New DSLR owner, tips needed

sohc3s

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Camera is a nikkon D40, I just need some tips on where to place some of the settings for a good start, at the moment Im shooting in Programed Exposure mode with auto ISO and -1.7 Exposure comp, image quality at fine auto white bal. and image optimization in vivid, IDK Im not having great luck with it, anyone with a D40 have a setup they like and wouldnt mind sharing ? thanks

-Ian
 
You don't just set your exposure compensation to a value and see how it goes. It might need to be higher or lower for any given shot...depending on the tones in the scene that the camera's meter is reading.

I suggest reading 'Understanding Exposure' by Brian Peterson.
 
-1.7 exposure compensation is way too low for general use. Try -0.7 instead. If you're into landscape/scenic type photography try Ken Rockwell's settings in his guide here. For people type photos you'll want to leave the color settings at normal or auto.
 
the exposure comp @ -1.7 is a bit of a killer.....

If you are shooting Program then set your ISO to 100 and Exp Comp to 0.0....
take a picture and look... if needed... adjust your exp comp in small increments......

if playing with exp comp makes your shutter too slow (you are getting blurry pictures)... then start bumping up your ISO to increase the shutter speed... if all that doesn't work.... pop up the flash and bump down the ISO..
 
thanks guys, IDK about the ISO though, like for general use IDK what it should be at, like if Im shooting in a house an then move outside, then the ISO is wrong, and IDK what I should put it at thats why I left it in auto
 
right, I left it In auto casue Im a noob, and don t know what it should be set at, for different kinda of light
 
Well, it's in the manual. So go get it out, read it, and apply it.
 
thanks guys, IDK about the ISO though, like for general use IDK what it should be at, like if Im shooting in a house an then move outside, then the ISO is wrong, and IDK what I should put it at thats why I left it in auto

To answer your question as Brian Peterson.... What ISO should you use? You should use the correct one.

When shooting Program your camera is selecting the Shutter Speed/Aperture for you based on readings from the meter in your camera. When you adjust Exp Comp.. you are telling your camera it is wrong in it's assessment and are overridding the shutter speed/aperture faster or slower.

You shouldn't have to make many adjustments to exp comp. If you are shooting in darker indoors, your camera might elect to use a shutter/aperture combination that are simply too slow to take a clear picture. You will know this by blurry pictures and slow shutter speeds.

By adjusting your ISO upward, you can speed up the shutter but will introduce noise to the picture.

Practise by taking a lot of pictures and making minor adjustments in "P" mode. Once you start to get comfortable you should begin experimenting with Aperture Priority, Shutter Priority, and Manual Modes. The P mode is a good safe mode to get pictures you don't want to miss while your learning. However, the best way to love your camera is to EVENTUALLY learn the relationships of Shutter, Aperture, and ISO and how they intertwine.
 
Ideally I keep my ISO as low as possible, mostly at 100. Only bump it up when in a darker environment and to keep the shutter speed high, depending on the exposure.
 
I would just leave it in Auto for now, and start shooting with it. Read your manual for different settings and how to apply them. Get to know your camera, experiment with it, anytime you have just mess with different settings to see what they do. Practice, practice, and more practice.
 
I'm assuming your goal is to become proficient at photography, if so I would stay way from anything "auto" until you've mastered manual.

Starting with auto will teach you very little and only make you less patient and frustrated when you try to learn manual in the future. Manual isn't as difficult to learn as many think: there are just three things to adjust: shutter, aperture, and ISO: each one increases or decreases the brightness of the image, and each one has it's side effects:

Aperture side effect: depth of field
ISO side effect: noise
Shutter side effect: motion blur

Once you learn more about exposure you can take advantage of the auto modes to speed things up. "ADVANTAGE" is the key word, automation shouldn't be used as a crutch.

Of course if you're just interested in a point and shoot experience, by all means set it to auto and click away. ;)
 
My suggestion would be to put that puppy into program mode and just shoot with it for a bit.

When you find it didn't do what you were hoping, post the picture up here and ask people why. Then folks will tell you to try this or that.

I have found that this is a GREAT way to learn not only about the camera but photography in general.
 
^^ I totally agree. I ran my first DSLR in full manual for the first month or so. Only used auto to take one extra shot with to compair my settings after the shoot. Now I run in Ap priority most of the time.
 
Thanks again guys, I put some of this advice to good use, the only thing I really cant be 100% sure of at this point is ISO setting for different lights, but just leaving it at 200 does the trick almost evey time in Program mode, heres just a few quick ones I took, thanks again, I'll be around

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