Camera Labs

Greetings and felicitations,

I'm an owner of a new D5000. This is quite an up grade for me. Still reading the manual when time allows. There is quite a bit to learn, But if you can point me in the right direction, I would be most greatfull.

I took the 2 pictures with a Nikkor 50mm 1.8 lens. the pictures are untouched. The second pic was in Manual mode, Lightroom says ISO 720, 50mm, f1.8, 1/30 sec. I'm not sure if the settings are correct. The first pic was in Auto mode, Lightroom says, ISO 1200, 500mm, f2.0, 1/15 sec.

The moon is not clear. It was in focus, so I'm sure the camera was not set up properly. Can someone help me find my way around.

Also, When I unlock the locking ring and move the F
aperture from 22, I get a message, "lock lens aperture ring at minimum (largest f-number)......Why can't I change it? What do I have to do to be able to?

Thank you for your support.

_________________
Nikon D5000 kit
Nikkor 70-300 mm.
Nikkor 50mm f 1.8D
Manfrotto 055XPROB tripod
Manfrotto 327RC2 Ball Head

OK, here are the problems:

1 - apart from the moon, it's dark. You're camera's presumably metering for the whole scene (Matrix) so it's averaging everything in the viewfinder to estimate the correct exposure. It's got things just about OK for the foreground, considering you're handheld so therefore it (on Auto) or you have upped the ISO.

2 - the moon. It's a dark night, but the moon is bright. How bright? Well it's reflecting sunlight so it's pretty bright. To expose correctly for the moon try taking a shot at around 1/200th second, F8 and see how it looks. It all depends on the sky and clarity, but that should be in the right ballpark. Obviously at this exposure the rest of the scene will be completely black or virtually so.

3 - the moon. Obviously it moves. And pretty quickly. You need a quick shutter to expose correctly for it and freeze the motion.

So now you see the issues.

To get the scene as you've envisaged it, I'd imagine you'd need a tripod, stopping down to F8 to get good depth of field for your foreground, dropping the ISO to 200 and taking the shot. Then you'd need a second shot for the moon, exposing manually until you've got the metering right. Then you'd need some pp to blend the moon shot with the foreground shot.

Like all great TV chefs:

"Here's one I prepared earlier"



http://www.cameralabs.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=25193

And I see that you've got a 70-300. Try that on a tripod to take a shot of the moon. Firstly you'll get the opportunity to spot meter at 300mm to see the exposure, and secondly you'll see the speed it moves across the frame - both facts mean that at 1/15th you'll get a blurry blown blob.

If it's the 70-300 VR, just remember to switch the VR off on the lens.

Moon shooting requires some experimentation, so just keep on trying
Another trick is to go out when it's not fully dark, because then the difference in brightness between the moon and the ground is not that big. Then you can underexpose the whole scene to make the ground look like it's night time and still get details in the moon
This doesn't work too well if you want to have bright light sources on the ground in your shot because they will obviously be underexposed too

_________________
Canon DSLRs: 5D Mark III, 7D
Canon lenses: 17-40/4L, 24-105/4L, 24/1.4L II, 50/1.4, 85/1.8, 100/2.8L Macro, 70-200/2.8L IS, 100-400L
Other stuff: Canon Extender 1.4x II, Canon 580 EX II, Canon 430EX II, Velbon Sherpa 600R
Apple: MacBook Pro 15", iMac 27", iPad III, iPhone 4S, Apple TV

My deviantART

Thank you janern and dubaiphil for your response. As a novice, I'm not hip on the lingo. What is the PP in the sentence?

I just thought of joining a camera club here in Tampa. What should I look for in a club?

Also, please answer this question about my 55mm f1.8 lens....When I unlock the locking ring and move the aperture from 22 to ANY other position, I get a message, "lock lens aperture ring at minimum (largest f-number)......Why can't I change it? What do I have to do to be able to?

_________________
Nikon D5000 kit
Nikkor 70-300 mm.
Nikkor 50mm f 1.8D
Manfrotto 055XPROB tripod
Manfrotto 327RC2 Ball Head

PP = Processing

You'll need to blend one image of the moon on top of the image of the scene.

As for the 50mm when not on F22, I'm not sure.

My manual focus 35mm requires me to keep it on F22 to ensure I have control over the aperture via the camera body controls.

