harishon

I probably need to clarify some things about my self.

I've started with manual focus camera and when meter on it got broken I had to get a new AF body-N80 was my choice at the time as compromise between features and price. Quality of pictures in film era depended on film and skill of photographer of course! I was reluctant to go digital and bought D70s as relatively inexpensive solution for time being, until digital will be on par with film according to MY standards or when there is no 35mm film anymore. D70s was exactly like my N80 in handling, and was originally intended as as aid to get test shots before I shoot my "master pieces" with film. That didn't happen, of course, and my hard drive filled with bunch of shots that are far from master piece, but not ugly enough to throw away. So, that is why I am against high resolution just for resolution sake-it's just extra space that I need to store. And that is why I am not keen on D80-it is not much better then D70, actually it is worse it metering and max sync speed and some other smaller things, but outputs bigger size files without anything to show for. I still have to compose picture, select exposition and light and higher resolution doesn't contribute to that. 10Mp is only about 30% better in any one dimension of the print-not enough to justify almost twice the file size, whereas D300 gives 40% gain in print dimensions(my calculations are @ 300dpi) with smallest raw file being close in size to one of 10MP D200/D80

" The S3 Pro takes beautiful, color-saturated photos, and when used correctly can give any digital SLR that costs less than US$2495 a real run for the money. Yes, that means everything from the Nikon D70 to the Canon 20D. It's only when you get to the pro bodies that the S3 Pro starts to suffer in comparisons" <br>

--bytom.com<br>

so, in another words, if i had $2400 to spend on camera body ONLY, i could buy something better then S3 pro and surely not post here asking advice how to get the best camera for as little money possible.

price wise my range from D40 to D300(extremely stretching it, need to justify it to "boss")<br>

So, I thank you for your suggestions, but let's keep it real.

Thanks.

 

D80 is kind of neither here nor there for me, and that's why I decided against it in the first time around. However, price is getting closer to what I might be willing to pay for it-I simply don't value it that much. So that brings me back to used D70s, D200(or should I skip it?), D300 or radically D40 and use saved money on lens, flash or anything else.

 

I agree that 18-70 is the best for the money and it is my first choice for wide to normal end. Getting 70-300VR would mean making my D lens in the same range redundant(unless I want to mount it on my manual Kiev-19 body)

I really loved (ok, liked) my D70s. For the money it was a good camera. Being

anti-digital for a while(and still somewhat) I jumped a little too late and

bought one of the last D70s bodies and 18-70 lens separately(kits were sold

out). Now that is gone I am once again faced with problem of choosing new

camera.

At the time I was choosing between D40/50/70/80. 70s won because it had second

command dial, DOF preview and some other smaller specifics over vs. D40 and

D50. It had 1/500 sync, CF card vs. SD and smaller resolution over D80, and

also D70s seems to share metering matrix with more expensive D200, which none

of the others mentioned do.

I am not against higher resolution, just in this case the difference in

resolution wasn't worth the difference in RAW file size to me at the time.

Now I am looking at used D70s somewhere between $600-900(with lens), D200 or

even D300. Some part of me even wants to follow Ken Rockwell's advice and get

cheap D40 and spend saved money on lens.

And that's a second question. The lens! Ken swears by new do-it-all 18-200 VR,

which is seems to me jack of all trades master of some, even though idea of not

having need to change lens is pretty tempting. Breaking the range into two

seems more of workable compromise as it gets price/convenience/quality in

somewhat acceptable area.

 

So the choice, I am thinking about would be 18-70(again!) + 70-300 VR, which is

not DX, so it can be used on 35 mm camera or even full sensor camera in the

future. Price of both is within $20-50 of 18-200 VR. The only thing, though, I

still have 70-300D ED from my film days. Any other choices I am missing?

 

Thanks!

Wee!<br>

It's a bueatiful kid and perfect shot! Can you specify size of softboxes? And your setup for this shot?

<br>Thanks.

Hey Neil, <br>

I don't mind main flash and background to be on manual-it's the fill I have a problem with. I don't want to buy flash meter just yet, and I am not very experienced with flash. So in the way I am afraid of manual flash exposure.<br>

Could you be more specific on your set-up for this method? Cords, adapters etc? I am planning for all flashes to be off camera. May be even using umbrellas/diffusers-that's why I am leaning towards auto for main flash-so I don't have to compensate for light loss, but rather let auto sencor to deal with it.

I have an idea, I hope you either say it's crazy or it has chance of

working.<br>

I have Nikon N80, SB-28DX flash and SC-17 TTL cord. I am thinking of

buying Sunpak 383. Here's the crazy part: Sunpak (or any other Auto-

flash) in auto as main light, SB-28 as a fill in TTL mode(since Nikon

TTL is good of figuring out the fill ratio). May be another very

simple flash as background light. <br>

Set main flash in auto to f stop that I want for the shot, back

ground flash to the same f-stop or higher(if it's high key portrait)

and let TTL do the fill by it self.<br>

So, will it work? if so, what are the caveats? I know I need to take

care of pre-flash(it can be done by setting camera to spot) and D-

information may be taken care of either by putting flash same

distance from the subject as camera or by switching to standard TTL

and not to 3-d ballanced TTL.<br>

Any thoughts?

�[� Z, how long should lenses be to be affected by filter? The longest I have right now is Nikkor 28-105/f3.5-4.5 and I am planning to get 70-300 sometime in the future.

David, it looks they sent me <a

href="http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=56634&is=REG">this one</a>

<br>

I am not a pro, so it hard for me to tell what is contributed by filter and what is by my skill or lack thereof. Both filters in the same category-price, quality etc. But I've heardd that Hoya slightly better. That they are more nutral as far as color, mounts are slimmer and so on. My question is how much is "slightly better" is better. And should I stick to Tiffen or wait until they get another Hoya for similar price

I

have ordered <a

href="http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?

