is there any reason to disable VR in Nikon lenses?

Question

Perhaps it is safer to storage/carry lenses with VR disabled or may be with very small shorted speed VR decrease quality of picture.

Asked by yura

Answer

For storage you don't have to disable VR, but you should wait for the VR system to be disengaged (take your finger off the shutter release and wait a few seconds) before turning off the camera and removing the lens. This isn't critical, but if you wait, the VR elements will lock in place and not rattle around as the lens is moved. See article here: Removing a VR lens from a camera.

Thom Hogan2 says it better than I could - basically you ought to leave VR off until you have a situation where it is needed: for example, at high shutter speeds (1/500th and faster) VR may decrease IQ as the vibration reduction frequency may be slower than the shutter speed and be out of sync, and for many VR lenses, you should switch off VR if you are using a tripod. So better to switch it on when needed, rather than leaving it on all the time - good advice I think.

Answered by MikeW

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Why does Nikon warn about banding at high ISOs when using autofocus on Nikon D4 or D800?

Question

Nikon says that banding may occur at high ISO sensitivities with autofocus on the D4 or D800:

D800

Noise in the form of horizontal lines may appear in pictures taken with AF-S Zoom Nikkor 24-85 mm f/3.5-4.5G (IF) lenses at ISO sensitivities over 6400; use manual focus or focus lock.

D4

Noise in the form of lines may appear during autofocus at high ISO sensitivities. Use manual focus or focus lock. Lines may also appear at high ISO sensitivities when aperture is adjusted during movie recording or live view photography.

What would explain this behavior?

Asked by DragonLord

Answer

This problem is caused by electromagnetic interference generated by the SWM in many Nikon lenses.

There are cases where Canon lenses with USMs have caused banding. See this dpreview forum thread for an instance of sensor banding caused by a USM lens mounted on a Canon DSLR.

Answered by DragonLord

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Can a new focusing screen affect exposure metering?

Question

After i replaced original focusing screen with a split one, it seems that every picture i take is overexposed now. Can it affect on exposure? Or i damaged something while replacing it? I own Nikon d7000.

Asked by Overdose

Answer

It can and it does. The metering sensors are placed up in the top of the prism housing, in other words it reads the light AFTER the light has passed through the focusing screen.

If you are using a camera that is designed to have different mattes replaced (bad news: You are not) and the screen is one the camera is designed for, the necessary adjustments that have to be made to the metering to compensate for the screen will be pre-programmed into the camera and all you have to do is tell the camera exactly what screen you are using. But, alas, this does not apply to you.

If the effect of the screen was constant, ie "this screen eats one and one third of a stop of light", you could simply dial in this as the exposure adjustment and be happy. Alas, it is most problably not so, matte screens tend to have variable effect on the exposure readings depending on aperture.

This means that all auto and semi-auto modes on the camera will be affected by misleading meter readings. Which leaves you the option of shooting the camera in M mode... which is a lot easier than it sounds actually. I've been doing it for years. As long as the light is not rapidly changing, you can take a peek at the histogram every once in a while and adjust exposure so that the exposure is where you want it to be.

Answered by Staale S

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The Optimal SD Card for the Nikon D7000

Question

In my quest for new equipment I have now reached SD cards.

Now I know the Nikon D7000 supports UHS-1 (1) , but how is the performance gain? H ow many MB/sec does it support? I don't want to buy a 95MB/sec card if it only supports 50MB/sec.

Thanks for reading.

(1) Source: http://imaging.nikon.com/lineup/dslr/d7000/features03.htm

Asked by Allan Kimmer Jensen

Answer

Rob Galbraith has a full spread of tests with just about every popular card for this camera. To sum up the results, the fastest card is the SanDisk Extreme Pro 8GB SDHC card. It performed at 27.7MB/s JPEG and 26.4MB/s RAW for a burst of 39 shots in 30 seconds. The speed test was performed by shooting 17 JPEG Fine and then 10 NEF files.

More info can be found here: Rob Galbraith D7000 write speed test

The "optimal" card might include price, which varies and goes out of date, so I won't comment on that here.

Answered by dpollitt

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Practical Difference Between Nikon 80-200 f/2.8 and 70-200 f/2.8?

