First dabble with shooting raw

[JED]

Finally downloaded Rawshooter and ventured out this morning to grab a few pix in raw to try it out.

This is the first one I pp'd and liked the result. I've got a few more to do and will post when done.

200mm f5.6 1/800 sec ISO 200


Long way to go but having fun learning.

Cheers, John D

[Aussie Dave]

Good one JED, to get the most out of the camera, RAW is the only way to go (IMO).

Your photo looks a little soft, but looking at your settings, you shot 200mm @ 1/800sec. f5.6 with your 55-200 DX. Can I suggest that next time you try to use a slower aperture as this lens will be soft at it's min. f-stop and zoomed all the way out at 200mm. You should have been able to shoot this at 1/400sec using f8, which "may" have made the photo a little clearer.

Just a friendly suggestion...

Good to see you experimenting

[JED]

Thanks for your comments Dave. The original is a little sharper but I understand what you're saying. Part of the experimentation was to work the lens at its extremes to see how it copes.

Here is another pic with the settings more midrange. Again the original is sharper. I'm having fun.

80mm f11 1/200 ISO 200


Cheers, John D

[JED]

Here is another one from my playtime.



and this one is a rework of the one in my previous post.



Cheers, John D

[gstark]

John,

Nice work.

These are the first examples that I've seen from this lens, and I've got to say these are very nice and clean images. Most impressive considering the price of the lens; seems like it's very good value to me.

[JED]

Thanks, Gary.

I'm very happy with what I'm getting out the "el cheapo" kit.

Still learning how to handle it and having lots of fun playing with the raw format.

Here is one last pic. No more pelicans....promise



Cheers, John D

[bago100]

Loverky work there John

Good one JED, to get the most out of the camera, RAW is the only way to go (IMO).

Your photo looks a little soft, but looking at your settings, you shot 200mm @ 1/800sec. f5.6 with your 55-200 DX. Can I suggest that next time you try to use a slower aperture as this lens will be soft at it's min. f-stop and zoomed all the way out at 200mm. You should have been able to shoot this at 1/400sec using f8, which "may" have made the photo a little clearer.

Just a friendly suggestion...

Good to see you experimenting

Aussie Dave and John

How do you know all of the appropriate settings? The reason I ask is that I'm now seriously experimenting with f settings and shutter speeds with various degrees of failures and successes. Is there a resource our there that clearly explains the settings to incompetent photographers like myself?

Thanks

Graham

[JED]

Hi Graham, thanks for your comments.

I'm sure there are more experienced members who can explain it better than me but I'll try to explain it as I understand it. Others feel free to correct me if I'm wrong.

Okay. The "correct" exposure for an image is be achieved by the combination of aperture and shutter speed. Various settings can be used to achieve this by matching the variables.

For example, if the correct exposure is 1/400 sec at f8, the same exposure will result if you choose 1/200 at f11 or 1/800 sec at f5.6.

Choosing the level of depth of field you want is decided by the f stop chosen, lens length and distance from subject, which then dictates the shutter speed needed.

The same principle applies when using the shutter speed as your base setting for situations like stopping action when shooting sports or emphasise movement like blurring the water over a waterfall.

In other words, as you open up the aperture, increase shutter speed and as you close down the aperture, slow down the shutter speed.

What is appropriate is where the creativity starts.

Hope that helps a bit and I hope I got it right!!

That's one of the things I love about digital photography, experimenting costs zilch.

Cheers, John D

[Aussie Dave]

Hi Graham, thanks for your comments.

I'm sure there are more experienced members who can explain it better than me but I'll try to explain it as I understand it. Others feel free to correct me if I'm wrong.

Okay. The "correct" exposure for an image is be achieved by the combination of aperture and shutter speed. Various settings can be used to achieve this by matching the variables.

For example, if the correct exposure is 1/400 sec at f8, the same exposure will result if you choose 1/200 at f11 or 1/800 sec at f5.6.

Choosing the level of depth of field you want is decided by the f stop chosen, lens length and distance from subject, which then dictates the shutter speed needed.

