So I finally...

[MagnumForce]

... got a new camera.

The olympus was great but it's 10 years old and finally started acting really flaky. So I got a helluva a deal on a Nikon D5100 at Meijer.

Thing is that while I think the setting I used with my Olympus were very much the same as me shooting film, I have no clue what to do with this thing when it comes to a lot of things.

I always shot ISO 100 unless it was dark and I would push it to 200 or 400, never above that. What is the standard that you guys use with a "real" camera?

I can take it from there, but honestly I was not expecting this big of a learning curve.

[JRMDC]

Start off just shooting the same settings. If you used 400 film before, just set ISO=400 and do what you are familiar with.

Eventually, as in film, you do want to learn to keep the ISO as low as possible. One of the many benefits of digital is that you can change ISO frame by frame, or "mid-roll", so to speak, as opposed to changing the film.

If you are used to shooting ISO 64 in film, you will simply have to learn to shift your settings by 2/3 stop as many digital camera don't go lower than ISO 100.

[MagnumForce]

I shot 100-200 just like I would have on film, I would assume there is no need to go that low on a modern camera?

[JimThias]

I shoot 400-800 all the time, but that's because it's always so damn cloudy here in Michigan and I like to shoot at f8 as much as possible.

[Mgoldman]

I'm surprised you find there is a learning curve or confusion with settings.

Everything is pretty much the same as it was with either film or a lesser quality /featured digital SLR camera. The biggest difference is that you are simply using another type of "film" or medium to capture your images.

As for ISO's, they do keep getting better and better but that is most notable with the higher ISO's - above 400.

Shutter and aperture remain the same.

I'd suggest putting the camera on a tripod and taking a series of images at varying ISO's to see the difference in noise levels. Increase the shutter speed so all things remain identical as you experiment with the higher ISO's. You could do this both at day and night and then later, just view the images on a larger screen to see the difference in quality. Those differences, btw, will become much more noticeable as you increase the size of the image or crop into the image.

Then, all there is to learn are the extras.... histogram, HDR, focus points and tracking, ect. and temperature settings, preproceeing of the JPEGS (Contrast, Saturation, Hue, Sharpening, ect). Those last settings only effect the JPEG, however. Shoot RAW - easy to process and even if you don't they'll be there for later should you need a first generation "negative".

/Mitch

[jac_murphy]

I recently made the conversion to digital, and it's rare that I go below ISO 200. Like Jim, I try to stay around F8 as much as possible. So far, the results have been good.

-Jacques

[JRMDC]

Originally Posted by jac_murphy

I recently made the conversion to digital, and it's rare that I go below ISO 200. Like Jim, I try to stay around F8 as much as possible. So far, the results have been good.

-Jacques

I also rarely go below 200, although for me it is a desire to keep the shutter speed fast.

[Mgoldman]

Originally Posted by JRMDC

I also rarely go below 200, although for me it is a desire to keep the shutter speed fast.

I rarely go above 100 ISO and it pans out pretty well for me

Then again, I do spend some time above ISO 640 to stop 135 mph Acela Express trains.

/Mitch

[MagnumForce]

Originally Posted by Mgoldman

I'm surprised you find there is a learning curve or confusion with settings.

Everything is pretty much the same as it was with either film or a lesser quality /featured digital SLR camera. The biggest difference is that you are simply using another type of "film" or medium to capture your images.

As for ISO's, they do keep getting better and better but that is most notable with the higher ISO's - above 400.

Shutter and aperture remain the same.

I'd suggest putting the camera on a tripod and taking a series of images at varying ISO's to see the difference in noise levels. Increase the shutter speed so all things remain identical as you experiment with the higher ISO's. You could do this both at day and night and then later, just view the images on a larger screen to see the difference in quality. Those differences, btw, will become much more noticeable as you increase the size of the image or crop into the image.

Then, all there is to learn are the extras.... histogram, HDR, focus points and tracking, ect. and temperature settings, preproceeing of the JPEGS (Contrast, Saturation, Hue, Sharpening, ect). Those last settings only effect the JPEG, however. Shoot RAW - easy to process and even if you don't they'll be there for later should you need a first generation "negative".

