Nikon D2X Help

[idle0095]

I got a Nikon D2X for a trade two months ago. Its a lot of camera and Ive been having some problems. I take a lot of pics of my kids together and mostly portrait pictures. My problem is I don't know what settings to use.

Should I use
-Programmed Auto
-Aperture-Priority Auto
-Shutter-Priority Auto

Should I use
Metering
-3D color
matrix II/
Color
matrix II/
Color
matrix-
-Centerweighted-
-Spot-

Should I use
-Singlearea
AF
-Dynamicarea
AF
-Group
dynamic-
AF
-Dynamicarea
AF
with
closest
subject
priority

These settings is what is confusing me. I just want to get good shots of my kids. Right now I was shooting on Aperture-Priority Auto with iso-Auto and WB set on flash because of my sb900 and Group
dynamic-
AF. I understand WB so I'm good there. My pics would come out blurry on some shots. Some shots would come out mint but others not so good.
I basically want to take very good pics with out having to change a ton of settings. I was told programmed auto is a good way to shoot and to set the AF area mode to Dynamicarea
AF
with
closest
subject
priority
To keep the ISO on 400 and to turn off auto iso. But I'm getting a lot of different things from different ppl.
Im shoot with a sigma 17 to 70 f2.8. Tamron 70 to 300 and a nikon f1.8 50mm.

[Franglais]

Yep. You have a professional camera with no easy-scene-mode-program settings. I don't have a D2X so I'm not familiar with all the options you mention but here goes:

First the exposure mode. I use P (Program) mode all the time unless I want to specifically set the shutter speed or aperture for the subject. On P mode the camera will strike a balance between shutter speed (high shutter speed is useful for stopping action) and aperture (a small aperture gives you greater depth of field so you are more likely to have all the subject in focus.

400 ISO is a good starting point outdoors but indoors I would set at least 800 ISO or else set Auto-ISO to kick in as soon as the shutter speed fell under 1/125s

I never use anything but matrix metering (but then I shoot RAW and it's easy to correct exposure mistakes). If I were you I'd stick with matrix and try out spot metering one day when you have a backlit subject.

I usually use single-shot autofocus mode. If I have to be quick then I use dynamic closest-subject mode which is a bit of a gamble because it doesn't always pick the right area. When I have time I select only the centre focussing zone, point it at the most important part of the subject (eyes), press the shutter release half way to hold focus then reframe (without zooming) to give me the final picture. When I really have a lot of time I frame first then select the focussing zone on the eyes and keep on shooting like that.

How's that for a start?

[idle0095]

TY Anyone else as well?

Yep. You have a professional camera with no easy-scene-mode-program settings. I don't have a D2X so I'm not familiar with all the options you mention but here goes:

First the exposure mode. I use P (Program) mode all the time unless I want to specifically set the shutter speed or aperture for the subject. On P mode the camera will strike a balance between shutter speed (high shutter speed is useful for stopping action) and aperture (a small aperture gives you greater depth of field so you are more likely to have all the subject in focus.

400 ISO is a good starting point outdoors but indoors I would set at least 800 ISO or else set Auto-ISO to kick in as soon as the shutter speed fell under 1/125s

I never use anything but matrix metering (but then I shoot RAW and it's easy to correct exposure mistakes). If I were you I'd stick with matrix and try out spot metering one day when you have a backlit subject.

I usually use single-shot autofocus mode. If I have to be quick then I use dynamic closest-subject mode which is a bit of a gamble because it doesn't always pick the right area. When I have time I select only the centre focussing zone, point it at the most important part of the subject (eyes), press the shutter release half way to hold focus then reframe (without zooming) to give me the final picture. When I really have a lot of time I frame first then select the focussing zone on the eyes and keep on shooting like that.

How's that for a start?

[idle0095]

Thanks for this info. Its helping out a lot. Any more useful info u have?

Yep. You have a professional camera with no easy-scene-mode-program settings. I don't have a D2X so I'm not familiar with all the options you mention but here goes:

First the exposure mode. I use P (Program) mode all the time unless I want to specifically set the shutter speed or aperture for the subject. On P mode the camera will strike a balance between shutter speed (high shutter speed is useful for stopping action) and aperture (a small aperture gives you greater depth of field so you are more likely to have all the subject in focus.