The same principle applies when using the shutter speed as your base setting for situations like stopping action when shooting sports or emphasise movement like blurring the water over a waterfall.

In other words, as you open up the aperture, increase shutter speed and as you close down the aperture, slow down the shutter speed.

What is appropriate is where the creativity starts.

Hope that helps a bit and I hope I got it right!!

That's one of the things I love about digital photography, experimenting costs zilch.

Cheers, John D

Nice Explanation JED.

Perhaps you can remember this:

Aperture = Depth of Field
Shutter = Movement

Depending on what you are trying to achieve with the photo will determine which one you focus your attention on more, or if shooting manual, which combination you choose to shoot with to get the intended result.

The rest is left up to your creativity

[bago100]

Thanks for that Jed and Aussie Dave

What you said is a huge help. Thank you both very much. I've printed it out and will be taking what you said with me now!

Moreover, I understand what you said!

One further question if I may?

If ISO is also put into the equation, is the rule "the more light the lower the ISO and the less light, the higher the ISO?"

and will ISO settings affect what shutter speed and F stop one uses?

Cheers and thanks again gentlemen

Graham

[Aussie Dave]

Thanks for that Jed and Aussie Dave

What you said is a huge help. Thank you both very much. I've printed it out and will be taking what you said with me now!

Moreover, I understand what you said!

One further question if I may?

If ISO is also put into the equation, is the rule "the more light the lower the ISO and the less light, the higher the ISO?"

and will ISO settings affect what shutter speed and F stop one uses?

Cheers and thanks again gentlemen

Graham

Hi Graham
using ISO is basically like using an amplifier (but for the sensor). At ISO200, the sensor is working at it's usual 100%. Going one stop up in ISO (which would be ISO400) now doubles the amount of sensitivity - similar to going one stop in aperture from f8 to f5.6, or shutter speed from 1/200sec to 1/100sec (sort of like letting more light in, but not).

ISO doesn't let more light in, but actually boosts the sensitivity (and noise) of the sensor, allowing you to use faster shutter speeds/slower apertures to obtain the desired exposure (that was otherwise underexposed at ISO200)

This may be useful, for example, when trying to shoot indoors at a party, where the lighting is "just" a little too dim. You want to shoot at least 1/60sec. so you don't get blur from handholding the camera, but 1/60sec. is giving you an underexposed reading. This is where you could bump your ISO from 200 to 400, or maybe even 640, and this would allow the camera to now expose correctly and let you attain your desired shutter speed of 1/60sec.

Clear as mud ???

I usually try to leave it on ISO200 whenever I can, but if I cannot get enough exposure, then I work my way up the ISO levels until I can (hopefully) find a middle ground.

Once you reach about ISO800, noise levels can sometimes be a concern, especially in shadow or darker areas of an image.....however, sometimes it's better to get the shot and contend with some noise than to not have the shot at all !

Hope this helps....

[JED]

Hi Graham.

Yes, the ISO is another variable to play with.

If your settings are 1/125sec, f8, ISO 200, then changing the ISO to 400 gives you the options of changing the shutter speed to 1/250 sec or aperture to f11 to maintain the exposure.

So your rule "the more light the lower the ISO and the less light, the higher the ISO?" is a good basis, particularly when trying to keep shutter speed up in lower light situations.

Higher ISOs introduce more noise into the image which is another thing to consider.

Have fun experimenting.

Cheers, John D

ps.. I see that Dave replied while I was sleepily typing away (too early in the morning). Good reply Dave.

[bago100]

Clear as mud ???

........

Hope this helps....

Absolutely clear Dave!

You know when something does not make sense, then someone says something and the light gets switched on? You guys switched the light on for me. Am beginning to understand something that just wouldn't gel.

Thanks you very much

Graham

[Aussie Dave]

Clear as mud ???

........

Hope this helps....

Absolutely clear Dave!

You know when something does not make sense, then someone says something and the light gets switched on? You guys switched the light on for me. Am beginning to understand something that just wouldn't gel.

Thanks you very much

Graham

you're welcome....I'll accept some fine picture posting as payment