What format do you save pictures in and why?

[DaveKoontz]

Yes - Shoot your butt off ..... and while you're shooting, use the Manual ' mode ' a few times. Brings me back into reality real quick. When I do this, I don't look at the display and won't see the image until I upload to my Mac, and then go into a 'woulda, coulda, shoulda' review/analyis.

Speaking of 'mode' I use Program/Preset mode most of the time as recommended, unless I'm shooting racing, moving objects or in low-light conditions, then I'll adjust accordingly. Also, I have no problem with using PhotoShop and taking out a pesky telephone pole out of someone's head if I have to. Sometimes it's the only shot you get and personally, I haven't wanted to forego the opportunity.

 

[blueiron]

Agreed. When you shoot photos for a living and a client is paying, your use of PS is essential. Likewise, if you are shooting sports, action, or the like.

I do it for myself and much of my stuff is landscapes or macro where I have time to set things up where it is optimal.

PS is a tool to support my camera and nothing more.

 

[KennethHamlett]

Yay! We all agree...isn't discussion a great thing?

 

[blueiron]

After seeing what goes on in other forums, I am literally relieved and happy that this is a very polite forum and everyone is respectful.

 

[zx7dave]

So while trying not to get off subject here Dave brought up the manual mode. So my D300S while combo'd with my 35mm 1.8 AF-S I have blurry issues occasionally where the camera when fast shooting focuses on the background behind the object I am trying to shoot which is almost always dead in front of me. So I have sometimes put the lens in manual mode for focusing. But it bugs the heck out of me that I can't figure out what is causing it. Most of these situations have been typical indoor lighting situation with no flash and ISO at 1600-3200. F/stop around 2.5 and shutter speed at 120-160 to keep low action shots from blurring....help...
And Kenneth I'll be the first one to say I am not a photographer...it is a hobby for me and I certainly have respect for those that have taken the dedication to make a living at it. Now that you outted yourself as a college educated photographer you get the opportunity to answer more of my questions

 

[KennethHamlett]

After seeing what goes on in other forums, I am literally relieved and happy that this is a very polite forum and everyone is respectful.

I'll tell you what, you would be appalled at the comments and stuff said on the APA (formerly Advertising Photographers of America but the name just changed last week to American Photographic Artists) forums. The remarks said between professional photographers are just pitiful. It's no wonder the profession is changing so much.

 

[KennethHamlett]

So while trying not to get off subject here Dave brought up the manual mode. So my D300S while combo'd with my 35mm 1.8 AF-S I have blurry issues occasionally where the camera when fast shooting focuses on the background behind the object I am trying to shoot which is almost always dead in front of me. So I have sometimes put the lens in manual mode for focusing. But it bugs the heck out of me that I can't figure out what is causing it. Most of these situations have been typical indoor lighting situation with no flash and ISO at 1600-3200. F/stop around 2.5 and shutter speed at 120-160 to keep low action shots from blurring....help...
And Kenneth I'll be the first one to say I am not a photographer...it is a hobby for me and I certainly have respect for those that have taken the dedication to make a living at it. Now that you outted yourself as a college educated photographer you get the opportunity to answer more of my questions

You are a photographer! You take the time to learn the craft, to find out why something doesn't work and I'm sure you shoot with passion. That makes you a photographer. Not whether you have a BFA in the subject or that you do it as your vocation. Here's a link to a guy everyone on here should follow...David duChemin. He's a great photographer but totally erases the line between "professional" and "amateur" photographers. PixelatedImage Blog

Anyway, back to your question. Not familiar with the D300s but can you manually adjust the focus spot when shooting? Also, what focusing mode do you have it in?

