Nikon D50 Camera

Bobbi Baldwin · 10-24-2005, 09:16 PM

Hi Molly,

Now that you have had your camera for a while, I have a question. I bought the D70 a year ago and love it. But, recently, when photographing my own work for my portfolio, I noticed a continual oddity. I am wondering if you or anyone else has the same problem. I use the landscape setting to insure that the flash doesn't go off. I learned early on in my career that the truest form of color is photographed between 11 & 2 midday, outside in the shade. That isn't the problem. But, when doing this with a setting that will keep the flash off, (landscape setting) I get a distortion in the middle of the screen. It is wider in the center of the screen. I can see this because all the other edges are perfectly centered when I go to crop with Photoshop, but, the center is bulging. This may be a problem with my lens that I have over looked in my haste to only use the camera as a source and not looking for perfection. Would you try these settings on your camera for me and see if this happens for you also? I would appreciate it. I stand straight over my artwork making sure that the frame of the canvas is set square by the sides in the frame and also looking at my posture and the angle. (Of course if you were to take your time, you would put it on a tripod and use an easel, but, I am taking so many photos of my work that I am cutting corners.) My second question would be is this: a setting malfunction? But, my guess is that it would be the lens.
Thank you,
Bobbi Baldwin

Garth Herrick · 10-24-2005, 09:38 PM

Hi Bobbi,

I have not met you before, so hello and welcome. I have the similar but preceding Nikon D-100. From what I gathered from what you wrote, your issue has nothing to do with flash or no flash, or time of day, but is simply some kind of lens distortion. I doubt I have the same lens as you, but if I did, or if Molly did on her D-50, we should all see the same lens result. I noticed similar problems with my three lenses, and they are lens problems, not camera function problems. I usually suffer a slight pin cushion effect at the frame edge. Usually I just accept and ignore it. Which lens(es) do you have?

Could you post an example of the distortion you are experiencing? It would be easier to discuss this with a tangible example.

Garth

Garth Herrick · 10-24-2005, 09:49 PM

I should add that zoom lenses have varying distortion like you describe at different focal lengths. At the widest angle the distortion will differ from the longest telephoto setting. Sometimes there is an ideal focal length that has the minimum of pincushion or barrel distortion present. You may have to try photographing your painting from different distances until you find the least distortion.

Then if you later have to photograph a different size painting, you may have to test this out all over again. One work around for this is to note down the relationship of the size of the painting to the distance you are standing from it, and keep this ratio as the one you can depend upon.

I hope this helps.

Garth

Marcus Lim · 10-24-2005, 09:57 PM

Hi guys,
I was reading Bobbi's thread, and i just can't help but feeling it could be an internal programme setting from the cam itself when you use the function. I have this feeling, as my E5500 Fujifilm cam has color-enriching distortions that can be turn on/off...in my case Fuji's well-known for great landscape pics, and it's part of the camera's function to enhance the yellows and greens...
I digress, so i suspect it could be the mode that we use for our pictures.

Garth Herrick · 10-24-2005, 10:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marcus Lim

Hi guys,
I was reading Bobbi's thread, and i just can't help but feeling it could be an internal programme setting from the cam itself when you use the function. I have this feeling, as my E5500 Fujifilm cam has color-enriching distortions that can be turn on/off...in my case Fuji's well-known for great landscape pics, and it's part of the camera's function to enhance the yellows and greens...
I digress, so i suspect it could be the mode that we use for our pictures.

Bobbi and Marcus,

You should get exactly the same distortion, whether in Landscape mode or not, or in fact, on my camera or Molly's camera. It's NOT the camera setting , but the LENS itself.

Try the same exact photo on a tripod, in Landscape mode and in other modes with or without the flash going off. You will see no difference in the distortion so long as you never bump the tripod.

Garth

Bobbi Baldwin · 10-24-2005, 11:20 PM

Hi Garth and Marcus,
I don't think I have met you. I was really active with the portrait societies and a juried artist with Cynthia for a long time, but have been MIA ... getting in gear for a new assertion in my business life and married soon. I started a West Coast based portrait society and ran it both as pres. and assisting pres from 1995 to 2001, while simultaneously running a cooperative gallery with up to 21 artists specializing portrait work. The portrait society went when my gallery went and I took a sabbatical from promoting everyone else. But, now I am back and looking to start the new school where I will continue to teach and bring in talented teachers like Tom Nash. I am excited about the plans but they are not for sure as of yet. ... Still writing the business plan and looking for the space.

Thank you for the input. I have a Nikon lens that came with the camera and Garth, you may have hit the point I was trying to learn. It is a Nikon DX zoom lens, AF-S Nikkor 18-70mm 1:35-4.5ED.

I will try what you said to with the different distances. I don't have a lot of time to mess with equipment, so your help is good. Thank you both. I have put off buying a straight 50mm lens just for photographing my work, but, I may do just that, so that I don't have to deal with taking any more time to get the photos done and I am insured of getting a true likeness to my photos.

I do know that sometimes I zoom a bit even though I am standing over it, to better fit it in the frame opening and sometimes I bend down. So, I am not sure which I did here. I may have done both and gotten the same result for all I know.

Bobbi

Molly Sherrick Phifer · 10-25-2005, 08:17 AM

Hi Bobbi!

I don't have the same problem, but then again, I do have a different lens.

One thing I wanted to add, is that you should be able to keep the flash turned off in any mode on your D50 camera.

The trick is to change the flash mode out of automatic for any of the P, A, S, M modes and the just shut the flash down when it pops up. It will stay down. In the preprogrammed modes, just change the flash mode to off. The way to change the flash mode is: hold down the flash button (with the lightning symbol) on the front left side of the camera body, and turn the thumb wheel dial in the back upper right side. Watch in the top display and you can scroll through the flash options; red eye, back fill, no flash, etc.

If you have any trouble, let me know.