j_w13

<p>I think people are more concerned about maintaining the resale value of their equipment than actually using them. Therefore a lot of equipment just sit around in their cabinets with UV filters stuck on at all times.</p>

<p>I shot both of these photos with my D300 with the 18-200 Nikon lens at 26mm - f/4.5. I tried AF fine tuning on them.<br>

In this first picture (AF tune @ +10) the image is clear towards the right-center but blurry on the left.<br>

<img src="http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc152/asusenior/Photography/zDB1_6378.jpg" alt="" /></p>

<p>Strangely, with AF tune @ -5, the clarity is reversed from the above picture. It is now clearer on the left and more blurry towards the right-center. Can anyone figure what's going on? The subjects are far enough away where depth of field should not be an issue.<br>

<img src="http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc152/asusenior/Photography/zDB1_6380b.jpg" alt="" width="825" height="548" /></p>

<p>Appears that all is good. I did not see any marks or anything when shining a light through it.</p>

<p>I accidentally left my 24mm AIS on my balcony. When I found it (approx 70 hrs later) it was soaked in rain. We had .65 inch the previous day.<br>

<img src="http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc152/asusenior/Photography/zDB1_6160.jpg" alt="" /><br>

I let the lens dry for about an hour. There was still water leaking from between the barrel ring and barrel. Luckily no rust though.<br>

I shot the same picture below with that lens on a D300. It's as if nothing happened to it.<br>

<img src="http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc152/asusenior/Photography/zDB1_6177.jpg" alt="" /></p>

<p>There is some quality control problems with the Sigma 1.4. The one I had consistently gave +1 stop overexposure. I've heard other users had this issue as well.</p>

<p>When I travel overseas and spend much of my time on foot, I want to carry the least I can get by with. That means no tripod in most cases. However, when I travel domestically and know I'll have access to a car, I tend to pack heavier. In that situation I carry a tripod. As others have mentioned the best looking photos are the low light ones. Tripods also slow you down and help you concentrate better. I have a carbon fiber Manfrotto 190CX with a 486 ball head. It is lightweight and excellent for travel.<br>

If I was in your situation I bring three cameras: D90 with 10-20 and 18-200mm; N90 with a 24, 35, and 50mm lens; and a Lumix P&S. I always like to bring a film camera because landscapes just look fantastic with Velvia film.</p>

<p>I had one of those lens for my Nikons. Focus is indeed very soft wide open - shooting at infinity at 50mm. At first I thought it was my D90. But after trying it on the D200, D50, and D300 I can pretty much confirm that it's the lens. The AF fine tune on the D300 cannot correct the soft focus either. Luckily I have gotten rid of that lens.</p>

<p>The biggest mistake I made was packing too much equipment. When traveling domestically with my own car, it's not a big deal packing an extra camera, multiple lens, and a tripod. But when I was in Europe, it was a big hassle. I took two Nikon DSLRS, three zoom lens, and a tripod. I'll never do that again. For my next overseas trip, I'll skip the conventional tripod and just take the D90 with the 16-85mm VR lens. I may think about a tabletop tripod though. My backup camera will be a 12x point and shoot.<br>

As for bags, I have one of those small Lowepro bags that attaches to my belt. I felt so much better than carrying a big bag.</p>

<p>Both those pictures were shot with autofocus, so I don't think the diopter has anything to do with it.</p>

<p>I never had focus issues with film cameras. I've owned an F3, FM10, N90s, and a couple of Canon SLRs. The focusing has always been right on the money. However, all four Nikon DSLRs that I've owned had focusing issues when shot wide open.</p>

<p>I'm curious if anyone else has this problem with their D90. Both pictures were taken on a tripod with a Tamron 17-50 2.8 lens wide open. The first picture was taken conventionally, through the viewfinder. The second was taken by focusing through Live View. What could account for the difference?</p>

<p>Full sized, with the metadata:<br /> http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc152/asusenior/Photography/DSC_4164.jpg<br /> http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc152/asusenior/Photography/DSC_4165.jpg<br>

<br /> <img src="http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc152/asusenior/Photography/zDSC_4164.jpg" alt="" /><br>

<br /> <img src="http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc152/asusenior/Photography/zDSC_4165.jpg" alt="" /></p>

<p>I have that exact lens (50mm f/1.4) and I had the same problem with my D90 and both my D200s. I would have to stop down to about f/4 in order to get a clear picture - that is by focusing through the viewfinder. However, I found out that if you focus through Live View on the D90, you can get a picture as clear as that of a film camera.<br>

<img src="http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc152/asusenior/Misc/DSC_0048.jpg" alt="" /> <img src="http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc152/asusenior/Misc/DSC_0049.jpg" alt="" /></p>

Yes the price of the 400UC at Wal-Mart is $11.94 for a 3-pack with 36 exposures each.

Also I remember a Wal-mart not too far from me, selling a 4-pack of 400UC. I don't remember the price, but I'm sure it's cheaper than B&H or Adorama.

I've tried 100UC and it's one of the best looking films I've used. Fine grain and vibrant colors. Colors are much richer and more attractive than those taken with my Nikon 100D digital SLR. The film scans perfectly. I generally do not like using high speed film because of grain, but I'll give the 400UC a try as well because of the positive recommendations.