Awww... da widdle wens is so cutesy wootsey!!! :)

[LaFoto]

When I first held my 50mm1.8 in hands, I had similar feelings like you are still having, Chris. I went "My, is this small. Weighs NOTHING! Won't it break at once?" OK, I do admit that associations of total girliness did not occur to me to the extent they seem to have occurred to you, and I haven't called mine anything, but... it's cute. Isn't it?

 

[manaheim]

When I first held my 50mm1.8 in hands, I had similar feelings like you are still having, Chris. I went "My, is this small. Weighs NOTHING! Won't it break at once?" OK, I do admit that associations of total girliness did not occur to me to the extent they seem to have occurred to you, and I haven't called mine anything, but... it's cute. Isn't it?

hehehe, let's just say I took an odd idea and pushed it too far for the sake of humor. Gee, when would I ever do that?

It is an awful cute little thing, though. It'd absolutely dwarfed by the D300.

 

[Bifurcator]

You should all try now to imagine my wife...

BTW, I took a couple shots

Here's one....

The shot is "whatever"... I'm just playing with the lens.

Wow dude, I would say you were married to a fox but that obviously isn't the case. :lmao:

 

[Overread]

I have only one thing to ask


what is Webkinz?

 

[Chewbecca]

Yeah well my Sigma 18-50 2.8 macro is gonna be here Thursday.

oooh, congrats.
I recently got this lens and...it can be awesome, but I'm having issues figuring it out.
I don't know if it's my D300 or the lens, my focus mode, or that I just haven't figured out the appropriate aperture setting vs. how close or far away I am from what I want in focus, but it's proving to be hit or miss with this lens and me.
And I find myself missing more than hitting. And it's frustrating me. I'd have asked about it before, in a thread all its own, but I know people will want settings to help me with it, and I don't remember my settings. Also, I feel like a total dumbass because I cannot figure it out, and I'm sure it's something simple.
Don't get me wrong, I've taken a couple good shots with it, but it's not proving to be an easy lens for me. It's not like the 50mm f1.8 where you can just slap it on your camera, set it on this or that, and know that you can get a good shot. At least not for me. So, when you get this lens, PLEASE take some macro-type shots with it, post them, and let me know your settings and approx. distance between you and your subject. I think I just need someone else to spell it out for me.





Chris,
You have a D300 and you just got the 50mm? Sorry, I guess I just assumed that almost everyone has a 50mm, especially if they already own a D300.
It's a great lens and definitely my favorite.:mrgreen:

 

[Overread]

Hmm first of if you are having problems with macro how are you focusing - manual or auto focus?
Secondly your settings (if you shoot digital) will be attached to your shots in the EXIF - just rightclick on the photo and go to properites - the 3rd tab along the top (I think) should take you to a list of details - scroll down to find aperture, shutter speed and so forth

 

[hankejp]

I have only one thing to ask


what is Webkinz?

Must not have any kids eh?

My daughter has probably 10 of these money grubbers. Although I do help her out on the website and play the trivia.

They're stuffed animals that you "adopt" and can play games with them online.

http://www.webkinz.com/us_en/

 

[Chewbecca]

Hmm first of if you are having problems with macro how are you focusing - manual or auto focus?
Secondly your settings (if you shoot digital) will be attached to your shots in the EXIF - just rightclick on the photo and go to properites - the 3rd tab along the top (I think) should take you to a list of details - scroll down to find aperture, shutter speed and so forth

D'oh! Wow, I'm super duper bright, huh?
Well, now that I know my basic settings info, I know I was in AF, but what type of AF mode is something I cannot remember for sure.
I'm going to try single area AF (I know duh, right?) and if that doesn't work, I'll try manual. But I KNOW that my friend who gave me this lens got decent macro shots using AF. I've seen pictures she's taken with it.


er...nevermind, I just went through my house and took some test shots.
For now I believe it was my AF mode.

 

[Overread]

kids?
me?


so its some form of online furby - I wonder if it works underwater?

if you are doing macro - turn off the AF!
Work in manual mode - turn the dial (it should have the magnification ratios printed on it - turn it to 1:1) and then move the camera back and forth from the subject to gain focus - much easier than auto focus that can get confused and lock onto the wrong thing. (most people approach the subject then its a case of gently rocking back and fourth to get focus

 

[hankejp]

kids?
me?


so its some form of online furby - I wonder if it works underwater?

Yeah you could say that. But you get the stuffed animal and register it online. My dog loves my daughters webkinz, especially the eyes. She just ate another eye this morning.

 

[manaheim]

Wow dude, I would say you were married to a fox but that obviously isn't the case. :lmao:

All shall bow down to mat cat and tremble!

I have only one thing to ask


what is Webkinz?

bahahahaha...

I hate you.

You have a D300 and you just got the 50mm? Sorry, I guess I just assumed that almost everyone has a 50mm, especially if they already own a D300.
It's a great lens and definitely my favorite.:mrgreen:

I'm one of those crazy people running around with an $1800 body with $100 lenses connected to it. (well, ok I do have ONE expensive lens, but I've only had that for about 6 months) 'course in the case of the 50mm, it's just been a much overdue toy... I don't really need it for the work that I do, and I always have something else I need to spend $100 on, so it was just a matter of forcing myself to do it.


BTW... is this lens considered a viable macro lens??? I don't have any macro lenses and have been wanting to get one... just now seeing the minimum focus distance on this one is pretty close, and of course it's deadly sharp. I may have to get even more excited if it's a macro.

 

[Overread]

you will need some extension tubes to make it proper macro - a cheapbrand line will be fine since all they do is increase the distance of the lens from the camera body - so no optics involved (few people actually use - say - the canon tubes since for the price of one one can get a set of 3 of say kenko extension tubes)

 

[manaheim]

I have some Kenko extender that gives 2x the zoom and you lose one stop. (It's not mine so I don't know all the details as well as I shoud... my buddy loaned to me with his Nikkor 80-200 2.8). Is that the kind of extender you're talking about? (sorry to be clueless, I have NEVER looked into these things)

 

[Overread]

2*zoom means its a teleconverter rather than an extension tube (the tube just has no optics at all)
The teleconverter will give you a boost to magnification, but its also going to affect other things as a well - the extension tube boosts your close focusing distance (lets you get closer to the subject) but also removes your long distance focusing as well.
its a trade off and some people do combine the two - I have not experimented with tubes and non-macro lenses though (I own enough teleconverters, but not extension tubes*

 

[Chewbecca]

kids?
me?


so its some form of online furby - I wonder if it works underwater?

if you are doing macro - turn off the AF!
Work in manual mode - turn the dial (it should have the magnification ratios printed on it - turn it to 1:1) and then move the camera back and forth from the subject to gain focus - much easier than auto focus that can get confused and lock onto the wrong thing. (most people approach the subject then its a case of gently rocking back and fourth to get focus

This is a test shot I took this morning with the Sigma 18-50mm f2.8.
Settings were: f2.8, 1/80, ISO 1600
shot with my D300

What's in focus is exactly what I meant to have in focus.
Oh! It was set on single area AF and single-servo AF.
This is probably the best this type of shot has turned out for me with this lens.