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cony_dowen

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Posts posted by cony_dowen

    Will nikon make EOS digital rebel alike under 900 bucks

    in Nikon

    Posted

    I second Carl. What kind of Nikon users are you anyway? If you ditch *your* brand as soon as C. brings out a shiny screw head then perhaps you shouldn't have bought a Nikon in the first place. Just admit then that you bought the wrong brand from the start. I mean, you thought your purchase over carefully I hope, so why whine from the first morning after? Did you wear out the shutter of your present camera already or are all the pixels in your CCD dead already? Or do you always need to have the very latest cry? How old is your car BTW? And how long have you been married to the same boring woman? Perhaps it's time to ditch those too...

    BTW, this is meant as a friendly and joking comment :-) so don't bite me!

    Repair question about Retina IIc

    in Classic Manual Film Cameras

    Posted

    Mike, that's exactly what I thought the spring's job is... the shutter

    release button still comes back up well, perhaps just a tiny bit

    more sluggish than before but nothing to worry about, at least

    not yet. I think I will follow Ricks's good advice and leave things

    alone. Sorry you had to break a mirror ;-)

    Thanks to both of you. Conny.

    Repair question about Retina IIc

    in Classic Manual Film Cameras

    Posted

    Last night I was gently cleaning the exterior of my beloved Retina

    IIc with a Q-tip. While rubbing between the lens/shutter cone and the

    front door a little spring fell out. It looks like a thin bent metal

    wire about 1/2 inch long that apparently belongs on the side of the

    lens cone and seems to act upon the shutter release. What does this

    spring do exactly? Everything still works perfectly, but I can't put

    it back without removing the front door because there is little room

    for manoeuvering. Does anyone know how to remove the door? Can I just

    leave the little spring out? Perhaps one end of the wire spring broke

    off and has become unusable anyway... Thanks in advance for your

    input. Conny.

    Speculation about Nikon VR system

    in Nikon

    Posted

    The VR elements probably are an integral part of the optical design of each particular VR lens. However it must be possible to conceive a 'VR adapter' for photo lenses because Canon offers a device called IS-20BII for their 1/2" and 2/3" ENG video zooms. Granted, it is a front mounted device but they claim it induces no light loss and it needs a supplementary 12V power supply. According to their 2001/2002 TV Lens Catalog (page 33) all the specs of the used zoom lens are maintained, including the 2X extender function (if the used zoom has one). IMO a front or rear mounted IS or VR adapter should be possible, at least for *some* non-VR photo lenses.

    Why aren't digital cameras super-sensitive?

    in Mirrorless Digital Cameras

    Posted

    Higher ISO speed in a CCD is achieved by using higher currents in them, hence higher temperatures and thus higher noise levels. Cooling the CCD is an expensive measure only applied to specialised cameras (in astronomy, medecine, etc.) Perhaps advances in CCD technology will allow gradually higher ISO values in the future without increase of noise levels.

    C5050 or G5?

    in Mirrorless Digital Cameras

    Posted

    I bought an Oly C-4000zoom last mont and the picture quality and in-camera possibilities are simply stunning! Much much better value for the money than any Coolpix (although I'm mainly a Nikon user...). I handled the 5050 briefly and it is a mighty fine camera. Too bad the LCD monitor doesn't swivel (it just tilts up or down). It's also more compact than the biggish Canons.

    Using external Nikon SU-4 + SB-20 on Olympus C-4000

    in Mirrorless Digital Cameras

    Posted

    I think I might need to use an external flash for close-up pics with

    my Olympus Camedia C-4000zoom since the built-in flash will shoot

    right over the subject. I have two options : either to buy the

    original Olympus FL-BK04 cable to connect the PC-connector of my

    Nikon SB-20 or Metz 45CT1 flashguns to the C-4000, OR buy the Nikon

    SU-4 wireless slave unit for use with the SB-20. Am I right in

    thinking that the slave will just add to the general flash

    illumination and that the camera will sense the total light and turn

    off its flash when enough light is received, even if the internal

    flash partially overshoots the subject? What would be your choice?

    Thank you in advance for your ideas.

    Those who have tried 300mm f4.5 ED-IF w/ TC

    in Nikon

    Posted

    Hi,

    Chiming in late here... Got my Sensia slides back this morning and to fill the roll I made some test shots with AI180mm/2.8 (non-ED) and AIS 300/4.5 IF-ED wide open, together with my Vivitar helicoidal '2x Macro Doubler". I shot the brick wall of a distant house, surrounded by some trees. The results are remarkably sharp in both cases. At first sight I can't see any difference with the naked eye. Of course I will have to check with the loupe when I get home tonight, but at first sight I'm willing to say 'perfectly usable' at the very least! I'm sure the results will be quite good aven checked with the loupe. If you're not into shooting charts for a living the combo is perfectly usable for real life pictures, but as always... YMMV.

    Conny

    flash coupler for F3

    in Nikon

    Posted

    Joe, I'm not sure that the Vivitar foot has the necessary electronics built-in, like the AS-17 does. I've read so many different opinions on that topic that I choose the safe way and bought the AS-17. The Vivitar will light your strobe all right, but I'm not sure you'll get real TTL (perhaps simply Auto flash?). Remember, the F3 only provides the metering cell and relies upon the *dedicated* TTL electronics of SOME Nikon speedlights. A 'dumb' flash foor can't help there...

    And why would Nikon bother to develop the AS-17 for the F3 after 20 odd years (and 1 or 2 years before the end of the F3 production BTW), knowing that Vivitar had that base covered for years? Perhaps someone else can shed some more light on the subject - I'm not sure here. I just wanted to warn you before you buy one or the other flash foot.