Question

As a photographer for my college's newspaper, most of what I shoot is either low light (concerts, dances, etc.) or sports, so I'm looking into getting a low-light/high speed telephoto zoom for my Nikon D7000. I already have a 35mm f/1.8 that I use for most low-light photography when I have the opportunity to get close to my subject, but I can't always get a press pass for campus events (passes are handled by individual campus clubs who don't always respond to emails), and so I often wish I had some zoom besides my kit 55-200 (from a D40 kit several years ago) that would still be clear in low-light.

I've come across two lenses by Nikon that seem to be mostly the same for my purposes: The AF 80-200mm f/2.8D ED, and the AF-S 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR II. I ask, because there's nearly a $1300 dollar difference between them: Is there a practical difference between these two lenses?

I'm aware of the obvious technical differences, AF vs AF-S, and the lack of VR on the 80-200, but I was curious if either of these features made a practical difference in focus speed and usability. From what I understand, on my D7000, the AF vs AF-S shouldn't make a difference, but is VR really worth the extra $1300?

On a related note, I've also heard some people mention cheaper Sigma and Tamron lenses in the same focal range and aperture size, and I was curious what some of the differences would be between those and their Nikon equivalents?

Asked by Jake M

Answer

I used that 80-200 for quite a few years, and currently use the first iteration of the the 70-200.

I think the 80-200 is a steal! It's optically very good, built well, and focuses quickly on a capable body. I don't hesitate to recommend it in the least. (Regarding autofocus: on an N65 and D50 it's not slow to focus, but it's clearly not fast. On an F100, D70, D200, and D300 it focuses quickly. I don't know how the AF motor of the D7000 compares.)

The 70-200 is a great step beyond the 80-200. With AF-S it clearly focuses faster, VR is a big advantage, and optically it is also clearly superior. A fantastic lens, and I think it's worth the price. I don't have experience with the current "II" iteration of the lens, but based on other reviews I think it's equally excellent.

Is it worth the price difference? On a great day, shooting in ideal conditions and stopped down, I would say that no the 70-200 is not worth an extra $1300. Want to shoot wide open in difficult conditions with continuous-focusing action with questionable shutter speeds -- go for the 70-200 and you'll enjoy the outing more.

Answered by Dan Wolfgang

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What is the best free software to edit NEF photos?

Question

I'm new to photography and just starting to take photo in RAW format. I haven't found a difference in quality of color adjustment editing between ViewNX (free software coming with my Nikon d5100) and Picasa, perhaps because of my inattentiveness. So I've decided to ask here what is the best free software to get most from RAW (Nikon NEF) photo editing?

Asked by yura

Answer

For the Mac, the best editor that will get the most (but is not exactly easy to use) is the Raw Photo Pro processor. It can do pretty much anything to maximize the raw potential. But if I may, I think that's going down the wrong path. You can get a little extra quality from processing the raw differently (I'm intentionally excluding post-raw conversion editing) but far more quality from how you setup the shot. Change in lighting, filters, angle, exposure, etc. can dramatically improve a picture more than subtle raw conversion improvements.

Even still, once a photo has been converted there is a world of changes you can do to an image that has far more ability to change perceived quality than what is done through raw conversion.

Answered by nwcs

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Would these lenses fit my future Nikon D7000?

Question

I am in the progress of choosing my new equipment. First of all I have picked the Nikon D7000, it seems like a very nice camera, and it is not that expensive. I could go Full-Frame but seeing the price-tag that might be a little too much, and I would rather like some nice lenses.

Right now I got my eyes on these two:

• Nikon Nikkor AF-S 50mm f/1.4G
• Nikon Nikkor 105mm f/2.8G AF-S VR Micro

I feel this should cover, a lot of the photos I would like to be taking. The 105mm could be replaced with a Nikon Nikkor AF-S DX Micro 85mm f/3.5G ED VR, but I am hearing that the 105mm will give a little extra.

I would like to know, does these lenses fit the Nikon D7000? Would they still be nice if I in some years upgrade to FX?

Would you recommend some other lenses? And in time what lens would you recommend as the third lens.

Also feel free to comment on the choice of the Nikon D7000, I have been looking at cameras like Canon D7, but I feel the Nikon is a little better.

