Nikon D70 Digital Single Lens Reflex System.

[Zeckson Chow]

Hello all,

I am a newbie to DSLR, just got my Nikon D70 not too long ago in February 2005. I am still experimenting with my camera on its functions and capabilities. However, I do notice a strange finding...

Question 1:
Did any of the other fellow Clunsnappers using D70, notice that pictures taken with this camera are always a bit dark when loaded onto the computer? Shots looks okay on the LCD but when loaded onto the computer, all of them looks under-exposed. Is it my camera problem or is this a known issue?

Question 2:
What size of picture do all Cludsnappers set on the camera when taking pictures? I set using the lowest setting so that I can store more pictures. But setting using the lowest available setting, will it compromise on the image quality? Do the pictures turn out to be not as sharp as the rest of the fellow pros here?

Question 3:
When shooting RAW images, D70 records the image as a NEF (or something like that). What software is used to read those files besides Nikon Capture?

Question 4:
For Nikon users and in the perspective of Nikon users only, what is the comparison between Nikon Capture and Adobe Photoshop? Which is more tailored for Nikon users to work on? Quality?

Question 5:
How much does Nikon Capture cost and where to purchase that from?

Question 6:
When comparing my pictures to the rest of the pictures fellow nice Clubsnappers posted, my pictures do not have the image quality as those being posted here. I am using the following equipment and settings on my D70:

- Nikon D70 DSLR
- Nikkor AF-S DX 18mm - 70mm
- Nikkor AF 70mm - 300mm Zoom
- Nikon Speedlight SB-600
- Aperture Priority - F10
- ISO settings (day) - 200 - 400
- ISO settings (night) - 400 - 800

How to achieve good sharp pictures like those being posted here? Is there something that I overlooked?

[monokydni]

On question #1: PC monitors need to be calibrated to accurately reflect the appearance of the images.

[espn]

Originally Posted by Zeckson Chow Question 1: Did any of the other fellow Clunsnappers using D70, notice that pictures taken with this camera are always a bit dark when loaded onto the computer? Shots looks okay on the LCD but when loaded onto the computer, all of them looks under-exposed. Is it my camera problem or is this a known issue?

Do a search on the forums.

Originally Posted by Zeckson Chow Question 2:What size of picture do all Cludsnappers set on the camera when taking pictures? I set using the lowest setting so that I can store more pictures. But setting using the lowest available setting, will it compromise on the image quality? Do the pictures turn out to be not as sharp as the rest of the fellow pros here?

Yes, lowest settings store more images by compressing the JPEGs thus you lose out on the quality.

Compression:
Basic - 1:16
Normal - 1:8
Fine - 1:4
TIFF/RAW - None.

Sharpness can be fine tuned in PS or NC with USM.

Originally Posted by Zeckson Chow Question 3:When shooting RAW images, D70 records the image as a NEF (or something like that). What software is used to read those files besides Nikon Capture?

There are a lot out there - RawShooter, Nikon Capture, Photoshop CS, Capture1 DSLR Pro.

Originally Posted by Zeckson Chow Question 4:For Nikon users and in the perspective of Nikon users only, what is the comparison between Nikon Capture and Adobe Photoshop? Which is more tailored for Nikon users to work on? Quality?

Who else will know the way NEF works best other than Nikon themselves? Some will say PS CS, I will support NC.

They're just tools.

Originally Posted by Zeckson Chow Question 5:How much does Nikon Capture cost and where to purchase that from?

~$180 at most camera retailers.

Originally Posted by Zeckson Chow Question 6:When comparing my pictures to the rest of the pictures fellow nice Clubsnappers posted, my pictures do not have the image quality as those being posted here. I am using the following equipment and settings on my D70: - Nikon D70 DSLR - Nikkor AF-S DX 18mm - 70mm - Nikkor AF 70mm - 300mm Zoom - Nikon Speedlight SB-600 - Aperture Priority - F10 - ISO settings (day) - 200 - 400 - ISO settings (night) - 400 - 800 How to achieve good sharp pictures like those being posted here? Is there something that I overlooked?

Practice more, post more and try different workflow in PP to achieve what you want. There's no hard and fast rule(s).

[rayshade]

F10 ? why this magic figure? It is not even a proper stop. Benchmarks are usually made at full stops for sharpness study. Doesn't mean the lens is sharpest at 2 stops away from the max means u have to be dead fix at the no. It will defeat the whole purpose of getting a fast f1.4 or f1.8 lens.

With aperture priority at f10 unless u r shooting outdoor landscape in broad daylight, the camera will need to find the correct speed that will tend to be lower even at iso1600 esp indoors. Speed sinking around 1/30 and beyond will be at risk of bluring esp if u r new and near impossible without a tripod if u r max on your telezoom.

