rhaytana__tim_adams_

January 26, 2009

Dan, thanks also for your responses. I'm afraid I have tried flash exposure compensation, all the way down to -3. Yes, it's a help ... but not enough.

I wanted to log in quickly because I think I sounded a bit grumpy about the advice given. None of you had to take time to try to help me -- but you did, and some of you obviously put a lot of thought into your responses.

Please understand my frustration:

Two months ago I had, past tense, a camera system that I could point at objects a foot away, at the highest aperture setting, wide open, on plug and play E-TTL II, with no problems. Good flash exposures just about every time.

Today, present tense, I have a flash system I'll have to watch out for, and will have to work around. Until last night, I hoped that I would learn here that this isn't the case, that there is a recipe I can dial in to consistently and easily work around this issue. I now think that there isn't one. I will have to do work arounds to get what I could get automatically with Canon gear.

But, on the bright side, I now have a vastly better wide-angle zoom lens, and better autofocus.

January 26, 2009

First -- as I've said on other forums in which others have tried to provide advice to me on this -- I'm grateful to all of you for taking the time to help me with my problem. (And Nina Myers, please let me compliment you on the especially nice bottom shot of the DJ!) Ilkka Nissila, your comments seem particularly in line with what I've experienced so far; thank you.

My response to your answers might seem a bit mule-headed, but I'll make it anyway.

I can, already, with my limited knowledge of Nikon CLS, work around this problem. Just stopping down to 5.6 helps. By accepting a reduced range of my equipment's capabilities -- lowering the ISO, stopping down the aperture, stepping back from the subject -- I can get a shot.

But I'm now worrying about something, working around something, that was never an issue with Canon E-TTL II. With a 580 EX on my 5D and the Canon 16-35 -- as badly as that lens may compare to the 14 - 24 -- I could blaze away at close subjects, distant subjects, with the lens wide open and the ISO all the way up -- and get good exposures every time.

Some might feel that the Canon equipment covered up for poor shooting habits. Fine with me! I shoot events, and don't want to fiddle with camera settings in the field. I now have something to worry about that I didn't have to worry about only a few months ago.

I blame myself for not renting Nikon gear before taking the plunge.

January 26, 2009

I just jumped ship from Canon, where E-TTL II was -- for me, at least -- pretty much plug and play on my old 5D. I love the 14 - 24 lens that's on my D700 most of the time now, but am having some problems with overexposed flash that I hope experienced Nikon event shooters can help me with.

Equipment: D700 camera, 14-24mm G lens, on camera SB-900. I'd love to do the Strobist thing, put the D700 in commander mode and get the SB-900 off camera, but that's not practical in the type of shooting I do.

Camera settings: Aperture priority mode, ISOs from 800 - 6400, and I try to keep the shutter speed below 1/50th. Switching from TTL-BL to TTL hasn't made a difference for testing purposes. For that matter, neither has switching from aperture priority to shutter priority mode to manual mode. Same results.

The problem: Mildly to seriously blown-out / overexposed flash in shots taken at distances of two feet or less, indoors in dim light, with apertures of 4.0 and larger. If I stop down to 4.5 and smaller, I usually get good results.

More information: Keeping the wide flash adapter down and the diffusion dome on always helps at least a little, whether the flash is pointed straight forward or straight up.

If I'm a foot to a foot and a half away, I usually have to put the flash straight up (with the diffusion dome on) to get a reasonable picture. Pointing the flash head straight down usually will give me that dreaded blown out flash look.

If I'm four feet away, on the other hand, I get the blown out flash look if the flash head isn't pointed straight ahead.

Unfortunately, these results aren't consistent. I spent the afternoon testing the camera with a friend, and some shots from two feet with the flash pointed straight forward were just fine. Inconsistent results means lots of chimping and plenty of lost shots when I'm shooting at an event.

A brief experiment with TTL automatic aperture mode flash didn't produce especially promising results. I just might get distance priority manual flash to work, but a few tests here at home suggest that it will produce inconsistent results too.

