geodar

I used the 70-300mm lens. reason being they are flighty (no pun) insects so shooting them from a slight distance when the had landed gave me a chance of some shots, also there is a 1:2 macro setting on the lens so if you do manage to get close then you can use that. not only do they do butterflies but have nice, different flowers and plants, also some now have various other animals in a separate room. the biggest problem with butterfly houses is the heat and humidity, give the camera/lens plenty of time to adjust to it, I wouldn't change lenses in the house, have a cloth handy just in case you need to wipe the lens. Geoff.

black

circus

panoramic

caught

BLOW

going

HOUSE

carpet (urgh)

(by) another

plastic

theft

sailor

thanks, i'll have a look round and see what s best for the job. geoff

toy

vision

I use a Lowepro nova 4 AW shoulder bag when i'm out and about. never had any bother with it, easy access to equipment etc and large enough for the equipment I like to carry around. I'm now thinking of getting a decent size rucksack, this will only be used for when I shoot weddings, events etc. I want one where I can get the camera, various lenses, couple of flashes etc into it with no bother, might not use all the equipment but nice to know it's there if I do need it. Also carry a tripod and sometimes the monopod, I have these in a case which is carried over the shoulder. Does anybody use a rucksack and can recommend any so I can have a look and compare, as it will not be used as an everyday bag I don't want to pay the earth but it has to be sturdy and smart enough and looks the part. Geoff

china

barge

straight

http://www.digitalcameraworld.com/ hi beth, digital camera are doing 'shoot like a pro' series. they have already covered shooting in 'P' mode, now they are onto shooting using 'A' mode. you can still follow it by clicking on the link in their site. you may find it interesting and it may explain a lot to you. link above will (should) take you to their site. hope you got the battery charged and have managed to get off a few shots by now. have fun. geoff

ADVICE AND TIP TIME THEN- don't use any of the pre-set modes, go straight onto P or A, P sets the camera to like auto, A =you can set the aperture and the camera sets evwerything else. if you use the pre-set modes then you might as well have bought a point & shoot camera. if you start on the P mode then when confident try out the other settings A, S, M. it won't be long before you shoot in Manual mode, where you set everything. shoot in raw and use the nikon software to convert the pics after they have been adjusted. much better than jpeg but a bit long winded as they need converting to jpeg or tiff, but well worth the effort, once used to doing it it will become second nature. don't change the lenses when windy or on a beach if you can help it, it will help stop dust getting onto the sensor. try to keep the lens cap on when not shooting. buy a cheapish AU filter, this will help to stop getting scratches on your lenses, better to scratch a filter for a few quid than a hundred pound lens. amazon and 7dayshop.com do them at reasonable prices. wrap the strap around your wrist a couple of times when it's not around your neck, if it is knocked then you have a chance to stop it hitting the ground. order some spare batteries, so when one on charge you have one for the camera. carry a cloth or kitchen towel in your bag incase it gets wet. have fun in learning how to use your new prize possesion, we did with ours. i'm sure others will have more tips & advice. geoff

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