angelo_smaldo

thanx

so is not possible to buy via bank transfer and they ship equipment?

can you send some name of big dealer?

thanx

i m both a photographer (free lance) and have a small job in e

commmerce...

i m courios to know how is organized the japan market for nikon especially

Can i buy direct from nikon in japan or there are dealers ( i m not

talking to buy 1 piece, but more of the same camera)?

can anyone (also via mail)suggest and give me some address?possibly

the cheaper:-)

thanx

Lex of course i have not the True, couse true is often subjective

as my small experience as free lance photographer i have done some test with the varios tecnologies, i began with a pentax P30 3 years ago ( i m young:) and used a mamiya 6x7, pentax 6x7 , then eos 1 , and then only last year switched to digital....i owned and tried in this year the canon DSRL system, nikon and olympus (now i have only some nikon lens and starting with my new E 4/3 olympus system)

1) yes maybe at 400 iso the 20D is not better images then velvia, but at 200 iso for my experience outperform the 50 velvia

2) 20D has cleaner files then 1Ds and especially then D2x, i saw that 20D has the cleanest 3200 iso in the digital world, outperform also the 1DMII (both at the top of category for noise performance)

but you cant say D2x has better noise, is worst, and of a lot!;)

3) for debate 1Ds vs MF, you can see the carefully test of michael reichmann with the old 1Ds 10,9 MP vs Pentax 6x7 with provia and scanned with high end drumm scanner

http://www.luminous-landscape.com/reviews/shootout.shtml

4)about AF speed, i m not so expert, i can say only that last year i was lucky and had the opportunity to cover professional basketball in europa (euroleague)like many sport photographers know basketball is one of the sport that push more the capabilities of the AF system of a camera

i used D1 and D1h nikon camera (F5 autofocus system), and i noticed that also that with the non AFS lens like the wonderful for me tamron 28 105 2.8 is at limit the AF system for cover basketball (couse there are many change of directions in basketball)

i was so crazy one night that i went to cover an important match (last 2 years european champions Maccabi Tel Aviv) with ONLY MY canon 300D + a canon 80 200 L F 2.8 (non usm lens)

by the way i had not more problem then with the D1h with AF

but the files of the 300D were CLEANER and better in all aspect then the D1H, wow....I SAID!

i tried also D70 and had no problem

so i dont know how can a nature phtographer have problem with the D70 photographing mammals or other animals....

FOr the debate on D2h, yes the AF system is also a small improvment on the D1 and D1H, but i alway refused the idea to spend 3-4000 euro for a 4 MP camera, and i can swear you that the 6MP (d70, 300D) outperform the D2h in resolving power (details) and iso performance, and when you say reviewrs dont see difference, sure is NOT IN DETAILS THAT THE camera resolves, a 6MP resolve more then a 4 MP, and i can swear you that my New Olympus E300 8MP resolve more details then the 6MP kodak dcs 760 and then nikon D70, i tested it carefully!

this are my ideas, but is only my opinion:-)

PS last month i was to photograph seagull with my DCS 760 , with an old sigma 70 210 f 2.8 (NON HSM) and i can swear you , also the big af system of F5 made me impossible to focus at 210 mm on the sea!!!it cant lock the focus, i saw totally blurred images in the enourmous viewfinder of the 760 (ahh i never saw a nikon DSRL with so bright viewfinder, if you can try it!;)

this mean for me that the HSM or USM or AFS in the lens is more important then the difference in AF system of the camera ( OF COURSE ALSO THAT IS VERY important, couse an AFS lens on a D2H focus very very fast)

i like to experiment equipment

only my 2 cent

my work inclusive basketball is on my site (i have done by myself so is not still perfectly:)

http://web.tiscali.it/global.village/

SHUN: i dont know what say you, maybe i m wrong or maybe you have a defective af sistem

i think the D100 problem is not the multicam 900, but the shutter lag compared to D1 and D2 series, responsivness

i dont notice BIG difference in af SPEED between the F5 Dcs 760 and the D70, but is only my opinion

