mike_halliwell

<p>Just as a question, are your batteries <em>definitely</em> either fully charged rechargeables or fresh/new?</p> <p>I've had the maddening situation of all 4 coming off the charger, saying fully charged and then doing absolutely <em>nothing</em> when put into my SB-800 at an important event. One turned out to be duff and miss-reported it's status. I had 2 full sets of spares, did a full re-load and all was well. Checked the 'old' set later and found the dead one.</p>

<blockquote> <p>Sigma 17-50mm F2.8 EX DC OS HSM Nikon</p> </blockquote> <p>I'd expect Sigma to update this lens pretty soon to an A version that will allow the USB thingy to do much more complex fine tune than the d300 alone can do.</p> <p>If you don't really need that extra stop (although with the d300 high ISO noise could be a problem) the newer Sigma 17-70mm f2.8-4 C is great.</p>

<blockquote> <p>the assist light on the camera is disabled and the light on the iTTL flash works instead, no?</p> </blockquote> <p>Yes it does, but as far as i know it only illuminates in AF-S focus mode.</p>

<blockquote> <p>assist light would be on for as long as the user was requesting focus</p> </blockquote> <p>If there was some easy way to get at the half-press/full press signal for an aux focus assist LED light with it's own 2 x AA power source...I'd buy one for £15. </p> <p>How long does 'request focus' work for <em>after</em> you lift your finger off the shutter button?</p> <p>AF Assist light 'ON' on first or half-press...and 'OFF' on finger-up.....and 'OFF' on full press.....I can't see a issue, unless I'm missing something...which is quite possible!</p>

<blockquote> <p>single shot autofocus mode (AF-S) must be on; I recall it doesn't function in AF-C mode.</p> </blockquote> <p>Yup, good guess. I'd like to see AF assist ON (in AF-C) as a selectable menu option.</p> <p>The AF assist on flash, or SC-29, follows the same rules as the on-body AF-assist lamp. In AF-C, it's all dark!</p>

<p>+1 Wouter for the Tamron 60mm f2.</p> <p>Sharp as a very sharp thing and the bokeh is not unpleasant.</p> <p>Peaks at ~ f4 > f5.6. You can always do selective softening if need be.</p> <p>It's got quite a 'strong' vignette if used wide open, which I find quite 'arty'..:-)</p>

<p>Duxford #3</p><div></div>

<p>Duxford #2</p><div></div>

<p>Duxford Airshow, UK, last weekend. </p><div></div>

<blockquote> <p>That said, I don't think I've ever seen a 40-second time lapse that was 40 seconds worth of interesting.</p> </blockquote> <p>True, as a single take at least!</p> <blockquote> <p>So maybe the D5400 will, too!</p> </blockquote> <p>Not forgetting the D7200 with a 4K Time-Lapse preset function, that outputs the finished article like the D800 does...:-)</p> <p>These are quite good though.......and are all edited together to make longer films.</p> <p>http://www.nphotomag.com/2013/01/26/nikon-photography-top-five-time-lapse-films-shot-using-nikon-dlsrs/</p>

<p>Sorry for delay returning, was shooting planes at an air-show.</p> <p>Yes it was! Hummmm?</p> <p>I was only shooting Fine JPEG at the time.</p> <p>A real stupid thought...I <em>thought</em> RAW 'frames' went straight to the buffer for processing and then from the buffer to the card.... Obviously wrong.... they get processed before entering the buffer and anything, repeat <em>anything</em> that needs thinking about slows down the entire process.</p> <p>However, a new twist has emerged. I got a couple of 'black frames' today, that on EXIF showed I was using a 28mm f2!! Now I do own a rather ancient Vivitar 28mm f2 that is my first entry on my non-cpu lens list.... I wonder if there was a v.brief loss of connection 'tween lens and body that caused a stutter?</p> <p>I'll go and clean those contacts!</p> <p> </p>

<p>Indeed...a likely reason....:-(</p> <p>That's why they also gave it a mains-fed power lead...:-)</p> <p>............but failed to make a battery grip...Doh!</p> <p>.......not all time-lapse films are in the middle of the forest...although many are admittedly far away from the wall socket!</p>

<p>Just had a butchers over the D810 manual Andrew linked to in another post......p. 123/125</p> <p>There's no 30 minute limit in BULB and/or TIME, so I suspect it's a deliberate cripple by Nikon to differentiate the Consumer FX from the Pro FX.</p> <p>......<strong><em>and</em></strong> you can use the camera shutter button too. No remote required.</p>

