Ordered a D50 today

[KB_S1]

As stated, I ordered a D50 today as a joint pressie for myself and the GF (plus it is a tax write off!)
Has anyone been using one? it is our first decent camera, I have plenty opportunity for good material as I am working in Oban just now and travelling up and down some stunning roads.
i will pop some results up soon for honest criticism.

[simpo two]

Good man

I'd recommend the D50 to anyone as an excellent step into 'serious' digital phtoography.







now please read the manual...

[simpo two]

s2kredmist said:

It's a lot more complicated than I'm used to but thats because I have been used to manually focusing, metering, choosing my apeture and speed settings and film speed.

Well with all that lot off your mind you can worry about composition instead and let the camera do the rest However there are certainly many more parameters to play with than with film. You won't need ot use all of them, but just find the ones that are most important to you. Have fun!

[beano500]

simpo two said:

s2kredmist said: It's a lot more complicated than I'm used to but thats because I have been used to manually focusing, metering, choosing my apeture and speed settings and film speed. Well with all that lot off your mind you can worry about composition instead and let the camera do the rest However there are certainly many more parameters to play with than with film. You won't need ot use all of them, but just find the ones that are most important to you. Have fun!

White balance!

My tip would be: Make sure you go for RAW images - then you get much better control over the final output. You effectively treat the RAW image as a negative.

Now I would have to temper that tip with saying that it's not for everyone, and you don't NEED to go this route, and it's quite a learning curve. But it's a learning curve I'm glad I'm taking because the settings I would have used 10 months ago for some things wouldn't be the ones I'd use today. But that doesn't matter!!!

As Simpo will know, for example my WB is almost permanently set up for cloudy, if I haven't preset it specifically for the conditions, the in-camera settings are otherwise left alone, then I can be creative with the image as I feel after I've seen the composition of the shot.

Some things never change, even in transition from film to digital. I must adjust my aperture away from F4 from time to time! It doesn't even produce the same effect on teh DX sized sensor, but do you think I've learnt that yet!?!!

As you can tell, I generally don't like the camera trying to do too much thinking for me! It's a mindset that you can get into all too easily with modern cameras IMHO.


Have great fun with the D50 guys!

[GetCarter]

Hi Keith

Do you do east coast and cut across to Oban or west coast over Rannoch moor?

If you do the latter on a still sunny day there are some fab pics to be taken just standing at the side of the road.

Others here have seen this so I won't waste band width... but this was taken last month

www.stevecarter.com/picofmonth.jpg

Have fun... I'll look out for you! (I'm now in a silver M3 with IONA on the plate)

Steve

[s2kredmist]

Is it not a fact that adjusting apeture and shutter speeds aids in the composition though?
For example DOF, blur etc.
I'm a bit confused about this white balance thing. Why was it not necessary in film cameras but yet it is in digital. I thought white balance was to adjust for the temperature of the light. I think I have answered my own question here because you can or at least could buy film in daylight and tungsten flavours but obviously can't in digital.

I'll get there in the end....

[beano500]

Spot on with answering all your own questions!

White balance quite well explained just by seeing what poah did on the pictures in this thread. that first one wouldn't really be that blue. Yup - you can't do that (easily) with film, you choose your emulsion, pays your money and bang-flash-wallop that's the white balance you get!

[simpo two]

beano500 said:

As Simpo will know, for example my WB is almost permanently set up for cloudy

Yes, that's why the photo I took of you looked at though you'd fallen into a bucket of orange paint

I reckon RAW can wait until you've mastered the basics, yes, its better and more flexible but a PITA to process and I think you've got enough plates to juggle just now.

s2kredmist said:

Is it not a fact that adjusting apeture and shutter speeds aids in the composition though? For example DOF, blur etc.

Good thought. DOF and blur etc can make an OK picture a winner, but I think underlying composition remains the same.

s2kredmist said:

I'm a bit confused about this white balance thing. Why was it not necessary in film cameras but yet it is in digital. I thought white balance was to adjust for the temperature of the light. I think I have answered my own question here because you can or at least could buy film in daylight and tungsten flavours but obviously can't in digital

:yep: You can adjust the camera to whatever temperature of light you're working in. However mine is nearly always set to AutoWB. Voila, another plate spins itself

Now, I'm guessing here, but as RAW files allow you to change colour temperature in processing - I'm guessing that maybe you can take the photo on ANY WB setting and change it later...?

[beano500]

simpo two said:

Now, I'm guessing here, but as RAW files allow you to change colour temperature in processing - I'm guessing that maybe you can take the photo on ANY WB setting and change it later...?

Yes. But, the WB setting in the camera is either "attached" to the RAW file, or is assumed by it. I work on the principle that where it's critical you should preset on a grey card. Otherwise.... well yes I did have a rather red nose.....


PS: Do you see anything wrong with this portrait that Simpo took of me????






>> Edited by beano500 on Saturday 17th December 21:00

[KB_S1]

GetCarter said:

Hi Keith Do you do east coast and cut across to Oban or west coast over Rannoch moor? If you do the latter on a still sunny day there are some fab pics to be taken just standing at the side of the road. Others here have seen this so I won't waste band width... but this was taken last month www.stevecarter.com/picofmonth.jpg Have fun... I'll look out for you! (I'm now in a silver M3 with IONA on the plate) Steve

I tend to go to my parents in Linlithgow on way up and down for lunch/dinner and catch up so i use the m9 up to Stirling and then cut across through Callender, Doune Lochearnhead etc. All in all some great sites. Will be doing Glencoe for Hogmanay so will be going over Rannoch moor and possibly along to Kinlochleven.
If I see you I will give you a wave (not so fancy blue/silver Saxo EMJ plate).

Camera arrives Monday so Photies by wednesday!

>> Edited by KB_S1 on Sunday 18th December 02:03

[Bacardi]

simpo two said:

Now, I'm guessing here, but as RAW files allow you to change colour temperature in processing - I'm guessing that maybe you can take the photo on ANY WB setting and change it later...?

Correct. What WB you set on the camera has no bearing on the output of the file. Beano is correct in that it will tag the file with an off the shelf, starting point profile. He is also correct that putting a grey card in the shot, or doing a custom white point, will give you a neutral point of reference. However, depending on the subject, a sunset for instance, maybe counter productive. Who wants a grey sunset. The beauty of RAW is you can change the balence between tungsten, fluorescent and daylight after the event, something you can not do with jpeg to anywhere near the same degree. So, if you shoot jpeg, and want accurate colour, set it in camera.