Nikon d300 bracketing question

[Marlton Mom]

Marlton Mom is considering purchasing a Nikon d300. Her d60 just doesn't focus well enough for her with it's 3 focusing points and it's driving her INSANE.

My question is this: Does the d300 have a setting where you can pre-program to shoot a series of exposures, lets say across a predetermined setting of ev's for example -1.7, -1.3, -1.0, -0.7, -0.3, 0.0 ?

I'd like to be able to put that in and then have the camera take the 6 exposures in (quick) succession.

I was trying to take pictures of the Castle (bracketing for HDR) at night and the darn thing would change colors on me before I could manually adjust this in the d60.

I've tried to read the on line manuals for the d300 but with out the camera in my hands I'm not quite sure what the deal is.

Thanks for your time and expertise with this question.


Marlton Mom

 

[Gdad]

I think the D300 brackets the same as my D700. You can set it to bracket 3, 5, 7, or 9 frames sets at increments of 0.3, 0.7, or 1.0 EV. So if you set up a 7 frame bracket at 0.3 EV it would shoot -1.0, -0.7, -0.3, 0, +0.3, +0.7, +1. To bracket all on the minus side you would need to drop the cameras exposure compensation to a -1.0 EV then it will shift the entire scale to the left around that center point and run the sequence from -2.0 EV to 0.

But your question was- does the d300 have a setting where you can pre-program to shoot a series of exposures? Not sure what you mean by this- to turn bracketing on is just holding in a button while turning the command dial- then the exposure compensation is the same dial but with a different button. As far as I know there is no preset memory location you can store such a thing and quickly access- but once you are familiar with the camera setting this up can be done easily in a few seconds and it will remain that way until you put it back. (Even two weeks later when you can't figure out why in the world your camera is wildly overexposing and underexposing every few shots back and forth.)

 

[YesDear]

Yeah what Gdad said! I resemble the forgetting comment!

 

[PhotographyDR]

Have the D300 and the settings are the same as GDad describes. It is a quick press of a button and rotate either dial to set the number of exposures and the other dial to set the exposure distance. If you put the camera on continuos shooting, all you do is hold the button and all exposures are taken in a couple of seconds. Sounds like a small machine gun. Again it is also easy to forget as well. I have done it many of times.

Love my D300. You will not be disappointed in the purchase. Am thinking of a D700 to move to full frame but I like my D300 so much it is hard to justify at this point.

 

[WDWFigment]

If you don't need all of the buttons on the body of the D300, are fine with 3 bracketed shots versus 5, 7, or 9 (3 is almost always enough for me), and you don't want a weather-sealed body, I'd look to the D90 rather than the D300.

I was in the same boat as you at one point, and given my level of experience, etc., the D300 was just too much camera. If I were to upgrade now, it would be to the D700, but for different reasons than those between the D90 and the D300.

Not to take anything away from the D300, it's a great camera no doubt, but you just need to make sure it's what you need...otherwise you might be wasting those additional features. I'm sure there's a site somewhere that has a chart comparing the two cameras.

 

[Marlton Mom]

I think the D300 brackets the same as my D700. You can set it to bracket 3, 5, 7, or 9 frames sets at increments of 0.3, 0.7, or 1.0 EV. So if you set up a 7 frame bracket at 0.3 EV it would shoot -1.0, -0.7, -0.3, 0, +0.3, +0.7, +1. To bracket all on the minus side you would need to drop the cameras exposure compensation to a -1.0 EV then it will shift the entire scale to the left around that center point and run the sequence from -2.0 EV to 0.

But your question was- does the d300 have a setting where you can pre-program to shoot a series of exposures? Not sure what you mean by this-

Nope, that was it, you nailed it. That's exactly what I was looking for. I'll run through the manual and make sure that this feature is available in the model that I want to purchase.

[/QUOTE]to turn bracketing on is just holding in a button while turning the command dial- then the exposure compensation is the same dial but with a different button. As far as I know there is no preset memory location you can store such a thing and quickly access- but once you are familiar with the camera setting this up can be done easily in a few seconds and it will remain that way until you put it back. (Even two weeks later when you can't figure out why in the world your camera is wildly overexposing and underexposing every few shots back and forth.) [/QUOTE]

LOL!! I was obsessed with checking my settings during the last trip but I did catch it once where I left the camera set for let's say "dark indoors" and then I was up on the train station platform and it was ~ exceptionally ~ SUNNY! I see what you mean... Fatigue and middle age can do that huh?

Thanks for the assist Gdad!
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Love my D300. You will not be disappointed in the purchase. Am thinking of a D700 to move to full frame but I like my D300 so much it is hard to justify at this point.

That is exactly my dilemma! Start over again with full frame and wait for $$ to rebuild my lenses or skip this "generation" and stay with the smaller sensor and wait for the next leap in Technology. (I'm thinking it will be in the color sensors of a pixel, but I'm just guessing as to where they would go next....)

Thanks for the reply PhotographyDR!
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If you don't need all of the buttons on the body of the D300, are fine with 3 bracketed shots versus 5, 7, or 9 (3 is almost always enough for me), and you don't want a weather-sealed body, I'd look to the D90 rather than the D300.

I was in the same boat as you at one point, and given my level of experience, etc., the D300 was just too much camera. If I were to upgrade now, it would be to the D700, but for different reasons than those between the D90 and the D300.

The reason that it took me so long to get back to this topic is that I spent a chunk of time comparing 'this camera vs. that feature' and searching through the manuals on line.