The distance reading on the flash LCD has been all over the place ... but yes, it's usually indicating that I'm too close when I have this problem. In other words, it's telling me I gotta be four feet away, when I want to shoot two feet away.

The trouble is, if I want to frame a shot from two feet away, and the shot won't be the same if I step back two feet, then I've taken a big, big hit in the range of photos I can shoot. If I didn't have this problem with E-TTL II on the Canon, I can't help but hope that I can resolve this problem with the Nikon.

The SB-900 has worked well otherwise.

If you have any ideas, Nikon shooters, I'd love to hear them. And if you're pretty convinced that this is something I'm going to have to live with, I'll be better off finding that out now.

Thanks in advance for your help.

Capture NX2 vs ACR with DNG profiles · January 17, 2009

As Google allows these threads to live forever, I thought I should post a quick update on my experiences with NX 2. I'm going to word this carefully: Now that I own NX 2, have spent more time with it and processed more .NEFs with it, I'm very grateful that I have it. Of the items I bought after switching to Nikon, this is the most important, by far. Emphasis, by far. I'm not saying it's a better raw processor than ACR. I can't. I've tripped over my own technical ignorance many times, and might have tripped here as well. As noted in a post above, maybe my ACR workflow wasn't what it should have been. Maybe an ACR guru could do much more with a NEF than I can do with NX 2. But after maybe three hours of study time with NX 2, I'm now making much better pictures than I was after dozens of hours with ACR. New Nikon shooters: I suggest giving NX 2 a serious trial before chucking it. My first trial was much too short. I almost chucked it for good, and that really would have cost me. I'm immensely grateful for those who persuaded me to log more time with it.

January 17, 2009

If I were to start a site with Nikon commentary -- or Canon commentary, or Sony commentary -- the companies undoubtedly would pay no attention to me. Just another user, one of zillions creating websites that come and go, without an established fan base. Who cares what this schmoe thinks about anything?

But I, not a gambling man, would give odds and wager large that they care a great, great deal what Thom Hogan thinks, and check his site regularly. He is an expert, does have a fan base, and, unlike McNally, has no financial relationship with them, which means that his views are independent and unpredictable. They would be nuts not to care. Any sane, competent PR staffer at Nikon or Canon is going to keep close, careful tabs on influential internet writers. I'll go farther: I think that a Nikon or Canon staffer with the appropriate job description would fear getting fired for not being able to report in internal company meetings exactly how the buzz was going on X makes of camera, and what someone like Hogan thought.

I started a thread related to this on dpreview, don't want to get into an internet salvo and understand that Thom Hogan doesn't need me to defend him. I try to restrict my forum posts to inquiring about the very much I don't know about photography, and answering the occasional query I feel qualified to answer.

But may I offer a kind of plea, a gentle plea, to those offended by his review:

Is there a charge for visiting his site? Does he perhaps know just a little, a tiny bit, about taking pictures, or is he utterly clueless? Have you ever learned anything by visiting bythom.com, or did he just mislead you every step of the way?

I think Nikon shooters are lucky that he's around.

January 17, 2009

A friendly Nikon shooter passed this link on to me, and now I can return the favor:

http://www.bocaphoto.com/products/new/nikon/nikonparts.htm

Can't yet recommend them, though. Just know that they exist.

I can't tell if the parts are genuine Nikon or no, but the prices look affordable.

Capture NX2 vs ACR with DNG profiles · January 12, 2009

I put in some more study time, compared the results of ACR processed NEFs to those from NX2 ... and am going to buy NX2 after all. The price for the CD version from various internet suppliers is in the $135 range, so it's less of a wince maker than paying $179 to download an activation key from Nikon.

Maybe I don't know my ACR as well as I should. Maybe I think my ACR workflow reflects acquired knowledge, and actually doesn't. For whatever reasons, some of the images from NX2, for me, have an edge over those from ACR. I was surprised.

A new raw converter, new learning curve and workflow revisions are about as welcome here as sensor dust ... but I bought the camera for image quality, and it would be kind of nuts not to spend an extra $135ish for something that will provide an edge.

