I had Olympus 3030 for about an year, decided to upgrade it to Nikon 995, mostly because of macro capabilities that Olympus does not have. I received my Nikon 7 days ago, and I am just confused with so many shots being out of focus, especially in low light condition. Macro shots - I were not able to get any, daylight, automatic or manual focus. I am not a pro, just love photography, was getting really good pictures with Olympus, and could not wait to try all this extra options 995 has to offer... I am wondering, is it something I am doing wrong, or maybe it is a defective camera? I read some of the posts on this board, does not look like anybody else have these problems. Appreciate any suggestions…--Tricia
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Nikon 995-problem focusing, and macro shots
- Thread starter Tricia2
- Start date
Did you set the zoom to roughly 1/2 between tele and wide for the macro shots?
As far as low light focusing goes, the 995 has difficulty compared to my old 2020. I often need to make several attempts to get a focus lock. This is a well known limitation of the 995.
Also, auto mode for in-doors shots is hit and miss. The camera often chooses 1/30 shutter speed (even with the flash) and my shots end up coming out blurry... my work-around has been to pay attention to this and go to into shutter priority mode when needed.
As far as low light focusing goes, the 995 has difficulty compared to my old 2020. I often need to make several attempts to get a focus lock. This is a well known limitation of the 995.
Also, auto mode for in-doors shots is hit and miss. The camera often chooses 1/30 shutter speed (even with the flash) and my shots end up coming out blurry... my work-around has been to pay attention to this and go to into shutter priority mode when needed.
Mathias Vejerslev
Senior Member
The first step towards better pictures with the 995 is reading the manual that goes with it..
The camera has a plethora of functions, which most of them are essential to master to get a great shot everytime.
Macro: Sweet spot in middle-zoom (flower turns yellow), use Manual Focus with low light; Keep the camera steady(!).
If you´re still not able to get a decent shot by following the manual and your good sense, it might be a defunk camera. - Seen before with Nikons lack of quality control.
Mathias (Really happy with his 995)
http://www.2morrow.dk/75ppi/coolpix/
The camera has a plethora of functions, which most of them are essential to master to get a great shot everytime.
Macro: Sweet spot in middle-zoom (flower turns yellow), use Manual Focus with low light; Keep the camera steady(!).
If you´re still not able to get a decent shot by following the manual and your good sense, it might be a defunk camera. - Seen before with Nikons lack of quality control.
Mathias (Really happy with his 995)
http://www.2morrow.dk/75ppi/coolpix/
Ashok Rai
Senior Member
Mathias
Thank you so much for the previous post on macro. I just got my 995 and I never saw the suggestion for the yello flower in the manual (must admit I've kind of only glanced through it). I've been running all over now taking close ups of everything in the room. I thought I was doing something wrong for the past three days!
Thank you,
Ashok
Thank you so much for the previous post on macro. I just got my 995 and I never saw the suggestion for the yello flower in the manual (must admit I've kind of only glanced through it). I've been running all over now taking close ups of everything in the room. I thought I was doing something wrong for the past three days!
Thank you,
Ashok
No, I did not. Thank you for your advice. I just tried and it worked wonderfully. I guess, I have to read the manual more carefully. Olympus lenses are fully extended on start up, and the only way to get close up shots (without digital zoom). is get the camera closer. I applied the same thinking to Nikon - was trying to get closer to the object.. Well, the manual is technically correct, but not very helpfull. I ordered a "Short course..." book from Amazon, but its backordered till January 18.
Thank you very much for your advise!
Happy Holidays!
Thank you very much for your advise!
Happy Holidays!
Thank you, Mathias.
Robert Briggs
Forum Enthusiast
For really nice macro shots use a tripod. Macro mode is highly magnified and any shaking on your part will show up in the image. Use that tripod. I prefer using Aperture Priority mode so I can stop the lens down (higher f-stop numbers) for maximum depth of field. This will often times necessitate a s-l-o-w shutter speed so use the self timer. This way you won't jiggle the camera when pressing the shutter button. Definately use manual focus. Since the camera will be on a tripod experiment reflecting available light onto your subject.
Above all else .. have fun!
Bob
Above all else .. have fun!
Bob
Did you look at Peter's e book? You would probably get it sooner and it would be more helpful.
http://www.digitalsecrets.net/secrets/index.html
http://www.digitalsecrets.net/secrets/index.html
I really like your pictures (especially the last picture - 100m radius).
Great Idea to use for my self..
Great Idea to use for my self..
Alternatively, use manual mode with a high shutter speed (1/1000 or faster). Stop the lens down as much as the camera permits (or as much as you can while retaining the yellow icon if you want to shoot from the closest permissible distance). Then, use the flash and adjust exposure with "flash compensation". The high shutter speed usually allows you to get crisp shots without a tripod. It also minimizes white balance problems since the flash washes out incident light under all but the brightest conditions (just set the white balance to "speedlight"). In low light, use a small flashlight for focus assist. The camera will focus fine and the flashlight beam won't show up in the result due to the fast shutter speed. If you're working too close to get good flash coverage, use a reflector to bounce it back on the subject. A paper collar works fine with a bit of practice.
Just something else to play with.
Best wishes,
Cory
Mathias Vejerslev
Senior Member
I also own an Olympus C3030 since it first came out. Subsequenly I bought a Fujisufilm 4700, and a Pentax 330 lately. Before that was Olympus 2020. I just ordered the CP5000 a couple of days ago. I am not a photographer but just a computer junkie.
