Nikon newbie

[eeyoreali]

Hello!
We're heading down this Friday, the 25th and I'd love some advice/tips. I have a Nikon D7000 and will not have a tripod. When it comes to taking the night pictures, what kind of settings would you all recommend?
Thank you!

 

[havoc315]

What lenses do you own?
Planning to shoot raw or JPEG?
And shooting what at night? People? Fireworks? Parades? Landscapes? Stationary objects? Each takes a different setting.

 

[eeyoreali]

The lens I'll be using is a Nikon DX VR AF-S 18-140mm 1:3.5-5.6G ED

At night I'll be trying to shoot pretty much each subject you listed - depending on the situation.

I'll probably try using raw and JPEG. Raw is new to me and using more manual than point and shoot will be too.

I originally had grand ideas of getting lessons/classes before the trip, but never got to do it! So, I'll be futzing around with my camera as much as I can!

 

[havoc315]

The lens I'll be using is a Nikon DX VR AF-S 18-140mm 1:3.5-5.6G ED

At night I'll be trying to shoot pretty much each subject you listed - depending on the situation.

I'll probably try using raw and JPEG. Raw is new to me and using more manual than point and shoot will be too.

I originally had grand ideas of getting lessons/classes before the trip, but never got to do it! So, I'll be futzing around with my camera as much as I can!

It's quite a bit to master on the fly. Overall, once you know what you're doing, you can get much better results with raw and manual. But with less experience, you can often get better results with JPEG and auto, or semi auto modes.

Some basics:
Fireworks: use a tripod. Set ISO to 100. Try aperture priority mode, set aperture to about 11. See what shutter speed it gives you-- about 5-10 seconds is good. Use a remote shutter release or a 2 second timer. That way you don't shake the camera when taking the shot. Manual focus often works best, just short of infinity.

Parades.... Often lots of spot lights, lit up floats within darkness. Try an af-c, as the parade subjects are moving. Spot metering could work better than matrix metering. Keep exposure in auto mode, or shutter priority, setting shutter speed to 1/160 to freeze the action. (Need faster shutter speed for real action but that should be fast enough for a slow parade).

People at night: use rear flash, or slow synch. Matrix metering is fine.

Stationary objects-- if you can use a tripod, then use a slow shutter speed and low ISO. But if you are handheld, then use the largest aperture you can (smallest number is actually largest aperture), and boost the ISO as far as you can comfortably.

 

[eeyoreali]

Thank you for the information! I'm hoping for the best with the night pictures - I know they are more difficult and tricky to take - especially as a newer user. I've been trying to use the camera as much as I can and try different things to see what the results are. We're down there for 8 nights so I guess I have plenty of time to experiment!

 

[Troopers]

The lens I'll be using is a Nikon DX VR AF-S 18-140mm 1:3.5-5.6G ED

At night I'll be trying to shoot pretty much each subject you listed - depending on the situation.

I'll probably try using raw and JPEG. Raw is new to me and using more manual than point and shoot will be too.

I originally had grand ideas of getting lessons/classes before the trip, but never got to do it! So, I'll be futzing around with my camera as much as I can!

The 7000 is a great camera.

I always shoot in RAW as RAW provides for greater adjustments in post but it does require some effort.

Without a tripod, I suggest you brace the camera against a post, railing, trash can or something.

Boost the ISO to 1600. Get the shutter speed as fast as possible.

Have fun!

 

[eeyoreali]

I've heard of the trash can, wall, railing trick from these boards instead of a tripod. Since my husband won't agree to getting a tripod, I'll have to use those tricks.

I did read that shooting RAW allows for great improvements after the fact and I love that, but I've never tried shooting that way. I'll have to give it a go before we leave!

It's great to have so many talented and informed people on these boards that will help us newbies out!!

 

[Troopers]

I'm a pro photog, and shoot Nikon and Olympus. Ask away if you have any questions!

 

[havoc315]

I've heard of the trash can, wall, railing trick from these boards instead of a tripod. Since my husband won't agree to getting a tripod, I'll have to use those tricks.

I did read that shooting RAW allows for great improvements after the fact and I love that, but I've never tried shooting that way. I'll have to give it a go before we leave!

It's great to have so many talented and informed people on these boards that will help us newbies out!!

If you want great fireworks shots, you need a tripod. Otherwise, you can live without one. There are some very affordable and fairly compact tripods out there.

Shooting RAW requires post-processing, generally using Lightroom. So you also need to then invest into the software for it.

The main advantages of shooting RAW is the exposure latitude after the shot. Especially with dynamic range -- You can underexpose a shot, bring up the exposure and shadows in post-processing, while preserving the highlights. But without post-processing, JPEG shots look better than RAW -- RAW shots will look flat, due to low contrast, until they have been processed.
Your camera does allow RAW+JPEG -- Shooting both simultaneously. Takes up lots of memory on your cards, but it gives you the freedom to primarily use your JPEGs, and then just go back to the RAW file when necessary.
Definitely don't shoot RAW for the first time at Disney... Play with it lots in advance.

 

[DSLRuser]

i never bring a tripod, but I am the king of converting a trash can + an old box of popcorn into a tripod. I go all mcgiuver on it.

I have a d7000 (as back uP) and d750. The D7000 is pretty robust. get your shot framed, and do iso 100, f9ish, for 5-7 seconds. Then turn on timed delay and set it to take 4-5 shots each time. you should have some good luck that way.

 

[sharona]

I bought this a few years ago because it fits in my camera bag and it has come in handy numerous times. You just need to make sure to balance the weight if you have a heavy lens on your camera.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000ANCPNM?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00