You somehow seem to be systematically answering every question that comes up while I'm trying to learn photography. Great tutorials! I really appreciate them and learn a lot!
As a beginner.. I'll come to your channel whenever I have some doubts.. Every time I'll get some tricks and tips beyond clearing my doubts. You are truly an inspiration 😊
I have to give massive props to real world. It is supremely helpful that all the tutorials are on a entry level camera. A lot of tutorials are geared around the photographer having more advanced equipment and a selection of lenses. It kinda begs the question that once you've made a sizable investment in gear, do you still need the basic training? I am what I would define as a very entry level learner. I have started off with equipment that is well regarded for learners and good for an basic level entry into photography. I cook for a living and am a firm believer about starting off with basic tools and learning to thoroughly master them. Learn to walk in all situations before learning to run (so-to-speak.) These relatively quick lessons are hugely beneficial to novices who are seeking to advance their skills.
Thanks for the post/feedback David and glad to be of help/inspiration!:) I agree as well - learn to crawl before you walk and learn to walk before you run:). Sounds like you are on the right path!:)
Thanks for the feedback!:) Many 'entry level' cameras are fully capable in the right hands ... knowledge and experience go a long way to capture some awesome images:).
This is helpful because today I'm going to try and capture lightning for the first time. I mostly do landscape/wildlife. It's recommended to use infinity focus and I have that very lens 18-55
I lover your videos, they are always so informative and full of handy hints. It also helps that the start reminds me of Anthony Bourdain's TV show music, and now I just made myself sad because I remembered he passed away last year, time to go photograph something happy.
Might be off topic, but talking about the lens kind of made this pop into my mind. I just got my D3400 a few days ago and haven't been able to really get out with it yet because of work. I've basically just been "goofing off" with it inside my apartment fooling around with the settings and just taking some experimental pics while watching your videos. Was talking to my dad last night and he mentioned he wished I would have told him I was looking for a DSLR because he has a Nikon D3100 he bought and never used and he has the whole set up with extra lenses and filters. He has the kit lens 18-55 but he also has one that goes out 135mm. I haven't been able to find a clear answer but you seem pretty well rounded with the Nikon cameras. He is basically going to give me his D3100 and I was curious if the lenses would be compatible with the D3400? As always thanks for your hard work and excellent camera videos.
Thanks for the post/feedback!:) Yes, any lenses working with the D3100 will also work in the same manner with the D3400. The D3400 offers many improvements from resolution to max ISO but the lenses will be the same for the most part. I suspect you received the 18-55 kit lens as part of your D3400 purchase? If so, I further suspect the lens is AF-P whereas the 18-55 with the D3100 is most likely the AF-S version. The AF-P is Nikon's silent focusing version/system which is relatively new.
Yeah mine came with the 18-55 kit lens and it's been pretty nice so far just taking it out and experimenting with settings after watching your video on the different modes.
Excellent tutorials! Think I've seen them all, especially regarding D3400. Well done! Learn something from every one of them. Question: I've been shooting on Nikons since the late '60s. Have acquired a raft of terrific legacy lenses, mostly primes from 24mm to 300mm. I love the fact that using them gives immediate feedback on the effects of aperture adjustments and the depth-of-field indicators on the lenses which DX lenses lack. Do you ever shoot with the older Nikkor lenses (I'm using a D3500)? What do you find the best method is for dealing with aperture adjustment since auto exposure ain't workin' with these new fangled lenses? Thanks for the great videos you put out there!
Thanks for the post/feedback James! :) I have shot with older lenses but not often. Since many of the instant feedback features do not work, the process becomes trial and error. :)
What an awesome tutorial, and it applies exactly to something I am struggling with right now! I’m currently in Iceland attempting to photograph the Milky Way and northern lights, but I’ve always struggled to find the point for focusing to infinity. I’m definitely going to try that auto focus trick!
Thanks for the post/feedback and glad to be of help!:) I also created a video on astro photographer which might be of some help - ua-cam.com/video/8uvW4HL3sso/v-deo.html
I think auto focus is a hindrance to getting a good sharp image at times, are a least the focus you want. I often use my Bronica for landscape shots, so all the lenses are obviously manual and I hit sharpness all the way through every time I want it. Samyang lenses are super cheap and my 14mm is a great lens, again it’s manual focus only but it a lens where I sometimes go for a little softness at infinity. However, it is the focus that I want not what the camera tells me. My hyperfocal app is Simple DoF, it’s free and serves me OK. A quick tip for those with an old mobile in the drawer, use it for your photography apps, especially if you use TriggerTrap or a light meter because if you’re anything like me you will forget to totally shut them down and they run your battery out super quick running in the background. A surprisingly complex principle explained exceptionally well, a great video again.
Thanks for the post/tips Mark!:) I like the Samyang lenses - affordable and fairly solid. Focus peaking is a nice feature when using manual focus - I toyed with it on the Sony a6000 at one time.
Had a very tricky time shooting architecture a week ago with the Nikon 45mm PC-E lens. Focusing is very subtle, and I will think I nailed it and later see I was off, with part of the frame not sharp.
Wow. You kept it simple so I think I get it. Thank you! So, I decided to purchase the 3500 but passed on the 70-300mm lens since you said that it was the first time you took it out, for your tutorial. I am new with all of the numbers and technology but am understanding much more with your videos. What’s is still baffling me my thought that the larger, 70-300 lens wouldn’t be better for landscapes? I’m sure I’m missing some basic concepts. You said the 50 fixed 1.8 would be your first choice for landscape, I think. So, what is that 70-300 good for? Also, saw that the fixed 50 1.8 is best with “G”, more expensive, burn. Not very much, better glass I think? I’ve heard others say the 50 fixed 1.4 better am wondering what your thoughts are on this. I will search for one of your vids, perhaps it’s already explained. Again, so appreciate your generous teachings!
Glad to be of help!:) The 70-300 is good for zoom related shots like at a zoo or when traveling and trying to get a shot of birds, etc. Landscape shots are better tackled using a wide angle lens of some sort. When taking landscape shots with the 18-55 kit lens, I would suggest using the wider side of the lens (around the 18 range). Many landscape photographers like wide angle lenses to capture everything - a wide/broad perspective of the scene. Some landscape photographers will use a wider angle (10-18 Sigma for example - amzn.to/2OcMRm2 ... the fixed 50 is great for portraits. You could shoot landscapes with it but I would suggest a wider angle as well:).
Hello, I'm having a bit of an issue. I downloaded a hyperfocal app, input my camera, lens, f-step, and zoom. It gave me my focal point to shoot for. Since this was my first time trying this out, i got a tape measure and put an object at the correct distance to focus on and then removed the object and took a few shots. After reviewing the shot in photoshop, I found that details in the background just were not clear like they should be. The zoomed out shots look decent, but if I zoom to 100% on photoshop, it's kind of grainy and hard to make out text on a little sign I have on the kitchen countertop. I'm shooting with a Nikon D5300 with an 18-140 lens. I was shooting a kitchen remodel. I keep comparing the shots I took with shots from a professional photographer who shot the same kitchen and I can't seem to get things in focus like they are in the professional photo. Any idea why? Could lighting have something to do with it? Maybe it's grain that distorting it and not lack of focus?
Thanks for the post!:) Interesting experiment/comparison using the the app and measuring the distance. Curious to know the ISO, aperture, and shutter speed. When I hear grain, I tend to think about high ISO. A profession photography may have been shooting with a full frame camera and/or using various noise reduction techniques in post processing. I created a video on removing grain when using ISO which can be found here - ua-cam.com/video/pKnpLb32j1w/v-deo.html
very helpful video, i have been waiting for this video after i have purchased Nikon d3400 with kit lens where there is no infinity indicator for thus facing problem, this video tutorial will help me a lot. thanks sir for your kind effort !
I've read that for macro photography, one should set the lens to infinity, and leave it there while moving the subject or the camera forward or backward to achieve focus. I have a lens with no infinity marking, so if I do as you say - to arrive at infinity focus via aperture priority and my back focus button, when I switch to manual focus (required for macro), will my infinity focus still be there????? Many thanks!
Could you make a tutorial on shooting star trails and galaxies with an entry level DSLR like the D3400 or the D5300? Btw your light trail tutorial helped me a lot, thanks. Love your vids!
Thank You for one more informative video. I am little skeptical about one thing. Is there any harm/danger in using DSLR in snow? I live in Canada and the winter has just begun. I bought a Nikon D3400 few days ago. I am excited about clicking some good pictures in snow but also little nervous abt the compatibility of these entry level DSLRs in -20°C temperature.
Thanks for the feedback/post!:) Should be little to no problems in cold temps (little issues might relate to battery time):). My only recommendation would be to shield the camera if changing the battery or lens ... you do not want to get any moisture in the body and have it freeze/re-freeze. These cameras are used in various parts of the world under very cold conditions (i.e. Sweden for example). Just ensure you protect your hands and feet from frostbite:).
