Hallo sir and photo Guru! Many thanks for all your informative videos! I just replaced my D7200 for the D500 (The d7200 is good, but not fast enough for shooting birdies) and i have the 200-500 f5,6. As You say... a perfect combination:) Again, thank You and please continue with your awesome work! Live long and prosper / Marcus
Mark, Thanks so much for sharing your settings and the manner in which you use them in the field. I have learned so much from your videos and truly appreciate your willingness to share. Your pictures are an inspiration for an old guy like me to get more keepers than discards. All the best, Gil aka SemperFiGuy Largo, FL
II'm an old guy who still carries an incident light meter which measures the light falling on the subject. If I'm in the same light as the scene you have a pretty good manual starting point that is not effected by subject or background reflectance. Or a spot reading of a white bird. Or simply use the camera meter and expose to the right. The D500 has amazing dynamic range giving you lots of leeway in recovering shadows or highlights. If you expose for the brightest part of the scene (in our case with white birds) everything will fall right in place back in LR or your favorite RAW editor.
Thanks for this method. I always seem to like the results better when I expose to the left or underexpose just a hair. I don't know why this is, but the images appear more pleasing to my eye this way.
I kind of noticed that the D500 acts somewhat like slide media of yore in that slight underexposure will saturate the color more. The problem I have with exposing for the white is that most, if not all sensors, (at least the D500), will not recover any detail if burned out or washed out. Once you've lost your highs, you can't get anything back. Whereas by shooting low, you still have a little adjustment in your highs w/o blowing them out. At least I think that's what I think.
I find that if you spot expose for any white object, you're asking to fool the camera. Like shooting in snow...you have to overexpose, as in Ansel Adam's zone exposures, you must open the aperture at least 2x otherwise the light meter will turn your subject into a grey card.
Thanks. The D500 is an incredible camera. I can't say enough good things about it. I have the original Tamron 150-600 and it served me well for about 2 years. Then it started to develop a problem where the focus system would die. I would have to re-seat the lens in order to get it working. It did this once when an eagle flew right at me. The was the last straw and it had to be replaced. I tried the newer Tamron and the Nikon 200-500 at a local store. I bought the Nikon lens. I am very happy with it. I would suggest trying them both either via a rental service or at a store to see which one works best for you.
Hi Mark, I recently stumbled on your youtube videos relating to D500 and Nikon 850. I like your narratives. They are native and no fuss. You make shooting the birds so simple even the small birds particularly with some action. I have sony a 77 and sigma70-200 2.8. After seeing your videos, I am thinking of getting a Nikon just for bird and wildlife photography. Could you make a video of your shooting the birds in flight and post? How many shots you have to take to have one keeper and how to chase birds. Is it budget that would dictate going for D500 vs Nikon 850? Thanks for your interest in addressing these questions.
In my opinion the D850 is the better choice if you can afford it and it you either have or plan on owning prime lenses. For instance, the D850 with my 500mm prime gets a constant 95% keeper rate. It gets to a point where I am having a hard time choosing which image to keep because they are all so good! I have a lot of videos on shooting birds in flight. A good percentage of them cover that subject. I haven't had the chance to sit down and do any post production videos yet. Hopefully in the future I will.
@mark Smith I have just changed the settings today just as yours, now i would like to know whether these settings would be enough for shooting animals too. If not, can you please make a video about it? a request. i appreciate your effort you put here just for educating D500 holders, i follow a lot of photographers but no one can spoon feed like you do. you are nutts,,,!!! Upload more and more videos, i have already watched all. waiting for next one.
Yes, you can use these same settings for anything where stopping movement is a priority: wildlife, sports etc.. Again, thanks for watching and the great compliments.
@@MarkSmithphotography Thanks a lot. I have another question, when birding if you have the camera set for Birds in flight but suddenly appears a nice bird perched, how is the best way to switch settings for a static picture ? changing from AF-C to AF-S is enough or are there any other necessary adjustment ? Thanks again for your assistance.
