Nikon D3200

[mark smyth]

 THanks Tom. The snowdrops are in dark shade caused by low sun and a fence.

I've now taken more photos but this time in bright sunny conditions and of swans and ducks. The photos are great.

[Martin Baxendale]

THanks Tom. The snowdrops are in dark shade caused by low sun and a fence.

I've now taken more photos but this time in bright sunny conditions and of swans and ducks. The photos are great.

I've seen them on a facebook page you posted them to and they are fantastic. Looks like you're really getting the hang of the camera now.

[mark smyth]

Thanks Martin

[Martin Baxendale]

Yep, them's the ones 

[ArnoldT]

Mark:

Details is just great, can discern individual feathers easily.

[Anthony Darby]

My goodness Mark. Excellent pics.

[ranunculus]

Not a lot wrong there then!!!!

[Peter Maguire]

Great pictures Mark, especially the magpie. I'm surprised it let you get that close - your sure it's only a 300mm lens you have?

[mark smyth]

Yep just a 300. Big try out tomorrow. I'm away to strangford lough. Was there last Sunday but the wrong side. Sun in front meant all birds where shaded

[mark smyth]

I tried out my new Sigma 17-70mm macro lens today. It wasnt the best day to try it out. Although it was warm the sky was over cast. I could focus using manual but on AF the lens kept hunting for the subject. Should I have also selected the macro setting on my camera dial?

Do any of you use monopods? Can you recommend one or do they all simply do the same job but vary in price?

[TC]

It is notoriously difficult to use auto focus on macro lenses.  If you have a focus limiter button on your lens, refer to your lens manual to see what range it covers and if using auto-focus set it accordingly.  However, at macro ranges, even a petal moving in the wind will cause the lens to hunt.  It is much more reliable to use manual focus.
To be honest, a monopod is not really much use for macro work.  They are designed mainly to take the weight of large telephoto lenses.  A decent tripod and ball head are almost a necessity if you wish to take macro pictures with a good success rate.  The smaller the flower the closer you need to be and hand holding is impossible.  If you think about it, can you hold your hands and body absolutely still for about 10 seconds without moving a couple of mm.  I certainly could not, even when I was younger and fitter.
For a period of about 10 years I photographed Orchids mainly in Greece.  I had to lie on the ground, set up the camera on the tripod,manually focus, check the depth of field hold on to a cable release and wait until the light was right and the breeze had stopped blowing.  It took me an average of 30 minutes to get one picture!
Again you will just have to practice with your camera and lens until you know exactly how it will react under changing conditions.

[mark smyth]

Thanks Tom.

Anyone know why Pro Camera in Carlisle are so cheap? Have you used them before?

[Maggi Young]

Thanks Tom.

Anyone know why Pro Camera in Carlisle are so cheap? Have you used them before?

Don't know, Mark- but their reviews seem favourable : http://www.reviewcentre.com/reviews249632.html

[TC]

They import their goods from outside the UK - GREY IMPORTS.
I got them to quote for a pair of Swarovski el 10 x 32 binoculars and the were quite a bit cheaper than other sites.  I also did some research on the company and they seemed to be OK.
They have no sale room and the Carlisle address seems to be an office that processes the orders to be supplied from wherever they source their goods..
If you do buy something that goes wrong, the UK authorised agents will tell you to take it back to the shop where you purchased it as it is their responsibility to repair or replace the item.
You get the equipment cheaper, but may run into trouble if things go wrong.

[mark smyth]

THanks again.

The lens I want, 150-500mm, is around £200 cheaper than other suppliers