I have been on a lens buying spree recently. I have a total of 5 new lenses at my disposal, all used (ok, so they aren't really new then I suppose...) I now have a Bigma (used from Adorama), the Nikon 60mm Micro f2.8 (used from a guy on the dgrin forums), and the Nikon 50mm f1.4, 24mm f2.8, and 105mm f2.5 manual focus lenses (used, from my father in law.) The manual focus lenses I had AI-modified by John White in Ann Arbor, MI. He did a fantastic job and they are now good to go on any Nikon body you could hope to use, from my wife's FM-3A to my D200 to our D70. If you have any old manual focus (pre-AI) glass that you want to use with your spiffy new DSLR, he is the man to go to.
I haven't had a chance to shoot much with them, but hopefully this weekend...
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Monday, July 7, 2008
New Lights, New Possibilities
I recently got a pair of light stands and small umbrellas. Nothing fancy, but I thought it might help me with some slightly more interesting lighting. At the same time, we bought a second Nikon SB-600 flash for the wife's camera bag. This allows me to mount a SB-600 on each light stand and control their outputs wirelessly via Nikon's CLS. That and some black velvet, and viola, you have the above picture. The key light was to the left and just about full power. The fill light was dialed down a couple of stops and higer and to the right. The actual wooden figure is only about six inches high, but I think it looks pretty good.
This shot preceded in concept but followed in shooting sequence the shot below. My wife had a sewing project to do and was sorting through a big box of thread to find just the right color. Once she had, I sorted out several that looked interesting and tried this.
It was kind of a pain to stack and kind of got knocked down at the end. I also had to crop it pretty tight (I kind of wanted to anyway) to get it both in an 8x10 ratio, and to crop out a stray thread at the top of the yellow spool. I didn't quite get all of it, but I was in a rush to get it done. I might go and fix it later, but it does lend a sort of realness to the image.
On that topic, I could have done some more fiddling in post to get the colors to really pop, but these are the actual colors of the thread. I wanted it to seem real.
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Nikon D700 and More
Since this is a blog about photography and I am a Nikon shooter, I would be remiss in my duties if I did not talk about the announcement that dropped today about the D700 (and some other stuff.) There are lot's of places you can find out more, like Nikon USA, Nikon UK, and dpreview. Dpreview has a nice hands on first look, so that is your best bet to find out all about it. Since they seem to have the technical aspects covered, I would rather talk about what this means to you and me, the average Joe Shooter on the street.
This is Nikon's first real modern pro-sumer DSLR with a full frame sensor. It was bound to happen sooner or later and we all saw it coming. The D3 and D300 are fantastic cameras, it only made sense to essentially put the D3 sensor in the D300 body. I believe that over time we are going to go away from the DX size sensors and be pretty much all full frame in the not too distant future, say three years or so. Oh there will still be DX form factor DSLRs, but they will all be the entry level models. I also suspect that we will still have DX lenses for quite some time both because of the large base of DX cameras out there right now and the fact that it is easier to make a DX lens that performs well since you are only ever looking at the sweet spot in the middle of the glass.
So you have to ask yourself, what is Nikon thinking with this current line-up? If you look at the top end, you have the following:
D200 - Although a bit older, still a very solid performer. Well designed, well built, priced a little over $1,200 street, as of this writing. DX sensor. I suspect this will go away now that the D700 is here.
D300 - This is the D200 turned up to 11. The CMOS sensor is similar to the D3's sensor in terms of noise, only smaller. Better colors, better focus, better performance, vibrating dust removal for the sensor, and live view. Now if only they hadn't removed the bracket button. Priced just over $1,600 street. DX sensor. I suspect this will see a price break now that the D700 has arrived.
D700 - Take the D300, and turn it up to 12. (Or take the D3 and turn it down to 9.) We haven't really seen these in the flesh yet, but it should take the best parts of the D300 and the sensor of the D3 and put them together. Seems like a match made in heaven to me. Price should be about $3,000 when they become available. FX sensor.
D3 - Fast, fast, fast. Great full frame sensor with noise so nice you will finally use something other than the lowest ISO you have. The dual CF slots are also cool. Priced just under $5,000 and Nikon can barely build them fast enough to keep up. FX sensor.
So now you have to ask yourself, why would you buy a D3 now that the D700 is here? I suspect that is just the question that Nikon wants you to ask. After all, if you have to ask yourself that question, you probably don't need the D3. If you need crazy high frame rates like 9 fps in FX or 11 fps in DX, then you need the D3. If you need two CF slots, for back-up, to give one to a client, or just to keep up with the bajillion frames you just took, then the D3 has your back. If you don't need these things (and most of you don't really) then you were probably very hesitant to part with 5k just to get the full frame goodness. But 3k... that isn't looking so bad, now is it?
And if you bought a D300 and are now thinking of getting a D700, that means you will most likely sell your D300. The D300 and D3 were enough to make some Canon die hards jump ship. The D700 should tempt more of them and the glut of used D300's that is sure to happen now should tempt even more.
