Teknik ambil gambar malam..

1) set ISO ke paling rendah ISO 100/200

2) set White balance ke Tungsten

3) set shutter speed ke paling slow

4) set appeture ke paling kecil F16/F18

5) set shutter timer ke 10 sec.

6) pakai nutrel Dinsity (ND)

Night Photography

DSLR camera settings and tips for taking city landscapes at night

One of the reasons enthusiasts purchase SLR digital cameras, is to take night photographs in and around the city without them resulting in blurred or shaky images. However, as you'll soon find out, it's not as easy as setting your digital camera to automatic and shooting the image. Listed below are tips that will help you take city landscape photographs after dark.

Digital SLR settings for night photography

1. Set your camera to shutter priority. On a Canon DSLR you turn the top dial to TV. Whereas on some SLR models, like the Nikon D40 for example, shutter priority is displayed as the letter S. If your camera doesn't have TV or S then refer to your camera manual.
   
   
   
   
   
2. If you have a tripod handy, set the ISO to the lowest setting your camera will go. For example, Canon EOS 400D will go as low as 100 ISO, whereas a Nikon D40 will go to 200. If you don't have a tripod, look for something you can rest your camera on. For example a stone or brick wall.
   
   If you absolutely need to hand hold your camera, the only choice of SLR settings you have for night photography is to set it to P (Program) and up the ISO to 800 - 1600. You can then skip over step 3 below. Note: This usually isn't recommended for high quality night shots.
   
   
3. For high quality night shots, the shutter needs to be set at a slow speed. This allows the camera enough time to let light in to the sensor, without increasing your ISO setting. How slow depends on the time of night and how dark it is. There is no set shutter speed to suit every situation. However I've found if you take one photograph at 10 seconds, one at 20 and one at 30. Then view the image on your LCD display and see which one shows the most light. From there you will be able to judge how slow the shutter speed needs to be for the rest of your photo's on that particular night.
   
   The mistake many photographers do, is to set their shutter speed too fast. For example the night shot below was taken with a one second shutter. As you can see, this wasn't long enough to allow the light in to the camera's sensor.
   
   
   
   I recognised this instantly and reshot the photograph using a slower shutter speed of 15 seconds. This time the SLR camera was given more time to allow the light in to the sensor, resulting in a clearly focused night shot that you can see below.
   
   
   

   Mackay Harbour Marina Australia Camera: Canon EOS 400D / Rebel XTi Lens: Canon EF-S17-85mm f/4-5.6 IS USM Exposure: 15 sec (15) Aperture: f/5 Focal Length: 33 mm ISO Speed: 100 Exposure Program: Shutter priority Flash: Flash did not fire Why this night shot worked The shutter speed was set to a slow 15 seconds. Therefore I was able to keep the ISO set to a high quality 100. Of course shooting at such a slow speed also required a sturdy tripod. You won't be able to hand hold a digital camera for 15 seconds without shaking. If you don't have a tripod handy, the other option is to up the ISO to 800 or 1600, then keep the shutter speed fast. However, the quality of the night shot will be grainy or noisy, and is usually not recommended.

   
   
   
   Here is another example of a night photograph, this time the shutter speed is 30 seconds.
   
   

   Sydney Australia Camera: Canon EOS 400D / Rebel XTi Lens: Canon EF-S17-85mm f/4-5.6 IS USM Exposure: 30 sec (30) Aperture: f/7.1 Focal Length: 17mm ISO Speed: 100 Exposure Program: Shutter priority Flash: Flash did not fire Why this night shot worked The ISO was kept to a high image quality 100, while the shutter speed set to a slow 30 seconds. The night photograph was taken from a 260 meter-high Sydney Lookout Tower where tripods were forbidden. Therefore I sat my SLR camera on a binocular stand.

   
   
   

Where to focus for night photography?

A frequently asked question beginners often ask is, where should they focus for night shots. Personally, I get better results if I focus on a far object in the distance. This should ensure your camera automatically sets the aperture to capture the whole scene in focus and not just closer objects.

Manual mode setting

Tips for manual mode camera settings

Using your DSLR camera in fully manual mode (M on the top dial), isn't as hard as it first seems. Whether you own a Canon, Nikon, or any other SLR camera brand, using manual mode works basically the same.

Advantages of fully manual

• Manual mode allows you to set both your aperture and shutter speed separately, without the camera automatically changing the other to suit. With this in mind, you can be more creative with your shots. For example, you can photograph a beach landscape keeping the aperture high (for example f/22) so everything is in focus, yet at the same time set a slow shutter speed to create dreamy, slow motion waves.
  
  

  Example of photograph taken in fully manual settings Camera: Canon EOS 400D / Rebel XTi Lens: Canon EF-S17-85mm f/4-5.6 IS USM Exposure: 0.2 sec (1/5) Aperture: f/22 Focal Length: 85 mm ISO Speed: 100 Exposure Program: Manual Flash: Flash did not fire Why this shot worked For this beach landscape, I wanted the whole scene from the sand in the foreground, to the island and boat in the background to be fully in focus. I also intended for the ocean waves to have a slow motion dreamy look and feel to them. For this to be achieved, the camera needed to be set on a high aperture f/22, and a relatively slow shutter speed of 1/5th of a second. If I had set the camera to aperture priority, then the shutter speed would have been automatically created for me, or conversely if I'd set shutter priority, the camera would have automatically set the aperture to suit. Therefore, setting the camera on manual mode, allowed me to fully choose both the aperture and the shutter speed.

  
  
  
  
• Manual mode gives you full control over your exposure. If you are finding a lot of your photographs are either underexposed (too dark) or overexposed (too light) then working in fully manual mode will help you to better understand and correct these exposure problems. Personally, I've found tweaking exposure results in photographs that are much more colorful than those taken in other modes.
  

How to use manual mode?

• Firstly set your camera's top dial to the M mode and turn it on.
  
  Example of manual mode:
  
  
  
  
• To set the shutter speed, turn the rotating dial that looks like this:
  
  
  
  
  
  
• To set the aperture (f/number), press and hold down the exposure compensation button while turning the rotating dial.
  
  The exposure compensation button looks like this:
  
  
  
  
  
  
• To set the exposure, look through your viewfinder and press the shutter button half way down to focus on an object or scenery. You will then notice at the bottom of the screen what is referred to as a light meter, that looks similar to this:
  
  
  
  For this example, turn the rotating dial again until this exposure line shows 0 exposure. That is, it is neither on the right or left side, but rather set in the middle. If you don't like looking through the viewfinder, you should also be able to see this exposure line on the back LCD display. Take the shot and you'll find a well balanced exposure.
  

Other tips and hints for using your SLR camera in manual mode

• You will notice when you change the exposure level as demonstrated in the last tip, the shutter speed also changed to suit that particular exposure. You can however set the camera so it's the aperture that changes to suit the required exposure instead. To do this, press the exposure compensation button down while turning the rotator to the correct exposure. This way it will be the aperture that is changed and not the shutter speed.
  
