5700 learning

[picnet46368]

I have had this camera for about a year now and i have to say that it has taken me a lot of time to learn.I also own the 4300,3100,990,885.but they are great for the point and shoot type of pix. The 5700 also does well for this type of work but thats NOT what it was made for. So i take a few pix and then its back to the book!! It has a long learnig curve for me.I have a great time learning how to use it iam glad i got it.

[budguinn]

Originally posted by picnet46368
I have had this camera for about a year now and i have to say that it has taken me a lot of time to learn.I also own the 4300,3100,990,885.but they are great for the point and shoot type of pix. The 5700 also does well for this type of work but thats NOT what it was made for. So i take a few pix and then its back to the book!! It has a long learnig curve for me.I have a great time learning how to use it iam glad i got it.

Hang in there with the camera....I've had it since last Nov. and it has really reawakened me to photography. It is just a joy. I hear a lot of whining about focus issues etc....but just visit any forum devoted to different cameras and there are always issues with every camera. What decided me on this camera was seeing pictures that others had taken. I may not have the "eye" for taking the shot, but I knew the camera was capable.

warmest regards,

bud

[dugster]

have had the 5700 for 2 months..have read the book maybe 10 times...lol...the pics are awsome when they work out..but on same token...wow they can also suck...so looks thus far the pictures that suck have outnumbered the good ones....is it a bad camera?...hmmm...think its the person using it..lol...generally happy though

[picnet46368]

For sure its not my fathers kodak !!! LOL.

[rfuru1]

the great thing about digital is processing the image. if you didn't capture the moment just delete it and try again. with the 5700 i just snap away. when something is right learn from it. in my case there is still an awfull lot of learning to do.

[JCarney]

I am also finding out there is a steep learning curve with the 5700. I love it when I am outdoors, but the auto-focus shortcomings in indoor lighting are really a pain. Even with good overhead room lighting and good contrast, I have a bear of a time getting the focus to lock. Frustrating!

I got my 5700 used (the previous owner had it for six weeks before upgrading to DSLR) for about 1/2 the MSRP. If I had paid full price for it, I would be pretty upset. As it is, I am having a pretty good time learning about digital photography... so the camera might be worth what I paid for it. Maybe.

[rfuru1]

hi,

the camera does seem to have problems locking focus at times. one fo the things i do is find something at an equal distance with strong contrast. usually it is a wall with something in front that presents a high contrast scene. i try to lock focus and re-frame the actual shot and shoot. in most cases the internal flash or the external sunpak 5K provides sufficient light for the eposure and the shot is fairly sharp. i even bought a small laser pointer but really don't use it. in tests the camera locks focus on the laser spot almot instantly but with people in the area . . .

my wife bought this as a xmas gift last year, yes, it has problems but there is no way i'll let it go.

the focus lock button on the lens barrel particulalry useful for this.... in the set up for the camera make it so that the focus lock only locks focus (not exposure)

then when you are looking for a focus point, go straight to a light bulb or something VERY bright at around the same sort of distance. Press and hold the LOCK button on the barrel. Move the camera back and then press the sutter release to half way, the camera will work out the exposure on the second scene with the focus on the first scene..

of course people look at you strangely when you say that youa re taking a photo fo them and then you point the camera up at the ceiling somewhere!!

[rkasprzak]

One thing that works well for me is to turn the auto focus off. Instead of actually turning it off this forces auto focus to use the center image area which works much better than any other setting.

[dugster]

thanks for all the responses...I did 1 better and got rid of the 5700 and got a real camera...got a canon dslr...things work much better now..lol

[picnet46368]

Did you get the rebel????????

[dugster]

yes...got the rebel and the canon 28-135mm is lens..wow is all i can say..truly amzing the speed and focus..10 times what the 5700 was

But ohhhh isn't it worth it when you learn a little more each day and see you photos improve along with it.

I simply love the 5700, it's a far better camera than this photographer is.

[AriadneArt]

Hello all. I'm new here, and this is my first post. I own the 5700 and I also own the Canon D60. I use these two cameras for entirely different things. For me, they're definitely NOT interchangeable. I use the 5700 for macros, pretty much. I find all my Coolpixes are great for macros. I began with the 995 went up to the 4500 and then the 5700. I LOVE the versatility of the articulating monitor on the 5700. Yesterday, I took shots of a crawling caterpillar with the 5700--camera on the ground, but I was just crouching. Great! Am planning to convert the 4500 to IR and I'll probably sell the 995. I've been using the 950 for IR (reason I bought it) and it's great, but the 4500 has more pixels, i.e., more potential.

Of course, I've got a macro lens for the D60, but I find that I can go anywhere and have the 5700 in my bag, ready--even if I'm POSITIVE I'm not going to take any pix. LOL. I don't always want to lug the D60 with it's IS 75-300 lens and the 50mm macro lens, not to mention the wide angle lens. Especially if I'm just running errands--I'm not going to lug the whole outfit.

I feel the Nikon Coolpixes are marvelous cameras--it just depends on what kind of photography you want it for. For wildlife, sure, it stinks. But for macros..........ahhhhhhhhhh! Just MHO

[budguinn]

AriadneArt,

Welcome.....good to see you here

bud guinn