I have used a Canon 450D and a Canon 600D before, also a little bit of Nikon... mostly rented by friends.

Thanks for reading, I hope you got some input!

Asked by Allan Kimmer Jensen

Answer

Both those lenses are compatible with the D7000 and that should also be the case with any FX camera you buy further down the line. A 50mm lens is an excellent choice for a starter lens, and the 1.4 is an excellent example of one. The 105mm will be very good for portraits, and of course macro photography.

Your choice for a third lens will be determined by what kind of photography you want to do. If you feel you want to try landscape photography, you may want to invest in a wider angle lens. If you want to try wildlife or sports photography, you will want something longer. I would concentrate on learning the camera and photography in general before even thinking about a third lens, however. A good tripod is arguably more important anyway.

The D7000 is by all accounts an excellent camera and is a great choice. Happy photographing!

Answered by ElendilTheTall

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How outdated is the Nikon D80?

Question

I have a Nikon D80, I know it is no longer produced, but how "outdated" is it? Also, how long do cameras typically last with average use?

Asked by antonpug

Answer

It came out in 2006 and was replaced in 2008. In the digital photography world, 2008 was millenniums ago. Could you still use one and be satisfied with it - most certainly. Beyond that all information on how "outdated" it is would really depend on your particular use case and expectations.

If you are interested in camera life, I would look at this existing question: What are shutter actuations? The above information, in addition to the camera shutter life database will help determine lifespan of a unit.

Answered by dpollitt

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Recommendations to tether a Nikon DSLR to a Windows PC?

Question

When I shoot portraits indoors, I'd like the option to tether my Nikon D90 to a Windows computer with the USB cable, both to view the results and help adjust the lighting, but also to be making an instant backup of each shot.

Does anybody have a favorite solution to this?

Asked by jfklein13

Answer

If you're looking for a free program to let you shoot tethered with your Nikon, this post discusses a few of the options.

Answered by Jordan H.

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How do I keep my Nikon D5100 from attempting to autofocus with every shutter press?

Question

I have a Nikon D5100 and the auto focus works fairly well most of the time. But there are times when I have a subject in focus and want to fire off multiple shots fairly quickly. I do not need to focus every time on the subject yet auto focus will attempt to re-focus the picture every time that I press the shutter down. Only way I have found around this is to switch to manual focus. Is there a way to keep the camera in auto focus mode but have it not auto focus every shot.

An example: I was shooting the moon (no pun intended => ) the other night and the auto focus had the moon in focus without an issue. Every time I pressed the shutter the camera would attempt to focus. I was attempting to fire the shutter as quick as possible to show to motion of the moon rising and having it focus every time causes too much delay.

Asked by Lynda

Answer

You can configure the back button on your camera that is AF/AE lock to lock your focus. You'll focus, press the button, and the focus will lock until pressed again. You want to go to the menu and select "buttons' and then set the button to "AF Lock" I believe.

Answered by rfusca

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Nikon D5100 Autofocus

Question

I have a Nikon D5100 and the auto focus works fairly well most of the time. But there are times when I have a subject in focus and want to fire off multiple shots fairly quickly. I do not need to focus every time on the subject yet auto focus will attempt to re-focus the picture every time that I press the shutter down. Only way I have found around this is to switch to manual focus. Is there a way to keep the camera in auto focus mode but have it not auto focus every shot.

An example: I was shooting the moon (no pun intended => ) the other night and the auto focus had the moon in focus without an issue. Every time I pressed the shutter the camera would attempt to focus. I was attempting to fire the shutter as quick as possible to show to motion of the moon rising and having it focus every time causes too much delay.

Asked by Lynda

Answer

You can configure the back button on your camera that is AF/AE lock to lock your focus. You'll focus, press the button, and the focus will lock until pressed again. You want to go to the menu and select "buttons' and then set the button to "AF Lock" I believe.

Answered by rfusca

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How to do DIY repair of rubber grips on Nikon cameras?

Question

The rubber grip is peeling away from my D700, just near the autofocus mode selection switch. That whole (tiny) section of the grib is pretty much coming away. How can I do a DIY repair? What glues should I avoid using? If I need to replace the grip itself (there's another that's a little bit loose) where can I get them?

