help me to practise...

[wen-tom]

I got a 50mm 1.4 for christmas from DH and as i have a Nikon D40x i have to manually focus which is a new thing for me.

i know that this seems really strange but what with all the organising i have had to do over christmas (big family meals) i think I have overloaded my brain and i cant think of anything to photograph to get some practice with the new lens...

we have really poor light at the moment so not a lot of natural light in the house...

I was hoping that someone could set me a few projects to help me out... I am really a beginner and so I really need help...

 

[annnewjerz]

I got a 50mm 1.4 for christmas from DH and as i have a Nikon D40x i have to manually focus which is a new thing for me.

i know that this seems really strange but what with all the organising i have had to do over christmas (big family meals) i think I have overloaded my brain and i cant think of anything to photograph to get some practice with the new lens...

we have really poor light at the moment so not a lot of natural light in the house...

I was hoping that someone could set me a few projects to help me out... I am really a beginner and so I really need help...

I can't recommend specific things in your house (or even around your house) to practice on, but I can tell you that I have the 50mm f/1.8D AF on my Nikon D60, as well as the 60mm f/2.8D AF Micro (both of which I have to manually focus) and it's really not that bad, I actually sort of prefer it now...it makes me take more time to think about my shot before actually pressing the shutter.

The first day I got the 50mm f/1.8, I put it on my camera and shot lots of stuff...I shot a Skittles candy wrapper, I shot my pets (that sounds horrible), I shot DH (again, you know what I mean ). I'm not sure if the D40x has the "in-focus" light in the viewfinder like the D60 does but regardless, it's pretty easy to tell when something is extremely out of focus and when it's getting close. PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE...and have fun!!!

 

[handicap18]

Is your christmas tree still up? If so take shots of the orniments..

Do you have any little trinkets around the house. Maybe stuff you collect? Pets? Kids? Flowers? Plants? Neighbors? Gardens?

Take a picture of anything. Your other lenses. Anything.

 

[ssanders79]

I use the Nikon 50mm 1.8 Series E (100% manual/No Metering) on my D40 and love the results. I would just start simple and keep practicing. Don't worry if your pictures are not coming out perfectly at first. I rarely wear my contacts so my glasses add another degree of difficulty, so I rely on the Green focus dot in my viewfinder. It is not always accurate with the lens wide open, but it does help.

It is a great lens for darker rides such as POTC and Haunted Mansion.

TIP: You can also hold the lens inverted for a macro lens. WARNING: this will more than likely allow dust to get into your camera body so be careful and do it inside.

P.S. If you hand your camera to a typical PhotoPass person they will most likely not have a clue.

 

[wen-tom]

Thanks for all the responses guys and for the ideas

The christmas tree is a very good idea and actually i did take a few test shots on christmas day to test that the lense was working so i'll definatey do more before we take it down...

Tomorrow is the first day i have really had to do nothing other than what i want to do so i will take your advise and just shoot...

I do have a dog who is usually the first thing i turn to with the camera but he doesn't often sit very still

maybe i'll take him for a good long run and then i'll have a subject for about 20 minutes while he rests..

I am really looking forward to getting some good dark ride pics and so i need to master it before we next go to disney...

 

[YesDear]

So obviously it is the old 50 1.4 not the new one. If it were the new one I would tell you to forget about it and just send me the lens!

 

[annnewjerz]

So obviously it is the old 50 1.4 not the new one. If it were the new one I would tell you to forget about it and just send me the lens!

Geeeeeez, Greedy! First you try to get me to send you my Christmas money and now you try to get someone's lens!!! Didn't someone just get a nice toy for Christmas from their DW?? That should keep you occupied for at least a little while

All of you Nikon shooters out there, watch out--John's NAS seems to be acting up.

 

[YesDear]

HEY! I resemble that remark!

 

[wen-tom]

So obviously it is the old 50 1.4 not the new one. If it were the new one I would tell you to forget about it and just send me the lens!

cheeky.

it is the new one, i couldn't believe it either. i had the 1.8 on my christmas list but got one better

 

[handicap18]

cheeky.

it is the new one, i couldn't believe it either. i had the 1.8 on my christmas list but got one better

If its the new one, then it will auto focus with the D40x. Or are you saying its a new copy of the older AF version? Nikon released an AF-S version a few months back.

 

[wen-tom]

i was actually just coming back to make myself a little clearer.. i realised after i posted that i made out that it was the new AF-s version. Its the AF-D version, but the latest copy... sorry if i confused anyone, i struggle to get my head around these things and i type quicker than i think

 

[oogieboogieman]

I use the Nikon 50mm 1.8 Series E (100% manual/No Metering) on my D40 and love the results. I would just start simple and keep practicing. Don't worry if your pictures are not coming out perfectly at first. I rarely wear my contacts so my glasses add another degree of difficulty, so I rely on the Green focus dot in my viewfinder. It is not always accurate with the lens wide open, but it does help.

It is a great lens for darker rides such as POTC and Haunted Mansion.

TIP: You can also hold the lens inverted for a macro lens. WARNING: this will more than likely allow dust to get into your camera body so be careful and do it inside.

P.S. If you hand your camera to a typical PhotoPass person they will most likely not have a clue.

I have a dumb question . I have an Olympus camera and have never used a Nikon but you mentioned about the Green focus dot in the viewfinder. Does it give you a focus confirmation when you manually focus? Olympus has no focus confirmation when you attempt to focus. Anyway I was just wondering about that.

 

[wen-tom]

I'm not sure about olympus but the Nikon D40x definately has a focus indicator in the viewfinder, it flickers until you have the correct focus and stays solid when you have it right.. hope that helps..

 

[oogieboogieman]

I'm not sure about olympus but the Nikon D40x definately has a focus indicator in the viewfinder, it flickers until you have the correct focus and stays solid when you have it right.. hope that helps..

On the Olympus it does have a focus confirmation when it is the autofocus mode. My question is does Nikon have a confirmation when you focus in manual mode?

 

[annnewjerz]

On the Olympus it does have a focus confirmation when it is the autofocus mode. My question is does Nikon have a confirmation when you focus in manual mode?

Yes...the light will blink as you manually focus until you get the correct focus, and then it will stay solid.

 

[oogieboogieman]

Yes...the light will blink as you manually focus until you get the correct focus, and then it will stay solid.

Thanks! All of you Nikon Owners are lucky! Olympus doesn't have any focus confirmation when shooting in manual focus mode. Some folks like to buy the older OM lenses off Ebay ( really cheap!!!). You have to have an adapter to mount on the camera but they function in aperture mode and focus manually. So it really helps with a confirmation tone or light. Thanks Again.

 

[pjacobi]

I just noticed that my Canon 30D has similar behavior when the lens is set to manual focus mode. One of the 9 focus points will light up when manual focus is acquired, and camera will optionally beep.

Some cameras (mostly pro-level) have special focus screens that can be added if the camera is primarily used for manual focus. With the advent of auto-focus camera, most of the focus aids in the viewfinder have been removed from the standard focus screen.

Liveview is a more recent option for checking focus on still-life objects.


-Paul