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How to Use Exposure Compensation and When You Should Use It

27 Feb

The post How to Use Exposure Compensation and When You Should Use It appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Mat Coker.

Sometimes, no matter what you do, your photos seem to keep coming out too dark or too bright. If only there were a simple way to tell your camera to make them a bit brighter or a bit darker. Well, there is! In this tutorial, I’ll show you how to use exposure compensation so you’ll never have to struggle with stubborn brightness levels again.

Take control over the whole look of your photo with the exposure compensation button.

Using exposure compensation is perfect for people who love aperture or shutter mode but want more control over the brightness of their photos without having to overthink settings. If you aren’t ready for manual mode yet or prefer not to use it, then you’ll love the exposure compensation feature.

Exposure compensation can help you to refine your landscape photos. ISO 250, f/4.3, 1/500 sec.

This is the exposure I was hoping for. I didn’t need to think about ISO, aperture or shutter speed. I merely need to use the +/- button and the camera did the work. ISO 800, f/4.3, 1/500 sec.

The point of exposure compensation

If you’re shooting in auto mode, then your camera makes all the decisions about how bright your photo will be. You know from experience that you’re often unhappy with how your photos turn out in auto mode.

Even if you’re using a partial-auto mode such as Aperture or Shutter Priority, then your camera still makes the final decision about how bright your photo will be.

If you’re frustrated that your pictures keep coming out too bright or too dark, then you should use exposure compensation. It tells your camera to make the picture a little brighter or a little darker than it thinks it should be.

Suppose you take a picture that turns out too dark, simply use the “+” part of the button to make the next photo brighter.

The first photo was underexposed, so I used exposure compensation to increase the overall brightness of the next photo I took.

If your pictures are coming out too bright, simply use the “-” part of the button to make the next photos darker.

using exposure compensation for overexposed photos

The first photo happened to come out overexposed. So I decreased the exposure compensation for a better exposure.

How to use exposure compensation

It’s the little +/- button on your camera that controls exposure compensation. If you need help locating it, just search your camera model and “exposure compensation” on Youtube. You’ll find a tutorial showing you where it is and how it works on your camera.

You’ll need to press this button to activate exposure compensation. Search Youtube for tutorials on how to use it with your camera.

That little button will help you take better pictures, save time editing, and feel more competent as a photographer.

Exposure compensation may not work in auto mode. You may or may not be able to use it in scene mode. It may not be compatible with auto ISO too.

If you’re working in full manual mode, then you don’t need exposure compensation since you’ve already taken full control of your camera.

Begin by choosing either Aperture or Shutter Priority mode.

Aperture Priority mode.

Shutter Priority mode.

If you’re using Aperture or Shutter modes, the exposure compensation button will allow you to adjust the look of your photo without getting confused about the other settings. It’s like a secret shortcut to manual mode without having to actually be in manual mode.

If you are already using manual mode a lot but find yourself getting frustrated with constantly adjusting ISO, aperture, and shutter speed, then exposure compensation will simplify everything for you and reduces the need for full manual mode.

Using exposure compensation to solve exposure problems

Use exposure compensation as a problem solver or to refine your photos.

This photo was taken at dusk. Even though the scene looked right to my eye, the camera’s eye saw the scene as much darker and naturally wanted to brighten up the photo for me. Unfortunately, it was quite overexposed. This happens to me all the time at dusk. ISO 6400, f/1.8, 1/60 sec.

This photo is now properly exposed. Yes, the photo looks a little dark, but it really was this dark in reality. ISO 6400, f/1.8, 1/320 sec.

When your camera always seems to under/overexpose your photos, try exposure compensation. My Olympus Tough TG-6 always overexposes the photos, so I always have exposure compensation activated to darken the photo. My Nikons and Fuji’s always underexpose the photos, so I’ve always got exposure compensation activated to brighten the exposure.

This white blanket appeared very bright to the camera, so it naturally darkened the exposure for me. ISO 1600, f/2.4, 1/500 sec.

I increased the exposure compensation to get a better exposure. ISO 1600, f/2.4, 1/125 sec.

Using exposure compensation for creative effect

Exposure compensation works well to help achieve or avoid silhouette photos.

When you photograph somebody against a bright background, you are almost sure to get a silhouette. I used exposure compensation to make this silhouette even darker. ISO 100, f/5.6, 1/500 sec.

You can increase the exposure compensation to force a brighter exposure and avoid the silhouette look. ISO 400, f/5.6, 1/250 sec.

Exposure compensation is great for a technique called “exposing for the highlights.” It’s when most of your photo looks dark, but the highlights are bright and stand out.

This is a nicely-exposed photo, but I had wanted something more dramatic looking. ISO 800, f/3.5, 1/150 sec.

I used exposure compensation to darken this next photo. Now, just the highlights are shining. ISO 100, f/5.6, 1/500 sec.

This photo was exposed so that the highlights would look just right while the rest of the leaf falls into darkness.

This photo was exposed to capture the highlights on the water while letting everything else fall into darkness. The person in the foreground turns this into a silhouette as well.

Most photographers would rather think about the creative elements of the photo rather than camera settings (although camera settings do contribute to the creative look of the photo).

Using exposure compensation lets you focus more on creativity and less on settings. Save brainpower – don’t think about settings and creativity

I knew that I wanted the sunlight properly exposed, and I wanted her traced in highlights. A combination of composition and exposure compensation helped me achieve that quickly.

As you can see, exposure compensation can help solve a lot of problems when you’re taking pictures. You’ll be amazed at how your photos look better with a little exposure adjustment. And in time, you’ll find it easier to discern when you prefer to use manual mode or exposure compensation.

Checklist

Now that you know how to use exposure compensation, keep this checklist in mind. Exposure compensation works:

To achieve better exposure in your photos
While in aperture and shutter mode
To achieve or avoid silhouettes
For creative effects like exposing for the highlights

Once you know how to use exposure compensation (and when is the best time to use it), you’ll simplify your process as a photographer. Simplicity is good because it helps you get back to what you really love doing; taking pictures.

