[Val852]

Hello everybody. I have questions: I use Nikon D5500 in aperture priority mode for landscape, city scape and close-up photos. Which way is better to take a pictures in Raw format (strait from sensor and process it in Raw software with minor adjustments and fine-tune adjustments in Photoshop) or JPEG format and let the camera processed most adjustments with in camera settings. But, in this way I have to make different custom setting for many different situations.

There is a “Scene Mode” where camera preprogrammed to specific setting. Is it good to trust this in camera settings if my goal is to get foreground and background into focus and best exposure?

In camera settings (JPEG format) what is better to setup sharpening to level 6 or higher, or sharpen image in post processing PS software?

Is it possible to open histogram in shutter mode but not in “Viewing photographs”?

What “live view switch” does and can I control anything when this switch in the ON position before tacking photo?

Thanks in advance!!!
Val852

 

[Done_Fishin]

Hi Val32

I have no experience with the d5500 but I have been using a d3300 for the last few months, trying to get to grips with many of the functions and the way it behaves. The d3300 is basically the same as the d5500 without the fancy wifi and detachable screen. I chose it over the 5500 because I have worked in the Electronics repair industry for many years (now retired) and know that the wifi eats up the battery whilst a screen that is "moveable" will be flexing connections that will eventually break.

To Answer your last question first .. Live View shows you whatever you could see through the viewfinder but it is VERY VERY SLOW when you press the button to take a picture! I used it in the beginning, just like I used the Jpeg + RAW setting but since I am a newbie I decided to use the proper viewfinder and Jpeg settings. The reason being that I don't know enough about post processing in order manipulate RAW photo's to recover from any errors made during shooting.
My advice to you is read the manual, practice doing stuff that you have read ad don't expect to become a pro with the d5500 overnight. Take a photo and them look at the result on your camera .. adjust your settings accordingly. Remember that you can change the look of the photo by changing the ISO, Speed, Aperture and / or EV.
Only by playing with the controls and experimenting will you get an idea of how the camera works. Knowing the theory of operation helps too so that you understand why you didn't get the result you wanted and how to change the settings to a better level. Use Jpeg only until you have reached a level of Mastery with the camera that gives you the results you are looking for. If your Photo's are too light with blown highlights or too dark with masses of "black" areas you will have problems trying to recover in post processing.

I currently use the P mode which allows me to automatically take photo's and also adjust the EV value if I think it is necessary. I Check the result immediately and if it looks good continue to take shots.

Initially I used the "Auto without Flash" MODE, occasionally using the "Auto with Flash" Mode if my photos were too dark or needed some fill in lighting .. since then I haven't used any other mode except the P Mode with ISO, Focus, Matrix & EV adjustments. Using the scene Mode may or may not help you. On other cameras using the scene mode seemed to lose a certain amount of sharpness in my photos and I found that making my own adjustments gave me (IMHO) far better results.
Don't be scared of the camera and the settings. Take shots of the same scene with different settings and compare them. You'll get to know the camera better and you'll learn how to use it.

With regards sharpening .. learn to use the focus ring on your lens .. the camera isn't always right and sometimes you will have another object between you and the subject that will catch the cameras attention every time .. the focus ring is easy to use, half press the shutter button, adjust and then press shutter button the rest of the way.

 

[sinclair_tm]

Don't know anything about the exact camera you are asking about, but with any camera I shoot in RAW+JPG to get both, mainly in case I want to show someone photos without my computer. But I only import the RAW files and use those for post processing. Sometimes the software does a good job and I don't need to do anything.

 

[WereBo]

My Nikon (P610 'Bridge' camera) only has .JPG pics but I've found that with my settings on highest size and quality, there's very little difference between them and .RAW pics - Both are just as adjustable in a decent photo-editor.

As DF mentioned, the best way is to read the manual and play with the camera, the subject doesn't matter too much, it's the lighting and distances that affect the subject, so play, experiment and compare shots to see what works best.

I found that with certain fast-moving subjects, the only way is Auto or use a preset scene, otherwise the subject's disappeared by the time I twiddled the settings. Some of my preset scene-modes are better than what I can produce manually :grin:

 

[Val852]

Thanks to all of YOU folks for grate advices! Photography is my hobby during all my life from 8 years old up to 78 and still practice, practice and practice to cep up.
Val.