Ask Jason
Our resident Nikon expert Jason Parnell-Brookes answers your questions and solves your problems. If you’d like Jason to come to the rescue regarding your Nikon-related question, email it to mail@nphotomag.com. Please note that we reserve the right to edi
Solve all your Nikon qualms and never feel in the dark again, with help from our hirsute Nikon expert Jason
I’ve bought a D90 but, compared with using Kodachrome film and even my digital compact cameras, its images look a bit dull. Is there a way of making them look more punchy? Neil Broadhurst
Jason says... Kodachrome slide film gives striking colours, and many compact digital cameras bump up the colour saturation and contrast to give ‘punchy’ images. Most DSLRs aim for accuracy and realism, with the assumption photographers can always increase the vibrancy at the editing stage. If you’d rather get punchier results straight from the camera, select the ‘Set Picture Control’ option in the Shooting menu. The D90’s available choices include Standard, Neutral, Vivid, Monochrome, Portrait and Landscape. The Vivid and Landscape modes will probably be what you want. If you shoot in Raw mode, you can swap between Picture Control settings at the processing stage, when using Nikon software like Capture NX-D or ViewNX.
I’m considering buying a Sigma or Tamron 150-600mm lens for use with my D7200. Do you have any thoughts or comments? Stuart Cox
Jason says… The Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG OS HSM | S (£1330/$1800) is the best quality lens but it’s very weighty at about 3kg. The Tamron SP 150-600mm f/5-6.3 Di VC USD G2 (£1130/$1300) is only two-thirds of the weight, at 2kg, and performs almost as well in terms of image quality and autofocus speed. It’s as sharp as the Sigma Sport towards the long end of the zoom range, but less so at short to medium zoom settings. The Sigma 150600mm f/5-6.3 DG OS HSM | C (£790/$990) has practically all of the advanced features of the Sigma Sport lens, but in a smaller, 2kg build. It only has a weathersealed mount, rather than full weather-seals. Sharpness isn’t quite as good at the long end of the zoom range, but it’s not far off, and the Contemporary lens is very good value at the price.
Does the Hähnel Viper trigger control Nikon flashguns at the same time as the Modus 600RT, for use in multi-flash setups? Rob Insall
Jason says... The Hähnel Modus 600RT is a great flashgun that combines real power and versatility. It runs on a Li-ion battery power pack that enables super-fast recycle speeds and excellent stamina. The wireless edition of the kit includes a Hähnel Viper radio-frequency trigger with a range of up to 100m, communicating directly with an RF receiver built into 600RT flashguns. You can trigger multiple flashguns in up to three separate groups, and control them all from the Viper trigger. However, if you want to trigger Nikon or other brands of Nikon-dedicated flashguns from the same trigger, you’ll need to invest in additional Hähnel Viper receivers, at a cost of about £60/$100 each.
Why can’t I seem to get my flashgun into regular firing mode at shutter speeds faster than the 1/250 sec mark? Steve Lawrance
Jason says... At shutter speeds up to and including the camera’s ‘sync’ speed, the shutter’s first curtain fully opens and then, after a delay, the second curtain follows its path to close the shutter again. With faster shutter speeds, the second curtain starts moving while the first curtain is only part way across the frame. The faster the shutter speed, the more closely the second curtain follows the first. Flash would therefore be obscured from part of the frame at any given split-second during the exposure. In cameras that support Auto FP highspeed sync flash mode, an extremely rapid sequence of multiple flashes is fired throughout the exposure. This avoids dark bands at the top or bottom of the frame.