I use mostly a 16-85 mm Dx lens on a Nikon d 7200 body. I find focusing 1/3 into the composition at approx f11 works for me. ISO 100 and tripod of course.
thanks for the post/question pam and yes, i have a suggestion/thought:). consider using Field Tools from the app store for iphone. i have no affiliation, etc. just feel it is a good/great tool. :)
I've been trying to figure out whether it's worth getting an adapter for my Nikkor lenses to use on my EOS Rebel camera, and haven't been able to find anything substantive on how to use these normally AF lenses in manual mode and focus them through the viewfinder (or, at all). This is the closest I've come so far, but I'd love to see something even more specific.
I'm a big fan and we've corresponded before. I have a question. I have a crop sensor camera with a 12mm lens. I used Hyperfocal Pro and compared the results with a full frame Canon Mark II with an 18mm lens. this taking into account the crop factor of the other camera. Shouldn't the Hyperfocal distance be the same? They didn't come out that way for me. Do you know why? Thanks. Hope to hear from you.
Good to hear from you Steve!:) Interesting topic/question:). I typically enter the camera type in the program and let it calculate the depth of field. The camera type will determine the sensor size for proper calculations. The question is - why the difference?:) I conducted a bit of research with only limited time available and found the following link: www.bhphotovideo.com/explora/photography/tips-and-solutions/depth-field-part-3 ... search for 'DOF and Sensor Size' on the page (hit Control F (or Command F if using Mac)). The author does a nice job at breaking down the details (a good amount of information if you are in the mood for it:)).
You must use the crop factor also on the aperture. Remember photography is not math. The hyperfocal distance can act as a guide but it offers no guarantee of sharpness.
Nice. I have this lens for a while now and I tried to do some star trails with it by connecting it to my Olympus em-10 II via an adapter with an aperture ring. I just could use the manual focus of this lens. I mean...the manual focus ring wasn't doing anything. What did I do wrong? TIA
hmmm ... most auto focus features will be lost when crossing lenses to bodies depending on the adapter. Nonetheless, the manual focus ring on the lens should work fine.
@@RealWorld I am also surprised that it doesn't work. I adapted other lenses like the Nikkor 50mm f/1.8G lens and that worked flawlessly with manual focus. Of course the AF is lost when F-mount lenses are adapted to Olympus MFT bodies.
The share the same sensor and resolution. The major difference is with the screen - if you want a rotating screen, go for the D5300. If you do not care for the rotating screen, go for the D3400:).
I have a Canon 70D with a 18-135mm kit lens with no distance scale and I'm new to street photography and want to achieve zone focusing, how to I do that? Thanks.
Use the back button focus and then fix the focus to something at distance you want to focus. Then use small enough aperture. In general it is better to use autofocus though.
I thought people might ask how to shoot portraits with the kit lens, so I made a video which should be of some help - ua-cam.com/video/Kr0KDg2R53Y/v-deo.html :)
So, if anyone is using CANON and the standard 18-55 lens, its very easy to focus to infinity. Just pick an object far away, switch to manual focus, and zoom in digitaly to it, then manually focus.
I am trying to do this but not following... So focus on the moon for example in AF then switch to manual then what? Im lost at the zoom in digitally and manual focus? Than ks
Thank you for your excellent videos; necessary watching for any newcomer to "real" photography. Now I hope this isn't a dumb question, but why set to a high aperture number before setting focus (on the D3400) when the aperture iris appears to stay wide open until the mirror flips up when taking the shot?
Thanks for the post/feedback!:) One good lens to consider for landscape photography is the Sigma 10-20 ... amzn.to/2FZVcqX ... this is a good/solid lens in my opinion:).
My home burned down in the Socal fire so now I can use the insurance money to upgrade from my D3200 with kit lens to Nikon D810 with 16-35mm. Very excited
Sorry to hear about your home! I have read/heard about the SoCal fires - thoughts and prayers go out. Take care and be safe. Nonetheless, congrats on the D810 and 16-35 (a great combination in my opinion):).
I have the Nikon 18-55 AF-P I took great photos with it, but sometimes when I make video when I move for panning the focus get burry do you know another lensmaybe Nikon 18-105mm or Tamron 18-200mm thanks
Thanks for the post/question:). I suspect the root cause is not the lens as the AF-P is a solid near silent auto focus lens, rather I suspect the root cause is the camera body. Not that the camera body is not functioning as designed, rather the body make lack a large number of AF points. Various Sony cameras have large amounts of AF points and do a great job in tracking moving subjects:).
@@RealWorld thanks for your reply so the number of focus in a camera body is important for video recording so if i get a D7000 series probably my the videos would improve right
Glad to be of help and correct:). Check the number of focal points in the camera. If you are more interested in video, I also like the Canon 80D, T7i, etc. (I have reviews on my channel for each as well:)).
You could use the lens to shoot the stars although you might want a wider angle. I used the 18-55 in my astro video which worked well in my opinion - ua-cam.com/video/8uvW4HL3sso/v-deo.html
I have downloaded a DOF calculator where the largest distante value is 100m. If I set this distance for a lense with 360mm focal length the app calculates a DOF of 26.9m and a hyperfocal distance of 753.6m and a near limit of 376.8m. Does that mean that I do not get focus on 100m? Or how should I interpret that? Is it just a calculation
I would need to take a closer look but I believe so ... the resulting information should be actual. You can test the numbers by taking various images at different distances and placing objects at various ranges in the image ... look for focus, etc.
Wat are you trying to achieve? You do not need an app to take photos. Just forget the apps and focus on what you need to focus. Hyperfocal distance while related to the concept of depth of field is not the same. The depth of field depends on the distance. Hyperfocal distance is a distance so it cannot depend on the distance. That tells just that the hyperfocal distance is 753.6 m. The near limit is half of that. If you focus at the hyperfocal distance everything from 376.8 m to infinity is acceptable sharp. (acceptable by some guy you have never seen or heard of. If you disagree, you re wrong and that guy is right (that was a joke)). Note this is completely unrelated to what distance you set to the calculator
I have the 70-300 and plan to do a review at some point on the lens:). If given the choice and knowing you plan to shoot wildlife, go for the 70-300 as the additional reach will be nice to have (especially with birds:)). Performance between the two lenses should be similar in my opinion:).
I wish I had watched this before shooting the northern lights. I was able to get some good shots w my tokina, which has infinity marked. However, I wanted to shoot my 35mm f1.8 as well and could not find the sweet spot using manual focus...frustrating when it's cold and dark...i learned rookie lesson... it's all about knowing the gear beforehand. Thanks for the informative video!
Excellent video! However, my 18-55 Nikon DX lens does not have a focus ring? To be fair my lens kit is from a D3000 8 years ago. I would really appreciate some help.
I know, like I said she's about 8 years old so maybe it's dated!?! They did come off a D3000. I found a new tip whilst reading comments and it works really well. Might be of interest to know. 1. Go to set up menu and choose "Dust off ref photo 2. Follow screen instructions 3. Switch and lock infinity into manual mode. Takes about 10 seconds. I double checked and my 55-200 is the same. Not that I think it would make a difference but I brought them from Australia when backpacking. Sadly my D3000 died after 7 years and after moving from England to Canada funds were limited. I brought a D500 replacement and i'm very pleased. After 2 years operating on manual mode I am now ready for change in the way of full body. It seems so expensive to step up every 5 minutes. My plan is to buy a D750 and invest into premo Nikon glass (holy trinity 70-200f2.8) This will be my first step into selling my images. D850 is stunning but too expensive when I'm not selling just yet. Reviews for the D750 seem really impressive especially for sport all things considered. @@RealWorld
@@1down4up78 Sounds like you have traveled around:). Ahhhh yes, the D750 is solid and will treat you well!:) I like the D750, D810, and the D850 from the full sensor perspective. I am also giving thought to the the Sony a7 III but not certain I want to go that direction just yet - would need to reinvest in new glass:).
Thanks for the post/question:). These are two different concepts ... the nodal point is a fixed point in a lens somewhere between the front and rear elements from which distance is measured:).
Dear Sir I have a problem. While taking landscape I mounted the camera ( D3200) on a tripod , maintained ISO 100 , f16 (aperture priority) , matrix metering , focused at 1/3 Rd and 2 sec delay on shutter release. On LCD it was looking alright , however when I zooming in distant objects weren't sharp. For all the shots I used the 18-55 kit lens. Would you please help? With warm regards Amitabha Sarkar
Why did you expect them to be sharp? You use so small aperture that diffraction counts. Also the 1/3 tule is just nonsense. It works about at distances of a few meters. More importantly the biggest misconception of the depth of field is that it exists. It does not exist. There is an area some people at some time classified to be acceptable sharp. If that is not acceptable to you, you must change the way you operate. The main rule is to focus on the main subject. That way it will be pin sharp. Then you use the depth of field to bring other parts in or our of focus as you desire. Note if you do not have any visible foreground element you can use any aperture. Watch this: ua-cam.com/video/UpfOsRez5MM/v-deo.htmlsi=_i3PHw5Er4XRZzS1 There are so many such rules that were invented back who known when in the film era. While they may serve as rough guides, they are not something that should be considered absolute true and use your own experience to refine them.