GLORIA: i also dont understand your avversion vs digital, to be true for me the new digital sistem like the 4/3 olympus with some of the best lenses ever made after leica (for see some opions can ceck this link:

http://www.luminous-landscape.com/columns/sm-june-05.shtml )

OUTPERFORM the old velvia slide in every way (iso quality, resolving power and so on)

i think hard to work professionaly with the old 35 mm film camera couse the market change, and with the digital technology many other photographers can shoot more and better (iso speed) then with the old technolgy) and if you want to be in the market, this is the true: is Sad but true

and i dont talk about the 1Ds series of canon, that is on the par with the MF

and maybe with the new 22MP mamiya ZD in only 1,5 kg of weight you can outpermorm also the Large format, and carry it in a small bag like you carry your canon elan

i think is not so bad have a large format camera ready to shoot in every time

of course Gloria you are free to follow what you like more

Regards to both

angelo

and ON D70 focus speed:

i used all the nikon DSRL and also the F5 Digital made by kodak (DCS 760)

and i can say you that the D2h with a slow lens is much slower then the D70 with a AFS or HSM lens

second: the image quality of the D70 outperform the D2H

third: i think for wildlife the af of D70 is also much then you need

and if you upgrade with the new firmware, you ll have not problem also to lock with focus a small bird in fly

but if you photograph mammals the af speed of D70 is also 10 time faster then you need

btw also a used D2H could be a good choice,sure the feel of the D2h in your hand is better...

LEX

the locic of waiting right light for 50 and 100 iso is old

now with digital (i.e. canon high end dsrl)you can have at 400 iso cleaner images then the velvia 50 iso

i talked with a nikon dsrl specialist (not a representative) who showed me the D2x and said that the wide open tele lens like 400 mm 2.8 in the digital age are no more necessary, couse with digital you can have totally grain free images at 200 iso or 400 (200 iso is 2 stop of advantage on velvia 50)and you have better files

you have also to consider that a D2x (or 1Ds)equal in resolving power a Medium format film camera, so you have not only better iso performance, but also a medium format camera in a small high speed camera

D70 can shoot in raw circa 3 FPF for the first 4 images, and after 1 FPS....

so it s enough

it s not so bad cameara, also AF is not so bad

but i were in you , i will not buy the 200 400 , for me cost too much for the aperture it has, i would go for the sigma 120-300 F 2.8 and with a 1,4 converter, you ll have a zoom and a 2.8 lens

you can couple the simga with a D2x and have really big performance ( i think sigma + D2x cost less then 200 400 only)

just an advise

no i m not kidding

i sure 90 % of landscape photographer still use Large Format cameras

i.e sinar, or lens like schneider....

i m asking myself if in this field of photography i m the only one who

switched 100% to digital ......

mybe is the more conservative branch of photography, i think many of

you still usind film camera, and also Big format cameras.

and if yes, wich kind of equipment?

i m using now olympus 4/3 sistem and Nikons DSRL (8MP and 6MP)

i love the X2 multiplier lens factor when photographing animals of the

4/3 oly sistem.

i m only to the digital world now, and used both canon and nikon DSRL

for me now the best choiche is the olympus E300

why?`8MP and a very good kit lens !not like the one on the canon 350D ( i used )

the kit lens on the E300 is very sharp altough not so wide open (like all kit lens), also my brother bought one E 300

you have to consider that in resolution power a 8MP digital camera is equal to the velvia ,6MP like D70 are circa in resolution powar at 80 %, you can find this test on the net also

i advise you really with E300, GREAT CAMERA, and could be used also for a pro ( i ll use very often the one of my brother:)

it s one of the most important worldwide in one of the most important

place to observe and take photo of birds in europe (and maybe worldwide)

there will be also the show of the wildlife photographer of the year

expositions

and some pratcical workshop for photographer (free)

all is free, next week end

http://www.podeltabirdfair.it/

couse it will be 50 km from my home i ll be there next week

end:)something else?

i saw beautiful photos on nat. geo. this month of orcas (whale

assassin in english if i m not wrong) in B/W,especially the first on

aperture of reportage where a orca is jumping outside water catching

a young seal

there is also a lot of grain/noise on photo,or its rain....