The post How to Use Exposure Compensation and When You Should Use It appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Mat Coker.

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Moving to Manual Mode: Which Setting Should You Adjust First?

23 Feb

The post Moving to Manual Mode: Which Setting Should You Adjust First? appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Kevin Landwer-Johan.

Moving to manual mode is often considered too difficult by many beginner photographers. In reality, learning manual mode is not so hard to do. Sure, it’s not for everyone. Many photographers are content to let their camera sort out the exposure settings.

One of the most common questions I get asked by people I am teaching to use manual mode is “which setting should I adjust first?” Unfortunately, there is no set answer to this question. It depends on what you are photographing.

Moving to manual mode

Shifting your mindset is the most important aspect of moving to manual mode. Are you comfortable using any of the auto or semi-auto exposure modes on your camera? Then you need to make some changes to the way you think.

First, it rarely matters if it takes you a little longer to set your camera. Very few memorable photos are taken as snaps on the spur of the moment. Slow down.

Understand the basics of how you can set the exposure manually, then practice. Once you commit to moving to manual mode, you will find it’s not difficult to manage.

There are only three settings you need to work with to manually control your exposure – shutter speed, aperture, and ISO. These regulate the exposure.

The exposure meter, also known as the light meter, guides your decision making. With many cameras, you can also use the rear monitor to gauge your exposure. With mirrorless cameras, you can typically see the effect of adjustments you make to exposure in the viewfinder.

Woman Photographer at the Shopping Mall, moving to manual mode

Balancing these three settings will result in a well-exposed subject. Each setting can also affect your photos in different ways. These are important to understand to be in control of how you want your photos to look.

When you are first moving to manual mode, you may not know where to start in setting your exposure. There are many variations on how to set your camera.

Each photographer may use a different method. I base my choices on what I am photographing.

Here are the answers I give my workshop participants about which setting to change first.

When to adjust your shutter speed first

Photographing a moving subject means you need to consider your shutter speed first. If your shutter speed is too slow, your moving subject may appear blurred.

At times you will want this effect. Often you will want your subject to be sharp, without any motion blur or camera shake fuzziness.

Young woman standing in a busy market. Shot using a slow shutter speed to get the movement of the people blurred. Moving to manual mode

Shutter speed was 1/2 a second. My model stood very still © Kevin Landwer-Johan

You need to consider how fast your subject is moving to know an appropriate shutter speed to use. The faster the movement, the faster the shutter speed you’ll need to use to freeze the action.

Making use of motion blur in your photos also requires you to think about how fast your subject is moving. If you set your shutter speed too slow, you’ll see too much blur, and your subject may not be recognizable.

Alternatively, if your shutter speed is a bit too fast, your subject may only blur a little. This often looks like a mistake has been made.

To capture a person walking and have them look sharp, you’ll need to use a shutter speed of 1/250th of a second or faster. If you want them to blur a little and still be recognizable, you’ll need to set your shutter speed at around 1/10 of a second or a little slower.

Low light may mean your shutter speed needs to be slow. It’s important not to choose a speed that’s so slow you’ll get blurring from camera shake. This happens when you are hand-holding your camera and move it slightly during the exposure. I’ll address this more in the section about ISO setting.

Once you have adjusted your shutter speed, you will then need to set your aperture and ISO. This is what your exposure meter, monitor, or viewfinder can guide you to do.

Image: I used a shutter speed of 1/1250th of a second to ‘freeze’ the flying water © Kev...

I used a shutter speed of 1/1250th of a second to ‘freeze’ the flying water © Kevin Landwer-Johan

When to adjust your aperture setting first

Aperture, among other things, allows you to control the depth of field in your photographs. This is the amount of your photo that is sufficiently sharp. The wider aperture you choose (lower f/stop number), the less you’ll have in focus in your picture.

Choosing to adjust the aperture first is a decision based on how much of your composition you want in focus.

At times, you might want to render as much of your composition in focus as possible. This is a common choice when photographing landscapes.

Setting your aperture to a higher f/stop number (i.e., f/8-f/22) will give you more depth of field. Understanding hyperfocal distance will help you make better choices about getting a deep depth of field.

Isolating your subject by blurring the background requires you use a lower f/stop number (i.e., f/1.2 to f4). Doing so means more light will enter your lens. You’ll need to adjust your shutter speed and/or ISO to make sure your subject is well exposed.

Manipulating the aperture setting first is something I often do when I have a static subject. This is because the shutter speed I use is not so significant as it is when my subject is moving.

Moving to manual mode to photograph a Thai dancer

I used an aperture of f/2 on an 85mm lens to control the depth of field. © Kevin Landwer-Johan

When to adjust your ISO setting first

I treat my ISO setting as the foundation of my exposure. I only alter it when I need to. Unlike shutter speed and aperture settings, ISO has no creative influence. However, it does have an effect on the technical quality of your images.

Changing your ISO first is a good idea when you have moved from one location to another, and the light is significantly different. If you’re outside photographing in the bright sun and move inside, you will most likely need to adjust your ISO. Likewise, if you’re photographing in a dark place, and then want to take photos somewhere that’s well illuminated, you may need to change your ISO.

When you are having to set a slow shutter speed to get a good exposure, you need to consider changing your ISO setting. This is more vital when you are hand-holding your camera, because of the risk of camera shake. When your shutter speed is slow, and your aperture is wide open, increasing your ISO will allow you to also increase your shutter speed.

My rule of thumb is to keep the ISO setting as low as possible. This will ensure the best technical quality. As camera sensors have improved over the years, quality problems at high ISO settings have diminished. I still find keeping my ISO low is a good way of managing my settings.

I used an ISO setting of 3200 © Kevin Landwer-Johan

Manual mode balancing act

Obtaining a well-exposed subject using manual mode is not very difficult. It’s a matter of balancing your shutter speed, aperture, and ISO settings. The key to managing to do this well is practice.

Moving to manual mode may seem like a big step, especially if you’ve been comfortable letting your camera control the exposure. Once you do make the decision to take control of your camera you will need to stick with it.

