Nikon D7000 tips

[Grandpaw]

Start using your speedlite as a remote flash

For years I have had a least one Nikon speedlite and have always used it on my camera and never as a remote. The reason for this is because I was just too intimidated by all the in camera and flash settings that needed to be set. Recently I took a few minutes to play with my flashes, Nikon SB900, SB800 and SB600 only to find out that setting them up wasn't that hard at all. Christmas day when we were opening our presents I took my SB900 and set it to remote and placed it on one side of my 20x20ft den and bounced it off the ceiling. This let me eliminate hot spots and the red eye from my pictures and also eliminated the weight of the flash off of the camera. I used the on camera flash as commander to operate the remote and it worked very well.

So my tip this time is to let you know if you haven't tried using your flashes as remotes due to being intimidated by the settings you really need to take a little time out and play with you camera and flash, using it as a remote light source, because it opens up all kinds of new opportunities with your photography. It really isn't as hard as you might think it would be.

Just a personal note about my flashes........
I have my SB900 set to channel 3 group "A", my SB800 set to channel 3 group "B" and my SB600 set to channel 3 group "C". By having them set up this way if I use one flash on my camera I use the SB900 and all I have to do is turn it on and it is ready to go. If I use one flash off camera I grab the SB900 and flip it to remote and it is ready to go. If more light is needed I just grab the next flash which is the SB800 and it is already set up to go so all that is needed is to turn it on a place it where it is needed. Same goes for when I need a third flash , the SB600 is already set and all that is needed is to take it out of the bag and turn it on because like the other two I just leave them set up all the time. I know that most of you will probably only have one speedlite and do not have the option for multiple flashes but I mention this just to show you one of the many options that you can have with having one or more flashes in your camera bag.

Bottom line is that if you have not tried using your speedlite as a remote, take a few minutes to play with it and figure it out because it is very useful and really not as hard as you might think to set up.

[Grandpaw]

My pictures are all foggy, what is going on?

This tip is something we have probably all experienced somewhere during a photo outing. We are driving along and see a great shot so we quickly pull over, grab our camera and jump out in hopes to catch a great image only to find out that our lens is all fogged up and ruins the picture. This can happen any time you take your equipment quickly from one temperature to another. It can be during the winter time and you have the heat turned up in the car and jump out into the cold with your camera or if it is hot outside during the summer months and the air conditioner is turn to max cooling in the car. Remember that changing temps quickly either way has the potential of making you miss a great shot so you need to keep this in mind any time you are going to expose your camera and lens to these changes. This can be as simple as seeing a great shot in the back yard going from inside your heated house this winter to the vastly different temperature of taking it outside to get pictures of the kids or wildlife.

My tip this time is to remind you that this can happen so you can do your best to acclimate your equipment before the shot comes up so you can eliminate this problem and won't be disappointed. Jeff

This can happen to anyone regardless of their experience level so if you are newer to photography you need to be aware that this can happen and if you are more experienced it sure won't hurt anyone to be reminded of this potential problem.

[ChooChoo Papa]

Grandpaw a/k/a Jeff Impey

To say what so many people before me have said ... 'This is one heck of a thread with so much worthwhile information in it.'

I cannot tell you how much I have learned and how easy you made a challenging subject.

I have read every tip and look forward to more tips and comments by the other 'Threadees' (as I call them).

With so much information, I found it beneficial to make an index of the Tips. Here is my Index of Jeff Impey's Tips ... I hope is useful to some as it is been useful to me.