I'd like the grips to look, after the repair, quite a lot like they did before there was a problem. It's OK if they're not entirely identical, but very similar would be good.

Asked by James Youngman

Answer

A quick search turns up these items

Are these any good?

Answered by Stevetech

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Nikon D5100 - Saving RAW and JPG Files

Question

I have a Nikon D5100 and I want to shoot RAW and JPG at the same time. I select RAW+N (RAW plus Normal Size JPG). Now when I export the shots to my computer I end up with two files called DSC_0123 (1).jpg and DSC_0123.jpg. (Both files are the same size). I am missing the raw NEF file. Why is the camera doing this and is something set wrong?

Note: When shooting in RAW only the files are produced normally and function as expected. The firmware is the latest Version (1.01). I have 3 modes for RAW + JPG -- They are RAW+B (Basic) RAW+N (Normal) RAW+F (fine) all three produce JPG and no raw file.

Here are a few ideas that I have tried:

• Reset Camera Settings
• Try another memory card (Note: The memory cards I have are all Transcend 16GB Class 10)

Asked by Lynda

Answer

From reading http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/readflat.asp?forum=1034&message=38261447&changemode=1

and

http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/readflat.asp?forum=1034&message=21930545&changemode=1

You will need to have Nikon's Transfer software or use View NX 2

UPDATE: As a side tip (maybe you already do this) but I never connect my DSLR to the PC I always use one of these - Bottom line is - I dont want something to go wrong with my camera on the PC - I would much rather a memory card take that hit.

Answered by Rob

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What cheap flashes can be wirelessly triggered by a Nikon SB-900?

Question

I have a Nikon SB-900 and I love it. I am looking to expand my off camera capabilities and would love to buy another flash.

The one important factor I'm looking for is the compatibility between my SB-900 and the new flash to work wirelessly. Wireless i-TTL isn't mandatory, but definitely a plus. I'm fine with setting the new flash in Manual mode.

Simply put, I want to keep the SB-900 on my Nikon D3100 and the new flash on a light stand. When I take a shot, I want both to go off, and the new flash should be triggered wirelessly. I don't want to have to buy a wireless commander since the SB-900 can do that already.

Thanks!

Asked by Jeff Lange

Answer

If you want to use i-TTL, the safest options it to go with Nikon. The cheapest Nikon flash available new would be the Nikon SB-700, or the Nikon SB-600 if you can find it used.

However, if you don't need i-TTL, you can get away with any cheap flash. For example I have a pair of YN-460 speedlights, dirt cheap compared to the Nikon flashes but can still be used as optical slaves. Combining optical slaves with using i-TTL on the SB-900 may not work however, as the slaves can be fooled by the pre-flashes used for measurements. Some flashes have a mode that is supposed to ignore these preflashes and only trigger on the "real" flash, but I can't vouche for the accuracy of these systems, YMMV.

Also note that, as an alternative to using optical slaves, you can use radio triggers. These will have to be purchased separately, and you need one unit per flash, plus one for the camera, but it will give you increased reliability and range. It will also get around the problem of the on camera flash affecting the lighting in the picture even when set to "off", as a pulse from that flash is required in order to trigger any other, i-TTL or not.

Something worth considering is that you could get 2 or even 3 flashes + radio triggers for less than what that SB-900 cost you ...

Answered by Freed

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What can I do with Nikon NIKKOR AF-S DX 35mm f/1.8G lens?

Question

What can I do with Nikon NIKKOR AF-S DX 35mm f/1.8G lens? I am thinking of buying one.

Is this lens a good choice? Could anyone suggest a good lens for me? I have 18-55mm kit lens which came with my Nikon D5000.

Asked by ParagM

Answer

According to numerous reviews and Nikon forums, this lens belongs to so-called Nikon's Dream Team and, as Alen above said, it's a must have.

Firstly, it's a really bright and fast prime lens with a rather unusual focal length. Most importantly, you can get this lens for a very reasonable price. The lens is really small and light but well built. The f/1.8 aperture lets in a lot of light so you can shoot with a very fast shutter and that's why people say that prime lenses are 'fast'.

