New D80 w/ 18-200VR... Need tips... (Pics incl)

Bayer-Z28

Phiew.... This thing is going to take some getting used to..

I've been just clicking away all day trying to figure out what works best.. I started the day w/ the UV Filter, then I tried the Polariser filter later on.. That one does more than you see thru the lense.. Hmm, gonna have to do some research....

Here's a couple I took today.. Don't mind the grey scale.. The scenery today was all grey..

Any tips? All of these were with the UV filter only. Manual focus is going to take some getting used to, my old camera had a POS manual zoom focus box that wasn't worth crap.. (Lumix FZ20)

SloYerRoll

Hey Z,

I don't really see anything wrong per say w/ any of those images. My initial thoughts are just composition and pop. But neither of those are really done in camera. *The pop part can be, but all the pop in the world won't help a shot that isn't composed well. Check this link out for composition ideas.

I'd recommend just taking a week w/ whichever lens you prefer and just shoot everything. Forget the filters and other toys. You have a long time to learn them. Just get used to the camera and what the camera "out of the box" gives you.

The D80 should give you great results w/o having to work really hard at it.

JMHO.

-Jon

Bayer-Z28

^ Yeah.. I'm gonna do that.. Just shoot stuff.. What I did yesterday too...

I suppose it's just time to get used to the camera... And the darn landscape yesterday wasn't helping at all!! Heavy Grey scale..

SloYerRoll

Bayer-Z28 wrote:

the darn landscape yesterday wasn't helping at all!! Heavy Grey scale..

Ya, from the looks of it, you didn'thave much to work with. Hop in your ride and speed a bit to a new place and just go nuts. It's fun and you neven know what you might find out what you like to shoot

BPerron

Why are you using manual focus? Most cases the auto focus will work really well...I have the 18-200mm VR and I love this lens!

SloYerRoll

BPerron wrote:

Why are you using manual focus? Most cases the auto focus will work really well...I have the 18-200mm VR and I love this lens!

Good catch BPerron:D

I agree that there's no real benifit from MF. You bought that nice camera and lens, let it do the hard work. You should just compose and expose. No focusing for you w/ rare exceptions..

Bayer-Z28

I honestly don't like manual focus... Unless I have time and I KNOW what I want... But 90% of the time I use AF.. I think I've almost gotten the hang of this.. I was shooting if full manual tonight!! :ivar

I think I needed a little less lens speed and I REALLY wanted the car under the bay, but they had a fork lift running around so I couldn't do it to get the BEST lighting..

BPerron

Bayer-Z28 wrote:

I honestly don't like manual focus... Unless I have time and I KNOW what I want... But 90% of the time I use AF.. I think I've almost gotten the hang of this.. I was shooting if full manual tonight!! :ivar

I think I needed a little less lens speed and I REALLY wanted the car under the bay, but they had a fork lift running around so I couldn't do it to get the BEST lighting..

can I ask why you would even really prefer it? the only time I have ever seen a need for it is major macro work...other then that I do not see a need for it, for most people...but hey I guess it is good that you are trying to learn every aspect you can

SloYerRoll

Hey Z,

I agree w/ BP on this one. It's good to go 100% manual, but when most shooters in this forum talk about going 100% manual, they are talking about everything except Auto Focus (and sometimes Auto White Balance).

It's good to know how to MF a camera, but the focus technology that drives DSLR's is ridiculously accurate. You only need a high end camera when your shooting sports or fast action shots.

There are a few different types of auto focus though. So get into that manual or ask in here about auto focus functions on your D80. I'm pretty sure they are the same as my old D50, but not 100%. So I don't want to possibly lead you astray.

Best,
-Jon

Bayer-Z28

^ I appreciate the help.. THat's the reason why I'm on here... I trust the sugestions I get here because 99% of the photogs on here are so far above my head it's rediculous.

But hey, passion is a passion, right?? I'm just very excited to get to know this new equipment and I can FINALLY take some better shots!!! My older camera, I gave up on trying to take any artsy shots at all...

The way I see it, the old camera was VERY cut and dry.. A GREAT camera to learn on as far as a full manual camera, but I grew out of it and I was wanting more.. I got this one, and I doubt I will grow out of it any time soon... But I'll have to get a bigger lens for birding and what not..

I made it a point to read thru the manual to get to know the features more.. From what I gather, there are three AF modes.. One for 'static' (I guess). The other for moving targets, the AF resets itself, or refocuses by frame.... and the other one I don't quite remember.. I've got some time today so I'll be going back thru the manual to get it down again...


Thanx again for the help y'all!!! :ivar

Only one complaint; I got RIPPED on my memory card.. I think I paid like $70 for a 4G 133x card, then I found a 150x 4G card for $40! I learned about card speed 1 day too late..

dadwtwins

All the features are your new D80 can be very daunting for someone coming from a fully manual camera. There are several DVD's out there just on your camera.

