Should I Sell My Camera?

[Peach]

The thought of parting with my camera is scary. I do enjoy it, but after nearly 5 years of having it, I'm beginning to wonder whether it's the camera that can't produce the quality of pictures I want (mostly because of the lack of affordable lenses that will autofocus with it) or if it's me.

I feel that in 5 years I've learned a lot about digital photography, and photography in general, and that I should be producing pictures of much nicer quality than I do now. But I can't seem to manage it. All of my pictures slightly OOF when I use my 50mm because i will not autofocus on my body or I cannot take decent pictures indoors because the only autofocusing lens I have (kit lens) isn't good enough to take the picture without the use of a flash. I also don't have an off camera flash because a) the price factor and b) sometimes I don't want to use a flash and I'm not really confidant with using them. If I want to take a quick picture of the mutt doing something funny, I don't want to spend time setting up the flash and chance missing the opportunity.

I could replace my 50mm with the 50mm that will autofocus on my camera, but that's a $300 cost and I'm not 100% sure it would be worth it alone. If I want to purchase other lenses, I will not have the autofocus feature, so I'll be back at square one with maybe a decent lens but inability to really utilize it to its full potential.

The thought of selling the camera troubles me as well because I know I will not get very much for it. I overpaid for it, the kit lens, the extra lens, the bag (which didn't fit it) and a memory card to the tune of $1600 in 2007. Even if I tossed in the 50mm, I doubt I could get more than $300 for the whole thing and then turning around to buy a new camera would be a challenge because I don't have the extra cash to put towards it.

So, what do you think I should do?

Should I sell the camera, keep the 50mm, and buy a better (but perhaps not insanely expensive camera) to replace it, one that I can use most F-mount lenses with (even if they don't have a drive motor in them) OR should I stay with the camera I have and save up for the DX lenses?

There's also the possibility that I, myself, could be doing EVERYTHING wrong, but even when I put the camera into the pre-programmed settings (A, S, etc), I do not get pictures that I could even upload (too dark, too blurry, too bright, etc). It's like I get completely inconsistent results no matter how hard I try to apply the knowledge I've learned here and elsewhere, to my great frustration. It's enough that I often times want to just give it up and just forget about photography at all. I never seem to be able to obtain the crisp, clean, photos that many of you can even when you use kit lenses. Mine always have to be thrown through PS and go through much sharpening.

The only half-decent pictures I have lately been able to take were the long exposure ones, but even the pre-processing images were nothing really special and didn't really impress me a whole lot.

[Peach]

I will say that I am looking at lenses right now, even if they don't autofocus. Maybe it's not all my problem but my lens. I know the 18-55 is not the greatest :S

[Hill Country Hack]

I can feel your pain. Don't rush into anything rash. Is there a camera club in your town where you can go and maybe pick up a mentor to do some one on one shoots? Maybe you are doing (or not doing) something so simple it will be a real head slapper when another can watch you do your thing.

[Bruce A]

One other thing Peach, if you are manually focussing and yet all your images are out of focus, then that's one of two things. Either your lens is forward or back focussing (I don't know if your camera has a lens focus calibration setting) or your eyesight needs calibrating with the camera's dioptor adjustment.

Are you using the critique section to your advantage - explaining what you did and supplying the EXIF data so those in the know can help you. Hill Country Hack gives good advoce above too!

[Gobae]

I see you're using a D40X, the same camera I have. I too sometimes have that issue with the 50mm so here's a tip.

Although you only have 3 focus areas, they will still work with the lens. Place the highlighted one on your target and adjust the focus ring. When you've nailed the focus a small green dot will show up in the lower left area in the view finder. Depending on the object this can be mean very small adjustments to the ring. Yes, it takes practice. Yes, it's not ideal. And yes, it can be a pain. But this is probably the best way to make sure you're in focus since the D40X doesn't have any optical focus assist in the view finder like manual focus film cameras do.

If you think it might be the lens you can check it by placing the camera on a tripod and focusing on a detailed object (like a dollar bill). When you've got the green dot on nice and solid (indicating a good focus lock) take the picture. Then swap out to an auto focus lens, like your 18-55mm kit lens, take the same picture and compare on a computer.

[Peach]

Hill Country Hack, I'm moving in 2-1/2 months so it would be a bit fruitless to find a group now. I'm unsure if there is one in the town I will be moving to, unlikely but one never knows. I tried a few years ago down here, and got a lot of flack for "only" have a D40x. I was even laughed at when I was trying to find a filter one day in a camera shop. I didn't buy the filter or go back to that store again :S I will look into it and see if there are any groups where I will be moving. There is also the problem of time: I have to work part time (at home), upgrade 5 high school courses, and work on losing 80 - 100 pounds between now and October (the weight will take a bit longer to lose healthily), on top of training the dog. I'm not 100% sure where I'll find the time for a group.