400 ISO is a good starting point outdoors but indoors I would set at least 800 ISO or else set Auto-ISO to kick in as soon as the shutter speed fell under 1/125s

I never use anything but matrix metering (but then I shoot RAW and it's easy to correct exposure mistakes). If I were you I'd stick with matrix and try out spot metering one day when you have a backlit subject.

I usually use single-shot autofocus mode. If I have to be quick then I use dynamic closest-subject mode which is a bit of a gamble because it doesn't always pick the right area. When I have time I select only the centre focussing zone, point it at the most important part of the subject (eyes), press the shutter release half way to hold focus then reframe (without zooming) to give me the final picture. When I really have a lot of time I frame first then select the focussing zone on the eyes and keep on shooting like that.

How's that for a start?

[Franglais]

Thanks for this info. Its helping out a lot. Any more useful info u have?

Post a few images that didn't turn out right so that we can analyse what went wong and how to correct it. I could ramble on about different settings for different situations but it has to relate to what you're doing.

In fact - I just posted a long piece in the Help forum about a wedding I did last weekend. There are lots of things that you could try with your SB900..

[idle0095]

Basically I shoot my kids which are 7 months old. triplets. so there always moving. I try to get them all in one shot and all focused. Not always but sometimes one or two are out of focus. Also I tired to get good focus shots of them being faked tossed in the air. Not throwing them in the air but like holding them up in the air and moving them up and down. I can't get the focused. I know I'm not a pro and have a lot to learn. Im taking a class in june to learn more. Just want to be able to take good pics of my kids and know some what of the settings.

[Franglais]

Basically I shoot my kids which are 7 months old. triplets. so there always moving. I try to get them all in one shot and all focused. Not always but sometimes one or two are out of focus. Also I tired to get good focus shots of them being faked tossed in the air. Not throwing them in the air but like holding them up in the air and moving them up and down. I can't get the focused. I know I'm not a pro and have a lot to learn. Im taking a class in june to learn more. Just want to be able to take good pics of my kids and know some what of the settings.

You will never get all three to stay still at the same distance from the camera(*). To get them all in focus you need to have a lot of depth-of-field (the range of distances between which the subject is in focus). There are two ways to increase your depth-of-field:

1. Use a shorter focal length lens (more wide-angle). Instead of using your 50mm from about 8 feet (for example) try moving in to 4 feet and use your 17-70 at 20mm
2. Use a smaller aperture. Instead of using an aperture of f5.6 (for example) try using an aperture of f11. However as you are letting less light through you will need to increase the ISO in order to keep the shutter speed fast enough to freeze the action. This means that you will have more noise (grain) in the picture but who cares.. Better to get a slightly granular image than an unsharp one.

For holding-the-baby-and-moving-up-and-down - use the center focussing point and press the shutter release half way to hold focus before starting the manoeuver (prefocus on the baby at the point where you want to do the photo). If that doesn't work you could always set the focussing to Continuous and the camera will try to follow the movement.

BTW you are talking about focus errors and not blur due to subject movement? Your SB900 flash is a wonderful tool for freezing subject movement. Most of the time I bounce my flash off the ceiling - it looks quite natural but subject movement is pretty much eliminated.

(*) I had this problem on Saturday with one toddler who wouldn't stay put. Finally one of the older children understood what was going on and came and held her in place..

[idle0095]

Wow your advise is awesome. Thanks for the help. Two more questions. This might be because I was shooting in the wrong mode but most of the time when I was shooting two people (a kids being held by an adult) either the kid or the adult would be in focus but never both. One time I had the kids blue shirt in focus and nothing else. I mean you could see the faces of them but you could tell it wasn't 100% in focus. Im always talking about in focus and not blurry due to motion (moving around to much).
The weird thing is I had pics taken at target because I have a free groupon and they shoot with the same camera and always all 3 kiddos are in focus and the pics come out mint. Same camera and almost same lens just theres is nikon not sigma. The ppl shooting are like 20 yr old kids. I guess I just have to keep shooting and learn.

I might be take a 4 week classes for DSLR intermediate. Do you think its worth it or a waste of $200? Its 4, 3 hr classes within 4 weeks.

