We will be going to our (maybe) once in a lifetime trip within the next 2 months. All travel arrangements are set. I would like to take a LOT of pictures to create lasting memories on this trip with my family. I have some questions on how to take BETTER pictures, using the equipment I currently have.

I currently have the following:
1. Nikon D90
2. Nikon (AF-S NIKKOR 18-105 mm) lens
3. Nikon (AF-S NIKKOR 70-300 mm)lens
4. Nikon Speedlight SB-600 flash

Since I purchased this camera set, I have only used the 18-105 mm lens. And, I have only used the "AUTO" function. The quality of the pictures are not sharp. I'm sure the camera has it's functions that can make the pictures better. I can't find the manual for the camera.

I would like to take better pictures. So, here are my questions. (Buying a new body camera is not possible).

1. If I were to get a new lens, what lens would you recommend? (somewhere around $200-$300 maybe). I would like something that can be used ALL AROUND (Indoor and Outdoor).
2. Any on-line camera tutorial class you can recommend?
3. Any special techniques in using tri-pod? (I would like to be in some of the family pictures).

Nifty 50. Good all around lens. Will require a little more effort out of you when composing your shot, but that will help you in the long run. They are also great in low light conditions as they have larger apertures to let in more light normally.

And shoot everything in RAW and invest in lightroom.

Get on youtube and learn about the exposure triangle. Put the camera in manual and start exploring. You might use shutter priority or aperture priority before you go full manual.

Try these for the basics.

https://www.lightroompresets.c...shoot-in-manual-mode

Yes, invest in your knowledge of photographic things like:
-Exposure (ISO, shutter speed, aperture) and how one affects the other.
-Composition (rule of thirds, S-curves, etc.)
-Photoshop &/or Lightroom basics (for further refining the images you do get)

Knowledge is the key.

I had a D70 but gave it away to one of my sons and upgraded to the new and awesome D500.

I would take your camera to a Nikon Repair facility if you have one near you and ask them to go over the body and get everything in like new condition. That should eliminate less than sharp pictures under most circumstances.
What ASA are you running? That will affect your camera in low light conditions. I would recommend less than 100 if you're not taking pictures in dim light.

I am thinking of taking an online class from National Geographic in an effort to improve my skills as well although I don't know the costs yet..but I'm sure it is top notch!

https://www.thegreatcoursesplu...i0YjoYRoC3KwQAvD_BwE

Use the RAW format, when taking pictures.

I have the D90, 18-105 lens, and a Nikon SB-900 flash. I think that is plenty of camera to take good pictures with. I usually use aperture priority and that works well for me. I also take the photos using the .NEF Nikon format. I usually use Capture NX2 to tweak the photos. Sometimes I use Photoshop. I think the photos come out better using Capture NX2 unless you need to do some serious layering, etc.

Ansel Adams took some of the greatest photos of all time. He had, by today's standards, a very primitive and obsolete camera.

It's not the camera that matters - it's the person behind it. Nobody asks "what car should I buy to be a better driver." Same concept applies.

As stated, learn about ISO, f-stops, and exposure times. Try Ken Rockwell's site - he has free manuals, 'cheat guides,' and reviews of nearly every camera. He also has tutorials for taking better picture es with any camera.

http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/d90.htm

I would recommend taking the D90 with the 18-105 lens and leaving everything else behind. Less is sometimes more, as you don't want to get too loaded up with gear to capture the moment for the future that you miss out on the here-and-now.

As an example, I once vacationed around Europe with 3 cameras - this was the early 90's; I had a 35mm SLR, a 35mm point-and-shoot, and a big movie camera. It was a royal pain, and I was constantly worried about getting robbed. I have the photos in a album somewhere, and haven't watched the video in at least 20 years. . .

Go light and have fun.

I'm no photographer, I just take pictures... But I am an SLR user, Canon not Nikon, so just some general thoughts.

First...
You can download the Manuel here.
http://downloadcenter.nikonimg.../products/9/D90.html
You can get a version for your smartphone there as well.

I don't use them much but I several preset modes for less fussing in casual, hurried / fast paced situations. I have no idea if your cam can do that or not, but for example I set up modes for...

Sports / fast action
Low light
Landscapes
Portraits
etc

Your camera may even have them already programmed and modifiable. Mine does. If used in the correct situation you will likely improve your work on average over full auto mode.

One thing I learned years ago, don't let futzing with a camera detract from the experience unless photography is the reason for the experience to start with.

Extra battery and file storage?
On one road trip out west I took almost 9k photos. GPS marking of the files is pretty nice, I had to use a cumbersome seperate device and sync the files, hopefully your cam does this itself.

Got tripod?
Make sure you get yourself and any companion in some shots!

The Nikon while an older camera is very capable of taking amazing pictures. I had one and loved it.

Learn to shot is the other modes. A,P,M. Learn what ISO is and how to adjust it on your camera. The D90 is a great camera with simple controls to adjust everything you need. You just need to learn and practice with it.

I would start with A(Aperture Priority). Do some reading on the internet or find youtube videos. Learn how Aperture can blur a background(Great for taken portraits) or make the entire picture in focus.

Learn how low light effect Aperture. Play with ISO and learn how it can let you shot something in low light or that's moving. Learn it's limits and how it effects the sharpness of a photo.

You really need to just get out there and play with the settings and learn how to use your camera.

This is the best bang for buck you will ever find on a Nikon lens.

https://www.amazon.com/Nikon-N...ameras/dp/B00005LEN4

Learn the camera controls so you can easily make adjustments.



What will you be taking pictures of?

