Took the plung but now over my head

SnapTheFrog

After a lot of reading, research, fortune tellers, bank tellers, and talking to folks I decided to move up from my humble Powershot S2 IS to the Nikon D80. Yes, big step.

I like having a camera that's smarter than me but unlike the S2 the Nikon puts more responsibility on my shoulders. That's okay, I expected that and look forward to the challenge of becoming a better photographer for it. Still they packed a lot of buttons on that camera and my thumb thinks it's unfair that it has to do all the work while my index finger gets all the credit for pushing the shutter button. I'm going to miss the image stabilization. That saved me countless times.

For all its advancements, there's one thing Nikon dropped the ball on. With the Canon I could review my pictures through the screen or the eye piece. With the Nikon you can only use the screen. Okay, no big deal, but it is. Yesterday was my first day shooting with it and when I tried to review the pictures, I could hardly see the images because of the sun light. This is not earth shattering but it is bad. It's going to make it very hard to know if I got the picture right. Are the shadows too dark; is it blurry, etc?

I'm sure the internet is filling up with personal reviews of the D80. Basing it on one day of use mine is short. 'It's black, heavier than a Powershot, and makes a very cool 'click-klack' noise with you fire the shutter'
I know, I know. A bit too technical for some but there you go. Okay seriously, I'll have a better idea after more time using it. This is a major step up from what I've shot with before so I have a learning curve to adjust to.

I included a shot I took as these birds circled over me. It's not art but it proves I found the shutter button, right?

jaydoug

nice shot..almost looks like a painting

ivar

SnapTheFrog wrote:

and makes a very cool 'click-klack' noise with you fire the shutter'

Unless you tried to shoot some giraffes, I say you did a very good job on your first day out .

(d)SLR is a whole different thing as opposed to point&shoot I find. It will force you to really learn about your camera as well.

I don't know of any dSLR's that have previews through the eyepiece (I'm sure the next post will have links to one though ). You are looking straight through the lens, no place to put a little screen.

Sounds like you are in for a lot of fun. Enjoy your camera!

UT Scott

You wont be able to review pictures through the viewfinder on any DSLR. This is becuase they don't use an electronic viewfinder like a lot of point and shoot cameras. With the IS, you can invest in some nikon VR (vibration reduction) lesnes, niether canon or nikon builds IS or VR into their SLR bodies.

Just have fun with your new camera, try out the manual settings and enjoy it!

Tommyboy

Froggy:

I'm in the same boat. I've been shooting a succession of P&Ss for about six or seven years. I just bought a Canon outfit about six months ago for a bit trip. Since then, I've added a couple of lenses and a few accessories.

I have nearly 30 years experience shooting 35mm, but I'm finding it necessary to relearn with the dslr. I haven't forgotten anything, but the dslr is just different.

Keep shooting, keep posting, keep learning.

And congrats on your new camera. I'll be it's pretty nice. One of the nice things about this advanced technology: The more you learn, the more you realize what a cool camera you've got.

SnapTheFrog

Tommyboy wrote:

Froggy:

Keep shooting, keep posting, keep learning.

And congrats on your new camera. I'll be it's pretty nice. One of the nice things about this advanced technology: The more you learn, the more you realize what a cool camera you've got.

Thanks Tommyboy and everyone else. Yeah it is way different. A new discovery was made today when I went out to the park. Lo and behold... the battery was dead. I miss not being able to drop some AA's in and keep shooting, but there ya go. It was a nice drive all the same.

Jeffro

SnapTheFrog wrote:

Thanks Tommyboy and everyone else. Yeah it is way different. A new discovery was made today when I went out to the park. Lo and behold... the battery was dead. I miss not being able to drop some AA's in and keep shooting, but there ya go. It was a nice drive all the same.

Sounds like user error....forget to charge the battery? My 20D lets me use AA's, but I would only do it in an emergency. I always always always have spare batteries charged and ready to go. It's called preparation...:giggle

The batteries in todays DSLR's let you take thousands of shots on a single charge, much more that a set of AA's would ever let you do.

Enjoy the new camera, it's a constant learning experience....there in lies the fun!

