Test Shots

[Spinning Hat]

I've been trying to read as much as I can at http://www.kenrockwell.com while I've been at work and home, (Thanks Porsche!) and I found this great guide to the Nikon D40.. Ken loves his, and it's evident by how much he gushes over it on his camera review page. But here's something I just took that I thought had some nice color to it:




I've found the shutter speed and aperture settings and have been playing with hem to see how shutter speed and aperture work together, especially in low light. (I don't often have many lights on when I'm online at night.) My biggest challenge I've found in this group of pics I took was finding a way to get the keys in focus while still maintaining the light and colors.

[XMEN Gambit]

To add some fun, the autofocus in most cameras is based on the red end of the spectrum. Therefore a shot like this where the only light is blue is a little more challenging. Dunno if the D40 has a focus assist when not using the flash or not - some do, some don't.

[Spinning Hat]

Yup, the D40 sure does, and I have it enabled too. I don't think this is an AF issue, I just think it might have been my shaky hands, but this is one of the better ones. I had a couple after this one that looked as good if not a little better. I opened the aperture a little more, and was playing with the exposure. I might actually turn out a good image one of these days.. LOL

[XMEN Gambit]

Remember, especially when close in like this, that when you open the aperture you also narrow your field of focus. The center could be focused perfectly but the near and far ends are both out, for example. Alternative is to use a tripod and a longer exposure or bump up the ISO.