If all is too confusing, experiment with shutter speed at 1/100 for a day. See how the D70 compute f stops. Learn abt the co-relation between speed and aperture untill then no pt worry abt sharpness and compression if the exposure is far from satisfactory. Good luck. my 2 cents.

[wind30]

get an apple. I find the prints match my IMAC screen very well

Photoshop is very nice but it cost like $400+ for educational copy.

[yanyewkay]

GIMP is free support open source freeware!!

[HeWolf]

Just a supplement to the answers already provided by others.

1)
First, your LCD on D70 may be set too bright, try to set to the lower end.
2nd, some says Nikon explicitly under-exposed to prevent highlight from being blown. Custom curve may help a bit. Search: exposure compensation, custom curve, under exposed.
3rd, learn how to interpret the histogram. very useful for checking exposure.

2)
Advised to use highest quality + largest size. Buy more CF card.
unless you know that your pic will definitely be used for low res purpose.

4)
NC can be downloaded (trial version) from Nikon site.

5)
Right, F10 should not be a "fixed" aperture value. It is not the sharpest on the 2 lenses you have either.
You may like to share your other setting (color mode, sharpening, saturation, WB, etc), and pose some pic with all the settings and others can help on a case-by-case basis.
No sure if the underexposed problem, and the 1/60 flash syn limit you posted earlier is related to this fixed F10?
You may like to understand the effect of aperture. Search also for: DOF, depth of field.

To achieve ultimate sharpness.... sharp lens, sharpest aperture of the lens, focus correctly, camera and subject doesn't move during shutter release, and appropriate post-processing. Anymore?
Actually sharpnest is not all that contributes to a good picture. There are more to it.


Opinion from another newbie

[deadpixel]

Originally Posted by Zeckson Chow Question 1: Did any of the other fellow Clunsnappers using D70, notice that pictures taken with this camera are always a bit dark when loaded onto the computer? Shots looks okay on the LCD but when loaded onto the computer, all of them looks under-exposed. Is it my camera problem or is this a known issue?

The quick answer is 'Yes'. For more details, do a search on "D70" + these words - "exposure", "dark images", "underexposure", etc. etc.

Originally Posted by Zeckson Chow Question 2: What size of picture do all Cludsnappers set on the camera when taking pictures? I set using the lowest setting so that I can store more pictures. But setting using the lowest available setting, will it compromise on the image quality? Do the pictures turn out to be not as sharp as the rest of the fellow pros here?

Don't be stingy when it comes to storage space. The lowest setting will of course give you the worst image quality, you don't even need to ask. More images = small sizes = high compression = more artifacts = low quality images.

Originally Posted by Zeckson Chow Question 3: When shooting RAW images, D70 records the image as a NEF (or something like that). What software is used to read those files besides Nikon Capture?

NC, PS CS, Bibble, Capture One - all need to pay
Nikon View and Nikon Picture Project - all free

Originally Posted by Zeckson Chow Question 4: For Nikon users and in the perspective of Nikon users only, what is the comparison between Nikon Capture and Adobe Photoshop? Which is more tailored for Nikon users to work on? Quality?

You're not comparing apple to apple. NC has a pretty good set of features for converting RAW and tweaking your photos. PS CS has most of those tools and so much more that your head will spin just reading the list of features that is longer than your arm.

But, and this for me is important, NC is better at converting NEF RAW than PS CS, so I find myself using NC for basic conversions and minor tweaking when necessary but will export the files from NC to PS CS for more serious editing.

Originally Posted by Zeckson Chow Question 5: How much does Nikon Capture cost and where to purchase that from?

SG$169 - SG$190 depending on which shop you go to, CP and Lords are known to carry it.

Originally Posted by Zeckson Chow Question 6: When comparing my pictures to the rest of the pictures fellow nice Clubsnappers posted, my pictures do not have the image quality as those being posted here. I am using the following equipment and settings on my D70: - Nikon D70 DSLR - Nikkor AF-S DX 18mm - 70mm - Nikkor AF 70mm - 300mm Zoom - Nikon Speedlight SB-600 - Aperture Priority - F10 - ISO settings (day) - 200 - 400 - ISO settings (night) - 400 - 800 How to achieve good sharp pictures like those being posted here? Is there something that I overlooked?

You haven't overlooked anything. What you're trying to do is to reduce photography to a formula. You can't

What you need to understand is that "sharp" and "good quality" do not always go hand-in-hand. That is, a sharp image isn't always a good image and a good image isn't always sharp.

