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View Full Version : New D70 owner, question about features

RFBriggs
12-20-2004, 08:54 AM
Greetings.

I just received a D70 as a gift (and what a gift!) and I'm trying to puzzle through the jillions of things it does. Some things I am confused about that do not seem to be answered in the manual:

1. What is the practical difference between Auto and P mode?

2. I am used to having a compact digital, where I could turn the flash off whenever I damn well pleased. Now it seems more difficult to do. So... How do I turn the flash off?

3. Related to #2, is there a particular good choice for indoor nighttime shots? I hate how harsh the flash is, but sometimes you just need it, if you don't want to push up the ISO or have shaky hands and no tripod (happens a lot).

Thanks!
Michael Fanelli
12-20-2004, 10:12 AM
Greetings.

I just received a D70 as a gift (and what a gift!) and I'm trying to puzzle through the jillions of things it does. Some things I am confused about that do not seem to be answered in the manual:

1. What is the practical difference between Auto and P mode?

2. I am used to having a compact digital, where I could turn the flash off whenever I damn well pleased. Now it seems more difficult to do. So... How do I turn the flash off?

3. Related to #2, is there a particular good choice for indoor nighttime shots? I hate how harsh the flash is, but sometimes you just need it, if you don't want to push up the ISO or have shaky hands and no tripod (happens a lot).


These questions are answered in the instruction manual but...

On most cameras "auto" means the camera controls everything including the flash. Program mode gives you a little more control usually, but not always, including control over the flash. You will be much happier if you learn how to use the Av and TV modes.

Low light is low light, there is no cure other than playing with the parameters. If you do a lot of low light shooting, you should buy an external flash unit rather than using the on-camera flash. The results will be much better. Also, unlike small P&S cameras, DSLRs such as the D70 are quite capable of using higher ISOs with extremely good results. Use the higher ISOs when you need them.