Switch back to an auto mode only when you need to. Otherwise, you will never learn how to take charge of your manual exposure settings properly.

The post Moving to Manual Mode: Which Setting Should You Adjust First? appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Kevin Landwer-Johan.

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Xiaomi asks users which camera manufacturer it should collaborate with

28 Jan

Collaborations between smartphone camera manufacturers aren’t anything new. We’ve seen Leica labels on Huawei phones, the Zeiss logo on Sony and Nokia handsets and Motorola used to offer a Hasselblad-branded camera module for its Moto Z series. It’s often difficult to tell if the teamwork is mostly marketing-driven or actually happening on an engineering level but one thing is clear: smartphone manufacturers like the logo of a big-name camera brand on their devices.

Chinese company Xiaomi has so far (as far as we know) worked without the help of a big name in the camera business, but it appears this could be about to change. The company launched a survey on the Chinese social media platform Weibo, asking users which camera company it should collaborate with.

Image: Weibo

Options included Hasselblad, Canon and Nikon. The ‘vote’ was won by Hasselblad. There is, of course, no way of knowing if we’ll see a Xiaomi phone with Hasselblad-branded camera anytime soon but out of three camera manufacturers, it would be the most logical choice. It’s the only one with previous experience in the mobile business (through the Hasselblad True Zoom module) and has previously collaborated with other manufacturers in the camera category. In any case, we’d hope a company like Xiaomi does not base strategic business decisions solely on social media surveys.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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‘It should cost…’ The three main ways you’re wrong about camera prices

22 Jan

Every time a camera is launched, our comment section is flooded with comments saying ‘it’s too expensive,’ irrespective of what the price is set at. Are all the camera makers utterly out-of-touch with reality, or is there something else going on?

I’m going to explain the three main misunderstandings that I see prompting these comments. I’m not advocating for higher prices, nor trying to suggest that manufacturers never get it wrong, but just trying to highlight why cameras are priced the way they are.

A new model is always going to cost more than the outgoing one

Prices decline with time. No matter what your pricing strategy, an older product (particularly in a fairly fast-moving marking like electronics) cannot demand as high a price at the end of their lifecycle as they can at the beginning.

This may sound obvious, but the consequence is that a new model will always look expensive compared with the model it replaces.

The D780 was launched at the same price as the D750, so is cheaper in real terms. But heavy discounting of the D750 makes the new camera look very pricey.

This is the error we most often see: ‘How can they charge $ 2200, when I can buy the old model for $ 1400?’

To which the response is: ‘How can they not?’ If you offer your new model at the price of the outgoing one, then what does its price look like, at end-of-life? Do you then have to match that price with the next generation model? That approach would end up with you giving cameras away within a couple of product generations, which isn’t exactly a winning strategy in an already contracting industry.


Prices decline with time, so new cameras tend to be released at around the same cost that the old one was launched at.	The alternative (launching to match the current market prices) is a pell-mell race to the bottom.

So cameras tend to be released at around the same prices that the preceding model was launched at. After all, camera makers are companies: they exist to make as much profit as they can. Their job is to maximize the amount of money they generate from each product.

The main exception to matching the previous model’s launch price is if the new model has been stripped-down to hit a lower price point or re-positioned to attract a different audience.

Case study: The stripped-down mass-market special

Sony’s a6000 was launched for $ 799 with a kit zoom: around $ 200 lower than the existing NEX-6 model. It gained a couple of additional features and updates but also saw a drop in viewfinder resolution and had less substantial feeling construction: distinct hints that it wasn’t a like-for-like replacement model.

Sony’s insistence on assigning similar names to all its models doesn’t help, but the pricing alone makes it easier to recognize the a6300 as more of an NEX-6 replacement than an a6000 update. Sure enough, both the a6000 and a6300 continued alongside one another for the next few years: one targeting the ‘price conscious’ consumer, the other offering better build, an NEX-6 level viewfinder and 4K video, for people who were comfortable to spend a bit more.

Manufacturers will occasional try to re-position a particular model, making it cheaper or more expensive, perhaps trying to make room for a new model.

Case study: two models in the place of one

Panasonic’s GX8 had a significantly higher spec and was launched for $ 200 more than the preceding GX7. This created the space for a less expensive GX85 to sit underneath. Looking at the launch prices suggests that Panasonic thought there were two different types of customer buying the GX7: some that wanted a small, mid-priced model and some who wanted something more ambitious, and were willing to pay for it.

However, the next model refresh saw the GX9 launched back at the same price as the GX7 (and called the GX7 III in some markets). ‘This isn’t a GX8 replacement at all’ complained some would-be buyers. The pricing indicated that they were probably partly right.

The lesson in all of this is that you can better interpret a manufacturer’s intentions by comparing the price of a new model to the launch price of the outgoing model, not its depressed end-of-life price.

Case study: getting the price wrong

Manufacturers don’t always get their pricing right, of course. Nikon entered the prime-lens APS-C compact market in 2013 with the Coolpix A, an attractive camera with a 28mm equivalent F2.8 lens. Perhaps emboldened by Fujifilm’s success selling its X100 models for $ 1299, Nikon priced its camera at $ 1099.

Around a month later, Ricoh launched an APS-C version of its much-loved GR, also with a 28mm equiv F2.8 lens, for $ 799. The Coolpix A was a pretty good camera (though we preferred the GR), but without the retro appeal, hybrid viewfinder and burgeoning reputation of the Fujifilm, or the establish fan-base of the GR, that $ 1099 price tag looked awkward.

Without access to sales data, we can’t know for certain how many units were sold at full price but by the second half of 2014, the price had collapsed to just $ 580. A lot of people got a bargain at that discounted price, but it’s noticeable that Nikon hasn’t shown any further interest in that niche.

Of course, sometimes manufacturers will keep old models on the market at a newly lowered price (the Sony a7 II and a7R II, for instance). This makes life a little more complex but should really just focus your attention on what really matters: ‘does the new model offer enough compelling improvements to overlook the older model?’

Your country probably isn’t being ripped-off, even if the US launch price seems cheaper

The RX100 VI was launched for $ 1298 in the US and the equivalent of $ 1450 in Europe. But that’s not the whole story.

