The essence of photography

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ajay124

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In January 2012 I sold my Nikon D40 DSLR with which I had been pointing and shooting for close to 4 years. At the time of the sale the shutter count was around 7000. The exif data of the 2000+ pictures which I had retained shows that all the pics were shot in the Auto mode. For four years I used a Nikon D40 with it's kit lens, blissfully ignorant of what a digital SLR was capable of achieving :sad: Today when I look at those pics the shortcomings of expecting the DSLR to do all your work are blatantly obvious to me. Now I feel that shooting in the auto mode may sometimes give acceptable results, but one would rarely get a memorable picture.

Every step which I have taken to gain manual control of what I am shooting has yielded an improvement. After shedding the Auto mode I gradually played around with the program, aperture priority and shutter speed modes. Now I have finally, and forever, settled on the fully manual mode. I tried the Auto ISO and White Balance settings on my Nikon, and finally rejected them, as they are at best a hit or miss affair. To get the right exposure, color and focus it is essential that your mind and hands can fluidly take control of many inter related factors. The most important being:

aperture setting
shutter speed
white balance
iso
exposure compensation
matrix/center weighted/spot metering
single point/dynamic area/auto area focusing

Beyond this, understanding the strengths and weaknesses of the body and the lens you are using is absolutely essential. Before I made the decision to acquire my present kit, I gave serious thought to the kind of photography that I wanted to do. I made a list of my preferences and interests:

I was absolutely convinced that I only wanted single focal length (prime) lenses. I believe that true high resolution pics require an affordable prime or ( for me ) an unaffordable pro zoom lens. Therefore ONLY primes.

I am only interested in natural light photography and absolutely require the wider apertures from 1.8-3.5. Therefore ONLY primes.

I love both Hollywood and Creamy bokeh's therefore ONLY primes.

I wanted a semi-pro portrait lens for half body and head shots. I wanted a general purpose lens which could also double as a portrait lens. I wanted a lens for landscapes. And I wanted a lens for micro shots. All for a cropped sensor DSLR with a crop factor of 1.5.

I wanted a reasonably priced DSLR which felt nice in my hand, had a pentaprism viewfinder, manual buttons for all the essential features and the right weight. Both for carrying around and for balancing the prime lenses I would be using.

I wanted to shoot people, streets, nature. Primarily in a candid, non posed, reflective mode. I wanted to attempt to take photographs which revealed the inner essence of a person or an object rather than the dumb mask of their outer essence. Sounds ambitious!

A couple of weeks ago I finally decided on the following kit. I have highlighted what I have already acquired and the rest will be bought in the future.

Nikon D90 (body only) 36K
Nikon 85mm 1.8D 20K
Nikon 50mm 1.8D 5.5K
Nikon 24mm 1.8D 20K
Nikon 105mm 2.8D 30K

Expecting enthusiastic contributions from the pro's/semi pro's and amateurs on the forum :)

My recent pics on Flickr. Ordinary but improving.

Flickr: rublev's Photostream
 
Ajay, I am fondly looking at Nikon's 3200 that has been released recently. This is available for about 700$, and I am looking at how I can get it from the US. This is an upgrade form me form the Canon 620 Powershot that I have.

Cheers
 
Hi ajay124,
I have gone in opposite direction from your perspective.

I had started with all manual cameras. Some were designed without a meter. From there on I had a mix of type of lenses being manual or autofocus. But all my camera bodies that I have used in last 4 or 5 years were always kep on Programme mode.
I do not use manual mode for a simple reason. Camera works the same way irrespective of your changes from Programme to AV or Tv of Manual mode. What I do though in programme mode is to have a ody which allows me to shift aperture and shutter speed figures keeping the net light same which basically means going by Av or Tv mode instead of actually going there. When you are in Manual mode, you are doing the same yet taking more time.
Earlier I used to select aperture and shutter speed both with manual cameras...I work faster now.
I use fixed primes like you but for the simple reason of spending less money. I use quite old primes aging 30 to 40 years sometimes.
At present I use Sony NEX3 for the pleasure of adding world of lenses on a superb sensor.
I used to have SLRs and do not deny their usability for certain genre of photography. But for street, candid, portrait and prints of size 12X18 inches or so, there are many mirrorless cameras now there which reduces weight a lot.
Have a happy photography life.
 
ajay124 said:
Nikon D90 (body only) 36K
Nikon 85mm 1.8D 20K
Nikon 50mm 1.8D 5.5K
Nikon 24mm 1.8D 20K
Nikon 105mm 2.8D 30K
Click to expand...