[Franglais]

It sounds like you have really limited depth-of-field for a shirt to be in focus and none of the face. These 20-year-olds - do they have studio flash? If so they have plenty of light and they are probably shooting at f11

Nikon or Sigma makes no difference. The laws of optics are invariable and a 70mm at f2.8 will have the same depth-of-field, whatever the manufacturer. Here's a pointer to a calculator:

Online Depth of Field Calculator

200$ for 4 x 3 hour classes sounds very reasonable to me. When I do a model shoot with a teacher it's almost that much just for one shoot.

[idle0095]

Yah they had studio lighting.
I was always shooting in Aperture-Priority Auto and that could be the biggest mistake I think. I did notice though when I was in Aperture-Priority Auto that the F would follow my lens as I zoomed in and out. As well as the F on the SB 900. Now I notice shooting in Programmed Auto that the F on the screen of the camera and the sb900 don't change. Is that because I'm shooting in program auto now?

[Franglais]

Yah they had studio lighting.
I was always shooting in Aperture-Priority Auto and that could be the biggest mistake I think. I did notice though when I was in Aperture-Priority Auto that the F would follow my lens as I zoomed in and out. As well as the F on the SB 900. Now I notice shooting in Programmed Auto that the F on the screen of the camera and the sb900 don't change. Is that because I'm shooting in program auto now?

Most zoom lenses have variable maximum aperture. Your Tamron 70-300 is f4 maximum aperture at 70mm but only f5.6 at 300mm (that's 50% less light getting through). If you set Aperture priority mode and f4 aperture at 70mm then when you zoom out the camera recognises that the lens can't do f4 any more and adjusts it's readout.

You have chosen to set the lens at it's maximum aperture which is also when you get the least depth of field - hence your focussing problems.

In Program mode the camera will try to avoid setting maximum aperture as long as the shutter speed doesn't drop too low. It will set a medium aperture like f8. Now your lens can do f8 at all focal lengths so as you zoom the aperture displayed doesn't change.

[idle0095]

Okay so shooting in program auto is def the way to go then?

[Franglais]

Okay so shooting in program auto is def the way to go then?

For the time being, yes. Currently the camera is making better decisions than you. Aperture priority mode is useful when you understand the mechanisms and you can make better decisions than the camera.

[idle0095]

Okay thanks a lot. You have been very helpful. I can't think of anything else yet but if i do ill ask. TY

[idle0095]

When you use a sb900 what do you use for settings? TTL? Point it at the subject or up in the air? I know it probably goes on the place and situation.

One more thing. What shutter speed should I be at? 1/125s? 1/30s? ETC

[Franglais]

When you use a sb900 what do you use for settings? TTL? Point it at the subject or up in the air? I know it probably goes on the place and situation.

One more thing. What shutter speed should I be at? 1/125s? 1/30s? ETC

Vast subject. A cobra flash is THE tool to master the light you use to do your photos. Some basics:

Most of the time when I'm using flash I use Program mode. I let the camera set the aperture and shutter speed (1/60s is the slowest but outdoors it goes up to 1/250s).

When I'm using flash I disable auto-ISO. I use 200 or 400 ISO outdoors depending on how fast the subject is moving and 800 ISO indoors so that the room doesn't come out too dark

When I'm in good light I use TTL BBL mode. It fills in the scene lighting and ensures that there is light on the faces. The Nikon system is very subtle - it often doesn't look like I used flash at all

Outdoors I use the flash head pointing directly at the subject - there's nothing to bounce off anyway. Indoors I often use bounce flash to get an effect like the room lighting (or better). I find a white wall or ceiling not too far from the subject which will give me a good light on the subject and point the flash head at it

In really dark conditions (flash is only light source) I switch the flash to TTL (without BBL) and set the camera to Manual mode 1/60s f8 800 ISO. The camera always meters the flash center-weighted so I'm careful when shooting with the subject on the side

[idle0095]

so what should I set the min shutter speed when I'm on auto ISO?

I have a setup were I have two light stand, Two SB 700 Speedlights, Two pocket wizard flexes and two white umbrellas. I put the pocket wizard mini on my camera and set both light stands near my kids. I normally bounce the flash and don't shoot through. Do you think this is a good setup?

I took some shoots of my kids last night with the flash bouncing off my white ceiling. I use TTLBLFP. If u give me a email I will send you some and you can look at them. I don't want to post them here. Maybe ill take some of my dog and post them. I don't really care who sees him. LOL

On a side note is it worth it to go FX? I was looking at a used D3. I can sell my D2X for $1100 and buy a D3 for $2200. Its a lot of camera but I figured it will help me learn more. The D2X is a lot of camera as well. Your help is working because my pics are coming out much better. I can't believe I was shooting in Aperture auto all the time and not changing any thing. No wonder why it was a mess.