Composition skills play a very important part in photography and many, if not all, of the good images you admire are a result of the photographers' skills and understanding of their equipment.

Instad of trawling (digging the seabed) for information and piecing them together from forums, get yourself a book on basic photography that explains the way SLRs work; why you may want a slow shutter or a large aperture or rear-sync flash etc. and how all these work together.

Don't get me wrong, forums are great but they can be as much a place for mis-information as much as they are a place for information. Buy or borrow a book, understand the basics by trying out what is taught through taking and examining as many photos as you can. You've got a digital camera so you have this luxury. Years ago when there was only film, we had to learn and be sure before we snapped, otherwise it would be really expensive.

Cheers

[litefoot]

Originally Posted by deadpixel What you need to understand is that "sharp" and "good quality" do not always go hand-in-hand. That is, a sharp image isn't always a good image and a good image isn't always sharp.

I understand sharpness but its a little tough for me on the "good quality" part. I am a believer that sharpness is an attribute of a good image most of the time.

Keep the subject as sharp as possible in your image, its a technical fundamental in photography.

[deadpixel]

Originally Posted by litefoot I understand sharpness but its a little tough for me on the "good quality" part. I am a believer that sharpness is an attribute of a good image most of the time. Keep the subject as sharp as possible in your image, its a technical fundamental in photography.

"Technical fundamental" yes, but you'll find that many award winning photos are neither always sharp nor always in proper focus. I'm not talking about images that are due to faulty equipment or clumsy handling but of those that are caused by deliberate actions taken by the photographer.

A part of photography is science but I personally feel that much of it is art. Just as in painting, you get more when you put a part of yourself into what you are capturing, that is, if you are able to capture and convey what you feel and not just a technically sharp image. I've attended exhibitions where people will only glance at sharp images but return again and again to one that isn't.

Cheers

[rayshade]

Very true indeed, Ansel Adam's zone system for example is science. Yet his mastery of the science produces art.

[tsjcsl]

Originally Posted by rayshade Very true indeed, Ansel Adam's zone system for example is science. Yet his mastery of the science produces art.

Well said. Isn't that the reason we have to read the manuals, so that we know what the camera, the tool, is capable of? Only then can we, with certainty, "play around" and get the effects we want. But these takes time, learning the features, PS, zone system, darkroom effects, etc.

[uncleparty]

1) i find it useful for me to clalibrate my monitor, print one at a shop without them editing the file, come back and compare/adjust the monitor again. (diff shops/paper/etc print out got slight diff). then compare the same file in the camera and adjust accordingly. for me, i find the deafult brightness and hue setting needed only minor adjustments to appear the same as the printouts/pc screen.

2) i shoot with the highest jpeg and pixel size setting. i do this because i have sufficient cf cards and harddisk space. also, i feel its better to have a high quality origninal file incase (resizing huge numbers at a time is a chore though )

sharpness can be set in the camera or later in an editing software.

3) i seldom shoot raw, but i once tired installing something which let me open raw files created on my 8800 with PS. im not sure if d70 needs that driver, never tried takin raw on d70.

4) no marnie buy larrrr. haha. if ur a designer or a manipulator fanatic, definately PS.

5) i think nikon site got free trial rite? better to try first if u like it before buying, i'd think.

6) i think a setup should be a personal style.

hope it helps.

[rayshade]

Sharpness is subjective... even the sharpest image can sometimes surpass reality...that to some may intepret as unreal untrue to life? Sharpness in digital sense seems to revolve around PS process. Commonly using USM where PS allows u to tune edges, the overkill examples as if its ready to slice a wedding cake. Sharpness in a more traditional sense is by definition of the resolution in details(the amt of info that u see captured by the lens). More often i find myself avoiding using post process sharpening the process, even if i so i keep it to minimum. If u zoom in close to say 400% and analyse the USM process u will notice the program chucks away pixel to define edges and increase saturation along the edges to create the effect. Surely u get "sharper" image but not without the loss of pixels. The higher the USM ,the higher the loss, if u max it out u get an odd image simply be cos the original definitions are already gone.(like a face with too much makeup u can't read the original form then again if its chinese opera thats the whole pt ) Sharpness as i understand is by the definition of the amount of details. USM is truly working in the opposite direction. Larger formats as with medium format film holds 3x more than film, thus more details more resolution thereby "sharper' and they dont look like they are ready to slice anything other than ur wallet, rather creates a higher 3 dimensional definition by having more data. That is sharp.

[yanyewkay]

i think NW75 has a story about a model complaining the shots were TOO SHARP.. then again... he isn't a nikon user.