Hey there.. Am from India.. Really like your videos and way of your explanation.. And I am learning very much from you. I have nikon D 5300. I have a question. Whenever I try to shoot to manual mode I get that meter reading always fluctuate between over exposed and under exposed range so how can I control it to get balanced exposed shoot? And when I shoot in manual focus I always fail to get crisp and clear shoot..your reply is really appreciated. Thank you!!
Thanks for the post/feedback/question!:) Welcome from the United States:). Manual mode is fun but can be challenging depending on the situation. I mainly use manual mode when shooting off camera flash or perhaps wanting some creative, otherwise I stick with aperture or shutter:). If the exposure indicator is fluctuating, I suspect you have something in the scene that is causing the sensor to bounce (i.e. lights passing through or perhaps something sparkling, etc.). As long as you are close to center, you will be fine (you can see the same in my night photography video). Manual focus is tough unless you have a good eye:). I mainly use auto focus simply because the camera does a better job at locking focus than I can:). Cameras like the Sony a6000 have focus peaking which displays highlighted portions of the scene that are in focus - nice to have when shooting w/ manual focus:).
check whether you have lens in manual and activated focus range in body, then it will show fluctuation when you rotate lens. else you will not have fluctuation in the meter,(light meter and focus range are two different things )
Thanks for the post/question:). My D3400 18-55 kit lens does not have a switch. AF is set by default on the kit lens. If you want to switch to manual focus, you can does in the menu system. If you have a lens with the switch, you should leave the switch in auto for the AF to work, or you can switch to manual to disable AF.
Thank you for the video i was waiting for this as you told me that it will come soon now i understand how to focus to infinity i will go out and try this. Thank you so much real world.
Very nice video. I would like to add that most affordable zoom lenses or even prime lenses at f/16 and f/22 suffer from the diffraction which deteriorates the optical quality. However that varies with every lens. Usually expensive prime lenses have better quality at f/16 or f/22 than cheaper ones. With landscape photography narrow apertures are very useful. During the film era landscape photographers like Ansel Adams were using f/64 Check Wikipedia for article: Group f/64
I have D3400 and got problem with 18-55 lens focus.While I'm using autofocus it takes time to focus correctly and always I have to use manual focus.My auto focus in not stable.I don't think it had this issue initially . Any help?
@@RealWorld I have been facing this issue for last few months.So,I managed to by using manual focus.But,for random events I can't be that fast to use it manually.
You should be relatively sharp is done right. What lens are you using? You might take a quick look at my video on depth of focus as well which may be of some help/clarification - ua-cam.com/video/EGesxJeY8_s/v-deo.html
Hi. Your videos are really informative, appreciate that. Just want to see a video of yours with Nikon d3400 where you tell about landscape photography and also demonstrate live. Hope you gonna get back to this. Will be waiting. Thanx for this video 👍
Please helpppp!! Im going on a trip to the mountains in Alaska very soon and I have a d3400 with both kit lenses, I want to photograph a couple standing close by but also get the mountains in the background, is their any setting in manual mode or other mode I can get it to focus on the foreground as well as the background? thank you so much.
Ahhhhh sounds cool!:) Grab your camera and take lots of shots - should be a great opportunity!:) Taking a shot of someone in focus along with the mountains in focus is doable under certain conditions:). I created a video on depth of field which should be of help - ua-cam.com/video/EGesxJeY8_s/v-deo.html ... in short, you will want plenty of sun > head into aperture mode > set your aperture to a relatively high number like f/22, etc. > check the shutter speed; if the shutter speed is less than 1/60 of second, increase the ISO; if you are using auto ISO, the camera will do this for you:).
Awesome knowledge sharing as always...A quick question, so we have to focus at HFD and the images at half of HFD and infinity will be in focus and sharp. Can you take some snaps and show us the results, it would be great Thanks
Thanks for the post/feedback!:) You are on the right path ... a good distance in front of the HFD to infinity will be in focus (not certain if half the distance from your camera to HFD distance is correct, but it is a good distance:)).
Thank you for the great video. You seemed to be implying that stopping down to f/22 in aperture-priority mode before you focus on something at the hyperfocal distance makes a difference in the process of autofocusing. If that's what you meant to imply, you are incorrect. While focusing, the aperture remains wide open, regardless of exposure mode or aperture setting, in all SLR cameras to allow for the most amount of light to hit your autofocus sensors and to avoid diffraction that would introduce blurriness at narrower apertures and ruin your ability to autofocus altogether. It's not until you release the shutter that the aperture stops down momentarily before the photo is captured. Therefore, your exposure mode or aperture setting makes no difference in the autofocusing process. If you weren't implying that, I apologize. I just thought I'd clarify that with you.
Thanks for the post/clarification Brian and you are correct:). Did not mean to imply and appreciate the clarification for others who may interpret the same.
Thank you for this nice video! I got one question. I want to take a photo of milky way and I knew that I have to focus to infinity. But I can't focus on something far at really dark place. Any solution for this?
Either get there before dark and get your focus before the sun goes down. Or you could always shine a light on your foreground to ensure that it is in focus to infinity. Could always use live view, turn the screen brightness up, manual focus on a bright star, then recompose and shoot. Other than that, take a test shot and trial and error it till it's in focus (Not recommended) There's a few ways to do it.
Im using a vintage lens, its a 135mm f3.5, and when i use it at 3.5 i can only focus on a person when im about 10 feet away, anything further wont reach focus no matter how much i twist the manual focus ring, does this have anything to due with it?
Hmmmm ... interesting. Inability to focus is typically tied to a minimum distance and not max (for example, you may not be able to focus on subjects that are within a few feet):). Does the lens have an infinity indicator?
Yes it does, by the way the lens is a vivitar 135 f3.5. when i step back to try to get a full body shot it doesn't allow me to focus. it seems like i can only focus a specific distance, and i know the focus ring works because when im a certain distance i can focus in and out. Which usually means i can only do like headshots
Good subject and content, except for the annoying, unnecessary music. Your voice alone is sufficient for this subject. I now always use the back-button focus trick, which is a great tip, thanks! However, a tricky problem is how to use these autofocus lenses to get infinity when photographing stars, where one is usually standing somewhere in the open countryside on a hill in a freezing cold field in near total darkness with absolutely nothing at all to focus on. Any ideas? About hyperfocal distance, f/22 will not really give particularly sharp images. As a rule of thumb, the diameter of the diffraction spot measured in micrometers is slightly larger than the f-number (it does not depend on the focal length). So, for f/22, the diffraction spot is about 25 µm. However, on a Nikon D3400 the pixel size is about 3.9 µm; thus, 25 µm translates to 6.5 pixels, at best. Without going into the details, the sweet spot for landscapes usually works out at about f/8-f11, and focus at about 4-5 m. The worst thing about these modern cameras is the instruction book, which induces a kind of coma after reading about the first 18 pages of 132. In former times, the kit included a little ten-page booklet that explained how to load a film, install a lens, and take pictures, with the emphasis on the last item. So, your videos, are a great help, thanks! About me: I have been an amateur of photography since I was given my first camera about fifty years ago. My newest (of many) is a Nikon 3200 with 18-105 mm kit lens, given to me by somebody who did not want it because they bought a mobile phone, which has got a camera on it!
LOL - yes, music is always an interesting/tough situation (more so than what most people might think):). I feel it helps to carry a video over relatively dry data/information but this is not always the case:). Nonetheless, you have some good points regarding hyperfocal distance and deffraction. We share similar thoughts and I am surprised to hear from someone who understands the concept as well - nice:). I simply refer to each lens as having a sweet spot (as you mentioned in your example ... f/8 - f/11). Mention the concept of defraction to most and they will be completely lost:).
I had a question about landscape photography. I also have the nikon d3400 and I like using the 18-55mm lens. I shoot RAW and every time I take a landscape shot I notice the size of the file is 1 to 2 MB. I want to make a canvas of my shots, and was told that my photo should be at least 20-25MB. How do I get a larger file? Thanks in advance.
Thanks for the question!:) Something does not sound right ... if you are shooting raw, the resulting file size will be much larger. If you are seeing a file size of 1-2 mb, I strongly suspect you are shooting in jpeg and even jpeg will typically be result in a much larger file ... are you certain you are shooting in raw and looking at the right file? Nonetheless, a good landscape shot will not directly depend on the file size ... you could have a great shot at 10 mb. Typically, LARGE prints will yield better results from a large file but having a large file is not required:). I have a great 8x10 print taken years ago with a 2 megapixel camera ... sure, you miiiiight see some noise but nothing too bad. Keep in mind that was years ago:). Today, the D3400 is a 24 megapixel camera capable is printing much larger than an 8x10 if needed:).
Good morning, I checked my pictures on my memory card and noticed that they were pretty big about 20-22mb, so its definitely something I'm doing in lightroom. When I'm done with post processing I usually export them as jpg's
Hi, nice video, but where to focus at night to be in focus at infinitive? If we want to take star pictures we will try to use the wideest aperture possible in order to let the camera to gather more light, therefore the hyper focal is not going to help us.
