My first DSLR nikon d80, where do I start

[Douglas]

Originally Posted by kiddk1

I tried the A setting(forgot how to change aperature setting) and I got better light but now the problem is blur, I dont have the VR lens so the pics all came out blurry.

Sounds like you would need a monopod or tripod. Or try pushing the iso to a faster speed for a quicker shutter speed.

[Arrowind]

The D80 does a pretty good job in ISO auto. It will figure that out for you. Try the camera on a tri or Mono pod with the ISO auto.

[RvA944]

kiddk1,

I hear you on the blur, your hands can only hold a camera so still, thats where the shutter speed comes in. When I start getting down to the 1/30 I find blur creeping in (your milage may varry) And I start looking for looking for something to brace myself against. And even just a little below this a tripod or monopod is a must. You could try bumping the ISO higher to gain a little shuter speed. The other choice is to turn the flash loose. Do you have a flash other the camera's popup?

Roger

[RvA944]

Oh and on the D80 the aperature is the front dial, and the shutter is the back dial.

had to dig out my camera!! LOL

[kiddk1]

I only have the popup flash, but plan on getting an external flash in the next 4 or 5 months. i will keep experimenting thanks.

[Not4wood]

I am also glad to hear your messing with the camera. You have received the best advice to where to start your hunt for what is comfortable and works for you. Remember, there is No right or Wrong just if you/others like the results then your doing fine. Its the Exposure Equation that works, and now in Digital Photography you now have White Balance to include that you already have the advice for in the above comment.

Keep in mind that the Aperture Scale for Depth of Field will play an important part of your shot. You may want to go a bit more to get more in focus, but not to worry if you have no experience with it. There is a link here somewhere for an Online Depth of Field or DOF Scale. OK, just found it here: Online Depth of Field Calculator

Also, dont be afraid! Be very Afraid.... Sorry, I couldn't resist.

Just play, if your shot is too dark then up your ISO. It all depends on what effects your looking for. Just remember that the higher your ISO the more Noise in the image you will have and then that leads to Noise removal in what ever program your using. But the benefit will be a faster shutter speed so you wont have camera shake or blur.

[kiddk1]

thanks, I think I will have to experiment with iso and exposure settings since the aperature is causing blur.

side note: ever since I got this camera I cant stop singing "kodachrome" in my head

[kris142]

Nice, Good luck with the camera, as for blurriness, as anyone else can tell you here my pics suck, but I do know that aperture changes DOF which is the distance in which is in focus. The bigger the f/stop the greater the DOF. So if your using say f/5.6 you would want a greater DOF for less blurriness for change it to maybe f/7 depending on what your shooting. Or you could try a tripod...

But you probably know this all by now.

[Douglas]

And the nice thing about digital, you can adjust on the spot. No more waiting for the film to be developed to make changes. This 99% of the reason I am switching to digi now too. Cost of film and processing and then scanning in anyway.

[Montec]

There is a couple 'rules of thumb' you can keep in mind when testing the settings on your camera. These will help you get sharp images.

First off, try to keep the shutter at 1/60 or above when hand holding, otherwise you are going to get camera shake, you can go slower but generally 1/60th is what most people can do, especially beginners.

Another rule that is really helpful in getting sharp images is you must keep your shutter speed equal to or over the focal length. That means if you are shooting at the long end of your 135mm lens you need to use a shutter speed faster than 1/135th, 1/250th for example would be one stop over that.

There are different ways to get your desired shutter speeds with different camera settings like ISO and Aperture and each has it's own place depending on what effect you want. And that is the beauty to these cameras compared to the Point and shooters. You choose the effects you want, not the camera.

If you need to go slower than these shutter speeds you require a tripod.

[RvA944]

Originally Posted by kiddk1

thanks, I think I will have to experiment with iso and exposure settings since the aperature is causing blur.

side note: ever since I got this camera I cant stop singing "kodachrome" in my head

kiddk1,

Well you might was well learn this now as it's going to server you for the rest of your life:

The exposure triangle.

Learning about Exposure - The Exposure Triangle

Take a read here it will give you a good starting point.

Here you can play with a virual camera.

[ C A M E R A S I N T E R A C T I V E ]

Best,

Roger

[kiddk1]

Originally Posted by RvA944

kiddk1,

Well you might was well learn this now as it's going to server you for the rest of your life:

The exposure triangle.

Learning about Exposure - The Exposure Triangle

Take a read here it will give you a good starting point.

Here you can play with a virual camera.

[ C A M E R A S I N T E R A C T I V E ]

Best,

Roger

excellent links, thank you.

[YoungOne]

The playback view will incorporate your white balance settings - I always set the white balance to what I'm shooting so the playback is as accurate as possible. I've found I have a base setting for the camera that I always set before a shoot. Too often I've started to shoot only to find I hadn't set back the ISO etc.

You've got a great camera - it takes a while to know all the gizmos.