  Therefore, before setting the correct exposure, it's important that you ask yourself which setting is more important to keep for your specific shot. Is the aperture more important or the shutter speed? If you're shooting a landscape, then I recommend keeping the aperture (f/number) as you had originally set it to. If you are photographing a moving object like a bird for example, then I recommend keeping the shutter speed setting.

Online Photography Course

One of the most important steps for taking photographs in manual (M mode), is understanding how to achieve a good exposure.

Assignment: Step by step lesson to help you fully understand manual mode exposure

• Change your camera setting to manual (M) mode and turn it on.
• Press and hold down the exposure compensation button while turning the rotating dial until the aperture is the lowest f number it can go. You will be able to see this on the back LCD display. For example:
  
  
  
  Note: The only reason I've instructed you to change to a low F number is to ensure the image is taken quickly, even if shot inside.
  
  
• Look through your viewfinder and point your camera at a nearby object or person. Press the shutter button half way down to focus, then lift up again. Don't yet take the shot.
  
  
• Still looking through your viewfinder, look for the exposure line along the bottom. Turn the rotating dial until that exposure line is set directly in the middle (on 0).
  
  
  
  
• Now take the photograph. This should result in an image that is not too underexposed and not too overexposed. If you find the camera took too long to shoot the photograph, increase your ISO to 400 or 800 and try again.
  
  
• Repeat the lesson again, this time going outside and taking an image of your street. However, for this example, firstly set the aperture to f/11. This will ensure everything is in focus.
  
  
• While your taking photographs of your street, try setting the exposure off center. You'll notice a few notches to the right and left of middle, will result in over and under exposure (too light or too dark).

This lesson helps demonstrate the importance of the exposure line when photographing in manual mode.

White Balance

What is white balance?

Setting the correct white balance in your camera, is important to ensure the objects that are white, are actually displayed white within the photograph. As you can see by the interactive example below, white balance also effects other colors as well. If your camera's automatic white balance setting doesn't get the color 'white' correct, it won't render the other colors correctly either.

Click within the square below to start the demonstration. Then click each of the four white balance settings to see how color is effected by this setting.

How to know if the wrong white balance has been set?

Just about every photographer at one stage or another, has taken a photograph that contained a blueish tinge. The blueish tinge is normally a result of using an incorrect white balance. For example, the first image below has a blueish tinge, where as the second shot displays a more natural coloring.

Setting an incorrect white balance, can also result in unsightly reds, yellow or green tinges as well, depending on the situation.

Doesn't auto white balance fix this problem?

Not always. While it's true many improvements have been made in todays digital camera's, they still often get white balance settings wrong in certain lighting conditions. If you take your images in RAW format (highly recommended) then sure, go ahead and use auto white balance. If the camera gets it wrong, you can always change this setting later on in your RAW editor.

Where to find your camera's white balance settings?

For Canon users, the camera's white balance setting can be found on the back panel next to the LCD screen (on Canon 400D). It can be recognised by the letters WB, as demonstrated in the image below. There can be slight differences between models, so if you can't see the letters WB, then check with your camera's manual. Press the WB button and you'll be given a list of the following options: auto, daylight, shade, cloudy, tungsten light, white fluorescent light, flash and custom.

For Nikon users, press the menu button on the back near the LCD screen, and navigate your way to the 'Shooting Menu'. From there, you'll be able to choose 'White Balance'. Once you're in the white balance screen you'll have several options including: auto, incandescent, tungsten, fluorescent, direct sunlight, flash, cloudy, shade and preset.

Note: If you have the camera set on fully automatic, you won't be able to choose a white balance setting.

Quick explaination of each white balance setting

Note once again, settings differ between brands and models. Therefore don't worry if you have a few of them missing from your menu bar.

When to use Auto white balance: In auto, the camera guesses what white balance to use depending on the available light. In 95% of the time, the guess results in a nicely colored photograph. This is a perfect setting for times when you're unsure what white balance to choose. It's also a good idea to keep the camera on Auto white balance if you shoot in RAW format (recommended).

Daylight (Canon) and Direct Sunlight (Nikon): This is a good setting for direct sunlight. For example, a beach landscape mid morning where you're not shooting into shade.

When to use Shade white balance: Use shade white balance in shady area's or sunset shots. It will help give a warmer color to your shots.

When to use Cloudy: This is a good setting for cloudy days. It's also quite effective for shady area's as well. I've found there is a fine line between shade and cloudy white balance settings.

When to use Tungsten white balance: This is one of the most extreme balance settings of them all and should only be used with tungsten light bulbs. Or at times where you purposefully want a blue tinge to your images.

When to use fluorescent: This setting will help make inside flourescent house lighting, look a bit better than the yellowy orange color you usually see.

Flash white balance: Flash white balance is used mostly for studio work.

Custom (Canon) and Preset (Nikon) white balance settings: Use these ones with a white or grey card that you can pick up cheaply from any camera store, for perfect white balance

Exposure tips

How to manually change your camera's exposure settings?

Many beginners often find their photographs are either underexposed (too dark) or overexposed (too light or white). However, there is a way to manually change the exposure to compensate for them being darker or lighter. Getting the correct exposure balance isn't as hard as it first seems, once you learn a few simple skills from the tips listed below.

Where is the exposure compensation button?

On both Nikon and Canon digital SLR camera's, the exposure compensation button looks like a plus and minus sign (+/-). On a Nikon D40, this is situated near the shutter button. For Canon 400D it is found upper right to the LCD screen on the back of the camera.

Example of exposure compensation button:

How to use the exposure compensation button?

• The exposure compensation button can be used when your camera is in any non-automatic mode. For example, you can use it while your top dial is on P (for program), S (Nikon shutter priority), TV (Canon shutter priority), A or AV (aperture priority) and M (fully manual) modes.
  
  
• For this exercise, put your camera on the P mode and take one photograph. Now take a second photograph, this time firstly pressing the shutter button half way down to focus (lift up again), then hold down the +/- compensation button, while turning the main dial to the right 4 stops and shoot. Now look at both images one after another in the LCD screen and you should notice a difference in the lighting.
  
  Shown below is an example of what the main dial looks like:
  
  
  
  Now repeat this exercise, this time when taking the 2nd photograph, hold down the compensation button down and turn the main dial 4 stops to the left. Note: it won't need to always be 4 stops, this is an example to show extremes only.
  
  What you should be seeing is a series of photographs, one too dark, one just right and one too light, like the example below:

• If you own a Nikon SLR camera, turning the main dial to the left (while holding down the exposure compensation button) will lighten the image. Whereas turning it to the right will darken the image for the next shot taken. You need to readjust it for each photograph.
  
  If you own a Canon SLR camera, it is the opposite to the Nikon. Turning your main dial to the left (while holding down the exposure compensation button) will darken the image and turning it to the right will lighten the image.
  
  

When is exposure compensation useful?