ChooChoo Papa a/k/a Jeff Jacobs

>>>> Index <<<<

Accessing menus with Command and Sub-Command Buttons (f6 Control) – Tip #32

Active D Lighting (highlighting dark areas in picture) (Shooting Menu) – Tip #35

AE-L (Auto Exposure Lock) – setting AE-L/AF-L button (f5 Control) – Tip #52

AF-L (Auto Focus Lock) – setting AE-L/AF-L button (f5 Control) – Tip #52

Assigning function button (f3 Control) – Tip #1

Autofocus
Autofocus (take picture only when in focus) AF-C & AF-S (a1 Control)–Tip 43 Autofocus beep (d1 Control) – Tip #81
In dark surroundings – Tip #19

Auto-meter off delay (c2 Control) – Tip #50

Back LCD lighting (f1 Control) – Tip #15

Battery
Extra Battery – Tip #73
Grip – Advantages – Tip #9
Information (Setup Menu) – Tip #51

Camera Strap (Sling strap) – Tip #28

Checklists
Photo-shoot checklist – Tip #62
Pre-shooting checklist – Tip #26

Copyright
Copyright – Tip #25
Copyright symbol – Tip #97
Copyright updated annually – Tip #91

Custom Setting Menu
a1 – Autofocus (take picture only when in focus) AF-C & AF-S – Tip #43
b3 – Easy Exposure Compensation (Exposure Value) – Tip #53
b5 – Meter adjusting – Tip #24
c2 – Auto-meter off delay (c2 Control) – Tip #50
c4 – Monitor timer setting (Monitor off delay) – Tip#29
d1 – Focusing Beep – Tip #57
d1 – Autofocus beep – Tip #81
d2 – Gridlines – Tip #49
d3 – ISO adjusting (Aperture mode only) – Tip#16
d3 – ISO displayed in viewfinder – Tip #54
f1 – Back LCD lighting – Tip #15
f3 – Assigning function button – Tip #1
f5 – AE-L (Auto Exposure Lock) – setting AE-L/AF-L button – Tip #52
f5 – AF-L (Auto Focus Lock) – setting AE-L/AF-L button – Tip #52
f6 – Accessing menus with Command and Sub-Command Buttons – Tip #32
f7 – One button dial adjustment – Tip #60
f8 – Memory card required to take picture – Tip #47
f9 – Minus and Plus indicators order of displaying – Tip #61

Depth of Fields and focal lengths (f stops) – Tip #94

Diopter (Viewfinder eyepiece focusing) – Tip #38

Easy Exposure Compensation (Exposure Value) (b3 Control) – Tip #53

Equipment Security (Label your photo equipment) – Tip #42

Exposure Compensation – adjustment – Tip #59

Exposure Modes – “P” mode versus “Auto” mode – Tip #65A

Filters – Digital specific – Tip #68

Firmware – Updating – Tip #76

Flash
Built in flash adjustment – Tip #2
Camera flash turned off – Tip #46
External flash control – Tip #13
Fill flash – natural look for indoor photos – Tip #10
Remote Speedlite flash – Tip #90
Resetting SB800 to normal operation – Tip #37
Sync modes – Tip #11
Sync speed – Tip #8
Umbrella – Tip #98

Focusing Beep (d1 Control) – Tip #57

Focus Point
Center focus point – Tip #17
Display Mode (Playback Menu) – Tip #3
Single point focus – Tips #99 and #101

Gridlines (d2 Control) – Tip #49

Help – Accessing camera help menus – Tip #48

Highlights – Display Mode (Playback Menu) – Tip#21

ISO
Adjusting (Aperture mode only) (d3 Control) – Tip#16
Auto ISO – ISO Sensitivity (Shooting Menu) – Tip #20
Auto ISO – Tip #20 Part 2 (Shooting Menu) – Tip #69
Displayed in viewfinder (d3 Control) – Tip #54

Lenses
Changing lens – Tip #44
Dust spots (cleaning lenses) – Tip #80
Wide angle lens – Straightening image – Tip #33

Live View
Framing and exposure setting – Tip #63
Manual focusing – Tip #64
Index (continued)

Manage picture control (Shooting Menu) – Tip #36

Manuals
Download manuals – Tip #14
Mastering the Nikon D7000 by Darrell Young – Tip #66
Nikon Digitutor – Tip #5

Memory Cards
Copying cards – Tip #78
Formatting cards – Tip #93A
Hiding images on memory card (Playback Menu) – Tip #39
Memory card assigned to video – Tip #55
Memory card #2 – slot assignment & remaining availability – Tip #55
Memory card required to take picture (f8 Control) – Tip #47
Selection – Tip #71

