Newbie's (blackstar) Moon Shot questions and helps

hark

hark

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Staff member
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blackstar said:
Hi Cindy,

Thanks so much for the great lesson. I studied (in theory and some practice) the various methods (settings) for photo shootings in different situations (static, moving, low-light, etc.) as you described. I still need confirmation on the two situations, moving object and selective focus, you would use SP (Shutter priority)+AF+Aiso and AP (Aperture priority)+AF+Aiso.

Now I realize I had a hard time focusing moon all because two mistakes made: wrong hyperfocal distance (I used long focal length and smaller aperture that makes a far ~150m hyperfocal distance), and AF instead MF (that's why my camera won't take shots when failed to focus).

For your "Eagle" photo, the shooting information state: focal length=420mm, but lens=300mm. I wonder why?

Again, thank you so much for all the help.
Click to expand...

mikew said:
Most likely a 300mm and 1.4 converter
Click to expand...

As Mike mentioned, it was a 300mm and 1.4x teleconverter. The EXIF attached to the image lists it as 420mm so any teleconverter is automatically factored into the focal length.

For moving subjects such as birds, I use Manual Mode with Auto ISO. That way I can control my aperture with the front dial on my D7200 (shoot open or close to it if I want a shallower depth of field), and I control my shutter speed with the rear dial. But I'm not sure that is an option for your body. And I use AF-C (continuous AF) for moving subjects. The body will continually adjust it's AF when the button is held partway down.
 
blackstar

blackstar

Senior Member
Ok, for moving objects, M+AFC+Aiso with speed and aperture adjusted to desire. There are more ways to adjust aperture in D3500. And maybe for selective focus, M+AFS+Asio with aperture and speed adjusted also goes?

By the way, is there an easy way to view the EXIF of each image shot from the camera with disk and from the computer after transfer. Prefer to view in the computer (it's nice to see on forum's site, but prefer to view in my computer). Maybe use a specific image editor (gimp or darktable)? Thanks
 
blackstar

blackstar

Senior Member
Thanks, Mike.

I guess I am always a bit too fast to ask questions. I now find both Gimp and Darktable I use show image metadata (a lot in gimp, few but enough I like to see in Darktable). Nikon's ViewNX seems a bit old (my old OSX seems NEWER than ViewNX can support).
 
blackstar

blackstar

Senior Member
Hi,

I'm back with some experimental shots. The two photos below were shot at the same scene (indoor with artificial light w/o flash, focus point: yellow flower) and one-after-another timing but in different modes and exposures. I wonder what factor(s) would cause the second photo to be messed up with all tiny dark bumps? Any hint? Thanks

2020-01-20 18.33.07s.jpg

2020-01-20 18.33.32s.jpg
 
blackstar

blackstar

Senior Member
Thanks, Mike. I can enlarge now. Maybe you can too (click the very bottom of the image). The first photo was shot in P mode and second Auto mode. Auto ISO control and AF-S were set. Don't know why different iso were used in P and Auto modes? If that's the factor, can it be concluded that P mode shot is better than Auto mode?
 
M

mikew_RIP

Senior Member
I think it is the ISO, auto ISO is great tool in the right situation, as you had control of everything for this shot auto ISO was not needed,i use it most of the time but its for situations with changing light but i want control of the shutter speed and aperture
 
hark

hark

Administrator
Staff member
Super Mod
blackstar said:
Hi,

I'm back with some experimental shots. The two photos below were shot at the same scene (indoor with artificial light w/o flash, focus point: yellow flower) and one-after-another timing but in different modes and exposures. I wonder what factor(s) would cause the second photo to be messed up with all tiny dark bumps? Any hint? Thanks
Click to expand...

blackstar said:
Thanks, Mike. I can enlarge now. Maybe you can too (click the very bottom of the image). The first photo was shot in P mode and second Auto mode. Auto ISO control and AF-S were set. Don't know why different iso were used in P and Auto modes? If that's the factor, can it be concluded that P mode shot is better than Auto mode?
Click to expand...

Based on the EXIF data, the second image is about 1/3 stop brighter than the first. Since I've never used Auto or Program modes, I don't know what criteria each one uses to determine exposure (1/25" shutter speed for a 48mm focal length). It's possible the mode for the first image doesn't factor in the relationship between the focal length used and the shutter speed. Many people wouldn't have tried to use such a slow shutter speed of 1/25" like the first images uses.