With back button focus there is no need to change. You keep the camera in afc at all times. Touch the af-on button once for still subjects (afs) hold it in for moving subjects (afc)
Mark, you mentioned in your setup that you use group AF. Where do you like to focus on the bird? The head, eyes, body? I realize that when flying you have to be quick so it can be a challenge.
Mark, thanks for the great videos on setting up the D500. I can’t wait to go shoot with these new settings. What gimbal head are you using in this video? I noticed you had a different one in the Colorado video with the D850. What brand is it? Which do you like better?
Hi Mark. Great video. (FYI - just bought your book.) Question - if you’re shooting a dark bird (ie Snail Kite), do you adjust your exposure compensation in the opposite direction vs what you recommended for white birds?
Thanks for watching and for buying my book. Good question too. That really depends on the current lighting situation but most of the time you must go the opposite direction or overexpose to get some detail on the black bird. You may lose some of the sky in the process but you can usually bring it back in post if you are shooting RAW.
I should have been a little clearer. I've never had to increase the exposure compensation on any bird unless it was black or poorly lit. Snail Kites if you are talking about the ones in the states should be fine with or without negative compensation.
Mark Smith ok. Thanks for answering. My Snail Kite pictures (Joe Overstreet) have been all in flight and not great - dark and blurry. My Bald Eagle pictures are somewhat better. However, I’ve only been using a DSLR since Spring 2017 so I’m giving myself a little break since I do see improvements. Will try again using your settings. I’ll only use exposure compensation if necessary.
I have tried Spot Metering and I was wondering when someone was going to ask that question. I prefer the exposure compensation method. It seems to work better for me. I like to use spot metering more for people when they might be back lit. Does that make sense?
Yep, makes sense for sure. I'm still experimenting with the D500 & 200-500 f5.6 setup in the (much of the time) light deprived Pacific Northwest environment. Thanks for the tips.
You gotta love the Pacific Northwest though. I was out there last spring in Cannon Beach and Big Sur. That area is awesome but I can see where it would be difficult not having good light!
I have found spot metering can be inconsistent on a moving bird and using this system manual/auto ISO, you need to get used to using the compensation button
Exactly what I have seen as well. Spot metering works sometimes and sometimes it doesn't seem to have any affect at all. The exposure compensation gives me consistent results all the time.
Just recently ask this photo group I am in about exposure compensation. Their response was Exp Compensation only works on the Aperture, Shutter speed and P mode. I enjoy my D500 with the 200-500 lens, but I am have trouble getting those sharp photos that I have seen on your videos. What additional information can you provide on Exposure Compensation in regards to the Nikon D500
Thanks. The Gimbal isn't labeled a "gimbal" at all. It is simply called a heavy telephoto lens support. It is made by manfrotto. Here is a link to it on Amazon. amzn.to/2nYmBxI I really like the freedom it gives me. It is really easy to balance. It is also really easy to rebalance in just a few seconds. It is a little on the heavy side though. I am using Dolica Proline carbon fiber tripod. It is the weakest link in my current setup and I hope to replace it soon.
I want an Iduro. I met a guy who was using one and I really liked the setup. It had no center column so he could get really low with it. I like the Grand Series Stealth series 4 and I believe that is what he was using. It looks like a beast of a tripod. Have you seen or used one of these?
Mark Smith No, have not used one either or seen one in the wild. a mate had a RRS, but it is unaffordable in Australia. I am looking at Stealth 304L or 403
If you shoot RAW, the in camera sharpness settings have no impact on your images. It is my understanding that any internal camera settings like sharpness, contrast, saturation etc,only affect in camera Jpgs. I have mine setup to shoot both JPG and RAW at the same time. I might use the JPG for a quick email but the RAW files always have far more detail for Lightroom. Make sense?
