway this shot is typical of what I like to shoot (sunrise or sunset, with low light). This is as shot, with auto-level and sharpening done in Apple Aperture. Any idea if I have reached the limit of what D40 can do for this type of shot? What capabilities would a higher level Nikon offer to improve the out-of-camera quality of these types of pics (I am happy with the D40 for regular daytime shooting). Seems to me like the sand where the water just receded should be glistening, but it seems kind of dull .
Thanks,
Fatima
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If you are now shooting JPG files I suggest that RAW files would be preferable since that gives you more finite control over the processing of the image.
For images shot at sunrise or sunset you need to determine the effect you want to achieve regarding WB, saturation, exposure and contrast. There are different techniques you may want to employ for different effects. Generally, if you want to capture the red tones then I suggest using a Daylight WB. If you use and Auto WB the camera will often try to adjust for what it senses is too much red, similar to an indoor tungston situation. Daylight WB mill pretty much ensure that the reds that you see stay red in the captured image. If you shoot RAW then you have even more control over WB in the output image after conversion.
RAW will also allow more definitive control over saturation and contrast, ensuring that you achieve the tones that you wish, without over-saturating the image or using too much contrast, which can result in clipping tones.
Proper exposure is best done with the camera at the time of image capture and you need to use the camera meter more deliberately to place the desired tones at the desired levels. I often use multiple different exposures so that I can later determine the degree of lightness or darkness across available tones. Manual exposure is the best way to achieve optimal exposure, along with an appropriate understanding of your camera's metering system.
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J: Very insightful Ziggy.
H: No "upgrade" needed methinks.
J: Remove the Polarizer.
H: You might benefit from a Split ND filter though.
J: As Ziggy recommends, shoot in RAW if you're not already.
H: Take several shots (varying exposure) and combine for the Look you're after.
J: Experiment with different compositions.
H: This one (although beautiful) is fairly static, especially with the sun dead center and the noticeable vignetting.
J: Sometimes including natural framing adds to the composition.
H: Mebbe add another element (bird, person, footprints, rock, etc) for added interest.
Have fun!
J&H
Thank you for the response. I am saving images as JPEGs but the camera is capable of RAW. I will start using RAW, and also expose for tones. I have never used the metering system explicitly to make adjustments to exposure; I just shoot, look at the pic in the display, adjust exposure compensation as needed (usually 'darker = better', at least to me, but never more than 2 stops either way) and shoot again.
Got bored with digital and went back to film.
From the replies it seems I can do a little more to explore the D40. I reviewed all my best pics by focal length, about 50% were under 50mm. So a lens that is optimized for that range will be put to good use. I had been aware of the Tokina 11-16, but scared off because it wont Auto Focus on a D40, and I don't trust my eyesight always to manual focus. The next camera I get will not have that limitation. I will hold off on the body upgrade, get a lens I can grow into, experiment more, then look at body upgrade.
I also have to spend more time w/ post processing, especially blending exposures. But that seems like a whole other world, something I could spend countless hours in and still not be "done".
Fatima
I see landscapes differently than nature shows them to me....so I shoot for what I see in my minds eye and if I had a totally manual
digital (or film) camera I could get the shot with out all the stuff embedded on my D300,,,,,,,,,,,,,Seriously you have a ton of learining you can do
with your entry level camera........I read article after article, in the film era, of many a pro's pro that shot with Pextax K1000's.......why
simply because they were tough light weight cameras and the cheapest that Pextax made....they were the bottom of the barrel as far as cost went,
but they were also one of the most reliable cameras around......very little electronics to quit working if the battery went dead......
So my advice is get out of P and into M or A and just learn the camera and its capabilities and youjr capabilities also......if you were
trying to break into something of a sports or wedding arena and doing it for money.....then a camera upgrade would be in order.....
but even if are wanting to shoot landscapes as fine art and try to sell them....the D40 is fine..........I do not know Tokina lenses, but I have used
Sigma for over 30yrs and have not had a bad lens copy yet......one day I am sure I will get a lemon but have not yet.......so something in the way of the
Sigma 10-20 might be something to consider.........I have a great copy of the Nikon 18-200 that I have been able to use for Pro Work, so there are very
good copies of that lens also................................
When shooting off the tripod is the VR on or off on your lens??
show us your tripod please..............they are not all equal and part of your problem just might be in the pod?
Definitely visualizing the shots. For the ones of the sun rising of the ocean, there is usually not much in the way of compose. I attached a much more composed shot of mine with different depths. Composition-wise, I usually get the shot I visualize
For now, yes that is exactly where I am : landscapes for sale. I will stop using P mode now.
Not always off; when I remember
Thanks so much four you questions .. they prompt thinking. I also am looking at the dgrin challenge winner gallery, those mostly are very different from what I am used to shooting, but will be great to learn those techniques and compostion approach too.
-f