The other complaint we regularly see is that the launch price in country ‘X’ is higher than a direct conversion of the US dollar price. There are two main reasons for this.

The first is that US prices tend to be quoted without sales tax, whereas most other countries tend to include sales tax/VAT/GST in consumer-facing communications. As a results, US prices tend to look less expensive simply because the price quoted isn’t the price most people are legally expected to pay. Your local tax level may be more expensive, but that’s more likely to do with your country’s history, style of government and degree of healthcare provision and social support: none of which can be blamed on camera makers.

The second factor is that price competition varies greatly between countries. US prices tend to stay at or near the Manufacturer’s Recommended Sales Price until the manufacturer chooses to adjust it. Countries with more competition between retailers tend to see prices quickly fall away from the initial asking price: early adopters end up paying full price, but anyone buying a few months (or sometimes weeks) later, will get a much better deal.

Case study: why are cameras more expensive in Europe?

Sony’s RX100 VI had an initial MSRP of $ 1298 in the US and €1299 in Europe. This looks bad: €1299 was worth $ 1450 in July 2019. Outrageous, right?

But, if I went to buy one today, I’d end up paying $ 1429 after tax in the US ($ 1298 plus my 10.1% local sales tax rate). If I lived in Germany and bought the same model from a large internet retailer, I’d have to pay €1180, including VAT, which is equivalent to $ 1315.

So, although the launch price in your country may look outrageous, compared with the US price, that doesn’t mean you’ll get ripped-off. The last two times I’ve looked at buying cameras in the US and UK, I found the year-old model I was shopping for to be less expensive in the UK, even with higher local taxes. I’ll concede that this was before the pound plummeted following the Brexit vote: but again, that’s not really the fault of camera makers.

Some things are supposed to look expensive

Marketers have all manner of theories about how to price their goods, and different strategies for maximizing the amount of profit they can make from a specific product. Very few of these have much to do with the costs involved in developing, manufacturing, distributing and supporting that product. Most strategies set the price high enough to make this money back, but there are exceptions even to that.

So there’s little point looking at a product and saying ‘they’ve removed ‘x,’ so it should be cheaper,’ or expecting the price to relate in any way to your estimation of the costs involved.

For instance, a premium pricing strategy holds that it’s sometimes beneficial to price your goods so highly that you end up selling fewer than you could, but at greater profit: the high price and resulting scarcity in itself contributes to the perceived value of the product.

A premium pricing strategy holds that the high price in itself contributes to the perceived value of the product

‘That’s silly,’ you might think: ‘that wouldn’t work on me.’ But it does. Like it or not, you respond to pricing. Read through the comment section of the launch of any Leica product: you’ll see an audience dramatically polarized between ‘it’s not worth that’ and ‘if you could afford it, you’d understand.’ The same goes for luxury items, whether they be Range Rovers or Rolex watches: if they weren’t expensive, they wouldn’t have the same cachet.

This discussion is almost entirely divorced from whether the products themselves are any good (to the degree that any assessment can be entirely rational and dispassionate), it’s primarily a reflection of differing personal responses to the price.

Perceived value is entirely personal and both responses are equally right and wrong: a premium product isn’t worth its exaggerated price to the person who doesn’t care about prestige, scarcity, brand history and reputation or the degree to which something is hand-built, but it is worth it for someone to whom those factors contribute to the item feeling special, or more meaningful.

Is it worth it?

Which ultimately brings us to the question that’s really at stake: not ‘is it too expensive?’ but ‘does it appear to represent good value to me?‘

Again, manufacturers are for-profit companies. They aren’t aiming to offer the product you want at a price you want to pay: they’re trying to price it at the maximum amount you’re willing to pay.

In other words: it’s always going to be a bit more expensive than you’d like.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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The Nikon D750 vs D780: Should you upgrade?

19 Jan

The Nikon D750 vs D780: Should you upgrade?

The Nikon D750 was one of the best enthusiast-and-up DSLRs on the market at the time it was announced and is still a popular workhorse for many photographers today. Its 24MP sensor is still very competitive but its video specs in particular are looking very outdated.

If I were a D750 shooter today, ‘should I upgrade?’ would be a question on my mind. Our own Dan Bracaglia had some thoughts of his own on this, but let’s take a slightly deeper dive into just what Nikon’s updated, and whether those updates are worth it.

Autofocus

Probably the first thing most D750 owners will start to notice if they move across to the D780 is the improved autofocus. The D750 is certainly a capable camera in this regard but the D780 gains a couple of updates that should boost its performance.

In conventional DSLR mode, the D780 uses the same 51-point AF module as its predecessor but the AF system is informed by information from a 180,000 pixel metering sensor, rather than the 91,000 pixel sensor in the D750. This, combined with algorithms derived from those of the D5 professional sports camera, should significantly improve the D780’s AF performance, particularly in terms of subject tracking.

Even more significant will be the autofocus improvements in live view mode, which we’ll come to in a bit.

Newer sensor and JPEG engine

Although both cameras have sensors that come with 24MP, the unit in the D780 is a newer design, either identical or closely related to the one in Nikon’s existing Z6 mirrorless camera. This means it has a BSI (backside-illuminated) design and, more significantly, dual-gain architecture. In essence, this allows the camera to have maximum dynamic range at base ISO with improved noise characteristics at higher ISO values where absolute DR isn’t as crucial a consideration.

We would expect the D780 to produce better JPEGs compared to the D750

We’d expect the D780 to offer a slight upgrade over the D750 for Raw shooters, but one that’s only really visible in comparison and that won’t come close to justifying upgrading.

On the other hand, Nikon’s JPEG engine has improved by leaps and bounds over the past five years. We’ll have to do some more testing to be sure, but we’d expect the D780 to produce JPEGs with better sharpening, more pleasing color and more sophisticated noise reduction compared to those from the D750. And that also makes those JPEGs that much better for sharing over the updated Snapbridge wireless system that the D780 supports.

