tlc

wow thats very clever, your right Vickie the new collage function is great, there is so much more you can do with it.

No, I haven't, it's not easy taking photos with the lens, or maybe it's just my camera skills... I will post some photos later and ask for advice, I can't get the focus right. Ok not something I wanted to hear, In what way is it difficult, is it only the focus, I was thinking it would be auto focus, is this lens a manual focus?? Oh I dont do manual well!!

Yea I agree!!!! Maybe we could make Vickie the judge

Oh thats great, have you posted any pics from it yet, maybe I missed them?? The buying of the lense was out of my hands, the other half had it done before I had a chance to stop him but hey its ok its not like it is $1000 I will be disappointed if it is dodgy but then you buy on ebay and you take the risk I guess, he wanted me to have it before xmas so I hope it gets here in time. Ruger, thanks for the heads up about the warranty too, I think if I was paying a lot more money I definatly would have bought locally and preferably from a store that I can go into and see the product....just like in the olden days I love ebay and online buying but I still llike to be able to see what Im buying in the flesh!! Cant wait to try it out and Ill post pics when I do!!

great shots so clear!! Did you get the filter off??

x 2 Yes, it's a nice lens. (My) Tamron 17-50 2.8 XR Di-II LD (Flickr Set) fantastic pics, Just beautiful. Hubby said he would buy me the lense for xmas so I didnt wanna push my luck with a more expensive lense, and I found out today that he has ordered me one from over seas I hope its ok, will post some pics when I get it and have a play. this is it http://cgi.ebay.com.au/NEW-NIKON-AF-50mm-f...A1%7C240%3A1318

You guys will never believe it, I went to Geelong today and went into the shop I rang to see if they had the lense, (they said over the phone they did) they were very busy, I understand that (I work in retail) so off she went to have a look for the lense and came back and said she didnt think they had it but she would have another look so off she went but on the way served another customer who I think she was in the middle of serving when I came in so I waited and waited and waited and in the end I walked out. It like every thing you go to do these days just no care or service, and I had my 4 dogs in the car it was cold and raining not that they would have cared but I dont like to leave them in the car on thier own for a long time especailly in a big town like Geelong. So I am still lenseless and most annoyed think Im going to have to ebay one, will check it out tomorow!! To top off the day our doggy xmas party at kepala was cancelled due to bad weather, although a few of us decided to go to one of my friends house so the dogs could all have a play and we had a great time one of the girls bought her hubby as santa and all the dogs had thier photos taken with santa it was great, so a shitty day turned out ok in the end anyway!! Im rambling now better hit the sack!! Barb

Hi I just noticed today at our harvey norman they had the D40 for under $600 might be an option and it would be brand new!!

Thanks guys for the imput, will definatley look at the tamron also try out the the sepia recipie!! The teacher didnt say a lot but compared to the rest of the class I think mine were pretty good I had a lady in the class tell me i should be doing pet portraits, I did tell her I have done a few shoots for people and they have been very happy but Im a long way from anything pro!! she was impressed...LOL Polomum do you have a filter on the D80, you should have just to protect your lense if nothing else I just have a UV filter on mine, the filters are different sizes for different lenses I think the 50mm filter is about a 52 so I will have to get a new one for the new lense as the one i have now is a different size. hope ive given you the right info!! You can get the filters in a pack i think they have like a uv, polarising and a warm in a pack for around the 70 - 80 mark at harvey norman so they would be a lot cheaper on line. Im heading to geelong tomorow and there is a store down there that has the 50mm f1.8 in store for $199 and at Harvey norman the same lense was $307. I will ask if they have the tamron while im there, but im one of these ones if I make up my mind I want something i just have to have it sooner rather than later. Anyway enough rambling thanks again you guys rock!!

Hi Guys, last nights class went really well everyone liked my presentation, here is a link to the final photos I put in my presentation. http://www.new.facebook.com/album.php?aid=...mp;id=609066843 I need a bit of help with making photos Sepia, with the ones I tried to I just mucked around with the color settings till I got it the way I liked it, but there must be an easier way?? Just a click perhaps like black and white??? edited cause im a dufus!!

Oh congrats on your camera, cant wait to see pics. I have had my d80 for a while but only really recently have started to use it on manual. Everyone here is great and so helpfully you will love it!!

ok thanks you guys are so helpful, I hadnt thougth about the filter, obviously the one i have on my kit lense will not fit as im assuming they will be a different size. Im thinking I will try to get a new lense if they are only around the $200 mark. I think the new 1.4 is around the $400 but I think ill go for the 1.8. Thanks again!!

Gee thanks so much, I am a lot more confident now!! The rest of the pics were photoshoped a lot and some were black and white and some kind of like sepia but I dont know what the hell im doing with sepia, is there a quick way to make a pic sepia like black and white? Im using PS cs4 I will post the rest but I have to get my ferrel doggies for a run before I have to go to work this arvo... Thanks again and ill go back and look at each pic and take note of your comments and remember for next time.

Don't forget...the best way to actually get depth of field and blur the background is to actually have depth of field, ie the background is not close to the subject. Take this photo as an example: settings were F8, 1/800 at 300mm. I have other shots I took on the day at the same setting where there was a branch right behind the lorikeet so there was not much depth or blur. But this one I chose because there was nothing behind the lorikeet, so the background was very deep & blurred b/c it was so far away. Make sense? The same logic will apply whichever lense you use...the further away the background, the more it will be blurred. I try to take into consideration the perspective as well. Let's say you have a dog sitting on the ground. If you stand up & take the shot, the background will not be very far away...b/c it will be the ground around the dog. But, it you get down on the ground yourself (other than getting licked ) the background will be further away & the blur will increase. awesome photo, and yes what you have said makes perfect sense, thanks so much!!

