Hocus Pocus, Manual Focus

The first time I laid my hands on a DSLR camera, I was utterly delighted to find out that I could use it just like any other point-and-shoot camera: just put it on AUTO mode and the lens on A (auto-focus). Point. Shoot. Point. Shoot. Easy-peasy!

But at some point, auto-focus just won't do anymore.

The D40 is equipped with 3 AF (auto-focus) points. They are the 3 small rectangles in your viewfinder -- one wide rectangle in the middle and two tall ones on each side. Everytime you press the shutter release half-way down, a beep will go off and one of those AF points will light up. That will show you the area that will be focused on.

Here's a gif from Megapixel.net that shows how it looks like:


Auto-focus is great at focusing. The problem is, it's not very good at deciding what to focus on. The default setting is the closest subject, which is not necessarily what you want.

The solution is to switch to Manual Focus. Manual focus gives you total control over the focal point of your photographs, making them exactly how you want them to be.



So take a deep breath and push that tiny lever on the side of your lens to switch from A to M. This will take a bit of practice but, eventually, you'll get the hang of it.

But how to focus manually? Theoretically, it sounds very simple.

• First, make sure your intended subject is inside the frame.
• Turn the zoom ring to zoom in or out, depending on how you want your photograph to look like. At this point, don't worry if your subject is still out of focus.
• Now, slowly turn the focus ring to make it go totally out of focus.
• Then slowly turn the focus ring back to focus.

You'll find it so much easier to focus if you are initially out of focus. This is a trick that a good friend of mine taught me. Sounds maddeningly simple, but it works for me.

But as I said, theoretically, it sounds very simple. It takes practice, practice and lots of practice to be truly able to focus manually. This is where the "digital" part comes in handy -- just shoot, shoot, shoot, then discard, discard, discard whatever's out of focus.

I will post later on sample pics using auto vs manual focus.

Heliconia - D40 Sample Photo

Here is a photograph that I took with the Nikon D40:

Aperture priority, early morning sunlight. I will post technical details later.

Click on the photo to view the full-sized image. [WARNING: 2.38 MB file!] Notice the vivid colours, the sharp details of the tiny yellow "fingers".

This flower belongs to the Heliconia family, related to the Bird-of-Paradise flowers and (gasp!) bananas (yes, really!). Wikipedia has the details here.

Upcoming posts:
Hocus-Pocus, Manual Focus
The Importance of Backgrounds (Or Lack Thereof)

Hold It!

The first time I held a DSLR, I first thing I had to re-learn was how to hold a camera properly.

This came quite naturally with my borrowed Nikon D80, due to its bigger build and weight. With the D40's lightweight design, I tend to forget at times, especially when everything's on AUTO (point-and-shoot) mode, especially with the lens in Auto-Focus mode.

Most people, including me, have point-and-shoot cameras and are used to holding them at the sides. After years and years of holding cameras that way, the re-learning process can take quite a while...until you realise that you need to hold the lens somehow to zoom in and out and to focus manually.

With a DSLR camera, I learned to grip the right side of the camera with my right hand, with my forefinger resting lightly on the shutter release button, while I cradle the bottom of the camera with my left, with the fingers of my left hand wrapped loosely around the lens.

You can find more details on how to do this here and here. Lots of photos on the right and wrong way of holding a DSLR camera here.

This type of handling is dual-purpose:
1) to reduce camera shake; and
2) to enable you to adjust the focus of the lens with your left hand.

The way a person holds a camera is a dead give-away of his/her experience with DSLR's. I may be a newbie, but when I saw takegreatpictures.com's feature "Celebrities Who Shoot", it was clear as day to me who normally does and who doesn't.

Can you spot the fake in this photo, this one and this one? :)

RTFM

The most obvious place to start is the manual.

This is not exactly easy for me, as I'm the type who hardly ever reads manuals. Everytime I get a new PDA or phone, I just go right ahead and use it. I only start flipping through the manual when I find myself unable to figure out something on my own.

I do not find the Nikon D40's manual to be very user-friendly. But the very least that you and I can do is to get familiarised with its knobs and buttons, so that we know what people are talking about when they mention "multi-selector" or "mode dial", for instance.










multi-selector










mode dial

So read, read, read but by all means, go out and shoot, shoot, shoot, even if you're not done reading the manual yet.

Adorama.com also has a guided tour on the D40 here. A little shortcut, if you're not very fond of reading manuals :P

My New Toy

I finally succumbed and bought myself a Nikon D40. After countless failed relationships with point-and-shoot cameras that could never quite give me the photos that I had in mind, I've decided to take the plunge into the world of DSLR cameras. And ohh...how I've fallen in love!

For starters, the D40 is a weightless beauty. The official Nikon website says it weighs "approx. 475g (1lb. 1oz.) without battery, memory card or body cap". After having lugged around a friend's D80 on several occasions (complete with battery grip and an SB-600), I can look straight into your eyes and tell you with absolute certainty that 475 grams *is* weightless.

With enough light, the proper settings and steady hands (or a tripod), the D40 breathes extraordinary life into your photos with its crisp images and vivid colours. It may 'only' be a 6.1-MP camera but, in my humble opinion, it beats a 10-MP point-and-shoot camera any day.

The D40 is also more affordable than its siblings in the Nikon family. I could have opted for its 10MP fraternal twin, the D40x, but I figured, I'd rather save up my money for lenses and other accessories.

Ahh...accessories. Don't let me get started there. I haven't even gone past using AUTO mode, but I've already come up with a shopping list that grows longer day by day:-

speedlight (SB-400 or SB-600? Portability vs flexibility? Decisions! Decisions!)
lens hood
polariser
tripod
Nikkor 55-200mm VR lens
macro lens kit
camera bag (a ThinkTank Urban Disguise? a Crumpler? a jill-e creation?)
spare SD cards
spare batteries

Now if you'll excuse me, I need some one-on-one time with my new toy...