 

[zx7dave]

Hi Kenneth - I guess I say I am not a true photographer based on the quantity of snapshots vs pictures that I have taken..So I still have a ways to go..and thus far everything is self taught. So again..lots to learn...
So the 300S is more complex in the setup that previous units I have used...I will start with the atmosphere to ensure I have covered it properly where I had the most problems...medium to low light...subjects I was shooting at generally were dead center 4-8 feet away and there were usually other people standing in the foreground or more often background. Most were generally still. And the problem I had was not blurring it was simplly out of focus or focused on the wrong thing..I had some of each.So on the settings...D300S defaulted to 3200 ISO often..based on the available light. I was on shutter priority mode and set the shutter to 1/120 most of the time to freeze minor movement. I avoided the flash as all I have is the 400 low profile model and it wants to do the red eye reduction before each picture and just in general slows down my ability to shoot quickly.
Under Autofocus...
- AF-C priority selection set to focus (other options are release or release + focus)
- AF-S priority selection set to focus (other option is release)
- Dynamic AF Area is set to 21 points (other options are 9, 51, 51 3d tracking)
- Focus Tracking with lock-on is set to short (other options is long, normal, off)
- Af Activation is set to shutter/AF-on (other option is AF-on only)
- AF Point illumination set to on (other option Auto, off)
- Focus Point wrap-around set to no wrap (other option wrap)
- AF Point Selection set to 51 points (other option 11 points)
- Built in AF-assist illuminator on (other option off)

you guys see anything wrong so far?

 

[DaveKoontz]

What I am seeing so far with this site is pretty much full spectrum ... beginner photographers to professional level photographers. I like the encouragement and the knowledge sharing of Kenneth, zx7 Dave and BlueIron, etc. .... this is especially important to the beginner, or entry level photographers. I have experienced some real 'snobbery' on other sites where I have been humiliated for a few of the questions that I had asked when I first bought my D700. Please don't turn this site into 'one-upsmanship' it's not needed, nor appreciated. I shoot professionally, attended a well known west coast institute to study photography, but there isn't a day that goes by that I don't learn something new thanks to folks like all of you. Let's keep it real and continue to share our experience and knowledge, regardless of level, with each other and those that visit the site and see it as a beneficial source of photographic/Nikon knowledge.

 

[zx7dave]

So now getting into the next level of possible issues...
Metering/Exposure...
- Easy exposure compensation set to on (other option on (auto reset) and off)
- Center weighted area set to 10mm (other options are 6, 8, 13, average)

Timers/AE Lock..
- Shutter-release button AE-L set to on (other option off)

Shooting/Display
- CL Mode shooting speed set to 7fps (other options 1-6)

Thought I would throw this in as well...
Bracketing/Flash...
- Flash sync speed 1/320 (Auto FP) (Other options 20+ settings all slower than 1/320)
- Flash shutter speed 1/60 (Other options 1/30 and slower)


Buttons on camera...
AF-C Priority Selection set to "S" (other options are "C" and "M")
Auto Exposure (AE) Lock set to center weighted (other options 3d color matrix II and Spot)
AF-Area Mode set to Dynamic Area AF (Other options are Single Point AF and Auto-Area AF)

I think this is everything on the D300S that could affect what is happening to me where random shots are out of focus when they shouldn't be..any help is appreciated...

 

[KennethHamlett]

So now getting into the next level of possible issues...
Metering/Exposure...
- Easy exposure compensation set to on (other option on (auto reset) and off)
- Center weighted area set to 10mm (other options are 6, 8, 13, average)

Timers/AE Lock..
- Shutter-release button AE-L set to on (other option off)

Shooting/Display
- CL Mode shooting speed set to 7fps (other options 1-6)

Thought I would throw this in as well...
Bracketing/Flash...
- Flash sync speed 1/320 (Auto FP) (Other options 20+ settings all slower than 1/320)
- Flash shutter speed 1/60 (Other options 1/30 and slower)


Buttons on camera...
AF-C Priority Selection set to "S" (other options are "C" and "M")
Auto Exposure (AE) Lock set to center weighted (other options 3d color matrix II and Spot)
AF-Area Mode set to Dynamic Area AF (Other options are Single Point AF and Auto-Area AF)

I think this is everything on the D300S that could affect what is happening to me where random shots are out of focus when they shouldn't be..any help is appreciated...

Could it possibly be the Dynamic area AF? Is there a way to accidentally engage this when shooting? Are you using AF-S or AF-C?