So far, I found I got the best pictures from my Olympus. My friend just bought a Coolpix 995 last week. He has not impressed me with his camera yet. For one thing, my LCD screen is brighter, clearer and much wider viewing angle. I can tell if the person eyes was shut or not and retake the picture instantly. Nikon's definetely has a brand name so I bought a Coolpix 775 for my college age daughter when she wanted one. But nowhere that camera was able to compared to my Olympus. I don't know why I didn't go after the Olympus 4040 instead of CP5000. (vanity?)
From the reviews of this forum, CP5000 just as good as Coolpix 995 and not worth its money at all. I am not sure I will like it more than my Olympus 3030.
People like to compare camera about photo quality, pixel clarity, noise and other picture related things. I simple set all my cameras in auto mode. Take the same sencery, same people, same objects under the same condition and same environment. Then I downloaded them to my computer and compare them to see which I like the most.
So far I still like my Olympus in terms of color, clarity, focus and what not. Even my wife had to agree with me (very, very rare that happens).
I think for a digital camera, it has to have more than its normal share if artificial intellegence that its 35mm SLR counterpart. It has to be more idiot proof than its counterpart.
People think "easy to use" probably means easy to use control buttons. To me easy to use means that damn little box is smart and doesn't matter the lighting condition and picuture composition, it still give me a great picture without knowing what I did right.
There will be many people disagree with me on that, I will accept that. Because I have gone throgh their stage. No one has a lower threshold for ignorance than myself. But after years of listen people asking why this or that on their photos. I am convinced that it is time the manufacures' engineering to put some integence in the box. We have the computer technology today. In fact, the smart one will even put the voice command in the cammera. Just tell it what kind of picture your are taking, lighting condition and so on and it will click it away for you. (I am not sure it need to understand when I told it to blank out my mother-in-law in the picture.)
John
So far, I found I got the best pictures from my Olympus. My friend just bought a Coolpix 995 last week. He has not impressed me with his camera yet. For one thing, my LCD screen is brighter, clearer and much wider viewing angle. I can tell if the person eyes was shut or not and retake the picture instantly. Nikon's definetely has a brand name so I bought a Coolpix 775 for my college age daughter when she wanted one. But nowhere that camera was able to compared to my Olympus. I don't know why I didn't go after the Olympus 4040 instead of CP5000. (vanity?)
From the reviews of this forum, CP5000 just as good as Coolpix 995 and not worth its money at all. I am not sure I will like it more than my Olympus 3030.
People like to compare camera about photo quality, pixel clarity, noise and other picture related things. I simple set all my cameras in auto mode. Take the same sencery, same people, same objects under the same condition and same environment. Then I downloaded them to my computer and compare them to see which I like the most.
So far I still like my Olympus in terms of color, clarity, focus and what not. Even my wife had to agree with me (very, very rare that happens).
I think for a digital camera, it has to have more than its normal share if artificial intellegence that its 35mm SLR counterpart. It has to be more idiot proof than its counterpart.
People think "easy to use" probably means easy to use control buttons. To me easy to use means that damn little box is smart and doesn't matter the lighting condition and picuture composition, it still give me a great picture without knowing what I did right.
There will be many people disagree with me on that, I will accept that. Because I have gone throgh their stage. No one has a lower threshold for ignorance than myself. But after years of listen people asking why this or that on their photos. I am convinced that it is time the manufacures' engineering to put some integence in the box. We have the computer technology today. In fact, the smart one will even put the voice command in the cammera. Just tell it what kind of picture your are taking, lighting condition and so on and it will click it away for you. (I am not sure it need to understand when I told it to blank out my mother-in-law in the picture.)
John
spunky
New member
Hmmm, I think that kind of camera will be released right about the same time as the ever-lasting gobstopper and shortly before world peace; probably by AIBO. It will also floss for you.
John, as a computer junkie, you should be aware that most things that go wrong with tech are due to "operator error". Of course, tweaks in firmware can fix glitches and improve some systems but you'll never get more out of a tool than you're prepared to invest; and that requires a degree of learning. Otherwise you may as well call your newest gadget a necklace!
If you look down this thread you'll see that Tricia has now managed to take some macro shots that she is pleased with, mainly from RTFM!
I am weary of gadget fadists moaning about their new 'toy' cos their digital snaps are not Cartier-Bresson cos they lack the dedication to actually experiment with it. A large part of the creative flexibility of these new digital cameras is due to their complexity. If you remove that, then you might as well have a polaroid.
John Chan wrote:
I am not a photographer but just a computer junkie.
John, as a computer junkie, you should be aware that most things that go wrong with tech are due to "operator error". Of course, tweaks in firmware can fix glitches and improve some systems but you'll never get more out of a tool than you're prepared to invest; and that requires a degree of learning. Otherwise you may as well call your newest gadget a necklace!
If you look down this thread you'll see that Tricia has now managed to take some macro shots that she is pleased with, mainly from RTFM!
I am weary of gadget fadists moaning about their new 'toy' cos their digital snaps are not Cartier-Bresson cos they lack the dedication to actually experiment with it. A large part of the creative flexibility of these new digital cameras is due to their complexity. If you remove that, then you might as well have a polaroid.
John Chan wrote:
I am not a photographer but just a computer junkie.
--'They're called breasts, Moma, and everyone has them'Carrie White
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