Nikon D5100 help
May 6, 2012 00:01:02 #
tcayguy
Loc: Treasure Cay, Abaco, Bahamas
Hello Everyone. I recently purchased a Nikon D5100 with Nikon DX AF-S NIKKOR 18-55mm 1:3-5.6G Lens.
I thought I understood my camera enough to take some pictures of the full moon tonight but nothing turned out like it was planned.
I probably wouldn't have noticed anything but my friend was alongside me taking pictures of the moon as well with a different camera. When I tried zooming in the whole picture zoomed in but the moon stayed small and in proportion to the whole picture. When my friend zoomed in on his camera, only the moon zoomed in real big and in focus.
I have tried every setting on the camera and I am still not able to pick out an object in a field of view and zoom in on just that.
Can someone with a D5100 please tell me what I need to do to fix this? Thank You.
I thought I understood my camera enough to take some pictures of the full moon tonight but nothing turned out like it was planned.
I probably wouldn't have noticed anything but my friend was alongside me taking pictures of the moon as well with a different camera. When I tried zooming in the whole picture zoomed in but the moon stayed small and in proportion to the whole picture. When my friend zoomed in on his camera, only the moon zoomed in real big and in focus.
I have tried every setting on the camera and I am still not able to pick out an object in a field of view and zoom in on just that.
Can someone with a D5100 please tell me what I need to do to fix this? Thank You.
May 6, 2012 00:21:07 #
You may not really have anything to fix. You didn't mention what lens your friend has, so here's the deal:
Your lens "zooms" from 18mm to 55mm. 18mm is a little bit of a "wide-angle" lens, and 55mm is a little bit of a "telephoto" lens, but not a whole lot of either. It's a great general purpose lens for many picture-taking situations.
Your friend, on the other hand, probably (you'll have to check) has a lens that is ALL telephoto. Perhaps a 70-200mm or maybe a 55-300mm. IF his lens went to 200mm then he is able to magnify the moon by a factor of 4X, if it goes to 300mm, he is magnifying to a factor of 6X.
When you're sitting in your favorite chair, just be looking through your camera around the room and "zoom" from 18mm to 55mm and see how it will either cut out some background, or get more in.
I have the same 18-55mm lens on my D5100 and use it for most things, but I also have several other lenses if that one doesn't make me happy.
Just keep on, buddy, you'll get used to it! Someday you'll probably want to get another lens (maybe like your friend's) but don't be in too big a hurry...take time to learn the one you have.
Your lens "zooms" from 18mm to 55mm. 18mm is a little bit of a "wide-angle" lens, and 55mm is a little bit of a "telephoto" lens, but not a whole lot of either. It's a great general purpose lens for many picture-taking situations.
Your friend, on the other hand, probably (you'll have to check) has a lens that is ALL telephoto. Perhaps a 70-200mm or maybe a 55-300mm. IF his lens went to 200mm then he is able to magnify the moon by a factor of 4X, if it goes to 300mm, he is magnifying to a factor of 6X.
When you're sitting in your favorite chair, just be looking through your camera around the room and "zoom" from 18mm to 55mm and see how it will either cut out some background, or get more in.
I have the same 18-55mm lens on my D5100 and use it for most things, but I also have several other lenses if that one doesn't make me happy.
Just keep on, buddy, you'll get used to it! Someday you'll probably want to get another lens (maybe like your friend's) but don't be in too big a hurry...take time to learn the one you have.
May 6, 2012 00:26:14 #
Welcome aboard.
If you post an example we can better get an idea of what was wrong. If you do, be sure to check the "Store original" box so someone can download it and look at the settings.
The 18-55 is really too short of a lens to get a decent shot of the moon. Normally the apparent size is that of a dime held at arm's length - not very big.
Another issue may be (I'm guessing without seeing the photos) is the exposure - probably overexposed so it's a white dot. The moon is sun-lit so you really shoot it as if it were daylight.
Since you were "changing every setting" I would highly recommend reading the manual and start by snapping pics of things easy to shoot a few times until you get a hang of what the settings are for.
We all had to start somewhere, so just keep trying.
If you post an example we can better get an idea of what was wrong. If you do, be sure to check the "Store original" box so someone can download it and look at the settings.
The 18-55 is really too short of a lens to get a decent shot of the moon. Normally the apparent size is that of a dime held at arm's length - not very big.
Another issue may be (I'm guessing without seeing the photos) is the exposure - probably overexposed so it's a white dot. The moon is sun-lit so you really shoot it as if it were daylight.
Since you were "changing every setting" I would highly recommend reading the manual and start by snapping pics of things easy to shoot a few times until you get a hang of what the settings are for.
We all had to start somewhere, so just keep trying.
May 6, 2012 00:39:51 #
tcayguy
Loc: Treasure Cay, Abaco, Bahamas
Thanks for your reply. I asked my buddy and he said his lens was 28-55mm and this really confused me.
I really like the camera and the pictures I have taken so far with it. Once I understand more about the camera, I shouild then know which lens I need. Thanks for your help.
I really like the camera and the pictures I have taken so far with it. Once I understand more about the camera, I shouild then know which lens I need. Thanks for your help.
May 6, 2012 00:42:58 #
tcayguy
Loc: Treasure Cay, Abaco, Bahamas
You are right about the dime and the light. You guys are so helpful. I can't wait to get outside now and see what happens when I take a picture as if it were daylight. Thanks for your help.