So I think Nikon knew what they were doing. The D3 still has a couple of features that are necessary for high end shooters. The D700 is now the top of the prosumer line and the D300 takes care of the rest of us who spend more on our hobby than we should. As long as Nikon can pump out the D700 fast enough, all should be well in Nikon land for a while. Of course this all assumes that the folks at Canon don't have a trick up their sleeve. I fear this is a rather poor assumption. Time will tell.
This is Nikon's first real modern pro-sumer DSLR with a full frame sensor. It was bound to happen sooner or later and we all saw it coming. The D3 and D300 are fantastic cameras, it only made sense to essentially put the D3 sensor in the D300 body. I believe that over time we are going to go away from the DX size sensors and be pretty much all full frame in the not too distant future, say three years or so. Oh there will still be DX form factor DSLRs, but they will all be the entry level models. I also suspect that we will still have DX lenses for quite some time both because of the large base of DX cameras out there right now and the fact that it is easier to make a DX lens that performs well since you are only ever looking at the sweet spot in the middle of the glass.
So you have to ask yourself, what is Nikon thinking with this current line-up? If you look at the top end, you have the following:
D200 - Although a bit older, still a very solid performer. Well designed, well built, priced a little over $1,200 street, as of this writing. DX sensor. I suspect this will go away now that the D700 is here.
D300 - This is the D200 turned up to 11. The CMOS sensor is similar to the D3's sensor in terms of noise, only smaller. Better colors, better focus, better performance, vibrating dust removal for the sensor, and live view. Now if only they hadn't removed the bracket button. Priced just over $1,600 street. DX sensor. I suspect this will see a price break now that the D700 has arrived.
D700 - Take the D300, and turn it up to 12. (Or take the D3 and turn it down to 9.) We haven't really seen these in the flesh yet, but it should take the best parts of the D300 and the sensor of the D3 and put them together. Seems like a match made in heaven to me. Price should be about $3,000 when they become available. FX sensor.
D3 - Fast, fast, fast. Great full frame sensor with noise so nice you will finally use something other than the lowest ISO you have. The dual CF slots are also cool. Priced just under $5,000 and Nikon can barely build them fast enough to keep up. FX sensor.
So now you have to ask yourself, why would you buy a D3 now that the D700 is here? I suspect that is just the question that Nikon wants you to ask. After all, if you have to ask yourself that question, you probably don't need the D3. If you need crazy high frame rates like 9 fps in FX or 11 fps in DX, then you need the D3. If you need two CF slots, for back-up, to give one to a client, or just to keep up with the bajillion frames you just took, then the D3 has your back. If you don't need these things (and most of you don't really) then you were probably very hesitant to part with 5k just to get the full frame goodness. But 3k... that isn't looking so bad, now is it?
And if you bought a D300 and are now thinking of getting a D700, that means you will most likely sell your D300. The D300 and D3 were enough to make some Canon die hards jump ship. The D700 should tempt more of them and the glut of used D300's that is sure to happen now should tempt even more.
So I think Nikon knew what they were doing. The D3 still has a couple of features that are necessary for high end shooters. The D700 is now the top of the prosumer line and the D300 takes care of the rest of us who spend more on our hobby than we should. As long as Nikon can pump out the D700 fast enough, all should be well in Nikon land for a while. Of course this all assumes that the folks at Canon don't have a trick up their sleeve. I fear this is a rather poor assumption. Time will tell.
Sunday, June 22, 2008
More Fun Stuff...
So if you are like me, you enjoy having podcasts to listen to, particularly when you are driving. I recently found LightSource, the official podcast of StudioLighting.net. It is basically two photographers talking all about photography. They usually have some news at the beginning and then an interview with a working stiff later in the show. There are some great nuggets of info in there and it is always great to hear about things first hand from folks who work in the business. One of my favorites from the older episodes was number 17, with Erik Lawrence, who is a photographers assistant. Cool stuff.
Also on StudioLighting.net, you can find some great short videos in their Photography Video Tutorials section, particuarly the Digital Photography One on One videos.
Also on StudioLighting.net, you can find some great short videos in their Photography Video Tutorials section, particuarly the Digital Photography One on One videos.
Monday, June 9, 2008
After Thought...
I just had to add one more to the list of web resources. I suspect I will add to it or edit it from time to time.
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Photography Web Resources
There are a lot of great places for information on the web. Sharing information is why the web was born (mostly...) So, what are some of the best? In my humble opinion, and in no particular order:
The Online Photographer. Run by Mike Johnston, this site is a direct offspring of his old "Sunday Morning Photographer" columns. There are several contributors and they talk about everything from cameras to photography books to well, whatever happens to come up. Great insight into the minds of some great photographers.
Dgrin. One of the best online photography forums out there. It is also the support forum for smugmug. The folks here are generally quite helpful and encouraging. This can be a rare thing in online forums.
Smugmug. This is my personal favorite online picture hosting sites. It is clean, reliable, and highly configurable. It is a pay site, but you get what you pay for. Great support and unlimited storage. (If you want to get a discount to your first year's membership, you can use this code tFhaz37zHPusQ as a referral from me. You get a discount, I get a discount, everyone wins!)
