First DSLR - Aperture and Shutter Speed questions.

Steven001

Steven001

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Hi all,

I've got my Nikon D40 yesterday, from Alexisonfire! I was playing around with it all last night, trying to figure out how to work it and what all of the settings do.

I've figured out that the main things that affect the image are ISO, Aperture and Shutter Speed. I think I've learned enough about ISO and know which setting to use in which situation. But I'm having trouble with Aperture and Shutter Speed.

I understand that Aperture is all about lighting, and shutter speed, is well, how fast or slow the shutter closes. I was having trouble setting both of these using manual mode on the D40, but I'm sure after reading the manual more I'll find out how to do that quicker.

I was wondering could quickly explain Aperture and Shutter Speed to me :)

Regards,
Steven
 
Shutter speed is how long the shutter stays open for.
A slower shutter speed will mean things blur more, and a faster shutter speed will freeze the action more.

Aperture is basically how big the hole in the lens the light has to come through.
Obviously a bigger hole lets more light through than a smaller hole.
It also has an effect on depth of field (how much of an image is in focus). Smaller numbers (bigger hole) give shallower depth of field, useful to throw distracting backgrounds out of focus. A higher number (smaller hole) gives greater depth of field, meaning more of the image is in focus.
Unfortunately, DoF is also affected by the length of the lens.

The combination of ISO, Shutter speed, and aperture are what give you the exposure of the image.
 
First rule of ISO - keep it as low as possible in evey situation!

The best way i found of learning, is to use either A or S on your dial, forget M for the time being.

For example, set it to apature priority (A) and set the F number to its lowest using the dial, take a shot - then move it up a notch - take a shot, you will see exaclty how it affects the image, then do the same in Shutter priority (S)

Dont forget, the light meter is your friend, try and keep the the marker bang in the centre whilst your learning..
 
Steven. Pretty much what is said above. :)

Shutter speed also determins how much light is let through, the longer the shutter, the more light that can enter. Aperture affects again how much light is let through but also determins the depth of field. Low f number = wide aperture which means shallow DOF and a high F number = small aperture which means a larger DOF. The wider the aperture the more light is let through.

Always try to use the lowest ISO possbible for the cleanest image (iso 200 on the D40)
 
Shutter - a fast one if you want to capture someone or something moving without motion blur, say, if someone is running towards you, a shutter speed of 1/500 could be enough. You also determine the shutter speed by a rule which says it should be at least 1/{current focal length of your lens in mm}. So, for a 300 mm lens, 1/300 s should be the minimum you should use if you want to be fairly certain there won't be much motion blur in your photo, but a faster shutter speed is usually more comfortable if you can use it.

Aperture - it's the hole light goes in through (well, one of them, this one can change its diameter, not by itself, though). It influences the depth of field your photo will have and also how much you need to adjust other parameters, like shutter speed or ISO.

For more, try this one:
http://dryreading.com/camera/index.html


Dang, too slow... again :p
 
Thanks a lot guys for the help.

So:

A low F number = Big aperture? Which is good for macro shots and the like?
A high F number = Low aperture? Which is good for landscape shots?

I don't yet have a tripod, so I can't use a high shutter speed; otherwise I'll have lots of blur in the shots :(

If it's not to dark when I get back, I'll go down to the park and mess around with the "A" mode, trying to get used to aperture.

Thanks everyone. If you have any more advice, please feel free ;)

Cheers,
Steven
 
a tip from me, i think the rule goes if you lens is at 50mm you dont want your shutter to go any lower than 1/50s so if you are 18mm 1/20 then 300mm 1/300 ect ect its just a tip to make sure you dont get blurry shots !!

EDIT WOOPSIES SHOULD READ MORE CAREFULLY !!!!
 
davidbridges said:
a tip from me, i think the rule goes if you lens is at 50mm you dont want your shutter to go any lower than 1/50s so if you are 18mm 1/20 then 300mm 1/300 ect ect its just a tip to make sure you dont get blurry shots !!

EDIT WOOPSIES SHOULD READ MORE CAREFULLY !!!!
Click to expand...

I have an 18-55mm (kit lens). At 18mm the slowest shutter speed I should use is 1/20 (rounded up). At 55mm the slowest shutter speed should be 1/55?

About aperture; do you think starting at F8 or F11, and then working my way down if needed would be ok?

This may sound stupid, but when I had it on "A" mode last night, I couldn't change the aperture! I need to read the manual when I get in :)

I think I understand it a little better now everyone, thank you.

PS: Can I change the aperture and shutter speed while looking through the viewfinder? Or does it have to be set beforehand?

Thanks,
Steven
 
You pretty much got the hang of things there. Shooting at f/11 will give you a decent DOF but as the aperture will be smaller it will require a longer shutter speed compared to say f/3.5.

Yes you can also change the shutter and aperture while looking through the viewfinder :)
 
R8JimBob88 said:
You pretty much got the hang of things there. Shooting at f/11 will give you a decent DOF but as the aperture will be smaller it will require a longer shutter speed compared to say f/3.5.

Yes you can also change the shutter and aperture while looking through the viewfinder :)
Click to expand...

Thanks Jim,

I'm guessing it says in the manual how to do so? I was changing it before the shot, and as you can guess, it's not very practical. :bang:

At f/11, is the shutter speed still fast enough to hand hold?

Thanks again,
Steven
 
Depends on the lighting, in low light, late afternoon, f/11 might need a tripod, but then again, it completley depends on the conditions, facing the sun, shadow etc.

Yea, the best thing is to have a good read through the manual, even buy a photography mag or two :) Make sure you post some pics up! Have you got a flickr account?
 
R8JimBob88 said:
Depends on the lighting, in low light, late afternoon, f/11 might need a tripod, but then again, it completley depends on the conditions, facing the sun, shadow etc.

Yea, the best thing is to have a good read through the manual, even buy a photography mag or two :) Make sure you post some pics up! Have you got a flickr account?
Click to expand...

I have a photobucket account. If I get any good pictures today, I'll make a flicker account.

Thanks Jim, and else everyone for the help!
 
Steven001 said:
This may sound stupid, but when I had it on "A" mode last night, I couldn't change the aperture! I need to read the manual when I get in :)

PS: Can I change the aperture and shutter speed while looking through the viewfinder? Or does it have to be set beforehand?
Click to expand...

Hi Steven

Assuming it's the same as the D40x, you adjust with the thumbwheel under your right thumb, and yes you can adjust in the viewfinder, the settings appear in the row of info across the bottom.

(BTW, I just arrived here today also, after just taking the dSLR plunge!)
 
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