greglyon

<p style="font-style: italic; border:1px solid #AAAAAA;">I am wondering, what more would these expensive heads (twice the price of my current gear) give me? </p>

<p>

What the ball head gives you is the ability to recompose, reframe very quickly. You can also set <b>good</b> ballheads so they allow movement but are still 'tight' enough to steady a photo quite a lot. This works especially well with medium to sort-of-long telephoto lenses.

First off, you may as well follow the 'if it ain't broke don't fix it' for now. If your panhead becomes annoying to you though, spring for a really good ballhead. I had to own a few progressively more expensive ones before I got an arca-swiss. For me it was the combination of creep, and how tight I had to tighten other heads to feel solid. Since I bought it there have been several new entries as you have found. The RRS one sure looks nice!

 

Acratech also makes one that isn't quite as expensive or sturdy as the others, but it's quite light. Great for backpacking or extended hikes.

Oh, and to answer your questions more directly:

-Camera on tripod, shoot in B with locking release just like you said.

-use 100 speed slide film. 'grainy' ruins star trails in my opinion.

-wider is usually better, I'd suggest the 24.

-try f4 or f5.6

 

Other thoughts:

-if you can borrow or rent another body and tripod, do so. use slightly different settings between the two.

 

-Try to think about the picture ahead of time, consider where the stars are going. Placing the north star somewhere in the frame makes an interesting effect. Objects, either lighted by you or whatever, are tricky but can make for really spectacular shots if they work.

 

Hmmm...Make sure to take notes so you can improve each time.

With your 50 f1.4 you can shoot short exposures on 100 asa film that show the stars as pinpoints instead of trails...it's fun to do. I'd do some of those, then move on to longer exposures.

<p>

Here's a good link that outlines shooting to 'stop' the stars at <a href="http://38320cwww.luminous-landscape.com/techniques/leonides-2002.shtml">luminous-landscape</a>.

<p>

I can't seem to find my notes right now, but I think I've used Provia 100f slide film, f5.6, exposures of 2-4 hours, longer if it's really dry out. I hope someone else will chime in to verify or improve upon my suggestions here.

<p>

Condensation is your enemy, a particularly dewey night will make it hard to succeed.

<p>

That said, don't forget to focus, especially tough with lenses that can go past infinity!

<p>

Happy shooting,

Greg.

Just to muddy the waters...KEH has a Nikon 105af Micro rated Excellent for $449 right now. I have used it on F5, FM2n, D100 and D70.

 

I find it's manual focusing to be good, though of course it's often more a matter of moving the whole camera at macro distances.

 

It has slow AF if that is a consideration for you.

 

I like using it on my D100 and now D70.

 

Build quality is excellent.

 

Have fun deciding!

Don...I'll keep you posted.

 

Haven't decided if I'll keep both bodies or sell one yet. And I'm not sure whether I prefer eye level or waist level finder, they both seem to have their place...

My travel kit for film (which I mostly loved except 105 was a bit long sometimes) was 17-35, 50, 105. That'd be 12-24, 35, 70 (or so) on your D70. If you have the budget and space maybe suppliment your kit lens wit the 12-24 and a 50 f1.8. If not, just the 50...While longer lenses would be nice the weight will really be a factor especially since you have to consider storage, batteries, chargers, etc. Of course if you had a bottomless budget and a porter...10.5, 12-24, 28-70, 70-200, 200-400 and a D2x oughta cover it!

Perhaps it's too late but I have really been happy with the visible dust products. You can find them at <a href="http://www.visibledust.com/">www.visibledust.com</a>. There are some good reviews on <a href="http://www.luminous-landscape.com/">luminous-landscape</a> and <a href="http://www.robgalbraith.com/bins/content_page.asp?cid=7-6460-7296">Rob Galbraith</a>. Also <a href="http://www.micro-tools.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=SFNT&Store_Code=MT">www.micro-tools.com</a> has the visible dust stuff for a bit of a discount.

<p>They're not the cheapest solution out there, but they sure work well.

Here's some good info about this all to typical scam...It's from craigslist.org:

<p>

<a href="http://minneapolis.craigslist.org/about/scams.html">http://minneapolis.craigslist.org/about/scams.html</a>.

<p>Be very glad that your radar was up on this as it is almost certainly a scam as everyone else has posted!

I've just been looking around myself. Looks like <a href="http://www.jalbum.net">JAlbum</a> and it's Bananalbum flash skin are pretty popular/flexible if you're thinking of going the flash route...

<p>

Not sure about integration with golive though.

Hey, thank you for all your responses! Sorry to be back to my own thread so slowly, I forgot to turn on 'notify' and thought it was languishing, unanswered!