Meter adjusting (b5 Control) – Tip #24

Minus and Plus indicators order of displaying (f9 Control) – Tip #61

Mode Dial – Camera went nuts – Tip #71

Monitor timer setting (Monitor off delay) (c4 Control) – Tip#29

My Menu
Setup – Tip #4
Suggestions by Jeff Impey
Tip #13 Flash Commander Mode
Tip #22 Vivid setting
Tip #36 Manage Picture Control
Tip #45 Image Review
Tip #51 Battery information
Tip #55 Video SD destination & SD memory available

Multiple Exposures – Reducing noise while using a tripod – Tip #7

One button dial adjustment (f7 Control) – Tip #60

Picture Control and Picture Review
Comparing 2 pictures – Tip #23
Manage picture control – Tip #36
Photoshop within the camera – Tip 34
Review other photographers’ settings and compare to yours – Tip #96
Zooming in & out of a picture – Tip #23

Picture display after each shot (Playback Menu) – Tip #37A

Picture Quality
Composition – Tip #100
Foggy pictures (acclimate equipment to location conditions) – Tip #89
Learn the camera’s features – Tip #83
Practice the shot prior to taking moving subjects – Tip #85
Shooting from automobile – Tip #92
Taking keepers versus shooting everything – Tip #82

Playback Menu
Focus Point – Display Mode – Tip #3
Hiding images on memory card – Tip #39
Highlights – Display Mode – Tip#21
Picture display after each shot – Tip #37A
Rear LCD screen turned off – Tip #45
Review pictures from different cameras on memory card – Tip #41

Rear LCD Screen
Brightness – Tip #58
Cleaning plastic cover – Tip #67
Illuminating – Tip #31
Turned off (Playback Menu) – Tip #45

Remote Control
Shutter button doesn’t work (camera set to ‘remote’ mode) – Tip #88
Storing remote control – Tip #84
Use and setup – Tip #18

Retouch Menu
Converting picture to black & white / Sepia / Cyanotype – Tip #40
Straighten picture – Tip #79

Review pictures from different cameras on memory card (Playback Menu) – Tip #41

Self-timer – Camera takes picture after a slight delay – Tip #84A

Setup Menu
Battery information – Tip #51
Copyright – Tip #25
Copyright updated annually – Tip #91
LCD screen brightness – Tip #58

Shooting Menu
Active D Lighting (highlighting dark areas in picture) – Tip #35
Auto ISO – ISO Sensitivity – Tip #20
Auto ISO – Tip #20 Part 2 – Tip #69
Manage picture control – Tip #36
Memory card assigned to video – Tip #55
Memory card #2 – slot assignment & remaining availability – Tip #55
Vivid – set picture control – Tip #22

Shutter speed for “M” & “S” modes – Tip #74

Tripod
Quick connect plate missing – Tip #65
Vibration Reduction off when using tripod – Tip #72

U1 & U2 User settings
Saving settings to U1 & U2 – tip #6
Saving settings to SD card – Tip #12

Vibration Reduction – Lens settings
“Normal” versus “Active” – Tip #95
Vibration Reduction off when using tripod – Tip #72

Video
Focusing – Tip #64A
Landscape shooting only – Tip #56
Practice the shot before the ‘important one’ is taken – Tip #86
Record Button – Tip #75
Record pausing – Tip #75A
SD slot assignment – Tip #55
SD memory availability – Tip #55
Shooting checklist – Tip #87

Vivid – set picture control (Shooting Menu) – Tip #22

Virtual Horizon – Setting function up – Tip #1

White Balance
Custom White Balance adjustment – Tip #27
Custom White Balance adjustment – Part 2 – Tip #30
Sunrise & Sunset settings – Tip #77

[Grandpaw]

Grandpaw a/k/a Jeff Impey

To say what so many people before me have said ... 'This is one heck of a thread with so much worthwhile information in it.'

I cannot tell you how much I have learned and how easy you made a challenging subject.

I have read every tip and look forward to more tips and comments by the other 'Threadees' (as I call them).

