Just really starting out with D-SLR

[Dave McCormick]

I have just really started using my Canon 400D ad Sigma 105mm for butterflies, but at the moment have only really got poor shots (can;t show any at moment, but will post a few pics when I get chance)

Anyway, any advice for a first time D-SLR user? I know how to take good landscapes/trees etc... but smaller objects and things like butterflies, I have more trouble with.I had not much trouble with my compact. Think I keep getting AV wrong or something, cause most pics I get are out of focus a bit and not that clear. What advice do you guys have?

[Pete Eeles]

Hi Dave,

Are you using handheld or a tripod?

If handheld, I default to:

ISO 200
Tv (shutter priority)
1/250s
Under expose by two-thirds of a stop

Cheers,

- Pete

[Gruditch]

High Dave, I'll PM you some things to try.

Gruditch

[PeterD]

Dave,

Why are you describing your results as poor? It would be very helpful if you could post some images so that we could constructively review them and pass comments and advice on how to improve them. If you do post some images, don't forget to include the exif data.

Peter

[Dave McCormick]

OK, Here are a few I took yesterday (All Handheld) Had tripod, but my time I would have got camera on it, they would have been gone:

Small Tortoiseshell resting: (When I tried to get more closer shots, most of them blurred more)



f/7.1
1/500sec
ISO-200
Metering Mode = Pattern

Speckled Wood:



f/2.8
Exposure = 1/600sec
ISO-100
Metering Mode = Pattern

Small Tortoiseshell sitting:



F/7.1
1/500sec
ISO-250
Metering Mode = Pattern

[PeterD]

Dave,

Thanks for posting. A couple of things spring to mind.

I always use single spot (centre target) for focusing. The reason for this is that I want to be absolutely sure that I focus accurately on the body of the butterfly. The dof will ensure the rest of the butterfly is also in focus. I do not know which camera body you are using but my experience with the Olympus is that it may not focus accurately where you wish to when using pattern mode. Also ensure that you are using single AF and not continuous. For the same sort of reason I have said above.

When shooting a dark object against a brighter background, try using the exposure offset control. Increase the exposure for a dark subject. This should bring out more of the subject detail. Try 1 stop and check the results. Adjust as necessary. As you gain experience, this will become a natural thing to do. By the way, bright objects, such as a white butterfly may require reducing the exposure using the compensation control. Try this out and perhaps use bracket shots too to get the feel of this.

I shall continue to think about this and come back to you if I have anything further to add.

Good shooting

Peter

I have just checked again and I have mistakenly taken the pattern mode to mean focus pattern but note that you are using metering pattern. My comments still apply but perhaps you can tell me what focussing pattern/method you are using.

[Dave]

Hi - I was the same when I started with a DSLR. I believe I now have it set as well as it's ever going to be for butterflies as follows;

Centre Spot
Always use flash - even in extreme sunlight you'd be really struggling to get f 14 with 200
Manual settings - not focus
F 14
ISO 200
Shutter speed 200 (You can go up to 250 with flash but the unit doesn't quite recycle quick enough so you lose some shots)
Always use at least a monpod

[Denise]

Hi Dave,
I have just started using DSLR too, same Canon as you. I'm using a Sigma 150 macro lens and don't know if the same applies for 105, but the most simple thing that I got wrong was, to forget to adjust the metering on the lens. Mine goes from0.38-0.52m, 0.52m, full. Simple, but make a difference.
Gruditch gave me loads of good advice, so just listen to his tips. I'm still learning and I get a lot of fuzzy shots too, but I keep at it, and one day I hope that all the bits will fall into place. I use AV, F8/11, ISO 100/200 and where possible manual focus. Good Luck Dave.

Denise

[Martin]

Try using manual focus too...work out at home what it needs to be to get a fairky full frame and leave it alone. Move the camera untill the subject is tack sharp and fire the shutter...if your shutter speed is over about 1/200th you should get a sharp photo.

The other thing about digital is to sort out in-camera settings. If you shoot RAW you will never get a perfct image without post processing, and if you shoot J-peg you should experiment with the in-camera saturation, contrast and sharpness settings.

Martin.

[Martin]

[Susie]

I am in the same situation as well. I got my Cannon 400D a few weeks back and haven't had much time to take pictures with it but the ones I have are quite frankly poor. However, I am glad to read your comments and hopefully, with a bit of practice, some of it will eventually sink in!