I have and the only time I did use it was an overcast day with horrible light. I didn't really care for the crop mode results but to be fair, it could have been the bad light. I simply haven't thought about using it again. I'll have to make a note of it and try it on some stationary birds. I am very seriously considering a teleconverter for the 200-500. I met a guy at who was using the 1.4 and he said the images were still just as sharp but you had to have near perfect light because it becomes an F8 lens.
I know the perfect subjects too. I found an Osprey nest with some chicks and it is on the water so I can only get about 125 feet from it. Testing the 1.3 crop mode would be perfect here. It looks like the light will be good tomorrow so I may go give it a test and see what I come up with.
You're in Manual. You're manually setting the aperture, shutter speed, and ISO. When you use the exposure compensation, which setting of those three is the camera changing to decrease the exposure?
I'm in manual but have the D500 set up to use AUTO ISO. I'm not sure which setting the exposure compensation is changing because the EXIF data still shows the settings I chose, except of course ISO because I didn't choose it. Maybe the ISO then? I'm not sure. Maybe someone else can give you a more accurate answer.
Mark Smith, quick response! Thanks Mark. If you're so inclined, would you mind taking a couple test shots? One with exposure compensation set to 0.0 (none}, one with -1.0, and see which exposure setting changes. Hopefully it is the ISO, and that way you're not changing the shutter speed or aperture which would affect your depth of field.
I was under the impression that "Manual" mode on Nikon cameras did not support the use of exposure compensation - works great in Aperture or Shutter Priority modes.
so basicly when to take a walk, you are ready for fast action/ auto iso and shutter 2000.. if you see subject still you just roll shutter to lets say 1/300, and use compesation dependingh on scene on top of that?.,
Sounds about right but it varies according to available light. Movement: highest shutter speed possible without bumping the iso too much. Sitting or perched bird, drop the shutter speed to get the lowest and cleanest iso possible. Make sense?
yes, make sense;), from day 1 i started using my camera in manual, to learn and understad what im doing, and how to do it right. i got my basic good, and learning my whay up, . in last few mount started to take photos of bird, using d7200 and 200-500.its challenging , i love it. . when i "park" myshelf in some bush i use fixed iso and shutter,and its all fine, good resoults, until to much different light /slow,fast subject come into play. so i love using auto iso,my problem is that many times i dont get right resoults as i wanted , feel like camera picked higher iso than needed. my guess is i havent dial in compensation according to scene .. do you use iso limit ?
yes, i whas thinking about auto iso and compensation, thanke you, on feedback, cant w8 for more free time, bird practice :), p.s love your photos and videos, chears"!!
No offense, but letting the camera dictate ISO and using Exposure compensation is letting the camera guess at what is going on while a bird doing 40mph plus is in flight and if you've ever watched your auto ISO in your viewfinder while a bird is flying it is all over the place. Spot metering, your histogram and checking your highlights will produce more consistent shots. You can meter for the light when you arrive and only have to change that setting if clouds or some othe rmajor light variable comes into play. You said you don't mind opinions...just thought I'd give mine.
No offense taken. That's one of the cool things about photography or art in general. There is always more than one way to get the results you want. I do disagree though. In my experience using Auto Iso with exposure compensation produces exactly what I want every single time. I would go so far as to say a 95% success ratio. Every single time I have used spot metering. I get very inconsistent results and only seem to get around a 50% keeper rate. I am just here to share what has worked for me. In general, anyone using a camera should always be using a method that gets them the best results. At the end of the day, I am taking pictures that make me happy and that is what matters most.
