Beginner's issue or common problem?...

[Kafter244]

On numerous occasions I've found myself suddenly pick up the camera, to take a possum for example, and it still has the settings of last night's moon shot; I always forget to change something, you can guarantee it! Lol. Is this just because I'm a rookie or does everyone have to deal with this?

Then I thought, what if you're out somewhere photographing a landscape. The sun is setting, the light is low; you don't want too much noise so you keep the ISO low and increase the SS, tripod, mirror lock up, maybe have bracketing on because you may do an HDR rendition later.#

Suddenly an owl or hawk starts flying around to your left looking for mice. Now you need to quickly take your camera off the tripod, turn off bracketing and mirror lock up, increase your ISO, reduce the SS, maybe open the aperture a bit, increase the fps for those action shots and change your AF to centre point only...all in a matter of seconds.

Surely this must happen a lot; that someone #suddenly finds themselves wanting wildly different camera settings very quickly? #I was wondering what techniques people on the forum employed to combat such a situation?

[Darey]

I got into the habit of setting the camera on ISO 200 and full Auto (Nikon D7000 & D80) when I have finished a session. I do this in case I spot something by chance on the way home and I don't want to miss the shot. I also do this so that my wife or the kids can just pick up the camera and shoot if they suddenly need to.

Oh, and in answer to your question, I think it is a common problem.

[Tannin]

Two things I can suggest.

1: Always return the camera to a standard setting unless you have a particular need in mind. Another way of expressing this rule is always know how the camera is set - i.e., it's either back in your standard mode (whatever that may be: entirely up to you) or you are very conscious that you have it differently set for some reason.

2: On some cameras (certainly the Canon 40D, 50D, and 60D, but others too) there is the facility to pre-set all those things you mention and select them just by turning a dial. So, for example, when I wanted to take a long exposure landscape shot in a dark forest with my 40D today, the only thing I had to do was rotate the mode dial from "Av" or "S" or "M" round to "C1". (There is a C2 and a C3 as well: you can set each one differently.) With that one twist, I could set everything I wanted: aperture priority, ISO 100, mirror lock-up, timer delay shutter release, f/11, no exposure compensation. Then just twist back again to go back to where I was before. I'm pretty sure that the better Nikon models have something very similar. It's quite possible that Olympus has a feature to do this too, or something like it.

3: If you're serious about birds, you will get a second body and keep your birding camera ready for action at all times. But take care you don't end up like me!

4: I never could count. :(

[Kafter244]

I have heard of the presets but my entry level Olympus doesn't have that facility. I am (slowly!) trying to save as I think I'm ready to upgrade to a Nikon D7000 so really looking forward to this feature, but jeez...two presets...what to choose?! :rolleyes: :confused013

[Wayne]

Gee, wish I had $1 for every time I have doen this..

[William]

Recently I had a chance to take somrthing special , 6.00am in the Morning , All set up with 2 min timer set , Mirror lockup , 5 stops of grad filters , I was in that much of a panic to get the shot , Everything went out the window , I ended up with a blurry shot , In hindsite , Someone suggested I should have just switched over to full Auto :Doh:

Image in question

http://www.ausphotography.net.au/forum/showthread.php?63305-quot-UFO-over-Currumbin-quot

[bushie]

Done the same sort of thing plenty of times, but I'm getting better!!

What I find now is the settings are generally as I want them, but I've left the shutter on 2 sec delay or something like that.

Martyn

[nexus]

It's a common problem although you will get more used to actually look at the settings before you hit the shutter. I usually shoot in AV mode so I almost always change that, just try and look at the shutter speed indicator in the viewfinder and you'll be fine!

[bushie]

Once I'm finished a shot (or series) I return everything to auto. I figure this should at least give me a fighting chance if I need to take a very quick shot.


Martyn

[aussie girl]

Once I'm finished a shot (or series) I return everything to auto. I figure this should at least give me a fighting chance if I need to take a very quick shot.


Martyn

AUTO is my friend :th3:

[ricktas]

Me too. it all goes back to Auto. Cause if I was taking slow shutter speed waterfall shots in the Tasmanian wilderness and when walking back to the car came across a Tasmanian Tiger, a blurry slow shutter speed photo of it, is not going to make me $Millions. So I just turn it to auto as soon as I finish a shoot.

[filpee]

Once I'm finished a shot (or series) I return everything to auto. I figure this should at least give me a fighting chance if I need to take a very quick shot.


Martyn

Ah this sounds a very wise idea. Might save me from the phone calls I get "why isnt the camera working this time??". :th3:

[tw70]

will have to remember these tips as i have done this so many times :)

[Jeanette]

someone told me to turn my camera back to auto a couple of years ago when i got my camera. It has served me very well.. I still.. forgot now and then but it is great advice.
you guys do make us mere mortals feel much better though LOVE the humour ::lol2:

[mudman]

Me too. it all goes back to Auto. Cause if I was taking slow shutter speed waterfall shots in the Tasmanian wilderness and when walking back to the car came across a Tasmanian Tiger, a blurry slow shutter speed photo of it, is not going to make me $Millions. So I just turn it to auto as soon as I finish a shoot.
your dreaming Rick:lol:

[Cris]

Even given adequate time I still make this mistake, just last weekend I was in a river doing some shots and the dynamic was so extreme that I turned to manual, finished that subject. Then I just shot way at 1/2000 sec F16 for about 20 shots till I finally decided to check one and took me about 10 swearwords before I realised I was still on manual. I think at sunrise that morning i also forgot to drop my iso from 800 to 100. As i said- all the time.

[Banjo]

Is 100 the accepetd iso?

[ricktas]

Is 100 the accepetd iso?

Depends on your camera, with some you can set Auto ISO, and even set limits (say lowest is 100, highest is 800) and the camera will also auto-choose the ISO.

[ricktas]

your dreaming Rick:lol:

You say that like it's a bad thing.

[kiwi]

Is 100 the accepetd iso?

Actually I'd recommend a default ISO of 400

Would mean 1/200s and a sharp shot rather than 1/50s

I think once you can change ISO, aperture and shutter speed by touch without even looking you're going to be right for most eventualities

[photomike666]

Think we've all done it & continue to do so. Recently I was shooting a wambat in shade, it briefly walked into the sun. I grabbed a couple of shots before it went back into the shade. I have some nice blown out shots. Grrr.

I've also managed to leave my only 2gb card in the reader and gone on a long shoot with a 1gb and a 500mb. Very annoying when u run out of space.

Moral of the story, the more spares you have the better. A second body, even if it's a cheap one allows more versatility.

[Kafter244]

Wow guys, due to various personal things I've not been online for a loooong time and had missed a lot of these responses! Thanks for all the tips, here's hoping I can get out some more now and get back into the swing of things.

Cheers.