 

[KennethHamlett]

What I am seeing so far with this site is pretty much full spectrum ... beginner photographers to professional level photographers. I like the encouragement and the knowledge sharing of Kenneth, zx7 Dave and BlueIron, etc. .... this is especially important to the beginner, or entry level photographers. I have experienced some real 'snobbery' on other sites where I have been humiliated for a few of the questions that I had asked when I first bought my D700. Please don't turn this site into 'one-upsmanship' it's not needed, nor appreciated. I shoot professionally, attended a well known west coast institute to study photography, but there isn't a day that goes by that I don't learn something new thanks to folks like all of you. Let's keep it real and continue to share our experience and knowledge, regardless of level, with each other and those that visit the site and see it as a beneficial source of photographic/Nikon knowledge.

Totally agree with you Dave. Let's keep it a place where anyone, regardless of status can feel comfortable asking questions. Heck, I promised myself I wasn't buying another piece of gear until I could literally use all of mine blindfolded...but I am dying to get a new PC shift lens!

 

[DaveKoontz]

I told myself that about my D200 when I was considering the purchase of the D700 - I justified it as a reward and I bought it anyway. I still haven't mastered all of the features of either camera. I say it's a journey and now I'll move slowly, very slowly toward my ultimate destination - a D3. The good news is that the economy is forcing me to learn and use the equipment that I have. The bad news is that I only have one shoot scheduled and nothing on the horizon. Bummer, guess I will worry about (priorities) groceries for a while. The way it's going i'll have to adjust my goal to a D22 !

 

[zx7dave]

Hi Kenneth - I cannot turn the Dynamic Area AF..my only options are... Dynamic AF Area is set to 21 points (other options are 9, 51, 51 3d tracking).
I have tried both AF-C and AF-S....usually AF-C just in case my primary target is moving closer to me or away from me...
I have never enountered a focusing problem in my life..so I'm sure I just have something set wrong.

update..after about 800 pictures of my cats and living room I am at the conclusion that my settings were not wrong..I simply needed to use my SB-400 flash. This is disappointing for a $1500 camera that it can't focus in medium to low light when shoting at 7fps...but the problem went away completely and every picture was in focus when I used the flash.
Bummer as I really enjoy using natural light and am not really a fan of flashes...

 

[zx7dave]

So another layer to my original question...for those of us that shoot in B&W (I have decided to keep and devote my old D1X to this task) do you also shoot these in NEF? I personally do not...I think the 5.3mp the D1X does is more than adequate for B&W.
I just got my Tiffen yellow #2 filter so am anxious to get out this weekend and do some landscape...

 

[KennethHamlett]

So another layer to my original question...for those of us that shoot in B&W (I have decided to keep and devote my old D1X to this task) do you also shoot these in NEF? I personally do not...I think the 5.3mp the D1X does is more than adequate for B&W.
I just got my Tiffen yellow #2 filter so am anxious to get out this weekend and do some landscape...

The only thing I don't shoot in RAW are images for Ebay or craigslist. Everything else is done in RAW.

 

[Snap Happy]

I shoot in RAW and Jpg. In shooting both, I can take the Jpg card out of the camera and check them on my laptop. View them with the windows picture viewer to show the people that I have taken photos off what they look like. I hardly ever do any or much processing to the jpg's as they are not able to handle the degrees that a RAW file can.

On the other card I only have the RAW files. My work-flow consists of copying the files to my Hard Drive, then using Lightroom to process the raw files to either PSD or TIFF files and then edit them in Photoshop.

Oh I forgot to mention, the two card camera is a Nikon D3. I love how it can have the RAW files on one and Jpg on the other.

 

[KennethHamlett]

Since you have your laptop with you would it be possible to just shoot tethered? I'm not sure what kind of work you shoot, but that would give immediate confirmation to your clients that your shooting what they want.

 

[Snap Happy]

Shooting Tethered? No. The camera moves with me. Having a cable attached to the camera then to the laptop would reduce my mobility. To view the photos it is so easy to take the jpg card out.

 

[KennethHamlett]

Shooting Tethered? No. The camera moves with me. Having a cable attached to the camera then to the laptop would reduce my mobility. To view the photos it is so easy to take the jpg card out.

Well, I don't know what kind of work you shoot, so it was just a thought. I shoot architecture and cityscapes, so shooting tethered is no big deal.