Rexene Loc: Michigan

I'm renting a Nikon 28-300mm AF-S f/3.5-5.6G ED VR lens for our Florida vacation. We will be visiting numerous theme parks, an airboat ride seeing alligators, various birds and wildlife, Medievel Times, where they will be such things as jousting, Any good suggestions for use and settings for the various things we will be doing? I'm fairly new to working in manual mode. Should I not take the chance and use auto?

AK Dreamer Loc: Alaska & Nevada

There are several individuals on this forum that take spectacular photos in Florida. My suggestion would be to PM them and ask for their opinions and suggestions.

eglide02 Loc: Titletown USA

the biggest thing is enjoy yourself, then take pictures, if you get stuck shoot in AV or TV or full auto and look at the settings the camera used and then mimic what the camera does.

Rexene Loc: Michigan

What is AV or TV?

ward5311 Loc: Georgia

Canon speak for A priority and S priority...Don't ask me why....

:?:

Oh just in case A=Aperture S=Shutter

ward5311 Loc: Georgia

I suggest you just go and have a good time, compose some nice shots, and let the camera do the rest.

BHC Loc: Strawberry Valley, JF, USA

I suggest you experiment with using AV and f/8-11 (try to keep your shutter speed at 1/250 or faster, even if the lens is VR).

Above all, have fun and remember the law - children may not be used for 'gator bait.

eglide02 Loc: Titletown USA

also gators can travel at 35mph in a straight line but only for a short while, so don't look back just keep running,LOL

rpavich Loc: West Virginia

Here is what I'd do.

When the pressure is off and you don't have to "make the shot" try manual every chance you get. You have to do it SOME time if you are going to shoot manual and this is a good excuse to shoot a few hundred manual shots and evaluate them next to the "auto" shots.

No pressure...you can always do both or switch back and forth at will.

I think that you will be surprised at how easy it is if you "pre plan."

Here is how I make it easier on myself: when I'm outside (for example under overcast skies) I pre set the camera exposure (I use a meter but you could pick something "neutral" in tone to set the meter with). Point the camera at something neutral like a brick wall and center the meter before the shot is imminent; that way you are presetting your shutter and aperture and ISO when there is no pressure from a shot that you might miss.

So when a shot presents itself, your settings are there...not a whole lot to do besides do a final meter check and shoot!

If you are outside under sunny skies you can expect to have a shutter speed of 1/125 at f/16 and ISO 100 as a very general rule.

that translates into a shutter speed of 1/1000 at f/5.6 ISO 100.

That gives you a lot of leeway in adjusting your shutter speed to "touch up" the exposure before you shoot without worrying that your shutter speed is getting too slow.

Does that make sense?

Rexene Loc: Michigan

Thank you all for the good info. Other than a business trip many years ago, this will be the first time we have gone to Florida (very first for my husband). We have an airboat ride scheduled and I know there will be some great opportunities! Just wondering, so my camera bag doesn't have to be so heavy, Will this lens basically take the place of two of my Nikon lenses; AF-S 18-55mm 1:3.5-5.6G and AF-S 55-200mm 1:4-5.6G ED? I also have a Nikon AF 50mm 1:1.8D lens. What type of situations would this lens be good for? I really got into this and bought lenses without knowing what I was doing! The first two lenses came with my D90 and I now have a D7000.

rpavich Loc: West Virginia

Here is what you are renting:
Nikon 28-300mm AF-S f/3.5-5.6G ED VR

That means that the focal length covered is 28mm to 300 mm.
The speed of that lens is f/3.5.

You have 3 other lenses:

AF-S 18-55mm
f/3.5-5.6


AF-S 55-200mm
f/4-5.6


AF 50mm
f/1.8

that means that your rented lens will take the place all but the 18-55 in focal length.


Also for speed it's comparable or faster than your two zooms but slower than your 50mm.


Knowing this; I'd take the rented lens and the 50mm (for low light stuff if necessary) and maybe the 18-55 if you think you'll take some wide shots...but that's just iffy. I would probably just take the two lenses.

kayautho Loc: Boynton Beach, FL

I see you have a nikon. I have a nikon d300 and a 28-300mm lens and I shoot in manual virtually all the time. To use manual effectively: In manual mode, there is a meter visible (a line about an inch long marked off in small segments). The meter can be seen in the viewfinder and top display window. When looking thru the viewfinder, rotate the main command wheel ( by your rt. thumb) until the little segments are zeroed out (or one segment to the plus side if you want to expose to the right side of the histogram). You can adjust the command wheel to rotate in the direction you want thru the (f in menu) control selection, i.e.,wheel rotates ccw to move segments to the plus side (more intuitive). You can adjust the front wheel for aperture. When adjusting the rear wheel, make sure you concentrate on keeping the shutter speed up. You may have to adjust the aperture to keep the speed up.
I'm not sure i would use manual for jousting unless the light is pretty consistent.
I keep my AF activation off (A5 on my camera). That is, I use the AF-on button all the time. Up to you.
I find the 28-300 to be an excellent lens.

Rexene Loc: Michigan

Thanks Kayoutho, Great information. I also have my AF-on all the time. One less thing I have to worry about. I have been using the in-camera light meter (took a class and learned about that!). I just get confused as to what to change if needed; i.e., ISO, shutter speed, F-Stop, etc. I have been using the aperature priority setting on the camera.

ahanonymous Loc: Queens, NY

AV = aperture priority
tv = shutter priority

kayautho Loc: Boynton Beach, FL

I would start off with an aperture of f8. That should be close to the sweet spot. If the shutter speed is not fast enough at that fstop, try f11 etc. Keep an eye on the histogram for clipping if nothing else (tho' there shouldn't be if you keep the meter segments zeroed out). In manual, there is a lot of monitoring involved but it becomes second nature with practice.
In the Florida sunlight, you can probably keep the iso at 200(or whatever your base is). For night shots, you could try to set the iso to auto.