A balance between film and shutter speed is important when shooting indoor gymnastics.
The Nikon D40 is a digital camera capable of using different types of detachable camera lenses. Because this camera is digital, there is no need to change film when shooting in different environments. This makes the D40 particularly valuable when shooting indoors. When photographing indoor gymnastics, film speed, usually referred to as "ISO" speed, and shutter speed are vital because of the unnatural indoor light and the fast movement of the gymnast. Both settings can be quickly adjusted with the D40 until the correct setting is found. Lens choice and aperture setting are also important to shooting indoor gymnastics events.
Instructions
1. Select a lens with an appropriate focal length. Choosing an appropriate lens calls for a balance of distance and light. The lens must be able to fill the picture with the gymnast while allowing a maximum amount of light to pass through the lens to the camera. The longer the lens, the less light will pass through the lens at the same shutter speed. Equip the camera with a 50mm f/1.4 lens to start, then change to a longer, telephoto lens if necessary until the maximum zoom of the lens fills the viewfinder with the gymnast.
2. Adjust the camera's aperture. Unlike shutter speed, which determines the length of time the aperture is held open, adjusting the aperture determines how wide the aperture opens. The smaller the aperture number, the wider the aperture opens. When photographing a gymnast, the aperture should be open as wide as possible to allow maximum light to enter the camera. This means an aperture setting of f/1.4 if using a 50mm f/1.4 lens. Rotate the control wheel on the top of the camera while simultaneously pressing down on the "+/-" button next to the shutter button. Rotate the wheel to adjust the aperture to the f/1.4 setting, or to the smallest number available with the chosen lens, then release the "+/-" button.
3. Set a high ISO. Rotate the D40's program control wheel, located on the top of the camera to the right of the viewfinder, until the letter "S" is selected. Press the "INFO" button, located just beneath the "On/Off" button on top of the camera, one time to bring up the camera's shooting information on the digital display. Use the arrow keys on the back of the camera to move a cursor down the list of settings on the digital display to the ISO setting. Press the "OK" button in the center of the arrow keys to select the ISO menu. Use the arrow keys again to move the cursor down to an 800 ISO. Press the "OK" button again and the ISO is now set at 800.
4. Take a picture of the area you intend to photograph, then view the picture on the digital display screen, which should come up automatically, and make any necessary adjustments. If the ISO setting produces a picture that is too bright, reduce the ISO setting to 600 and repeat the test. If the picture is too dark, increase the ISO setting. When you are satisfied with the result, the camera is now adjusted to take pictures for the indoor light level.
5. Take a picture of a gymnast in action to determine whether the shutter speed needs to be adjusted. If the gymnast appears blurry in the picture, the shutter speed must be increased.
6. Press the "INFO" button on top of the camera, then use the four arrow keys to highlight the "S" setting shown on the right side of the digital display. Press the "OK" button in the center of the four arrow keys. This setting shows the camera's shutter speed. The D40 is capable of shutter speeds as slow as 30 seconds, or as fast as 1/4,000 of a second. Use the arrow keys to change the shutter speed. Photographers who shoot gymnastics suggest speeds between 1/300 and 1/800 sec. Adjust the shutter speed and take a picture. Increase the shutter speed until the gymnast is no longer blurry.
Tags: shutter speed, arrow keys, digital display, aperture setting, indoor gymnastics, Press button, when shooting