Thanks for the post/question:). If you a hyper focal calculator like this one - www.dofmaster.com/dofjs.html ... select Nikon D3200 (providing you are using the D3300 or D3400 - will be the same for this purpose) > key in the focal length (for example, 55mm if you are using the 18-55 kit lens and zoomed all the way in) > key in the f-stop (for example, 5.6 which is the widest aperture on the 18-55 when zoomed in) > key anything for the distance to subject as this does not matter (we are after the hyper focal distance) > press the calculate button ... look to the right and you will see the hyper focal distance. This is the minimum distance you can focus on a subject and achieve infinity. The results using the given information show 25.8 meters or 87.9 feet. When at night, look for anything that is at least 25.8 meters or 87.9 feet and lock focus (this could be a car in the distance, a street light, tree line, etc.) ... anything from 25.8 meters or 87.9 feet to infinity will be in focus:). Hope this helps!:)
I got the idea. Anyway is not as easy. In my case I want to use a EF 50mm f/1.8 STM in a Rebel, setting the aperture at 1.8 I would have to find a pint at least 74 mts away to achieve the hyper focal to infinite. Not so easy. RESPONDER
Thanks for the post/question:). I have heard the same. I like to stay around f/11 for night shots, fireworks, etc. but will go higher if needed without much concern:).
I really like the fixed 50 f/1.8 (amzn.to/2eG2eWb) - a great lens that works well with the D3400. Since the lens can open to 1.8, VR is not an issue in my opinion:).
Thanks for the reply. I juts got it delivered today and so excited to go out and give it it try. Meanwhile, I got another question if you don't mind me asking. Is there any trick that I could take a photo of myself a tripod and have a good focus? (a Selfie kinda) Many thanks
Have fun and enjoy the ride!:) Regarding trick to take a selfie of sorts ... I just did this the other day in order create a head-shot for various profiles:). This is doable and perhaps this will make for a quick video:). I place my camera on a tripod and positioned another tripod with a stuffed animal on it 5-10 in front of the camera. I locked focus on the stuffed animal > moved the tripod to the side noting the location > set the camera to using the self timer > pressed the shutter and took position:). Seemed to work well.
The problem is auto focus does not work in the dark so trying this when trying to take a picture of the night sky won't work. While I'm at it I'd like to comment on the lack of quality control on todays camera's. I have a Nikon d90 that was always tack sharp no matter what lens i had on it.My d7100 needs all of it's lenses calibrated to work with the camera, mind you these are the same lenses that the d90 focuses just fine with. The reason is camera makers have abandoned quality control, just toss the camera into a box and ship it. The 7100 has twice the resolution the d90 has but that is not the reason the 7100 is SEVERELY out on autofocus when the d90 was tack sharp - it's the lack of quality control at the factory. The 7100 is not an entry level camera and I know people with the d500 that have the same problem.
Regarding shooting at night ... hopefully you can find something shining in the distance to focus on. If not, I will use a flashlight to brighten something in the distance to lock focus (like trees, etc.). Regarding calibration and quality ... most cameras are solid and must meet a given specification when leaving the factory but that is not always the case:).
so i just got a new camera and it comes with that lens can i just keep it at a set number so that i can go shoot around landscape without having to worry about it? i am new to photography that's why i sound so ignorant lol
Not a problem and thanks for the post/question:). I created a video which talks about depth of field ... this is a relatively crude demo I created using a chalkboard but I feel helps to convey the subject - ua-cam.com/video/EGesxJeY8_s/v-deo.html
Thanks for the post/question Matt:). This is mainly used for landscape photos. I created a video on depth if field which might be of some help as well - ua-cam.com/video/EGesxJeY8_s/v-deo.html
I buy a new nikon d3400 but manual focus is not working but auto focus working well i changed everything in the menu but nothing happened someone pls help me.......
Hmmmm ... if you pressed the 'i' button on the back > selected Focus Mode > select MF > attempted to rotate the outer ring on the lens and do not see any change in focus, I would think there is a problem with the lens :)
Mr real world I watched your video on firmware update I did this Monday morning my D3100 and my D5600 do not have distortion control data on the camera. But the website has an update for both camera's. What should I do ?
Same price? This comes down to the articulating screen. The D5300 have a full articulating screen, more focal points, and an external mic port. The D3400 has a better battery (1200 shots vs 600). You will get an additional lens which is nice and can be sold if desired. When shooting with my 18-200 lens, I found myself in the 100+ range, but when shooting with the 18-55 on the D3400, I adapted to the 55 limitation. Changing lenses often to get extra zoom is nice in theory but not always practically in my opinion.
You somehow seem to be systematically answering every question that comes up while I'm trying to learn photography. Great tutorials! I really appreciate them and learn a lot!
Thanks for the post/feedback and glad to be of help!:)
Couldnt agree more
Thank you. This type of discussion helps an old man with tired eyes with focus issues.
As a beginner.. I'll come to your channel whenever I have some doubts.. Every time I'll get some tricks and tips beyond clearing my doubts. You are truly an inspiration 😊
thanks for the post and glad to be of help! :)
I have to give massive props to real world. It is supremely helpful that all the tutorials are on a entry level camera. A lot of tutorials are geared around the photographer having more advanced equipment and a selection of lenses. It kinda begs the question that once you've made a sizable investment in gear, do you still need the basic training?
I am what I would define as a very entry level learner. I have started off with equipment that is well regarded for learners and good for an basic level entry into photography. I cook for a living and am a firm believer about starting off with basic tools and learning to thoroughly master them. Learn to walk in all situations before learning to run (so-to-speak.)
These relatively quick lessons are hugely beneficial to novices who are seeking to advance their skills.
Thanks for the post/feedback David and glad to be of help/inspiration!:) I agree as well - learn to crawl before you walk and learn to walk before you run:). Sounds like you are on the right path!:)
What camera did you use to film this?
Without "top of the line gear" you kick ass!!! Congrats...great content!
Thanks for the feedback!:) Many 'entry level' cameras are fully capable in the right hands ... knowledge and experience go a long way to capture some awesome images:).
This is helpful because today I'm going to try and capture lightning for the first time. I mostly do landscape/wildlife. It's recommended to use infinity focus and I have that very lens 18-55
I really like your oldschool intro and the way you talk. It's so relaxing, great job.
Thanks for the feedback and glad to be of help/calm:).
I lover your videos, they are always so informative and full of handy hints.
It also helps that the start reminds me of Anthony Bourdain's TV show music, and now I just made myself sad because I remembered he passed away last year, time to go photograph something happy.
Thanks for the post/feedback:). Yes, time to shoot something happy:).
Thanks again, I have that exact lens on my D5600 and wondered about the lack of infinity symbol! Thanks
Glad to be of help!:) You are not the only one:).
Might be off topic, but talking about the lens kind of made this pop into my mind. I just got my D3400 a few days ago and haven't been able to really get out with it yet because of work. I've basically just been "goofing off" with it inside my apartment fooling around with the settings and just taking some experimental pics while watching your videos. Was talking to my dad last night and he mentioned he wished I would have told him I was looking for a DSLR because he has a Nikon D3100 he bought and never used and he has the whole set up with extra lenses and filters. He has the kit lens 18-55 but he also has one that goes out 135mm. I haven't been able to find a clear answer but you seem pretty well rounded with the Nikon cameras. He is basically going to give me his D3100 and I was curious if the lenses would be compatible with the D3400? As always thanks for your hard work and excellent camera videos.
Thanks for the post/feedback!:) Yes, any lenses working with the D3100 will also work in the same manner with the D3400. The D3400 offers many improvements from resolution to max ISO but the lenses will be the same for the most part. I suspect you received the 18-55 kit lens as part of your D3400 purchase? If so, I further suspect the lens is AF-P whereas the 18-55 with the D3100 is most likely the AF-S version. The AF-P is Nikon's silent focusing version/system which is relatively new.
Yeah mine came with the 18-55 kit lens and it's been pretty nice so far just taking it out and experimenting with settings after watching your video on the different modes.
I like the graphic display of the in-focus distance range of the app you have shown in the video. Is there a similar App in MacOS like HyperFocal Pro?
would not be surprised to find one for iOS, however i would need to conduct a bit of research:)
Your videos are awesome! Extremely educational!
thanks for the feedback and glad to be of help!:)
Excellent tutorials! Think I've seen them all, especially regarding D3400. Well done! Learn something from every one of them. Question: I've been shooting on Nikons since the late '60s. Have acquired a raft of terrific legacy lenses, mostly primes from 24mm to 300mm. I love the fact that using them gives immediate feedback on the effects of aperture adjustments and the depth-of-field indicators on the lenses which DX lenses lack. Do you ever shoot with the older Nikkor lenses (I'm using a D3500)? What do you find the best method is for dealing with aperture adjustment since auto exposure ain't workin' with these new fangled lenses? Thanks for the great videos you put out there!
Thanks for the post/feedback James! :) I have shot with older lenses but not often. Since many of the instant feedback features do not work, the process becomes trial and error. :)
As always, very helpful video. I was looking for this tutorial for shooting the stars. Thank you so much
glad to be of help!:)
Now I understand the hyperfocus more clearly. Thank you very much again for your help, your tutorials have helped me a lot.
