D50 settings

[thegimp722]

ok, i am a COMPLETE newbie to all this digital photography and such. is there anyone that can tell me specific settings that will make my shots on the d50 as good as they possibly can? preferebly i'd like to print movie poster size prints and i'd like to shoot w/o a flash. everytime i shoot though, my images are blurry and or have grain? how would i be able to shoot the best shots possible? thanks!

[Dov]

You ask a huge question. I grew up with large format film cameras and the rules haven't changed.

Use a low film speed aka ASA (I forgot what it's called with digital cameras) such as 200 for the least grain

Use a tripod for slow shutter speeds/low light shots

Every time you release the shutter it should yield a printable photograph, no snapshots

Plan your shot, compose, focus, exposure

Hold the camera firmly with your elbows tucked against your body or use a tripod

OR

Put your D50 in auto mode, compose and shoot!

[SMcEvoy]

The D50 does do really well in 'Auto' mode. Or program mode if you want to control your flash yourself. What I suggest is shooting on auto, then using the properties to see what settings the camera picked. Then try either a manual setting or aperture setting from there using it as a starting point and making slight adjustments each time. That's the joy of Digital - you can take 20 shots of the same thing on a differrent setting, then figure out which one you like without having to pay for 20 shots to be developed.

If you have post-processing software, then you want to shoot RAW and then process your shots using something like Photoshop Elements/CS/ACDSee etc. If you don't, use the largest resolution of 'Fine' and JPEG settings. There are lots of useful tutorials on this site http://www.photoxels.com/ that give you guides to aperture, exposure, focus etc.

I've had my D50 for 9 months now and still haven't figured out all the features, but it works great and I'm thrilled with the shots I get from it.

There is a focus lock on the camera so you have to press the shutter down half way, and wait until the focus locks all the way and then take your shot. If you turn sound on, you will get a little beep that lets you know when the area is in focus. As for blurry shots, if you are doing them handheld, then the general guideline is that your speed needs to be at least equivalent to the focal length of the lens to avoid handshake. e.g. a telephoto extended to 300mm needs a speed of at least 1/300 to prevent the shake. Depending on lighting conditions this will increase the aperture opening and decrease the depth of field you will be getting in focus.

If you're shooting landscapes, you're probably going to want a small aperture e.g. F16 or higher, and a tripod to balance off the lower speed you'll be using depending on the lighting. If you want just one object in focus and a soft background, then you'll probably want a wider aperture e.g. F3.2.

Hope that helps as a starting point. There are lots of good tutorials out there. I've heard www.nikonians.org is a good site although I haven't had time to play in there. Good luck.