Camera arrived

[IreneS]

I can't remember who it was that suggested to another poster on checking for refurbished but thank you!

My camera arrived today, and of course like normal for where I live it has been raining all day, but I went ahead and started following an online class for learning the settings for Nikon DSLR. Took this shot while playing with aperture settings. Bear with me please while I try to get the info correct.

Nikon D3400
kit lens
Aperture setting 5.6
focal length 21.2
exposure time 1/30
iso 560

Suggestions on what I could have done differently? I know I have a lot to learn but right now just trying to figure out how to set things.

 

[CherylL]

Congrats on the new camera! For shutter speed I would suggest something higher like 1/125 or 1/200 for handheld.

 

[SquarePeg36 7]

Congrats on the new camera and on buying refurbished and saving some $$. This can be an expensive hobby. I've never had an issue with any of the used/refurbished camera bodies or lenses that I have bought.

I like where you went with this photo. You've go the primary subject in focus and well exposed. Were you in Aperture priority or manual mode or Auto? A couple of things to keep an eye on - the composition is a little busy. Try not to have too many out of focus objects in the foreground as it is distracting and watch your backgrounds. A great tip I got from someone on this forum was to look all around the frame before hitting the shutter. If there's anything that doesn't belong, recompose or change your angle until it's better.

To save you some typing in the future, you can provide your settings as f/5.6, 1/30, ISO 560

 

[IreneS]

For shutter speed I would suggest something higher like 1/125 or 1/200 for handheld.

Yeah, the lesson before that he said to change it to 1/2 simply so we could hear it and understand how that worked, problem was I had no idea then where to set it back to, so I turned it up but had no clue where I should put it

 

[IreneS]

I like where you went with this photo. You've go the primary subject in focus and well exposed. Were you in Aperture priority or manual mode or Auto? A couple of things to keep an eye on - the composition is a little busy. Try not to have too many out of focus objects in the foreground as it is distracting and watch your backgrounds. A great tip I got from someone on this forum was to look all around the frame before hitting the shutter. If there's anything that doesn't belong, recompose or change your angle until it's better.

To save you some typing in the future, you can provide your settings as f/5.6, 1/30, ISO 560

Aperture priority. Will try to watch the foreground and thank you will remember that for the settings.

 

[CherylL]

The best thing about digital is that you take many photos experimenting and learning. I would take 100 just playing with the settings and then format the card to start over. This book helped me to learn: https://www.amazon.com/Understanding-Exposure-Fourth-Photographs-Camera/dp/1607748509

 

[SquarePeg36 7]

The best thing about digital is that you take many photos experimenting and learning. I would take 100 just playing with the settings and then format the card to start over. This book helped me to learn: https://www.amazon.com/Understanding-Exposure-Fourth-Photographs-Camera/dp/1607748509

This was the book that started it all for me! And I've gifted it to several others.

 

[IreneS]

Have the book saved so I can get it next time I order from amazon