You are really good!
Thanks for the post/feedback Roy and glad to be of help!:)
I'm so glad I found your channel. You have a brilliant way of explaining things. Thank you. Well done and keep it up.
Thanks for the post/feedback and glad to be of help!:)
What an awesome tutorial, and it applies exactly to something I am struggling with right now! I’m currently in Iceland attempting to photograph the Milky Way and northern lights, but I’ve always struggled to find the point for focusing to infinity. I’m definitely going to try that auto focus trick!
Thanks for the post/feedback and glad to be of help!:) I also created a video on astro photographer which might be of some help - ua-cam.com/video/8uvW4HL3sso/v-deo.html
Thanks so much! Been struggling with infinity focus on kit lens. Will download the app right away.
I think auto focus is a hindrance to getting a good sharp image at times, are a least the focus you want. I often use my Bronica for landscape shots, so all the lenses are obviously manual and I hit sharpness all the way through every time I want it. Samyang lenses are super cheap and my 14mm is a great lens, again it’s manual focus only but it a lens where I sometimes go for a little softness at infinity. However, it is the focus that I want not what the camera tells me. My hyperfocal app is Simple DoF, it’s free and serves me OK. A quick tip for those with an old mobile in the drawer, use it for your photography apps, especially if you use TriggerTrap or a light meter because if you’re anything like me you will forget to totally shut them down and they run your battery out super quick running in the background. A surprisingly complex principle explained exceptionally well, a great video again.
Thanks for the post/tips Mark!:) I like the Samyang lenses - affordable and fairly solid. Focus peaking is a nice feature when using manual focus - I toyed with it on the Sony a6000 at one time.
Had a very tricky time shooting architecture a week ago with the Nikon 45mm PC-E lens. Focusing is very subtle, and I will think I nailed it and later see I was off, with part of the frame not sharp.
Architecture can be difficult depending on the situation - lots of fun with interesting angels but challenging:).
Wow. You kept it simple so I think I get it. Thank you! So, I decided to purchase the 3500 but passed on the 70-300mm lens since you said that it was the first time you took it out, for your tutorial. I am new with all of the numbers and technology but am understanding much more with your videos. What’s is still baffling me my thought that the larger, 70-300 lens wouldn’t be better for landscapes? I’m sure I’m missing some basic concepts. You said the 50 fixed 1.8 would be your first choice for landscape, I think. So, what is that 70-300 good for? Also, saw that the fixed 50 1.8 is best with “G”, more expensive, burn. Not very much, better glass I think? I’ve heard others say the 50 fixed 1.4 better am wondering what your thoughts are on this. I will search for one of your vids, perhaps it’s already explained. Again, so appreciate your generous teachings!
Glad to be of help!:) The 70-300 is good for zoom related shots like at a zoo or when traveling and trying to get a shot of birds, etc. Landscape shots are better tackled using a wide angle lens of some sort. When taking landscape shots with the 18-55 kit lens, I would suggest using the wider side of the lens (around the 18 range). Many landscape photographers like wide angle lenses to capture everything - a wide/broad perspective of the scene. Some landscape photographers will use a wider angle (10-18 Sigma for example - amzn.to/2OcMRm2 ... the fixed 50 is great for portraits. You could shoot landscapes with it but I would suggest a wider angle as well:).
Thank you for answering all of my questions! I appreciate you. @@RealWorld
Hello,
I'm having a bit of an issue. I downloaded a hyperfocal app, input my camera, lens, f-step, and zoom. It gave me my focal point to shoot for. Since this was my first time trying this out, i got a tape measure and put an object at the correct distance to focus on and then removed the object and took a few shots.
After reviewing the shot in photoshop, I found that details in the background just were not clear like they should be. The zoomed out shots look decent, but if I zoom to 100% on photoshop, it's kind of grainy and hard to make out text on a little sign I have on the kitchen countertop.
I'm shooting with a Nikon D5300 with an 18-140 lens.
I was shooting a kitchen remodel.
I keep comparing the shots I took with shots from a professional photographer who shot the same kitchen and I can't seem to get things in focus like they are in the professional photo. Any idea why? Could lighting have something to do with it? Maybe it's grain that distorting it and not lack of focus?
Thanks for the post!:) Interesting experiment/comparison using the the app and measuring the distance. Curious to know the ISO, aperture, and shutter speed. When I hear grain, I tend to think about high ISO. A profession photography may have been shooting with a full frame camera and/or using various noise reduction techniques in post processing. I created a video on removing grain when using ISO which can be found here - ua-cam.com/video/pKnpLb32j1w/v-deo.html
very helpful video, i have been waiting for this video after i have purchased Nikon d3400 with kit lens where there is no infinity indicator for thus facing problem, this video tutorial will help me a lot. thanks sir for your kind effort !
Thanks for the post/feedback and glad to be of help!:)
I've read that for macro photography, one should set the lens to infinity, and leave it there while moving the subject or the camera forward or backward to achieve focus. I have a lens with no infinity marking, so if I do as you say - to arrive at infinity focus via aperture priority and my back focus button, when I switch to manual focus (required for macro), will my infinity focus still be there?????
Many thanks!
Could you make a tutorial on shooting star trails and galaxies with an entry level DSLR like the D3400 or the D5300?
Btw your light trail tutorial helped me a lot, thanks. Love your vids!
Thanks for the post/feedback/question!:) Stay tuned as I may tackle star trails in an upcoming video:).
That would be great! I am so waiting for that tutorial.
Thank You for one more informative video.
I am little skeptical about one thing. Is there any harm/danger in using DSLR in snow? I live in Canada and the winter has just begun. I bought a Nikon D3400 few days ago. I am excited about clicking some good pictures in snow but also little nervous abt the compatibility of these entry level DSLRs in -20°C temperature.
Thanks for the feedback/post!:) Should be little to no problems in cold temps (little issues might relate to battery time):). My only recommendation would be to shield the camera if changing the battery or lens ... you do not want to get any moisture in the body and have it freeze/re-freeze. These cameras are used in various parts of the world under very cold conditions (i.e. Sweden for example). Just ensure you protect your hands and feet from frostbite:).
I use mostly a 16-85 mm Dx lens on a Nikon d 7200 body.
I find focusing 1/3 into the composition at approx f11 works for me.
ISO 100 and tripod of course.
Your videos are very informative and clear. They have helped me a lot. Keep the videos coming!!!
Thanks for the feedback and glad to be of help!:)
Very interesting stuff, thanks for all your info!
Glad to be of help!:)
You use Hyperfocal Pro which is android. Do you have a recommendation for one that is very similar and easy to use for the iphone?
thanks for the post/question pam and yes, i have a suggestion/thought:). consider using Field Tools from the app store for iphone. i have no affiliation, etc. just feel it is a good/great tool. :)
I've been trying to figure out whether it's worth getting an adapter for my Nikkor lenses to use on my EOS Rebel camera, and haven't been able to find anything substantive on how to use these normally AF lenses in manual mode and focus them through the viewfinder (or, at all). This is the closest I've come so far, but I'd love to see something even more specific.
I'm a big fan and we've corresponded before. I have a question. I have a crop sensor camera with a 12mm lens. I used Hyperfocal Pro and compared the results with a full frame Canon Mark II with an 18mm lens. this taking into account the crop factor of the other camera. Shouldn't the Hyperfocal distance be the same? They didn't come out that way for me. Do you know why? Thanks. Hope to hear from you.
Good to hear from you Steve!:) Interesting topic/question:). I typically enter the camera type in the program and let it calculate the depth of field. The camera type will determine the sensor size for proper calculations. The question is - why the difference?:) I conducted a bit of research with only limited time available and found the following link: www.bhphotovideo.com/explora/photography/tips-and-solutions/depth-field-part-3 ... search for 'DOF and Sensor Size' on the page (hit Control F (or Command F if using Mac)). The author does a nice job at breaking down the details (a good amount of information if you are in the mood for it:)).
You must use the crop factor also on the aperture. Remember photography is not math. The hyperfocal distance can act as a guide but it offers no guarantee of sharpness.
Nice. I have this lens for a while now and I tried to do some star trails with it by connecting it to my Olympus em-10 II via an adapter with an aperture ring. I just could use the manual focus of this lens. I mean...the manual focus ring wasn't doing anything. What did I do wrong?
TIA
hmmm ... most auto focus features will be lost when crossing lenses to bodies depending on the adapter. Nonetheless, the manual focus ring on the lens should work fine.
@@RealWorld I am also surprised that it doesn't work. I adapted other lenses like the Nikkor 50mm f/1.8G lens and that worked flawlessly with manual focus. Of course the AF is lost when F-mount lenses are adapted to Olympus MFT bodies.
Hey sir can you tell which camera is best nikon d3400 or nikon d5300. Please suggest me which one should i go for it?
The share the same sensor and resolution. The major difference is with the screen - if you want a rotating screen, go for the D5300. If you do not care for the rotating screen, go for the D3400:).
