Nikon D5100

[ddogg93]

I am a total noob. This is the first time I've ever posted to ANY forum, but I have some problems. Just got my D5100 and I haven't had any time to "play" yet. I 'tried' to record my daughter's high school play, but the video was all choppy and nasty. I'm shooting it on a tripod, but I have no idea about F's and apertures. I know a little about ISO--only to the extent that 100 is good for sunlight. Can someone tell me what to put my settings at just to get a halfway decent film? My daughter is a senior and this is her last play. They are going to have another performance tomorrow. I got the Nikon because I was tired of never having anything clear to look at. I am shooting from the back of the auditorium up in a little room where the lighting and sound are controlled. It's up high. I have an AF-S NIKKOR 55-300mm lens that I thought would get that far away.

 

[KmH]

The settings you need to use depend on how much light there is in the scene you are shooting. If the stage lighting is changed, or you change where the camera is pointed, settings would likely need to be changed.

The longer the focal length you use with that lens, the smaller the maximum lens aperture you can use. A smaller aperture lets in less light.

Your best bet is to put it in AUTO mode. Unfortunately, the camera is just a machine following a program that by necessity makes many general assumptions and in AUTO mode it doesn't always make the right decissons.

I would just about be willing to bet the choppyness occurs in those segments you have shot where you were moving the lens side-to-side (panning).

 

[TamiAz]

I found this book and found it very helpful. It expands on what's in the manual.... BARNES & NOBLE | Nikon D5100 Experience - The Still Photographer's Guide to Operation and Image Creation with the Nikon D5100 by Douglas Klostermann, Full Stop./ Douglas J. Klostermann Photography | NOOK Book (eBook)

 

[JoeHemi]

Does your continuous shooting mode work correctly? I've recently discovered that mine may be messed up but I havent been successful in getting anyone at Nikon to help me. I'm starting to think the curtain or shutter may be defective but I really have no idea. Even in single shot mode it seems to take over a second to go through the 4 "motion sounds" to capture a picture.

 

[jriepe]

I would imagine this would be a good start for a beginner. The For Dummies books have helped me at times.

Amazon.com: Nikon D5100 For Dummies (9781118118191): Julie Adair King: Bookserry

 

[otherprof]

I want to second the suggestion of Ken Rockwell's D5100 guide. Whatever people think about his reviews, I found his guide very useful, very specific, and easy to understand. And I did read the manual, but found his organization of information I actually wanted was very valuable.

 

[jriepe]

I have the printed version of Mastering the D7000 by this same author and it was money well spent. If this is as good as the Nikon D7000 book you won't regret buying it. I prefer a printed version but don't think he has one for the D5100. Guess I'm behind the times.

http://blog.nikonians.org/digitaldarrell/2011/08/dd-darrell-young-master-your-nikon-d5100-ebook.html

Jerry