NIKON D80, D40 for BABY PIC TAKING

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  1. #1

    Join Date
    Dec 2007
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    14

    NIKON D80, D40 for BABY PIC TAKING

    Dear all,

    I understand that it's always best to take photographs of babies without a flash since their eyes are sensitive.

    I currently have a NIKON D40 kit and no matter how I play with the flash off and adjust the ISO's etc. The pics are not great,

    So I bought a Nikon 50mm f/1.8 AF Nikkor lens knowing that this will only be Manual on my D40. The pics of my baby are not fantastic but now the issue is the difficulty in refocussing every day babe moves.

    Hence. I'm flirting with getting a D80 body only since this will make the Nikon 50mm f/1.8 AF Nikkor lens AUTO.

    Does any one know where I can find a 2nd hand Nikon D80? If not, I understand the cheapest places as advised on other threads is Wing Shing and Man Shing.

    Can any one pls comment or give me any further advice.

    Cheers,
    M


  2. #2

    Join Date
    Mar 2007
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    Sai Kung
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    1,327

    Well there was a Photo Flea market n Wanchai this weekend but they mostly had older professional Nikon Bodies and i did not see any D80s. The best place for used body is probably in Classifieds forums like here on Geo.

    For example:

    Hong Kong FS: 1TB NAS / Nikon D40x / Nikkor Lenses / Nokia E90 / iPhone 8GB - Classifieds on GeoExpat


    However, you may not need to spend the money on the D80. It sounds like you just need to make better use of the natural light in your home. Since you have a D40 I assume you're just starting out and learning photography, so i would recommend (if you haven't done so, reading Understanding Exposure by Bryan Peterson). And I saw a book at Dymocks the other day...Photographing Babies which may offer much better subject specific tips. Try getting the light from a window, etc. If you can't make use of natural light, then an alternative could be using an off-camera flash (and bouncing the light off a ceiling or wall so its not direct and doesn't hurt baby's eyes).

    Also, with your kit lens, Try shooting at the lowest (F-stop)setting and increase the ISO (film light sensitivity) as D40 is supposed to perform really well at High ISOs.

    Alternatively, you can also try some faster third party lenses like Sigma HSM, etc.. which also come with the internal IF motors similar to Nikon's AF-S. All these options may cost less than a D80 body.


  3. #3

    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Posts
    14

    Hi Climber,

    Appreciate your kind reply.

    I just saw the Sigma 30mm, 1.4 which has HSM and will work on my D40. (YES I'm an amateur) Cost wise it's around 2500hkd and relatively cheaper than even a second hand D80 going for around 4k+

    I think I go test this Sigma and hopefully that will solve my problems. I'll also look into reading up on the books.

    Thanks again.
    M


  4. #4

    Join Date
    Aug 2006
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    11,884

    Throwing money at equipment is probably not the right answer here. I'm not trying to be snide, but it's more about what you do with the equipment, than what equipment you have. I've met several new parents recently who all bought expensive new camera kit, but remain puzzled as to why their photos remain a bit dull.

    A 50mm 1.8 lens is pretty much ideal for portraits, especially as you're mounting it on a DLSR (it turns into a 75mm lens, perfect for portraiture). If you can manual focus well enough, set it at a wide apeture and blast away using natural light. If you're manual focussing is a bit sketchy, try using a smaller apeture (smaller apeture = *higher* apeture number, like 5.6 or 8) which will bring more of the shot into focus. But you'd be better off just practising with manual focus- it should come quite naturally after a while.

    If you've been worried about flash: use as much natural light as possible. Ideally it would be diffused- through curtains or reflected off a nearby wall. Direct sunlight tends to lead to harsher looking photos. If it's dark, then you can use a flash diffuser to bounce light off a wall or ceiling- this leads to much more even, softer lighting and also avoids the problem of blasting a flash straight into your baby's eyes. This is a diffuser that clips onto your existing camera flash: light scoop digital photography lighting built-in flash Nikon Fuji Canon Pentax

    Beyond the technical stuff, good baby photos are down to technique. Watch your framing- sticking your baby's head smack bang in the middle of a photo tends to be a bit boring. Instead, try framing the baby off to the side a bit (rule of thirds, quite fundamental in photography- AIRC - Adorama Imaging Resource Center: Portrait composition rules, and when to break them). Also, be patient and be prepared to look through the viewfinder for a long time before your baby comes up with an interesting expression. And take photos of him when he's distracted by other things besides you and a camera.

    Lastly, remember you've got a digital camera with no film costs. You can take hundreds of photos, then look at them later and decide which ones are good. More importantly, you should start to recognise what *makes* those ones good and learn from them.


  5. #5

    Join Date
    Sep 2005
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    HK
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    583
    hehehe thanks for the free advert... :P

    ------------

    in any case, i think it would be best to know why your pictures aren't turning out how you want it to be?

    if you can post a sample shot as well as the settings you used, then maybe we could help you out and work with what you have. instead of buying the D80. not that the d80 isn't a good cam mind you...