Nice gears. I didn't know Nikon now has a 1.8 50 mm prime for so less money. The biggest reason why I chose you know what:)

ajay124 said:
Flickr: rublev's Photostream
Click to expand...

Nice macro shots. I love macros above all else. In vivid colours and bokeh. In the far future when I regain my enthusiasm for photography I will invest in a good macro lens.
 
I use Nikon D200 and D700 with mainly primes.

I use manual mode only when I have to use flash units using Nikon wireless lighting system. Sometimes I use manual mode for compensating for polarisers or similar dark filters which can throw off the evaluative metering.

Most of the time I use either shutter or aperture priority depending on what i am clicking and what i want to achieve in my photos. Never have I used program / auto or any other similar modes. Usually even with dark filters I just use exposure compensation instead of going manual.

When I want to carry less weight, I use a Leica rangefinder or a Nikon compact.
 
Shivam said:
Most of the time I use either shutter or aperture priority depending on what i am clicking and what i want to achieve in my photos. Never have I used program / auto or any other similar modes.
Click to expand...

+1.

Shutter or Aperture priority used in conjunction with AF suffices for 95% of my shoots. But it is nice to use MF when shooting macros. I always forget to set correct white balance so now the permanent setting for me is Auto. I have ended up with too many strangely hued pictures due to wrong white balance.
 
ajay124 said:
I love both Hollywood and Creamy bokeh's therefore ONLY primes.
Click to expand...

very true ...The only way to realise this is thro really wide open lenses ...f/1.8 is ideal ...I myself got a 550d recently ...am using with kit lens + a 50 mm f/1.4 manual lens ..The manual lens gives me spectacular results as compared to my kit lens ...The kit lens is for causal shots ...
I generally use Aperture priority ...AF is set to use only one center AF point ...otherwise, results were not good ....Generally use spot or evaluative (matrix) metering ....going to full manual mode is probably an overkill ...

what mainly happens in full manual mode --- u set shutter speed, f-stop, maybe focus, iso, WB ...
out of these, i leave iso fixed at 100, focus on auto . WB is also on auto ...so u r left with shutter speed and aperture ..depending on what u want ( dreamy sea scapes , flowing water, frozen waterfalls, bokeh, portraits etc ) , u can set either one and let the camera decide the other based on metering .....so even tho u will be using aperture priority or shutter priority, in effect, it is as good as manual mode ...
 
venkatcr said:
Ajay, I am fondly looking at Nikon's 3200 that has been released recently. This is available for about 700$, and I am looking at how I can get it from the US. This is an upgrade form me form the Canon 620 Powershot that I have.

Cheers
Click to expand...

venkatcr

Hopefully you will have more time for photography now :)

A few thoughts about D3200.

Nikon seems to have priced the D3200 attractively in order to stave of competition from the mirror less/ translucent mirror/ electronic viewfinder models introduced by Sony. Olympus, Panasonic, Fuji, Pentax have also launched popular new models in the last couple of years while Nikon has struggled with plant shutdowns caused by natural calamities in Japan and Thailand. I expect even Canon will launch a strong new lineup before Photokina 2012.

Since the launch of D3200 I see little reason why anybody would want to buy the D3100. Even buying a D5100 does not make sense anymore unless one is bent upon buying a camera with an articulated screen.

Recently I bought a D5100 because no other Nikon DSLR was available. I kept it for less than two months and then sold it, along with the kit lens, for a loss of 20% of the original price. (By a coincidence the buyer whom I met through an ad placed in OLX turned out to be a forum member). The D5100 could shoot outstanding pictures. But I sold it for 4 reasons. For the same 4 reasons I would not advise anybody to buy a D3200.

1. The 52x penta mirror view finder of D5100 was too small and dark for my taste. I found peering through it a pain rather than a pleasure. I believe D3200's view finder is even smaller (50x). I decided that the primary feature I would want in my DSLR (with ALL other features being secondary) would be a large, bright view finder. The choice was between:

62x penta prism view finder of D90 showing 96% of the final image area

62x penta prism view finder of D300S and D700 showing 100% of the final image area

72x electronic view finder of Sony A65/A77 which shows 100% of the final image area with the stunning resolution which perhaps only Sony can achieve. Sony's EVF's are also supposed to reflect changes in exposure compensation and color balance in the viewfinder before you finalize a shot. With the optical viewfinders of Nikon/Canon one can only check exposure and color balance on the LCD screen after taking the shot. I had decided to buy Sony's A77 but finally went for a Nikon because I was not convinced by the picture quality of Sony's Alpha line of DSLR's.

