Can't get a close up

[DizFan101]

ANyway, I have bought a $995 nikon d3100 and can't get a close up w/o getting the shadow of the lens in the picture which wrecks all the pictures. I am soo aggravated by this.

See?

the shadow is the lens cap. Of course I can't use the camera w/o it but it's always in the pictures!!!1

 

[photo_chick]

Are you using a lens hood? What lens are you using? Does it happen when you use a flash or all the time?

A lot of times if you use a longer lens or a lens hood on a wider angle or long lens when you use the built in flash it will cast shadows. It happens with a lot of cameras.

edited to add... I just read your last line. Why can't you use the camera without the hood? Just take it off when it causes a problem. It's what you're supposed to do.

 

[DizFan101]

i don't use a hood. i just use the lens that came in the box

 

[zackiedawg]

OK - you mentioned 'lens cap' rather than hood - the lens cap I'm assuming is an error, as that can easily be kept out of the shot (if yours is hanging on a leash or something, simply take it off or hold it as you shoot). You mentioned you're not using the lens hood, so that issue should be OK - the lens hood will often get in a shot when you use a flash, so always make sure you take it off, which it sounds like you do. The last choice is that you may have a lens that gets caught in the built-in flash of the camera - this is often when the lens is longer than the kit lens, or if the focal length is significantly wider - the solution is to not use the built-in flash with this lens, buy a hot shoe flash which sits up much higher on the camera body, or use something to 'bounce' the built-in flash up away from the subject - which can be done with homemade pieces of paper, plastic, foil, etc. If you're shooting subjects very close like this, the built in flash is a poor tool - either use higher ISOs and/or a tripod and no flash at all, or use an external hotshoe flash. Just a few ideas.

 

[photo_chick]

i don't use a hood. i just use the lens that came in the box

Then what is it that you can't take off? I jumped to hood because of the way you worded it... if it's just a dangling lens cap move it. If you're holding it in your right hand when you shoot, stick it in a pocket or something.

 

[handicap18]

This is one of the faults of using the popup flash. It is positioned to close to the camera and if you use a long lens or a lens hood on a short lens then you can get the shadow. The lens hood does come off. It's used to prevent excess light coming in from the sides. It also helps a bit to protect the lens if you drop the camera. Indoors with a flash you don't necessarily need the lens hood so you can take it off.

If you think you can't take the lens hood off, then back up a bit and crop the image on the computer. Or try different settings so that you don't have to use the flash.

 

[wbeem]

You need a different light source than the on-camera flash. Use a different light, back up and use a longer focal length to zoom into the subject.

I'm guessing you don't have an off-camera flash, but any light source will do. You just need to adjust your white balance to compensate if you use an incandescent lamp, for example.

 

[Phil'sFrontier]

I avoid using the flash at all times if possible. Kind of makes photos look like a point and shoot. I would set your camera to aperture priority(A on the mode dial) and set your iso at 1600 and see what kind of results you get.

Also if your read your user manual you will find information on this problem and how to avoid it. Always a good idea to read the manual.

 

[NateNLogansDad]

I think I may have an answer for once

While I do agree with all the other posters about not using the pop up flash, I'm still new enough to to need it once in a while.

I checked out the info on your picture and noticed that you were zoomed out to 18mm and you mentioned that it was a lens that came with the camera so I'm assuming it's the kit 18-55mm. I ran down to the basement, to see if my memory was correct, and grabbed my kit lens to test my theory. Now, I have the D5100 so I can't be certain that this will fix your issue, but look at the lens when you zoom in from 18mm to 55mm. The lens starts physically extended all the way, dips in, and extends all the way again. I'm thinking that when it's fully extended, it might stick out far enough to block your flash a bit.

Try taking another picture with your lens right between 24 & 35mm and see if that helps. Post back, I'm really curious

 

[thomas998]

i don't use a hood. i just use the lens that came in the box

The lenses if its like ever other 18-55 kit lens I've seen, has a lens hood on it that will come off if you twist it about an 8th of a turn... So that might be your first thing to do, remove the lens hood.

Second, you might be too close to the subject... that looks like you were taking some sort of macro like photo... so don't get so close, a lot of cameras will give you shadows when you use a flash on the camera and photograph something up close. Stand back further and zoom in, or turn off the flash.