Secondly, the DOF (depth of field) you can achieve with this lens is really shallow compared to kit lenses with a typical f/3.5 aperture. This means that you will be able to blur the background of your image in order to make your subject stand out and even experiment with bokeh. Also, you will be able to achieve good quality images even in low-light situations.

Finally, it's a prime lens, which means that there is no zoom. Prime lenses are ideal for portraits but a typical portrait focal length is 50-80mm and above. The longer focal length, however, implies smaller field of view so you will have to step back to get a decent field of view and frame your subject. This lens, on the other hand, is more versatile. Its 35mm focal length means that you don't have to step back a lot from your subjects and you will be able to use it indoors in tight conditions.

I've had this lens for about 2 years and have to say I wouldn't change it for anything else.

Answered by Greg

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How can I view Nikon RAW files as I transfer them to my Windows computer?

Question

When I download my raw (Nikon NEF) files from my camera I just connect a USB cord that came with my camera and download the files off of the card. My question is, is it possible to view the files I am downloading. Currently my screen looks like this:

While I do not mind no thumbnail view it would be nice to at least see the file numbers. JPEGs show the thumbnail but no file name. Is it possible to get both?

Few Notes: I am using the FastPictureViewer Codec Pack 3.2, so I can view RAW files in Windows. These files also do not display in Adobe Bridge. I am on Windows XP and using a Nikon D5100. Once I transfer files from camera to local hard drive the raw files view without issue.

Asked by Lynda

Answer

I have no idea why you aren't seeing the file names—I use the "classic" views (rather than the task-based native XP version), and I can see the file names regardless of the view mode (tiles, thumbnails, list, details, etc.).

You will need to download and install the Nikon NEF codec to get thumbnails outside of your photo management/editing software. Note that I see thumbnails in Thumbnails view only; I get an Adobe application icon in Tiles view. Also, the thumbnails are never rotated, at least on my system, so shots taken in portrait orientation will be laid over on their sides in Explorer.

Answered by Stan Rogers

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Why does the exposure vary in these Nikon flash photos?

Question

The following 4 photos were all taken with a Nikon D300 at 1/250s, f/5.3, ISO-400, in shutter priority mode, with the on-camera pop-up flash. The only difference between them is the exposure bias, which varies from -4EV to +2EV. You can clearly see that the four pictures get brighter, despite having the same exposure settings.

Can you explain how/why this is happening? I have come up with a few possibilities, but I don't know which (if any) is actually correct:

• Is the camera adjusting the output of the flash to compensate for the exposure bias? This seems like the most likely solution to me, based on how the images look, but my understanding is that exposure bias was supposed to control the amount of ambient light in the scene, while leaving the flash alone, whereas flash exposure compensation is supposed to control the power output from the flash. (Flash exposure compensation remained constant for the four images).
• Alternately, is the camera applying some sort of automatic lighting correction in post-processing after the images were shot? (These images were all taken in JPEG mode, not as Raw).
• Is there some other effect at play here that I don't understand?

Edit I've copied-and-pasted the relevant exif data, extracted by exiftool, for the photos. The data is identical in all important fields (I checked using diff), except for the Exposure Compensation and Exposure Difference fields (I don't know what the latter means):

Camera Model Name               : NIKON D300
Exposure Time                   : 1/250
F Number                        : 5.3
Exposure Program                : Shutter speed priority AE
ISO                             : 400
Flash                           : On, Return not detected
Flash Type                      : Built-in,TTL
Flash Exposure Compensation     : +2/3
Active D-Lighting               : Normal

The Exposure Compensation and Exposure Difference fields for each image, from top to bottom is as follows:

Exposure Compensation           : -4
Exposure Difference             : -0.3Exposure Compensation           : -2
Exposure Difference             : -2.5Exposure Compensation           : 0
Exposure Difference             : -4.4Exposure Compensation           : +2
Exposure Difference             : -6.6

Asked by David

Answer

With Nikon, Exposure Compensation affects the overall exposure, including any automatically metered flash, while Flash Exposure Compensation (when available) affects only the flash's contribution to the overall exposure.

