Please help with Nikon D40x at Dance Convention

[GotFids]

This weekend is my daughter's dance convention and I'm brand new to slr cameras. My dh just bought me the nikon d40x with the 18-55 lens and the 55-200 lens. I had been looking into getting the d40 for a while now, so dh coming home with the d40x was such a great surprise! I love it, it's so purdy!!! I'm reading the manual on settings...but I'd really appreciate the ideas/advice from anyone here...Is there a setting that I could leave it at? I realize I sound as ignorant as I certainly am when it comes to photography, but this is something I really want to take up. I've been admiring all the wonderful pics you all have posted and I hope someday to have something worthy to post as well!

 

[Gdad]

Congrats on your new camera. My wife has a D40 and I use it sometimes. Can you use a flash at the dance convention? Any idea what the lighting will be like?

 

[MarkBarbieri]

rambling, off-topic musing deleted. I misread the question.

 

[MarkBarbieri]

I've never been to a dance convention, so I really have no idea how to shoot it. My guess is that it takes place indoors and invovles people moving really fast. That can be a hard combination because it can be hard to get fast enough shutter speeds.

I would recommend a flash if you can, particularly if you can use one that you can bounce off of a ceiling. Without bouncing the flash, you'll have a problem in which the people near you will be brightly lit and the people farther away will be much darker.

I would try shooting in aperture priority and setting the aperture as wide (lowest number) as it will go. That will give you the best possible shutter speeds. I would keep raising your ISO until you can get a shutter speed of at least 1/125 (with 1/250 being preferable). If you can't get to that shutter speed with your highest ISO and your widest aperture, then I'd try dialing in one stop of exposure compensation and shooting in RAW.

If you still can't get to quick enough shutter speeds, focus on taking pictures of people that aren't moving very quickly.

It would help if you described what one of these "dance conventions" is like, especially with regards to how brightly lit it is.

 

[YEKCIM]

In addition to what Jeff and Mark said, you might also try using spot metering if the dancers are spotlighted or if the background is markedly lighter or darker than the dancers.

~YEKCIM

 

[Gdad]

Reading the OP again- I think she is just looking for an Auto-Mode. I know my wife usually uses the D40 'Kid Mode' which does deploy the flash when needed- the onboard flash if you do not have a speedlight attached. I think 'Sports Mode' will give you the best possible shutter speed without a flash if needed. Hopes this helps a bit.

 

[dr_zero]

Most of the dance competition I have been to do not allow flash as it distracts the judges and the dancers.

I think that MarkBarbieri has some great points!

Most have been like a stage show with the lighting with pretty good distance between the audience and the dance floor.

I still shoot film and use 800-1600 and a 70-210mm f/4 AF lens and have had good results.