/Mitch

Controls and settings are totally different, the learning curve is finding everything. You have to shoot within the limitations of your gear and that was why I was asking, anyway just shot some kittehs at ISO1400 and can't see any grain at all, so I think I answered my own question. Seems the sky is the limit.

[Mgoldman]

Originally Posted by MagnumForce

Controls and settings are totally different, the learning curve is finding everything.

Aperture setting. Shutter speed. Focus type. Shutter button.

The rest is just extra "Stuff", other the the ability to shoot at higher ISO's with much less noise.

/Mitch

[JimThias]

Originally Posted by Mgoldman

Aperture setting. Shutter speed. Focus type. Shutter button.

The rest is just extra "Stuff", other the the ability to shoot at higher ISO's with much less noise.

This. When shooting manual, it shouldn't matter what camera is being used, right?

[MagnumForce]

I just mean that getting to everything is way different. Not that anything is actually different, you are making it more complicated than it is. Even had a helluva time figuring out hot to change my aperture.

[JRMDC]

RTFM?

abcde

[Mberry]

I have a D5100 too (got it in September 2012), and never go below ISO 200.

[CSX1702]

I have a D3100 and never go above 200 on trains. I figure that with it being a lower end camera, all I will get is noise.

[JRMDC]

Depends on one's level of sensitivity to noise. Back when I had my 20D, several generations older than the D3100, I shot routinely at 400.

ISO 400

PhotoID: 211649 Photograph © Janusz Mrozek

ISO 800

PhotoID: 183283 Photograph © Janusz Mrozek

The latter would probably not be accepted today, poor light, but I don't see a noise issue.

Well, having been on these forums a while, I know darn well that many of you are as sensitive to noise as a baby is to a draft. So maybe these shots are chock full of noise, I suppose I don't know. But in general I think people go waay crazy about noise, to a much greater degree than Thias goes crazy about unlevel. I'll never understand ... I'll never see the (speckled) light ...

[CSX1702]

I'm not overly sensitive to noise. As long as its not blatantly obvious and distracting, I don't really care. I'll try experimenting above 200 and see what happens.

[Mberry]

This got accepted with ISO 1600. I suppose it's a bit noisey.

PhotoID: 466096 Photograph © Michael Berry

[Coloradorailfan]

Personally, since I have a low-end DSLR (Canon EOS Rebel T3), I will always try to push camera to see what it can do. I've shot trains at ISO 100, 200, 400, and even 800 and not have a noise problem. One of my recent shots, I photographed it at ISO 800, and didn't have too much of a noise problem. it was there but it was easily fixable in processing.

ISO 800:

PhotoID: 502423 Photograph © John Crisanti

PhotoID: 497068 Photograph © John Crisanti

[MagnumForce]

After some tests I don't see anything at 1000 or below, 3200 is still quite usable, 6400 is beyond where I want to go but if I am in that kind of bind it's a prayer anyway.

[Jeff Terry]

Don't be afraid of high ISOs, especially with newer DLSRs. This image was shot with a Canon 6D at ISO 5000 because I needed f13 to keep the station signs sharp all the way to the back of the building. And yes, this was hand held. (If I'd had a tripod, I certainly would have done things differently - lower ISO; higher f stop.)

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphot...=499695&nseq=0

[KevinM]

Originally Posted by Coloradorailfan

Personally, since I have a low-end DSLR (Canon EOS Rebel T3), I will always try to push camera to see what it can do. I've shot trains at ISO 100, 200, 400, and even 800 and not have a noise problem. One of my recent shots, I photographed it at ISO 800, and didn't have too much of a noise problem. it was there but it was easily fixable in processing.

ISO 800:

John,

The results you achieve with that Rebel should absolutely convince everyone that it's not the camera, but the operator behind it and his/her ability to process the resulting image. There are a lot of excellent contributors like yourself here who are getting kick-ass results from the less expensive and lower end cameras.

[bigbassloyd]

There's several photos of mine on here taken at 1600 with a Rebel XS. I'm comfortable with web sized images at 25,600 on my 6d. Game changer for a low light / night shooter.

Loyd L.