With so much information, I found it beneficial to make an index of the Tips. Here is my Index of Jeff Impey's Tips ... I hope is useful to some as it is been useful to me.

ChooChoo Papa a/k/a Jeff Jacobs

>>>> Index <<<<

Accessing menus with Command and Sub-Command Buttons (f6 Control) – Tip #32

Active D Lighting (highlighting dark areas in picture) (Shooting Menu) – Tip #35

AE-L (Auto Exposure Lock) – setting AE-L/AF-L button (f5 Control) – Tip #52

AF-L (Auto Focus Lock) – setting AE-L/AF-L button (f5 Control) – Tip #52

Assigning function button (f3 Control) – Tip #1

Autofocus
Autofocus (take picture only when in focus) AF-C & AF-S (a1 Control)–Tip 43 Autofocus beep (d1 Control) – Tip #81
In dark surroundings – Tip #19

Auto-meter off delay (c2 Control) – Tip #50

Back LCD lighting (f1 Control) – Tip #15

Battery
Extra Battery – Tip #73
Grip – Advantages – Tip #9
Information (Setup Menu) – Tip #51

Camera Strap (Sling strap) – Tip #28

Checklists
Photo-shoot checklist – Tip #62
Pre-shooting checklist – Tip #26

Copyright
Copyright – Tip #25
Copyright symbol – Tip #97
Copyright updated annually – Tip #91

Custom Setting Menu
a1 – Autofocus (take picture only when in focus) AF-C & AF-S – Tip #43
b3 – Easy Exposure Compensation (Exposure Value) – Tip #53
b5 – Meter adjusting – Tip #24
c2 – Auto-meter off delay (c2 Control) – Tip #50
c4 – Monitor timer setting (Monitor off delay) – Tip#29
d1 – Focusing Beep – Tip #57
d1 – Autofocus beep – Tip #81
d2 – Gridlines – Tip #49
d3 – ISO adjusting (Aperture mode only) – Tip#16
d3 – ISO displayed in viewfinder – Tip #54
f1 – Back LCD lighting – Tip #15
f3 – Assigning function button – Tip #1
f5 – AE-L (Auto Exposure Lock) – setting AE-L/AF-L button – Tip #52
f5 – AF-L (Auto Focus Lock) – setting AE-L/AF-L button – Tip #52
f6 – Accessing menus with Command and Sub-Command Buttons – Tip #32
f7 – One button dial adjustment – Tip #60
f8 – Memory card required to take picture – Tip #47
f9 – Minus and Plus indicators order of displaying – Tip #61

Depth of Fields and focal lengths (f stops) – Tip #94

Diopter (Viewfinder eyepiece focusing) – Tip #38

Easy Exposure Compensation (Exposure Value) (b3 Control) – Tip #53

Equipment Security (Label your photo equipment) – Tip #42

Exposure Compensation – adjustment – Tip #59

Exposure Modes – “P” mode versus “Auto” mode – Tip #65A

Filters – Digital specific – Tip #68

Firmware – Updating – Tip #76

Flash
Built in flash adjustment – Tip #2
Camera flash turned off – Tip #46
External flash control – Tip #13
Fill flash – natural look for indoor photos – Tip #10
Remote Speedlite flash – Tip #90
Resetting SB800 to normal operation – Tip #37
Sync modes – Tip #11
Sync speed – Tip #8
Umbrella – Tip #98

Focusing Beep (d1 Control) – Tip #57

Focus Point
Center focus point – Tip #17
Display Mode (Playback Menu) – Tip #3
Single point focus – Tips #99 and #101

Gridlines (d2 Control) – Tip #49

Help – Accessing camera help menus – Tip #48

Highlights – Display Mode (Playback Menu) – Tip#21

ISO
Adjusting (Aperture mode only) (d3 Control) – Tip#16
Auto ISO – ISO Sensitivity (Shooting Menu) – Tip #20
Auto ISO – Tip #20 Part 2 (Shooting Menu) – Tip #69
Displayed in viewfinder (d3 Control) – Tip #54

