anton_de_flon

I had an N6006 back in the day (1990's). The shutter button cracked, possibly from screwing in cable releases into the threaded socket in the middle of the shutter button. I have always been careful with my equipment, and never had this issue on any other Nikon camera body in 30 years of using the brand, so I felt there was something inherently defective in the design.

I took the 24-120 f/4 and D810 on a 10 day trip to Japan last October and never found myself wanting another lens the entire trip. Yes, it's a little heavy, but I took a number of my favorite photos in the 86-120mm range which would have been missed with a 24-85mm.

In terms of image quality, the 24-120 provides better image quality out towards the edges of the frame than the 24-85 VR, especially towards the wide end. My 24-120 produces decent corners at 24mm whereas the 24-85mm smeared detail. I really wanted to like the 24-85, but ended up selling it recently as it really doesn't do justice to the 36mp sensor. This was after several tripod-mounted tests to ensure that I wasn't being sloppy.

For pure landscape work, I still prefer the Nikon 24-70 f/2.8 (original version) as it has slightly more contrast in fine details but if you stop down to F/11 or smaller then there's little difference and I often carry the 24-120 on mountain hikes.

<p>The Central Adirondacks are good for this. Lewey Lake Campground or Lake Durant Campground. Those are state campgrounds with showers (always nice to have). The skies are very far from major cities and there is the possibility to frame a lake and mountains as a foreground. The campgrounds close for the season around Oct. 11.</p>

<p>I use the 24-70 on a D800, and it is capable of pretty sharp results to the edges at all focal lengths when used at around f/9 in my experience, as a previous poster also mentioned. However, for distance scenes like the one you posted where large depth of field is not that important, I always focus manually, and sometimes bracket focus to get the best results. This lens DOES have field curvature, and any slight mis-focus can result in either the sharp center with blurry edges, or blurry center with sharp edges. I use the viewfinder in-focus lights as a rough guide, but prefer to trust my own eyes. I definitely can't get flat field with this lens at f/7.1 or wider, but sometimes sacrifice a bit of edge sharpness to get the greater definition towards the center that the wider apertures can provide. If after manually bracketing focus at f/9 you still can't get the edges sharp, then you should have the lens adjusted. If you like to use AF and can get sharp shots with manual focus bracketing, then perhaps a slight front or back focus AF adjustment will get your lens focusing at a point where the field curvature is eliminated.</p>

<p>For alpine wildflowers (above 4000ft on the Presidential Range) June 10-20 offers the best potential. Having said that, I've encountered flowers from early June to early July. Being able to locate the flowers is helped by being able to cover large amounts of ground as elevation and exposure have profound influences, which make it very hard to predict which flowers show up where from year to year. The information desk in the Pinkham Notch Visitor's Center should be good resource to help narrow this down.<br>

I've had good results on the Nelson Crag Trail and the Boott Spur trail, both of which start out of Pinkham Notch. The ravine trails (Tuckermans, etc) plus Lions Head Trails seem less productive. Another good spot is around the summit of Mt Pierce, which can be accessed from Crawford Notch via the Crawford Path at the southwestern end of the Presi's. This peak also offers very interesting wide open views towards Mount Washington.<br>

I would definitely recommend bringing at least a table top tripod, as I can't imagine being able to compose a shot and get sharpness without one, plus it will save a lot of time over a bean bag. I would also recommend a remote shutter release to time the shutter between gusts of wind. Many flowers are very small and close to the ground, so the wind is not always such a problem in those protected nooks, but not having a tripod will make it hard to lock in the composition.</p>

<p>I've used a full-sized tripod in many locations in NYC and never had a hassle. Locations such as Times Square, Top of the Rock and Rockefeller Center, the Brooklyn Bridge from both the Brooklyn and Manhattan sides. My strategy is to keep the tripod concealed inside my backpack until I have staked out the shot. Also, I use a regular generic backpack, not one that announces "photographer". Common sense things apply like not setting up a tripod where it is blocking passers-by. I recommend Top of the Rock for huge wide open views. I believe the Empire State Builiding has wire and chain link fences limiting you to hand-holding. Also, of late the Brooklyn Bridge has been undergoing renovations and had huge ugly tarps hanging on it, so you might want to check it out before blowing some good light. From the Jersey side, Liberty State Park is OK, but the view is rather distant, so be sure of clear weather. You could get some long shots of the new Freedom Tower, which is now rising above all downtown. I prefer Weekhawken waterfront park by the Lincoln tunnel, where you can get a nice view across of the Empire State Building.</p>