I have a Canon 70D with a 18-135mm kit lens with no distance scale and I'm new to street photography and want to achieve zone focusing, how to I do that? Thanks.
Use the back button focus and then fix the focus to something at distance you want to focus. Then use small enough aperture. In general it is better to use autofocus though.
I treated myself to Nikon D3400 with kit lens. Your vids r very helpful.
Thanks for the post/feedback Louise and glad to be of help!:) Enjoy the camera and practice, practice, practice:).
Do you have any video guides for portrate photos with the 18-55 af-p stock lense?
I thought people might ask how to shoot portraits with the kit lens, so I made a video which should be of some help - ua-cam.com/video/Kr0KDg2R53Y/v-deo.html :)
Nice video. I've got a D5300, but F22 is not too small aperture? You succeded sharp photo at F22 (at 18 mm focal length)? Interesting.
Thanks for the post/feedback:). f/22 works as well but requires more light which is doable but might require a tripod depending on the shutter speed.
@@RealWorld Thx! I will try it
My subs to you is super worth it. You always have great contents with simple explanations.
Thanks for the post/feedback James and glad to be of help/inspiration!:)
So, if anyone is using CANON and the standard 18-55 lens, its very easy to focus to infinity. Just pick an object far away, switch to manual focus, and zoom in digitaly to it, then manually focus.
I am trying to do this but not following... So focus on the moon for example in AF then switch to manual then what? Im lost at the zoom in digitally and manual focus? Than ks
Thank you for your excellent videos; necessary watching for any newcomer to "real" photography. Now I hope this isn't a dumb question, but why set to a high aperture number before setting focus (on the D3400) when the aperture iris appears to stay wide open until the mirror flips up when taking the shot?
Glad to be of help!:) Adjusting the aperture ahead of time allows the camera to determine other required settings to maintain a proper exposure.
OK, thank you for the explanation. Your quick reply much appreciated.
What about my old fujifilm that has no focus ring nor any indications of infinity in settings???
Hi there, the way to teach it becomes easier to understand, I wanted to know what is the best lens for landscape photography for nikon cameras.
Thanks for the post/feedback!:) One good lens to consider for landscape photography is the Sigma 10-20 ... amzn.to/2FZVcqX ... this is a good/solid lens in my opinion:).
@@RealWorld thank you very much.
@@theblackGypsy120 glad to be of help!:)
@@RealWorld you are amazing. Please make videos about post processing also.your videos are helping me a lot to learn about photography. Namaste 🙏
for now does the d3400 is worth to buy ? or there's any alternatives in the entry level DSLRs
Yes, I would still purchase the D3400 today ... this is a solid/capable camera. I have used it on many of my videos for the same reason.
okay, thank you
and I would give you my appreciation
your videos inspire me the most & thank you again ❤️
My home burned down in the Socal fire so now I can use the insurance money to upgrade from my D3200 with kit lens to Nikon D810 with 16-35mm. Very excited
Sorry to hear about your home! I have read/heard about the SoCal fires - thoughts and prayers go out. Take care and be safe. Nonetheless, congrats on the D810 and 16-35 (a great combination in my opinion):).
just typed infinity focus on youtube and boom ...found your video ..cheers :))
Thanks for the post/feedback and glad to be of help!:)
I have the Nikon 18-55 AF-P I took great photos with it, but sometimes when I make video when I move for panning the focus get burry do you know another lensmaybe Nikon 18-105mm or Tamron 18-200mm thanks
Thanks for the post/question:). I suspect the root cause is not the lens as the AF-P is a solid near silent auto focus lens, rather I suspect the root cause is the camera body. Not that the camera body is not functioning as designed, rather the body make lack a large number of AF points. Various Sony cameras have large amounts of AF points and do a great job in tracking moving subjects:).
@@RealWorld thanks for your reply so the number of focus in a camera body is important for video recording so if i get a D7000 series probably my the videos would improve right
Glad to be of help and correct:). Check the number of focal points in the camera. If you are more interested in video, I also like the Canon 80D, T7i, etc. (I have reviews on my channel for each as well:)).
@@RealWorld ok thanks
i have an old 50mm nikkor that has meter marks would you recomend me to shoot stars with it?
You could use the lens to shoot the stars although you might want a wider angle. I used the 18-55 in my astro video which worked well in my opinion - ua-cam.com/video/8uvW4HL3sso/v-deo.html
If you have the gear go and shoot with it. Why are you asking others? You learn by shooting. If makes sense to ask others before purchasing.
I have downloaded a DOF calculator where the largest distante value is 100m. If I set this distance for a lense with 360mm focal length the app calculates a DOF of 26.9m and a hyperfocal distance of 753.6m and a near limit of 376.8m. Does that mean that I do not get focus on 100m? Or how should I interpret that? Is it just a calculation
I would need to take a closer look but I believe so ... the resulting information should be actual. You can test the numbers by taking various images at different distances and placing objects at various ranges in the image ... look for focus, etc.
@@RealWorld Thanks! I will try it in these Corona days! Cheers.
@@RealWorld Thanks! I will try it in these Corona days! Cheers.
Wat are you trying to achieve? You do not need an app to take photos. Just forget the apps and focus on what you need to focus. Hyperfocal distance while related to the concept of depth of field is not the same. The depth of field depends on the distance. Hyperfocal distance is a distance so it cannot depend on the distance.
That tells just that the hyperfocal distance is 753.6 m. The near limit is half of that. If you focus at the hyperfocal distance everything from 376.8 m to infinity is acceptable sharp. (acceptable by some guy you have never seen or heard of. If you disagree, you re wrong and that guy is right (that was a joke)). Note this is completely unrelated to what distance you set to the calculator
I'm debating on getting the Nikon 55-200mm lens or the Nikon 70-300mm lens. What would you suggest for wildlife/scenery?
I have the 70-300 and plan to do a review at some point on the lens:). If given the choice and knowing you plan to shoot wildlife, go for the 70-300 as the additional reach will be nice to have (especially with birds:)). Performance between the two lenses should be similar in my opinion:).
I wish I had watched this before shooting the northern lights. I was able to get some good shots w my tokina, which has infinity marked. However, I wanted to shoot my 35mm f1.8 as well and could not find the sweet spot using manual focus...frustrating when it's cold and dark...i learned rookie lesson... it's all about knowing the gear beforehand. Thanks for the informative video!
Thanks for the post!:) I have been in a similar situation many times before - not completely certain of my gear:).
Excellent video! However, my 18-55 Nikon DX lens does not have a focus ring? To be fair my lens kit is from a D3000 8 years ago. I would really appreciate some help.
Thanks for the post/feedback ... no focus ring? I find that interesting:).
I know, like I said she's about 8 years old so maybe it's dated!?! They did come off a D3000. I found a new tip whilst reading comments and it works really well. Might be of interest to know. 1. Go to set up menu and choose "Dust off ref photo 2. Follow screen instructions 3. Switch and lock infinity into manual mode. Takes about 10 seconds. I double checked and my 55-200 is the same. Not that I think it would make a difference but I brought them from Australia when backpacking. Sadly my D3000 died after 7 years and after moving from England to Canada funds were limited. I brought a D500 replacement and i'm very pleased. After 2 years operating on manual mode I am now ready for change in the way of full body. It seems so expensive to step up every 5 minutes. My plan is to buy a D750 and invest into premo Nikon glass (holy trinity 70-200f2.8) This will be my first step into selling my images. D850 is stunning but too expensive when I'm not selling just yet. Reviews for the D750 seem really impressive especially for sport all things considered.
@@RealWorld
@@1down4up78 Sounds like you have traveled around:). Ahhhh yes, the D750 is solid and will treat you well!:) I like the D750, D810, and the D850 from the full sensor perspective. I am also giving thought to the the Sony a7 III but not certain I want to go that direction just yet - would need to reinvest in new glass:).
Superb explanation. Thank you
Thanks for the post/feedback Flora!:)
Thanks man. Is there any video coming soon?
i do a few videos waiting for edit and hope to get to them soon ... stay tuned! :)
Is the hyper focal distance the same as the nodal point?
Thanks for the post/question:). These are two different concepts ... the nodal point is a fixed point in a lens somewhere between the front and rear elements from which distance is measured:).
This guy is so calm, awesome :)
Thanks for the feedback!:)
Your light trail video taught me a lot.. i tried n works well... Great tutorial video.. thnx
Glad to be of help!:)
I love all of your videos! Thank you for sharing your knowledge.
Thanks for the post/feedback Tara and glad to be of help!:)
Dear Sir
I have a problem. While taking landscape I mounted the camera ( D3200) on a tripod , maintained ISO 100 , f16 (aperture priority) , matrix metering , focused at 1/3 Rd and 2 sec delay on shutter release. On LCD it was looking alright , however when I zooming in distant objects weren't sharp. For all the shots I used the 18-55 kit lens. Would you please help?
With warm regards
Amitabha Sarkar
Shutter speed??
Why did you expect them to be sharp? You use so small aperture that diffraction counts. Also the 1/3 tule is just nonsense. It works about at distances of a few meters. More importantly the biggest misconception of the depth of field is that it exists. It does not exist. There is an area some people at some time classified to be acceptable sharp. If that is not acceptable to you, you must change the way you operate.