If it is the "sharpness" specifically which seems to be the issue you are concerned with, you may need to calibrate your autofocus to the specific lens you are using. I don't know if the D90 has that feature but my Pentax DSLR's do and it makes quite a difference when using autofocus. Try manually focusing some shots in good light and see if you can get your images any sharper, if not, you may just have a subpar lens.

Hound Dog has the right of it. Equipment is much less than half the equation. Composing the scene is much more important. Your lens should be fine and if you’re not used to setting your own speed/exposure settings, then auto will do well enough. Your 18-105 will take care of most indoor, the 70-300 will take care of a lot o& your outdoor needs. If you have time before you leave to experiment and learn settings, that’d OK, but probably not necessary.

My first DSLR was a Nikon D50, which I equipped with the original 18-200mm VR zoom lens. Those were all I carried on many trips and tours and I very seldom felt I needed anything else. Your D90 is a better camera than the D50, and the 18-105mm zoom is very well reviewed. That combination should be able to handle most anything you will want to shoot.

GPS is a great help in documenting what a picture is of, and I recommend having a way to do it. My practice is to carry a little GPS logger device (I-gotU) on my person, reconciling its data with the photos in my computer afterward. To have good accuracy, I set my camera clock each day before going out, and process the GPS data with my laptop each evening. (I do take a laptop on my trips, and use it both to get accurate time and to store photos and reconcile the GPS information.)

If you are traveling with a tour group, you will find that there is seldom much time to fiddle with your camera and gear--not needing to make lens changes can be very helpful, so the zoom lens is handy. You will find that it is also not convenient to be using a tripod, so it helps to develop some skills in improvising support for low-light photography (using support columns or pew backs for stabilization, for example).

If your photos are not sharp, have the camera checked for focus problems well before you go on the trip.

flashguy

You can get small tripods that work just fine. I have a folding one that is only 6-7" long and fits in my pants pockets when folded. I would need to set it on a table or other object for portrait shots, but it sure beats carrying around a full-sized tripod.

Where are you going? Unless it's somewhere like Alaska or Africa where you would want wildlife photos, or to an airshow or something similar, I would leave the 70-300mm lens behind. It's big and clunky, and you probanly won't need it. I have SB200 and SB500 flashes, and I haven't used either in at least a year. The pop-up works just fine for most stuff.

More and more, I like the minimalist approach. I would rather miss a dozen shots than be loaded down with a lot of gear and hinder my vacation. My 18-200 rarely leaves my D300. I have a 12-28 that is great for airplane museums (where it isn't always possible to back up enough) and sometimes I just take my 18-55 since it's so small and handy. It's nice just grabbing my camera with the attached lens without worrying about what gear to bring.

Plus 1 on the 50mm 1.8 lens. It's light, compact and great for low light scenes. Unless you are going on a safari in Africa I'd leave the 70-300mm lens home. Also, if you get the 50mm I'd probably leave the flash home as well. Definitely learn how to take shots in Aperture Priority. YouTube is a great resource for this. It is easy to learn and you will get far better results. As it has already been said, take your shots in Raw and adjust them after you get home. I personally use Photoshop Elements.

Also I use a Sony HX90 with a 30x zoom and 18.2 MP that fits in my pocket and I find myself leaving the D5400 in the hotel a lot when travelling. https://www.amazon.com/Sony-DS...words=sony+dsc-hx90v



Jim

A ~35mm equivalent focal length lens is super handy. Even a 28mm works very well.

The two lenses you have are sufficient for "all around" use. That said, a prime lens like a 50 or 55mm 1.8 will be sharper than a zoom.

Recommend you buy and read "Understanding Exposure". You can get it online, Amazon should have it or B&H Photo. Same author has a book on Using Flash that is very good too.

Also, Books by Darrel Young are excellent: Here is the one on the D90. Get that and you will "Master" the camera.

Mastering the D90

Capturing in Nikon's RAW format (NEF) is useful if you want to "Post Process" the image. I generally capture in both RAW and JPEG so I have that option.

You might also want to register on www.nikonians.org - good site with lots of good information and very knowledgeable people. And, no question is a dumb question. If you stay active on it, you can basically stay registered for free. Or, if you want more access/capability you can buy an annual membership. I lurked there and posted, etc for several months before deciding to buy a membership - wanted to see how much I'd use it before committing.

"Understanding Exposure" by Bryan Peterson. One of if not the best book on esposure.

Your equipment is fine.

I agree with those who say to learn more about how cameras work. "Understanding Exposure" is excellent. With that knowledge you can then decide, for example, when it might be better to override the full auto settings on your camera by changing to an aperture priority mode or shutter priority mode. If, in reading this, you have no idea what I am talking about or when those things might matter, it is no knock on you, but just shows that you need to improve your knowledge and skill.

If you don't understand basic exposure concepts and how shutter speed and aperture work, then set the camera on Auto, and you'll get decent pictures in most conditions.

Of course, this doesn't even touch composition. The non-technical stuff about what makes a picture good. You can be a technical wizard and still take photos that no one wants to look at. For that, it is a matter of practice. Look at good photos. Look at bad ones. What is the difference? Take LOTS of pictures. Be ruthless in your self-examination.

I take lots of pics with a cheap camera. Most are not sharp. The best ones use natural light and I guess I squeeze the shutter button without shaking the camera.

Composition is important. A bright part of the image can change the exposure / shutter speed. So like cooking burgers, I want them all about the same thickness, I try for consistent brightness in my image.

Contrast is a biggie. The daughter in the dark top in front of a dark wall? Maybe not. Dark/light, light/dark.

If all of your images looked soft, I'd look at shutter speed first.

This critter I took in '03 with my first digital camera, a real ancient item from '00. Natural lighting.