Lenses
Changing lens – Tip #44
Dust spots (cleaning lenses) – Tip #80
Wide angle lens – Straightening image – Tip #33

Live View
Framing and exposure setting – Tip #63
Manual focusing – Tip #64
Index (continued)

Manage picture control (Shooting Menu) – Tip #36

Manuals
Download manuals – Tip #14
Mastering the Nikon D7000 by Darrell Young – Tip #66
Nikon Digitutor – Tip #5

Memory Cards
Copying cards – Tip #78
Formatting cards – Tip #93A
Hiding images on memory card (Playback Menu) – Tip #39
Memory card assigned to video – Tip #55
Memory card #2 – slot assignment & remaining availability – Tip #55
Memory card required to take picture (f8 Control) – Tip #47
Selection – Tip #71

Meter adjusting (b5 Control) – Tip #24

Minus and Plus indicators order of displaying (f9 Control) – Tip #61

Mode Dial – Camera went nuts – Tip #71

Monitor timer setting (Monitor off delay) (c4 Control) – Tip#29

My Menu
Setup – Tip #4
Suggestions by Jeff Impey
Tip #13 Flash Commander Mode
Tip #22 Vivid setting
Tip #36 Manage Picture Control
Tip #45 Image Review
Tip #51 Battery information
Tip #55 Video SD destination & SD memory available

Multiple Exposures – Reducing noise while using a tripod – Tip #7

One button dial adjustment (f7 Control) – Tip #60

Picture Control and Picture Review
Comparing 2 pictures – Tip #23
Manage picture control – Tip #36
Photoshop within the camera – Tip 34
Review other photographers’ settings and compare to yours – Tip #96
Zooming in & out of a picture – Tip #23

Picture display after each shot (Playback Menu) – Tip #37A

Picture Quality
Composition – Tip #100
Foggy pictures (acclimate equipment to location conditions) – Tip #89
Learn the camera’s features – Tip #83
Practice the shot prior to taking moving subjects – Tip #85
Shooting from automobile – Tip #92
Taking keepers versus shooting everything – Tip #82

Playback Menu
Focus Point – Display Mode – Tip #3
Hiding images on memory card – Tip #39
Highlights – Display Mode – Tip#21
Picture display after each shot – Tip #37A
Rear LCD screen turned off – Tip #45
Review pictures from different cameras on memory card – Tip #41

Rear LCD Screen
Brightness – Tip #58
Cleaning plastic cover – Tip #67
Illuminating – Tip #31
Turned off (Playback Menu) – Tip #45

Remote Control
Shutter button doesn’t work (camera set to ‘remote’ mode) – Tip #88
Storing remote control – Tip #84
Use and setup – Tip #18

Retouch Menu
Converting picture to black & white / Sepia / Cyanotype – Tip #40
Straighten picture – Tip #79

Review pictures from different cameras on memory card (Playback Menu) – Tip #41

Self-timer – Camera takes picture after a slight delay – Tip #84A

Setup Menu
Battery information – Tip #51
Copyright – Tip #25
Copyright updated annually – Tip #91
LCD screen brightness – Tip #58

Shooting Menu
Active D Lighting (highlighting dark areas in picture) – Tip #35
Auto ISO – ISO Sensitivity – Tip #20
Auto ISO – Tip #20 Part 2 – Tip #69
Manage picture control – Tip #36
Memory card assigned to video – Tip #55
Memory card #2 – slot assignment & remaining availability – Tip #55
Vivid – set picture control – Tip #22

Shutter speed for “M” & “S” modes – Tip #74

Tripod
Quick connect plate missing – Tip #65
Vibration Reduction off when using tripod – Tip #72

U1 & U2 User settings
Saving settings to U1 & U2 – tip #6
Saving settings to SD card – Tip #12

Vibration Reduction – Lens settings
“Normal” versus “Active” – Tip #95
Vibration Reduction off when using tripod – Tip #72