2. Body+battery weight of D3200/3100/5100 is app. 520-530g. A lens weighing less than 200g would balance reasonably well but anything more weighty and the balance goes for a toss. Personally I would not feel comfortable with a camera where the lens seems to be 'dictating' to the body.

3. Cameras bodies of D3200/3100/5100 lack auto focus motors. Therefore they will only auto focus with Nikon's new G series range of AFS lenses which have auto focusing built into the lens. The older D series lenses (which I love) would only focus manually with these models.

4. Essential controls like ISO, White Balance, Exposure Compensation, Metering and Focus modes should have dedicated buttons. But in D3200/D3100/D5100 cameras some of these controls are buried in the menu, resulting in lost time and enhanced battery usage.

I believe the size of the sensor is more important than the mega pixels crammed on it. D90, D7000, D300S, D3200 have almost similar sized sensors. The 24 mega pixel's of D3200 would be crammed closer together on the sensor than the 12 megapixel's of the D90. I don't have much experience or knowledge about sensors and pixels, but I feel pixels are not very important beyond a point . They are a marketing ploy adopted by manufacturers to enthrall consumers who underestimate the importance of other specs. Some of the really important specs are not even mentioned on the brochures! The size and brightness of the view finder is the single most important spec in my opinion. Ultimately this is what reveals the subject you are shooting and the kind of shadows, highlights and colors which are present at the crucial moment when you freeze time and space.

Keeping all these things in mind, I would prefer to buy Nikon D90/Nikon D7000/Sony A57/Sony A65/Sony Nex 7/Nex5N+add on EVF. Buy just the body without the kit lens. With D90/D7000 one can avoid buying the 18-105 kit lens. For the money saved (roughly 15K) one could buy the (excellent) 35mm 1.8G for 12K and/or the (stunning) 50mm 1.8D for 5.5K. The 50mm 1.8D is one of the sharpest and greatest value for money lenses ever built by Nikon. Perhaps the only lens which most amateurs would ever need.

I am not very conversant with camera options from Canon, Panasonic, Olympus, Fuji and Pentax. Perhaps some other forum member will post about them.
 
Last edited:
Good choice Ajay. Points 2 and 4 were the reason why I went for D90 three years back. Not a single moment of regret. However I do mostly wildlife and the limited time to change lenses and the huge variations (birds at 10 feet one moment and at 20 meters the next) means a zoom lens for me. I have stopped using anything else except 70-300 VR.

I use mostly P mode. That covers for most requirements for me. One day I will put up in Flickr.
 
I used to have a DSLR and modest lenses couple of years back. What I found is that it's too much PITA to carry it around and worse, my friends would find it annoying waiting for me to finish taking photos. Not to mention the cost of quality lenses, and the amount of time you need to devote for this hobby.

Long story short, I gave mine to dad and living happily after :) Dad is quite a renowned photographer and he loves it.

Here are some snaps I took

Tip for beginners: Know how to use your gears and understand basic photography jargon. Here is a good link for precisely that. PhotoNotes.org - Articles. Although it emphasizes on Canon gear, it applies for general DSLRs.

And don't forget to learn about compostion and colours by an experienced photographer or some photography workshop. This is what makes professionals' work stand out and ours' just meh, and not the fancy equipment.

Happy shooting...
 
ajay124 said:
In January 2012 I sold my Nikon D40 DSLR with which I had been pointing and shooting for close to 4 years. At the time of the sale the shutter count was around 7000. The exif data of the 2000+ pictures which I had retained shows that all the pics were shot in the Auto mode. For four years I used a Nikon D40 with it's kit lens, blissfully ignorant of what a digital SLR was capable of achieving :sad: Today when I look at those pics the shortcomings of expecting the DSLR to do all your work are blatantly obvious to me. Now I feel that shooting in the auto mode may sometimes give acceptable results, but one would rarely get a memorable picture.

Every step which I have taken to gain manual control of what I am shooting has yielded an improvement. After shedding the Auto mode I gradually played around with the program, aperture priority and shutter speed modes. Now I have finally, and forever, settled on the fully manual mode. I tried the Auto ISO and White Balance settings on my Nikon, and finally rejected them, as they are at best a hit or miss affair. To get the right exposure, color and focus it is essential that your mind and hands can fluidly take control of many inter related factors. The most important being:

aperture setting
shutter speed
white balance
iso
exposure compensation
matrix/center weighted/spot metering
single point/dynamic area/auto area focusing

Beyond this, understanding the strengths and weaknesses of the body and the lens you are using is absolutely essential. Before I made the decision to acquire my present kit, I gave serious thought to the kind of photography that I wanted to do. I made a list of my preferences and interests:

I was absolutely convinced that I only wanted single focal length (prime) lenses. I believe that true high resolution pics require an affordable prime or ( for me ) an unaffordable pro zoom lens. Therefore ONLY primes.