The main rule is to focus on the main subject. That way it will be pin sharp. Then you use the depth of field to bring other parts in or our of focus as you desire. Note if you do not have any visible foreground element you can use any aperture.
Watch this: ua-cam.com/video/UpfOsRez5MM/v-deo.htmlsi=_i3PHw5Er4XRZzS1
There are so many such rules that were invented back who known when in the film era. While they may serve as rough guides, they are not something that should be considered absolute true and use your own experience to refine them.
Hey there.. Am from India.. Really like your videos and way of your explanation.. And I am learning very much from you. I have nikon D 5300. I have a question. Whenever I try to shoot to manual mode I get that meter reading always fluctuate between over exposed and under exposed range so how can I control it to get balanced exposed shoot? And when I shoot in manual focus I always fail to get crisp and clear shoot..your reply is really appreciated. Thank you!!
Thanks for the post/feedback/question!:) Welcome from the United States:). Manual mode is fun but can be challenging depending on the situation. I mainly use manual mode when shooting off camera flash or perhaps wanting some creative, otherwise I stick with aperture or shutter:). If the exposure indicator is fluctuating, I suspect you have something in the scene that is causing the sensor to bounce (i.e. lights passing through or perhaps something sparkling, etc.). As long as you are close to center, you will be fine (you can see the same in my night photography video). Manual focus is tough unless you have a good eye:). I mainly use auto focus simply because the camera does a better job at locking focus than I can:). Cameras like the Sony a6000 have focus peaking which displays highlighted portions of the scene that are in focus - nice to have when shooting w/ manual focus:).
check whether you have lens in manual and activated focus range in body, then it will show fluctuation when you rotate lens. else you will not have fluctuation in the meter,(light meter and focus range are two different things )
Dose your D3400 lens have a mf/af switch?
My D5600 lenses do not how can I use other lenses that have the switch?
Thanks for the post/question:). My D3400 18-55 kit lens does not have a switch. AF is set by default on the kit lens. If you want to switch to manual focus, you can does in the menu system. If you have a lens with the switch, you should leave the switch in auto for the AF to work, or you can switch to manual to disable AF.
What will be the difference when we change lens of 18-55mm to others....on pictures???
Thank you for the video i was waiting for this as you told me that it will come soon now i understand how to focus to infinity i will go out and try this. Thank you so much real world.
Thanks for the post/feedback and glad to be of help!:)
Very nice video. I would like to add that most affordable zoom lenses or even prime lenses at f/16 and f/22 suffer from the diffraction which deteriorates the optical quality. However that varies with every lens. Usually expensive prime lenses have better quality at f/16 or f/22 than cheaper ones.
With landscape photography narrow apertures are very useful. During the film era landscape photographers like Ansel Adams were using f/64
Check Wikipedia for article: Group f/64
Nice point and agreed:).
I have D3400 and got problem with 18-55 lens focus.While I'm using autofocus it takes time to focus correctly and always I have to use manual focus.My auto focus in not stable.I don't think it had this issue initially . Any help?
This sounds odd:). Might sound simple, but have you tried to removed the lens and reattach? Might be an issue with the contacts.
@@RealWorld I have been facing this issue for last few months.So,I managed to by using manual focus.But,for random events I can't be that fast to use it manually.
Thank you for this video, I would love to have a video practically on this, while clicking photos
Thank you real world. You have shown me a lot.
Thanks again.
Glad to be of help!:)
hi , Can i set a nikor 24mm 2.8 to infinity and film a subject at 3mts distance? will it be in focus ? camera D810 on gimbal. thanks for any help
You can providing your initial focal point if far enough away.
i find this works until you crop or enlarge the image, then it is certainly anything but in focus..What am i doing wrong if anything or am i correct ?
You should be relatively sharp is done right. What lens are you using? You might take a quick look at my video on depth of focus as well which may be of some help/clarification - ua-cam.com/video/EGesxJeY8_s/v-deo.html
Hi. Your videos are really informative, appreciate that. Just want to see a video of yours with Nikon d3400 where you tell about landscape photography and also demonstrate live. Hope you gonna get back to this. Will be waiting. Thanx for this video 👍
Please helpppp!! Im going on a trip to the mountains in Alaska very soon and I have a d3400 with both kit lenses, I want to photograph a couple standing close by but also get the mountains in the background, is their any setting in manual mode or other mode I can get it to focus on the foreground as well as the background? thank you so much.
Never mind haha I think I figured it out, I just have to be standing at least 9 feet away from the couple.
Ahhhhh sounds cool!:) Grab your camera and take lots of shots - should be a great opportunity!:) Taking a shot of someone in focus along with the mountains in focus is doable under certain conditions:). I created a video on depth of field which should be of help - ua-cam.com/video/EGesxJeY8_s/v-deo.html ... in short, you will want plenty of sun > head into aperture mode > set your aperture to a relatively high number like f/22, etc. > check the shutter speed; if the shutter speed is less than 1/60 of second, increase the ISO; if you are using auto ISO, the camera will do this for you:).
okay thank you so much! your videos have helped me a lot, your a great teacher :)
Awesome knowledge sharing as always...A quick question, so we have to focus at HFD and the images at half of HFD and infinity will be in focus and sharp. Can you take some snaps and show us the results, it would be great
Thanks
Thanks for the post/feedback!:) You are on the right path ... a good distance in front of the HFD to infinity will be in focus (not certain if half the distance from your camera to HFD distance is correct, but it is a good distance:)).
Thank you for the great video. You seemed to be implying that stopping down to f/22 in aperture-priority mode before you focus on something at the hyperfocal distance makes a difference in the process of autofocusing. If that's what you meant to imply, you are incorrect. While focusing, the aperture remains wide open, regardless of exposure mode or aperture setting, in all SLR cameras to allow for the most amount of light to hit your autofocus sensors and to avoid diffraction that would introduce blurriness at narrower apertures and ruin your ability to autofocus altogether. It's not until you release the shutter that the aperture stops down momentarily before the photo is captured. Therefore, your exposure mode or aperture setting makes no difference in the autofocusing process. If you weren't implying that, I apologize. I just thought I'd clarify that with you.
Thanks for the post/clarification Brian and you are correct:). Did not mean to imply and appreciate the clarification for others who may interpret the same.
in live view , with video manual setting on, f/22 will be there when focusing also and shooting time too....
Thank you for this nice video! I got one question. I want to take a photo of milky way and I knew that I have to focus to infinity. But I can't focus on something far at really dark place. Any solution for this?
Same question here!
Either get there before dark and get your focus before the sun goes down. Or you could always shine a light on your foreground to ensure that it is in focus to infinity. Could always use live view, turn the screen brightness up, manual focus on a bright star, then recompose and shoot. Other than that, take a test shot and trial and error it till it's in focus (Not recommended) There's a few ways to do it.
Im using a vintage lens, its a 135mm f3.5, and when i use it at 3.5 i can only focus on a person when im about 10 feet away, anything further wont reach focus no matter how much i twist the manual focus ring, does this have anything to due with it?
Hmmmm ... interesting. Inability to focus is typically tied to a minimum distance and not max (for example, you may not be able to focus on subjects that are within a few feet):). Does the lens have an infinity indicator?
Yes it does, by the way the lens is a vivitar 135 f3.5. when i step back to try to get a full body shot it doesn't allow me to focus. it seems like i can only focus a specific distance, and i know the focus ring works because when im a certain distance i can focus in and out. Which usually means i can only do like headshots
Good subject and content, except for the annoying, unnecessary music. Your voice alone is sufficient for this subject.
I now always use the back-button focus trick, which is a great tip, thanks! However, a tricky problem is how to use these autofocus lenses to get infinity when photographing stars, where one is usually standing somewhere in the open countryside on a hill in a freezing cold field in near total darkness with absolutely nothing at all to focus on. Any ideas?
About hyperfocal distance, f/22 will not really give particularly sharp images. As a rule of thumb, the diameter of the diffraction spot measured in micrometers is slightly larger than the f-number (it does not depend on the focal length). So, for f/22, the diffraction spot is about 25 µm. However, on a Nikon D3400 the pixel size is about 3.9 µm; thus, 25 µm translates to 6.5 pixels, at best. Without going into the details, the sweet spot for landscapes usually works out at about f/8-f11, and focus at about 4-5 m.
The worst thing about these modern cameras is the instruction book, which induces a kind of coma after reading about the first 18 pages of 132. In former times, the kit included a little ten-page booklet that explained how to load a film, install a lens, and take pictures, with the emphasis on the last item. So, your videos, are a great help, thanks!
About me: I have been an amateur of photography since I was given my first camera about fifty years ago. My newest (of many) is a Nikon 3200 with 18-105 mm kit lens, given to me by somebody who did not want it because they bought a mobile phone, which has got a camera on it!