If the scene weren't essentially a flat plane (there isn't much depth to the scene at all), you could use Exposure Compensation to bring down the entire exposure, then boost the flash exposure to correctly expose your main subject. That would isolate the subject from the background. (The opposite can be set in theory, but it won't work unless and until somebody invents a "flash" that subtracts light from the ambient exposure.) More often, though, you'd use the Exposure compensation to compensate for the tonality of the scene (bumping it up for scenes consisting mostly of lighter tones or lowering it for predominantly dark scenes), then independently adjust the flash (usually downward) to add the desired amount of fill.

Note that with these pictures, there isn't much contribution to the exposure from ambient light at all, so if you had set the Exposure compensation to -1 EV and the Flash Exposure Compensation to +1 EV, you would have gotten pretty much the same picture as the normal exposure.

Answered by Stan Rogers

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Nikon D7000 and extension tube with 35G 1.8

Question

Recently i purchased an extension tube. (chepest one, with no af..etc..). Just for fun.

I attached it to my camera, and than the 35G. Unfortunatelly picture, and finder is dark too. I read somewhere this is why G type lens has no apperature ring, and normally the smallest apperature set when attach a lens.

On my body i get error F0. I read this is when optics did not attached well. I checked, its ok.

Is it possible to use this tube with my G type lens on this D7K body? Any way to set apparature on body?

Thank you

Asked by Holian

Answer

If you use a cheap extension tube without CPU connections between the lens and the camera, then as far as the camera is concerned there is no lens connected, which is why it says F0.

The lens automatically closes to its smallest aperture when it's detached, and if your extension tube doesn't hold it open, it will stay that way, because without a CPU connection, there's no way for the camera to control any part of the lens.

You can still take photographs, by setting the camera to Manual mode (M on the dial), but you will need long exposure times to get enough light in to expose properly.

The best solution would be to buy an old lens with a manual aperture ring; they are quite cheap. This will allow you to get decent shutter speeds using Manual mode. Otherwise you will need to invest in a set of extension tubes with a CPU connection.

Answered by ElendilTheTall

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What can I do with Nikon NIKKOR AF-S DX 35mm f/1.8G lens? I am thinking to buy one

Question

What can I do with Nikon NIKKOR AF-S DX 35mm f/1.8G lens? I am thinking to buy one.

Is this a good choice? Suggest me some good lens. I have 18-55mm default lens which came with Nikon D5000.

Asked by ParagM

Answer

According to numerous reviews and Nikon forums, this lens belongs to so-called Nikon's Dream Team and, as Alen above said, it's a must have.

Firstly, it's a really bright and fast prime lens with a rather unusual focal length. Most importantly, you can get this lens for a very reasonable price. The lens is really small and light but well built. The f/1.8 aperture lets in a lot of light so you can shoot with a very fast shutter and that's why people say that prime lenses are 'fast'.

Secondly, the DOF (depth of field) you can achieve with this lens is really shallow compared to kit lenses with a typical f/3.5 aperture. This means that you will be able to blur the background of your image in order to make your subject stand out and even experiment with bokeh. Also, you will be able to achieve good quality images even in low-light situations.

Finally, it's a prime lens, which means that there is no zoom. Prime lenses are ideal for portraits but a typical portrait focal length is 50-80mm and above. The longer focal length, however, implies smaller field of view so you will have to step back to get a decent field of view and frame your subject. This lens, on the other hand, is more versatile. Its 35mm focal length means that you don't have to step back a lot from your subjects and you will be able to use it indoors in tight conditions.

I've had this lens for about 2 years and have to say I wouldn't change it for anything else.

Answered by Greg

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How to decide which reversing ring is suitable for a lens?

Question

Nikon's website doesn't seem to suggest any reversing rings that go with specific lenses (in my case a 50mm f/1.8G) .

For macro shots how to decide which reversing ring goes with it? Yeah, Amazon shows lots of results, but on which basis should I decide what?

Asked by Anisha Kaul

Answer

You base a reversing ring on the filter thread size and mount for your camera. To determine your size, check this question. That particular lens has a 58mm filter size, so you need something like this that uses the Nikon mount.

---

_{I'm assuming you mean the 50mm f/1.8 G and not the D, since your D3100 won't autofocus with the D but will with the G. If you mean the D version, its 52mm.}

Answered by rfusca

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