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brodeub

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Posts posted by brodeub

    SSD - a cautionary tale

    in The Digital Darkroom: Process, Technique & Printing

    Posted

    <p>first hard drive failure in my experience is the recent fail of a macbook air 256GB SSD after 18 months in use. the notion that these things are bullet-proof is rubbish, especially with the high temperature operating environments and shrinking form factors. apple charges a fortune to replace, although a 3rd party SSD is more reasonable. fortunately had a recent backup, and restoring data to the new drive was a snap. moral of the story - B&W - backup and warranty. cheers</p>

    difference (D200, D2X, D2Xs)

    in Nikon

    Posted

    <p>The D90 doesn't easily accommodate mf glass. One of the nice things about the D2x/xs/xh/xhs series is that it works well with manual glass, so you don't need live view for more precise focusing. If you're primarily using AF glass, the main trade-offs are high-ISO noise and dynamic range. So the degree of obsolescence is relative to the type of shooting you do.</p>

    80-400 or 70-200 VRII+ 2xTC

    in Nikon

    Posted

    <p>The 80-400 is my main wildlife lens due to ability to handhold and to crop the image with the zoom. That being said, at 400mm, where it tends to be a lot, it's images are much improved at f/6.3 vs. wide open at f/5.6. So in thinking about your choices, you might want to factor in relative lens sharpness when shot wide open. Cheers, Brian.</p>

     

    D7000 Audio Quality... Update, but no cigar!

    in Nikon

    Posted

    <p>Why rely on the manufacturer's claim? It's easy to test yourself. Play a CD test disk (available from Stereophile) on your stereo and record the sound coming from the speakers. Assuming you don't have a cheapo stereo, in 5 minutes you'll know the approximate frequency response of the camera's audio section. Brian</p>

    Kodak DCS back Vs Canon 1Ds Mk2 etc

    in Medium Format

    Posted

    Ben:

     

    I have the DCS pro back plus, but since I don't have a high megapixel dslr, can't attest to a comparison. I second Ellis' observations above, but also offer that the back is no longer supported by Kodak, although there is some aftermarket support. When purchasing a back such as this you should assume that at some point it is going to need servicing. Regards, Brian.

    Good macro

    in Nikon

    Posted

    Ryan: The 55/3.5 and 105/2.8 are generally regarded as the two best manual focus Nikon macros. I have both, but use the 105/2.8 more because of its greater working distance for a given level of magnification. They both magnify to 1:2 without extension tubes, and 1:1 with. Whatever lens you get it will be important to learn it's depth of field and good focus technique. Regards, Brian.

    Best Digital Nikon SLR for using older AI lenses

    in Nikon

    Posted

    Any number of the digital slrs will meter well with the AI lenses - but that may not be your deciding factor. You may want to consider how well the different models focus manually with the AI lenses. If you review the forums here and around the net you will find commentary about the issues that arise with manual focusing accuracy of non-AF lenses, and potential solutions as well. As Richard mentions above, one thing people try is retrofitting the Katz Eye split-screen focusing screen, to give an alternative to the stock screen and electronic focus indicator. There are also discussions of quasi-calibration fixes. Brian.

    D300 won't autofocus and a fix

    in Nikon

    Posted

    Some recent discussion on dpreview suggests it may be an issue with handgrip putting very slight pressure on the lens release button thereby deactivating the AF. It's caused by a combination of the button protruding further forward from the face of the camera and the release force being reduced. Supposedly an issue with the d3 as well. Change your grip and see if it works. Brian.

    "Film has more dynamic range than digital." -- true?

    in The Digital Darkroom: Process, Technique & Printing

    Posted

    I don't understand how this discussion is so prolonged. Take your digital and film cameras out on a sunny day, shoot a scene that straddles the shade, and you will have your answer in the time it takes you to develop your color negetive film. Very few digital sensors could have taken Santiago's picture above without blowing out the exterior scene and maintained the same level of shadow detail. From a practical perspective color negative film has more dynamic range that almost any digital sensor. Dynamic range continues to be the Achille's heel of digital technology, and if it weren't the case film's demise would have been much more accelerated. The Luminous Landscape in its reviews says some MF digital backs are getting closer, and I don't know about scanning backs. Brian

    60/40 v. matrix

    in Nikon

    Posted

    "On the whole, matrix metering bats about 900, whereas center-weighted is more like 750 unless you take intelligent action."

     

    My experience is precisely the opposite as I find center-weighted metering far more predictable than matrix. This is especially true in contrasty scenes. Brian.

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