<p>The internal Intervalometer on my D5300 is limited to 999 frames. Unless my maths is off, that's 999/25 (fps) = 39 secs final footage real time. </p> <p>So, if I want a full minute I have to reset the thing in the 'Dark Time' between frames?</p> <p>Why is there such a limiting limit?</p> <p>Maybe I can get an external Intervalometer such as the Nikon MC-36A for £129 ($200)?.....No wait, that's got a 10pin connector.. I'll get the one designed for my camera...except they don't make one. Hey maybe there's a Nikon 10pin to D5300 connector adapter...err No.</p> <p>Ah well, I'll just have to go get one on flea bay or Amazon. They seem to have a limit of 9999 and a similar start...stop interface...Oh, and they're ~ £15</p>

<p>The DxO measurements seem to follow your tests..</p> <p>http://www.dxomark.com/Lenses/Tokina/AT-X16-28-F2.8-PRO-FX-Nikon-mounted-on-Nikon-D800---Measurements__792</p> <p>and here...</p> <p>http://www.dxomark.com/Lenses/Compare/Side-by-side/(lens1)/370/(lens2)/221/(brand1)/Tokina/(camera1)/441/(brand2)/Nikkor/(camera2)/441</p> <p>.........sums up Shun's 'experiences'!</p> <p> £410 v £1200............enough said..:-)</p>

<p>It doesn't say whether BULB using an MC-DC2 (cable remote with slide lock) has the same limitation??</p> <p>Seems there are lots of MC-DC2 clones with built in timers for up to 100hours such as Amazon UK ref <strong> </strong>B00C1Y01T8</p> <p> </p>

<p>BeBu, it seems you can't use the camera shutter release button, you need an ML-L3. </p> <p>However, to quote from page 79 of the D600 manual...</p> <p>• Time ("-.-"): Requires an optional ML-L3 remote <br />control (p.298). Start the exposure by pressing <br />the ML-L3 shutter-release button. The shutter <br />remains open for thirty minutes or until the <br />button is pressed a second time.<br> Followed by...on Page 80</p> <p>4 (To) Open the shutter.<br />Bulb: After focusing, press the shutter-release button on the camera or optional <br />remote cord all the way down. Keep the shutter-release button pressed until <br />the exposure is complete.<br> <br />Time: Press the ML-L3 shutter-release button all the way down.<br> <br />5 (To) Close the shutter.<br />Bulb: Take your finger off the shutter-release button.<br> <br />Time: Press the ML-L3 shutter-release button all the way down. Shooting ends <br />automatically after thirty minutes.</p> <p>Note..<strong> Shooting ends </strong><strong>automatically after thirty minutes.</strong></p> <p>That kinda implies it can't stay open for longer than 30 mins...PERIOD!</p> <p>Film? Remember reciprocity failure, that was a real pain!</p>

<p>I'd have thought DSLRs would have had T as well as Bulb by now! Maybe it's done in the remote rather than in camera? Makes sense as you probably don't want to touch the camera.</p>

<p>I'd have thought DSLRs would have had T as well as Bulb by now! Maybe it's done in the remote rather than in camera? Makes sense as you probably don't want to touch the camera.</p>

<p>All great advice so far!</p> <p>Maybe make an gentle (radial*) arc with you as the centre point (with +1 for Peter H's 30-35mm if you have the space), as opposed to a flat 'wall' of people. It's more intimate rather than an in-personal business Team Shot 'wall'.</p> <p>Maybe a full power single flash 'blast' to lighten faces and give catch-lights. Multi-flash is hard to master quickly. If you use f8 and an ISO of say 100, ambient light should do the rest, assuming bright, but shady outdoors.</p> <p>Please do come back and tell us how it went. The last 3 or so of these 'How do I shoot a large group' ran to about 5 pages of advice <em><strong>each</strong></em> and we never heard what happened!</p> <p>* If it's radial, everyone should appear more-or-less the same size. If it's a flat line, the people at the edges are further from you and appear smaller.</p>