• If at first, you take an image and it looks to be too dark or too light when viewing it in your LCD screen. For example if it is early morning or late evening, you might want the photograph to appear lighter (or darker) than it actually is.
  
  
• If you are taking a photograph of an object that is in actual fact too dark, and you want to lighten it. For example if you were taking an image of the underside of a car near the tyre. Bad example I know :) Or lets say you want to photograph a black bird and need to see the actual eye in your image. In this case you could slightly over expose the image to bring out the patterns and shapes.
  
  
• In contrast, snow images can appear too over exposed. In these situations it's recommended to underexpose the image until you see a nice balance between the sky and the snow.
  
  
• Exposure compensation is also useful for those people that photograph objects in a light tent. A light tent is a square box that has numerous colored backgrounds so photographers can capture products and objects with one background color. For example, if a white background is used and you don't change the exposure compensation, the background may appear off white.
• 
  

imple green rule for exposing shots taken near nature

Whenever you take a photograph in or around nature, it's useful to expose on any part of the scene that is green, then underexpose it by two thirds.

For example, for the photograph below, the exposure was taken from the green leaves to the left of the flowers. I then underexposed the shot by 2/3, refocused on the flower and took the shot. As the camera was set on manual, the shutter speed (exposure) stayed as it was when exposed on the green leaves. Usually when you refocus on the subject you want to take a photo of, the camera will tell you the exposure is wrong. Ignore this and take the shot anyway. In most cases, it will result in a nicely exposed, detailed photograph.

If you're not sure what I am referring to by 'setting the exposure', you can find a good article on this at: Advantages of manual settings.

Note, this exposure tip will also work when you have your camera set on shutter priority. However, it won't work for automatic modes (such as landscape, portrait) or aperture priority, as the camera then sets the shutter speed for you.

Exposing Flower Gardens Camera: Canon EOS 400D / Rebel XTi Lens: Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro Shutter Speed (exposure): 0.005 sec (1/200) Aperture: f/11 Focal Length: 100mm ISO Speed: 200 Exposure Program: manual Tip for exposure The camera was set on manual mode with an aperture of f/11. I focused on the green leaves that had similar light falling on them as the flowers and underexposed by two third's. Next I focused on the purple flower and took the shot (without re-exposing). As you can see, this resulted in beautifully colored photo with a nice balance between light and shade.

Exposure tip for black subjects like birds Camera: Canon EOS 400D / Rebel XTi Lens: Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM Shutter Speed (exposure): 0.002 sec (1/500) Aperture: f/5.6 Focal Length: 300mm ISO Speed: 400 Exposure Program: manual Tip for exposure Taking the exposure on something that is green, is particularly useful in times where the subject is black. If the shot above was exposed on the black bird, the details on the feathers and the green eye would have been lost. Instead, the photographer took the exposure on the nearby grass and then underexposed it by 2/3'rds.

Another time this exposure tip was useful, was during an outside photo shoot of my son. The first shot I'd taken was exposed on my son's face. Looking back on the LCD screen, I'd found there was a dark shadow over one side of his face. The shot was taken again, this time exposing (-2/3) on the green grass next to him. This helped to eliminate the shadow on his face.

Related Articles:

Micro Photo

What is the difference between macro, micro and closeup photography?

There is often much confusion amongst new photographers over the terms macro, micro and close up photography and how they differ. For starters, macro and micro usually refers to the same thing, in that Nikon names their range of 'macro lenses' with the word 'micro'. Canon on the other hand, calls them macro lenses.

For example, Nikons top macro lens is called AF-S VR Micro-Nikkor 105mm f/2.8G IF-ED lens. Notice the term micro in that name.

Now for comparisons sake, Canon's top macro lens is called a Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 macro lens. This time, instead of seeing the term micro, you'll notice the term macro within the lens name.

What does macro and micro refer to when it comes to photography?

The word macro means big, whereas the word micro mean small. So how is it that these two terms related?

If the subject you are photographing is small and you want to make it look big, you end up with a "macro" view of a "micro" subject.

What is macro (micro) photography?

Macro photography is that which is taken with a dedicated macro lens. A real macro lens has the capability of achieving in the least a 1:1 magnification. Just because a camera has the word macro written on it, doesn't make it a true macro lens. Both the Nikon and Canon lenses mentioned above, are considered real macro lenses. If you're not sure how to recognise a real macro lens, you may find an earlier article useful called, What is a real macro lens.

What is close up photography?

Close up photography, is the act of photographing objects such as flowers or insects in close range so the subject you are photographing fills the frame. In other words, it's the act of photographing subjects close up. This is easily achievable with any lens, even a 300mm telephoto lens.

Macro photography is in essence close up photography as well. However, close up photography is not always considered as true macro photography. For example, if you have a lens that is NOT considered a real macro lens, yet offers a macro setting (as many do nowadays), this is usually refered to as being close up photography, and not true macro.

How to recognise the difference between macro and close up photography?

Capturing the finest detail, is one of the main differences between macro / micro photography and close up photography.

Macro lenses are expensive for a reason. That being, a true macro lens allows the photographer to capture finer detail than would otherwise have been seen. For example, the hairs on an insects face, or the pattern in its eye.

Take the two photographs below for example. The first image is a very good example of a close up photograph, taken with a Nikon telephoto lens. While the second photograph is a macro shot, allowing for bigger magnification and showing the finest detail.

Link (click here)

Is your camera a macro lens if it has macro written on it?

Just because your camera lens has macro written on it, doesn't mean it is actually macro. Unfortunately manufacturers sometimes add this word to their lenses as a marketing ploy. Yes, it is true they can focus closer than an ordinary lens. However, don't expect them to get as close as a true macro.

Blue Dragonfly Camera: Canon EOS 400D / Rebel XTi Lens: Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro Exposure Program: Shutter priority Exposure: 0.003 sec (1/400) Aperture: f/3.2 Focal Length: 100 mm ISO Speed: 200 Why this image works This macro shot worked well in bringing out a comical side to the dragonfly. This helped to create a lot of interest in photo sharing sites like Flickr.

How to recognise a real macro lens

A real macro lens has the capability of achieving in the least a 1:1 magnification. This should be written either on the lens or in the manual under specifications. Note: the aperture f stop is not the ratio we are talking about here. For example, the macro lens used to photograph the dragonfly above has an aperture of f2.8. However it also has a 1:1 magnification rating, making it a true macro lens.

Technically, this ratio is a measure of how large the subject appears on your camera's sensor. A lens with a magnification of 1:1 means the subject appears as life size on the sensor. A macro lens with a 2:1 ratio captures subjects twice as large as they appear in real life. On the other hand for a 1:2 lens, the subject appears on the sensor as half its actual size. Therefore a 1:2 lens is not considered a real macro lens.

