Auto mode

[robdavis305]

I know that auto mode only takes average pics, and I dont want average. Im having trouble figuring out what mode and iso to shoot in depending on lighting and depth of field which i know that aperture(f/stop) controls that. Im just curious on which settings it is best to take really good colorful and crisp pics.Thanks in advance for your replys.
Nikon D90 18-105mm

 

[Goontz]

Completely depends on the lighting, environment, etc. There are way too many variables for someone to tell you settings that will work every time. I suggest picking up the book "Understanding Exposure" by Bryan Peterson.

 

[lvcrtrs]

You've got the D90. Good luck with crisp. You will have trouble with that on any of the auto settings. The portrait mode is pretty good because you don't want excess sharpness for peoples faces. The best way for "crisp" is to work the other side of the and set the sharpness level up. And depending on what you are shooting and how sharp you like it, you may have to tweak in a photo program as well.

As far as colorful - again the D90 doesn't seem to want to go there by nature. You can try a few things.
Change your Picture Control to VIVID. What I found though is that the REDS really popped out and just looked rather unnatural to me.
You can up your saturation in the current Picture Control (Standard etc) that you are using.

The camera reviews covered these areas and stated that the D80 was more suited to the consumer friendly colorful output. Sometimes I wish I would have gone there but the low light capability of the D90 while a whole 'nuther topic is a wonderful thing to put on the other side of the scales.

 

[TJ K]

You've got the D90. Good luck with crisp. You will have trouble with that on any of the auto settings. The portrait mode is pretty good because you don't want excess sharpness for peoples faces. The best way for "crisp" is to work the other side of the and set the sharpness level up. And depending on what you are shooting and how sharp you like it, you may have to tweak in a photo program as well.

As far as colorful - again the D90 doesn't seem to want to go there by nature. You can try a few things.
Change your Picture Control to VIVID. What I found though is that the REDS really popped out and just looked rather unnatural to me.
You can up your saturation in the current Picture Control (Standard etc) that you are using.

The camera reviews covered these areas and stated that the D80 was more suited to the consumer friendly colorful output. Sometimes I wish I would have gone there but the low light capability of the D90 while a whole 'nuther topic is a wonderful thing to put on the other side of the scales.

There are plenty of settings you can use in order to get great color,crisp, and quality out of your photographs. You have to know how to use the camera and take the pictures though in order to get that out. And saying the d90 just doesn't want to go there is false as well. You can make your own custom picture controls and everything.

The d90 is a great camera. Congrats on your purchase. I would recommend using the aperture priority mode because with that you can choose the exact DOF that you want. If you don't want to worry about your ISO too much you can put it on auto ISO and put in the max ISO you want to use and the lowest shutter speed you will use and the camera will pick the best ISO for the situation and you don't have to worry about any of it. GL and keep on shootin'.
-TJ

 

[Samanax]

I know that auto mode only takes average pics, and I dont want average. Im having trouble figuring out what mode and iso to shoot in depending on lighting and depth of field which i know that aperture(f/stop) controls that. Im just curious on which settings it is best to take really good colorful and crisp pics.Thanks in advance for your replys.
Nikon D90 18-105mm

How new are you to photography with a DSLR?

How new are you to digital photography in general?

If you're relatively new to both, try spending some time reading about the basics...

Digital Photography Tips For Beginners

Digital Photography Composition Tips

How To Photograph...

And what photo editing program are you using? Are you editing your photos or just leaving the way they came out of the camera?

 

[DennyCrane]

I'd suggest setting up a tripod and play with many combinations in an identical shot. Then repeat in different lighting situations. Every camera's different, and every photographer different. Doing research is great, and the more you do, the better understanding you'll have for your results, but in the end, physically seeing the difference between a large aperture/fast shutter shot and a small aperture/slow shutter drives it all home.

 

[katy625]

Read Read Read....then practice practice practice.....I agree that it depends on a lot of variables. But that is what practice will do....get you to a point where you will know what to change and when.

 

[Error]

Use Aperture Priority mode and set it to ISO 100-200 max. You can set the D90 at ISO 1600 during outdoor photography at night with Hi-ISO NR (noise reduction) ON to eliminate the noise.

I don't think that D90 is suck! That is cool DSLR but you need to learn every function on that camera.

Here's the sample image capture during Cleveland AirShow last Saturday with my Nikon D90 with Nikon 80-400mm lens handheld.

 

[Hardrock]

Get the book "Understanding Exposure" It pretty much sums it all up for you!

Sorry I guess I should have read the second post!