Video
Focusing – Tip #64A
Landscape shooting only – Tip #56
Practice the shot before the ‘important one’ is taken – Tip #86
Record Button – Tip #75
Record pausing – Tip #75A
SD slot assignment – Tip #55
SD memory availability – Tip #55
Shooting checklist – Tip #87

Vivid – set picture control (Shooting Menu) – Tip #22

Virtual Horizon – Setting function up – Tip #1

White Balance
Custom White Balance adjustment – Tip #27
Custom White Balance adjustment – Part 2 – Tip #30
Sunrise & Sunset settings – Tip #77

Thanks Jeff for taking your time and organizing the list of tips. This should be helpful and make it easier to find differnt topics. Jeff

[Brandondelano]

Hi there new to the forum

[Brandondelano]

Great Info!

[litrattonijuan]

Just upgraded from D70s to D7000 last week bought brand new. A big upgrade i must say and I'm very happy with it in terms of handling and performance. Except that I can't use my favorite lens nikkor AF 50mm 1.8
Have anybody have the same issue with pre G lenses?(AF lenses with aperture ring in the body)

Good day to all
--john

[Grandpaw]

Just upgraded from D70s to D7000 last week bought brand new. A big upgrade i must say and I'm very happy with it in terms of handling and performance. Except that I can't use my favorite lens nikkor AF 50mm 1.8
Have anybody have the same issue with pre G lenses?(AF lenses with aperture ring in the body)

Good day to all
--john

Do you have the lens set to F22 and the lock switch on the barrel of the lens in the locked position?

[litrattonijuan]

Do you have the lens set to F22 and the lock switch on the barrel of the lens in the locked position?

Yes sir, even cleaned the contacts. It's been working perfectly with my D70s this error message never appeared even once. Also tried it on a friend's D90 and it worked.
--john

[volks]

Yes sir, even cleaned the contacts. It's been working perfectly with my D70s this error message never appeared even once. Also tried it on a friend's D90 and it worked.
--john

Nikon Nikon Inc. AF Nikkor 50mm f/1.8D : Questions, Answers, How To, FAQs, Tips, Advice, Answers, Buying Guide

[D.Allison]

Today I am celebrating my thread being viewed over 50,000 times and would very much like to thank all of you that have read it. This thread has gotten much bigger than I had ever expected it to be and it is all due to those of you that take the time to read and recommend it to others. Thank you very much for your support and for continuing to drop in to check out the newer tips. I hope that all of you have managed to find at least a few ideas that you might have found helpful. Thanks again to everyone and your support is much appreciated. Jeff

I joined this site because of this thread. As I was reading this thread I had my camera in one hand and the mouse in the other! Thank you for taking the time and effort to help some of us out!

[Grandpaw]

I'm glad to hear people are still getting something out of my thread. Jeff

[Grandpaw]

I get my focus lock but my shutter button doesn't work

I was recently shooting some indoor shots using my tripod and my remote to take pictures. After I was finished and took my camera off my tripod I decided to just try a few handheld shots to see how they would come out. Well I framed up my shot, the green focus light came on, and I pressed the shutter button and nothing happened. I might add that everything but the shutter button worked just fine. I turned the camera off and then back on with the same results. Then I removed the battery grip and the battery in the camera and put them back in with the same results. At this point I was getting a little excited because everything lit up and seemed to work except for the all important shutter button. I went home and as I was looking at my camera, a little light went on in my brain and I thought, "HEY DUMMY", you still have it turned to remote on the mode dial! After turning it back to the single mode it amazingly worked just fine. The technical term for this problem is called "Operator Trouble".

So my very important tip this week is to remember that when your camera starts doing something weird like this or anything else you need to think back to what you were just doing and you will probably find the answer to your problem. Jeff

[wfooshee]

Just like my self-timer self-dummy issue a month ago.

[Grandpaw]

Just like my self-timer self-dummy issue a month ago.

Yes wfooshee, you are right, it was a similar problem to what you had but the the difference is that by me having it in remote mode the shutter did nothing at all when pushed. This gave me no clue at all what was going on as apposed to leaving the timer on that just delayed the picture being taken. I started to mention your problem in my post but I didn't want to get the two confused to members or visitors reading my tip because they are two separate problems. You could actually have your problem occur and not even own a remote where my problem would only happen if you had been using a remote to activate the shutter. Jeff

[wfooshee]

Different behaviors, but both came down to not returning the mode dial to the commonly used position when finished with the special work.

