In reply to Post #15
In the bag with the camera
I don't really do matt shots, they would only be to document injury or something like that. Once you get the hang of it self takes are almost effortless.
Initially I'd advise some simple steps to make the process easier.
Get a silver sharpie and use it to mark the distance on your landing net handle from tripod to matt
Use a qr mount so you can leave the tripod set up and quickly clip the camera on
I'm guessing you haven't tried it, but if you have custom modes on the dial, usually c1, c2.... Set one of these up just for self takes, I don't remember how you did it on panasonic but on my olympus the settings I use would be quite complex to do at 3am.i can just turn to c1 and its all set, focus mode, intervalometer auto iso and just tweak the aperture ss according to light conditions (I use manual, I'm not saying you should)
Use A mode instead of ai, I find the auto settings give slow shutter speeds which can cause a bit of ghosting and softness.
There are loads of threads with helpful tips to make the process easier
Once you start buying lenses, it can be a big outlay. Look after them. Save all those little dessicant pouches you find in packaging and chuck them in with your camera gear to control the damp, and in winter when you bring you bring them into the house after being out in the cold, leave the bag zipped up for a couple of hours so they slowly acclimatise to avoid condensation inside the lens, this can ruin a lens quite quickly
In the bag with the camera
I don't really do matt shots, they would only be to document injury or something like that. Once you get the hang of it self takes are almost effortless.
Initially I'd advise some simple steps to make the process easier.
Get a silver sharpie and use it to mark the distance on your landing net handle from tripod to matt
Use a qr mount so you can leave the tripod set up and quickly clip the camera on
I'm guessing you haven't tried it, but if you have custom modes on the dial, usually c1, c2.... Set one of these up just for self takes, I don't remember how you did it on panasonic but on my olympus the settings I use would be quite complex to do at 3am.i can just turn to c1 and its all set, focus mode, intervalometer auto iso and just tweak the aperture ss according to light conditions (I use manual, I'm not saying you should)
Use A mode instead of ai, I find the auto settings give slow shutter speeds which can cause a bit of ghosting and softness.
There are loads of threads with helpful tips to make the process easier
Once you start buying lenses, it can be a big outlay. Look after them. Save all those little dessicant pouches you find in packaging and chuck them in with your camera gear to control the damp, and in winter when you bring you bring them into the house after being out in the cold, leave the bag zipped up for a couple of hours so they slowly acclimatise to avoid condensation inside the lens, this can ruin a lens quite quickly