SnapTheFrog

Jeffro wrote:

Sounds like user error....forget to charge the battery? My 20D lets me use AA's, but I would only do it in an emergency. I always always always have spare batteries charged and ready to go. It's called preparation...:giggle

The batteries in todays DSLR's let you take thousands of shots on a single charge, much more that a set of AA's would ever let you do.

Enjoy the new camera, it's a constant learning experience....there in lies the fun!

First thing I did when I got home from the store was charge it, so I know it was full.

It was turned off when I got to the park so I know it wasn't on all day and night.

I figured I spent enough getting the camera, a 1 gig card, and a clear lens to protect the actual lens. I didn't have enough budget to get a second battery.
It's fully charged now so I'll keep a close eye on it to see how it lasts this time.

illuminati919

I myself own about 5 bp-511 batteries for my 20D. Having extra batteries is a must and always carry atleast 2 extra as well as an extra CF card or whatever Nikon takes, hehe.

Red J

Frog,

Take a look at Nikon's 18-200 VR lens. It is not inexpensive, but it is not cheap. It is a nice lens which can stay on the camera and provide you with a wide range of focal length, while also giving you vibration reduction.

The D80's battery should last you quite a while. Give it a few cycles and see what's up then.

I'm eagerly awaiting my D80 which should arrive this week. First SLR of any kind for me.

bobcool

Hey Frog,

I had the same experience as you - I bought a Canon S3 IS five months ago and I love it, but I purchased the D80 two months ago, which enables high ISO shots in low or uncooperative light. I've yet to see any P&S that performs well with high ISO settings. My kids are starting to play indoor sports and for, this was worth the large investment to get the D80. The S3 is, IMO, one of the best P&S cameras out there, and now with the D80 I have a camera for any type of event.

Tip: If you want to see how great your D80 is, then go buy the ~$100 Nikkor 50mm 1.8 lens. It's been called the "Thrifty Fifty" but don't let the price fool you. It's one of the sharpest lens out there and is a great bang for your buck.

I'm learning with my D80 as well, and my pictures are getting better as I learn. Stick with it, and have fun!

ziggy53

SnapTheFrog wrote:

...

For all its advancements, there's one thing Nikon dropped the ball on. With the Canon I could review my pictures through the screen or the eye piece. With the Nikon you can only use the screen. Okay, no big deal, but it is. Yesterday was my first day shooting with it and when I tried to review the pictures, I could hardly see the images because of the sun light. This is not earth shattering but it is bad. It's going to make it very hard to know if I got the picture right. Are the shadows too dark; is it blurry, etc?

...

One thing you should rely on is the histogram to review the exposure and to determine shadow and highlight values. It's much more accurate than viewing the LCD alone.

You will need to develop a technique for shielding the LCD from the direct light of the sun, but you'll rapidly adapt. There are devices to help, if you wish, or you can build simple shields and shades.

http://www.steves-digicams.com/hoodman.html
http://www.neilslade.com/Papers/shade.html

Get to know your system and learn when to trust the autofocus. Don't worry about reviewing every shot, just because you can.

Have fun and happy shooting,

ziggy53

SnapTheFrog

ziggy53 wrote:

One thing you should rely on is the histogram to review the exposure and to determine shadow and highlight values. It's much more accurate than viewing the LCD alone.
ziggy53

Ah. You've touched on yet another new and strange thing that I have no idea how to use. The histogram; and here I thought that was some kind of female x-ray thing.
I haven't gotten to the point where I will shoot raw pictures. (The restraining order says I have to wear clothes.) But understanding and using the histogram is another lesson to learn.
Would I be wrong in guessing that some wise person has posted a link or tutor for dummies like me somewhere in the forum?

ziggy53

SnapTheFrog wrote:

... understanding and using the histogram is another lesson to learn.
Would I be wrong in guessing that some wise person has posted a link or tutor for dummies like me somewhere in the forum?

While the search engine on Digital Grin works, a better method is to use Google to search. The form is as follows:

To limit the search to the domain of Digital Grin, or DGrin for short, include the phrase, "site:www.dgrin.com" in the search, prefixed with a "plus sign".

