A little dissapointed?

[PhotoMama22]

Hey guys! I'm new here on this forum...I got a Nikon D3100 for Christmas. I had been using my mother in laws Canon Rebel XS for a year or so and I feel as tho the Canon was a much better camera...I find a lot of my pictures are slightly blurry, out of focus, etc. I am still learning to use the camera but even on AUTO I find the pictures are a bit of a let down...
I am pretty bummed out because I had read such great reviews on it & my husband wanted to surprise me because I've always said how much I've wanted a Nikon one day! Any one else find that their D3100 doesn't stand up to their expectations? I find in outdoor lighting it takes great pictures but any sort of photos taken indoors aren't good at ALL!! If I can figure out how to attach a picture I will show you some examples. Maybe I'm just really used to the Canon and it maybe will take some time to get used to this??

 

[PhotoMama22]

Great thanks so much erose! I included a few pics...I guess I am just SO used to the canon that I'm not quiet used to how these pictures are turning out! I know it will take me some time to get used to the new camera & how it handles...
I am so excited to have found this forum..lots of info!!!

 

[PhotoMama22]

Now that I look at them posted they don't seem as bad as I thought lol Those are just 3 random ones I took. It probably doesn't help that my in-laws place has the WORST lighting EVER!! You can barely see your hand it's so dark!

 

[cdino88]

As stated above the difference between outdoor natural light and indoor ambient light is very great. Sunlight at the right time of the day in my opinion is always a better source of light than any flash could provide.

Indoor lighting you are either going to have to use your flash or have a faster lens.

 

[Jcampbelll]

Read up on how to shoot not in AUTO. You will slowly see your picture quality go up and up. Make sure you read the manual, post questions on this forum, and search around on google for more information.

 

[OrionsByte]

Did you shoot these in RAW? They look a little like RAW images that haven't been processed. It looks like the focus is okay, but they could all use a little sharpening and some white balancing.

Enjoy your new camera!

 

[PhotoMama22]

Did you shoot these in RAW? They look a little like RAW images that haven't been processed. It looks like the focus is okay, but they could all use a little sharpening and some white balancing.

Enjoy your new camera!

Nope they are taken in JPEG...I tried RAW but the editing was weird with the program I have so I'm waiting until I get a new editing program to shoot in RAW.

 

[GeorgieGirl]

My 2 cents is get used to the cameras controls since it is all brand new. Take snapshots up, down and sideways to see how it reacts, and to get to know how it reacts and to become comfortable with how the camera operates so you can react to the changes you want to make with ease. THEN start to set up some photos. Enjoy your new camera!!!

 

[Zrock]

Once you get used to teh camera you will be good... I have a canon t1i and im having a struggle with it. When i first got it and was just messing around with it i was taking some great shots. now that i have been reading and experimenting with it i can't seem to get a good shot if my life depended on it right now. Knowledge is power to muck knowledge is just frustrating..hehe

One of the best investments i made om my camer so far is i got a external flash and have been messing around with bouncing the flash. Get a nicer pic than with the on camera flash

 

[Dao]

The indoor photos you just post are typical photos taken with build-in camera flash. Nothing wrong with your camera, you just need to learn how to take a better photos.

One major issue I see is build-in camera flash. You may need to find a way to diffuse the light.

i.e. DIY built-in pop-up flash diffuser (soft screen) | DIYPhotography.net

or

Reduce, Reuse, Diffuse: Make Your Own Flash Diffuser from an Old Film Container | Photojojo



Of course, if you buy a external hotshoe type flash that allow you to bounce the light off the wall or ceiling will yield a better result.

 

[vtf]

Welcome to forum:thumbup:
Read your manual, then read it again, then keep it in you camera bag for spot reading. Gradually work up to RAW, learn basics of the new camera first and practice, practice, practice.
Have fun and enjoy the new camera.

 

[sobolik]

First up I say ALL DSLR's need sharpening done to the photos - ALL of them. You need to post process every photo. I copied your photo into my Elements 5.0. I did adjust color for skin tone and sharpened. 100% improvement.

 

[PhotoMama22]

First up I say ALL DSLR's need sharpening done to the photos - ALL of them. You need to post process every photo. I copied your photo into my Elements 5.0. I did adjust color for skin tone and sharpened. 100% improvement.

Could you show me if it's not to much of a hassle??

Yah I notice when I edit/sharpen them up they look a million times better....I just have to keep telling myself that all these amazing pictures I see aren't straight from the camera...they probably have been touched up a LOT!!

Thanks so much everyone!!

 

[sobolik]

First up I say ALL DSLR's need sharpening done to the photos - ALL of them. You need to post process every photo. I copied your photo into my Elements 5.0. I did adjust color for skin tone and sharpened. 100% improvement.

Could you show me if it's not to much of a hassle??

Yah I notice when I edit/sharpen them up they look a million times better....I just have to keep telling myself that all these amazing pictures I see aren't straight from the camera...they probably have been touched up a LOT!!

Thanks so much everyone!!

The photos only had correct color for skin tone (eliminated ghostly paleish skin in the first 2 and color improvement, 3rd had an improvement in overall color not so much pale skin) and sharpened with unsharp mask (30 , 3 and 0) for a crisper look

 

[newcam]

Hi there. I read your post with interest as I had a similar experience with the nikonD3100. I owned a d5000 and unfortunately it was stolen. My insurance replaced it with the 3100 and my shots were not reliably clear. I am a stickler for clear eyelashes in portraits and I take pictures of my kids most often. So, after lots of work I came across a post by Wolfgang Spekner who was very pleased with his photos straight from the camera (JPEG). He said he used in camera sharpening set at "+7" and saturation "+1". I figured out how to get to that menu (go into vivid mode) and I increased sharpness. It seems to have worked wonders. The in-camera sharpening made all the difference (more reliable, clearer pics).
Let me know if it works. I still need to print mine to check it out on paper!