Can you tell me what the AF-Area Mode does exactly and what the best to use? I know you did mention it before but I figured I would pick your brain.

[Franglais]

1. so what should I set the min shutter speed when I'm on auto ISO?

>>Theoretically 1/the-focal-length-of-the-lens to avoid camera shake. Usually I set 1/125 because it freezes subject movement more or less

2. I have a setup were I have two light stand, Two SB 700 Speedlights, Two pocket wizard flexes and two white umbrellas. I put the pocket wizard mini on my camera and set both light stands near my kids. I normally bounce the flash and don't shoot through. Do you think this is a good setup?

>> I don't know the Pocket Wizard. I hope it's compatible with the Nikon CLS flash system. Apart from that the umbrella idea sounds good. I use them a lot in the studio


3. I took some shoots of my kids last night with the flash bouncing off my white ceiling. I use TTLBLFP. If u give me a email I will send you some and you can look at them. I don't want to post them here. Maybe ill take some of my dog and post them. I don't really care who sees him. LOL

>> OK I understand about the kids

4. On a side note is it worth it to go FX? I was looking at a used D3. I can sell my D2X for $1100 and buy a D3 for $2200. Its a lot of camera but I figured it will help me learn more. The D2X is a lot of camera as well. Your help is working because my pics are coming out much better. I can't believe I was shooting in Aperture auto all the time and not changing any thing. No wonder why it was a mess.

>> If you go FX you will make your depth-of-field problems worse. To get the same view on a FX sensor you have to use a lens focal length 1.5 times longer therefore less depth of field. I would look for a D700 rather than a D3 - you don't need a super-fast frame rate and body built to take years of punishment for what you're doing. A D700 will allow you to go to higher ISO with less noise which is useful but personally I would stick with the D2X for the time being. Go to FX and you would have to replace your 17-50 f2.8

5. Can you tell me what the AF-Area Mode does exactly and what the best to use? I know you did mention it before but I figured I would pick your brain.

>> I did? Doesn't sound familiar.

[idle0095]

Opps I thought we talked about af area. But what is the best to shoot in. Pocket wizard allow the ttl mode that nikon uses for there cls

What is the best to shoot in?
Singlearea
AF

Dynamicarea
AF

Group
dynamic-
AF

Dynamicarea
AF
with
closest
subject
priority

[idle0095]

Shooting in Programmed Auto how can I change the F number? Right now it seems to want to be at 7.1 inside. Can I change it to a higher number?

[Franglais]

Opps I thought we talked about af area. But what is the best to shoot in. Pocket wizard allow the ttl mode that nikon uses for there cls

What is the best to shoot in?
Singlearea
AF

Dynamicarea
AF

Group
dynamic-
AF

Dynamicarea
AF
with
closest
subject
priority

I don't have my D300 with me. From memory:

There are two focussing modes: single-shot and continuous. Most of the time I use single-shot - each time I depress the shutter release the camera focusses and will only fire if focus has been found.

In single-shot mode I prefer to use single-zone focussing if possible. You're sure that the focus is on the right spot. However it takes time and a subject that doesn't move too much.
- I use the centre zone, press the shutter release half way to lock focus then reframe without zooming and press the shutter release the whole way
- Or I pick one of the other zones (usually on the eyes) and stick with the same framing. Useful if I'm doing a portrait

However for subjects that change all the time (example: groups) I use closest-focussing mode. The camera scans all of the focus points and picks the ones that seem to have the closest subject and lights up the points it has chosen. This is usually close enough to the subject's face to be good enough

In continuous-focussing mode when you press the shutter release the camera will focus on a point then start to track the subject going from one focussing zone to another (3D). If you press the shutter release the whole way the camera will fire even if it's lost focus but it's probably close enough

Continuous-focussing mode is designed for sports and other fast-moving subjects (you could try it for children playing). On the D300 you can choose how many focussing sensors it uses - just the central ones for a racing car or all of them for a tennis match.

How to influence (not set) the aperture chosen by the camera in Program mode?