But that 24MP sensor isn’t all about BSI and dual-gain architecture. It also comes with…

On-sensor phase detection

The D780 has on-sensor phase detection, which provides the kind of distance information needed to quickly drive DSLR lenses. It also gains the AF tracking system from the Z-series cameras, including Face and Eye detection modes. The Face and Eye detection will be a distinct improvement for portraits and people pictures, compared with the D750.

The D780’s live view interface is directly borrowed from the Z-series cameras. This means it works slightly differently that the through-the-viewfinder system: AF tracking needs to be actively cancelled, and always resets to the central position, rather than a pre-selected one, and the Face / Eye detection modes feels like it’s been glued on top of the interface rather than designed to be part of it.

But if you’ve only shot with a DSLR before, you’re likely to be immediately impressed by how well the live view AF performs. Particularly for taking pictures of people, it can be fast, simple and dependable, in a way that even Nikon’s 3D Tracking system isn’t.

Video

Along with live view autofocus, one of the clearest enhancements on the D780 is its video performance. This is immediately apparent from the fact it can shoot up to 4K/30p or 1080/120p, rather than the 1080/60p of the D750, but it runs a lot deeper than that.

For a start, the vastly improved AF and tracking of its live view mode extend to its video shooting, meaning the autofocus is faster, smoother and more reliable (the difference between being usable and unusable, basically). In addition, the D780 gains Nikon’s latest approach to video settings, which lets you configure different settings, including different button customization, if you wish. You can have the video mode mimic your stills settings if you like, but you can also set it to use a different color mode, or white balance setting if you prefer, meaning it’s easy to jump back and forth between stills and video shooting.

Overall, the D780 is a very capable video camera. It’ll even output 10-bit Log footage to an external recorder, if you’re taking things really seriously. Panasonic’s S1 and S1H are some of the only full-frame cameras to offer significantly better video specs. That’s a huge step forward from the D750.

What’s similar?

Many of the rest of the D780’s specs are broadly similar: it’ll shoot at 7fps rather than the D750’s 6.5fps, but that’s unlikely to make much of a difference. Switch to live view and electronic shutter mode and the D780 will deliver 8fps or 12fps if you’re willing to take the slight dynamic range penalty of dropping to 12-bit mode. However, electronic shutter risks movement being distorted by the rolling shutter and increases the range of situations in which you’ll see banding from the flicker of artificial lights, so it’s not useful for all applications.

The optical viewfinders are the same, too: pentamirror finders with 100% coverage and 0.7x magnification.

Also, the D780 still has an in-body (screw drive) focus motor and AI tab, to allow its use with a broad range of older F-mount lenses. The D750 had both features, but notably the FTZ mount adapter for the Z-mount cameras doesn’t.

What’s different

The D780’s rear screen still tilts up and down on a rugged-feeling cradle like the D750’s did, but the dot-count has doubled and it’s now touch-sensitive, making the camera much more usable in live view mode.

The other big difference is that the D780 uses Nikon’s Snapbridge communications system, rather than the more conventional Wi-Fi system on the D750. Snapbridge maintains a constant Bluetooth connection between a smart device and the camera, which makes it quicker to establish a Wi-Fi connection.

We weren’t impressed with the early implementations of Snapbridge but it’s gained a lot in the way of features and stability since then. There’s an option to auto-send 2MP versions of every image you shoot, you can set the camera to transfer images you’ve marked in playback mode (these transfers will happen even when the camera is off), or you can browse the images on the camera from your phone. It now supports Raw and video transfer over Wi-Fi, along with geotagging of images based on phone location and extensive remote control of the camera.

The D780 has a new shutter mechanism, capable of 1/8000 sec exposures. The downside is that its shutter shock at moderate exposures is more pronounced than on the D750. You can work around this by selecting ‘Electronic front-curtain shutter’ in the menus and always shooting in Quiet mode (apply the minimum 0.2 sec exposure delay when resolution is really critical), but it’s worth being aware of.

What’s missing?

Not all of the D780’s specs are an improvement on the older model, though. The D780 repeats some of Nikon’s recent product planning decisions that omit some features that were included in the D750.

The most immediately apparent difference is the lack of internal flash. Nikon says the camera can be better weather-sealed if you don’t include a pop-up flash, but anyone looking to use the D780 with off-camera flashes will have to consider the significance of that trade-off for their shooing. You can mount a variety of flash commanders to the hot shoe or push a WR-R10 radio transceiver into the Remote socket on the left of the camera, if you have the latest radio-controlled Nikon Speedlights.

The other obvious omission on the D780 are the connectors to allow duplicate controls on an accessory grip. There’s nothing on the base of the camera and nothing in the battery compartment meaning that, if Nikon does decide to offer a battery grip, it’ll be like the one for the Z6 and Z7, that just adds room for a second battery.

We suspect a lot of users will find the D780’s rating of 2260 shots per charge more than sufficient (especially considering it’s common to get more than twice the rated number, depending on your usage). However, there will be some users that liked the extra reassurance or improved portrait-orientation ergonomics that an accessory grip offers.

Batteries and memory cards

The D780 uses the latest EN-EL15b battery. It looks like a slightly more angular version of the existing EN-EL15 batteries, the distinction being that the ‘b’ variant can be charged over the camera’s USB socket. The D780 can still use the older 15a and 15 batteries but without USB charging, and with significantly reduced battery life if used with the original EN-EL15 batteries not marked Li-Ion20.

Interestingly, like the D750, the D780 continues to use twin SD card slots, now compatible with the newer UHS-II cards. This may seem odd, given the closely-related Z6 uses the more exotic XQD card format. But there’s not much that the D780 does that would demand higher throughput that the 90MB/s rates maintained by the latest v90 SD cards.

Equally, if we see the D780 as an F-mount alternative to the Z6, then it makes sense that it should maximize its backwards compatibility in terms of cards as well as lenses and (to an extent) batteries.

Should I buy a D780?

Considered in isolation, the D780 is a tremendously well-rounded, capable camera, much as the D750 was, but with that capability now extending to video as well as stills shooting. However, it’s also worth considering the question ‘why would you buy this instead of a Z6?’

