john_fisher

Jeff,

 

Matrix metering requires your lens be equipped with a matrix metering CPU (chip). Whether or not it's MF or AF doesn't matter. Rolland Elliot gets some good feedback on his mods to add the chips to MF lenses. Sounds like this would be your best bet. http://home.carolina.rr.com/headshots/NikonFAQ.htm

Bill,

Where is Dykinga's review? I couldn't find it online.

 

Thanks.

 

John

Mine is loaded or I'd check, but I think you just reset the ISO to something other than DX if there's no film in it.

 

john

Antony,

 

Go for sunset at Delicate Arch (Wolfe Ranch trail) or Fisher Towers. Be sure to carry a light as those deep dark reds come out after the sun drops below the horizon. Sunrise at Mesa Arch. Be sure to get there early to stake out a place and catch the very first light. It's about an hour and a half from Moab. Be sure to watch for critters on the road. Don't do like I did the first time I was there and forget to press the shutter. :-(

 

After the sun washes out the color at Mesa, head to Dead Horse State Park.

 

Have fun!

 

John

Considering that depending on the results of ongoing investigations, Fatali could be looking at some serious criminal and/or civil charges we shouldn't expect any comments from him until this is resolved. In the meantime until it is resolved, he deserves the benefit of the doubt.

Trent, no clue about your eyes, but the shots were switched. My copy came with an errata slip saying the pictures on both pages were switched.

John, good for you. You obviously follow the ethics you advocated during your seminar in Tulsa a couple of years ago. Just another reason I thoroughly enjoyed it.

The following tells what happens to those who play "what's the difference?"

<a href="http://www.nps.gov/morningreport/msg00222.html">

Yellowstone Fee Fraud</a>.

In the tip sheet Bryan sends out with each order he recommends carrying a spare clamp sleeve (he sells for $6) and a 6mm stainless-steel wingnut. In a pinch, any wingnut works fine - even brass - I found out the hard way. As Bob says crank that clamp down tight when it's empty and you shouldn't have any problems.

Kim, one of the best sites to find out the capabilities and features

of the F5 is at Moose Peterson's. The address is:

http://www.moose395.net/index2.html

The hood for the one touch AF non-D version is the screw-in HN-28.

Both AF D versions, one and two touch, use the same bayonet hood: HB-

7.

One other thing to add. After I got my F5 I called Nikon and asked

one of the service techs if I could use lithiums in my F4. He said

it would not be safe as the voltage was too high. He said lithiums

in an F4 would work for a while, maybe, and then the motors would

burn out and if I was real "lucky" the surge from the motor burning

out would fry the rest. He also said flashes were different and

could handle the excess voltage with no problems.

Lyn, you might want to look at works by some of the following: Jack

Dykinga, Linde Waidhofer, or Mike Fatali (whenever he gets it

published). David Muench's latest, Plateau Light, is also in this

vein. The work these folks do in the desert is IMO nothing short of

fabulous. The presentations in their books aren't the fancy artsy-

fartsy stuff you speak of. It's just GOOD photography combined with

prose that puts me in the mood to really appreciate the pictures. It

also makes wish I were back out in the desert.

BTW, Hyde and Stegner weren't too shabby together either.

I have used a RRS bracket for some time now and am very pleased with

it. It's taken a lot of abuse and the only thing I've had to do was

add another washer to the flash tilt joint. It was a little loose

but I think I probably flattened the washers by tightening it down

too much to start with. Once that was fixed, it was just as smooth &

easy to aim as it was when I got it.

One nice thing about Brian's stuff is that it's designed for a

specific lens, body, etc. It works without any special adjustments

or tweaking.

IMO the F5's AF is very much superior to that of the F4. However the

F4 should be able to handle what you are doing now adequately. I'm

not sure what features you prefer in the F4, but have found that

handling the F5 is very intuitive. I say this as one who really

never got used to the 8008 or N90 after using an FTN for more years

than I like to think about.

If you are contemplating buying one of the AF-I or S lenses why not

spend a little more and get something which will take full avantage

of the capabilities of the system.

One other thought - 'largish birds' is what you are shooting today

but what about tomorrow?

You might also want to look at Moose Peterson's site at

www.moose395.net.