First real day out with new setup - Kew (Orchid show)

[eyetrip]

Well, had my first day out with my NX100 yesterday, so that I could finally get a good feel of how to use this stuff after so many years of compacts and bridges.

Am breaking this up into three sets - those taken with the 60mm Macro, then 18-200mm zoom (though few of these), and the 20-50mm kit lens.

Feel free to criticise, but I know I have a long way to go to using this equipment effectively

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For now, just a link to the set, because I am not sure embedding is working for me... will play with that while the link is up... Photobucket so much easier for sharing than Flickr

Any help on why I can not embed photos from flickr apppreciated!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/14067357@N04/sets/72157632782608017/


SAM_1655 by chris_rabe, on Flickr


SAM_1658 by chris_rabe, on Flickr


SAM_1736 by chris_rabe, on Flickr


SAM_1763 by chris_rabe, on Flickr


SAM_1769 by chris_rabe, on Flickr


SAM_1793 by chris_rabe, on Flickr


SAM_1808 by chris_rabe, on Flickr


SAM_1873 by chris_rabe, on Flickr


SAM_1880 by chris_rabe, on Flickr


SAM_1883 by chris_rabe, on Flickr


SAM_1623 by chris_rabe, on Flickr


SAM_1633 by chris_rabe, on Flickr


SAM_1640 by chris_rabe, on Flickr


SAM_1648 by [

 

[Devrij]

They actually look like a really nice set of shots for your first time using them. It's a bit hard to tell on my phone, but a few of them look like the exposure is off a bit, so just keep an eye on your histogram to make sure your camera's metering system isn't being thrown off by a light/dark background.

 

[eyetrip]

Thanks.

I really need to learn what that histogram is all about and how to use it

Still not had a chance to go through and develop photos with the 18-200mm zoom and kit lens yet. Hopefully in the next couple of hours, but need to chill for an hour or so...

 

[eyetrip]

Well, didn't take very many at all with the 18-200mm zoom lens. And it turns out this is probably the lens I need the most practice with.

Hardly got any nice shots, and even these I am adding are not great. All seem a bit underexposed, and I really need to learn to get the focus right.


SAM_2033 by chris_rabe, on Flickr


SAM_2032 by chris_rabe, on Flickr


SAM_2010 by chris_rabe, on Flickr


SAM_1997 by chris_rabe, on Flickr


SAM_2048 by chris_rabe, on Flickr

 

[eyetrip]

And some from the 20-50mm kit lens.

I was a lot more point, shoot, move on and don't think about much when using this lens yesterday.

Still, I think I had far more luck with the 20-50 than I did with the 18-200mm


SAM_1928 by chris_rabe, on Flickr


SAM_1933 by chris_rabe, on Flickr


SAM_1940 by chris_rabe, on Flickr


SAM_1950 by chris_rabe, on Flickr


SAM_1966 by chris_rabe, on Flickr


SAM_1967 by chris_rabe, on Flickr


SAM_1971 by chris_rabe, on Flickr


SAM_1981 by chris_rabe, on Flickr


SAM_2066 by chris_rabe, on Flickr


SAM_2093 by chris_rabe, on Flickr


SAM_2095 by chris_rabe, on Flickr

 

[Devrij]

Thanks.

I really need to learn what that histogram is all about and how to use it

Still not had a chance to go through and develop photos with the 18-200mm zoom and kit lens yet. Hopefully in the next couple of hours, but need to chill for an hour or so...

If you imagine the left side of the histogram being perfect black, and the right side perfect white, then you can see how your shot is exposed based on that.

Your camera will aim for a certain percent to be 50% grey, so if your scene is mostly white (eg snow) or mostly dark (a dark background behind your subject) then the camera will over-compensate.

If your scene is mostly bright colours you should expect the histogram to have a lump to the right of the graph, if mostly shadows then it will be mostly to the left. If it's all midtones, then the lump should be a nice bell curve in the middle (your camera will usually get this right though). Since your camera will always shoot to have the curve in the middle, bright scenes can be underexposed and dark scenes overexposed. What you don't want is for the graph to be right up against either side, because that means there are portions that are solid black or white and lack detail. Some clipping is okay, depending on what parts have lost the detail. A bright sky behind your subject can be blown out if it has no impact on the shot for instance (eg behind shot 1966 above), but your metering system may try to prevent this and underexpose your subject. Spot metering or partial metering can help you expose for specific areas and ignores other areas of the shot.

Hope that helps

 

[eyetrip]

Cheers for that explanation.

I have never used the histogram, but have seen it and always assumed the graph represented the exact opposite of what you say it does.

Will try to keep it on display and put it to good use.

 

[Devrij]

Give it a go. try out partial metering as well where your subject doesn't fill the frame or where you have a large dark/bright object in the frame with it.

With Canon cameras the histogram view also shows "blinkies" where the blown out highlights flash black, very handy for shooting snow drops or other white flowers that can easily lose detail. Not sure if your camera supports that.