    Conny

    Nikon 17-35mm comparisons, with Primes

    in Nikon

    Posted

    If you plan to shoot into the sun consider the 20mm f/3.5 - and only that particular lens! It allows great flower close ups with the landscape, sky AND sun in the picture! It is great with a K1 (not AI!) or a PK-11(A) ring. It takes 52mm filters, it is compact and lightweight. I also have the AI24/2.8 but wouldn't want to miss the 20/3.5 anymore. I have currently no need for 32mm, 26mm or 29.4mm focal lenghts or... perhaps later. Conny.

    Nikon 72mm pol filter on Cokin P filter holder?

    in Nikon

    Posted

    Joe, thank you for the tip. Scott, The widest lens I have is a Nikkor

    24mm F2.8 but I originally purchased the Nikon 72mm pol filter

    for my 300mm IFED F4.5 The front thread of the pol filter indeed

    is 85mm and with the special HN-13 hood mounted on it, you

    can nicely turn the filter by grasping the large hood. I thought I

    could use that 72mm pol filter for all my other (mostly 52mm

    thread) Nikkor lenses as well, and until now I did - with a

    steppping ring. Right now I only have the Cokin adapter ring for

    the 52mm diam. lenses only, since I figured I would not use the

    grad with the 300mm tele anyway, at least not for the time being.

    I was aware that the pol filter had to come in front of any plastic

    filter, hence my original question. Perhaps I should have saved

    for a $100.00 Hitech or Lee filter holder + the $130.00 72mm pol

    filter adapter to go in front of that. Pretty expensive for just a

    couple of shots a year with that combination I thought... BTW, I

    didn't know Cokin offered a gel adapter! Thanks everyone for the

    input anyway. CONNY

    Nikon 72mm pol filter on Cokin P filter holder?

    in Nikon

    Posted

    Hi everyone,

    I just bought a Cokin P filter holder with a 52mm lens adapter ring.

    I am going to use this filter holder with a Hitech ND grad filter,

    but I also want to add my Nikon 72mm circular polarizing filter and

    its dedicated hood in front of the setup. I know that Lee and Hitech

    offer special adapters to slide into their filter holders, in front

    of the grad filter. As far as I know Cokin does not have this

    adapter. I can't mount the pol filter first and then the Cokin P

    holder, since as you know the dedicated Nikon hood has a larger

    diameter than 72mm... Any ideas? Thank you all in advance. CONNY

    Sigma's 80-400 OS lens

    in Nikon

    Posted

    Naji, the Nikon VR lens has 17 lenses in 11 groups. I'm not sure

    about the Sigma, so you may be right that it has 20 lenses.

    Nevertheless, Sigma might have adapted the formula in order to

    adapt it for use on the other camera brands it has to work with, or

    they simply changed the formula over time for cost or

    performance reasons (the Nikon lens has been available for a

    while now). The two lenses do look very similar don't they? And

    it's not the only lens in the Nikon range that looks suspiciously

    close to a Sigma here or a Tamron there... I would not be

    surprised if Nikon concentrates on certain types of lenses and

    outsources others, like they did for the FM-10 and FE-10 bodies.

    Nikon is a fairly small company in comparison to f.ex. Canon and

    they can't continue making everything themselves. Especially

    since they have a hard time keeping up with with the C brand

    technologically. Conny

    Brass V.S. Steel lens mounts

    in Nikon

    Posted

    Unless someone is a serious camera mistreater the brass v.steel question is a non-issue. If you plan to smash the camera against a rock, be assured that both lens mounts WILL be trashed.

    You will not wear out or bend either of them in your lifetime, even if you change lenses for every single frame of your films. But in the event that you plan to do so anyway, just avoid plastic lens mounts and you'll be safe.

    F3 vs Fm3a

    in Nikon

    Posted

    I have an F3HP and an FM (body size comparable to FM3a). My personal opinion :

    F3 : 100% reliable (I even tend to forget there is a battery inside, that's how long that battery lasts...), fits my hands like a dream, simple and well placed controls, wonderful viewfinder (HP). May be a tad heavier than the FM3a, but thanks to the exquisite hand fit this goes unnoticed. With the MD-4 mounted on it you could even forget to put the camera down before going to bed. Verrry smooth winding lever. Has proven to BE a very robust camera. Sexy camera - looks good even by today's standards.

     

    FM (FM3a for that matter) : smaller body means beautifully compact and nimble, but more difficult to grip (and I have rather smallish hands!). Grip is better with the MD-12 mounted. Better flash sync (but I never use flash anyway). Probably a robust body. Pretty smooth winding lever on FM3a. Looks boring. Apart from the hybrid shutter it also IS a boring camera.

     

    Conny

    What is it about Nikon?

    in Nikon

    Posted

    When I attended art school back in the seventies they had this F2 which everybody drooled over, and a Nikkormat FT3 (and also a Leica M5 and Mamiya RB67). It was all Nikon people talked about back then (unlike today) and I just managed to buy the then new Nikon FM. Still have that one and it still works like a charm. These days I can afford a second hand F2AS and F3HP, which I did. Almost automatically, without even thinking of switching brands. I think the brand grew on me or perhaps certain habits won't die. So I'm still with Nikon (AND in manual focus). Untill now I did not feel the need for anything else. And I'm certainly not going to change gear or brands like I change my underwear. Not because of a couple of tiny internal electric motors and a few LEDs and beepers... I can still turn a focussing ring myself and will keep doing so as long as my eyesight permits it. I agree that a Nikon body has a certain feel to it - one that I haven't found anywhere else untill now. But that's subjective. YMMV. Conny.
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