The Z6 was launched for $ 300 less than the D780 and that was over a year ago, so the current price difference is even greater. The Z6 uses Nikon’s latest lenses, and clearly represents the direction the company and its development efforts are going in, so what would prompt people to still buy a DSLR?

The most compelling reasons would be either because you have a significant investment in F-mount lenses, your style of shooting demands an optical viewfinder, or simply that you prefer using an optical viewfinder. In which case, the D780 looks like a great do-everything option, and one that has been appreciably improved, compared with the D750.

We suspect this is a trend we’ll see from Canon and Nikon for at least a generation or two of camera releases: a variant of their latest mirrorless cameras, built into (perhaps modestly updated) versions of their DSLR bodies, since both companies have die-hard DSLR users. The breadth of the model range might contract, over time, making it less likely that there’ll be a model at the price you want to pay, but there are enough Nikon lenses out there that there’ll be an audience for Nikon DSLRs for a while yet.

Should I upgrade from my D750?

Whether it’s worth upgrading from a D750 is a more difficult question. If you primarily shoot stills, it might not be. There are certainly improvements in terms of image quality particularly on the JPEG side of things, but these alone are unlikely to justify the cost of upgrading. If you only shoot stills through the viewfinder, and haven’t found yourself hankering for improved AF tracking, then it probably makes sense to stick with the D750.

If you only shoot stills through the viewfinder then it probably makes sense to stick with the D750

However, if you would like a camera with the simplicity and accuracy that eye-detect AF brings, it’s well worth a look. It’s also certainly an easier camera to shoot at high and low angles, thanks to its much more usable live view. Most of all, if you have even the slightest interest in video, the D780 is a significantly better camera. If nothing else, it’s a great way to get that familiar DSLR feel with the option of experiencing what Nikon’s Z-series cameras are like to use.

But then, if it’s the video and mirrorless features of the D780 that make you want to upgrade, maybe you’d be better off with a Z6.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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10 Top Creative Photography Instagram Profiles you Should Follow

08 Jan

The post 10 Top Creative Photography Instagram Profiles you Should Follow appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jackie Lamas.

Want to add a little more inspiration to your Instagram feed? We’ve compiled the 10 top creative photography Instagram profiles you should follow that will make scrolling much more inspiring!

Listed in no particular order, these profiles can inspire creativity and imagination as they photograph the world around them, either real or created. Check it out!

1. Paul Nicklen

First, in the top creative photography Instagram profiles you should follow is Paul Nicklen. Paul is a wildlife photographer whose work has been featured in National Geographic as well as many other exhibitions throughout the world. Most known for his exploration and documentation of polar bears and arctic wildlife, Paul is a suburb fine art photographer and one to follow on Instagram!

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A post shared by Paul Nicklen (@paulnicklen) on Dec 16, 2019 at 4:07am PST

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A post shared by Paul Nicklen (@paulnicklen) on Nov 27, 2019 at 10:26am PST

2. Laura Zalenga

A creative photographer that combines reality with imagination and great storytelling, Laura Zalenga is one to follow along through her creative journey. She is also an Adobe Creative Resident giving followers an insight into what it means to have a residency at Adobe.

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A post shared by laura zalenga (@laurazalenga) on Apr 12, 2019 at 8:42am PDT

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A post shared by laura zalenga (@laurazalenga) on Dec 9, 2019 at 9:02am PST

3. Humans of NY

Part documentary, part humanitarian, Humans of NY is an account that inspires us to tell stories about the most unlikely of people. The photographer also travels and tells stories of people from all over the world. Sharing lots of different perspectives of ordinary people who sometimes don’t show their faces and whose stories connect with many followers.

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“My husband hasn’t been home in 153 days. There’s a legal case right now, so I can’t say exactly what happened. But he suffered a catastrophic brain injury in July. And so many of his memories are gone. Some days I’ll go visit him and it just won’t stick. He still remembers my name, but his memories about me are all wrong. Or the details are mixed up. But he’s one hundred percent convinced they’re true. He can’t be corrected. He’s steadfast in his memories. Right now I feel like we’re on two different tracks. I’m just trying to find the places where they merge. He recognized our wedding ring yesterday, even though it was around my neck—that was big for me. It was a moment when our realities came together. Our 45th anniversary is this Saturday. I’m just hoping it will be as normal as possible. I’m going to cook him dinner. Hopefully he’ll eat. And maybe we can share some of the same memories. I’m not sure if that’s enough for me, but it has to be. It has to be enough. Because he’s not going anywhere. And neither am I. We’re in this together.”

A post shared by Humans of New York (@humansofny) on Dec 19, 2019 at 11:15am PST

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“I vividly remember watching cartoons as a kid and seeing Bugs Bunny standing on a lily pad, playing ‘Hello My Darling,’ with a banjo in his hand and a drum on his back. I’ve always wanted to play music myself. But it’s so hard to make a living at it. For awhile I was playing the banjo in restaurants. But I couldn’t make it work. So I thought I’d try the Bugs Bunny thing.”

A post shared by Humans of New York (@humansofny) on Dec 4, 2019 at 4:16pm PST

4. Minh T (thismintymoment)

Minh T is a superb photographer combining geometric architecture with a clean portrait creating a style all of his own. Minimalistic in nature but drawing the eye to the focal point using negative space and clean lines. This is a profile on Instagram worth following.

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Lost in an Escher dream ?

A post shared by Minh T (@thismintymoment) on Oct 22, 2019 at 4:31pm PDT

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A new set of images inspired by the bold diagonal lines of the most provocative letters of the alphabet, the letter X, which happens to be the namesake of this seductive scent from the house of @clivechristianperfume. Spicy and woody, it leaves a strong impression — full of strength and sensuality . #CliveChristianPerfume #DiscoverClive #CliveChristianX #sponsored #architecture #icons

A post shared by Minh T (@thismintymoment) on Nov 15, 2019 at 7:01am PST

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A post shared by Minh T (@thismintymoment) on Jul 20, 2018 at 6:31am PDT

5. Tropicophoto

This duo brings color, creative imagination, and narratives that tell stories to a whole different level. Their entire feed is an explosion of color.

