I have never really been happy with my photos, they just did not have the color unless they were in the full sun. Started using my flash on all the shots that were not in the full sun or on cloudy or foggy days and now I am happy.
Here are some of the before and after
here is a before.
jack
here is one with the flash in the shade
Are all the birds in the second photo finches or is the one with no color some other species?
jack
Appears to be a house finch.
Dave
oooh watching and learning :o)
any more tips? I'm new and all my bird shots come out blurry?
have nikon d40x...but still learning how to use it properly!
Mine is a Minolta dimage Z1 with 10x optical zoom. The digital zoom is like sending your 35mm negatives in and have them blown up. Then they become blurry. I do use the digital zoom occasionally but not often.
jack
is it an slr? I am sure there is a setting on mine somewhere, wher I can get better bird photos....
just cant find it! ugh!
I went on line to check out your camera and realized it is a digital slr. You should be able to focus it just like you used to do with the 35mm cameras. You should be getting awesome pics with it. Sounds like you need to learn how to focus. Mine is a regular digital and it auto focuses when I press the shoot button halfway down.
Sorry I can't be nore help. Maybe someone who is reading this will jump in with the answer.
jack
thanks! I sometimes just wanna grab my old point n shoot digital...lol! it was simpler! but it was only 5 megapixel... so cant blow up pix and still have clarity :(
guess I may have to take a class to learn this one! lol!
1AnjL....What do you have the metering mode set on? Your camera may be focusing on something other than what you want it to focus on.
um... im a newbie :D
what is metering mode? it dowes it all automatic... i think!
OK, I have the Nikon D40X and can help you out!
Bird pics will be best taken on the 'S' programme. Select with the knob on the top showing all the programmes.
Now try using the little wheel at the back on top right side, turn it in either direction (press 'info' to light monitor up) and it will change you shutter speed. This will take pics at the speed you select, for birds which are likely to be flying in or out you need at leat the 1000 setting, 1600 works to freeze them well. If it's low light I use the 800 setting, about the maximum you can without getting very dark pics and it will semi-freeze flying shots.
There is also 'Flash Compenstion' which will operate the Flash if it's too dull. On the left side oof the camera near the lens, the top button with a flash sign should be pressed together with the +/- button behind the shutter press knob (at the same time). Easily done, then turn the black knob at back top right (used for shutter speed also). On you monitor you will see along the bottom a Flash sign wiht the +/-, this alters with turning the knob while holding down the two buttons. You can go to +1.0 down to -3.0 in stages of 0.3, for very dull go up, for brighter conditons go down, play with the setting to find what suits. I have to change it often depending on the sun popping in and out, also depends on the colour of the subject.
If it's bright enough to not use the Flash, but still not quite good enough light, you can use the EV setting (exposure value) too, on it's own or with the Flash Compensation. Using Flash Compensation does slow the speed automatically, the speed can be seen at the bottom when looking in the view finder. EV can be set from +5.0-5.0 in stops of 0.3, again play with it. I often use +0.7 and if using Flash Comp too use -0.7 but that can vary, and it seems a Shutter speed set at 500 works best with these settings, reduced to 200 if using Flash Comp. The Flash will pop up when you press the two buttons, no need to change settings if already set but you can if they are not right.
You will also have Light Metering settings and Auto Focus areas which you can alter. Look in your Manual if you have one but it is confusing, to change the settings press the button at bottom left which has a '?' above it, once if the monitor is lit or twice if not lit. There you can move the yellow selector across the bottom then up the right side with the 4 way direction knob which has the 'OK' button in the middle. Go to the bottom right one and press 'OK' which will give you the Metering settings, choose the middle one (with direction knob) which will meter the light mainly in the middle area. Then press 'OK' to select, move up to the next one which is the AF-Area mode, again press 'OK' and select the middle one which will follow moving objects. Do the same, press OK to select. Move to the next one up, check if it's on AF-A, if not go into the settings as previously described then select it, that one is the best to use.
Further up on the monitor you can select the ISO speed, I keep mine on 400, which seems to suit most things but with all the Advanced Programmes (P,S,A,M) if the ISO isn't correct the camera will automatically select the correct one.
Posting so I don't lose it, will continue!
Continued!
Go to the setting below the ISO setting on the Monitor, there change the shooting mode to the one with three overlapping pics, this will enable you to shoot continuously and is a good thing for flying birds, although it's not as quick as you would hope it does do a reasonable job of repeat shooting and can be done up to 100 pics. I leave mine on that setting, it doesn't seem to alter single focus efforts where it is supposed to lock focus.
At top right of the monitor, make sure you have pic quality set to FINE, this gives more pixels so you can crop down to smaller pics with better quality. Below that make sure the pic size is set to LARGE.
One more point, if you find your Focus point is only focusing on one side in the Advanced Programmes, light your monitor by pressing 'info' behind the ON/OFF, then using the direction knob to right or left will alter that. It can be accidentally shifted!
All these settings will remain until you alter them, except in the Auto programmes which will automatically revert to the set settings.
For stationary objects the 'P' setting is good, but you will usually find the EV needed is lower than in 'S', in quite dark situations it is often very good without using Flash Compensation.
Good luck, and if you have any questions or need more help don't hesitate to ask.
OMG!!! thank you! thank you! thank you! I just printed off your posts and will read thru them tomorrow...headache right now :( but they seem very clear and precise to me :o) I have a blue jay that comes for his daily peanuts...so I can practice some this week :o) . I'll let ya know how it turns out!
Thank you sooo much!
AnjL
wallaby, what brilliant instructions. I think anyone would benefit from your clear, step by step guidelines. You should write a book.
You're welcome AnjL, waiting to see how you go!
LOL, Margaret, likewise.