Mark Smith another thing is ISO does not create noise, it only allows light to the sensor to compensate for aperature and shutter speed. I shoot as high as 6400 with very high shutter speeds and get tack sharp results. I agree about only pleasing yourself in photography but the best pros in birds in flight all spot meter and if you only sorry the proper light don't need auto ISO...I will leave it at that, just trying to help and I use that same combination and own 3 D500's. check the results
Thanks for the info but increasing the ISO most definitely creates more noise while at the same time increasing the sensor's sensitivity to light. That is the trade-off and this has been published countless times by plenty of "pro" photographers. I have seen it myself and that is why I choose to shoot the way that gives me the best results which I have checked countless times. My results don't lie. They are tack sharp images. This discussion is excellent for anyone who stumbles upon it because it now gives them a choice. They can take what you said and shoot and they can take what I said and shoot. They can then meld these methods into something new that helps them create images that make them happy. It is always best to experiment and create your own path in any art form. That is what makes us individuals and helps to create a particular style. If everyone just copied everyone else, there would never be any sort of life in art. It would all be stale and boring. I think we can easily agree to disagree on the subject. I tried your method and the results were dissatisfying to me. You have a way of capturing light but I have a method that works perfectly for me. Now if Nikon can just combine the D500 with the D810, I would only need one camera instead of the two I always carry with me.
Here's a quote from Nikon on camera noise in relation to higher ISO. "In digital cameras, raising the ISO means a similar decrease in quality, with an increase in what's called "noise." It's the digital equivalent of grain and results in a sort of "chunky" look to the image. Very early digital cameras had objectionable levels of noise at ISOs as low as 800. Today most digital SLRs can make good quality images at ISOs up to 1600 and above. However, several variables affect this." "All of this means photographers are constantly doing a balancing act. They want to keep their ISO low for high quality images (low noise), but also they need a fast enough shutter speed to get a sharp picture. "
Just like that. Simple nothing fancy, or tricky .Congrats, keep in this track and you will have a lot of followers.
Thanks!
Hallo sir and photo Guru!
Many thanks for all your informative videos! I just replaced my D7200 for the D500 (The d7200 is good, but not fast enough for shooting birdies) and i have the 200-500 f5,6. As You say... a perfect combination:)
Again, thank You and please continue with your awesome work!
Live long and prosper / Marcus
Thank you very much. Glad to hear you are enjoying the combo. It is a good one. Live long and prosper as well!
Mark, Thanks so much for sharing your settings and the manner in which you use them in the field. I have learned so much from your videos and truly appreciate your willingness to share. Your pictures are an inspiration for an old guy like me to get more keepers than discards.
All the best,
Gil
aka SemperFiGuy
Largo, FL
It is my pleasure. Thanks for watching!
Mark your video's are awesome! Direct and to the point. Thanks! I have the same setup D500 & 200 - 500.
Thanks! The D500 paired with the 200-500 is an incredible photography combo!
Just found your replies regarding the gimbal heads. I also highly recommend your books. Nice writing style and enjoyable to read.
Thanks so much!
II'm an old guy who still carries an incident light meter which measures the light falling on the subject. If I'm in the same light as the scene you have a pretty good manual starting point that is not effected by subject or background reflectance. Or a spot reading of a white bird. Or simply use the camera meter and expose to the right. The D500 has amazing dynamic range giving you lots of leeway in recovering shadows or highlights. If you expose for the brightest part of the scene (in our case with white birds) everything will fall right in place back in LR or your favorite RAW editor.
Thanks for this method. I always seem to like the results better when I expose to the left or underexpose just a hair. I don't know why this is, but the images appear more pleasing to my eye this way.
I kind of noticed that the D500 acts somewhat like slide media of yore in that slight underexposure will saturate the color more. The problem I have with exposing for the white is that most, if not all sensors, (at least the D500), will not recover any detail if burned out or washed out. Once you've lost your highs, you can't get anything back. Whereas by shooting low, you still have a little adjustment in your highs w/o blowing them out. At least I think that's what I think.
I find that if you spot expose for any white object, you're asking to fool the camera. Like shooting in snow...you have to overexpose, as in Ansel Adam's zone exposures, you must open the aperture at least 2x otherwise the light meter will turn your subject into a grey card.