Digital Photography Review. This site has some of the most in depth review of cameras you could ask for. They don't review every camera out there, but when they do, they cover just about every detail.
Ken Rockwell. Ken is a working photographer and very opinionated. Thankfully (or not depending of what you think of Ken's opinions) he has been kind enough to put his thoughts up on the web. He reviews equipment from a more "using it in the field" sort of way than a test charts and plots sort of way. He favors Nikon (as do I) but has a lot of interesting points no matter what brand you shoot.
Strobist. This one I just found recently. Fascinating blog about applications of off camera flash. Great for folks new to the idea or those looking to try something new.
One of your most valuable resources, if you have one, is your local camera shop. Their prices might not compete with the big guys on the internet, but they usually have fantastic customer service and can give you personal attention and advice that is impossible to get through your web browser. I am not talking here about some big chain store that is in the mall, but a real local retailer. I try and support mine as much as possible, particularly on small purchases. Is it really that much of a burden to you to pay an extra buck or two for a filter to try and support a local place? The few extra bucks I have paid are more than worth the value I have received from seeing products in person and talking to the folks who work there.
The Online Photographer. Run by Mike Johnston, this site is a direct offspring of his old "Sunday Morning Photographer" columns. There are several contributors and they talk about everything from cameras to photography books to well, whatever happens to come up. Great insight into the minds of some great photographers.
Dgrin. One of the best online photography forums out there. It is also the support forum for smugmug. The folks here are generally quite helpful and encouraging. This can be a rare thing in online forums.
Smugmug. This is my personal favorite online picture hosting sites. It is clean, reliable, and highly configurable. It is a pay site, but you get what you pay for. Great support and unlimited storage. (If you want to get a discount to your first year's membership, you can use this code tFhaz37zHPusQ as a referral from me. You get a discount, I get a discount, everyone wins!)
Digital Photography Review. This site has some of the most in depth review of cameras you could ask for. They don't review every camera out there, but when they do, they cover just about every detail.
Ken Rockwell. Ken is a working photographer and very opinionated. Thankfully (or not depending of what you think of Ken's opinions) he has been kind enough to put his thoughts up on the web. He reviews equipment from a more "using it in the field" sort of way than a test charts and plots sort of way. He favors Nikon (as do I) but has a lot of interesting points no matter what brand you shoot.
Strobist. This one I just found recently. Fascinating blog about applications of off camera flash. Great for folks new to the idea or those looking to try something new.
One of your most valuable resources, if you have one, is your local camera shop. Their prices might not compete with the big guys on the internet, but they usually have fantastic customer service and can give you personal attention and advice that is impossible to get through your web browser. I am not talking here about some big chain store that is in the mall, but a real local retailer. I try and support mine as much as possible, particularly on small purchases. Is it really that much of a burden to you to pay an extra buck or two for a filter to try and support a local place? The few extra bucks I have paid are more than worth the value I have received from seeing products in person and talking to the folks who work there.
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Test Drive
So, now that I have a new place to talk about photography, I suppose I should see how uploading pictures works.
This is a picture from a wedding reception that I was at recently. I uploaded a 320x200 version here to see how it looks.
It looks pretty good, I suppose. I have always been fascinated by long exposure night photography. The whole world looks different at night. Something really fascinating to see are photographs taken at night during a full moon. Since moonlight is nothing more than reflected sunlight, the colors come out just about like daytime, but with a subtle shift that makes everything look slightly otherworldly.
In most cases a good tripod is all you need. In the above picture it was just a rock ledge and a little rotation in post. If you want to minimize camera shake when you hit the shutter, try using the self timer. Most modern digital cameras have one, and long exposures are rarely time critical; you can wait the 10 seconds before the shutter actually opens.
(Photo details: Nikon D200, Nikon 18-200 VR lens, 10 sec, f8, ISO 100, raw processed with BibblePro)
This is a picture from a wedding reception that I was at recently. I uploaded a 320x200 version here to see how it looks.
It looks pretty good, I suppose. I have always been fascinated by long exposure night photography. The whole world looks different at night. Something really fascinating to see are photographs taken at night during a full moon. Since moonlight is nothing more than reflected sunlight, the colors come out just about like daytime, but with a subtle shift that makes everything look slightly otherworldly.
In most cases a good tripod is all you need. In the above picture it was just a rock ledge and a little rotation in post. If you want to minimize camera shake when you hit the shutter, try using the self timer. Most modern digital cameras have one, and long exposures are rarely time critical; you can wait the 10 seconds before the shutter actually opens.
(Photo details: Nikon D200, Nikon 18-200 VR lens, 10 sec, f8, ISO 100, raw processed with BibblePro)
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
A Beginning
With a tiny bit of luck, this will be where I will discuss one of mankind's most noble pursuits; photography.
I have a blog elsewhere where I discuss totally random stuff (sometimes) but I really wanted to find a place where I can just ramble about my favorite hobby, post pictures, and wildly speculate about the future of the industry.
I have a blog elsewhere where I discuss totally random stuff (sometimes) but I really wanted to find a place where I can just ramble about my favorite hobby, post pictures, and wildly speculate about the future of the industry.
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