Thanks again to those who shared their thoughts in this thread.

Capture NX2 vs ACR with DNG profiles · January 11, 2009

Thanks to everyone who took the time to respond. Now that I'm a Nikon shooter, I think I should invest a bit more time on NX2 than I have so far, to see if it will work for me.

The tutorials at http://static.nikonusa.com/NX2_90_Seconds/NX2/page2/page2.html look promising. I'll put NX2 back on the hard drive and give them a go.

Off-topic: I'd never heard of PT Lens. Thank you! That might turn out to be the real 'find' for me.

Capture NX2 vs ACR with DNG profiles · January 11, 2009

I forgot to mention: Active D-Lighting information, I believe, is read only by the Nikon converter.

Capture NX2 vs ACR with DNG profiles · January 11, 2009

This question relates a bit to: http://www.photo.net/nikon-camera-forum/00Qmpj , but is different enough that I thought I'd post another:

What can Capture NX2 do that can't be done by Adobe ACR with the beta Adobe Labs camera profiles?

http://labs.adobe.com/wiki/index.php/DNG_Profiles#Downloads_and_Installation

I use ACR now and have an investment in it: I bought Schewe's book, studied it, geared my workflow around pulling files off the memory card through Bridge. Before the beta profiles, I was never satisfied with ACR color ... but with the beta profiles, that changed.

I just bought a Nikon D700, and will buy Capture NX2 if I need it ... but my brief experimentation with the trial version of NX2 didn't yield images that looked any better than ACR images with -- and it's an important with -- those ACR profiles linked above. NX2 apparently can correct for distortion from the use of super wide-angle lens, and that just might be enough of a reason for me to splurge for it.

But, is there anything else it can do that ACR can't?

I'm not asking this to be a troll in anyway, and hope I haven't stirred up loyalties for either product. I just don't want to set aside a lot of time to learn the ins and outs of a new program, and then discover that I didn't especially need it in the first place.

(Although if I do need it, of course, I'll buy it.)

January 2, 2009

Pete, thanks again for taking the time to write.

FEC is what I want, so it looks like I'll have to get used to a tap to the Function Button first ... if I keep this new Nikon rig, which isn't for certain.

January 1, 2009

That's my impression, too, that camera exposure compensation and flash exposure compensation are two separate animals. (Although I appreciate the responses from Hans and Frank.) I'm coming from the Canon world, in which I can set them separately -- and gather (so far, after poring over the manuals) that I can set 'em separately on my new Nikon outfit, too.

From page D37 of the SB-900 manual: "You can make exposure compensation for the flash illuminated subject only without affecting the background exposure by modifying the SB-900's flash output level."

Which is what I want. But my Canon 580 EX let me set a custom function so I could dial in flash comp just by turning the dial, and my unhappy impression is that Nikon first wants me to press Function Button 1, and then turn the dial ... and that there's no step around that two step process, for flash compensation.

This is my only question, for now: is there a way to adjust flash compensation on the SB-900 without first pressing Function Button 1?

In the field, this will make a difference for me.

Thanks again.

January 1, 2009

I have a feeling I'm not going to like the answer to this one, but I gotta ask:

Is there a custom function that can be set on the SB-900 so that flash output compensation can be dialed up or down without first pressing the durned Function Button 1? Or must the function button always be pressed first before using the selector dial?

(This is in single flash operation, flash on camera.)

For now, that's all I want to know. Thanks in advance ... and happy New Year!

November 18, 2008

Congratulations on posting a question that has elicited so many responses! You've obviously struck an area of interest.

The one time equipment weight was an issue for me was when I experimented with a Pro-RL flash bracket.

http://www.tiffen.com/displayproduct.html?tablename=stroboframe&itemnum=310-700

Gee whiz, was that thing enormous! Pretty much fumbled every shot I tried to take with it attached, and only came away with a few keepers after I sheepishly put it away.

On the other hand, I recently read a post by a professional who seems to like it.

