[thelmasman]

Hello Everybody,
This is my first visit to this site and I have just registered for future viewing.
If I may I would like to ask the following question:-
I have been recommended to set 100mm for portraits and 38m for landscapes.
How do I know when zoom lens is set to these figures with my Fujinon 4x zoom,f2.8-f5.6 Many thanks in advance.
thelmasman
p.s. I am a complete newbie to digital,and still reading the camera manual

[P-E]

Hi &

I'm sure someone will be along soon to answer your question......if not just make a new post in 'General Photography questions and answers'

[Angela]

Hi thelmasman and welcome to Pixalo!

[thelmasman]

Thanks P-E, I have done as you suggested.

[thelmasman]

Thanks, hope to visit here often.
As a newbie I shall need all the help I can get.
Learning new things gets harder at the age of 75, but keeps the old brain cells working
thelmasman

[Sonsey]

Hi thelmasman, it's good to have you at Pixalo!

[simpbow]

Hi &

[GainfulShrimp]

Hi Thelmasman, welcome to Pixalo.

I can't answer your exact question re: how to find the focal length used... but I suspect that the advice you've been given is referring to general principles rather than exact focal lengths (which you should vary to get a good composition depending on the subject and your viewpoint, etc).
For landscapes, it's often good to use a nice wide angle to get in as much of the view as possible. Similarly, for a head shot portrait, or head+shoulders, you'll want to zoom in a bit otherwise you'll probably capture too much of the surroundings - hence the longer focal length.

But photography is rarely good if you follow the rules 100%

You can create fantastic landscapes with a large focal length, as seen in Steve's recent pics from the Alps. I often shoot portraits at 50mm or 85mm, rather than 100mm.

[stepheno]

Hi TM and welcome to Piixalo

[thelmasman]

Your right. I have not posted since just after joining the forums.
I have spent so much time online, reading up on anything and everything to do with photography that I have not found much time to do the one thing I bought the camera for, that is to take photos.
Well, as we had a nice bright day yesterday, I did manage to get out and take some photos, one of which I shall upload to the site. It is of a pond I used to go to as a kid, sixty years ago, to catch newts and tadpols to take home in jam jars, I doubt if there are any in it these days, it seemed void of any pond weed and underwater vegetation but had a very nice tree on the islane in the middle, shown in my photo.
I put into practice some of the information I have gleaned from so many, and used my camera in full manual mode, and with the exception of a couple of dark shots, (forgot to adjust exposure) I was pleased with my first attemp.
thelmasman.