Quite an experience the last year with my K-30.
I feel as if I have learned so much, yet I know so little.
I recently purchased a DA*300 from a user here on the forum. Gorgeous lens, amazing IQ and spectacular build quality.
What a lens!
I'm now completely rethinking the way I setup my K-30 for optimizing what comes through my glass.
I'd love to get some feedback on the following from PF wildlife photographers:
Assuming the following defaults... (assuming golden hour AM, Spring/Fall [decent light, no haze, low humidity], mid-latitude [Maryland], Camera: K-30, Lens: DA*300)
1. What's your default "ready to go" settings so when something jumps from the brush you are ready to shoot?
(realize this is dependent upon metering for the situation, but what's a good place to start?)
a. ISO
b. Shutter Speed
c. Aperture
2. What are your AF settings?
a. AF-C, AF-A, AF-S?
b. Auto 11, Auto 5, Select, Spot?
c. AF Contrast in LV?
3. What are your metering settings?
a. Spot, Multi-Segment, Center Weighted?
b. ISO noise reduction?
c. slow shutter speed noise reduction?
4. Green button setting?
a. TV shift, AV shift?
5. White Balance setting?
a. Cloudy, Auto, Bright?
I'll post my own answer here and you can tell me where I am right, wrong, or just comment how you see fit:
I typically setup my camera (when the light allows it):
-Manual mode
-ISO 400 (I'd like ISO 100 at all times, but I'd rather have the shutter a bit faster so this compromise seems fit?)
-1/500s shutter
-F5.6 - F8 when allowed
-Green button: Av shift (I could be doing that wrong... I figured I'd rather have the shutter speed set and the aperture change when requiring green button???)
Obviously these settings above are dynamic and change for each composition... However, I like to keep them there in case something pops up on me I wont need to dial in aperture, ISO or shutter speed far from the current setting.
As for the things that don't really change (maybe they should, this is the main purpose of the thread)
-AF-C mode
-Spot Metering
-AF Select
-AF Contrast in LV: Spot
-ISO NR: on
-Slow Shutter NR: on
-WB: Cloudy
- Shake Reduction: on (hand held and monopod)/ off (tripod)
- AF/AE button set to AF(I do not like the AF half shutter pull at all... I prefer to have the ability to focus, compose and shoot without refocusing)
I am happy with the photos I have taken so far... Only had the lens 12 hours thus far.
I don't know if they could be better though. This is my first DA* lens, so perhaps my positive feelings for the lens are just comparing to the other gear I have owned rather than the optimal capabilities of this lens.
I want to upgrade to a K3 this year. But I refuse to do so until I fully understand the capacity of my K-30.
Cheers!
Logan
Last edited by UserAccessDenied; 02-03-2016 at 08:55 AM.