Optimal Settings?

Friends

I shoot a decent amount but have mediocre equipment. Whats the best settings to get the best shot possible?

I use a Nikon D50 with a 55-200 VR lens. I shoot at DCA and the subjects come out ok but I know I can tweak a few things to get better shots. Currently I shoot at ISO 200 and use Aperture mode. I am considering trying manual mode on bright sunny days as it seems my shots get washed a bit.

What settings would work better to get the most out of the lens?

any insight is appreciated

matt

time of day is everything...if you're shooting at high noon when the sun is directly (or even very close) to overhead, you will be shooting in a high-contrast situation. You will inevitably end up with blown highlights and/or clipped shadows depending on how you opt to expose. The best times to shoot are early in the morning until the sun gets too high, or later in the afternoon. Odds are that if you're shooting ISO 200 (use lower if you can, though I think Nikon only goes to 200) and you're shooting aperature priority mode and evaluative metering, you're just shooting at the wrong time of day. Unfortunately, camera sensors cannot record the dynamic range of what our eyes can see, so until technology improves (it probably is as I write this), a single exposure will not suffice to cover the entire dynamic range of tonal values that you will see at high noon.

Recap: Shoot early in the morning, or later in the afternoon when the light is more directional than overhead. It creates more dramatic lighting, and easier shooting conditions whereby you will have a properly exposed sky (or terrain) and airplane in the same shot. At worst, shooting in these conditions means you will have to adjust the contrast in post-processing, but that is simple enough to do and will make your work pop.

I hope this helps!