I've got some D70 Questions...

[Mad Dave]

As pleased as I am with my new toy, using it is going to take some adapting. Currently i've taken a few reasonable shots, but I have the following issues;

a)AF seems to be a bit inaccurate. I was taking some portraits earlier and the camera kept locking onto the tree behind the girls head - and the centre of the viewfinder was pointed at her eye. I've checked AF mode and its set to single point. When it focuses well, it produces beautifully clear images, so its definately capable of it!

b)Overexposure - when shooting with flash, it was using too much flash and overexposing the faces, so maybe it was exposing for the background? Also, when I try to export from PictureProject to Photoshop I have to adjust 'exposure compensation'. Does this mean that it stores a variety of settings and I just have to do a bit of 'post processing' or is it just trying to salvage a crappy shot?

Im shooting in RAW/NEF mode BTW as the quality is far better than JPEG Fine.

Thanks guys,

Dave

[Mad Dave]

Heres a shot I took earlier - a couple of friends arsing about:



Resized to 25% and saved as a JPEG.

Dave

[pug406]

Good grief man, you should have warned us first

[Mad Dave]

Don't be so bloody cruel, they were born that way.
















Just kidding, they're actually attractive young ladies when not pulling daft faces

[simpo two]

Overexposure with flash - are you using the built-in Speedlight set to 'i-TTL', and a D or G lens?

[fergusd]

simpo two said:

Overexposure with flash - are you using the built-in Speedlight set to 'i-TTL', and a D or G lens?

Go on . . . what's wrong with that (overexposure with builtin flash also but rarely use it so never really think about it) . . .

Fd

[simpo two]

fergusd said:

simpo two said: Overexposure with flash - are you using the built-in Speedlight set to 'i-TTL', and a D or G lens? Go on . . . what's wrong with that (overexposure with builtin flash also but rarely use it so never really think about it) . . . Fd

Not sure what you mean. If he has the flash set to manual, or has a non-CPU lens, he will get overexposure. I'm just trying to establish where he is.

[Mad Dave]

Hi John. Thanks for your reply. I was using the 18-70mm DX kit lens and I haven't touched the flash metering from the stock settings. I'm using the camera on A mode (aperture priority) which always worked perfectly on my F70s.

Ill check out the flash metering mode now...

[fergusd]

simpo two said:

Not sure what you mean. If he has the flash set to manual, or has a non-CPU lens, he will get overexposure. I'm just trying to establish where he is.

I was kinda hoping you'd say that ittl mode with the builtin flash tends to produce overexposed results . . . 'cos I'm not overly impressed with the builtin flash on my D70 (everything is overexposed) . . . the one on my old F65 was much better, especially for fill . . .

Fd

[simpo two]

fergusd said:

I was kinda hoping you'd say that ittl mode with the builtin flash tends to produce overexposed results . . .

From my experience it gives underexposed results - eg point the camera at the end of a darkened room and it's about 2 stops under - it's as thought the i-TTL is expecting some foreground subject and underexposes. If I put it on ordinary TTL (D-TTL) it's better.

[Mad Dave]

Hi Guys,

I think ive found the problem - I wasnt aware that the D70 has 5 areas to choose from on the auto focus system - so I was pointing the centre of the lense at the subject, and it was focussing from the right of the viewfinder. This would explain the dodgy AF and also why it was overexposing - it was evidently metering for the background!

[ThatPhilBrettGuy]

Doesn't it show you where it's focused (which point(s))? To be honest I tend to fix the camera to center focus point only and go from there, using focus, lock then pan type stuff if I need to.

[Mad Dave]

I do exactly the same - now i've set it to the centre and it'll stay there in all probability. I wasn't aware that you could set the area though - you couldn't do that on my F70!!

Now that ive moved it, it focuses quickly and accurately.

[simpo two]

ThatPhilBrettGuy said:

Doesn't it show you where it's focused (which point(s))? To be honest I tend to fix the camera to center focus point only and go from there, using focus, lock then pan type stuff if I need to.

Yep, much easier and quicker than farting about with focus points. The D70 does briefly illuminate the focus point as you half-depress the button, but it's not very obvious.

Glad you fixed the problem Dave - now lock the selector and stop fiddling

I trawl the D70 forum on Nikonians and nearly all the 'My camera's not working properly' questions are a matter of the wrong settings (I'm guilty of this too, having NR switched on and wondering why I didn't get 3fps....)

[Mad Dave]

simpo two said:

ThatPhilBrettGuy said: Doesn't it show you where it's focused (which point(s))? To be honest I tend to fix the camera to center focus point only and go from there, using focus, lock then pan type stuff if I need to. Yep, much easier and quicker than farting about with focus points. The D70 does briefly illuminate the focus point as you half-depress the button, but it's not very obvious. Glad you fixed the problem Dave - now lock the selector and stop fiddling I trawl the D70 forum on Nikonians and nearly all the 'My camera's not working properly' questions are a matter of the wrong settings (I'm guilty of this too, having NR switched on and wondering why I didn't get 3fps....)

As i'm sure you were, i'm used to an F70 and it is far less complex than the D70! I did wonder what that slightly ugly little switch to the right of the LCD was for - then I had a look at the manual and it all became clear!

Thanks for your help John.

Dave