david-m

May 6, 2009

Hi All

Thanks for the responses. I tried the fotomagic but didn't like the results as you have to export as a quicktime movue which is quite low-res, but eventually seem to have found that making an iMovie then burning it to DVD using iDVD works pretty good on TV and computer. Just have to see if the DVD will also work on a PC (as well as a Mac).

Thanks again

David

May 5, 2009

I am trying to find a way to make a DVD for a client that showcases the images of an event. It should be able to be viewed as a slideshow on a TV (from a DVD player) and a computer. I have tried making a slideshow in iPhoto then exporting to iDVD and also making it directly in iDVD but the final burned DVD - 1) the quality is really poor and 2) I can't get it to play on the imac I created it with. BTW, the iphoto slideshow seems excellent quality before I burn it.

Does anyone know of a purpose-made software that can create these kind of slide-show DVDs for clients, or can the Apple software iDVD give decent results (ie am I too stupid to do it correctly?).

Many thanks

David

April 28, 2009

Okay, so I imported into lightroom two shots - one from D700 and one from D2x. And after setting both files to the profile D2x mode (1 or 11) the files loked pretty much the same, with the D700 looking a little cooler (marginally). I can relax again, and get on with my life. And yes, turning the active-D lighting off on the D700 did even up things considerably.

Thanks so much for all the help.

David

April 28, 2009

Thanks for the replies, I will certainly do a +0.3 exposure compensation (or perhaps even more). It is true that I have found the D2x profiles to be somewhat darker in ACR and lightroom, but never paid it much attention.

I guess my next step is to consider whether I should sell the D2x to help buy another D700, so I have a bit more (easy) consistency between the two.

Thanks for the help.

David

April 27, 2009

I have been using my D700 for about 6 months and have had great exposures from it, all pretty accurate (either from landscape/city/travel shots or studio portraits/weddings using Elinchrom flash.

I have carried my old D2x with me as a backup but never used it, but today I was just testing the D2x and found that it underexposes either ambient or flash by about 1.5 stops. When I say underexposes I mean that if I take a meter reading using a handheld meter (I use either a Sekonic L608 or the little 308b) and set both cameras to the same exposure value (on manual setting), then the D2x produces a file that is about 1.5 stops underexposed. Both cameras give the same meter readings as the Sekonics from ambient light. I am checking the under exposure using the levels and looking at the files on my iMac screen.

When I used to use the D2x as my only DSLR I always got good exposures - or so I thought. I have checked iso and changed lenses. By the way, the D2x is also giving me very blue tinted files, which I always used to assume was normal on a DSLR and just corrected in PS.

Am I missing something blatantly obvious and having one of my dumb moments - any ideas gratefully received?

Many thanks.

David

April 11, 2009

I had exactly the same issue (using an imac with 4gb RAM) I changed the 'let photoshop use...' from 100% to 70% of RAM and it was immediately fine, and is still fine.

Could this be your problem?

March 27, 2009

Thanks for the answers. I have reinstalled the Nik software (CS2 - CS4) and twice it did not help, but the fourth time I clicked the 'open selective tool' option on installatiion and (don't know why) it seems to have sorted it out. It now runs really fast and workes perfectly.

Fingers crossed it stays that way!

David

March 26, 2009

I have just bought an imac 2.93ghz with 4gb RAM and it has the GT120 card in it. I have upgraded my PS2 to PS4 which works fine, but when I try to open my beloved Nik Color efex Pro 3 it tells me I don't have enough RAM.

My G5 with 2gb of RAM on CS2 had no problems like this as did the new imac running CS2 with the Nik software.

This is really frustrating. I have closed applications, rebooted, reloaded the Nik software (into the plug-in folder) but still it tells me I am too low on RAM.

Any ideas would be extremely welcome.