 

So it sounds like the consensus is that my 3 tier plan is a good one, great! I neglected to mention that this site will not have very many photos on it at a time, no more than 50 or so. That should keep the space considerations under control somewhat.

 

I agree I have to get my head around the whole dpi/ppi issue, and also that it's PhotoShop's fault that I think the way I do about it!

 

Well, I think I'm on the right track by your responses, now I just have to choose if I'm going to use PhotoshopCS, Jalbum, EE, or build my own gallery from scratch. It's going to be fairly simple/basic. Just has to look pretty and have no mystery navigation or anything foolish like that!

 

Peter, I've been thinking that for the thumbnails I'll frame most of them in a square picture frame so they look good on the page. I've just found out that there will be some panoramas which I'll have to handle differently, I think.

 

Thank you all again for your very thorough answers!

Somewhere on your new lens (probably around the mount) it probably says what it's made to mount to...

<p>

You've already figured out that it ISN'T Canon FD mount. But there are lots of others it could be. It looks like Sigma is currently making lens mounts for SIGMA, CANON (I think EOS but not FD?), NIKON, MINOLTA, PENTAX

<p>

You may want to start your search at <a href="http://www.sigmaphoto.com/">http://www.sigmaphoto.com/</a>!

</blockquote>end of story?

<blockquote>

<i>I'd just like to know if the existing Nikon forum users are satisfied with the forum rules as they stand. If yes, then end of story. </i>

<P>

yes.

I received another probable scam e-mail from a brand new (today)

photo.net member in response to a classified ad. I've followed up

at abuse@photo.net but should I post the person's name here so

others can be aware of this?

<blockquote>

Good day,

My name is Xxx Xxx,I have a client that is interested in buying your

item,he informed me that the payment will be remmited via an America

postal money order or certisfied cashier check.what is the actual

last price for this item? In order to conclude the deal as soon as

possible,the payment that will be sent to you will include the money

for the sales of your item and the shippers fees for organising a

home pick up service.You do not need to worry as my shipping company

will come to pick the item up from your Location for shipment. What

I want to clarify is that will you be able to send the shipping

charges to the shipping agent through Western Union Money Transfer

method as soon as you get and cashed the check and you deduct the

money for your item?If you agree to assist in this capacity,send

your full name,your address and phone numbers,which will be use for

the issue of the payment.<br>

Thanks,<br>

Txx Lxx<br>

PS:<br>

You will recieve the moey order for your item including with the

shipping fees,so you are to cashed the payment,deduct your part for

the sale and wire the balance to the shipping agent (Door-to-door

shipping agent) through western union money transfer and the agent

will come to you directly for the pick up of the item as soon as

they have recieved their payment for the home pick up service.As I

said above,if this arrangement sound fine to you,kindly send your

full name,contact address and phone number,which will be use for the

issue of the payment.<br>

So let me have your information with the last price you are going

for this item and its present condition.

</blockquote>

I use the <a href="http://www.visibledust.com/">Visible Dust</a> brush that Jeff mentions. It works really great. Check out <a href="http://www.robgalbraith.com/">Rob Galbraith's site</a>, Thom Hogan as mentioned above, and <a href="http://www.luminous-landscape.com/">Luminous Landscape</a> for writeups/reviews of the product.

<p>

Also I recently found this site, <a href="http://www.micro-tools.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=SFNT&Store_Code=MT">Micro Tools</a> which seems to be a Visible Dust distributor now...a bit less $$ too.

Couple thoughts here Ben,

<ol>

<li> Good reviews of Nikon Lenses can be had here: <a href="http://www.naturfotograf.com/">www.naturfotograf.com</a>. Also you can find links to all things nikon at <a href="http://www.nikonlinks.com/">www.nikonlinks.com</a>. I can't help so much with the Tamron/Sigma though I did own a Tamron 500 mirror that I liked once upon a time.

<li> What are your goals for your faster zoom? The reason I ask is that for many purposes you may find that a fixed-focal lens would serve you better. I'm thinking of both portraiture where an f1.4 or f1.8 lens is often better than f2.8. So, at least consider a 50mm f1.8 and/or 85mm f1.8 as an alternative way to go faster than your current lens or the f2.8 zooms. Heck, you could get both for your budget from KEH in LN- to New condition!</ol>Happy shopping!

On monday I will be starting to design a website which will have a

photo gallery section. What makes this different from many others

is that the photos will have to be of sufficient quality for

printing (instead of trying to prevent printing as many photography

websites do.)

 

Obviously I won't want to load the 'print' size photo directly, but

rather link them somehow. I think what I'll need is a 3 tier photo

handling: 1) Thumbnails that lead to 2) High quality display images

with links to 3) High quality print images.