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A post shared by Forrest & Michelle (@tropicophoto) on Nov 17, 2019 at 7:11am PST

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A post shared by Forrest & Michelle (@tropicophoto) on May 7, 2019 at 4:59am PDT

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A post shared by Forrest & Michelle (@tropicophoto) on Dec 7, 2019 at 6:59am PST

6. Eva Kosmas Flores

Eva is a food stylist, cook, and photographer that brings moodiness and a bit of warmth to her photography. She also gives workshops on how to better your food photography even if you’re not a photographer. Her presets also set her photos apart giving them that dark and inviting feel.

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A post shared by Eva Kosmas Flores ? Photo Food (@evakosmasflores) on Dec 5, 2019 at 8:16am PST

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A post shared by Eva Kosmas Flores ? Photo Food (@evakosmasflores) on Oct 22, 2019 at 8:57am PDT

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A post shared by Eva Kosmas Flores ? Photo Food (@evakosmasflores) on Nov 17, 2019 at 8:41am PST

7. Peter Hurley

Peter Hurley is a renown headshot photographer giving workshops all over the world to photographers helping them master headshot portraiture. He is down to earth and fun to follow along in Insta Stories for behind the scenes of his shoots, travels, and life.

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A post shared by Peter Hurley (@peter_hurley) on May 9, 2019 at 10:23am PDT

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A post shared by Peter Hurley (@peter_hurley) on May 15, 2019 at 12:43pm PDT

8. Stormy Solis

Stormy is a portrait photographer who has carved her own style creating beautiful images of connection, love, and intimacy among families and couples. Truly captivating her imagery inspires her followers to take a more intimate approach to portrait photography.

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A post shared by Stormy Solis (@stormysolis) on Dec 12, 2019 at 8:13am PST

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A post shared by Stormy Solis (@stormysolis) on Oct 4, 2019 at 8:31am PDT

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A post shared by Stormy Solis (@stormysolis) on Dec 2, 2019 at 12:36pm PST

9. Reuben Wu (itsreuben)

Reuben Wu is the creator of the Aerogliph. Using the light from drones and slow shutter speed, he light-paints in mid-air creating the most interesting and thought-provoking images.

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A post shared by Reuben Wu (@itsreuben) on Nov 15, 2019 at 11:19am PST

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A post shared by Reuben Wu (@itsreuben) on Mar 18, 2019 at 5:55am PDT

10. Donatella Nicolini (donatellanicolinistudio)

And finally, in the top creative photography Instagram profiles you should follow is Donatella Nicolini. Donatella is an Italian portrait photographer focused mainly on fine art maternity. Her images are paint-like and breathtakingly timeless!

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A post shared by DONATELLA NICOLINI (@donatellanicolinistudio) on Jul 2, 2018 at 7:09am PDT

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A post shared by DONATELLA NICOLINI (@donatellanicolinistudio) on Mar 24, 2019 at 11:25am PDT

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A post shared by DONATELLA NICOLINI (@donatellanicolinistudio) on Jan 11, 2018 at 8:41am PST

In conclusion

Instagram is a great source of inspiration and there are some great photographers making incredible photographs! Add these Instagram profiles you should follow to your list of inspiring photographers on Instagram!

Do you have others to add to ‘Instagram Profiles You Should follow’? If so, please share in the comments!

The post 10 Top Creative Photography Instagram Profiles you Should Follow appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jackie Lamas.

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5 Camera Settings Every Bird Photographer Should Know

04 Jan

The post 5 Camera Settings Every Bird Photographer Should Know appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.

If you want to capture amazing bird photos, you absolutely need to master your camera settings.

Because camera settings determine whether your bird photos look blurry or sharp, well-exposed or lacking details.

In other words, your camera settings can be the difference between a great photo and a mediocre photo.

Which is why this article is dedicated to giving you the five camera settings that every bird photographer should know.

That way, you’ll never struggle to choose the correct camera settings again.

Let’s get started.

5 Camera Settings Every Bird Photographer Should Know

1. Use Aperture Priority or Manual mode to set your exposure

First things first:

If you want to create beautiful bird photos, you have to make sure they’re well-exposed. This means that you need the right aperture and right shutter speed to create a bright, detailed photo.

How do you ensure that you capture a well-exposed bird photo?

You use Aperture Priority or Manual mode.

bird-photography-camera-settings-tips

Both of these modes are available via the Mode Dial on most cameras. Aperture Priority is the easier mode to use: It allows you to choose an aperture, while your camera selects a shutter speed based on its evaluation of the ambient light.

Manual mode forces you to choose both an aperture and a shutter speed. However, the camera viewfinder displays a bar that shows whether your choices will result in underexposure, overexposure, or an exposure that’s just right. If you use Manual mode, then you must carefully observe this bar to determine the best aperture and shutter speed for each photo.

If you’re a beginner, or if you’re shooting fast-paced scenes, Aperture Priority is generally the best choice. You can dial in a wide aperture (usually between f/5.6 and f/7.1), then allow your camera to choose a shutter speed. If the shutter speed is too low (more on that later!), then you can raise the ISO to compensate.

Manual mode is a bit trickier to use and takes some getting used to. Once you feel confident in your exposure skills, Manual mode might be the way to go. Manual mode is also a good choice if the background is changing rapidly, but the light on the bird remains the same (such as when you’re photographing a bird in flight). In such a situation, Manual mode will prevent the camera meter from changing your shutter speed in response to the changing background.

Here’s the bottom line:

To get a perfect exposure, you need to take control of your camera settings. And that starts by choosing a camera mode.

Both Aperture Priority and Manual will work. Start with Aperture Priority and, if you like, you can always work up to using Manual.

2. Use back-button focus to capture tack-sharp photos

Back-button focus is one of my favorite camera features because it’s just so amazingly useful.

Here’s why:

Back-button autofocus allows you to control your camera’s focus via a button on the camera’s back (sometimes labeled AF-ON). Rather than pressing the shutter button halfway to focus, then the rest of the way to capture a shot, back-button focus allows you to separate these two functions.