The appropriate Google search strings might be:

+site:www.dgrin.com +"using the histogram"
+site:www.dgrin.com +histogram +tutorial

In this case, the results are less than I had hoped, but fortunately "Luminous Landscape" has an excellent article:

http://www.luminous-landscape.com/tutorials/understanding-series/understanding-histograms.shtml

... as does "Outback Photo":

http://www.outbackphoto.com/workflow/wf_41/essay.html

ziggy53

Richard

SnapTheFrog wrote:

Would I be wrong in guessing that some wise person has posted a link or tutor for dummies like me somewhere in the forum?

There's a whole collection of tutorials on Dgrin. Click on How To in the Dgrin menu bar at the top. Also remember that Google is your friend. Search for histogram tutorial and I'm sure you'll get what you want. It will be well worth your while in this case. I pay very little attention to the image in the LCD, but I do look at the histogram. Don't know about Nikon, but Canon will blink the parts of the image that are blown, another useful bit of info. It takes a while to make the transition from P&S to dSLR. There's lots to learn, but it is well worth the effort. Hang in there.

JenGrace

Welcome to the world of the D80, Snap. I love mine. If your battery keeps going dead so quickly then I would say it's faulty, cos mine last for a pretty fair amount of time. If battery time is a real issue then think about getting the battery pack. Have fun and keep shooting! :

photographix

d80
hi . lord richard. i shoot a d 70 with a hoodman battery pack. i love it. about two weeks from charge to charge shooting every day. i also shoot with sigma ex lens's very sharp. and half the price. lets see sommore pix. that one's very good. rick.

SnapTheFrog

The battery isn't an issue anymore, only a mystery. After the second chagre it's running like a champ. Now I'm on to unraveling another head-scratcher. I'm going to try an experiment tonight to know if I'm losing my mind, I'm doing something dumb, or I've torn a hole in time / space.

tswill2

losing my mind??

SnapTheFrog wrote:

The battery isn't an issue anymore, only a mystery. After the second chagre it's running like a champ. Now I'm on to unraveling another head-scratcher. I'm going to try an experiment tonight to know if I'm losing my mind, I'm doing something dumb, or I've torn a hole in time / space.

Welcome to the mindless set.... I'm presuming that your D80 battery is a LiIon rechargable. (I'm using a Pentax K10D that has one, and in body IS ;0)) They are known for taking a few use & recharge cycles to get up to capacity.
For the LCD glare problem, look into the $20 Delkin folding hood on ebay. For the battery go for a 3rd party economy spare from eBay. Like http://cgi.ebay.com/Battery-for-Nikon-D200-D80-D70s-D50-EN-EL3-Charger-CAR_W0QQitemZ290060989573QQihZ019QQcategoryZ48519QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem for about $15 including car charger.
Do a search on "dslr sensor cleaning" and get a few tools.

flashburns

Delkin makes a nice hood/protector for the LCD. I use them on a D70 and D200. Also Nikon's VR lens' such as the 18-200mm and the recently released 70-300mm are both worth looking at. I have and enjoy both. Enjoy the world of DSLR I bet you never look back.

Brooks P

Not exactly a cheap fix but along with the various hoods, shades, etc is this, it’s called a Hoodloupe. It looks a little like a Jeweler’s loupe and is worn around the neck on a lanyard. Has a +/- 3 diopter adjustment and will work with up to a 3 inch LCD. I have not used one, I found it written up in Shutterbug Magazine.




http://www.hoodmanusa.com/H-LPP.asp

pathfinder

I am intrigued by the interest in looking at the LCD. I chimp too, of course; even Andy chimps.




But I would not recommend spending too much effort looking at the LCD either.

I DO set up my camera so that blown pixels will be flashing in the image, AND that I can also SEE the histogram at the same time.

And yet, I cannot really check to see if an image is truly in focus until I get it on my monitor at home. And I'll bet I lose more images to focusing than to exposure.

Some shots that look good on the little LCD do not hold up to critical evaluation at home - at least in my hands, so I have decided NOT to put much faith in the images on the LCD viewer. YMMV of course!!