i think was done with a nikon D100 (if you go on nat geo site you can

see the photo i m talking)

i always read tha B/W is not good for wildlife..couse has a

documentaristic purpose...not artistic (of course i m talking for

magazine like nat.geo)

what you think?

i would like experiment this technique....

yes i think there are 800 billion of pics of lions, bears, tigers,eagles, and aslo rare animals like panda!:-)

and are great photo, in every situations and envirovment

if you go to corbis and look lions or go on stock agency specialized in wildlife you ll find ton of that photo

just for i.e. if i ll shoot for a year eagle, i ll never maybe shoot a pic like the picture of the week in this site

so maybe the unique way to do something of original is to photograph animals in a nich or a particular situation or to tell a story with your pics

ps about BEARS , i posted NEW LINK at my site about some images scanned in an italian magazine:

http://web.tiscali.it/global.village/bears.htm

this link in my web site from scanning images from an italian magazine

http://web.tiscali.it/global.village/bears.htm

yes Bob, it depends on how close you are

but it look seagulls have a small transistor in the brain that say"at 15 meters we fly all away":-) and i tried in several places and times

ps a seagull grup shot done 2 weeks ago:

http://web.tiscali.it/global.village/seagulls.htm

thanx to all

and for mattew:yes i think a photojournalistic approach is the best thing as you said

i think also that bears with a tradition of feeding from people like in the zoo or in that places in east europe could be dangerous if you dont forage them or they found the city without garbage or food,and could became aggressive really

for now no dead people (expect a woman that had a hearth attack seeing the bear out her door)

and people in the forest taking mushroom that met a female bear with anger (i dont know the exacly veterinary term)who killed 4 or 5 person,but not in the cities but in the forest in her wild envirovment

ps i m scanning new pics about romania and bears in urbans i found in a magazine about boys "joking"with bears and feeding with a bottle of milk

wich is the best useful focal length for take seagull photos in

urban/coastal envirovment?

i m still preparing for my task about bears in east europe(see long

post below)but is so difficult and it will take me long time to

prepare all, so i decide while i prepare to stay in exercise with

animals photo and take some photos of seagull in the adriatic cost.

i discovered are beautiful birds, i wuold like take some photos but

not single snashpots, but a "pics that tell a story" about life in

urban/turistic envirovment like where i live (Rimini is one of the

biggest touristic place in europe,every years millions of toursist

every summer)

and i would like photograph the way the birds live in the coast

modified their behavior in such turisctic place

1)wich are for you the thing to take in consideration(specific

behavior,interection with humans,....?)

2)i discovered are very carefull animals, they let you come near

them,but at a some meters all fly away,my lens is now a 70 210 f 2.8

(that on my DCS 760 digital become a 270mm circa)

i think is a little short, maybe a 400 mm (520 mm on my kodak is

enough or also a 300 mm could be right?)

thanx

ps about bears tomorrow i ll scan new photos about romania and guys

who give milk in a bottle from hands to bears, i ll post it the link

in this and the other post)

thanx all

angelo smaldore

i think if you want a enter level a 350D could be a good camera (better the 20D that has faster AF,but i dont know if sailing need so fast AF)

both has great noise performance!

for lenses a 70 200 f 2.8 could be the best

but couse that camera has so great advantage on noise on older camera you can push the iso and also a canon 70 200 F4 USM could be the right lens for you (i suggest this option,is cheap and marvelous optically)

the AS is not needed in action photography, so dont wast money on it

i dont know how far you will be from action?i think 70 200 could be enough, and with a 8 MP camera you can also crop a little

other options?the best could be a sealed body (nikon D1 /D2 series or canon eos 1D series)but here we go really high on price level

you can find now a used nikon D1 at very low price ,usd 600-700, has only 2,7MP but for sport is still enough and u can print very good A4 photos

i think that for a beginner a 350D with the 70 200 F4 will give you very good quality photos (at same level then with 4-5000 USD canon eos 1DMII)of course with slower AF and less sofiticated body and ergonomics

please look here and give your opinion especially on guy feeding bear

http://www.siemelink.com/romania_files/2july.htm

ps and for photographic tecnique, i hate that effect of flash....but there are other alternatives?

