nikon D40 help please

[rigleautomotive]

I just got a D 40 and i can not seem to get a photo with good focus on a fairly close shot(within a couple feet).I am shooting in manual and i focus the coral in the veiw finder til its nice and clear but when i veiw it on the computer it is out of focus.some corals are focused fine others i can not get a decent pic of.it is the stock lense.do i need a macro lense to get decent pics of specific corals or am i missing something here.thanks in advance for the help

 

[nickb]

Are you using a tripod? What paerature setting are you using? For macro photos, the depth of field is very narrow. Without a tripod, small fluctuations in camera position in your hands can lead to things being out of focus. Also, some problems which look like focus problems can be caused by camera motion (or subject motion). Make sure to turn off the pumps in your tank before taking the picture.

 

[H@rry]

I wear glasses but when I view my tank I can see it fine without my glasses. I have noticed that if I look through my viewfinder without my glasses the focus is off. I need to have my glasses on to see the subject in the tank clearly.

Just a thought.

 

[latazyo]

macro lenses provide true 1:1 magnification and are usually faster than the kit lens

if you're using the kit lens I had better luck moving the camera closer and zooming less

tripod is mandatory, even our aquarium lighting it not that much as far as your meter is concerned and the D40 is horrible for high ISO, I wouldnt even bother going above 800 IMHO

but you can make due with what you have
1. tripod
2. camera closer, zoom less
3. pumps off
4. try in A mode for a little while and then move to M, this will help you see what apertures go with certain speeds and ISOs

 

[rigleautomotive]

thanks for the suggestions.i will try pumps off.i do not have a tri pod yet so i was shooting off a table using the timer.i tried various apeatures.i read the manual over several times and i still dont really get it.if i try to move the apeature too much the graph for the exposure cannot be moved to zero.i assume that is important.some corals look great others i cant get a decent pic of.also where should i keep the white balance,and iso to get the best close up shots.sorry if i sound like an idiot but this thing has me scratching my head alot.

 

[H@rry]

Dan;

I'm in the same boat with you. I'll be watching for replies.

BTW, I bought a tripod at WalMart yesterday for $20. I think it will be perfectly adequate for tank shots.

 

[nickb]

A couple of other things you could do to reduce camera vibration:

1) Use the self-timer to take the photo;
2) Use cable release or remote control;
3) Lock-up the mirro (I don't think that the D40 will let you that however).

As has already been said, don't go too high with the ISO. As for white balance, that needs to be set based on your tank. I tend to stick a white board in the tank and set white balance based on focusing the camera on that. But, the approach isn't always good (the board may not get the light in the same way as the coral and I need an extra long arm to hold all of the pieces in place ). If you do a search in this forum, you will likely find other suggestions.

 

[latazyo]

you're right about mirror lock on the D40

Dan,

don't be embarassed and post some pics, we might be able to help easier if we can see the problem first hand

 

[rigleautomotive]

here are a couple that i cant seem to get to look good

then a few like these look alright

thanks for the help

 

[latazyo]

3,4,5,6 are all pretty good, but you're blue b/c of the manual white balance and you need to adjust it or set it right (unless that's how you want it to be, some people like blues) - (I use auto WB and adjust it afterwards if necessary)

I looked at your EXIF info on photobucket to get info on the pics

in #1 and 2 it looks to me that not just the polyps are blurry, and its not like the stony coral was moving around, so I think you're having some camera blur or mis focus issues on those

your SS are low, but not too low (IMHO, Ive got pics of fish at 1/60) so I dont think that is your problem

even though you're working with a small focus distance, youre at f/5.6 so I dont think your DOF is too thin

the minimum focus distance for that lens is 11", are you violating that minimum focus distance by any chance?

are you manual focusing or autofocusing?
- since the coral isn't going anywhere you might try manual focusing before activating your timer

I think you could benefit a lot from a tripod and remote (the nikon brand remote for your camera is only $15 but you can get a third party one for less than $5 shipped on ebay)

other than that, you're off to a pretty good start
- your background blur is pretty good in some of those shots

 

[rigleautomotive]

here are two i cant get a good pic of for the life of me.they are about 10 inches back from the glass and i tried to shoot them from several distances with and without zooming.

now these look pretty good to me.they are closer to the front glass.is it a lense that i need to get these other pics with some detail or am i not doing something right

 

[rigleautomotive]

Or maybe would the D60 have been a better choice.i actually think my point and shoot looked a bit better on some of these shots.