Bruce, I do have glasses and I do find that I have to look OVER my glasses in order to sufficiently see through the viewfinder and so many things appear slightly blurry to me (I don't have poor vision, just slightly under 20/20 though). I use, then, the little focus spotter thingy in the viewfinder. When the picture is in focus, a little green circle flashes in my lower left. With the 50mm though, even if I hold still, don't breathe, etc, the focus can waver just a smidge by natural body movements of blood pumping (LOL) and it throws the focus off a smidge. It's really annoying. It works best in really bright sunny days, or on a tripod. Which limits me considering I live in an area that rains 90% of the time and my main subject has 4 legs and really only lays down inside.

I don't utilize the critique section because the amount of pictures I take, the few I am happy with, I believe them to be the best I can possibly achieve with what I have to work with. Every thing else (and I take loads of pictures), is usually too embarassing to post. Too dark, too blurry, and I know exactly why: slow shutter speed, etc. etc., but it doesn't seem to be something I can CHANGE.

I took a bunch of pictures this afternoon with the dog and my 50mm because she looked so incredibly bored and it was cute. Not one of them I could post because not one of them even came out decent enough to ask for a critique. The focus is off completely in every single one even though she was laying totally still, and that's because without a tripod inside I cannot get that 50mm to focus properly or have a fast enough shutter speed to expose correctly. I know this, so having it for critique doesn't really feel like it would actually help me.

The pictures I have on Flickr are about 1/10th of what I actually take, and even those are not great. Even the ones I'm really proud of, are usually pictures from a set that I had very few changes to the settings and THAT'S the one that decided to come out properly. The christmas ornament set, for example: those are a few pictures that "turned out" after an hour and a half of taking pictures. I ended up with probably 150-200 pictures, where even on a tripod, the 50mm was blurred (and the green circle was lit up saying it was in focus) because I didn't have a remote trigger and had to carefully use my finger on the shutter button. Just that very very very slight shake, threw the focus and that is just.. so bizarre for me. It's not like I have Parkinson or anything. It's just so damn touchy. I love the lens, but I also want to throw it through the window.

It is so disheartening when you truly believe you KNOW what is wrong, but nothing you seem to do will help correct it.

[dakwegmo]

The 50mm f/1.8D wide open has razor thin depth of focus. It's tough to control on a body that auto focus with it, and damn near impossible if you're hand holding while manually focusing. So, instead of spending a ton on new gear that may or may not solve your problem, I'd consider starting cheaper and either renting or borrowing a AF-S 50 and see if that doesn't dramatically improve the issues you're experiencing. If you have a decent camera shop in town, they may let you try out the lens on your camera in the store. With a few test shots, you could see if the lens is going to help improve your work.

[ArmySoldier777]

+1 to what dakwegmo said about the focus. Even the 50mm I have for my canon gives me this problem sometimes. If it didn't have autofocus, I know I'd be having the issue you're having with 90% of my shots. And even with autofocus, I have to have it on continual autofocus where it's constantly adjusting the focus, when I'm shooting my niece because the lighting conditions are usually less than ideal, and I'm usually shooting around 2.something, so just a tiny tiny movement on her part throws the entire shot off. Christmas pictures were a nightmare. I absolutely love this lens too, in good lighting conditions. Even in poor lighting conditions, if i can get myself far enough away from the subject, it does pretty good. But inside an apartment, that can't really happen.

So I do feel part of your pain. I honestly do think you'd be happier with the autofocus version of the lens. I've stopped shooting at anything wider than 2.8, if it's within 10 feet and moves. Outside of that, it's not as big of an issue because you get a little more play room with the DOF. But as you said, $300 isn't cheap for most of us.

[ffscj3562130]

I had a D40 with the 18-55 and the 55-200 kit lenses. I found the lenses to be extremely sharp for a kit lens as was the D40. That said maybe your lens isn't focusing properly as was mentioned above. Maybe that is something that you can have checked. The kit lens will not be great in low light due to the variable aperture but to correct that it will cost to get a faster lens.

Also in one of your comments you stated that you didn't have a remote trigger. I bought the appropriate Nikon wireless trigger for the D40 ( which I'm sure is the same one for the D40x) for around $14 so that is an affordable solution to some of the problems with camera movement.

[Peach]

Mutters I can't even find the 50mm f1.8 DX now on Adorama. Just the 35 and the 40.