I found a really good youtube video comparing the D90 vs the D300
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fecblbl1Uo4

Armed with this info I'm going to have to do some soul searching on which features are important to me. I'm wondering if the things that are driving me the most crazy (lack of crisp, sharply focused pictures and the unsatisfactory exposures I am getting with the D60) will be resolved the best by which camera. I also want a Camera I can grow into, so to speak as far as working it's features to get the exposure, depth of field, focus etc that I want. I'm willing to do the work that would be required with a camera with out "program modes". The only question is will I have time if I'm running around shooting the varied situations that you'd find with school children. I think you might be right about going in the direction of the D90 based on what I'm shooting.....

I'm really thinking this through and I very much appreciate the feed back. It's a bear when you can't do a side by side physical/feature comparison and take the amount of time that you'd need to play 'if this then that' between cameras

I'd be curious as to why you are thinking D700?

Thanks guys,
Marlton Mom

 

[boBQuincy]

I'm wondering if the things that are driving me the most crazy (lack of crisp, sharply focused pictures and the unsatisfactory exposures I am getting with the D60) will be resolved the best by which camera. I also want a Camera I can grow into, so to speak as far as working it's features to get the exposure, depth of field, focus etc that I want.

This has me wondering if some of the issues may be with calibration & adjustment of your camera & lenses. 3 focus points should focus as well as more, at least at those 3 points. Fwiw I only use the center focus point except for very rare occasions.

Unsatisfactory exposures could also be an adjustment issue. Some models of cameras are reported to have a high percentage of under/over exposure issues (although usually only by 1/2 stop) but this is easily corrected with exposure compensation.

Almost all dSLRs have features to set exposure, depth of field, and focus to almost anything we want (and almost anything we *don't* want as well). Granted, some are easier to set than others but a higher model may not be much different than what you have.

Of course, there's always Canon...

Btw, everything I have read (and experienced) seems to point out that there is not much to gain by varying HDR exposures by less than 1 stop.

 

[boBQuincy]

Duplicate post... brain fade.

 

[Marlton Mom]

QUOTE boBQuincy; This has me wondering if some of the issues may be with calibration & adjustment of your camera & lenses. 3 focus points should focus as well as more, at least at those 3 points. Fwiw I only use the center focus point except for very rare occasions.

This is what I am wondering as well, but it might just be that I am super picky about focus and resolution. It could be my "kit" lenses (Nikon AFS Nikkor VR 18-55mm 1:3.5-5.6 G, Nikon DX AFS Nikkor 55-200mm 1.4-5.6 G ED) are not the quality that I crave but then again I thought my Tokina 11-16 F2.8 IF DX would have been a improvement over them and there seems to be no improvement in clarity/sharpness. I would have expected better from that lens based on the reviews.. I really have to work the focus at times and I have been noticing that when others use my camera to take a picture the pictures aren't exactly focused precisely. The best example is this taken by a photopass cast member. I was sure she knew what she was doing so I think the camera just failed on auto focus.





Quote: Unsatisfactory exposures could also be an adjustment issue. Some models of cameras are reported to have a high percentage of under/over exposure issues (although usually only by 1/2 stop) but this is easily corrected with exposure compensation.

I'm finding a variation under different light conditions. For example on bright sunny days I think the camera tends to overexpose slightly to moderately. This is on the Auto setting BTW.

Then there are some shooting situations where everything is fine as far as exposure is concerned (for example a low light room with the VR lens). I'm wondering if it's not a software thing. I didn't notice exposure as a problem when I was using the Nikon D50. God I miss that camera!

Quote: Almost all dSLRs have features to set exposure, depth of field, and focus to almost anything we want (and almost anything we *don't* want as well). Granted, some are easier to set than others but a higher model may not be much different than what you have.

Well the more ya look the more you see that you can't live with out! For instance the D90 can bracket for Auto Dynamic lighting. The bracket for that would be one with A.D.L. and one without. That is seductive to me.

The D300 has a "larger" viewfinder. As a bifocal wearing, nearsighted old biddy of 46 that is looking good to me. Supposedly it also has a better metering system. As someone who likes saturated pictures, would this work to my advantage? Then again the D90 has an extra high mode on the Active D lighting. The Active d lighting on the D60 has not shown to be impressive to me in my pictures. I know that this feature has been improved in subsequent models.

I'm actually wondering how much of all these 'perks' are actual improvements in the hardware of the camera or improvements in the processing software when the image is recorded. It's amazing what you can do with Photoshop but I feel like my base image with the D60 is not close enough to the clarity, exposure, sharpness that I want. I was bracketing a lot during the last trip and the D60 just didn't seem to be able to respond they way I needed it to.

I think that's why I'm looking at a higher end camera with the $$$ price tag. To me it seems like my vision/expectations are not matching up to my equipment.

I just know that as soon as I get this figured out and find the "perfect" camera there will be a evolution in some camera widget, say a super, true color sensing pixel that is a gajillion bits and it has the ability to make your photos levitate and compute your taxes. Then I'll have to start all over again with the stereoscopic lenses, plasma memory cards and anti-gravity tripods..... LOL! At least it will be a fun trip.


Quote: Btw, everything I have read (and experienced) seems to point out that there is not much to gain by varying HDR exposures by less than 1 stop.

Eureka! That is news that I can use. I don't yet have a point of reference to know much about what the sweet spot is for capturing HDR images but it is something that I am definitely interested in. By this do you mean taking a total of 3 exposures or do you mean switching from a unit of 1/3rd plus or minus to say 1/6th. Can you even change the 'stopping distance' (so to speak)?

Thanks for all your thoughts. All of this is really making me think and I'm sure that each day brings me closer to where I would like to be with my pictures.

Bob, here is the best picture I ever took. It was taken with a Nikon D50 with a kit lens. Click on the picture to go to my flicker site and read the story of this shot.

Thanks again,
Joanie