The shutter button is used for taking pictures.

And the AF-ON button is used for focusing.

This is invaluable if you want to focus and recompose, then track a moving subject, then focus and recompose again.

(You’ll want to make sure you’ve set your autofocus mode to AI-Servo, also known as AF-C.)

You see, if you press and hold the AF-ON button, it activates the continuous autofocus, which will track a moving subject.

But once you let go of the AF-ON button, the autofocus locks in place. Now the autofocus acts like one-shot AF, which locks focus and stays focused.

So if you come upon a bird that’s moving, you can track it via back-button focus. But as soon as the bird stops moving, you can let go of the AF-ON button, and test out different compositions, knowing that the focus won’t change.

The ibis in the photo below was moving along the water’s edge, but then stopped so I could grab this photo. I focused on the eye, but then reframed (a perfect situation for back-button focus!).

bird-photography-camera-settings-tips

Cool, right?

Plus, if you accidentally let go of the shutter button, you don’t have to deal with refocusing. Back-button focus stays locked in place.

That’s the power of back-button focus!

To set up back-button autofocus does take a bit of fiddling with camera settings, which is beyond the scope of this article. So take a look in your camera’s manual (or do a bit of Googling!). It’s worth it, I promise.

3. Use continuous shooting to nail the action shots

Bird photography often gives you the opportunity to capture amazing action shots. Photos of birds flying through the air, birds diving into the water, birds capturing fish.

But here’s the thing:

It’s easy to miss the action if you’re not prepared.

After all, birds move fast.

That’s why continuous shooting comes in handy.

Pretty much all cameras have a continuous shooting mode, these days. Continuous shooting allows you to fire off a burst of photos, generally between 5 frames per second and 15 frames per second.

So whenever you go out to do bird photography, switch your shooting mode to continuous shooting.

And then, when the action heats up, start shooting burst rather than single shots.

That’s what I did for this little blue heron shot. When the bird began to hunt, I started shooting in bursts, so I could be sure to get sharp shots with the beak near the water!

5 Camera Settings Every Bird Photographer Should Know

Will you get a lot of throwaway images? Sure.

But you’ll also have a much better chance of getting the perfect image. So it’s undoubtedly worth it!

You do want to be careful, however, because your camera’s buffer can fill up quickly. When that happens, you won’t be able to shoot bursts until the camera has processed some of the images.

Just be mindful of your camera’s buffer.

And you’ll get some shots of a lifetime.

4. Choose a shutter speed of at least 1/500s (and probably faster)

If you want to capture sharp bird photos, then you have to use a fast shutter speed.

Because the shutter speed is what determines whether you freeze the scene, or whether it turns into one unpleasant blur.

Now, there is no one ideal shutter speed. If the bird in your scene is stationary, you’ll need a much slower shutter speed than if the bird in your scene is flapping its wings wildly.

But I can give you some recommendations that should ensure you get sharp bird photos, consistently.

First, if you’re shooting a motionless bird (for instance, a bird that’s sleeping or standing still), I recommend using a shutter speed of at least 1/500th of a second. This is to compensate for the length of your lens because longer lenses result in more potential for camera shake.

bird-photography-camera-settings-tips

Second, if you’re shooting a bird that’s moving at a slow to medium speed, around 1/1000th of a second is a good choice. This will freeze the movement, but won’t force you to crank up the ISO to compensate for underexposure.

Third, if you’re shooting a fast-moving bird, you should choose a shutter speed of at least 1/2000th. If the bird is flying at high speeds, then 1/2500th, 1/3200th, or even 1/4000th is a good choice. Birds move fast, and you don’t want to end up with a blurry shot because your shutter speed was a hair too slow.

5. Use the lowest ISO you can afford for noise-free photos

In bird photography, shutter speed and ISO tend to balance one another out.

If you choose a slower shutter speed, you don’t need a high ISO; if you choose a high ISO, you don’t need a slow shutter speed.

Now, ISO comes with a big downside: The higher the ISO, the more noise you’ll get in your photos. And noise is pretty much always bad.

On the other hand, a high ISO increases the brightness of your photos, which allows you to use a lightning-fast shutter speed without worry.

5 Camera Settings Every Bird Photographer Should Know

So what do you do? How do you choose your ISO?

I recommend you start by determining an acceptable shutter speed. Use the guidelines in the previous tip if you’re struggling.

Then push your ISO up until you’ve reached your determined shutter speed – but don’t go any higher than you have to.

Because here’s the thing:

It’s better to get a noisy image than a blurry image. But the holy grail of photography is achieving sharp photos without noise.

So keep your ISO to a minimum.

And you’ll get the best possible shot.

5 camera settings every bird photographer should know: Conclusion

bird-photography-camera-settings-tips

Choosing the best settings for bird photography may seem difficult, but it doesn’t have to be.

Just remember the five camera settings that I’ve shared.

And you’ll be capturing amazing photos in no time!

If you have any other tips on bird photography camera settings, please share with us in the comments below, along with any photos you’d like to share.

The post 5 Camera Settings Every Bird Photographer Should Know appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.

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These are the next lenses you should buy for your new Micro Four Thirds camera

28 Dec

From pocket-sized prime lenses to fast zooms designed to weather the elements, there are lenses of all shapes and sizes for Micro Four Thirds shooters. If you’ve recently acquired one of these cameras then we’ve got some ideas for your next lens.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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These are the next lenses you should buy for your new Fujifilm mirrorless camera

27 Dec

Maybe you were gifted a Fujifilm X-mount camera like the X-A7 or X-T30, or you treated yourself to an X-T3 for being extra good this year. In either case, we’ve got some suggestions when you’re ready for your next lens purchase.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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These are the next lenses you should buy for your new APS-C Sony mirrorless camera

27 Dec

If a Sony a6000-series camera found its way into your hands this season you’re already well-equipped to take some great photos. But nothing opens up new possibilities like another lens – here are our suggestions for APS-C Sony mirrorless cameras.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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