Settings for Vacation Photography with 18-55mm Lens

Srinidhi_82

I recently purchased a Nikon D5100 with the 18-55mm kit lens, but before investing more on an advanced lens I wanted to understand all the settings on the lens that came with the camera.

Can you please let me know what settings will work best for me if I'm on a vacation in Rome and Sicily in Italy? I would be taking pictures of architecture, street views and landscapes photos and pictures of myself and my wife (basically casual vacation photos). Please let me know your thoughts.

Moose

Howdy @Srinidhi_82 - If you're just starting out, I would begin with the available scene modes on the mode dial to quickly switch from Landscape to Portrait. By utilizing these scene modes, you'll be taking some of the guesswork out of setting up your D5100 manually.

If you've got a basic understanding of Aperture, Shutter Speed and ISO, then I would venture into Aperture priority for the majority of your travel shots. By varying the aperture f-number, you'll be able to control the depth of field which is important for both landscapes and portraits.

There are some great tips and info here in the D5100 forum, I suggest reading through many of the threads as it will answer many of the questions you might have. If there's anything in particular you need help with, don't hesitate to ask. Happy shooting! :)

Srinidhi_82

Thanks a ton for the reply @Moose. I am playing around with the available scene modes on the dial. I have a fair amount of knowledge on aperture, ISO and shutter speeds now after reading a lot about them on the internet. Is it possible for you to give me a good F number I need to set with the 18-55mm lens as well as the relevant ISO and shutter speeds if I am shooting in a street, in a museum, or just in general vacation photography? Which do you think will be a great start to venture into aperture priority mode?

Moose

Howdy @Srinidhi_82 - To keep it simple, for the subjects and scenes you mentioned I would shoot primarily in Aperture priority (A on the mode dial).

When you want the entire scene to be in focus (architecture, landscapes, etc...) set your aperture to f/8, set the ISO to 100, mount it to a tripod, enable the self-timer or use a remote to trigger the shutter.

When shooting portraits and general street shots, set your aperture to the lowest available (f/3.5 at 18mm and f/5.6 at 55mm), set the ISO to Auto (you have to enable this feature inside the menu), enable single point AF and AF-S. This will allow you to lock focus by half-pressing the shutter and then allow you to re-frame the shot for a better composition.

That should get you started...happy shooting!

Srinidhi_82

Thanks a lot @Moose

Srinidhi_82

Hi @Moose. For the Landscape or architecture shots, when I set the ISO to 100 in aperture mode with f/8, would it go wrong if I have to manually trigger the shutter without using the remote to trigger the shutter ?

Another question I had with the same setting is what should be the AF settings? Should it be AF-A?

You mentioned to set the ISO to auto. Here are my settings. Can you please tell me if this is ok?
MENU > CAMERA icon > ISO sensitivity settings > Auto ISO sensitivity control > ON

Moose

@Srinidhi_82 - To answer your first question...when shooting at an ISO of 100 and an aperture of f/8, generally your shutter speed will be quite slow. The action of pressing the shutter button can cause small movements to your camera/tripod which affect image sharpness...even when your camera is mounted to a tripod.

For landscapes I would stick with single point AF and AF-S.

Yep, that's how you enable Auto ISO. It won't say 'Auto ISO' on your home screen, but when you take a shot and view the data you'll see that the D5100 is indeed choosing an ISO ideal for the conditions.

Hope that all makes sense and happy shooting! :)

Srinidhi_82

Hi @Moose , I just wanted to know if the self timer works when the camera is held in hand. If I set the ISO to 100 and set the F number in Aperture mode, can I still set the self timer to release the shutter for me if I am holding the camera?
I am asking this because I want to know what best I can do with the Aperture setting mode shooting landscape without a tripod. :)

Also can you let me know how I enable self timer if I have to use that feature in the due course? Is it release mode set to self timer on the menu?

Cheers, Srinidhi

Srinidhi_82

Hi @Moose, I figured out the settings for AF-S in View finder mode. I can use the multi selector now to focus on the subject, half press the shutter and then take the shot. Thanks for your help. I will keep exploring more and will come back with questions. :)

Cheers, Sri

Moose

@Srinidhi_82 - Glad you figured it out! The self-timer is really only needed when the camera is mounted to a tripod.

If you're shooting without a tripod, you'll need to be aware of the shutter speed when shooting in Aperture priority. If the light drops, your shutter speed will also drop, which can cause some serious blur.

To keep the shutter speed fast enough to eliminate the chance of hand-held camera shake, you'll need to up the ISO. With the 18-55mm lens, I'd make sure the shutter speed stays above 1/90 when shooting hand-held landscapes.

Srinidhi_82

@Moose, thanks again, I will keep an eye on that when shooting the landscapes. Also, as you mentioned in the above comment for portraits and general street photography, I will use these settings: 1)Aperture mode: lowest available (f/3.5 at 18mm and f/5.6 at 55mm) 2) ISO: Auto.

I don't have to worry about the shutter speed since the ISO is set to auto, right?

Thanks, Srinidhi

Moose

@Srinidhi_82 - Correct, however, when setting the ISO to Auto (in the same menu) there's an option to set the Minimum Shutter Speed. I would set it to 1/125, when shooting hand-held portraits and street shots.

Srinidhi_82

@Moose, thanks again for the input. When I set the minimum shutter speed when shooting hand held for portraits and street shots does it take effect even with the ISO set to auto?

Is it also possible to enable the flash when I'm using Aperture priority mode during night shots?

Moose

@Srinidhi_82 - Yes, the minimum shutter speed takes effect when using Auto ISO.

Yes, you can enable the built-in flash, however, I recommend avoiding as much as possible. All it does is produce harsh, unflattering light. All the best and happy shooting!

Srinidhi_82

Hi @Moose,

How do we use the maximum sensitivity settings? Currently it is set to 6400. Should that vary or need to be changed even if the ISO is set to Auto?

Anax2000

Hi @Srinidhi_82. How are your photos taken with the kit lens? I have had the camera for just over 2 months and I got mixed results. Let me know if we can see your photos somewhere. Thanks!