Question for the pros....

[cmaster]

So I've had my Rebel for a few weeks, and I'm starting to get the hang of things. I was out today with my Rebel XT w/ 50mm F/1.8 and came home with some less than perfect results. I was shooting in TV mode @ ISO 800, 1600 shutter, @ varying apertures - usually below 3.0. Is it best to focus on having the lowest ISO possible? What kind of shutter speed will give me decent handheld shots everytime? Does the 50mm F/1.8 look best at certain apertures, or does it even matter? Is Auto WB the best setting for white balance? I can't seem to come up with the "crispiness" that I'd like to, and I'd appreciate your advice. ;)

[Thunder Pixx]

i know you are putting these questions out to the pros, but i will take a shot anyway. ;)

i don't think you need 1/1600 shutter speed, especially with a 50mm lens. 1/200-1/500 will be more than enough. i would go with ISO 200. 100 would give even better results, but you need a lot more and consistent light, so go with 200. the difference with this cam is not that bad.

you can use Tv or Av, but i tend to leave it on P a lot of the time, except if i need a specific depth of field or shutter speed. i know this goes against what a lot of the others do here, but it has worked for me, especially when light changes from shot to shot, as it does when hip shooting. P is also a good setting to get started with and seeing what the cam can do. you can make mods after that when you get used to it.

as far as the aperature goes, you won't need the low settings (4-5 or less) unless it is getting dark out. that is the nice thing about that lens, it is good at night at a higher ISO and lower aperature. but during the day you don't need to go low unless you want the background blurred. as a matter of fact, if you are hip shooting, you will want a higher aperature value to make sure you get your subject in focus.

another thing i would recommend is setting the focus to the center setting and not let the cam decide what to focus on. if you do that, you might get the guys hat in front of the girl you are shooting, which has happened to me a lot!!!

hope this helps. id you have any other questions, send me a pm.

later. :)

[cmaster]

Great advice Thunder - thanks a lot! I'll try P mode out and see how it goes. I really appreciate the tips Thunder, thanks!

And for the record - you're pro in my books!

[deliriouspixel]

For pix like mine in the various daylight conditions
i would shoot your 50/1.8 at iso200
dont worry about white balance right now - leave it AWB
set the metering mode to Partial [( )]
keep in mind that the cam will expose for what is in the center circle
use TV or AV so that you get speeds 1/125s or above - preferably around 1/250s
and apertures between f3.5 and f5.6
if you end up wider like f2 then you run into the trouble of too narrow a depth of field
with the difficulty of getting that lens to focus where you need it to
which is where half of your difficulty will come from
to address that
set custom function 4 to option 1
which will move control of the AF function to the * button
where it is engaged by your thumb (do it now and you will get used to it sooner than later)
set AF to AI Servo and the drive to Continuous
activate ALL AF points
in AI Servo the center point is used to start tracking
put the center point on your subject's face or across the profile of her face
whatever gives the sensor the best opportunity to lock
youll learn what that is as you visually confirm the focus through the viewfinder
make sure the diopter for your vf is set for your eyesight
keep pumping your thumb on the * until you get what you want locked
then fire in bursts of two or three shots
hopefully one of those shots the camera gets what you wanted
keep that center point on your subjects face if you are going for chest and head portraits
if you dont then youre going to get sharp torsos and soft faces
for now worry about composition when you crop the pix in photoshop
if your after full body shots then the distance youre at
should give you a dof that will give you a reasonably sharp face
but keep in mind that is often not true
pick your poison
the other half of your difficulty is camera shake
always always always hold that cam rock steady as you push that shutter button
and if your in AV keep checking that your shutter speeds dont drop too slow
for sharper punchier pix strait out of the cam
set the parameters up +1 for contrast sharpness and saturation
for indoor and nite shoot iso800 TV 1/125s or above
try to get your aperture to stay f2 or above if possible
otherwise live with f1.8
pay extra extra attention to focus

YMMV

[bearcat7777]

DP thanks for sharing that information; it's invaluable. Even though I don't have the same camera I see the applications for my shooting. THANKS.

[Onenut]

Does Nikon have an equivalent to "TV" and "AV"?

[cmaster]

Thanks a lot for advice L and DP. Instant improvements! I just realized how much more flexibility you have shooting RAW - WOW!

Never lose a shot to exposure/white balance again!
I just need to load up on memory cards now!

[Mort]

Nikon calls it shutter priority and aperture priority

[deliriouspixel]

Nikon calls it shutter priority and aperture priority

Wow

How do they get "shutter priority" and "aperture priority"
to fit on the mode dial?
:lol:

Them superior nikonian ergomical designs never cease to amaze me! :bowdown:

[Mort]

Ever see the size of those dials??

[deliriouspixel]

hah

a simple solution to a matter of superior ergonomics

kinda reminds me of how easy it is to dial my granma's free phone from the telco
:lol:

[cmaster]

hahah