this are enough big city, how do people when go out in the night while 20 or more bears forage in the city;)?

they carry a larger rifle;-)?

if you want photograph mountain maybe is better a wide angle;-)

btw, the vivitar 100 400 if i m not wrong is done by cosina (you can find soligor, phoenix, cosina 100 400) all the same

is the worst optically in the range of that focal lenght

the best in mtf test is the sigma 70 300 Macro II (or 75 300 i dont remeber exacly)better then nikon same range lens

the right price of a 100 400 vivar (cosina)is less then 100 USD;-)

if you find it for 50 buy it ;-)

hy Mark, no advise;-)?

only specifications?i know no black bear in EU,but i can understand why alaskan coastal "brown bear"is bigger then european brown bear.

i remember a my old post that you are very qualified,i waiting also your advices;-)

as you can see from my web site, i m a photographer specialized in cultural reportage,it will be my first nature wildlife reportage,i m very interested of human/animal - urban/wild envirovment encounters.

http://george-orwell.virtuale.org

Hy stephen , yes i think it could be a problem to go in night with equipment, but as my fried that was there suggested, to take taxist as guide with we for the evening bear tours (yes they do it for tourist common:-)and if you are with a taxist that assist you u dont have problems

i have also contact with people who live there, this is very important and i m also contacting researchers who study this phenomen.

by the way as you saw i dont carry so costly equiment (i think is not safe go with a new D2x or eos 1DMII ,also lens i use sigma and tamrons

the risk is ust some hundreds euros

my other idea is to take with me my brothers Fuji S7000 (very good quality camera that produce 12MP files)is very compact and has a 210mm at 2.8 if i m not wrong,so the first days i ll carry that camera to look as a "normal"tourist to inspect the situation:-)

ps for pepper spray, how tu use it??

hy i need some tips about both Behavioral aspect and technical aspect

about photographing bears in the night in urban envirovment

i want start my next project(i m free lance and i want editorial

quality photos) in late spring in east europe (from balcans to

carpatian mountain)

where there are some cities where in the night go foraging in the

city (in the zone there are more then 7000 brown bears)

people go to see bears from just 2-3 meters (little dangerous i think)

by the way what i m thinking is:

better with or without flash?a my friend said resident dont are happy

with flash couse they think it scare bears (altough i see on a VHS

that a lot of guys and girls go with digicams nears bears to take

photo with flash)

i think flash is the best option

if not i have to take a very open lens (1.4 50mm)and using hight iso

with a monopode take pics

i dont know ?what i ll find , about what i saw in VHS there are

lights in the streets, but i dont know about how much

if with flash, it could be useful to use a slave flash to put where

they forage (garbage or other place) and use at not maximum power.....

or put on the top of the camera???

THE only problems is that my camera now a kodak DCS 760 (alias Nikon

F5 digital 6MP) has max iso about 400 iso, but i can underexpose to

have 800 -1600 iso , but about quality i dont know.

for now i have a sigma 70 200 F2.8 and a tamron 28 -105 f.2.8 SP(i

use it for cover professional italian basketball),but i m planning

to buy new lenses....first a good wide angle ,the old just sold.

with flash it will be more easy

or i use flash or i buy a second body with high iso performance (not

in nikon now....)so i have to buy a 20D or new 350D that has georgeus

iso performance at 1600-3200( ahh i have also a 50mm 1.8 canon in my

home now)

last question: about pepper spray for bears?where i can buy in italy

and how i have to use it?(brown bear in the zone are very big, i read

that was found there the biggest brown bears in the world :480kg)

thanx to all kind of advise

with a 12 Mp camera (the only now is the D2x soon avalaible)you can with a 300mm crop 3 MP like using a 600 mm, having the advantage to have DOF of the 300mm

3 MP are enough for a good A4 print

ps why dont use a 400 mm with a 12MP`?