• 1:1 or 2:1 ratio is a real macro lens
• 1:2 is not a real macro lens
  
  
  
  

Orange Dragonfly (click the image to see a larger version) Camera: Canon EOS 400D / Rebel XTi Lens: Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro Exposure Program: Shutter priority Exposure: 0.002 sec (1/500) Aperture: f/5.6 Focal Length: 100 mm ISO Speed: 200 Why this image works Photographing the dragonfly side on allowed me to achieve full focus in the body from head to tail. Macro lenses have a shallow depth of field. This usually makes it hard to have an insect fully focused. For example, if I had taken this photograph head on and focussed on it's eyes, any body part closer or further away from the eyes, would have been out of focus and blurred. Just as it's wings are in this particular image. Link : Click here

Nuetral Density Filter

A few days ago I was shooting when someone passing by stopped to ask me “what are all these pieces of glass you put in front of the lens?” ” ((”This is a translated version of the question” ))” so this got me thinking that maybe some of adidap’s readers are not familiar with filters either! So today I will be writing about Neutral Density Filters, aka ND Filters, not to be confused with Graduated Neutral Density filters, or ND Grad filters ” ((”I will write about those later”))”.

Why are they called Neutral?

Neutral Density filter are, in essence, just grey filters used to reduce the amount of light passing through the lens and hitting your camera’s sensor/film. So, in short, we use them in photography the same way you would wear sunglasses in real life!
They are said to be Neutral because they do not affect the colors in the resulting pictures, they filter out all colors equally.

Why use Neutral Density filters?

Since ND filters will result in less light they can affect our exposure in 2 drastic ways

1. A wider aperture: Assuming a fixed shutter speed, less light would mean wider apertures to yield the same exposure
2. A slower shutter: Assuming a fixed aperture, less light should be, in this case, compensated by a longer exposure time or slower shutter speed

When to use Neutral Density filters?

Building on the two scenarios we have just discussed ND filter can be very helpful in case you need

1. A shallower Depth Of Field: Suppose you are shooting in broad daylight a portrait and you want a shallow DOF to isolate you subject. Depending on the camera you are using, you might quickly be limited by the maximum shutter speed you can set. A Neutral Density filter will allow you to reach bigger apertures for that same maximum shutter speed.
2. 

   A slower shutter speed: A typical example is if you are shooting waterfalls!
   We all like to capture that milky water effect but, to get it, you need somehow slow shutter speeds. Speeds that it is not possible to have on a sunny or even light overcast day. Here too ND filters are our friends eating up that extra light and allowing us to dial down to the speeds we want

When NOT to use Neutral Density Filters

I won’t go over the obvious million of situations when you do not want to use ND filers, however I want to pin point that ND filters should be used only when you want to equally reduce light passing through your lens in all the scene you are photographing. That is why, in the beginning of this post, I told you they should not be confused with ND Grad filters. ND filters are NOT useful if you are shooting scenes in which different objects are lit differently and you need to expose all of them correctly.

Understanding Neutral Density Filters

Photo by SergioRT

ND filters have “gradings” depending on the amount of light they cut. A higher grading means that the filter will filter more light allowing you wider apertures or slower shutter speeds.

They come, AFAIK, in 2 types of notations

• 0.3 0.6 0.9 ND: The number here designates the density of the filter. Every 0.3 will make you lose one stop of light. So a 0.3ND will cut 1 stop of light 0.6 2 stops etc…
• ND2 ND4 ND8: Another notation for the same logic. The notation here is based on binary numbers 2=2¹ i.e 1 stop of light. 4=2² i.e. 2 stop of light etc…

Polarise filter

 - Polarizing Filters -


Q1: What does a polarizing filter do?

A1: In order to answer this question, you'll first have to know something about
   light. Light can be regarded as a flow of particles (called photons), or as
   an electromagnetic wave. I'll try to stick to the wave theory. So, light
   can be regarded as a waveform, oscillating in an arbitrary direction
   perpendicular to its direction of motion. There will be waves oscillating
   up/down, oscillating left/right and all that's in between those two.
   A polaroid filter only allows to pass the component of the oscillation that
   is directed in the polarizing direction of the filter.
   So only the waves that are oscillating in the polarizing direction can pass
   the filter unattenuated. All other waves will attenuate according to the
   formula:

   Amplitude after polarizing = Amplitude before polarizing * cos (theta),

   where theta is the angle between the oscillating direction of the wave and
   the polarizing direction of the filter.
   The overall effect is blocking out half of the available light, and
   'directing' the other half.


Q2: What is the difference between a linear and a circular polarizer?

A2: The main points are:

   (1) If you use a standard linear polarizer with cameras that use auto-focus
       and/or auto-exposure, you may have problems.
       This filter may also cause trouble with manual cameras, if you're using
       TTL light measurement. A little dependent on the camera, your meter
       might go crazy.
       (It is not said you _will_ get problems, only that you might get them.)

Filter

- UV/Skylight Filters -


Q1: What does an UV or skylight filter do?

A1: Both of the filters filter out the UV light that can cause a blueish haze
  on your pictures, since normal film is not only sensitive to visible light,
  but also to UV.
  A skylight filter is also slightly coloured (pink or yellow), to give your
  pictures a 'warm' appearance (not so much blue).


Q2: What is the difference between a normal UV and a skylight filter?

A2: As mentioned above, the skylight filter is slightly coloured to give your
  pictures a 'warm' appearance.


Q3: In what situation do I use an UV filter?

A3: UV and skylight filters are useful when you are taking pictures in the
  mountains or at sea or any other place where there is a lot of UV light.
  It will filter out the blue haze that normally blurres the background of
  your picture. It is also very useful when taking pictures in the snow,
  since snow is a very good UV reflector.


Q4: Can I always leave the UV filter on the lens?

A4: About half of all the photographers keep an UV filter on their lens perma-
  nently, for it prevents your lens against dust, scratches and perhaps
  damage due to accidentally dropping the lens. A filter is much cheaper than
  a lens, so ruining your filter will not be as bad as ruining the front part
  of your lens.
  On the other hand, some photograpers (the other half) think it unneccesary
  to keep the filter on the lens, since everything between the original
  picture and your film, including filters, can cause blurrs or errors in the
  image, and that's one of the things we don't want to happen.
  It is just a matter of personal preference. I must admit I always have a
  filter on my lens, and I take it off only for cleaning.


Q5: What effect does an UV or skylight filter have on taking pictures?

A5: First of all, it will filter out most of the UV light. A skylight filter
  will also colour your pictures a little. Because the UV is filtered out,
  you may notice the sky in your pictures is not as deep blue as it used to
  be. This is because the UV component is now missing, resulting in another
  kind of blue on your pictures. Just try a few piCreatectures with and without
  filter and see what you like best.
  An UV or Skylight filter doesn't have any effect on the amount of visible
  light falling through the lens, so you won't have to correct for it.

Good LInk

1) Choosing camera lens filter

2) Different between UV filter and UV polarizer

3) Photographers Guide to Essential Field Techniques

4) SLR Photography guide

Using Camera Flash

Flash Photography

There is probably no type of photography that is more disappointing to the beginner than flash photography. Unlike natural-light photography, where what you see can often be what you get, it is difficult to visualize what the effects of using flash will be. Flash is shut off until the moment of exposure, and then its illumination is too brief to visually evaluate what it does to your picture.