 

So the questions:

 

1) Has anyone seen elegant handling of this sort of thing? I'd love

suggestions/examples/tips. It seems that most of the photo

websites I look at try to keep images small (I assume both for load

time and for theft issues.)

 

2) What do you think is the upper limit for the display images? I'd

like to maximize quality without it taking too long for the images

to come up. I'm thinking about shooting for up to 700x500 jpgs and

about 125kb per image. Does that seem right?

 

3) For the print quality images I'm thinking they'll need to be

5"x7" @ 300dpi. Should I have them 'open' in a browser window? I

am leaning toward download via link. Does that make sense?

 

I sure appreciate any information you have to share with me! I'd

prefer to avoid using Flash for this site, though I do like some of

it's features. I'm pretty comfortable with Photoshop, Dreamweaver

(which I will likely use for site design), HTML, CSS, JavaScript.

A little ancedote to further the opportunity point: In the '90s I bought a 'project car' convertible. Left it parked with the top off in the alley. A thief got the stereo most of the way out before either a) he realized it was an <b>8 TRACK</b>, or b) I scared him away inadvertently and he never knew how stupid he was...

<p>

Sure there may be 1 in a thousand thieves who 'shop' for items, but typically it's <i>anything they can get their hands on...</i>

Ok, I'll Play, This would be the 'complete' nature/wildlife setup...

<ul>

<li>10.5mm

<li>12-24 f4

<li>28-70 f2.8 AF-S (17-55?)

<li>70-200 f2.8 AF-S

<li>200-400 f4 AF-S

<li>500 f4 AF-S

<li>85 TS

<li>200 f4 Micro

</ul>

Since money is no object, I'd add a couple D2x's but keep my D70, 18-70 and my FM2n with 17-35 too. For portraiture there'd be 50 f1.4/1.8, 85 f1.4. And all that stuff for less than $30k! I don't know why I don't own it now :)

Thanks for your responses! I thought this was too good to pass up.

<p><b>Re: Testing</b><br>

I suppose the 'cheapest' test will be to use black&white film and develop myself. I have the equipment for developing and contact sheets but I was never a darkroom fan...maybe color makes sense? I was mostly a velvia/provia shooter before switching to D100/D70 so maybe slides makes more sense? I live in Minneapolis, MN so I do have easy access to processing. Your thoughts would be appreciated!

<p>

Also, testing each shutter speed/aperture in the kit sounds pricy for medium format! Would it be an adequate test to try min and max aperture, and 2-4 shutter speeds, or will that be inadequate?

<p>

<b>Re: Scanning</b><br>

I don't have a medium format film scanner, but I do have an Epson Perfection 1670 flatbed. Will that give good enough results for say, 8"x enlargements? I will get the 'best' images professionally scanned when I'm going for big photos. I'll only consider buying a scanner if I really start using the camera a lot.

<p>

Once thanks again for your very informative responses! Time to go figure out how to load the darn thing...

Hi again,

<p>

A couple months back I asked some questions regarding a friend's

Bronica SQ-A system. She wanted more than I was willing to spend so

I let it go. WELL, she found out what she could get for it at one of

the big new york companies and now she's offering it to me for $700...

<p>

Here's the kit:

<ul>

<li>1 body with prism finder

<li>1 body with waist level finder

<li>2 80mm lenses

<li>1 50mm lens

<li>1 150mm lens

<li>2 220 backs

<li>2 120 backs

<li>lens hoods for all

<li>a compendium lens hood with soft focus and special effect filters

(Tiffen maybe)

<li>A hand grip

<li>good UV filters on all lenses + 6 other filters

</ul>

<p>As a Medium Format Newbie I'm gonna start with the manual but What

do you suggest I do to see if this is for me? I intend to test this

format for landscapes and portraits. (I also shoot wildlife and

macro but they seem better suited to 35mm.)

<p>As a casual shooter, do I need 2 bodies? The thought occurs to me

to keep one of them and sell the other with the extra 80mm lens.

<p>Are there specific things to check out as I'm deciding whether to

buy this or not?

<p>Oh yeah, the lenses are S, not PS. Adorama rated her stuff

as 'excellent'. So, is this price fair? It seems so to me but I

don't exactly keep a close eye on this type of gear!

<p>As always, Thanks for your help!

Just another minor point...FM2n has mirror prefire if you use the self timer. I use it all the time, it's not as good as real MLU when you're dealing with breezes and such since you don't get to choose the exact moment of exposure, but it works.

 

I don't know if old FM2 or FM3a has it though.

>><div></div>

John, as already stated: Ditch Shutter priority in favor of Aperture priority. Zoom to 70mm, set it at F4.0 and it'll track the max aperture at each focal length. (If you set the min focal length at 300 it will set 5.6 and stay there even when you zoom to 70). If the shutter speeds are getting too low, then bump up the ISO.