I can feel your panic when nothing happened other than focusing, though!

In my earlier post I was going to criticize the design, putting the other modes on a dial that in effect is a drive mode dial, but my F4 also has the self timer on the drive mode dial. Nikon apparently likes it there, then!

[Grandpaw]

Why I like single point focus

I am a big fan of single point focus when I shoot because I know that if I get the point of focus located where I want it on my subject the focus will come out exactly like I planed it to be. When using multiple active focus points I find that often the camera seems to lock on to something different than what I wanted to be in sharp focus. The more focus points you activate the greater the chances are of the camera choosing a focus location other than the one you had intended to choose. Have you ever gone to something like a dance recital and tried getting a picture of your little girl or grand daughter on stage, only to find that the camera chose to focus on someone's head in a seat between you and your little princess? As interesting as seeing every hair on that person's head come out very sharp it would be a much better picture if the subject that you were trying to get a picture of was what came out tack sharp instead. By using single point focus you can place that single point of focus exactly where you want it to be and eliminate your camera choosing something closer throwing the real subject out of focus. There are times when I use all 39 focus points but I will say that probably 95% or better of the time my camera is set to single point focus. I also shoot a lot of nature subjects such as birds and wildlife and when I use a long telephoto the depth of field gets shorter and it also gets shorted the larger the opening or F stop that you use for your shot. When shooting longer lenses or wider openings the focus point is even more critical. Another thing that really reduces depth of field is using a longer lens and shooting closer subjects. If you use a single point focus the camera will not have the chance to focus on the limb that the beautiful bird you are trying to get a picture of is standing on and you can place that single point right on the birds head or eye to get a really nice picture. It doesn't take having the point of focus off but an inch or two to ruin a picture.

My tip this time is to get you to try using the single point focus a little more and see if your shots don't improve and get away from letting the camera make so many of the choices for you. If you be more specific in telling you camera what you want it to do I think you will find that your keeper rate on photos will increase dramatically. Jeff

[michael79t]

greate thread - many thanks

[wfooshee]

Thought I was editing, to get rid of the "reply" title, guess I pressed reply, so I got two posts.

I'm a bad forum user. Going to stand in a corner, now.

Of course, I blame the new software's extreme quirkiness, and wish a pox on all concerned.
(OK, not really....)

[Grandpaw]

Thanks frankc and D.Allison for leaving your comments. I have been very busy lately and have not been able to post new tips but should be able to get back to posting soon. Thanks again to everyone that takes the time to read my thread. Jeff

[wfooshee]

Nice challenge, and "conserve film" vs "toss digital" is probably worthy of its own discussion separate from your tips thread.

Having just shot 1000 frames over two days at an air show, my hand is up on the guilty side! But I have to say for a significant fraction of those 1000 frames, I had the camera bursting through what was happening, knowing that one of those would probably be what I want. If you see the poof of vapor on the plane in the viewfinder, it's gone by the time you can react and hit the shutter, so you can't plan the picture. Burst as the plane passes and hope for the best 8 or 9 times instead of one or two. As for discarding, that happens in the RAW processor of Photoshop, before they even go on to editing. Once I see it on the PC screen (as oppposed to the camera's LCD) I make the yay-or-nay call and press the delete key, only continuing PP with the keepers.

Bursting like that is something you absolutely wouldn't do with film unless somebody else was buying it (and had bought you a bulk loader as well,) but I've found it to be a "proper" use of the tool I have in my hand these days.

That said, when I'm out at a state park hunting birds or bugs, the shutter mode is on single. Even then, not worrying about the cost of film lets me try shots I otherwise wouldn't, even shots I try to plan, like the in-flight dragonfly I got a few weeks ago right after buying my D7000. But when I'm at a race or an airshow, it's at least countinuous-low, and probably continuous-high.

