NEED HELP:Nikon owners

hey guys!

I have the Nikon d5000 but i don't know how to use it yet.Just got it last week so...And yes,I only got the regular lens that came with it the 18-55 one.
Does anyone out there know which are the best settings for it?like the P,A,S,M?what settings do you guys use for outdoor/indoor pics?i just want to take clear not blurry pics.


tia,
Ryan

There is no "best setting" unless it pertains to a particular type of photography. Sports - I would just do P since that allows you to shoot quickly with some flexibility in your aperture and shutter speed settings. Portraits - A so you can vary the DoF. Landscapes - M for tricky lighting situations where the camera can't meter correctly.

If you're wanting to take clear, sharp, photos, look into getting an SB-600 flash. That thing solved all of my indoor shots problems. Used to use a D60 + 18-55mm VR + SB-600. That thing made such sharp photos. Could have been better had I been using a 50mm f/1.8.

For outdoor, in the daylight, I would find it impossible to produce blurry photos unless you're shooting at a tiny aperture like f/22. I just keep my aperture around the f/2.8-f/8 range no matter the situation or environment.

I use A a lot because it sets the speed for me, I use M when I am in a setting which gives me more free time to adjust everything. S I will use only when I need know what speed I need to adjust to, rarely though.

Most of the time I just shoot on A...I don't know why though, haha!

Aperture is easier to grasp than shutter speed for me

did it come with a manual?

overlay sounds like an awesome feature.

jzhang wrote

I use A a lot because it sets the speed for me, I use M when I am in a setting which gives me more free time to adjust everything. S I will use only when I need know what speed I need to adjust to, rarely though.

me 2. I'm on Aperture in general.

However, in in-door shoot, if I have my flash on, I shoot M and set it right to compensate my flash.

It depends.

I dont use S a lot, simply because A often solves the problem for me.

At first I use M at all times, but I found that would make me "miss" many of the shots that I want.. thus I use A a lot more now.


Oh, the pre-set settings are pretty useful too I found. I used the "sports" and "landscape" and they are pretty close to the setting I'd want if I were in M. (usually anyway).

(PS. i use Canon, but they're the same)

TWiTCHY wrote

There is no "best setting" unless it pertains to a particular type of photography. Sports - I would just do P since that allows you to shoot quickly with some flexibility in your aperture and shutter speed settings. Portraits - A so you can vary the DoF. Landscapes - M for tricky lighting situations where the camera can't meter correctly.

If you're wanting to take clear, sharp, photos, look into getting an SB-600 flash. That thing solved all of my indoor shots problems. Used to use a D60 + 18-55mm VR + SB-600. That thing made such sharp photos. Could have been better had I been using a 50mm f/1.8.

For outdoor, in the daylight, I would find it impossible to produce blurry photos unless you're shooting at a tiny aperture like f/22. I just keep my aperture around the f/2.8-f/8 range no matter the situation or environment.

jzhang wrote

I use A a lot because it sets the speed for me, I use M when I am in a setting which gives me more free time to adjust everything. S I will use only when I need know what speed I need to adjust to, rarely though.

TWiTCHY wrote

Most of the time I just shoot on A...I don't know why though, haha!

Dr_Jones wrote

overlay sounds like an awesome feature.

PNF wrote

me 2. I'm on Aperture in general.

However, in in-door shoot, if I have my flash on, I shoot M and set it right to compensate my flash.

It depends.

I dont use S a lot, simply because A often solves the problem for me.

At first I use M at all times, but I found that would make me "miss" many of the shots that I want.. thus I use A a lot more now.


Oh, the pre-set settings are pretty useful too I found. I used the "sports" and "landscape" and they are pretty close to the setting I'd want if I were in M. (usually anyway).

(PS. i use Canon, but they're the same)

thanks for all the info guys!

rodi wrote

did it come with a manual?

yes it did...
but I just want someone's opinion and to know what their settings are on the P,S and A's.

The sticky above looks like your first port of call

Beginners Crash Course in photography...written by a noob for noobs

E90RYANJB wrote

yes it did...
but I just want someone's opinion and to know what their settings are on the P,S and A's.

the manual will tell you exactly what each shooting mode does and is intended for. it will also give you a crash course on the concepts behind shutter speed, aperture and ISO speed.
you really ought to read it. ;]

rodi wrote

the manual will tell you exactly what each shooting mode does and is intended for. it will also give you a crash course on the concepts behind shutter speed, aperture and ISO speed.
you really ought to read it. ;]

too lazy at first but opened it for the first time:cool!:

carrerarsr wrote

The sticky above looks like your first port of call

Beginners Crash Course in photography...written by a noob for noobs

thanks:)

You should first go through the user manual.