<p>This is the worst color year I have seen in Upstate New York in the last 20 years. The Catskills still had a little color left in lower elevation spots as of this last weekend, but you have to find protected areas such as in protected valleys near streams, and the colors peaked around the middle of last week in places near Woodstock. The amount of leaf drop is more what one would expect for October 31st. By next weekend I don't think there will be much left anywhere in the Catskills. A storm on Wednesday is supposed to bring another 3 inches of rain. The best bet will be places at lower elevations in the Hudson Valley such as around Kingtson/Rhinebeck. The Hudson Highlands may still hold on to some leaves.</p>

<p>I prefer to use a changing bag or changing tent both at home and on the road. That way I can at least sit somewhere comfortably and watch TV while loading the films. Bathrooms get warm and humid.<br>

Another thing I find helps before loading film is to practice loading with a reject sheet a few times in full light. That seems to cut down tremendously on the time it takes to "hunt" for the grooves in the holders once I am no longer able to see what I'm doing.</p>

<p>Check out the Catskill Mountains, Exits 19 - 21 on the NY Thruway and head west. A large scale map such as the NY State atlas published by Delorme is a must. Even better, the NYNJ Trail Conference maps that can be had from any outdoor retailer show streams, waterfalls, and scenic vistas. The area around North South Lake Campground east of Haines Falls is particularly rewarding. These are the closest sizeable mountains to NYC and can be quite dramatic when the light is good. This area is a 2 hour drive one way. I used to go for just the day, but now, I often go on a Saturday, camp out (or sleep in the car) and come back on Sunday.<br>

Closer than the Catskills, the area around New Paltz exit 18 on the Thruway is also very rewarding, with parks such as Mohonk and Minnewaska offering lakes, forests and scenic vistas for very little effort. Mohonk has a limited parking so you have to get there early.<br>

Closer still, Harriman State Park in the Hudson Highlands is like a miniature Catskills, with lots of trails and scenic potential, particularly in the Fall due to the large variety of vegetation types. A set of trail maps for this area is also published by the NYNJ Trail Conference. Parts of the Hudson Highlands are even accessible by train.</p>

 

I use a Rodenstock 6.8/90 on my Shen Hao HZX45-AII and I think anything much heavier would take a discomforting amount of force to lock securely in place with the little knobs in the front. In terms of movements I am completely satisfied with an 11mm recessed lens board. This makes a surprising improvement over a standard lens board, which allows hardly any rise/fall with the 90.

Hi Folks, Thank you all very much for your input. It's a relief to hear from your experiences that I don't have to be overly worried. I will certainly pay attention to the shutter to make sure it's operating normally before making an exposure, and if necessary increase the exposure time so I can count off the seconds. Until such time as I get my Mamiya checked, I will probably take my trusty old Nikon FM2 or F100 along as a back up (both have worked down to minus 30F on numerous occasions without complaints). Best Regards, Anton.

I am new to LF photography and recently obtained a Shen Hao HZX4x5II with

Fujinon 150mm for the purpose of shooting landscapes. It seems like some of

the best winter light coincides with the most brutal winter termperatures in

Upstate New York. While it probably seems masochistic to some, I'm wondering

if anyone has had experience shooting in extreme cold with LF equipment and

can give some pointers as to looking after the gear. I am particularly

worried about damaging the lens diaphram, shutter or bellows. Just the other

day, it was minus 12F and I opted to use my familiar MF equipment to be on the

safe side. After hiking 7 miles, the shutter in the Mamiya 645e stuck and I

was left with beautiful memories, but no pictures! Luckily, once warmed back

up it sounds mormal again. The battery was new. I'm worried the same or

worse might happen to the mechanical aparatus in the Copal O. Any input would

be greatly appreciated!

The Catskills offer some very rewarding scenery, especially if you are able/willing to climb the mountains since the most dramatic views are generally from above. My favorite hike in the Catskills (and in all of New York State for that matter) is up Wittenberg and Cornell Mountains from Woodland Valley (off of Rte. 28 near Phoenicia). From along the ridge you get wide views in many directions and litte sign of human activity (if you discount the jaw-dropping view of the Ashokan Reservoir over 3000ft below). Sugarloaf Mountain near Tannersville and the Blackhead Range up near Wyndam also offer some wide and spectacular views. Keep in mind these are serious hikes with 2000ft+ elevation gain and fairly relentless ascents. If you want something easier going, I would not miss North South Lake State Campground and environs near Haines Falls (NY's highest waterfall, Kaaterskill Falls is found in this area). Other good intro hikes would be Overlook Mountain by Woodstock with it's jeep road up to the top, and Ashokan High Point just west of the Ashokan Reservoir, which has a beautiful stream near the trail that's worth a look in overcast light. One thing I cannot emphasize enough is that you should have a detailed map of the area or finding the trailheads is a real hassle if you don't know the area and will waste a lot of time. The Delorme Atlas is a good start, but I really recommend the trail maps put out by the New York-New Jersey Trail conference and can be found in most decent hiking shops or can be found online. The best colors are usually during the time from Oct. 05 -15. By the end of this period, the leave are almost gone above 3000ft, but are usually peaking lower down up to 2500ft.