Thanks

David

March 8, 2009

I have just returned from 2 months and 1500km cycling in Egypt and Sudan (we are talking every condition from smooth roads to sand to badly corrugated tracks to very rough stoney tracks) with my D700 (50 and 28mm lenses) in a well padded front handle-bar bag (Ortleib). No problems or issues at all. Before this I spent that last 10 trips (similar terrain/time) with 2 Leica M6s in the barbag, also with no ill affects. This is an easy way to carry a camera and the bag takes about 3kg of weight with ease.

This includes a few dropped bikes (slipped off the kick stands), a few mad rushes to jump on the backs of trucks (windy/lazy days) and the worst dustiest weeks in Sudan (one dust spot on two images!).

Have fun.

March 6, 2009

I have just used the 28 2.8 AFD together with the 50 1.8 on a two month shoot in Africa, using a D700. I think that there is nothing wrong with the 28 lens, and in fact I am truly impressed by the quality of many of these images. Can't say I noticed any lack of decent contrast or bad CA, just some softness in the corners, which is the least important part of an image for me.

I have just sold some prints taken with this lens at sizes around 20 x30 cm (okay, not huge I admit) but they look great and the client was very pleased.

I have never used the 24, so can't comment.

BTW, the 50 1.8 is excellent, but we all know that don't we.

David

March 6, 2009

Hmmm, food for thought. Thanks for the ideas....

My latest thoughts are to keep the G5, sell the G4 powerbook and upgrade to a new MacBook pro with a large cinema display. Thus I have only two machine (for my 2 licenses) and can still have a laptop to work on abroad.

Which prompts another question - do any of you use something like the MacBook with a sperate screen for pro (ie intensive hour after hour) PS work, without problems like overheating?

Many thanks

David

March 6, 2009

Thanks for the replies - will try it as soon as I buy the upgrade.

David

March 6, 2009

At the moment I have CS2 design standard on my Mac G5 and a G4 laptop. I believe you can license this on only two machines at a time but I want to do two things and I just can't fathom how - can any one help please?

1 - Upgrade to CS4 (this is no problem on my existing computers) BUT also

2 - add the CS2 with the upgrade to a third machine, a new imac.

I have read that you need to deactivate the CS on one machine first - but I need all three to work with the new CS4 upgrade (obviously without wanted to spend much more money on a new CS4 - which I could only use on two computers).

Any ideas gratefully received. Thanks

David

March 4, 2009

Maybe there is one thing that you missed - I think that when you have reviewed a shot on the screen, then you have to activate the dials by half pressing shutter-release again.

It's worth a try.

David

February 27, 2009

Guys, thanks for the input, guess I will wait a couple of months and see what the new imac brings. But good food for thought. Thanks.

David

February 27, 2009

I use a 5 year-old Mac G5 with a 1.6ghz processor and 2gb Ram at the moment but finding it all a bit too slow (bloody painfully slow, actually) for RAW conversions from My D700 (NX2 and Lightroom then CS4) and multiple layer files. I was wondering what the minimum amount of RAM I would need if I were to buy a new iMac, as I believe that 4Gb is the maximum possible on this current machine, and wondered if this was enough - thinking about future software improvements and larger RAW files.

Anyone using less than 4Gb on a newish Mac and still happy? Any thoughts gratefully received.

Thanks

David

February 26, 2009

On a Mac, click on the file but not double click (ie - do not open the file) then select Apple i (brings up the file info) and then uncheck the 'file locked' box half way.

Easy peezy lemon squeezy.

David

February 19, 2009

OP here, and thanks for the replies.

Just to mention that the flash settings on the D700 were for normal (not rear curtain or whatever) and that I first used the Skyport and then a cable direct from the flash head to the camera. Both methods produced the dark banding at 1/250th but there is nothing at 1/200th. I never had any issues with the D2x and the Elinchroms (which I have used happily for many years), but after reading all your comments I am sure the camera is fine (as in, 'does not need repairing').

Thanks

David

February 18, 2009

Thanks again for the replies. Sorry Ellis, but I am not with my camera right now, so don't know what flash mode I set it at, but I will check in the morning (that's UK morning!)

Jose, my shots at 1/250 looked like your's at 1/320. Guess I will stay with 1/200 which worked fine.

