Quote:
Originally Posted by Digidave
I'm not familiar with the D200 but on My D80 I have a maximum shutter speed of 1/200. In most cases this would be fast enough but I don't photograph children.  If you need a faster shutter speed then what your camera is normally capable of, there is an option in the menu settings to go into Auto FP mode. On my D80 I find that under the pencil icon. This allows you to set your shutter speed to whatever you wish. I'm not exactly certain about all the techy stuff that's involved but I think it reduces your flash output a little. |
I'm not sure why your maximum shutter speed on your D80 is only 1/200, but the maximum shutter speed for the D80 is 1/4000 ( or 1/2000 with a flash ). I just picked up and tested my D80 by pointing it at a light, and I was getting 1/500 ( with Auto FP off ). The D200 has a maximum shutter speed of 1/8000.
As for some tips on photographing fast moving children, I'd suggest a fast lens, Program Mode, and Auto ISO. Program Mode and Auto ISO are my best friends. Instead of having to worry about shutter speeds and aperture sizes, if a photo doesn't come out the way I want all I need to do is adjust the exposure bias a bit, and I'm good. I'll admit though, I haven't done any studio photography, so Program and AutoISO might not be the best settings for a situation where you have control over everything (except the fast moving children, of course
).
Also, if you're getting as close as you can, why not get a 50mm f/1.8 prime lens like I saw someone else suggest? That way, you're getting a fast sharp lens which will let you focus a bit more on the picture you're taking and not the lens and camera settings.
Hope you have better luck in the future!
ps: For those of you shooting with Nikon cameras, I highly recommend this site:
http://kenrockwell.com/tech.htm . He's got some great articles and a full, easier to read manual for several Nikon cameras ( including the D80 ). I've learned quite a bit from reading that site -- and going out to experiment with what I've read. I've never shot with a Canon camera though, so I don't know how good his Canon suggestions are.