[ktchow1]

I m now a new user of DSLR, upgraded from prosumer sony 707 to nikon D70. However I find some difficulties in using DSLR, as if I need to learn photography from the beginning again. The main difficulties are : (1) focusing (2) exposure and (3) focal length. Thank you very much for your reading. My skill needed to be improved and I sincerely ask for your help. Thank you for your patience and generosity to help.



(1) Focusing
Although most D70 users appreciate the fast and accurate focusing in D70, I found that it is poorer than prosumer like 707. I guess this may be because of my poor skills in handling DSLR. My 707 can focus accurately even under dim condition, it can focus on low contrast object and object that hides inside complex environment, like these :
http://www.efatfish.net/dick/D_2004A/0221a/m06.jpg
http://www.efatfish.net/dick/D_2003C/1115a/m06.jpg
http://www.efatfish.net/dick/D_2003C/1025a/m08.jpg

However when i m using "auto focus single shot" mode in D70, the camera cannot focus on a plain white wall, it cannot focus the plain blue sky (my sony can easily detect "infinity"). I need to find high contrast object in one of the five focusing regions. Focusing fails when my composition do not contain high contrast objects in these regions. Furthermore, the right and left focusing region require strong contrast horizontal edge, a vertical edge cannot help. While the top and bottom focusing region require a vertical edge. What happen if there are only horizontal edges in the top region of my composition ? Do I rely on too much on the ease of focusing in prosumer DC ? If Yes, what should i do to improve my focusing skills in D70 and other SLR ?



(2) Exposure
My old sony 707 can achieve a large aperture F2.0 at 38mm and F2.4 at 190mm !! Although most people say that the aperture in prosumer DC isnt comparable to the aperture in DSLR in terms of "narrow depth of field", i find that the exposure of DC is similar to that in DSLR when using the same shutter speed and aperture (under the same ISO). The lens that goes with D70 is 18mm - 70mm f3.5 - f.4.5, which has an aperture far smaller than my sony 707, which means the shutter speed will be slower in D70 than in 707, when the largest aperture is used for both camera. Under dim condition like cloudy evening, indoor with enough lighting, i can shoot with hand held using my 707 (at f2.0), which is impossible for my D70. Does it mean that tripod is necessary in cloudy days for D70 ? One of the reason that i like my 707 is that i can perform "available light photography", i can shoot even under dim condition without using tripod, this is very convenient. However for my D70, tripod is needed even in cloudy daytime.



(3) Focal length
Some people may suggested that a large aperture lens with fixed focal length can help. Yes, i bought a 50mm f1.4, and i can only afford that. However i need to buy more and more until my D70 can cover "F2.0 at 38mm and F2.4 at 190mm" which is achieved by my sony 707 without changing lens. When I can focus on objects 2cm away from the camera using D70, i need extension tube or other macro lens. In my 707, i can do that by pressing a "macro" button !!! Is the lens in 707 too powerful ? Or ...... do I rely on toy-liked 707 too much ?



I have been using D70 for 1 week. It is excellent in low noise image (comparing with 707, because of the large and better CCD) at the expense of not-easy-to-use, higher cost, relatively difficult focusing and longer exposure (unless you spend more to buy large aperture lens). As most people like to upgrade to DSLR, I have such a strange feeling. I guess there should be something wrong in my concept about photograghy, and perhaps i havent yet understood the advantages of DSLR. Would anyone tell me what should i do to improve ? thank you very much.

[micros]

一句講晒﹐習慣o者。
試下去習慣﹐唔得咪返轉頭囉。

[Excalibur0991]

>> Does it mean that tripod is necessary in cloudy days for D70 ?

睇怕又未必. 你用DSLR 就可以選擇推高個ISO. 用DC (707)既話, ISO高過200既時候, D雜訊走晒出黎, 你張相都差唔多唔要得.

[oldpear]

Welcome to Nikon Family!

(1) 對焦問題

以我所知, 707話中焦未必真係中, 好多時會失手, 但不是這問題的重點。首先, 我保證D70的自動對焦系統快過所有PROSUMER DCs幾倍, 而且精確得多, 問題係取景手法, 雖然現代SLR都有多點對焦, 但我強烈建議使用最原始的方法, 只設中央對準點, 取景時先找心目中想合焦的景物半按快門對焦, 保持半按快門擺動鏡頭構圖, 在大多數場合是最快最準的方法, 熟練後任何多點對焦都運用自如了。其次, AF系統係找出最高反差來決定是否合焦, 我試過D70的對焦系統, 只要在對焦區內有一點點很輕微的圖案就能正確對焦, 全色就無能為力了, 這點我用CP5700(我從不用SONY DC, 哈哈)反覆測試, 剛才在D70能輕易對準焦點的景物她完全不能對焦。

(2) 曝光

你用在D70的鏡頭最大光圈是f/3.5至f4.5, 在計算感光指數後(ISO 200), 其實和707的f/2.0-f/2.4幾乎一樣(ISO 100), 舉例說, 在相機的最佳感光模式時, 用707得f/2.0+1/125", 用D70影會係f/3.5+100", 707@f2.4+1/125" = D70@f/4.5 + 1/125", 同一環境下兩者快門數字幾乎相等! 似乎手震是你的持機姿勢問題, 姿勢正確的話(請參閱D70說明書的那種老土但最正統的持機手法), 我亦可以說D70比較穩定(我不得不再次講707的壞話, 那種設計真係好易學壞師)。

另一方面, 再深入比較, 同一快門下, 小型CCD比大型更穩定, 請記著你用707拍攝時是用9.7-48.5mm的鏡頭而不是用38-200mm, 使用D70時, 安全快門是鏡頭焦距的倒數, 例如以70mm拍攝時, 可慢至 1/60", 不過, 我亦可以話你知, 職業或資深攝影師, 如有可能都儘量用腳架的, 除非你不打算將相片放大至8x10或以上, 無論如何, 一台堅固的腳架是不可能不備的工具, 求輕便就不應升級至DSLR。

(3) 鏡頭焦距

如上文所述, 你用707時是使用9.7-48.5mm鏡頭, 短焦距鏡頭造大光圈很易成本亦不高, 長焦距就完全唔同了, Nikon亦有很多大光圈鏡頭的, 但恐怕不是業餘攝影者所能負擔。返回第(1)題, 短焦距鏡頭景深大, 稍為失焦不易察覺, 對焦的構件要求亦不高。

最後我想說, 你提供那三張707所拍的照片, 顏色非常奇怪。

[tunster]

係時候練習下用 Manual Focus...有時電腦0既0野好難講. 唔夠肉眼咁清楚.

如果係手震...咁就要用腳架啦