I am only interested in natural light photography and absolutely require the wider apertures from 1.8-3.5. Therefore ONLY primes.

I love both Hollywood and Creamy bokeh's therefore ONLY primes.

I wanted a semi-pro portrait lens for half body and head shots. I wanted a general purpose lens which could also double as a portrait lens. I wanted a lens for landscapes. And I wanted a lens for micro shots. All for a cropped sensor DSLR with a crop factor of 1.5.

I wanted a reasonably priced DSLR which felt nice in my hand, had a pentaprism viewfinder, manual buttons for all the essential features and the right weight. Both for carrying around and for balancing the prime lenses I would be using.

I wanted to shoot people, streets, nature. Primarily in a candid, non posed, reflective mode. I wanted to attempt to take photographs which revealed the inner essence of a person or an object rather than the dumb mask of their outer essence. Sounds ambitious!

A couple of weeks ago I finally decided on the following kit. I have highlighted what I have already acquired and the rest will be bought in the future.

Nikon D90 (body only) 36K
Nikon 85mm 1.8D 20K
Nikon 50mm 1.8D 5.5K
Nikon 24mm 1.8D 20K
Nikon 105mm 2.8D 30K

Expecting enthusiastic contributions from the pro's/semi pro's and amateurs on the forum :)

My recent pics on Flickr. Ordinary but improving.

Flickr: rublev's Photostream
Click to expand...

Ajay - Thats a lovely set of primes you have/ will have! But can you please clarify these?

- You have primes ranging every 15 to 20 mm, and no a landscape lens (10mm or 15mm). Your widest lens translates to 24*1.5 = 36 mm certainly not 'ideal' for a 'good' landscape. Any particular reason for this?

- Your interest "people, streets, nature" + "non posed" & "half body and head shots"; and your longest prime is 105*1.5mm. Will you be able to get 'non posed' & non distracted pics of subject, with that prime. Why not a 150mm or 200mm.

- "And I wanted a lens for micro shots" - I assume you meant 'macro' shots - In a collection of such lovely lens, why is there no macro lens in it. Any particular reason?

- Why not a '10mm f1.8' or '15mm f1.8' + '20-70mm f2.8 macro' (note f2.8 fixed) + 150mm for all your need. Price of all this can be a bit high but mulaah does not seem to be a problem for you? I'm not criticising your purchase but trying to understand the thought behind it.

BTW I'm saving hard for my Canon 70-200mm f2.8.
 
Last edited:
"I believe the size of the sensor is more important than the mega pixels crammed on it. D90, D7000, D300S, D3200 have almost similar sized sensors. The 24 mega pixel's of D3200 would be crammed closer together on the sensor than the 12 megapixel's of the D90........, but I feel pixels are not very important beyond a point . They are a marketing ploy adopted by manufacturers to enthrall consumers who underestimate the importance of other specs. Some of the really important specs are not even mentioned on the brochures!"

In our HFV language, a 21" LCD FHD (29 mpixel on crop sensor) input with HD content (bright subjects / good light) will outperform 21" LCD FHD (29mpixel on crop sensor) with SD content (poor lit subjects)
&
a 21" LCD FHD (12 mpixel on crop sensor) input with HD content (bright subjects / good light) will outperform (possibly) 21" LCD FHD (29mpixel on crop sensor) with SD content (poor lit subjects)
 
One more thing: I genuinely feel that photography is only one half. having a good screen to view is the second half. IMHO, other than Mac, other options are not really truly suited to photo viewing. in a large screen TV one cannot edit. I use a 27" iMac, and the impact is truly stunning.
 
Gerry_the_Merry said:
One more thing: I genuinely feel that photography is only one half. having a good screen to view is the second half. IMHO, other than Mac, other options are not really truly suited to photo viewing. in a large screen TV one cannot edit. I use a 27" iMac, and the impact is truly stunning.
Click to expand...

+1

@ Bibin3210: "Canon 24-105 F4L IS USM".....I'm jealous of you :)
 
sound 1
Some of the pics in your photo stream are very good. Maybe you should give DSLR's another chance :)

Gerry _the _ Merry
You are right about the viewing part being very important. I have a 5-6 year old 20" iMac. These days I spend a lot of time surfing through Flickr photo streams in full screen mode. I really enjoy the resolution, detail and colors which an iMac offers. Watching the same photo streams on some other computer is a big let down because the resolution, detail and color quality is simply not there.
 
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