[Gruditch]

The auto focus on my 40D is soooooooo much better than my old 10D, that I find that I'm using auto focus nearly all the time now. So Denise forget what said about using manual, as I expect your auto focus on your 400d is pretty good. And as PeterD says just use the centre spot.

Gruditch

[Martin]

So Denise forget what said about using manual, as I expect your auto focus on your 400d is pretty good. Gruditch

Gary, you will not get better focusing than with my 1DmarkIIN, but I still use manual focus most of the time for macro I find that with such shallow depth of field it is easier to lock the focus and gently rock back and forth to ensure the DoF gives maximum coverage of the subject.


Martin.

[Gruditch]

Martin I asume you are working hand-held, I'm trying yet again to use a tripod

Gruditch

[Martin]

50/50 handheld or monopod

[Dave Mac]

Hi Dave, I use a 400D and the results are usually quite sharp. I noticed on your last small tortoiseshell pic that although the tort was out of focus the background in the bottom right hand corner was a lot sharper. So for some reason you were not focusing in the correct place. As others have suggested try using the centre point only. Another reason is that the camera might not be focusing properly. To test this put the camera on a tripod and shoot a couple of pics of a subject with lots of detail eg the page of a book. Take one shot with manual focus and one using autofocus and if the manual focus pic looks sharper the camera might need calibrating. I have not experienced it but apparently a new camera can be defective but the good news is it is easily fixed by a Canon service centre

[Dave McCormick]

Thanks Dave, I will try a few shots on tripod, usually use handheld. Making myself a nice monopod, so that should be better for what I want. Will test camera and post a few shots next week when I have more time, too much important stuff happening to use my camera.

[PeterD]

Thanks Dave, I will try a few shots on tripod, usually use handheld. Making myself a nice monopod, so that should be better for what I want. Will test camera and post a few shots next week when I have more time, too much important stuff happening to use my camera.

Good luck and look forward to your shots next week. Don't forget to set the aperture correctly to give you the correct depth of field. Don't shoot wide open unless you do not require much dof.

Cheers - good shooting.

PeterD

[eccles]

Some of the early Sony A700 models had problems with front or back focussing. You can check this by setting your camera up on a tripod. Balance three coins on their edge at the camera height overlapping each other so that they are at slightly different distances from the camera. Use a lens with the narrowest DOF that you have, say the f1.8 50mm if you have one. Set the camera to point at the centre coin, fire off a few shots using the flash and view the results. Only the coin focused on should be sharp.

As for my own technique, I hardly ever use flash, never use a tripod, but sometimes use a monopod. I don't stop down too far as diffraction effects will start to hit sharpness. F8 or F11 is ok. I often get sharper results if I don't get too close because as you move in to fill the frame the depth of field drops so it's a bit of a balancing act between loss of definition due to having to crop versus DOF loss due to being close.
If using autofocus, sometimes aiming for the body for focussing will throw the focus forward so that only the hairs on the back of the abdomen are sharp. Try the front wing scales near to the body if you can't lock onto the eyes. If you have focus hold, press it and move slightly forwards or backwards to get the eyes in focus. Otherwise use manual focus. Use the screen often to check the results.

[PeterD]

Some of the early Sony A700 models had problems with front or back focussing. You can check this by setting your camera up on a tripod. Balance three coins on their edge at the camera height overlapping each other so that they are at slightly different distances from the camera. Use a lens with the narrowest DOF that you have, say the f1.8 50mm if you have one. Set the camera to point at the centre coin, fire off a few shots using the flash and view the results. Only the coin focused on should be sharp.

As for my own technique, I hardly ever use flash, never use a tripod, but sometimes use a monopod. I don't stop down too far as diffraction effects will start to hit sharpness. F8 or F11 is ok. I often get sharper results if I don't get too close because as you move in to fill the frame the depth of field drops so it's a bit of a balancing act between loss of definition due to having to crop versus DOF loss due to being close.
If using autofocus, sometimes aiming for the body for focussing will throw the focus forward so that only the hairs on the back of the abdomen are sharp. Try the front wing scales near to the body if you can't lock onto the eyes. If you have focus hold, press it and move slightly forwards or backwards to get the eyes in focus. Otherwise use manual focus. Use the screen often to check the results.

Very good tips. f8 is the ideal aperture setting for the Olympus E3 also. Flash is a bit dangerous unless you can control the intensity - I very rarely use it as the liklyhood of burning out the detail is great.

Cheers

PeterD