Nikon D80

[GoofyGolferGirl]

My friend is walking out on the football field with her son for senior night and she wants me to take pictures, I am pretty sure I can go out o the track and will only be about 20-30 feet from friend her DH and DS. I have a Nikon 18-55 and a Tamron 28-300 and a nikon speedlight 800. Can someone help me with the correct camera settings and do I need a certain filter? I am new with all this but would like to take some pictures for her! Thank YOU!!!

 

[My2Girls66]

I'm no expert but I did take some photos at my DD's graduation(on the footbal field) in the evening at a distance with some trouble with light- I used a Nikon 75-300mm lens on a D50. Since you will be able to be so close I would imagine either lens with the sb-800 flash would work great- just set the camera on 'P' and let the D80 do the work as far as settings. I took some decent photos at prom and a semi formal of my girls using my 18-125mm lens and sb-600 flash at about 20-30ft away in the early evening. I don't think you'd need a filter- maybe a hood to block the stray light from the spotlights on the field?

 

[Belle_princess]

Ok, I'm leaving on Tuesday!! This will be my first time with my dSLR- a Nikon d80 with a Nikon18-135mm, f/3.5-5.6 lens and a Quantaray 55-200mm, f/4-5.6.

My question is this: what are the best settings for night pictures? I will be at MVMCP and at the parks at night, and I would love to get some good shots. I'm thinking of shots of mostly still things (park icons, buildings) and maybe a few of DH and me! Any advice would be welcomed.

Thanks

 

[handicap18]

If your not going to use a tripod, then you'll have to bump your ISO up to 1600 and use the widest possible f/stop which on the 18-135mm lens if f/3.5 from about 18-25mm. Then (and I mean this litterally) hold your breath and slowly press the shutter because you may not get a very fast shutter speed and if its below 1/40th or so any kind of teeny tiny movement from the camera will blurr the image due to camera shake.

If you have a little extra cash and have a camera store in your area, the 50mm f/1.8 lens will help alot as its f/stop goes MUCH MUCH wider. Its also a lens that is only about $110.

 

[annnewjerz]

If your not going to use a tripod, then you'll have to bump your ISO up to 1600 and use the widest possible f/stop which on the 18-135mm lens if f/3.5 from about 18-25mm. Then (and I mean this litterally) hold your breath and slowly press the shutter because you may not get a very fast shutter speed and if its below 1/40th or so any kind of teeny tiny movement from the camera will blurr the image due to camera shake.

If you have a little extra cash and have a camera store in your area, the 50mm f/1.8 lens will help alot as its f/stop goes MUCH MUCH wider. Its also a lens that is only about $110.

Or even if you can't afford the 50mm f/1.8, maybe get a remote shutter release so you don't have to worry about shaking the camera

 

[rossb]

You should get a lens with VR, the 18-55VR can be had for about $150. The 16-85VR is a better choice if you can afford it ($580). The new 18-105VR is also is a good optic ($300). VR will allow you to shoot slower shutters without blurring your pix. Without VR you don't want your shutters to fall below 1/focal length. With VR you can comfortably go about 2 stops slower.

If shooting flash at night go to manual mode, set the shutter to 1/focal length (without VR), stop the lens down 1 stop from wide open (lens will be a bit soft wide open) and try ISO 800. Use spot meter mode to force the flash to straight TTL instead of balanced fill TTL. Set your Auto ISO bump up shutter value to the shutter speed you are using, this will allow the cam to boost (or lower) the ISO if the combo of flash and your current shutter/fstop cannot output enough light (or there is too much light) to properly expose your subject. Keep in mind that the flash is not designed to shoot primary light for more than about 20 feet or so.

If NOT shooting flash go to AP priority, set your AUTO ISO bump-up shutter to 1/focal and set your f-stop to 1 or 2 stops from wide open. Set your base ISO to 200. The camera will auto bump the ISO up to get the desired shutter (if possible). Set the auto ISO ceiling to the max ISO your cam will go to before noise becomes objectionable. I don't have a D80 (I have a D50 and D90) so I'm not sure how high a D80 can go before noise becomes a problem.

