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graham_marsden

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Posts posted by graham_marsden

    Ancient manual Vivitar 200mm f3.5

    in Nikon

    Posted

    Certainly no need to apologise. It developed into an interesting thread about earlier lenses, which I've much enjoyed reading.

     

    I've tried to find some actual reviews for my Vivitar but so far haven't been successful. I also hoped that I might get lucky with a manual from Old Timer Cameras. But unfortunately no.

     

    Links would be really welcomed !

    Ancient manual Vivitar 200mm f3.5

    in Nikon

    Posted

    Hi folks,

     

    I bought this old Vivitar on e-bay for under 30 pounds sterling. Oh boy ! Am

    I having fun with it on my D80. Made in Japan and of metal construction so

    it weighs a lot. But being completely manual, when I've focussed, it stays

    focussed without any annoying 'hunting'. And no worrying about a silly

    autofocus square being in exactly the right place.

     

    Plus of course a 'depth of field' scale on the lens barrel, so you can decide

    exactly what you want. And with my bird, and flower pictures I can mess about

    until I'm happy with the bokeh.

     

    We old fogeys deserve some fun I guess !

    .

    50mm f1.8D AF Nikkor Worth Getting?

    in Nikon

    Posted

    Another vote for the 50mm f1.8. I'm keen on 'flower-pictures' and I find that at f2.2 the background is blurred just the right amount. Enough to suggest the environment because I really dislike the current taste for backgrounds that look as if they have been 'guassian blurred' in photoshop. Buy the lens and you will be surprised how much you use it.

     

    As has been said, at f8 it's sharpness is legendary. cheers Graham

    Black and White conversion w/ some color

    in Nikon

    Posted

    This is easy in Photoshop. Go Image>Adjustments>Hue/Saturation. Then simnply desaturate each colour in turn except red. Much easier than having to paint a mask. And you can always give the 'red' a tweak while you are in there. Here is an example. Not an award-winner but done in minutes just for this post.

     

    <IMG SRC="http://mars.walagata.com/w/radiogandy/CIMG4269_copy.jpg">

     

    The other way would be to 'Select' the apple by whatever tool you use for selections, then go 'select'> 'inverse' and turn the rest of the picture into monochrome

    Going wide - zoom vs 2 primes

    in Nikon

    Posted

    I use my Sigma 10-20mm f4-5.6 EX DC HSM a lot and I consider the results first class, particularly if you are prepared to do a little photoshoppery at the side edges to straighten things. There isn't a vignetting problem but you can't use it on a 'film' camera though

     

    But you might have higher standards than me. In the price range you are considering it isn't expensive.

    .

    Using D80 to work on a different SD card

    in Nikon

    Posted

    There is so much to commend the 'Retouch Menu' in my D80. Particularly the

    'D-lighting' (no telltale selection marks how ever much you zoom in) and 'colour

    balance' (which in my opinon outshines the photoshop CS2 tool).

     

    I also have a Casio Compact that uses SD cards. What if I transferred a card

    from the Casio into the D80 and worked on the images before downloading to my PC?

     

    Would it work? Or would there be some ramifications?

    Soft focus rangefinder lens?

    in Nikon

    Posted

    I know it isn't exactly what the poster asked but, I'm with Lex on this one.

     

    <i>'Softness'</i> is a strange concept anyway and the degree of <i>sharpness</i> you find desirable varies. I have a middle-aged Casio compact which produces attractively 'soft' images; compared to my Nikkor lenses on my D80. And often they are the more attractive.

    Forum FAQ

    in Nikon

    Posted

    <IMG SRC="http://mars.walagata.com/w/radiogandy/Icons/456.gif"> Brian Y can put me in the 'stupid' category I think. Regularly recurring questions are a problem shared by most 'technical advice' forums and everyone should be patient and considerate.

     

    Like articles in camera magazines - the same theme is returned to often for the benefit of newcomers who want to learn. . I always consider this forum a supportive, friendly and helpful place and the idea that <i> "the moderators could summarily delete all stupid questions"</i> appals me and I wouldn't be around too long.

    D80 - Lens for Landscapes?

    in Nikon

    Posted

    Thanks very much fellas. Just the answers I needed. I <b>will</b> do a search Bruce, of the lenses Matt suggests. And Matthew's reommendation <i?"....results produce more 'keepers' ....</i> says it all !

     

    Thanks again......

    Nikon D80

    in Nikon

    Posted

    The notched wheel on the front (<i>i.e. just in front of the shutter button</i>) also changes the on-screen information. You can choose from having no information, all the way through to lots. When you get used to it it is a valuable facility.

    .

    some questions about the Nikon D80

    in Nikon

    Posted

    The D80 was my first DSLR venture after compacts and I've been delighted with it. I guess I was lucky because it was bundled with the Nikkor 18-70mm which is a great lens.

     

    In my opinion too much is made of its tendency to over-expose. It does, a bit, but I have -0.7 keyed in more or less permanently. You don't need to key it in each day; the camera remembers. And the camera's other attributes far outweigh this minor niggle.

     

    I can't comment on whether or not the D80 will shortly be replaced. This happens all the time in the camera world and if you bothered about it, you would never buy a camera at all.

    .

    .<IMG SRC="http://mars.walagata.com/w/radiogandy/Icons/photo.gif">

    Extension Tubes or reverse mount??

    in Nikon

    Posted

    For my D80 I have Kenko tubes and a reversing ring for my Nikkor 50m. I'm not an expert but one point to ponder is that wth the reversing ring you get no metering at all, and it is hit and miss until you get an acceptable exposure. My rings permit normal, through the lens, metering which is a boon.

    .

    Nikon info

    in Nikon

    Posted

    I have Photoshop CS2 but for a quick boost or B&W conversion Picasa is great. My D80 gives me more than adequate B&W shooting, you can even convert to a cyanotype if you want.

     

    And, in my opinion, the D80's in-camera colour balance is better than Photoshop's because the histograms are there in view during any adjustments you care to make.

    Bad D80's

    in Nikon

    Posted

    I am with Shun Cheung on this one. The D80 wasn't designed to be a pro camera hence its price tag. What does a fleck of dust matter anyway? Or a hot pixel, particularly on the LCD which you should only be using to check composition etc.,it isn't a 42" plasma job is it. If you see them on your PC Monitor use either the spot healing tool, or the clone stamp in Photoshop, or similar. And enjoy what for my money, is a fine camera for which Nikon should be congratulated.

    <IMG SRC="http://mars.walagata.com/w/radiogandy/Icons/photo.gif">

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