The real learning process occurs over time, with trial and error. You should not expect to become an instant expert at flash photography, but persistence and observation (constantly comparing your pictures with earlier ones, and identifying not only the problems to overcome, but the successes you have achieved) will give you the experience you need to control flash and produce consistently-good flash pictures.
Generally, poor lighting conditions results in poor pictures. Usually you don’t need flash for normal daytime outdoor shots unless it's very gloomy. Keep in mind that flash has a very limited range so it should only be used when the subject is fairly close. Use fill flash to help lighten up a subject which in deep shadow.

It is best to avoid using flash indoors unless absolutely necessary: it tends to “burn out” subjects and can create harsh shadows. A better choice is to bounce the flash off the ceiling if your camera and flash support this option.

Another option is to let as much daylight in as possible and, turn on all of the lights. You have the option of using fill flash when there's enough light in the scene but your subject isn't well lit.

Under certain circumstances you might want to turn the flash off and let the camera deal with the low light condition by increasing exposure. This won't work in very dim conditions, but can give better results than flash. Be sure to guard against camera shake.

Digital cameras are less sensitive to light than traditional film cameras. If you are shooting indoors or in a low-light situation, even with the flash, you should move close enough to the subject for the flash to be effective (no more than 10 feet away). If this is a concern, some digital cameras allow you to use accessory flashes or studio-type lighting.

If you set your digital camera on Auto, the camera will attempt to determine the need for flash based on the lighting conditions, but you still should use the manual setting when appropriate such as using the flash in bright sunlight to reduce intense shadows. In typical indoor situations there will probably not be enough light to take a normal hand-held well-exposed photo. There are many indoor flash photo opportunities you may be faced with. You may want to cast light on a group of people for a portrait photo. You may want to throw light into a room for an architectural photo. Or you may just want to cast light on certain objects in a lighted room that appears too dark for an exposure. If your camera’s auto-exposure settings say that the photo would require a shutter speed slower than 1/60 of a second then you probably shouldn’t hand-hold the camera or the photo would come out blurry. The reason it would come out blurry is because the shutter would be open long enough for any minor hand shake to distort the composition. The use of a tripod or faster film will probably be needed but many of us do not regularly carry a tripod. Most photographers simply use their flash bulb when they are inside.

In order to take effective indoor flash photos there are some techniques you should keep in mind. When using the flash do not point it directly at a mirror or glass that will create a lens flare or just ruin the photo. Stand close enough to your subjects so the flash is actually effective (four to ten feet). Try to make sure your main subjects are about the same distance away from the flash as each other or some that are closer to the flash will appear brighter than ones that are farther away.

Fill flash fills in the areas of a photo that would normally appear too dark. Fill flash can be used for sunny day portraits for shadows on a subject’s face or to fill any shaded area that is out of the sunlight. Fill flash can also be used to cast light into a room where there are no windows. Fill in flash is ideal for back-lit and side-lit situations. In a backlit situation there will be a lot of light in the background but no or little light cast on the front of the subject. This would normally create somewhat of a silhouette effect, but with a fill flash it would balance the photo nicely. But in order for this technique to work, you must be careful to stay in flash range which is usually around four to ten feet. With common cameras in order to add fill flash to a photo just toggle the flash to go off when it normally would not be needed.

Many photographers also choose to bounce the flash off a wall or ceiling to get a softer diffused kind of light commonly sought after for portraits. This kind of flash technique requires a flash that can be aimed in a direction that the camera is not pointed. It takes practice to refine this technique and only a small percentage of photographers actually use it.

Practice using flash in your photos even when it is not necessarily needed and pay attention to your results. The best way to become better at flash photography is to analyze your photos and try to figure out what you could have done differently in order to create a better flash-filled exposure. While flash photography is difficult sometimes, more often, pictures are ruined by shaking.

Learning to use Camera Flash

I hope you will like and benefit from these flash tips for the perfect digital
photography!

You have to take full control of your digital camera's flash. Why? Because digital
cameras and their build-in software are pre-programmed and make a few assumptions..

For example:
There are sensors inside your camera that measure the percentage of illumination in
the scene at which your camera points. If the sensors measure low illumination then
your flash will fire. That is because your camera is pre-programmed with the assumption
that flash will improve the photograph in a low-illumination environment.
On the other hand in a high-illumination environment the flash will not fire because
the camera will assume it's not necessary. After all it's dark out there!

The issue with these assumptions is that there are certain situations when you want
an opposite result..

For example there are times when you want to shoot the perfect digital photography in
a low-illumination environemt without using the flash.. e.g. when you are in a dark
room with a candle burning and no other light sources.. If that's the case you need
to be really steady for the photograph to be sharp. You may want to use a tripod to
achieve better results. If you do it right you will have a perfect digital photography
with beautiful warm orange/red colours.

Remember that the straight light coming from the flash gives a cold commercial look to
your photographs. That could be ok in some cases but not in all cases.. You should
decide whether to use flash, not your camera.

But what happens when working in Bright Light, high-illumination environments?

Then, the flash will not fire! Of course that saves battery-power but what are the
results of your perfect digital photography? You definitely don't want to lose in quality
right?

Imagine when you want to take the perfect digital photography of a person wearing a hat
and the sun is overhead in the sky shining.. Then you will notice that the person's face
will be in dark shadow because of the hat! But even if there's no hat, you will usually
see shadows under the chin or under the person's eyes.. So what you should do is fill
those small shadows with light using your camera's flash!

Again, YOU should decide whether to use flash or not, and not your camera.. YOU should
take control of your camera's flash..

Today's digital cameras have five basic flash settings:

- Setting #1:
Automatic Flash: This is where your camera is pre-programmed to make assumptions
depending on the level of the environment illumination and use the flash accordingly.

- Setting#2:
Automatic Flash with Eye Reduction: Again, the camera uses its software to determine
when the flash will fire but there's also some type of red eye filters to reduce the red
eye effect.

You camera will probably automatically select, by default, one of the above two settings.
I recommend to never use the above settings if you're aiming for the perfect digital
photography.. And why is that you may ask..

As I said before YOU should be the one who decides whether to use flash or not.. And
furthermore the eye reduction filters will not always do a good work and will confuse
your subjects in most cases..

I recommend to make use of the following settings depending on the scene and the subject
you're trying to shoot..

- Setting #3:
Flash Always: With this setting enabled your flash will fire in all cases. You may want to
choose this setting when you want to fill small shadowed areas with light.

- Setting #4:
Flash Disabled: Your flash will not fire no matter how illuminated the environment or the
scene is.. Make use of this setting when you want to shoot in a low-illuminated environment
e.g. a dark room with a candle burning..

Just remember that in a low-illumination environment you have to be really steady in order
to shoot the perfect digital photography..