This dvd is fairly cheap and I think perfect for you to start off with.

http://www.adorama.com/DVIND80.html

Bayer-Z28

I was shooting in Shutter priority at first so I can get used to what the camera wanted and what was concidered normal on the other specs.. It just took about a week of shooting random stuff at about 100 pics a day..

I've got some new ones, but I can't find a site that will host them.. They're rather large files...

Here's one of them.. I just resized it on CS3... Fixed the levels too.. that's it.. I didn't have my tripod, so don't mind the blur..

dadwtwins

I am a little confused

what are you requesting or asking of the forum???

As far as the camera, in any mode except manual the camera will try its best to produce the best shot possible compensating for any mode you pick. So I am not sure what you are trying to achieve.

Bayer-Z28

I've figured out how to shoot with this camera, but I'm noticing now the clarity and sharpness really isn't there... For me that is.. Maybe it's the lense..

Day time shots come out really bright.. My target is fine, but the background is bright.. I load them into CS3 and fix the levels, but I shouldn't have to do that..

here's one I PS'd.




THe original.. The other shot, that is.. I saved the PS file under the original.. the is a similar shot..

BPerron

Bayer-Z28 wrote:

I've figured out how to shoot with this camera, but I'm noticing now the clarity and sharpness really isn't there... For me that is.. Maybe it's the lense..

Day time shots come out really bright.. My target is fine, but the background is bright.. I load them into CS3 and fix the levels, but I shouldn't have to do that..

here's one I PS'd.




THe original.. The other shot, that is.. I saved the PS file under the original.. the is a similar shot..

Are you shooting in raw? if you are shooting in raw then the pic is going to be soft, because the camera is not adding much of anything to the file, cause it is expecting you to take care of it in PP. I am not sure what mode you took those photos in, but due to the camera assuming that the photo will be taken handheld (it wants to give you the fastest shutter possible, in order to keep the pic sharp as possible) and it being so bright out, I am sure that you camera's ap. is wide open, which is going to give you a limited depth of field, which will lead to the objects in the back ground to be softer or more blurred...

As for the brightness issues, yes you will have to adjust them, especially if you are shooting in raw, (why do you think photoshop has that option?), I am not sure why you think that the pics should come out of the pic perfect, there are many, many factors to the "over-birghtness" you are claiming. This just comes down to photographic knowledge...The pics above are in situations where people use grad. ND filters, so they can tone down the light and get great light on the subject, also another reason why photographers prefer sunrise and sunset time to shoot...

So maybe you can tell us what you are expecting out of this camera and lens and maybe we can better help you. If cameras were perfect and you did not need to make adjustments in post process, then photoshop would pretty much not exist, or not have nearly the photo correction options it has. Making corrections after the photo is taken is nothing new, it is done with film as well...So I am so very confused by what you are wanting and complaining about, just like you were manual focusing in the first place...

dadwtwins

shooting mid day it is expected to have at least two stops difference between the sky and shadows. As for the clarity issue, your right about the lens. I have the same 18-200 lens as well and never liked the glass much. Of course the glass is cheap compared to a 2.8 continuous lens like the 70-200.

I am just a little curious about your settings. Is your camera on spot metering?? What setting did you put your camera in. It has normal, vivid and so on. I think it comes stock set on vivid. I changed mine back to either standard or normal, can't remember the correct nomenclature.

check out the menu settings and adjust it for your particulr likes

joeinmiami

Well Z:

We have a couple of things in common, You have almost the same setup that I have. I have had my D80 for about a year, and I purchased the 18-200 lens about 6 months ago. I have learn a lot by using the camera as much as posible (over 8,000 photos and counting) and by reading books (about 4 of them) and several of these forums, I agreed that you should use the camera without fancy filters and other toys until you gain a good knowledge of what it can do.
For my part , I always use automatic focusing, but I do change all the other settings to fit the need, such as White balance, ISO, etc.

Now for the second common item: I use to own a 1970 Camaro Z-28 that did 0 to 60 in less than 4 seconds! What happens to it, you may ask, I came back from work and it was missing from its spot and was never found again.

Happy shutting and enjoy the art of photography.

Joe

dadwtwins

joeinmiami wrote:

Now for the second common item: I use to own a 1970 Camaro Z-28 that did 0 to 60 in less than 4 seconds! What happens to it, you may ask, I came back from work and it was missing from its spot and was never found again.

Joe

:cryDang Joe, you just killed my good mood. I hate to hear that a loved car was taken away by some scum. I am sure you put a ton of hours and money into that awesome machine just to have it taken by someone that has no sense of what is right or what is just plain wrong.

RayLarson

I have a D80 and 18-200 and find that it requires an ev correction of -0.7 to start with. The meter in the D80 has a flaw that tends to overexpose. Try dialing in that setting to start then look at your histograms and tweak it. You'll find that will help a lot. (IMHO)