 

[rigleautomotive]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13282200#post13282200 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by latazyo
3,4,5,6 are all pretty good, but you're blue b/c of the manual white balance and you need to adjust it or set it right (unless that's how you want it to be, some people like blues) - (I use auto WB and adjust it afterwards if necessary)

I looked at your EXIF info on photobucket to get info on the pics

in #1 and 2 it looks to me that not just the polyps are blurry, and its not like the stony coral was moving around, so I think you're having some camera blur or mis focus issues on those

your SS are low, but not too low (IMHO, Ive got pics of fish at 1/60) so I dont think that is your problem

even though you're working with a small focus distance, youre at f/5.6 so I dont think your DOF is too thin

the minimum focus distance for that lens is 11", are you violating that minimum focus distance by any chance?

are you manual focusing or autofocusing?
- since the coral isn't going anywhere you might try manual focusing before activating your timer

I think you could benefit a lot from a tripod and remote (the nikon brand remote for your camera is only $15 but you can get a third party one for less than $5 shipped on ebay)

other than that, you're off to a pretty good start
- your background blur is pretty good in some of those shots

no i am not shooting less than 11 inches in most cases

i am manual focusing

also i am shooting with the timer and off a table so i am not sure that is as good as a tri pod but it should be pretty steady

to me the pics seem more grainy than a point and shoot i used prior when i try to crop

 

[latazyo]

thanks Dan

you wouldn't really see any improvement with a D60 as it is pretty much similar to the 40 (where it counts)

grain (noise) will come from the ISO

in your opinion, are the grainier pics the ones at ISO 800?

do you have any grainy pics at ISO 200 or 400?

also, how tight are you cropping these, that can be a big thing too if you're cropping too tight

 

[rigleautomotive]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13284942#post13284942 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by latazyo
thanks Dan

you wouldn't really see any improvement with a D60 as it is pretty much similar to the 40 (where it counts)

grain (noise) will come from the ISO

in your opinion, are the grainier pics the ones at ISO 800?

do you have any grainy pics at ISO 200 or 400?

also, how tight are you cropping these, that can be a big thing too if you're cropping too tight

i am not sure if they seem grainier at 800 but i will try a lower iso and see.i dont think i am cropping too much out but that could be the issue.should i use the macro setting for taking a pic of a single coral or should i keep trying at the manual setting.also if i need a lense to get the detail i am looking for can you recommend one please.

Thanks

 

[Jar*Head]

Just got my D40 today with the stock lens. I'm waiting for the battery to fully charged. I have a few question tho. Please help

On the bottom of my camera the label show it made in Thailan Nikon Corp Japan. Is that normal or am i getting gray market stuff. Please help....

Thanks
Steve

 

[rigleautomotive]

steve,iwill check mine out when i go home for lunch and let you know if it has the same.it came from best buy

 

[Jar*Head]

Oh please check your and let me know. Thank you sir...

 

[InLimbo87]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13287036#post13287036 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Jar*Head
Just got my D40 today with the stock lens. I'm waiting for the battery to fully charged. I have a few question tho. Please help

On the bottom of my camera the label show it made in Thailan Nikon Corp Japan. Is that normal or am i getting gray market stuff. Please help....

Thanks
Steve

You won't be able to tell whether its grey market based upon where it was made. Often times a grey market/us market camera will come off the same assembly line, but merely be meant for a different foreign market. These are called "grey markets" and the usual drawback is a lack of US warranty.

Was it bought new? Where did you buy it from? Did it come with warranty cards?

 

[Jar*Head]

Hello Inlimbo87, i bought the camera new from time2envy (ebay). The camera came with 1 year warranty card and i also purchase the 3yrs extended warranty.

I just get off the phone with Time2envy customer service rep. Michael told me that all the D40 was made in Thailand. Only higher end model like D80 and up will be Made in Japan.