- Setting #5:
Slow Shutter Flash: This is a very underestimated setting and the least used.. If you choose
this setting your flash will fire ocassionally but the shutter will remain open for a longer
time than usual. This will allow you to capture the subject illuminated by the flash, but it
will also allow other lighting sources (like a candle's light) to record themselves.

This setting is perfect if there is high illumination on the background while infront of the
subject there's certain darkness. For example when you want to shoot a person in front of a
casino at night.

So.. If you're aiming for the perfect digital photography you should be able to switch between
those five flash settings found in almost all digital cameras these days. Have a look at the
camera's manual for more information on these settings. They are really importand.

Lens

Ultra wide angle
10 ~ 15 mm
10 ~ 20 mm
11 ~ 18 mm

wide angle
19 ~ 35mm

Different between Lens

TELEPHOTO LENS AND TELEPHOTO ZOOM LENS / ZOOM LENS.

Tele means distant or distance, tele is used to describe a "longer" view - a tele lens will make things appear closer

a tele lens is the oppisite of a wide lens, a wide lens gives a wide view,

so telephoto lens see a longer distance, a zoom lens is a lens that goes from a wide setting to a tele setting

eg's

wide lenses have numbers like: 12mm 14mm up to 35mm,

tele lens are numbers like 70mm - 800mm or so

A zoom lens can cover any focal length range and still be considered a zoom lens.

A zoom lens can also incorporate a telephoto group, in which case it would be called a telephoto zoom lens.

standard is from around 45 - 55mm ish

zoom lenses have numbers like 12-24mm - wide zoom lens

18-55 wide - standard zoom lens

55-200 standard to tele

A zoom lens can cover any focal length range and still be considered a zoom lens.

A zoom lens can also incorporate a telephoto group, in which case it would be called a telephoto zoom lens.

In others words is Telephoto lens is 100mm f 2.4 (fix focus length) and Telephoto Zoom lens / Zoom lens is 50 mm ~ 100mm f 2.4~ 6. (adjustable focus length)

MACRO LENS

A macro lens is used for taking close up pictures of small objects such as coins, bugs, jewelry, and other small things. Macro lenses also allow you to capture the details in smaller objects.

WIDE ANGLE LENS

Lens less than 35mm is consider wide angle lens and lens 10mm~18 consider ultra wide angle.
You remember the old cliche' where the photographer asks the subject to step back. Then, step back a little more. And then again?

The wide angle lens allows the photo to be taken without the subject haveing to step back.

In a more realistic situation, for example, taking a photo in a very small space, where there is no room for the photographer or subject to step back, a wide angle lens allows the camera to capture more horizontal and verticle space.

PRIME LENS
All lens design has compromises, a prime lens has a lot fewer than any zoom so tends to perform better (more contrast, better resolution etc..)

The first prime to consider is a 50mm, these are the easiest lens for manufacturers to make and are often available with a 'fast' wide aperture (f1.4 is common), this is useful for low light shots (interiors, concerts etc.) it also means you can use selective focusing (where the subject is in focus and the background blurry) as the wider aperture maximises this effect.

Every DSLR owner should have one in his camera bag, if your DSLR has an APS sized sensor then the crop factor will make it a 75 - 80mm lens, which is absolutely the best focal length for portraits (keeps you away from your subject and doesn't distort their features).

Nikon 10 Best lenses and worst lens.

Nikon's Best Lenses top

LINK

50mm f/1.8D AF (1978-today)

Nikon 50mm f/1.8 D.

Nikon's least expensive lens is also among its sharpest. It has no distortion, focuses almost instantly, and it's Nikon's smallest and lightest lens.

It is among Nikon's fastest lenses, and covers film and the full FX frame.

Except that the D40, D40x and D60 can't autofocus with it (neither can the F3), there is no reason not to own one of these, unless you opt for the twice as expensive 50mm f/1.4 D.

All the earlier 50mm f/1.8 lenses are also all excellent, including the 50mm f/1.8 AF (non-D), 50mm f/1.8 Nikkor manual focus, and the 50mm f/1.8 Series E.

Nikon 18-55mm DX (2006-today) top

Nikon 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 DX.

Even as a cheap, plastic lens, the 18-55mm is sharp, sharp, sharp, and focuses so close that few people will need a dedicated macro lens.

Included as a kit lens with Nikon's cheapest cameras, lenses this good and this cheap ask us what would happen if Nikon put some of this same mojo into its more expensive lenses.

It only covers DX digital; it can't cover film or FX.

18-200mm VR DX (2005-today) top

Nikon 18-200mm VR DX.

The 18-200mm VR is the freedom lens. It is the lens which let me get rid of the old fashioned "camera bag" photographers used to have to carry.

The 18-200mm VR replaces all the lenses we used to haul around. The only thing it doesn't do is replace an ultra-wide lens like the 12-24mm DX, or allow us to shoot sports in dim light like the 70-200mm VR. If you need anything longer, you'll get better photos by getting closer with the 18-200 VR than you will by using a longer lens like the 600mm VR.

Back in the days of DX cameras, the 18-200mm let me just go and shoot, and not have to carry other lenses or have to change them in a middle of a shoot.

135mm f/2 DC AF (1990 - today) top

Nikon 135mm f/2 DC AF

Americans just don't get this lens, because Nikon messed up its name. The 135mm DC, or "Defocus Control," lens, is among Nikon's sharpest lenses ever. Defocus control doesn't mean soft focus, it means "background softness control." The DC feature is really Bokeh optimization.

The DC feature always keeps the subject ultra sharp, and allows the photographer to defocus just the background (or foreground) into the softest, smoothest, dreamiest and creamiest pastels ever.

The 135mm DC is Nikon's best hand-held portrait lens ever, as well as a killer-sharp 135mm lens for everything.

14-24mm f/2.8 AF-S (2007-today) top

Nikon 14-24mm f/2.8 AF-S.

The big, heavy 14-24mm f/2.8 AF-S just rewrote the book on ultra-wideangle lens performance. It raises the performance bar about 20 years ahead of every other ultra-wideangle SLR lens.

The 14-24mm is sharp, sharp, sharp, even wide open, and even in the corners.

It's so good that people are buying special adapters just to use them on Canon cameras!

The 14-24mm is excellent on amateur DX cameras like the D300, but doesn't really start pumping until you use it on film or a full-frame FX digital camera.

I've shot a lot of fixed 24mm, 20mm, 18mm, 17mm, 15mm and 14mm lenses in my days, and this zoom smokes them all. It lets me do things I never could, like jump into a dark, abandoned building without a tripod, shoot away at f/2.8 and high ISOs on a D3, and get out with excellent photos for which I don't need to make any excuses.

85mm f/1.4 AI-s (1981-2006) top

Nikon 85mm f/1.4 AI-s.

The optics of most of Nikon's earlier AI-s manual focus lenses have been exceeded in Nikon's newer AF lenses. This isn't the case here.

