What does fps mean?

[newtothisgame]

As my identity suggests I am new to this and I have just purchased the D50 with the 2 lense kit.

One of the specs for the D50 is 2.5 fps. What does this mean? My first thought is that it allows me to hold down the button and it takes 2.5 shots per second. I know I am totally wrong. I am hoping someone can explain.

Then this leads me to my next question.

How can I take those rapid shots?

Thanks
Jeff

 

[ArneResak]

Frames per second, how many consecutive pictures you can take in one second.
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Best Regards,
Arne

 

[ArneResak]

Hold the button that has something like 3 squares and move the dial command, and you can see at the top LCD that it changes from S to the same (3 squares)

newtothisgame wrote:
explain.

Then this leads me to my next question.

How can I take those rapid shots?

Thanks
Jeff

--



Best Regards,
Arne

 

[Bostjan Pulko]

Your camera is able to shot 2.5 frames (pictures) per second. The camera must be set to continues shooting mode and probably in the AF-C mode (it's in the manual...). Point the camera on the subject, press the shutter release half down to allow camera to focus and then press it all the way and hold it. You'll get 2.5 pictures per second as long there is some free space in the buffer.

Regards, Bostjan
http://www.pbase.com/bostjan

 

[newtothisgame]

Thanks Arne,

I will try this when I get home tonight.

Jeff

 

[newtothisgame]

Does it have to have focus for it to work?

Jeff

 

[ArneResak]

Does it have to have focus for it to work?

Jeff

Yes it does, unless you are taking pics in manual focus (in this case it will take the picture regardless it's in focus or not) , just press the shutter and leave it pressed.
--



Best Regards,
Arne

 

[newtothisgame]

Your camera is able to shot 2.5 frames (pictures) per second. The
camera must be set to continues shooting mode and probably in the
AF-C mode (it's in the manual...). Point the camera on the subject,
press the shutter release half down to allow camera to focus and
then press it all the way and hold it. You'll get 2.5 pictures per
second as long there is some free space in the buffer.

Regards, Bostjan
http://www.pbase.com/bostjan

I can't seem to get it to work with the flash on. Can this not work with a flash?

Thanks
Jeff

 

[WineMan]

Depends on the power of the flash, but its nearly imposible for the flash to recicle (charge) 2.5 times per second, usually the onboard flash at full power will take arround 2 to 3 seconds to recicle.

Z.
--
I do not suffer insanity...I enjoy It

 

[newtothisgame]

Depends on the power of the flash, but its nearly imposible for the
flash to recicle (charge) 2.5 times per second, usually the onboard
flash at full power will take arround 2 to 3 seconds to recicle.

Z.
--
I do not suffer insanity...I enjoy It

So what woudl be the best settings to do this burst thing? When I set to manual and have no flash the picture is black.

Thanks
Jeff

 

[WineMan]

For the speed burst to work you have to have a lot of light, so a fast lens is really good in this situations. Usually you will use this while outdoors, in the sun, so light will not be a problem.

If you really need to use your flash, get an external flash and a external power souce, this is not the cheapest rig you can get, but it will work.

If you dont mind me asking, just what are you photographing?

Z.
--
I do not suffer insanity...I enjoy It

 

[LiveM]

You can bracket your shots where only one uses the flash.

 

[newtothisgame]

Well I was trying the idea of water falling, so trying to catch droplets of water falling into a pool of water. I have seen this done here and I just purchased my D50 and was tyring to recreate this photo.

 

[Shutterbugin]

You need to learn a little bit about exposure more if you are in manual mode, your pictures are black, and you do not know why. Your shutterspeed is either way to fast, your aperture stopped down too much, or both.

Try using Aperture priority on a high f-stop (f22) if you want the waterfall effect with blurred water. If you want to FREEZE the action of the water, you need a higher shutterspeed, lower f-stop (f2.8, f4, etc) .

Id recommend buying the book 'Understanding Exposure" by Bryan Peterson.

Depends on the power of the flash, but its nearly imposible for the
flash to recicle (charge) 2.5 times per second, usually the onboard
flash at full power will take arround 2 to 3 seconds to recicle.

Z.
--
I do not suffer insanity...I enjoy It

So what woudl be the best settings to do this burst thing? When I
set to manual and have no flash the picture is black.

Thanks
Jeff

--
'87.6% of all statistics are made up on the spot'

ShutterBugin
http://www.exposureproductions.smugmug.com

 

[kwiebus]

FPS is indeed frames per second.

I shot a sequence of pictures of a crash at the Eurocircuit, Valkenswaard, Holland this weekend during a rallycross race.
Pictures aren't any good but you can see what continious shooting is.
Taken with a D70s that has 3 fps pictures just cropped to 33% no pp.

http://mijeenrotz.org/1/crash.html

Photographing waterdroplets is a whole other game. To freeze them one uses a very fast flash in a dark room with the camera in bulb mode. The flash is triggered by the droplet breaking a detection beam.
More info about that here http://www.hiviz.com/index.html

It can be done by shooting with the onboard flash, the camera on a tripod and counting the drops. I've done it that way.. But that is hard and you'll get a lot of bad pictures.

 

[CdS]

Whoa! Just had a flash back. FPS use to mean "Focal Plane Shutter" for flash sync. I'm too old for this game. I need a drink.

Dave