charles brown Loc: Tennesse

Annie_girl - posted this story once before, but will tell again because I think it clearly supports what you are saying.

Many years ago in the age of "film" a woman I knew at work brought her new point and shot into work to have me teach her how to use. She was taking a tour through the holy land and wanted to take some pictures. Lets just say she had limited abilities. Anyway, i did the best I could and she was able to at least load the film and take pictures. When she returned from her trip she came to my office one day with a packet of pictures for me to look at. So happened that a friend was in my office at the time who was also an amateur photographer. Well, as we looked at the pictures we looked at each other and simply said WOW. The pictures were amazing. Without even knowing it this woman had an eye for composition and detail that just blew our minds. It wasn't just that one picture was good but that every one was good. I will never forget that experience and to be honest would give anything to have her innate ability. As many here have said, it's not the camera but the person holding that camera that makes the real difference.

Old Boots Loc: Caldwell Co., Texas

Right on. :-D

wlgoode Loc: Globe, AZ

One of the most difficult things for me to learn early on is critical choosing of which photos were worth keeping. I guess she learned that early on.

steve03 Loc: long Lsland

I know some very well known and published photographers who shoot in "A" aperture priority. This is because he is interested in DOF. these are all tools use them to your advantage.

Take 5 Cinema Loc: Canoe BC

P means Phooey - to hell with this - let the camera do it :)
Or something like that.

At least I think it does ..... does it? I'm not sure.

Lemmee see: A is the first letter in the alphabet not be confused with eh? from the Great White North - so we gots to start with something - sounds bout right.

S: means 'o Shit' that thing is moving fast - better get the shot lest I get run over.

B is the next letter - kinda like in sleep mode - and to stay awake you have to keep yer eyes opened longer. Makes sense.

M is definitely ME. Yessireeboy. I know how this doofunney works right down to the last button. And I don't knead no help from any of these confounded 'puters here.

So there ya go.

Cheers,
Take 5

Dave S Loc: SW Iowa

This has developed into a really interesting and worthwhile thread....but I am really curious re: part of the following submission: "I also feel that if it wasnt for the digital age, half if not more, of the people owning DSLRs, would not."

I submit that if it wasn't for the digital age, NONE of the people owning DSLRs would!

What a silly thing to say :)

Smooth Loc: Louisville, KY

I don't know if you know but if you want control over shutter speed for sharpness while shooting in "P", in the Shooting menu goto ISO sensitivity settings, set Auto ON then set your minimum desired shutter speed. The camera is then restricted to that setting as the slowest speed and make exposure adjustments with aperture until it reaches the limits of the lens when it will then fall back on ISO.
- winterrose

I still own an F80 and an F100 (film) - neither is any good to me, but I simply can't bring myself to "just giving them away" - and have owned a D70, a D100, a D200 and currently own a D300 and a D800, but I did not know your little tip above. I don't normally pick up anything this valuable and useable for me on UH. Many thanks.

Way back when (early 1980s), I did a lot of snow skiing and decided that I needed something more than a P&S to capture the magnificent action-shot scenes at the top of the mountain. I liked to take shots as I was heading down the hill. Not an easy thing to do with any camera. But I felt that I would have a better stab at it with something that I had more control with.

I really wanted a Nikon SLR, but thought that I couldn't afford it (about $500), so I let the local camera store talk me into a Canon AE-1. This was recommended over the Programmable AE, because 1) it was cheaper, and 2) it was shutter priority. Either my subjects or I, the shooter, would be moving most of the time.

I bought about three very nice Canon zoom and prime lenses and I was set. I didn't know it at the time, of course, but I really learned how to obtain a decent exposure by inherently learning what shutter speed to use. (It's been a long time, so I'm not sure that I could do that now.) Since I now shoot about 99% of the time in Aperture Priority, I have fairly well learned what "A" settings to use. I can't remember when I used "P," however, although I know I have.

Then Canon changed its mount, which made all of my nice Canon lenses obsolete. My AE-1 needed fixin' and there were no parts... not even used ones. So, I decided to punish Canon. I immediately switched to Nikon! :-) I have never looked back and have found that it was one of the best decisions of my lifetime. I can even use 50-year old lenses... on manual, of course. But my nice Canon lenses can be used only for sinkers on the end of a fishing line.