Hello Mark. I love your videos. Your wildlife shots are awesome! I hope with the help of your videos I can capture some fabulous bird shots.
I subscribed, but I have yet to see that Bumble Bee. You always make me look.
I don't think it shows up anymore. It must have flown away ;)
+Mark Smith You can't shoot a bee in flight?
Great video! I learned a lot.
Thanks!
Just found you - great job. I'm looking at the D500 but am torn between the Nikon and Tamron tele-zooms. Look forward to your episodes. Thanks.
Thanks. The D500 is an incredible camera. I can't say enough good things about it. I have the original Tamron 150-600 and it served me well for about 2 years. Then it started to develop a problem where the focus system would die. I would have to re-seat the lens in order to get it working. It did this once when an eagle flew right at me. The was the last straw and it had to be replaced. I tried the newer Tamron and the Nikon 200-500 at a local store. I bought the Nikon lens. I am very happy with it. I would suggest trying them both either via a rental service or at a store to see which one works best for you.
Nice job. Enjoyed the series!
Jim
Thanks!
Hi Mark, I recently stumbled on your youtube videos relating to D500 and Nikon 850. I like your narratives. They are native and no fuss. You make shooting the birds so simple even the small birds particularly with some action. I have sony a 77 and sigma70-200 2.8. After seeing your videos, I am thinking of getting a Nikon just for bird and wildlife photography. Could you make a video of your shooting the birds in flight and post? How many shots you have to take to have one keeper and how to chase birds. Is it budget that would dictate going for D500 vs Nikon 850? Thanks for your interest in addressing these questions.
In my opinion the D850 is the better choice if you can afford it and it you either have or plan on owning prime lenses. For instance, the D850 with my 500mm prime gets a constant 95% keeper rate. It gets to a point where I am having a hard time choosing which image to keep because they are all so good! I have a lot of videos on shooting birds in flight. A good percentage of them cover that subject. I haven't had the chance to sit down and do any post production videos yet. Hopefully in the future I will.
@mark Smith I have just changed the settings today just as yours, now i would like to know whether these settings would be enough for shooting animals too. If not, can you please make a video about it? a request.
i appreciate your effort you put here just for educating D500 holders, i follow a lot of photographers but no one can spoon feed like you do. you are nutts,,,!!!
Upload more and more videos, i have already watched all. waiting for next one.
Yes, you can use these same settings for anything where stopping movement is a priority: wildlife, sports etc.. Again, thanks for watching and the great compliments.
Hi Mark, how do you use Manual mode with Exposure compensation ? I understand it (EC) doesn´t work in Manual mode
.. . ?
Manual with auto iso. Exposure compensation will adjust iso. Works very well.
@@MarkSmithphotography Thanks a lot. I have another question, when birding if you have the camera set for Birds in flight but suddenly appears a nice bird perched, how is the best way to switch settings for a static picture ? changing from AF-C to AF-S is enough or are there any other necessary adjustment ? Thanks again for your assistance.
With back button focus there is no need to change. You keep the camera in afc at all times. Touch the af-on button once for still subjects (afs) hold it in for moving subjects (afc)
Mark, you mentioned in your setup that you use group AF. Where do you like to focus on the bird? The head, eyes, body? I realize that when flying you have to be quick so it can be a challenge.
If close enough, focus on the eye otherwise go for the head.
Mark, thanks for the great videos on setting up the D500. I can’t wait to go shoot with these new settings. What gimbal head are you using in this video? I noticed you had a different one in the Colorado video with the D850. What brand is it? Which do you like better?
I don't use the older one any longer and don't recommend it. It would occasionally come apart which as you can imagine, isn't a good thing.
Hi Mark. Great video. (FYI - just bought your book.) Question - if you’re shooting a dark bird (ie Snail Kite), do you adjust your exposure compensation in the opposite direction vs what you recommended for white birds?
