Digital photography question?

[ED DELORGE]

O.K. I just received my used Canon Rebel xt with macro lens from Adorama Co. When using my old film camera I always stopped down for f22 and shot at about one second shutter speed for close up work. My question is do you operate the digital SLR the same. What setting do you use for close up work with defused lighting?

Ed

 

[jimzim75]

The D-200 Nikon, It can be handled in the same manner as a film SLR. I set the ISO at 400
equivalent. F22 and let the camera decide the speed of the shuttter. Nice thing is you can do bracket
groups to get the best shot.

I hope you got an owners manual and couple instruction tapes on how the camera works throw in by Adorama.
It only took me a month.
Good luck,
Jim

 

[ED DELORGE]

Hello Jim, Thanks for the suggestions. What are bracket groups?

Ed

 

[pilkguns]

the lower the ISO, the better quality the file will be, although todays cameras, even at 800ISO can be pretty noise free, but for studio work I would'nt shoot anything above 100 ISO.

Digital SLRs work the same way as film in regards to exposure. The only extra advantage to digital is if you are shooting RAW and then you can tweak the exposure up or down before you develop the pic.

F22 is the widest depth of field, and in theory should be the sharpest, but in practice may not give you the sharpest pictures. Often the best acuity is in the middle to upper 2/3rds of the range. Ideally you should shoot some test shots starting at say f11 and then go up a stop at time, and then you can pixel peep and see which F stop gives the sharpest overall pic.

Ed, you coming to the Engrave-In this year and then visit the inlaws in Crossville?

 

[Sam]

Good advice from Scott. f22 will get you the most depth of field, but nearly all lenses are optimized for the mid f-stop ranges. I always shoot at ISO 100 which is the lowest ISO for my camera, set my aperture, and let the shutter speed float. Of course you MUST use a tripod for optimum results.

You'll still need to devote some time to experimentation, and record your best results for future shots. Once you get in the zone your camera setting won't stray much unless you're shooting super close or back far away for a large object.

~Sam

 

[jimzim75]

Hi Ed,
"The" very best guild to what you have in your new camera is the owner manual. Ya go into your favorite
reading room, mines the bathroom. Read that bugger over and over again until you can either recite it
from hart or instantly turn to the page you need.

This is what I did, because the book thick as a Louie LaMoure Western adventure paperback. Once you
can repeat it chapter & verse and it all start clicking in. You'll know if you have the bracketing option
and where it is. Make the menu your friend, because it will tell you everything that's going on.
This is important, there should be a reset button on one of the menus. Find it. This will save you,
when you don't see the never push this button sign that takes you to a new level of Camera Hell.
And you sort of push it. Remember, Reset!

Remember you no longer have to pay for processing, so take a zillion pictures.
One nice thing you should find is the read out of what the setting
were when you took the breath taking picture of your life.

After six weeks, you'll be showing us stuff we never seen. I'm sure.

 

[ED DELORGE]

Thanks Jim, Sam and Scott, I am going to print out all of your responses and keep for refrences.


Scott, what is the date on your engrave in, that sure sounds like fun, and I do need to visit the family back in Tennessee.

Thanks again Ed

 

[pilkguns]

I just bumped the info to the top

 

[beegee]

just bought a Nikon D-80 after 30 years with a Canon AE-1. The biggest difference I struggle with is the size of the photo. Each digital camera has a % factor, so that what you see in the view finder and the actual picture are different from what you see typically in a 35mm. Everything I shoot comes out smaller than I think it will.

 

[pilkguns]

there is a crop factor on most DSLRs that makes for example, a 85mm lens really a 100mm unless you have a fullframe sensor like the Canon 1Ds or the 5D. However what you see through viewfinder of an SLR digital or not, shoule be dang close to what you get on the picture. On my Canon bodies 1Ds and Rebel Xt I get slightly more than can I see in the viewfinder, not less.

 

[RoycroftRon]

To piggy back on Sam's post:

With the long shutter speed (because of the lower - iso 100) tripod use and the addition of a cable release or auto timer is suggested. Just pressing the button even on a tripod could set off the crispness of the image. Most digital cameras have a short (2 second) delay timer. Combine this with an auto bracketing feature and you have a pretty nice set-up.