May 6, 2012 00:48:42 #
28-55mm? Boy that baffles me! So when you print a photo (NO cropping) it should match his photo exactly (NO cropping).
That's not really so good, though, because then we don't really learn as much from all this. Bummer!
That's not really so good, though, because then we don't really learn as much from all this. Bummer!
May 6, 2012 01:14:36 #
tcayguy
Loc: Treasure Cay, Abaco, Bahamas
I have to follow up with him and get his camera information and compare.
May 6, 2012 20:25:34 #
May 6, 2012 21:34:05 #
tcayguy wrote:
What time is it on the moon? Noon. Every single day. So we photographers have to set our cameras for noon daylight exposure to record detail of the moon, NO MATTER what lens is used. I good starting point: set camera to "M" (manual); set lens to "M" (manual focus); shutter duration = 1/ISO; aperture = f/16; focus and take your first photo. I have to follow up with him and get his camera information and compare.
Your camera will not automatically make the correct exposure at night. You have to take the photo on manual.
I suspect your camera and lens perform just fine. A bit more experience on your part is all you need to get started.
May 6, 2012 22:20:03 #
May 7, 2012 06:12:55 #
Maybe your friend was using the zoom in button on the back of the camera . If you try that in live view it magnifies quite considerably but the size you see will not be the size recorded - its used to check focus mainly when using manual focus mode.
May 7, 2012 07:48:38 #
tcayguy wrote:
Hello Everyone. I recently purchased a Nikon D5100 with Nikon DX AF-S NIKKOR 18-55mm 1:3-5.6G Lens.
I thought I understood my camera enough to take some pictures of the full moon tonight but nothing turned out like it was planned.
I thought I understood my camera enough to take some pictures of the full moon tonight but nothing turned out like it was planned.
Nighttime photography is not easy - definitely not point-and-shoot. I used a 300mm lens to shoot the moon, and it still looked small. What you need is practice.
I would recommend beginning in Auto mode, and after a while, switch to P. Work on composition. If the shot isn't composed right, focus and lighting don't matter much. For specific situations, you can use A and S. Don't try to do too much at once.
May 7, 2012 09:42:27 #
I made this photograph last night. Very little cropping. Here are some pointers:
1 forget auto and shoot in manual. The light meter is fooled by the dark sky. (start at 1/250, F8, ISO 200)
2 You will probably need to focus manually to get a really sharp pic.
3 Use a tripod
4 Use your self-timer
5 Fine tune your exposure and focus as you shoot. Take lots of shots.
5 This was with a 300 mm lens and 2X converter (= 600 mm lens)
1 forget auto and shoot in manual. The light meter is fooled by the dark sky. (start at 1/250, F8, ISO 200)
2 You will probably need to focus manually to get a really sharp pic.
3 Use a tripod
4 Use your self-timer
5 Fine tune your exposure and focus as you shoot. Take lots of shots.
5 This was with a 300 mm lens and 2X converter (= 600 mm lens)
May 7, 2012 11:08:37 #
rodpark2 wrote:
I made this photograph last night. Very little cropping. Here are some pointers:
1 forget auto and shoot in manual. The light meter is fooled by the dark sky. (start at 1/250, F8, ISO 200)
1 forget auto and shoot in manual. The light meter is fooled by the dark sky. (start at 1/250, F8, ISO 200)
Right! Auto will not be your friend for night photography. When I recommended using Auto, I was referring to becoming comfortable using the camera.
May 7, 2012 11:48:46 #
rodpark2 wrote:
I made this photograph last night. Very little cropping. Here are some pointers:
1 forget auto and shoot in manual. The light meter is fooled by the dark sky. (start at 1/250, F8, ISO 200)
2 You will probably need to focus manually to get a really sharp pic.
3 Use a tripod
4 Use your self-timer
5 Fine tune your exposure and focus as you shoot. Take lots of shots.
5 This was with a 300 mm lens and 2X converter (= 600 mm lens)
1 forget auto and shoot in manual. The light meter is fooled by the dark sky. (start at 1/250, F8, ISO 200)
2 You will probably need to focus manually to get a really sharp pic.
3 Use a tripod
4 Use your self-timer
5 Fine tune your exposure and focus as you shoot. Take lots of shots.
5 This was with a 300 mm lens and 2X converter (= 600 mm lens)
Good advice. Some other thoughts:
1. You can use the Remote release with the Nikon D5100. They cost about $15 and can be used from the front or the rear.
2. When focusing use Live View and press the "+" button to zoom in on the image to improve your manual focus.
3. Using settings to get a shutter speed of at least one over twice the lens mm will give you a sharper image...even if it needs higher ISO. e.g. with a 300 mm lens use at least 1/1000. The D5100 is very good at high ISO.
With a 600mm lens and the screen filled as you show you can use autofocus and autoexposure as long as you spot focus and meter. I do fine with that with my 500mm Sigma.
But I did have to use manual as you describe with my 300mm lens alone, and I have to use Manaul as you describe with my C8 telescope.
With a D5100 your effective lens focal length is 900mm due to the Nikon 1.5 crop factor. Or, to put it another way, your camera automatically crops the image for you...sometimes referred to as digital zoom by marketing people.
A final recommendation: buy the 55-300mm Nikkor lens. It is a great lens at a reasonable price.
I take one like this once in a blue moon...(WB set to Tungsten for fun!)
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