Thanks for watching and for buying my book. Good question too. That really depends on the current lighting situation but most of the time you must go the opposite direction or overexpose to get some detail on the black bird. You may lose some of the sky in the process but you can usually bring it back in post if you are shooting RAW.
I should have been a little clearer. I've never had to increase the exposure compensation on any bird unless it was black or poorly lit. Snail Kites if you are talking about the ones in the states should be fine with or without negative compensation.
Mark Smith ok. Thanks for answering. My Snail Kite pictures (Joe Overstreet) have been all in flight and not great - dark and blurry. My Bald Eagle pictures are somewhat better. However, I’ve only been using a DSLR since Spring 2017 so I’m giving myself a little break since I do see improvements. Will try again using your settings. I’ll only use exposure compensation if necessary.
Have you tried the highlight weighted metering?
+Dennis W Yes I have and the results have always been very inconsistent.
Hi mark, what about ISO? what is the maximum ISO value you use on the d500?
I am using AUTO-ISO with a range of 100 up to 2500. I haven't had the need to go any higher yet.
Appreciate your quick response.
Sure thing!
Hey Mark. Nice video series on D500 setup. Regarding white birds, have you tried using Spot Metering rather than stepping down exposure compensation?
I have tried Spot Metering and I was wondering when someone was going to ask that question. I prefer the exposure compensation method. It seems to work better for me. I like to use spot metering more for people when they might be back lit. Does that make sense?
Yep, makes sense for sure. I'm still experimenting with the D500 & 200-500 f5.6 setup in the (much of the time) light deprived Pacific Northwest environment. Thanks for the tips.
You gotta love the Pacific Northwest though. I was out there last spring in Cannon Beach and Big Sur. That area is awesome but I can see where it would be difficult not having good light!
I have found spot metering can be inconsistent on a moving bird and using this system manual/auto ISO, you need to get used to using the compensation button
Exactly what I have seen as well. Spot metering works sometimes and sometimes it doesn't seem to have any affect at all. The exposure compensation gives me consistent results all the time.
Just recently ask this photo group I am in about exposure compensation. Their response was Exp Compensation only works on the Aperture, Shutter speed and P mode. I enjoy my D500 with the 200-500 lens, but I am have trouble getting those sharp photos that I have seen on your videos. What additional information can you provide on Exposure Compensation in regards to the Nikon D500
No custom AF settings???
Curious about your tripod and mount. Link.?
I've changed both and no longer recommend this one.
You are an awesome mentor. Have you ever thought of giving courses on Udemy?
Thanks and no I haven't. I will have to look into that possibility.
Mark, nice videos. I am a D500 shooter. mostly for sport rather than wildlife. I am a RAW convert. can I ask what tripod and gimbal you use.
Thanks. The Gimbal isn't labeled a "gimbal" at all. It is simply called a heavy telephoto lens support. It is made by manfrotto. Here is a link to it on Amazon. amzn.to/2nYmBxI
I really like the freedom it gives me. It is really easy to balance. It is also really easy to rebalance in just a few seconds. It is a little on the heavy side though. I am using Dolica Proline carbon fiber tripod. It is the weakest link in my current setup and I hope to replace it soon.
Mark Smith I am looking at a carbon fibre tripod too. leaning towards a induro or Sirui. what are you thinking about getting?
I want an Iduro. I met a guy who was using one and I really liked the setup. It had no center column so he could get really low with it. I like the Grand Series Stealth series 4 and I believe that is what he was using. It looks like a beast of a tripod. Have you seen or used one of these?
Mark Smith No, have not used one either or seen one in the wild. a mate had a RRS, but it is unaffordable in Australia. I am looking at Stealth 304L or 403
Those both look nice. The one I have my eye is model GIT404XL.
Mark, what mount are you using on your tripod?
Manfrotto heavy duty lens support. It is great and not every expensive when compare to other gimbals.
wat about sharpness opinion in camera...does it affect the image quality while editing in Lightroom...