- In normal picture-taking the camera is following a best-compromise between shutter speed and aperture. You scan squew the program by turning the knurled wheel under your thumb. This means that you will change the aperture AND shutter speed. If you were doing a wideangle shot of a subject that's not moving and you wanted more depth of field instead of 1/125 f5.6 you might squew it to 1/30 f11
- With a CLS flash the aperture is set according to the ISO setting. (f7.1 is the value for 800 ISO). I never tried to squew it - if I want control of the aperture I use Aperture-priority or Manual mode

[idle0095]

Okay so since I use auto iso it maxes at 800 iso so thats why its at 7.1. So for shooting my kids and general stuff use single shot and either single-zone or closest-focussing mode.
So single zone is Singlearea AF and closet focussing mode is which one of these
Dynamicarea
AF

Group
dynamic-
AF

Dynamicarea
AF
with
closest
subject
priority

On the D2X i can also choose how many focussing sensors it uses as well. Im just trying to figure out whats the better to use for what I do. Which is general pics of my kids and dog and some landscape shoots. Animal shots nothing fancy. Right now I'm on Programmed Auto and single shot and i believe i was using the Group
dynamic-AF and set the focussing sensors for middle and left and right.

So the F on a lens has nothing to do with the F on the camera? So a F2.8 70 to 200 nikon $2300 lens means its always at 2.8 but the camera sets its own F?

[Franglais]

Okay so since I use auto iso it maxes at 800 iso so thats why its at 7.1. So for shooting my kids and general stuff use single shot and either single-zone or closest-focussing mode.
So single zone is Singlearea AF and closet focussing mode is which one of these
Dynamicarea
AF

Group
dynamic-
AF

Dynamicarea
AF
with
closest
subject
priority

On the D2X i can also choose how many focussing sensors it uses as well. Im just trying to figure out whats the better to use for what I do. Which is general pics of my kids and dog and some landscape shoots. Animal shots nothing fancy. Right now I'm on Programmed Auto and single shot and i believe i was using the Group
dynamic-AF and set the focussing sensors for middle and left and right.

So the F on a lens has nothing to do with the F on the camera? So a F2.8 70 to 200 nikon $2300 lens means its always at 2.8 but the camera sets its own F?

For the first part - I don't know. You're using a D2X and I'm mostly using a D300 and I think the commands changed between the two. On the D300:

- Closest-focussing mode is set in Single-shot mode by a selector on the back named "auto-area AF"
- "Dynamic area" and "3D tracking" can only be set in Continuous-focussing mode
- You can't select individual focussing spots in "Dynamic area" mode. You can choose to use 9, 21 or 51 focussing points

On the D800 it's changed again. I havn't figured that one out completely yet.

For what you say about the F on the lens and the F on the camera I'm not sure I follow you. It's the camera body that decides:

- how much light should come through the lens (by setting the aperture)
- for how long (by setting the shutter speed)
- according to the chosen ISO
- in order to precisely match the light falling on the scene (measured by the exposure meter)

In good light the camera will set a medium aperture (f5.6, f8, f11, etc). There will be no difference between the 70-200 f2.8 and your 70-300 which can doo all these apertures with no problem

The 70-200 f2.8 comes into its own in poor light (example: indoor sports).

- at f2.8 it is letting through 4 times more light than your 70-300 at f5.6
- that means (for the same ISO) that the camera can set a shutter speed one quarter as long as with the 70-300
- so the 70-200 f2.8 will give you a sharp image at 1/250s rather than a blurred image at 1/60s

I don't advise you to get a 70-200 f2.8 if you don't need one. It's big, heavy and expensive. Plus the depth-of-field (again) at f2.8 is really limited

[idle0095]

Okay on the front right of the D2X has the CSM switch Pic 1 front of camera right below the lens release button. On the back it has a switch Pic 2 Back of camera right above the microphone button. Those are what I'm talking about when I can af area focus and what not. I understand the cam switch now.

I understand about the F now.

[Franglais]

OK I downloaded the D2X User Manual from here:

http://www.nikonusa.com/pdf/manuals/...X_en_print.pdf

Looking on page 77 I can see the familiar big blob icon on the 3-position selector switch at bottom right of the LCD screen that corresponds to "Dynamic area AF with closest-subject priority". That's what I use on the D300 and the D800 when I have to shoot a very variable subject quickly.

I can see why you ask the question about focus modes. The D2X seems to be really complex. I think they simplified it in later models (the D800 is the easiest to understand - I highly recommend for a FX camera)