In the second image, the dark bumps are noise due to the ISO being 11400. But if I were to use one, I've heard Program mode tends to be a little better. This is where understanding the Exposure Triangle and how the aperture, shutter speed, and ISO all interact to deliver the final image.
 
Horoscope Fish

Horoscope Fish

Senior Member
blackstar said:
Thanks, Mike. I can enlarge now. Maybe you can too (click the very bottom of the image). The first photo was shot in P mode and second Auto mode. Auto ISO control and AF-S were set. Don't know why different iso were used in P and Auto modes? If that's the factor, can it be concluded that P mode shot is better than Auto mode?
Click to expand...
I don't think you're going to find exact answers to these questions since those answers probably have to do with the algorithm(s) used by the camera to determine exposure settings.

In Program mode you chose the aperture/shutter-speed combination. In full Auto, the camera selected the aperture/shutter-speed combination. Both modes allowed Auto-ISO to control the brightness of the overall image in relation to exposure. That's easy enough.

Here's where I start making assumptions...

I'm thinking when you chose the slower shutter-speed of 1/25 Auto-ISO chose the lowest possible setting to give the shot an acceptable overall brightness. In full Auto mode the camera chose a combination of exposure settings, including a shutter speed safe enough, most likely, for a steady hand-held shot at a moderate aperture, one small enough for a reasonable depth of field based on subject distance that still allowed for the previously mentioned reasonable shutter speed. Once the algorithm determined what exposure settings to use (in this case f/5.3 @ 1/80) Auto ISO determined the lowest possible ISO to use that would ensure an acceptable overall brightness to the image. Since you didn't lower the maximum ISO Auto ISO could choose from (say, ISO 400) the algorithm went with IS0 11,400 to ensure a reasonably bright image. It's all a big balancing act.

Personally, I don't think either mode is better than another since they essentially do the same thing. Left to its own devices regarding exposure your camera will do its best to take a "middle path". It doesn't make creative decisions about things like highlights vs shadows; it meters for Middle Grey (aka "18% Grey", "15% Grey", whatever you want to call it) and attempts to balance out all the settings it has to work with so you wind up with a shot you will, most likely, be at least reasonably happy with. If you want to start taking more control of how your images look straight out the camera, you'll have to learn about exposure, how the meter in your camera "thinks" about exposure, how to compensate for how it "thinks" and the different meting modes themselves. This is not hard to do since the meter is a pretty simple device and once you understand it always want to take that Middle Path, working with it becomes really easy.
 
blackstar

blackstar

Senior Member
Thanks, Mike, Cindy, and Paul.

The purpose of this experiment is to compare shots between Auto mode and P mode hoping to decide which mode performs better conclusively. I assume (double-checked) in P mode, camera is in charge of speed and aperture combo together with auto iso, only in Flexible P mode, you can select the combo instead of the camera does. In my experiment, I didn't use flexible P mode and both shots taken from on a tripod. It seems all agree the annoying tiny bumps come from high iso noise. So maybe P mode could be called super auto mode? BTW, from the location designation on the Mode dial, P, A, S, M modes are all placed each to other, but Auto mode is far and gapped away from them. Hence if P mode can be conclusively (guess it's not according to Paul's comment) better than Auto mode, I would put mode dial in 1st mode group (i.e., PSAM). For using flash, I can always manual it.
 
blackstar

blackstar

Senior Member
Hi Biker,

In flexible P mode, you can select aperture AND speed as a combo changed from the "programmed" combo. You won't be able to change either aperture or speed ALONE. I assume in either P or FP mode, the bottom line is still on the camera's software algorithm that stays to accomplish a balance of exposure. And yes, there is so much to comprehend this subject of photography in general and hence I reckon I will keep it as only my hobby for the rest of my life... and hope able to enjoy a little during the process other than all the hard learning:)
 
blackstar

blackstar

Senior Member
Hi, Made another moon shot experiment and like to hear any comment: (the flat and detail-less moon surface caused by over-exposure?)

2020-01-29 20.39.01ss.jpeg
 
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