<p>To continue the butterfly theme. European Comma. </p><div></div>

<p>Jerry, it's only happened about 4 times in 40000 frames. It's a odd glitch, not a 'User Error'.</p> <blockquote> <p>(I used to shoot weddings, and that is one place you do not get a second *try* at a shot. Horse events are different....)</p> </blockquote> <p>Your's might be, but mine certainly aren't, they're against the clock, there's no 'Could you just go around again?'.!</p> <p>Weddings...I've done 3, (I don't like doing weddings...maybe I don't like people enough...:-))...you get to do a couple of frames of a single event, OK, you might miss a look or a glance, but there are no one-off events with regard to 1/2 a second...<strong><em>never</em> </strong>to be repeated shots.</p> <p>OK, you can't repeat a whole wedding, but 'most' of the shots are arranged groupings where taking just a single frame per arrangement would be 'suicidal'...would it not?.....you get to do a bunch and then pick the 'nicest'...I don't get that luxury.</p> <p>The horse is '<em>available'</em> for no more than 1/2 a second or maybe 4 frames....period. When the camera stutters in a 5 shot burst, it's important to find out why! So 250 horses in a day that's 1000 - 1500 unique frames, there are no duplicates. The camera 'misses' 2 frames, mid burst, I'd prefer it didn't!</p> <p>I've never met anyone actually <strong><em>at</em></strong> a wedding doing over 30 mile per hour in one direction only, never to return.... getting there certainly, but not during the photos..:-)</p>

<blockquote> <p>I myself tend to shoot in A mode and keep an eye on my shutter speed. If it starts to drop to low I will switch auto ISO on with out a second thought. The less I have to think about what the camera is doing the more I can think about framing and timing.</p> </blockquote> <p>Yup, exactly as I do.</p> <p>Slowing down is one thing, not going 'off' when you press (or hold down) the shutter is entirely different.</p> <blockquote> <p>I always thought it was just a thing. Maybe I lifted my finger for a micro second. It is very inconsistent and very annoying.</p> </blockquote> <p>Indeed it is! I'd thought maybe I hesitated and eased off the shutter button, but I'm 99% sure I didn't.</p> <blockquote> <p>I kinda assumed (Ooops!) it would just take the pic and allow it to be under or over</p> </blockquote> <p>Just did an experiment and it does as I thought, no hiccups, no pauses, just underexposed dark pics...(I'd set max ISO to 800 and aimed into a dark corner @ 1/250 @f8) so, a correct assumption as it turned out.<br> ___<br> Jerry, did you actually read my post before assuming I'm a beginner and offering patronising 'Hints'? I've been earning a living for years and this is very unusual behaviour in the over quarter of a million frames I've taken with Nikon DSLRs.</p>

<p>It was outdoors on one of those blue sky days, but with heavy grey cloud. The horses were probably occupying maybe 1/6 of the frame area and were a mix of colours from bright white (AKA greys) to shiny black beasts, in and out of shaded woodland...not ideal!</p> <p>I kinda assumed (Ooops!) it would just take the pic and allow it to be under or over, but it's a good thought.</p> <p>I'll go and look over the EXIF.</p>

<p>Bit of an odd camera behaviour whilst out yesterday. D700 + MB-D10 (EnEl4) + 70-200mm VRII at CH 8FPS for shooting horse jumps.</p> <p>The light was quite variable, so I'd put it in Auto ISO Manual @ 1/1000 @ f5.6 and then, mid burst, it misses a shot. Kinda click, click, pause, click, click. Finger fully down. This was the first couple shots for a few minutes, so it's not a buffer-full issue.</p> <p>The camera's AF is on RELEASE priority, so AFAIK, the shutter should always trip when I depress the shutter and keep firing continuously until the buffer fills....regardless of whether it's in focus or not. I was on the camera's shutter-button and not the grips vertical one. Is there any reason for it not to fire?</p> <p>Maybe a one-off glitch...? But no, about 20 mins later it does it again....click, pause, click, click, click....and that dropped frame lost me the 'money shot'. Luckily the first frame was good enough.</p> <p>Thinking about it, it has done this before about 2 months earlier in similar conditions and using Auto ISO.</p> <p>Being naturally suspicious/cautious I took it off Auto ISO and it didn't do it again all day, about another 700 frames.</p> <p>Now the Auto ISO <em>might</em> be a complete Red Herring, but has anyone else experienced this sort of thing?</p> <p>It's so intermittent, experimenting is, to say the least, tricky! Sticky shutter release button? If it's a bad card, can the card-writer briefly 'lock-up' whilst writing the first image and cause a processor pause? It's a genuine but well used Sandisk 30mb/s 4GB.</p>