This manual focus lens outperforms its newer 85mm f/1.4 D autofocus sibling. In fact, its so good that even after the f/1.4 autofocus lens came out, for about the about the same price, Nikon kept making these for 10 more years!

It's sharper than the new AF lens, and it has much better bokeh than most other Nikon lenses.

If I'm photographing moving people and kids, of course I'll prefer the AF lens, but if I'm hugging a tripod, the King is still the King.

28mm f/1.4D AF (1994-2006) top

Nikon 28mm f/1.4 D AF. (blacked-out for national security purposes)

Nikon was once great. Nikon spent ten years perfecting this masterpiece, then discontinued it in 2006 from lack of market interest. Collectors finally figured it out, and they sell used for double what they sold for new.

This lens is special because its sharp, even in the corners, even wide-open at f/1.4. It is worlds better than today's 35mm f/1.4 (which is a manual focus lens made since 1969) or the manual focus 28mm f/2.

This lens allowed me to shoot things hand-held on ISO 50 film that otherwise I could not.

Because it has half the focal length of a 50mm lens, it can be hand-held at for exposure times twice as long. This lets me shoot hand-held in light twice as dim as with a 50m f/1.4 lens, or in the same light as a 50mm f/1 lens.

Unlike a 50mm lens, it has far more depth of field at the same f/stop. This additional depth of field also contributes to sharp hand-held photos at night. This 28mm lens at f/1.4 has enough depth of field for most things, while 50mm f/1.4 lenses have paper-thin depths of field

With digital it's no longer as needed, since digital allows high ISOs that film could not. The rise of digital contributed to lack of interest in buying these 28mm f/1.4 lenses new.

70-180mm f/4.5-5.6D Micro (1997-2004) top

Nikon ED 70-180mm f/4.5-5.6 D AF Micro.

Another lens so great that the market never figured it out, this is the only true zoom Micro (macro) lens ever made by Nikon. It also sells used for more than it sold for when new.

Unless you're photographing stamps, which makes you silly because you'll get better images sticking them in a scanner, shooting macro is a real pain having to move in and out all the time to frame products and chasing moving subjects like poisonous snakes. I know snake guys who pack heat to protect their 70-180mm lenses; these lenses are that good and irreplaceable.

All of my recent product shots, like half the shots on this page, are shot with this lens.

13mm f/5.6 AI-s (1976 -1998) top

Nikon 13mm f/5.6. enlarge.

The 13mm f/5.6 was the world's widest lens when it was introduced, and is still the widest non-distorting professional SLR lens ever made in all of history.

It covers FX; a DX lens would need a focal length of just 8.5mm to cover the same ultra-ultra wide angle!

Nikon 13mm f/5.6 swallowing a D300.

This beast is big and heavy: 5 inches (12cm) around and it weighs 3 pounds (1.4kg) with caps.

The 13mm is not a fisheye. Straight lines stay straight. In fact, just to show off, the 13mm has less distortion than zooms or most other normal and wide lenses! Drop a ruler on lines in the image, and they're straight.

It was made back when Nikon was still great enough and crazy enough to make things just because they could. It always cost a significant fraction of what the average American family earns in a year, and used ones today sell for about the same real price as when new: about $5,000 to $20,000.

I lusted after the 13mm ever since I was a kid in the 1970s. I saw one on display at Nikon House in Rockefeller Center in New York City in the 1970s, and saw one again in early 2008, from which I'll be penning a review one of these days.

Nikon only made these to special order, and only made a few hundred of them across 20 years. Customers who took factory delivery in Japan were treated to a ceremony where the lens was blessed by a Shinto priest. I've only seen two in my life, both in captivity, and never seen one in the field.

Sigma makes an inexpensive 12-24mm zoom that may be wider, but it's not a professional lens, its not a Nikon lens, and it distorts slightly. Nikon's 14mm f/2.8 and 14-24mm AF-S are not quite as wide, and have more distortion.

THis 13mm is also unusual in that it has little to no distortion of straight lines. Unlike zooms and most fixed lenses like the current 14mm f/2.8 and 14-24mm AF-S, make a photo of the horizon along the bottom or shoot a brick wall, and everything stays straight and square. Of course even the slightest tilt on your part throws everything into a bizarre angular array of converging and diverging lines, but that's the fun.

Don't expect ever to see one of these, since production was so low. Just get the 14-24mm AF-S , which is a lot less expensive, two stops faster and a lot sharper.

28-80mm G (2001-2006) and 28-200mm G (2003-2006) top

Nikon 28-80mm G, in ghastly silver.

Nikon 28-200mm G

These are very inexpensive plastic-mount lenses that came out in 2001 and 2003 for sale with Nikon's cheapest film cameras like the N55 and N75. No one paid any attention, because everyone was swapping over to digital cameras faster than Nikon guessed, leaving Nikon stuck with pallets of unsold N75s.

These two lenses incorporate every trick Nikon has learned over decades and decades of lens design and volume manufacturing. Each uses aspherical elements to improve performance and reduce size and weight.

Both are sharp, even in the corners. Even the 28-80mm G is sharper than the far more expensive 24-120mm VR, which made my 10-Worst list.

Each of these lenses isn't quite as sharp as Nikon's best, but pretty darn close. What gets them on my Best list is that they are this good at such a low price, and that they are tiny and weigh nothing for easy carrying.

The 28-200mm G is a miracle. Not only is it pretty sharp in most cases, what gets it on my Best list is that it focuses so closely at every focal length. It focuses down to 17 inches (43cm) at every focal length, much closer than any other Nikon tele, ever. Most teles, like the 135mm DC, often can't focus closely enough for photos of baby heads. This 28-200mm does. The AF isn't that fast since it covers such a wide range, but its fast enough.

The 28-80mm G focuses more closely than other Nikon lenses, often eliminating the need for a macro lens. It autofocuses faster than any other Nikon AF lens, including the AF-S lenses. Just try one; it's uncanny how instantly and exactly it focuses.

If I want a "do everything" lens for my D3 or D700, it's not the 24-120mm VR. It's the plastic 28-200mm G.

80-200mm f/4.5n AI (1977-1981) top

Nikon Zoom-NIKKOR 80-200mm f/4.5n AI.

Selling today for $35 at garage sales, or not more than $199 at dealers, this unassuming tele zoom just happens to be the sharpest tele zoom I've ever tested. In my 105mm center, 200mm center, 105mm corner and 200mm corner sharpness comparisons, it's the most consistent performer.

All Nikon's 80-200mm f/4.5 zooms are excellent. I found the best is this AI "n" (new) version, which is recognized by the black rectangular plate on its rear mount.

The zoom and focus are supposed to be loose and slippery. This was the sports and action lens of its day. No one was silly enough to shoot zooms on tripods pointed down, so creep wasn't the issue.

This Nikkor lens was made with such incredible precision that it didn't need to be pumped full of grease to fill up the internal slop of cheaper lenses of its day. It is so well made that it works with little or any lubrication, so it can work in temperature extremes and needs only a tiny flick to move the settings. Notice how it moves so easily, but that there is no play in any of the movement.