Obviously, with as many Nikons as I have owned and currently own, I have learned quite a bit about exposure. However, I have found that without "tack sharpness," no matter what kind of exposure or composition I get, it ain't going to be my best shot possible. Thus, I have become obsessed with trying to make all my shots "tack sharp."

Problem is, of course, that many times when I'm shooting in existing light in "A," the SS automatically drops to where it affects sharpness. A higher ISO will, of course, automatically bring the SS back up, but there are limits on the ISO, even on the D300. Thus, this was one of the main reasons that I purchased the D800.

But for low-light shots where either the subject is moving or I am moving, I have always simply "fixed" the ISO at some arbitraryly high number and shot in "A." So far, this has been okay, but your idea of shooting in "P," but setting the SS at whatever I think is adequate to "stop-action" that will give "tack sharp" images, then setting the ISO on Auto to let it seek the level it needs to give the best exposure, I did not know, and is the best thing I've heard of since nickel beer.

Can't wait to try it... on both my D300 and my D800.

Incidentally, I received an email from Nikonians that there will be two, full-day, consecutive sessions in May in Indianapolis giving all the instruction anyone will ever need on the operation of the D800 and D4.

When I use either my D300 or D800, I look like a monkey behind the controls of a spaceship. So, I definitely need all the help I can get. I'm planning to sign up for both "daze." It will be very interesting to see if the Nikonian instructors will know your little tip.

Thank much again.
Stan Boyd
Louisville, KY

Hal81 Loc: Bucks County, Pa.

Reminds me of the guy that kept haveing his car towed in with a blown trans. The shop forman ask him how dose this keep happing. He said I dont know. Im out on the highway and these kids keep flying by me and all I do is throw it in R for race.

mcveed Loc: Kelowna, British Columbia (between trips)

'P' stands for 'program'. The camera selects the aperture and shutter speed to give you a proper exposure. If you decide you want a different aperture than the camera selected, you can turn a dial to change the aperture - the camera will automatically adjust the shutter speed to give you the same OK exposure. In 'P' mode the aperture and shutter speed are electronically coupled - change one and the camera will change the other. It's as automatic as a D700 gets. The D7000, on the other hand, also has Auto and Scene modes. 'P' mode works a bit like the old Hasselblad lenses, which were mechanically coupled so you could turn the lens rings and adjust the aperture while retaining the calculated exposure. It was a pain to bracket your shots though.

wlgoode Loc: Globe, AZ

Thanks for that. I always thought R meant "Rong gear to go forward."

charles brown Loc: Tennesse

Dave S
Will admit to akward wording but the idea is still valid. Will put it this way. The dslr replaced the 35mm SLR camera. The time, effort and skill needed to learn how to use a SLR was considerably more than needed today to use a DSLR. If people using a DSLR had to go through the same learning process required for the SLR, a large percentage would not be willing to do so. Still a little akward but I think you get the idea just as you did the first time.

albe Loc: Bonny Scotland

I know a very well respected professional landscape/travel photographer who refers to "P" as "Plonker Mode". :wink:

joe_flippin Loc: Texan living in Brazil, SA

I am posting 2 pictures straight out of the camera to show what I am talking about, they are not sharp when enlarged. Any help would be appreciated.

Dave S Loc: SW Iowa

Thanks for the clarification,Charlie Brown.........as written previously, I was unsure what your message was. This, however, is musch clearer....makes sense and I totally agree.

Dave S Loc: SW Iowa

Joe....in my personal opinion I'd say your issue _might_ invovle aperture, not ISO. When enlarged, the eye and head features are not in focus....very slightly behind the "sweet spot". The right foreleg, however, is about as in focus as one can capture! I haven't yet looked at the flower.

So, by either changing the aperture (thus widening the depth of field) or moving closer to your subject (often easier said than done.....maybe use a longer lens?) and concentrating on the EYE versus the overall composition....that might get the tack sharpness you seek.

In each image, you seem to have plenty of light and there doesn't seem to be any movemenet of the subject....so, I wouldn't go for any higher ISO....shooting "in the cellar" is good for the detail. I think getting the depth of focus, that illusive plane of maximum sharpness is your issue.

I look forward to hearing some of our really gifted members' opinions.