Alans844

You have the lenses and camera bodies to do what you want to do. Suggestion: take the bottom 3 lenses and the D700 (or the D300) to your local camera shop (hoping you have one). First tell them you want to buy a remote trigger (bait). Then ask them to show you how to take the picture you want to take using your equipment. Let them actually set it up and show you how to do it, down to the F-stop, Shutter speed, and ISO. I'll bet they won't be able to resist. You'll probably need the trigger but that's cheap. Don't tell them you already have a tri-pod until after they show you using theirs. That 105 is a macro, my guess is they'll use that. Luck!

DaveC1 Loc: South East US

Earnest Botello Loc: Hockley, Texas

You have a great set of lenses, learn how to use them and you will do very well.

Grahame Loc: Fiji

Thanks for posting these. You have an excellent set of lenses there and will be able to accomplish the following;



So lets stick with the "close up whole hand" first where you want to be able to look through the viewfinder, place your hand in front of the lens and press the shutter with the other. I'm going to make a 'guess' and assume it is the nails that you want to show off?

Preferably outside place the D700 with the 24-120mm on your tripod and sit behind it. Ideally have something in front that you can support your hand on, possibly a table (to begin with).

Set the lens focal length at 24mm. Set the camera to ISO200, 1/200s and f/8.

Place your hand within the framing preferably on the same plane as the camera sensor, (parallel with it). Focus on the base of the middle finger. If your hand takes up a too small an area of the framing you can increase the focal length towards say 35mm. This will depend upon arm length and comfort.

Take some shots, play around with settings and then post a result and explain what you are not happy with and what you want to see improved in the result.

NOTE - The closest focusing distance of this lens is about 0.5 mtr and it may be that your arms will not be long enough to enable you to achieve focus ! If this is the case a solution could be that you set the camera up, pre-focussed and then place your hand flat against a vertical surface.

P.S. If you were wanting to take high quality close up/macros of your mails it would be the 105mm Micro lens that is perfect for this.

Velvetmarmoset

Thank you all SO much! I will take a field trip to Providence or Boston, despite my curmudgeonly tendencies to avoid people in real life, to visit an actual camera shop. And I will try the setups you’ve suggested. I’m very grateful for all of your detailed advice.

DickC Loc: NE Washington state

Welcome to the forum!! (Stick to Nikons)

Granddad Loc: UK

Welcome to the Hog.
Dave.