I'm not sure that's true. So far the only thing I am getting from my D300, that I didn't get from my D70s is more frames/second which is very useful in agility shots...otherwise, I don't see a huge difference in either quality or essential functionality. ok well thats good to know, It is just that I need lots more practice!! Thanks Vickie. heres a few pics I have taken just recently, they have had a bit of tweaking in PS, I have my last class tonight and we had to do a PP Presentation of 12 good photos, I have been trying to get some good ones, here is just a few If anyone has any good suggestions criticisms or otherwise id like to hear em.

So from all the talk about the D300, (im sure you guys are trying to make me jealous ) I take it there is absolutley no camparison to the D80?? I guess the proof is in the photos they really speak for themselves!! Has anyone here got the D700?

With wide aperture lenses, you get less depth of field, and that's the whole point of them really. Set the lens to 1.8, focus on your dog and the background is out of focus. Like rugerfly's portrait. Up close, you may find that not all of the dog is sharp, the nose is in focus and the eyes aren't. You have to focus selectively. (Having a pug, I don't have that problem.) 1.4 is better at it and 1.2 is better still. (Though it costs a fortune and weighs a ton.) The 1.4 is on my list, when I have recovered from the D300. thanks for that, so basically if I went to a 50 mm 1.8 I am going to get a lot more blur in the background if I am close up compared to my largest apature of 3.5, I think I am finally starting to get it!! Ebay here I come!! But I still wanna see Vickies Pictures

Still nothing, maybe it is my pc!!

how weird i can see it Oh No fair I wanna see Vickies pictures!

Oh I cant see the pics, I ve just got home from work and came strait to the pc to check out replys to this thread and was so excited to see that Vickie had posted then no pic show up????? WHats going on... it just says the photo is unavailable!!

Wow Thats a great photo, Im thinking if I do get one I will get the 1.8 probly not a lot of difference only that I think the 1.4 was just released this month and on ebay it is about $300 more. I really just want something that I can have a much around with and not have to spend to much money. After xmas I will be saving for a D300 or 700 havent decided which yet and probly by the time I get enough saved there will be another new model out!! I am loving the D80 though and getting a lot better photos now that I know how to apply the manual settings. And you guys on here have taught me so much and just being able to understand the lingo is great. You said you had a 50 mm for work do you take photos for a living, That is my all time greatest dream to be able to make a living out of photography well may be not a living (hubby can do that... ) but just to make enough so I dont have to actually go to my other job (bunnings) I think it will be a long way down the track but hey you have to start somewhere!! Thanks again for posting the pic for me to see.

Thanks Guys, I have used dpreview heaps just for sussing out the difference between cameras and I have looked at the lenses there but am having trouble understanding what the difference will be if I do get a 50 mm lense, as in what the benifits will be if any, thats what I was hoping the guy int he shop would have told me but he was too busy!! I think I have read and read about so much stuff and even in the D80 book that I bought it wasnt much help when it came to lenses, thats why here is great cause I can understand most of the stuff posted here, I will post some pics soon as well, Im having a bit of trouble with over exposure atm not sure what Im doing wrong so Im trying a few different settings as I go, at this rate Ill havem y camera really worn out Vickie I cant wait to see the pics it will give me a good idea of how each lense makes the shot look different. edited to add Vickie your signiture is totally awsome!!

This is such a great pic, and your sunset ones are totally awesome.... I want a D300 I have to be happy witht he D80 for the time being but the way im taking pics atm Ill have it worn out before long ( do they actully wear out) what happenes if you just use it too much. Im averaging about between 500 - 1000 pics a week, is that a lot compared to you guys?? Since im doing my course I have been taking a lot more but even before that I took a lot, way too many of the dogs but Hey its what I love so I dont care, may be I will once the camera wears out!!

Hi Guys, I have a question for all you pros out there, I have been reading with avid enthusiasm all the threads about lenses and I am not really up with the lense speak so to speak I have the D80 which come with a kit lense of 18 - 135. Mostly I shoot close ups (of dogs of course) and I was wanting to get another lense. I think it was Ashanali that recommended the 50mm 1.4 so I rang our local photoshop to day to see what they had in store and how much well what a shock dont know how they stay in business, the man I spoke to was very short must have been busy and couldnt be bothered to take the time out to tell me what I needed to know I asked him about a 50 mm lense and told him I do mostly animal portraits and he said the lense im using is fine and I shouldnt need a f stop higher than 3.5 as my 18 - 135 highest is 3.5 and I said to him isnt the 5o mm 1.4 and isnt there a 1.8 and he just said no you dont need that what your using is fine and down the track you might like to purchase a 300mm so you will have more zoom, and with that I got off the phone. So heres my question now that I am very confused. If I do get a 50mm lense what benefit is it going to be over the one I have now? Will I have more depth of field?? Can I do with a 50 mm what I am already doing with the lense I already have? Please help me understnd I know I probly sound like a total dumb bunny!! any advice greatly appreciated. Ps Ive looked on ebay and some of the 50 mm 1.8 lenses are only about $180 the 50 mm 1.4 are around the $400 mark sounds to cheap but they say they are new, is there any draw back to buying lenses off ebay I want keen but I know a few of you guys have. Have you ever had any trouble with ebay lenses??

All bloody amazing, I am in awe of you guys!!!!! Oh am I allowed to say bloody?? I have so much to learn when it comes to photoshop but am slowly getting there!