 

[RichNKatHolly]

Hey there. Photog wannabe here. I've always taken some nice photos but with strictly point and shoot cameras the only exception being my Canon Rebel (35mm). I've just been given the D80 and want to use it to the fullest possible!!!

Anyone have suggestions on how to really learn the ins and outs of digital SLR photography? I guess I could take some classes but many seem very beginner.

I welcome any advice, tips, recommendations, etc.

Thanks!!!!

 

[JoeDif]

Congrats on the new camera!!!

The first thing you should do is read the camera manual....then read it again. Go into the menu and find out where all the control options are and play with those until you get familiar with the camera.

 

[RichNKatHolly]

Congrats on the new camera!!!

The first thing you should do is read the camera manual....then read it again. Go into the menu and find out where all the control options are and play with those until you get familiar with the camera.

OK - sounds like a fun time! LOL - just kidding. I will get on that tonight. Luckily, he purchased it at a local camera shop and the guy sat with me for one hour giving me the basics. So I am snapping away, I just really want to get into the nuiances of the camera and all the great ways I can customize each photo.

Thanks for responding!!!

 

[JoeDif]

If you are a reader, find books on exposure and how different kinds of light affects your exposure.

 

[RichNKatHolly]

If you are a reader, find books on exposure and how different kinds of light affects your exposure.

Ok, yeah. This is where the guy started to lose me. I need to brush up on this.

 

[JoeDif]

Understanding Exposure by Bryan Peterson is an excellent starting point.

Informative without being too technical.

 

[spinetnglr]

Another good way to learn is just google photography tutorials or something to that affect and you will come up with lots of sites to visit that have lots of good information. Also since you have a Nikon visit Ken Rockwell's site. He covers all the Nikon cameras with lots of pointers. You can find his site at kenrockwell.com. I frequent his site regualarly and have learned alot.

 

[YesDear]

I would also suggest you go to Nikonians.com or Nikoncafe.com. Both are Nikon sites for nikon owners. You can get some great tips about Nikons.

 

[RichNKatHolly]

Thanks everyone for the info. Looks like I have a fun weekend ahead!!!!

 

[Zoesmama03]

Understanding Exposure by Bryan Peterson is an excellent starting point.

Informative without being too technical.

I'd buy it though because I did the library thing and now I can't look things up when I'm thinking of them.

 

[RichNKatHolly]

I'd buy it though because I did the library thing and now I can't look things up when I'm thinking of them.

LOL - I'm not good at the whole library thing. By the time I get around the returning it, the late fees are about what I could've purchased it for.

 

[DesertBell]

If you can find a class for DSLRs, I would take it. I know you said that a lot of them seem verey "beginner", but the fact of the matter is that you are a beginner (no offense intended- I'm a beginner, too! A DSLR is a very different beast than a p&s.). A class can help you pin down things like exposure, shutter speed, metering, all that stuff. I had read the manual to my XSI, as well as DSLRs for Dummies and David Busch's Canon Rebel XSI, I understood shutter speed and aperture, and I still benefited from that beginner class. It's nice to have someone in front of you to ask questions about anything that's foggy.

 

[RichNKatHolly]

If you can find a class for DSLRs, I would take it. I know you said that a lot of them seem verey "beginner", but the fact of the matter is that you are a beginner (no offense intended- I'm a beginner, too! A DSLR is a very different beast than a p&s.). A class can help you pin down things like exposure, shutter speed, metering, all that stuff. I had read the manual to my XSI, as well as DSLRs for Dummies and David Busch's Canon Rebel XSI, I understood shutter speed and aperture, and I still benefited from that beginner class. It's nice to have someone in front of you to ask questions about anything that's foggy.

Sounds cool, thanks. What do I have to loose, right?

 

[Evad]

Got a new Nikon D80 For Christmas!! Just thought I would post a few shots. Be kind I am still learning.