rpavich Loc: West Virginia

The next obvious step is to check the focus on the D5100.

Put the kit lens on, put the camera on a tripod and find something contrasty to AF on and shoot a few shots.

Then put the lens in manual and do the same.


Then post the results.

JENNIFER Loc: CT.

Thank you for your well wishes Nan, we will get better as fast as we can! Jen

Lucian Loc: From Wales, living in Ohio

HUH...?? Have you miss posted here with your above message Jennifer?

Lucian Loc: From Wales, living in Ohio

The only way to do a proper test of those two cameras is to be sure the focus mode is the smae on each camera, that you are using a solid tripod and that your white balance, exposure compensation settings, f-stop and shutter speed are all exaclty the same and of course you are shooting in the manual mode and preferably using manual focus too. Then you can start to do the process of elimination if you are not getting the same results with the two cameras. Of course the same lens must be used on each camera and best to use a prime lens or a zoom at a set and taped down zoom setting. That way you will be sure nothing moved on the zoom settings.

Once we see an image from each camera of the same thing, it can then be determined if it is a camera problem.

JENNIFER Loc: CT.

ha ha, yes, yes I did. Sorry. Jen :oops:

grnzbra

I keep reading that in every discussion of the D5100 and soft focus. Please elaborate on the errors that the people holding the camera keep making. No one ever tells the photography ninjas' closely guarded, super secret technique to sharp pix. Near as I can tell, it's something along the lines of mounting the camera on a five ton granite slab and confine your pictures to test patterns.

grnzbra

I keep reading that in every discussion of the D5100 and soft focus. Please elaborate on the errors that the people holding the camera keep making. No one ever tells the photography ninjas' closely guarded, super secret technique to sharp pix. Near as I can tell, it's something along the lines of mounting the camera on a five ton granite slab and only taking pictures of test patterns.

grnzbra

I'm wondering how to use manual focus. I'm used to using a split image range finder on my Nikon film camera. I realize that there is a range finder function in the camera, but isn't that just the auto focus telling me when it thinks the pic is in focus?

Nikonfan70 Loc: Long Island

According to the camera specs the d5100 should make the "correct" exposure: D5100 16.1mp D50 6.1mp; D5100 11af points D50 5af points; D5100 cmos sensor D50 ccd sensor. Place both cameras in auto with the same lenses and shoot a simple subject then see what the exposures look like.

Lucian Loc: From Wales, living in Ohio

If you put the cameras in auto you will never know if it is the auto settings in the camera that are causing your differential between the two cameras or not. So the suggestion of auto would not be a wise one to follow.

The only way to remove all variable from electronics etc. is to do everything in manual that I suggested above. That way the only variable will be the person doing the testing and I'd rather trust that person to be doing things the same in each camera than I would be trusting of accepting that the camera's auto modes were reacting identically.

As for the manula focus question from gmzbra, if you come form manual camera and film days then you already know how to do manual focus, therefore I don't quite understand why you would not know how to do manual focus. Back in the day not all cameras had the same focusing screen.

Therefore, if you had the Fresnel screen you used that feature to do your image focusing and if you had the split circle then you would use that to focus with. If you have a digital camera, then you still focus like you would with any other manual camera from film days. You look through the view finder and stop fidgeting with the focus ring on the lens when you think the image looks sharp, and shoot the photo.

Nikonfan70 Loc: Long Island

Manual focus will remove a possible error the camera is making, which is what you want to find out about. After you Let the cameras take the photos, you can toggle the multi selector to see what each CAMERA CHOSE. Also use one of the kit lenses say18-55 vr the 5100 came with or use a tripod to eliminate camera shake.
I examined the download and it seems the 5100 night have chosen the tree on the left to focus on, it appears a tiny bit clearer but not as clear as the d50. You can go into the 5100 menu and change its focus area. Nikon has a digital tutor on its web site that explains how.

tk Loc: Iowa

I tried to scan through most of the posts to see if anyone had mentioned this. I found that my old eyes and the bifocals needed the diopter on the back of the camera adjusted. My shots are sharper. A simple thing to try. Get out your manual and find the diopter then shoot something on the wall or your desk with it adjusted to different areas. It may be that simple.

Lucian Loc: From Wales, living in Ohio

I believe most here assumed the shooter knew to adjust the diopter in the view finder. This is usually at the top right of the pentaprism right next to the eye piece of the viewfinder. Rotate the wheel back and forth until the image looks sharp to you. Then go about making sure your camera and lens combo is working properly for sharp focus.

Dadyassa Loc: Spain

I just got a D5100 and mostly just use it on auto at the mo as I know nothing about photography settings.
This was taken hand held and auto about 10 or 12 mtrs from the Borgan Vilia on the neighbours wall.
looks fairly good focus to me ;-))

Nikonfan70 Loc: Long Island

Difficult to see focus on that subject on a monitor. Looks pretty good. Try something simple with well defined lines like a wall or a house.