D3100 Lenses - off Auto

Hey all - new member here. recently picked up a d3100 with the following lenses; Nikon 50mm 1.8G, Nikon 70-300mm VR, and the Rokinon 85mm 1.4. I want try to get this thing off auto and start working in P, A, M modes. Was looking for some guidance on some preferred settings for the kind of shots I will be taking along with lens recommendations for those various shots.


New baby shots - mainly indoors - Lens? Camera settings?

Daytime landscapes - Lens? Camera settings?

Sunsets - Sunrises - Night landscapes - Lens? Camera settings?


Daytime sports/action (mainly high school baseball) - Lens? (70-300MM VR) Camera settings?

Thanks in advance for any advice...

Well, camera settings are always going to vary depending on what light you're working with. I'll do the best I can to point you in the right direction. You can start by reading the manual and understanding what the P,A,S and M modes do. Then put your camera on A or S and go out shooting, writing down what you have your settings at in a little notebook. Focal length, aperture, shutter speed, and ISO should be the main areas of focus. Or you can do like I did and just go around and shoot in Manual mode using the in-camera metering and all settings to properly expose your shots, then writing down your results. Also, an external flash can help as well but that is another "can of worms" in terms of re-learning a lot of stuff. Let me do my best to put down some guidelines...

Babies - Well, I have zero experience in this personally. If I were to guess I would say to go with the 85 1.4 or the 70-300. The 85 1.4 is fast enough that you can run a high shutter speed and crisply capture those squiggly little poop machines. The focal length on both of those is long enough that you won't have to be in the baby's face and can step back a little bit. You may need a ladder or stepstool for overhead shots. Variable ISO depending on the look you're going for. Usually midrange ISO for faster shutter.

Daytime Landscapes - I'd go with the 50 1.8 as you want a wide lens for landscapes. As for settings this is pretty much trial and error. If shooting handheld you should stay with a high shutter/low aperture but if you have a tripod then you can experiment. Usually low ISO.

Nighttime Landscapes - Same with daytime but you'll need a tripod and a long shutter exposure to let all the light in. High ISO

Sunset/Sunrise - I'd go with the same as landscapes. High shutter speed usually because of the abundance of light. Low ISO.

Daytime Sports/Action - 70-300, low aperture, high shutter to stop the motion (maybe a little slower if you want to blur the kicking players leg a little or something along those lines). ISO usually in the midrange get a faster shutter speed.

I hope this can give you a little bit of an idea but the "rules" in photography are more or less just guidelines. You need to get out there and shoot as much as possible. Hope this helps!

You might want something wider for indoor/landscapes eventually, with the crop factor, your widest lense is 75mm. That's a bit long for most of the applications you've listed (especially the baby, those little guys move fast!).

Thanks for the input! Can you recommend a good (inexpensive) wide angle lense for those landscapes/baby?

How bout the Nikon 24mm f/2.8d?

Sigma 10-20 or Tokina 11-16 2.8. The Tokina is a little more expensive and is rarer on ebay, but it's a 2.8 constant and I've heard great comments about it.

The Tokina is a little out of my price range right now - does the Sigma 10-20 auto focus on the D3100?

Yes the Sigma 10-20 has an HSM focus motor in the lens and it will focus with your D3100. Check the classifieds in your area, you might be able to get one at a bargain price.
Good luck hunting it.

Is there a new version of the Tokina 11-16 out that will AF with the D3100? And, is AF actually a concern with wide angle lenses for landscape shots, etc?

You might want to wait a little longer to get a wide angle, rumours are that Nikon may announce a new DX wide angle in a fortnights time (28th I think?!?). Might mean a few more of those Sigmas and Tokinas up for sale.

The 10-20 is a nice enough lens, I have it myself. I don't need the faster glass for landscapes, you might if you're interested architectural though.

Heymoose said:

Thanks for the input! Can you recommend a good (inexpensive) wide angle lense for those landscapes/baby?

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The Kit lens for the D3100, the 18-55 vr, is an excellent lens for the money (about $199 new). It is not a true wide, but great for general purpose. You should be able to find a used one for around $100 (sold mine for that). True wides are going to start around $600, used maybe half that.

Indeed - thought about the 18-55 vr. Let say I increase my budget a bit - how bout a good used Nik 16-85 vr.? Sounds like it could be a good walkaround lens plus cover the wide end...?

Heymoose said:

Indeed - thought about the 18-55 vr. Let say I increase my budget a bit - how bout a good used Nik 16-85 vr.? Sounds like it could be a good walkaround lens plus cover the wide end...?

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Actually Thats what I upgraded to. The 16-85 lense is excellent, I've had mine for about 6 months. It is the widest standard zoom Nikon offers and is a great walkaround lens, extremely sharp. It is an excellent companion to the 70-300.