Thanks and regards

David

February 18, 2009

Thanks for these two impressively quick answers.

So essentially I should not worry that a) I am being my usual stupid self, that b) the camera does not need to be repaired and c) I should just use 1/200 (which seems to be fine).

BTW I first used the Skyports and then switched to a cable, but both gave the same results.

Thanks again.

David

February 18, 2009

I don't know if I am just being plain stupid here, but I have used my D700 for three months now (and very happy I am too) but today was the first time I used my Elinchrom flash units with it. At shutter speeds of 1/250th there is the 'tell-tale' dark band across the bottom edge that indicates to me that the shutter speed is too fast. At speeds of 1/200th and slower it is fine.

I have set the camera to synch at 1/250th, so what is happening here?

BTW I used a D2x for three years before the D700 with no such issues. Any clues or suggestions gratefully received.

Thanks

David

February 10, 2009

Paul, I had the same thoughts as you, moving from a D2x to the D700. These are a couple of ideas that people have put forward about this;

1 - the same number of pixels in a larger sensor means there is not the acutance (sharpness of the edges) of the D300 (or the D2x). This is just on a pixel-peeping level.

2 - the lack of noise of the D700 gives the images a 'softness' (don't know what would cause this).

I have found that by using different sharpening techniques than the ones I used on the RAW files from the D2x, I can acheive the same degree of acutance (sharpness) but with far less noise. This gives superb results, and I am now very happy with the improvement over the D2x. I suggest you experiment with using a pre-sharpening software as you convert the RAW file.

BTW, I also have the 24-70 and find that the 50 1.8 is superior at equivalent apertures. I am sure the 50 1.4 is similar.

Good luck, and don't give up of the D700.

January 27, 2009

Yes, this is normal.

Also, I find the sigma 105 to be a superb macro lens and an even better 105 tele lens - IMHO it's a real fab piece of kit.

David (UK)

January 25, 2009

I have just returned last week from a 7 week bicycle ride through Sudan and used a D700, a 28 and a 50 lens (and a sigma 105 which I used twice!). I took three batteries with me and every week managed to charge them up, but in reality each battery was good for at least 800 shots including lots of reviews (I don't know about the battery on your Canon 40D but it must be similar), and for me a 800 shots is lots of days shooting.

I found the D700 to be excellent, although with a bit of a slow initial focus acquisition, with superb results, and very tough (it lasted 7 weeks of very bumpy roads, heat, cold and being dropped twice).

It was dusty like hell, very sandy and with a strong constant wind, but in general the dust vibration reduction thing worked superbly and so far I have noticed only one dust spot on one image as I am working through the RAW conversions. So if you take digital then be aware of dust when changing lenses. I also taped over the memory card door with electrical tape to stop dust and sand entering, which worked perfectly.

I think that if you like your Canon 40D then just take it with two or three spare batteries. It is a camera you know, and you have the choice when you return to emulate kodachrome 64 or Tri-x or whatever.

Shun is absolutely correct in that the local people love to see their images on the screen and in this respect digital would be a huge advantage over film.

BTW I found the people to be incredibly friendly and hospitable, and it is a fascinating country - and I am sure you will have an excellent time.

regards

David (UK)

November 22, 2008

Well I have to agree with Dave.

Coming from a D2x to the D700, the first thing I noticed was that at base iso the images were a lot more soft than the

D2x files (after converting the RAW file) and needed much more unsharp mask applying to achieve a similar degree of

sharpness as the D2x. Four weeks with the D700 and I still am surprised by how much they need sharpening, and how

soft the RAW conversions look (I am mainly using the NIkon 24-70, 85 1.4 and a 50 1.8 - at f4 - f8 for studio work).

Obviously there are other benefits to the D700 such as the superb noise-free images, excellent (really excellent)

dynamic range and more.... but I can't help feeling a little underwhelmed by the camera so far. Just off in a couple of

days to do a job in Sudan, so will be a good test for the camera (and me).

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