NIKON WORST LENS

LINK

Nikon's 10 Worst Lenses top

Even lenses that aren't very sharp can be used to make incredibly great photos. However, as lenses go, these are the pigs at Nikon's party.

Given any of these lenses I could go make images as good as any of my others. As lenses go, each of these isn't just me saying they are duds; for each one, plenty of others have confirmed my observations. These are all this bad.

43-86mm F (1963-1976)

Nikon 43-86mm f/3.5 F.

The original Nikon 43-86mm is the worst lens Nikon has ever made.

It's worse than the worst, because not only is it terrible by itself, it was so awful that it has tainted the reputation of all other zoom lenses to this day.

What makes it so bad? It's Nikon's softest lens, and is loaded with untold levels of distortion. It also has awful flare and ghosts.

How bad it was! Ghosts everywhere!!! (D3, 43-86mm f/3.5 F at f/8)

When people say zooms aren't sharp, zooms flare, and zooms have a lot of distortion, it is because this horrible lens set these expectations.

The 43-86mm came in two versions. This first horrible version has the lettering inside the filter ring. The later version (1975-1982) is a completely different lens, and is just fine. It has its lettering outside the filter ring.

18mm f/2.8 D AF (1994-2006) top

Nikon 18mm f/2.8D AF.

This is Nikon's worst 18mm lens ever. The embarrassing part is that it cost $1,300 new (at full NYC discount), and still sells for about $800 used, and it's much worse than Nikon's older 18mm lenses.

It uses every trick Nikon knows, and is worse than earlier lenses!

The 18mm f/2.8 D AF uses internal focusing and aspheric elements, and somehow winds up being softer and having more distortion than Nikon's original 18mm f/4, 18mm f/3.5 AI-s, or their current zooms. It has a lot of falloff wide-open, too.

As we politely refer to a morbidly fat person as "having a slight weight problem," this 18mm lens has a slight ghosting problem. It has more ghosts than any other 18mm lens, and probably more ghosts than any other Nikon lens except the original 43-86mm above. I have no idea why it's so bad, but it is. This 18mm AF is one of the very few lenses for which I would use a hood. Good luck if you get stuck buying a used one without its original HB-8 hood; these hoods are now impossible to buy new or used.

The 18mm f/2.8 is a decent enough lens by itself. Since it's so expensive and even worse then the lenses it replaces, it earns itself the top position on my 10-worst list, just behind the hideous original 43-86mm.

300mm f/4.5 P (1964-1969) top

The 300mm f/4.5 P was Nikon's first 300mm SLR lens. It only had 5 elements (that's the "P," as in "penta"), and was loaded with color fringes.

Even on film, the results were always loaded with primary (red-blue) lateral color fringes on the sides of the picture. Stopping down made them worse, since as the lens sharpened up, the fringes became more visible.

In 1969 Nikon replaced this 300mm f/4.5 P lens with the excellent 300mm f/4.5 H. The H means 6 elements, as in "hex." Nikon made the excellent H version in various cosmetic variations though 1998.

24-120mm VR (2003-today) top

Nikon 24-120mm VR.

The 24-120mm VR is a failed dream because it's too darn soft. At 24mm, the corners on film and FX are soft. It's softer than any other Nikon lens I've tried at the wide end.

It's on my 10-worst list because it's new enough and made with enough technology that it ought to be fine. It's not, and Nikon's MTF curves show you that Nikon designed it this way.

This was the first lens I tried on my D3. Not only was it soft at the wide end, even stopped down, the corners got too darn dark from falloff at 120mm, where it's only f/5.6 wide-open.

35-70mm f/3.3-4.5 AI-s (1984-2005) top

Nikon 35-70mm f/3.3-4.5 AI-s.

This is a cheap and crappy lens. Nikon has made other cheap lenses which make it to my 10-Best list that are great.

This lens simply isn't very sharp, and is unbecoming to Nikon's manual focus Nikkor lenses with its use of plastic. The focus, zoom and aperture rings are plastic, and even the silver grab ring may be plastic. It looks like a tough metal Nikkor, but it's not. I don't mind plastic if it's sharp like the Series E lenses, but this isn't a sharp lens. Its loaded with distortion, too.

The same optics appeared in an AF version in 1986. As an AF lens, the optics are sad, but the mechanics and usability are swell, so I wouldn't put it on my Worst list if it weren't for the dishonorable manual focus version above.

Nikon 35-70mm f/3.3-4.5 AF. (1986-1994)

Nikon also sells, even today, a 35-70mm f/3.5-4.8 manual focus lens sold with the FM-10. It doesn't make it to this list because it isn't even a Nikon lens. It's really a Cosina lens made by Cosina and branded Nikon.

Nikon 45mm f/2.8 P (2001-2006) top

Nikon 45mm f/2.8 P.

The 45mm f/2.8 was introduced in 2001 as a vanity accessory along with the new Nikon FM3a manual-focus body.

It was very expensive, $450, and was claimed to have magical powers which imbued it with extraordinary optical performance. We rational types read Nikon's PR which said that it was just a primitive Tessar design.

The Tessar design, over 100 years old, was good in its day, but the Nikon 45mm P is far softer than the $120 made-in-China 50mm f/1.8 AF lens in my 10-Best list. Sure, this 45mm is small, but its performance is sucky (especially in the corners of FX) compared to every other current Nikon normal lens, and it costs far more. If you're just shooting DX, you aren't using the corners and it probably looks fine.

The P in this lens stands for "Program," as this manual-focus lens has electronic contacts to let it talk to the metering systems of digital and autofocus film Nikons. All cameras treat this lens as if it's an AF lens, except that it can't autofocus.

Needless to say, Nikon didn't fool anyone, and discontinued this lens with lots of stock on dealer's shelves in 2006. Its only purpose, other than as a tiny lens, is as a collectors item, since it was packaged as a couture item shipped with with color-coordinated caps, hood and a filter.

And just like couture items, it's a pain to use. Its so tiny that there is no room for a grip ring for mounting and unmounting, so you have to run the focus or aperture to one end before you get any traction to the mount. People whined about the thin plastic focus rings of Nikon's first AF lenses, but the 45mm P is the worst. Its focus ring is a cold, hard, miniscule metal ring, Nikon's worst ever. Even the scalloped rings of Nikon's first SLR lenses were far better, as were the wider rings on Nikon's 1940's rangefinder lenses.

It uses almost the same optics as Nikon's 45mm f/2.8 GN (1968-1977), which was Nikon's very least expensive lens in its day. I've compared them both on the D3, and they are both about the same. The older 45 GN additionally offered a superior 9-bladed (later 7-bladed) diaphragm, and a built-in analog computer that calculated flash exposure automatically as focused. This 45 P offers none of this. The 45 GN is a decent lens, but when you try to charge this much for the 45 P, it's on the bottom my suck list.