October 25, 2008

I'm not an expert, by any means, but it couldn't hurt to give the following shutter priority settings a try:

indoors: low shutter speeds, 1/40 of a second or slower in shutter priority mode in dim light with a close-to-the-camera subject and maybe 1/80 in office environment type lighting, bracing the camera as needed to avoid camera shake, and then tuning the results by cranking up or backing off on the 580 compensation dial.

(If the subject is far away from the camera, though, the flash won't freeze the action, and you'll have to dial up the shutter speed accordingly.)

outdoors: much higher shutter speed in shutter priority mode, to max 1/200 flash sync speed, but I've gotten results that I'm happy with in high speed sync

And do check out the strobist web site. Most of that is dedicated to using multiple flashes, but I'll bet someone or someones there can offer an assist to you as well.

September 7, 2008

Also suggest you do some browsing in the Adobe Forums camera raw pages:

http://www.adobeforums.com/cgi-bin/webx/.3bb6a869.3bb6a858/

August 17, 2008

First, Louis, please let me offer sympathy re this problem ... and I wish you the best in recovering the files.

You might already have read this elsewhere, but just in case you haven't: I learned the hard way to format the card and delete images ONLY in the camera, and to never write to the card while it's in the CF card reader. I use the CF card reader only to copy images into the computer.

This was after one bad experience that sounds similar to yours.

August 17, 2008

Happened to me, too, after about 20K shutter actuations. Very irritating. On the bright side: Sent it in and they fixed it free, even though it was out of warranty.

August 7, 2008

No problems with the Canon cord from this user. I'd buy it again.

August 4, 2008

My two cents, for whatever they're worth from a 5D owner:

When I read a review, I ask myself a few questions:

(1) Is the reviewer a good photographer?

In browsing Mr. Galbraith's site, the answer seems clear: he's a superb photographer. A top professional, one of the best in the business.

(2) How is he/she regarded by other knowledgeable photographers?

If you visit the forums at SportShooter, which caters to professional sports photographers, the answer becomes clear -- he's held in exceptionally high regard. Consider the posts that refer to him by SportShooter's Robert Hanashiro:

http://www.sportsshooter.com/message_display.html?tid=30240

(3) Do the tests/trials of the equipment seem fair and thorough?

To this reader, they seem exceptionally fair and thorough.

In short: I'm inclined to put a lot of faith in Galbraith's opinion. However, I agree that most users -- who don't depend on their cameras for income -- may not be bothered by the issues that he highlights in his reviews.

May 23, 2008

From the Norse daily Dagbladet:

<A

HREF="http://www.dagbladet.no/nyheter/2008/05/20/535782.html">http://www.dagbladet.no/nyheter/2008/05/20/535782.html

</A>

You'll also find a discussion in SportShooter, where I learned of this

article:

<A HREF="

http://www.sportsshooter.com/message_display.html?tid=29465">http://www.sportsshooter.com/message_display.html?tid=29465</A>

I don't have the foggiest notion of what this article says, and there may be

circumstances in play that I'm not aware of. But I thought photo.net viewers

might want to know about it.

May 16, 2008

What works for me dept: I've gotten in the habit of using single point focus and usually go to all points only when lifting camera high overhead with both arms for one of those hail mary maybe i'll get something shots that some people expect of pjs. ( :-> ) Also custom functions set so I can change focus point with just the joystick thingie.

Note: I'm using a 5D, not a small sensor camera.

I'm not that crazy about this set-up -- much preferred Nikon -- but other Canon advantages persuaded me when I bought the 5D.

May 10, 2008

I vote for a likely-to-be-defective card. I'm assuming here that you've never had problems formatting other CF cards in this camera -- and can rule out the camera itself as the culprit.

May 4, 2008

You might want to visit the Adobe Camera Raw forums for a question related to ACR. The link:

<A HREF="http://www.adobeforums.com/cgi-bin/webx/.3bb6a869.3bb6a858/">http://www.adobeforums.com/cgi-bin/webx/.3bb6a869.3bb6a858/</a>

You' should find plenty of posts on this forum from users with color cast issues.

April 17, 2008

2 cents much appreciated! Thanks for posting, Sarah.

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