O=productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=22705&is=REG">Hoya

62mm Circular Polarizer Glass Filter</a> from B&H Photo used in

9 condition, for $29. Instead I received Tiffen in condition 10,

which was in

the same price.<br>

 

Should I exchange it or it�s not much of difference?

Hi everyone,<br>

I've just added SB-28DX flash to my Nikon N80 system. And following

recomendations of this board would like to take it off of the camera.

So, at very least I need a flash bracket,right? <br>

I am leaning towards <a

href="http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?

O=productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=278249&is=REG">Bogen 223B</a> since it

gives the most flash to lens distance, but it seems that most prefer

Stroboframe Quick Flip. I read somewhere on this board that flash has

to be centered over lens. Is that very important? And why? Does

Stroboframe does that in vertical position?<br>

What about light modifiers? Softbox, Luminoquest bounces or just cut

off bottom of the shower gel? It seems that diffused light is better

then reflected one for most portrait( or table top) applications.<br>

Any suggestions? What are most essential minimal accessories for the

hotshoe flash? The must haves?<br>

Thank you.

Does anybody have any experience with cambridgeworld.com? They seem

to have good prices, but very poor site as far as desriptions and

product info. Are they credible?

John, I think It does matter which way you load neg into the holder. Those flatbeds don't have much of the focusing system,so they are pre-set to focus to certain distance, which achieved by loading neg the way manual recommends. But even if you right, loading the other way still causes scratches, even though not as demaging as emulsion side.

I have HP Scanjet 4570 with transperancy adapter. I havetried to scan

some negatives with it adn noticed that negatives being scratched

while inserting film into neg. holder. The problem that you have to

insert film into holder with emulsion side up, towards the frame of

the holder. Blowing with air and wiping with cotton gloves doesn't

seem to help much. Any sugestions?<div></div>

I guess not. Few people here adviesed me against going with EM camera. I am willing to listen. Besides, in this kind of set up I would prefer something either fully mechanical or at least full mechanical shutter back up, not just at 1/90 speed.

Thank you everybody. You all make a very valid and interestin points.

<br>

Carl Stone,you are epecially, but I am on the the same page, and I am not comparing consumer grade Sigma to Nikkor 85mm prime. The reason I have them both in mix is because of my current budget and desire to to fit too many things at once in it.

<br>

As far as light meter, well, I do know how to use it. If I had it, I would just use it with my Kiev 19(I broke meter on that one) and AIS lenses.<br>

But again, it adds to the cost. The cheapest one from B&H photo is $65, but makes not much sense for protrait shooting since I can use built in meter with AF lens of my camera to get the exposure for AIS lens (can I?-just mount AF lens, get readings, mount AIS, make adjustments etc.). The cheapest meter that would make sense to buy in this case would be Gossen DigiFlash - Digital Incident, Reflected and Flash Light Meter for $160.

<br>

And Carl, I am not going $150 lens in any case. The Sigma that I was concidering is about $200 :)

Ok. From all the responses I see that my goal to have qulity and versatility for low price may be obtained only in MF lenses. Here's what I found in local classifieds:

<br>

EM BODY BLACK, W/ 50mm lens, 100mm 1:2.8 lens,

macro zoom 70-210,sun shade for zoom, camera bag, vivitar 215 flash

<br>

all for $150.

<br>

I am thinking to go with that, so it leaves me some mony for other stuff too, may be Sigma 70-300(?). Is that a good solution?

<br>

BTW, Austin, the money I was talking about-wasn't a handout-it was my birthday gift.

and here the color one<div></div>

Ok. As far as budget-I have $300 that was given to me to by "toys". I could stratch it to $500 tops. And taht would be a BIG stratch!

As far as sample portrait shots here couple samples of my better ones.

Both indoors, available natural light. Color one with Kiev 19 w/ Helios-44 50mm/f2 lens. B&W with N80 w/ Nikkor 50mm/f1.4<div></div>

Thank you everybody for your input! It is overwhelming! <br>

I don't think I need to buy F100 body to use AI or AIS lenses-$200 FM or FE-10 would be enough(or used MF camera).<br>

But here's the dilemma. Here some shots of animals, only two are shot with 50mm prime, the others with Sigma zoom that I "borrowed" from Ritz Camera:<br>

<blockquote><a href="http://www.photo.net/photodb/presentation.tcl?presentation_id=217125" target="_blank">http://www.photo.net/photodb/presentation.tcl?presentation_id=217125</a></blockquote>

<br>

<br>

However you feel about them, at least I liked them enough to post them here. But, I don't have a single portrait, that I would dare to post here.<br>

If I go with 85/f1.8-then good bye shots like that for long time!

But I here you on optical quality of the prime. That's the reason I am still considering it.

Hi,

I have Nikon N80 with Nikkor 50/f1.4, just as Philip recommended.

It works out good for the most part, but now I have a need for some

more lenses. What I am looking for is versatility and quality for

less money-aren't we all?

My primary(but not the only one) interest is people, so a portrait

lens would be nice, but having a limited budget I am thinking of zoom

instead. So far my options are:

Nikkor 85/f1.8 portaits mostly;

or Sigma AF 70-300mm/f4.0-5.6 APO Macro Super portraits(?), and

versatilty in distant shots

or Nikkor AF 3.5-4.5 28-105mm D IF portraits(?), and versatilty in

closer shots

I am leaning towards Sigma, since it will give me a 300mm on longer

end, but then I will miss quality of 85/f1.8

28-105 is said to have better quality then Sigma and for a little

less then 85/f1.8 it has more use.

So I am puzzeled. Any suggestions? Anything else to concider?

80-200/f2.8 I just can't afford