I know exactly what you're saying, though! Back "in the day," it was incredibly difficult to take 4, maybe 6 36-exposure rolls to a race weekend and make sure I had film at the finish! And in the very few weddings I've shot digitally, I've never done 6 or 7 of each shot "just to make sure." If the bride's grandma was about to sneeze, well, they can just skip ordering that shot if they don't like it. And who wants o sort through that stuff (essentially somebody else's pictures) afterwards, anyway?

[Grandpaw]

Nice challenge, and "conserve film" vs "toss digital" is probably worthy of its own discussion separate from your tips thread.

Having just shot 1000 frames over two days at an air show, my hand is up on the guilty side! But I have to say for a significant fraction of those 1000 frames, I had the camera bursting through what was happening, knowing that one of those would probably be what I want. If you see the poof of vapor on the plane in the viewfinder, it's gone by the time you can react and hit the shutter, so you can't plan the picture. Burst as the plane passes and hope for the best 8 or 9 times instead of one or two. As for discarding, that happens in the RAW processor of Photoshop, before they even go on to editing. Once I see it on the PC screen (as oppposed to the camera's LCD) I make the yay-or-nay call and press the delete key, only continuing PP with the keepers.

Bursting like that is something you absolutely wouldn't do with film unless somebody else was buying it (and had bought you a bulk loader as well,) but I've found it to be a "proper" use of the tool I have in my hand these days.

That said, when I'm out at a state park hunting birds or bugs, the shutter mode is on single. Even then, not worrying about the cost of film lets me try shots I otherwise wouldn't, even shots I try to plan, like the in-flight dragonfly I got a few weeks ago right after buying my D7000. But when I'm at a race or an airshow, it's at least countinuous-low, and probably continuous-high.

I know exactly what you're saying, though! Back "in the day," it was incredibly difficult to take 4, maybe 6 36-exposure rolls to a race weekend and make sure I had film at the finish! And in the very few weddings I've shot digitally, I've never done 6 or 7 of each shot "just to make sure." If the bride's grandma was about to sneeze, well, they can just skip ordering that shot if they don't like it. And who wants o sort through that stuff (essentially somebody else's pictures) afterwards, anyway?

Walter, I think we are both on the same page on this. There will always be times when shooting in burst mode is the way to go and there will be times when you want to experiment on a shot and that will run up the amount of shots taken and there is certainly nothing wrong with either example. Not using the different options that a digital camera provides would defeat one of the many reasons to go digital in the first place. The point I am trying to get people to think about is to rely more on developing and keeping their own skills sharp instead just shooting a bunch of pictures and hoping a few may come out good enough to keep. To me there is a big difference between using an option that is available or abusing it. I myself find that if I pay more attention to what I am doing and not go overboard with shooting a lot of images that I end up with better pictures. I hope that people will try my suggestion and see if will make a difference with them like it does with me. Jeff

[Grandpaw]

Sometimes when you are out shooting you may pull up to a location and need to wait for some time and end up sitting in the car waiting for a shot. I know I do this and shoot out of my car window with a long lens to get the reach I need. It is helpful to get some camera support to be able to get a good sharp pictures. This tip will give you a cheap and easy way to support that longer lens to help keep your shots steady and sharp.

My tip for this time is to get you a piece of foam pipe insulation that has a slit the length of the insulation, cut it to length and slip it over the top of the glass in the window so your lens can rest on it for support, see picture below. This is a friend of mine demonstrating the use of this tip. This is cheap to buy, easy to store, and supports your camera without scratching your equipment. The support can be easily adjusted just by raising or lowering the window. Jeff

I originally had a picture and it disappeared. I have tried placing it back on this post several times and just cannot seem to get it to work. It shows attached thumbnails but nothing comes up.

[volks]

This is a neat and so simple idea. Thanks for the tip.

[lalithnlk]

Hello, I am new to this community. I have purchased a Nikon D7000 and was checking the tips section by Jeff. I found it very informative and a good learning curve for starters like me. Wishing every body Holiday cheer in the coming weeks.
Thank you