If you shoot RAW, the in camera sharpness settings have no impact on your images. It is my understanding that any internal camera settings like sharpness, contrast, saturation etc,only affect in camera Jpgs. I have mine setup to shoot both JPG and RAW at the same time. I might use the JPG for a quick email but the RAW files always have far more detail for Lightroom. Make sense?
Hi Mark. Are you using matrix metering on the D-500 when you are taking your wildlife pictures? Thanks
Yes! I occasionally use spot metering as well but rarely.
Thank you Mark. I have the D-500 and the 200-500mm. Love that combo. Thanks for the photography information in your videos!
You are welcome. You have the perfect combo!
Thank you
Thank you!
HI Mark this is the trypod i want if you will let me know .thank you
I no longer use that tripod and don't really suggest it.
Mark, do you use the 1.3 crop mode? I just recently purchased the D500 and wanted to get your thoughts. I haven't used that on my camera yet.
I have and the only time I did use it was an overcast day with horrible light. I didn't really care for the crop mode results but to be fair, it could have been the bad light. I simply haven't thought about using it again. I'll have to make a note of it and try it on some stationary birds. I am very seriously considering a teleconverter for the 200-500. I met a guy at who was using the 1.4 and he said the images were still just as sharp but you had to have near perfect light because it becomes an F8 lens.
That might make for an interesting video too. Regular mode vs 1.3 crop mode. There might be a few D500 users who don't know it exists.
That would be a great video. I'm curious to see what others think. I've tried to find videos on RUclips, but so far there aren't that many.
If you get a teleconverter please let us know what you think. I've learned a lot from your videos. Your pictures are tack sharp (awesome) too. Thanks.
I know the perfect subjects too. I found an Osprey nest with some chicks and it is on the water so I can only get about 125 feet from it. Testing the 1.3 crop mode would be perfect here. It looks like the light will be good tomorrow so I may go give it a test and see what I come up with.
You're in Manual. You're manually setting the aperture, shutter speed, and ISO. When you use the exposure compensation, which setting of those three is the camera changing to decrease the exposure?
I'm in manual but have the D500 set up to use AUTO ISO. I'm not sure which setting the exposure compensation is changing because the EXIF data still shows the settings I chose, except of course ISO because I didn't choose it. Maybe the ISO then? I'm not sure. Maybe someone else can give you a more accurate answer.
Mark Smith, quick response! Thanks Mark. If you're so inclined, would you mind taking a couple test shots? One with exposure compensation set to 0.0 (none}, one with -1.0, and see which exposure setting changes. Hopefully it is the ISO, and that way you're not changing the shutter speed or aperture which would affect your depth of field.
Great idea. I'll do it with AUTO ISO off that way the ISO won't be changing with light conditions. Give me a minute or two to see what I come up with.
Mark Smith, no rush!
Mark Smith, but you don't have to turn the auto ISO off. Just shoot at the same thing so you have the exact same light conditions.
What metering mode do you use?
matrix about 75% of the time. The other 25% would be spot.
What tripod you are using??
I now have a sirui tripod with a Katana Pro Media Gear Gimbal.
I was under the impression that "Manual" mode on Nikon cameras did not support the use of exposure compensation - works great in Aperture or Shutter Priority modes.
It does work when you have auto-iso enabled. That is where the camera makes adjustments for exposure compensation. I have tested it.
Thanks. Did not know that. Guest one should check deeper into owners manuals.
Let me know what you think and what you decide-Regards
Will do. I think for now I am going to pass. My plate is already quite full if you know what I mean ;)
so basicly when to take a walk, you are ready for fast action/ auto iso and shutter 2000.. if you see subject still you just roll shutter to lets say 1/300, and use compesation dependingh on scene on top of that?.,
Sounds about right but it varies according to available light. Movement: highest shutter speed possible without bumping the iso too much. Sitting or perched bird, drop the shutter speed to get the lowest and cleanest iso possible. Make sense?