LOL - yes, music is always an interesting/tough situation (more so than what most people might think):). I feel it helps to carry a video over relatively dry data/information but this is not always the case:). Nonetheless, you have some good points regarding hyperfocal distance and deffraction. We share similar thoughts and I am surprised to hear from someone who understands the concept as well - nice:). I simply refer to each lens as having a sweet spot (as you mentioned in your example ... f/8 - f/11). Mention the concept of defraction to most and they will be completely lost:).
Greetings, where is the location of the night corner scene at the beginning of your video ? Thanks !!
Can you please guide regarding macro photography using macro filters in a beginner dslr like d3400.....??
Thanks for the suggestion!:) I like the idea and added it to my list:).
I had a question about landscape photography. I also have the nikon d3400 and I like using the 18-55mm lens. I shoot RAW and every time I take a landscape shot I notice the size of the file is 1 to 2 MB. I want to make a canvas of my shots, and was told that my photo should be at least 20-25MB. How do I get a larger file? Thanks in advance.
Thanks for the question!:) Something does not sound right ... if you are shooting raw, the resulting file size will be much larger. If you are seeing a file size of 1-2 mb, I strongly suspect you are shooting in jpeg and even jpeg will typically be result in a much larger file ... are you certain you are shooting in raw and looking at the right file? Nonetheless, a good landscape shot will not directly depend on the file size ... you could have a great shot at 10 mb. Typically, LARGE prints will yield better results from a large file but having a large file is not required:). I have a great 8x10 print taken years ago with a 2 megapixel camera ... sure, you miiiiight see some noise but nothing too bad. Keep in mind that was years ago:). Today, the D3400 is a 24 megapixel camera capable is printing much larger than an 8x10 if needed:).
RealWorld could it be something that I’m doing in Lightroom?
RealWorld I’m sure that I have it set up in RAW.
Since you are RAW, I suspect something in Lightroom:). How do you export your images after post editing?
Good morning, I checked my pictures on my memory card and noticed that they were pretty big about 20-22mb, so its definitely something I'm doing in lightroom. When I'm done with post processing I usually export them as jpg's
Simply, your videos are awesome! :) .. thanks a looooooot!
Thanks for the post/feedback and glad to be of help!:)
Hi, nice video, but where to focus at night to be in focus at infinitive? If we want to take star pictures we will try to use the wideest aperture possible in order to let the camera to gather more light, therefore the hyper focal is not going to help us.
Thanks for the post/question:). If you a hyper focal calculator like this one - www.dofmaster.com/dofjs.html ... select Nikon D3200 (providing you are using the D3300 or D3400 - will be the same for this purpose) > key in the focal length (for example, 55mm if you are using the 18-55 kit lens and zoomed all the way in) > key in the f-stop (for example, 5.6 which is the widest aperture on the 18-55 when zoomed in) > key anything for the distance to subject as this does not matter (we are after the hyper focal distance) > press the calculate button ... look to the right and you will see the hyper focal distance. This is the minimum distance you can focus on a subject and achieve infinity. The results using the given information show 25.8 meters or 87.9 feet. When at night, look for anything that is at least 25.8 meters or 87.9 feet and lock focus (this could be a car in the distance, a street light, tree line, etc.) ... anything from 25.8 meters or 87.9 feet to infinity will be in focus:). Hope this helps!:)
I got the idea. Anyway is not as easy. In my case I want to use a EF 50mm f/1.8 STM in a Rebel, setting the aperture at 1.8 I would have to find a pint at least 74 mts away to achieve the hyper focal to infinite. Not so easy.
RESPONDER
That will do the trick, but many lenses do not have optimal sharpness when stopped down that much? I mostly try not to get past f11.
Thanks for the post/question:). I have heard the same. I like to stay around f/11 for night shots, fireworks, etc. but will go higher if needed without much concern:).
Please make a video about your audio setup...
I typically using the Zoom H1 and created a video which should be of help - ua-cam.com/video/4StJ6QmYvpQ/v-deo.html
RealWorld thanks a lot sir...
In your one example how do you confirm your subject is 54 ft away? I know, dumb question.
Thanks for the post/question Scott ... good question - you don't:). In most cases you simply guess - not an exact science and works well.
Thank You for the information.. Great video
Thanks for the feedback and glad to be of help!:)
I wonder if the calculator app figures in the 1.6 crop factor for the 80D for example?
When you select the camera type (6:39 of this video), the app will automatically take the crop factor into consideration which is nice:).
Thanks! ;)
A very good video, thanks !
Can I use a Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 50mm f/1.8G Lens on my nikon D3400? is it not good if it doesn't have any VR?
Thanks
I really like the fixed 50 f/1.8 (amzn.to/2eG2eWb) - a great lens that works well with the D3400. Since the lens can open to 1.8, VR is not an issue in my opinion:).
Thanks for the reply. I juts got it delivered today and so excited to go out and give it it try.
Meanwhile, I got another question if you don't mind me asking. Is there any trick that I could take a photo of myself a tripod and have a good focus? (a Selfie kinda) Many thanks
Have fun and enjoy the ride!:) Regarding trick to take a selfie of sorts ... I just did this the other day in order create a head-shot for various profiles:). This is doable and perhaps this will make for a quick video:). I place my camera on a tripod and positioned another tripod with a stuffed animal on it 5-10 in front of the camera. I locked focus on the stuffed animal > moved the tripod to the side noting the location > set the camera to using the self timer > pressed the shutter and took position:). Seemed to work well.
Thanks for the trick, but the problem is I only have one tripod. :/ :)
Not a problem ... use the tripod for the camera and just about anything else for the stuffed animal (perhaps a talk chair, coat rack, etc.):).
The problem is auto focus does not work in the dark so trying this when trying to take a picture of the night sky won't work.
While I'm at it I'd like to comment on the lack of quality control on todays camera's. I have a Nikon d90 that was always tack sharp no matter what lens i had on it.My d7100 needs all of it's lenses calibrated to work with the camera, mind you these are the same lenses that the d90 focuses just fine with. The reason is camera makers have abandoned quality control, just toss the camera into a box and ship it. The 7100 has twice the resolution the d90 has but that is not the reason the 7100 is SEVERELY out on autofocus when the d90 was tack sharp - it's the lack of quality control at the factory. The 7100 is not an entry level camera and I know people with the d500 that have the same problem.
Regarding shooting at night ... hopefully you can find something shining in the distance to focus on. If not, I will use a flashlight to brighten something in the distance to lock focus (like trees, etc.). Regarding calibration and quality ... most cameras are solid and must meet a given specification when leaving the factory but that is not always the case:).
Great video. Thanks.
I was looking for this!
Thanks for the feedback and glad to be of help!:)
so i just got a new camera and it comes with that lens can i just keep it at a set number so that i can go shoot around landscape without having to worry about it?
i am new to photography that's why i sound so ignorant lol
Not a problem and thanks for the post/question:). I created a video which talks about depth of field ... this is a relatively crude demo I created using a chalkboard but I feel helps to convey the subject - ua-cam.com/video/EGesxJeY8_s/v-deo.html
@@RealWorld ok i ll watch thanks...
"focus on something relatively far way"? What about foreground detail?
Thanks for the post/question Matt:). This is mainly used for landscape photos. I created a video on depth if field which might be of some help as well - ua-cam.com/video/EGesxJeY8_s/v-deo.html
Awesome tutorial!
I buy a new nikon d3400 but manual focus is not working but auto focus working well i changed everything in the menu but nothing happened someone pls help me.......
You should be able to switch to manual focus and rotated the outer ring on the lens (18-55 kit lens). Are you certain you are in manual focus mode?
RealWorld yes iam sure that iam in manual mode but when i rotate the
Focus ring nothing is happening.
Is there any problem with lens............??
Hmmmm ... if you pressed the 'i' button on the back > selected Focus Mode > select MF > attempted to rotate the outer ring on the lens and do not see any change in focus, I would think there is a problem with the lens :)
RealWorld problem solved....
I just updated the firmware it helps..
Thank u for ur quick rply.....
F20 or f22??? What about difraction???
this will depend on the lens. all lenses have a sweet spot:). nonetheless, i rarely notice any significant diffraction.
Mr real world I watched your video on firmware update I did this Monday morning my D3100 and my D5600 do not have distortion control data on the camera.
But the website has an update for both camera's.
What should I do ?
Hmmmm ... I created a video that should be of some help - take a quick look here - ua-cam.com/video/yiVxtrOmSUw/v-deo.html
Your Videos Really Help Out
Thanks for the post/feedback and glad to be of help!:)
Nikon D3400 dual kit lens vs Nikon d5300 only 18-55 which one to go ?
Same price? This comes down to the articulating screen. The D5300 have a full articulating screen, more focal points, and an external mic port. The D3400 has a better battery (1200 shots vs 600). You will get an additional lens which is nice and can be sold if desired. When shooting with my 18-200 lens, I found myself in the 100+ range, but when shooting with the 18-55 on the D3400, I adapted to the 55 limitation. Changing lenses often to get extra zoom is nice in theory but not always practically in my opinion.
RealWorld thank you so much !
Souvik Mondal go with the d5300 bro.. The body is much more better and the articulating screen is something you would appreciate in the coming years.
got D5300 with 18-55 + 70-300 !! Thanks a lot you guys !