Nikon Settings help

R

Reefworkschris

In Memoriam
I have a d40x and just bought a sigma 105mm macro and can't focus on anything. Apperently it doesn't have seperate focus and zoom rings so I don't know what i'm doing. What settings should I put the camera and any other help would be great.
Thanks,
Chris
 
I shoot Canon so I'm not familiar with your camera but that's a single focus lens so there is no "zoom."

It has a focus ring to focus but to "zoom" you'll need to physically move yourself further from, or closer to, your subject. To switch between manual and automatic focus you push or pull the focus ring. Toward the body is MF, toward the end of the lens is AF. There is also a limit switch to help AF work faster. If you're focusing on a macro subject you should switch it to "full."
 
Well I figured out how to change to auto focus now. Thanks for that beerguy. So it's set to auto focus but it won't actually do it. Any ideas on how to actually make it auto focus. And what settings should I be using on the camera to get good pics.
 
Like I mentioned, the "Limit" switch (on the lens) determines the range that the AF works in. Try changing that.
 
Some third party lenses simply do not work with some camera's they fit on. Perhaps thats the case here.

But both should have come with manuals. The lens more than likely has an AF/MF switch to change between auto focus and manual focus. The camera more than likely has the same thing except it should have M/S/C M would be manual, S would be Single auto focus, and C continuous autofocus....with S it focuses once every time you depress the shutter half way down, with C it will focus as the camera or subject moves....and of course M is manual focus.
 
i don't think the d40x has an internal focus motor and I do not believe that lens will auto focus on that camera because of that. I think you can only use that lens focusing manually on that body.
 
oct2274 got it right.
The D40 will not autofocus with non AFS lenses.
AFS in Nikon terms mean if a lens has an internal focusing motor or not. don't know what the equivalent term for sigma is. try searching if your lens has an internal focusing motor or not. if not the you are stuck with manual focus which is not really bad in macro work when yo uget used to it. if you think it will bother you too much try returning the lens or switching it to another macro lens that has internl focusing motor.
 
I have similar issue as Reefworkschris, I have a Nikon D80 with Nikon 105mm VR lens. But I still cant tank a crisp/sharp photo.

I could get close, but if i Zoom into the picture. Its out of focus.

Need help also, any help on setting is appreciated.
 
First of all you cannot zoom with this lense its a fixed 105 mm so there is no way to zoom using the lense. you could move closer or farther from your subject by moving though.
This is a manual focusing ring not the zoom one.
There is a minimum focusing distance for those lenses. it's different than in P&S where you can get as close as a few cm and be able to focus. the advantage of macro lense is that it can give you even more magnification without having to be very close to you subject. which in return allows light coming from the flash if using one to diffuse. as well as does not causee lens shadows on flash pictures. It is an advantage to be far away and get magnified images when working with snakes for ex...
just make sure that the focus indicator (green dot in your viewfinder) is a fixed green light and not blinking when you half press your shutter release. if it's blinking then your camera is not able to lock focus at this distance or subject.
 
I've seen great pictures with this lens and some the focus distance was actually quite close. Be sure that the limit switch is in the correct position. Distances less than .5m should be on limit and distances greater than .5m should be at .5-infinity. Also make sure that your lens surface is parallel to the glass plane. Any angle at all and you'll get distortion that the lens can't focus through.
 
There are a variety of issues. Generally, you will be better off using manual focus as you can more easily control where your focus point is going to be. Not good for fast moving subjects but autofocus won't solve that either. Be sensitive to the working distance for your lens. You cannot get closer that the minimum working distance. You can change the working distance by adding a magnifying diopter to the lens.
 
Yeah, you guys are right. It can't auto focus on this camera body. I've been playing with it and i'm getting better but I'm still using the camera on the auto setting. Won't I be able to get better pictures if I use one of the manual modes and set the aperature, shutter speed, etc myself? Does anyone have any experience that could tell me, and others, what are the best settings for macro shots. Thanks for all the help
 
Well if you have to use one of the automated settings, aperture priority is the preferred one. Then you will have to adjust your ISO until you get a shutter speed high enough to make the picture crystal clear, probably about one over focal length as a general guidline. So for a 105 mm, that means 1/125 shutter speed.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11583305#post11583305 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Reefworkschris
Yeah, you guys are right. It can't auto focus on this camera body. I've been playing with it and i'm getting better but I'm still using the camera on the auto setting. Won't I be able to get better pictures if I use one of the manual modes and set the aperature, shutter speed, etc myself? Does anyone have any experience that could tell me, and others, what are the best settings for macro shots. Thanks for all the help
Click to expand...

I have the best luck with aperture priority and ISO 200 on my d40, if I am going to shoot a pic of the fish without a flash I change the ISO settings to auto iso with a minimum shutter speed of 1/125. Usually that means an ISO of 1600 or greater and lots of noise.
 
Put the lens aperture ring to f32. If not there the autofocus won't work.
Set the camera to AF and move the lens focus ring forward to the white AF line. Start with the limit setting on FULL.
The Sigma 105 is not a zoom lems so you will have to move the camera to the distance you want.

Start taking pictures in AUTO then you can begin to play with manual settings. So far I haven't found good settings to get better pictures than AUTO mode. They come out too blue.

The key is going to be getting strong, independent, lighting to illuminate your subject.
 
I'm new at reef photography. I have a Nikon D80 w/ a Nikon 105mm micro lens. My pictures were terrible. Nothing ever looked in focus. My wife gave me a tripod for Christmas. WOW!!!! Pictures are in focus and looking better and better. Now I'm learning what my camera can really do. I hope this helps.
 
Another trick I have been using is the auto timer button. This has been making it much easier for me to get good shots with slow shutter rates.
 
I'm gettin a tripod monday, I'm excited. Don't forget with really open f stops, your picture depth is going to be really small.
 
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