Or adjust the aperture in the same fashion.
yes, make sense;), from day 1 i started using my camera in manual, to learn and understad what im doing, and how to do it right. i got my basic good, and learning my whay up, . in last few mount started to take photos of bird, using d7200 and 200-500.its challenging , i love it. . when i "park" myshelf in some bush i use fixed iso and shutter,and its all fine, good resoults, until to much different light /slow,fast subject come into play. so i love using auto iso,my problem is that many times i dont get right resoults as i wanted , feel like camera picked higher iso than needed. my guess is i havent dial in compensation according to scene .. do you use iso limit ?
If you are shooting manual, compensation does nothing unless you are using auto iso. I limit mine to 2500.
yes, i whas thinking about auto iso and compensation, thanke you, on feedback, cant w8 for more free time, bird practice :), p.s love your photos and videos, chears"!!
clarity + bro *
No offense, but letting the camera dictate ISO and using Exposure compensation is letting the camera guess at what is going on while a bird doing 40mph plus is in flight and if you've ever watched your auto ISO in your viewfinder while a bird is flying it is all over the place. Spot metering, your histogram and checking your highlights will produce more consistent shots. You can meter for the light when you arrive and only have to change that setting if clouds or some othe rmajor light variable comes into play. You said you don't mind opinions...just thought I'd give mine.
No offense taken. That's one of the cool things about photography or art in general. There is always more than one way to get the results you want. I do disagree though. In my experience using Auto Iso with exposure compensation produces exactly what I want every single time. I would go so far as to say a 95% success ratio. Every single time I have used spot metering. I get very inconsistent results and only seem to get around a 50% keeper rate.
I am just here to share what has worked for me. In general, anyone using a camera should always be using a method that gets them the best results. At the end of the day, I am taking pictures that make me happy and that is what matters most.
Mark Smith another thing is ISO does not create noise, it only allows light to the sensor to compensate for aperature and shutter speed. I shoot as high as 6400 with very high shutter speeds and get tack sharp results. I agree about only pleasing yourself in photography but the best pros in birds in flight all spot meter and if you only sorry the proper light don't need auto ISO...I will leave it at that, just trying to help and I use that same combination and own 3 D500's. check the results
Thanks for the info but increasing the ISO most definitely creates more noise while at the same time increasing the sensor's sensitivity to light. That is the trade-off and this has been published countless times by plenty of "pro" photographers. I have seen it myself and that is why I choose to shoot the way that gives me the best results which I have checked countless times. My results don't lie. They are tack sharp images.
This discussion is excellent for anyone who stumbles upon it because it now gives them a choice. They can take what you said and shoot and they can take what I said and shoot. They can then meld these methods into something new that helps them create images that make them happy.
It is always best to experiment and create your own path in any art form. That is what makes us individuals and helps to create a particular style. If everyone just copied everyone else, there would never be any sort of life in art. It would all be stale and boring. I think we can easily agree to disagree on the subject. I tried your method and the results were dissatisfying to me. You have a way of capturing light but I have a method that works perfectly for me.
Now if Nikon can just combine the D500 with the D810, I would only need one camera instead of the two I always carry with me.
Here's a quote from Nikon on camera noise in relation to higher ISO.
"In digital cameras, raising the ISO means a similar decrease in quality, with an increase in what's called "noise." It's the digital equivalent of grain and results in a sort of "chunky" look to the image. Very early digital cameras had objectionable levels of noise at ISOs as low as 800. Today most digital SLRs can make good quality images at ISOs up to 1600 and above. However, several variables affect this."
"All of this means photographers are constantly doing a balancing act. They want to keep their ISO low for high quality images (low noise), but also they need a fast enough shutter speed to get a sharp picture. "
How do you spot meter your histogram. Just curious.