Although it's not specifically in the area you are staying, from the Adirondack Loj road I would strongly recommend that you continue heading east on Rte. 73 for Keene Valley and go as far as the Rte. 9 turn off to Elizabethtown. This stretch of road is one of the most dramatic in all of NY State and includes many trailheads. Some worthwhile stops along here are the Cascade Lakes, Roaring Brook Falls,Chapel Pond (right along the road and best in morning if the sun is out),Round Pond & numerous views of the Ausable River. All of these are either along the road or at most a 1/2 mile hike in. You could then double back and at Keene head north on 9N to Upper Jay and then west at Wilmington to take Rte. 86 back towards Lake Placid through the spectacular Wilmington Notch. Roadside views of the Ausable River West Branch (especially at Monument Falls) offer many opportunities as well as the classic view of Whiteface framed at Little Cherrypatch pond. The Adirondack Mountain Club map of the High Peaks Region would be invaluable for being able to locate these sites. Make sure Rte. 86 is open as I understand they have been widening this road and am not sure if the work is still ongoing.

I've been using a 645E since July 2002 and have only had good experiences with it. I've taken it out on many a rugged 10 mile hike in the mountains in temperatures from -29F to +90F and in downpoors and hot sun. The only small incident was that the shutter stuck for one frame on the -29F outing, but became unstuck with the next release of the shutter without problem. Yes, it is a plasticky camera despite it's heft, but I would not worry about it's functionality. I agree that the 45N is a superb optic.

Your best bet for processing may have been to order the Kodak Processing Mailers when you bought the film from B&H. At a current price of USD4.99 per 36 exposure roll, you would just need to add postage, which seems to differ from 37 to 51 cents depending on which post office I go to. Anyway, it all goes to Dwayne's in Kansas no matter how you send it out. In terms of archivability, the latest round of E6 films are claimed to have much improved color dye stability. Kodak even gives an estimate of at least 80 years in dark storage for the E100G films on their website. I'm surprised Kodak even still makes Kodachrome as the number of people who use this product must be relatively miniscule compared to other films when you consider how few places actually sell it. With that in mind, it will not be surprising when they finally discontinue it, but this issue has been discussed for some time and yet they still keep it in production!

In contrast to the experience that Lex had, IMHO the E100G/E100GX films are the crowning achievement of color slide film technology. While I was rarely satisfied with the over-the-top colors of Velvia, these Ektachromes produce rich, realistic colors and are capable of capturing fantastic detail in trees and landscapes under both sunlit and overcast conditions. For examples see:

http://www.photo.net/photo/2839299

http://www.photo.net/photo/2839301

http://www.photo.net/photo/2652519

I second the opinion that these films are good for skin tones as well.

It's a shame Kodak could not have come out with these films a couple of years earlier to gain more recognition before the movement to digital.

My experience with scanning E100G/E100GX is that they are quite easy to work with, although like every film I have scanned, there is a picture once in a while that is a real pain to get right. I use the Minolta Dimage Version III scanner so maybe they ironed out some kinks with this one.

"Photography and the Art of Seeing" by Freeman Patterson was very influential to me even though it is not specifically for landscapes. Any of his books are great for thinking creatively.

 

Also, John Shaw's "Nature Photography Field Guide" gives an excellent in-depth understanding of equipment and technique for all kinds of situations.

Kodachrome 64, that is.

Keep it alive as long as you can...<div></div>

Another vote for E100G. I shot some post-sunset snow scenes this past winter and it picked up the subtle warm tones in the sky nicely, without exaggerating blue in the snow or shadows.

I have used both the 50mm 1.8AF and 60mm AFD for at least 7 years, finding this to be a very useful focal length selection. The 50mm 1.8 is probably one of the sharpest nikkors money can buy. While never having performed an actual scientific side-by-side test of these lenses, the 50mm 1.8 AF would seem to offer a very slight advantage in "image snap" on landscape photos compared to the 60mm AFD. However, I have no qualms using the 60mm for landscapes (see http://www.photo.net/photo/2529775 for an example) if I need to travel light with one lens for both macro & landscapes in the mid-focal length department. The reason I continue to use the 50mm lens is that it is true "normal" while the 60mm borders on short telephoto, at least in my opinion.

Rgrds, Anton

Kodak claims on its PDF "sell sheet" that E100G Ektachrome provides "Stability of original image in dark storage for at least 80 years". Check http://www.kodak.com/global/plugins/acrobat/en/professional/products/films/e100g/ppi946.pdf

 

Regards,

Anton