Photography Problems

Chrisosaurus · Jul 20, 2016

I've recently come across a new hobby that I really enjoy, which is undoubtedly photography. I originally took pictures on my iPhone that were OK, but for my photography I wanted to make it a little more sharp, and professional and try to open my creative eye a little. I purchased a used Nikon D3000 DSLR, and I was so excited because I was originally coaxed into buying a $60.00 Nikon D70 on OfferUp which ended up not working. I thought that I could use the 28-80 mm Nikkor lens that came with the old one but it doesn't seem to focus on closer subjects and doesn't do so well in low light, even if I change the aperture. The lens claims to autofocus, and I tried but I'm sure something isn't working (Also, subjects that are farther away appear clearer). Are the lens and camera not compatible? Am I doing something wrong? Also, I would really appreciate any suggestions for lenses that can support both far and close subjects. Thanks in advance!

zombiesniper · Jul 20, 2016

First, welcome to TPF.

Second, I can't help here but I'm sure one of our many Nikon shooters will be along soon.

Hope it all works out.

Chrisosaurus · Jul 20, 2016

zombiesniper said:
First, welcome to TPF.

Second, I can't help here but I'm sure one of our many Nikon shooters will be along soon.

Hope it all works out.

tirediron · Jul 20, 2016

You're probably not doing anything wrong; depending on which version of the lens you have it can focus as close as about 14", which is pretty close, but not going to work if you're trying to photograph bugs or such. It's also a slow-ish lens, and the D3000 doesn't have the best high ISO performance, so low-light work is not going to be its strong point. All that said, it's a very capable camera and a good starter unit.

Chrisosaurus · Jul 20, 2016

Thank you for the welcome and the wishes!

Chrisosaurus · Jul 20, 2016

tirediron said:
You're probably not doing anything wrong; depending on which version of the lens you have it can focus as close as about 14", which is pretty close, but not going to work if you're trying to photograph bugs or such. It's also a slow-ish lens, and the D3000 doesn't have the best high ISO performance, so low-light work is not going to be its strong point. All that said, it's a very capable camera and a good starter unit.

I'm not exactly sure what version the lens is but apart from everything else aforementioned it says 1:3.3-5.6G but I'm glad that this camera is considered capable, I was beginning to worry that I was being duped. So, in order to get the best performance, what settings would you recommend for this camera and lens combo? I've been successful at light painting so far, it just really seems to lacks clarity. I haven't tried to photograph anything close yet but even at 14 inches it's still blurred. I'm not sure how to go about resolving it.

Chrisosaurus · Jul 20, 2016

dennybeall · Jul 20, 2016

I had to look it up but the D3000 does not have an internal focus motor so requires an AF-S lens. Yours is an AF Nikkor but you need an AF-S Nikkor to have auto focus. The "-S" means the lens has a focus motor in it. You can use your lens, you'll just have to manually focus it.
Here's the data on lenses from the Nikon website:

AF-S Lens Required for Autofocus
AF NIKKOR for F3AF not Supported.
AF-S, AF-I: All Functions Supported.
AI-P NIKKOR: All Functions Supported Except 3D Color Matrix Metering II.
Electronic rangefinder can be used if Maximum Aperture is f/5.6 or faster.
IX NIKKOR Lenses Cannot be Used.
Non-CPU: Autofocus not Supported. Can be used in Exposure Mode D, but Exposure Meter does not function.
Non-Type G or D AF NIKKOR not Equipped with an Autofocus Motor: All Functions Supported Except 3D Color Matrix Metering II and Autofocus.
Type G or D AF NIKKOR: All Functions Supported Except Autofocus.
Type D PC NIKKOR: All Functions Supported Except some Shooting Modes.

Solarflare · Jul 21, 2016

Many lenses do not have good closeup sharpness.

And yes, if you want to run a lens like that, you need an autofocus motor in the camera itself.

Nikon cameras with an autofocus motor:

So far ALL full frame[1] Nikon DSLRs offer the motor
D100, D200, D300, D300s, D500 (professional APS-C[1] line)
D70, D70s, D80, D90, D7000, D7100, D7200 (semi-professional APS-C line)
D50 as the only entry level Nikon DSLR that ever had an autofocus motor

Or the list of Nikon DSLRs which dont, which is ALL so-called entry level DSLRs except the very first one (D50):
D40x, D60, D5000, D5100, D5200, D5300, D5500 (advanced entry level)
D40, D3000, D3100, D3200, D3300 (basic entry level)

[1] Full frame equals old time 35mm film (approx 36x24mm), APS-C is a somewhat smaller format (approx 24x16mm) thats close to Super 35 (old film format for movies).

fmw · Jul 21, 2016

The lens will work fine in your camera and will give you some practice in focusing manually - something all of us had to do every time we took a picture years ago. Everything other than auto focus will work normally. It will give you a good start as you learn.

Solarflare · Jul 21, 2016

The only people for which I would recomment trying manual focus on an entry level DSLR with a dark autofocus lens is masochists. Thats all the bad factors combined. You simply cannot see if something is in focus, the only chance is using the focus confirmation and in my experience thats not too reliable either.

Chrisosaurus · Jul 21, 2016

I didn't realize that there was a focus ring at the end of the lens , and with this the pictures are way more focused on subjects that I want to focus on. Hopefully I can upgrade to a better lens in the near further but this is what I have for now and it seems to fit my basic needs for learning everything. Thank you guys for your guidance and advice, I don't think I would've known if I didn't ask and search the web, I really appreciate it!