Have you tried the lens with the body in full Manual mode?

Yes, The mode dial was set to "M", but if I move the Aperture off 22, I get the message.

I wanted to set the lens at 1.8, but can't. The camera will not take a pic.

_________________
Nikon D5000 kit
Nikkor 70-300 mm.
Nikkor 50mm f 1.8D
Manfrotto 055XPROB tripod
Manfrotto 327RC2 Ball Head

Well I found out why I couldn't change to a different aperture. You have to set the aperture with in the camera and leave the lens set at f22.

But Nikkor has come up with an up dated lens. A 55mm 1.8G with auto focus for the D5000 Due out in June...

_________________
Nikon D5000 kit
Nikkor 70-300 mm.
Nikkor 50mm f 1.8D
Manfrotto 055XPROB tripod
Manfrotto 327RC2 Ball Head

I took this pic with Mode dial @ M, with the 70-300 lens @ 300mm, 1/4000, ISO 3200, f5.6. Better pic than yesterday..Little lightroom.

I manually set the ISO to Lo1, but I guess the camera didn't like that, Viewer window had in red, 3200....Anyone what knows, please tell me. Also, I can't figure out if you can change the aperture in M.

Grainy. I guess thats the ISO 3200

_________________
Nikon D5000 kit
Nikkor 70-300 mm.
Nikkor 50mm f 1.8D
Manfrotto 055XPROB tripod
Manfrotto 327RC2 Ball Head

Lo1 should be ~ISO 50 but is always shown as Lo1 on the camera, ISO 3200 is one of the calibrated ISO's. Are you sure it was ISO set to Lo, and not telling you the exposure (shutter or aperture) was set to the minimum?

In M you can change both, aperture and shutter.

_________________
- Wout -
Lowepro Nova 200 AW filled with Nikon D90 + MB-D80
18-70 DX, 70-300 VR, 35 1.8 DX, SB-700

Thank you for the reply back WoutK89.

This novices has to read, reread and re-reread to pound it into my PP.
The reason that the ISO wouldn't do what I wanted it to is because the ISO was "ON" and the camera would select what it thought was the best. I turned it "OFF" and will photo tonight. Hopefully it will not be so grainy.
I found how to change the aperture in "M", the +/- button...

But why is the 50mm 1.8 lens aperture fixed at f22? If I unlock the locking ring and move the ring, you can see the aperture open up looking at the back of the lens. But it will not take a picture if it's moved off f22. I called a camera shop and they said it has to stay in f22 and the aperture is done electronically. THAT DOESN'T SOUND RIGHT. Your still taking a pic through a small hole. Plus I changed the aperture electronically and looked at the front of the lens, NO movement.

Is the 50mm broke? What should I buy as a prime?

Thank you for your support.......Dave

_________________
Nikon D5000 kit
Nikkor 70-300 mm.
Nikkor 50mm f 1.8D
Manfrotto 055XPROB tripod
Manfrotto 327RC2 Ball Head

There's at least three recent threads on taking pictures of the moon in the technical forum that would get you further than you are... And read your manual about the aperture ring. Should be in controls in the custom settings fine tuning area. It is for the d7000 anyhow. And what you're looking for at the end of your last message is the depth of field preview button. The camera isn't going to autofocus if it's looking through f22. Even if you move the ring when it's set to work that way the blades don't close until you take a picture...

shauur.. I have a D5000, so the 55mmD will not auto focus, Ever. The locking ring stays locked at f22 always. The +/- button is the Exposure Compensation, Aperture and Flash Compensation Button all wrapped into one.

Technical forum---Thanks

Dave

_________________
Nikon D5000 kit
Nikkor 70-300 mm.
Nikkor 50mm f 1.8D
Manfrotto 055XPROB tripod
Manfrotto 327RC2 Ball Head

shauur.. I have a D5000, so the 55mmD will not auto focus, Ever. The locking ring stays locked at f22 always. The +/- button is the Exposure Compensation, Aperture and Flash Compensation Button all wrapped into one.

Technical forum---Thanks

Dave

_________________
Nikon D5000 kit
Nikkor 70-300 mm.
Nikkor 50mm f 1.8D
Manfrotto 055XPROB tripod
Manfrotto 327RC2 Ball Head