tm_photography

February 8, 2009

I shoot in raw mode, but want to know the latitude pre raw manipulation.

February 8, 2009

Thanks for all of your insights. I am still curious where the other zoom levels fall percentage wise. If 6 is 100%, 7 is 200%, and 8 is 400%, what are the other levels(1-5)?

Thanks,

Timothy

February 8, 2009

Some cameras, for example Nikon's D50 and D300, embed a full resolution JPEG in the raw file which can be extracted by downloading a free program called instant jpeg from raw. So you get the same benefit of shooting raw + L without the added disk space consumed. simply do a google search for instant jpeg from raw.

Timothy

February 8, 2009

I recently watched a very insightful video:

PHOTOSHOPCAFE PERFECT EXPOSURE FOR DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY

Wikipedia has a good article on the Zone System including diagrams.

In the videos the series assumes that a digital camera has a latitude of 5 stops allowing one to place +1 in zone VI, +2 in zone VII, and zone VIII: white with no detail . Conversely it places -1 at zone IV, -2 at zone III, and absolute black at -3 or zone II. According to Thom Hogan in his "Complete Guide to the Nikon D300," the D300 has 8 usable stops. So here is my question. this should mean that Zones II and VIII are usable and zones I and IX are not usable. That's as far as I can determine onmy own.

Does the d300 really have a latitude of 8EV?

What zones should be assigned to what EV, if there are 8 stops and not 5.

5 works out nicely because the historgram shows basically 5 sections, but when you up it to 8 I'm not sure where do draw the line.

Any insight would be greatly appreciated.

Timothy<div></div>

December 26, 2008

I have just upgraded from a D50 to a D300 and I have noticed that when I zoom in all the way my pictures look noisy even well exposed a iso 200, but when I get them on to the computer, they look fine.

Am I right in assuming that the 7th and 8th zoom levels are beyond 100% and therefore not accurate representations of the final image?

Everything up to the 6th zoom looks fine but after that noise creeps in. I just want to know if this is normal or if there is something wrong with my particular camera.

Thanks,

Timothy

December 13, 2008

I was under the impression that the MB-D10 required 2 ENEL3e's.

I have 8 AA's and 2 enel3e's. From what Ive read here, I can place either the 8 AA rechargeables (NiMH 2500Mah)

I also have an ENEL3a. I had thought it might work in the D300 but I'm sensing that this is not the case.

From what I've read, I can keep 8 AA's in my bag with the holder that comes with the grip, and if they run down, I can place a single Enel3e into the MB-d10 and keep the in camera battery as my last resort.

Is this a correct assessment?

Thank you for all your insights.

Timothy TM

December 12, 2008

I am getting a Nikon D300 for Christmas. I have been using a D50, so this is a major step up.

I also purchased the optional battery grip. I am a bit confused about what power source configurations are possible.

I have purchased 1 extra EnEl3e and have 8 NIMH AA rechargables. I was under the impression that one could use AA's or 2 EneL batteries, but a review I just read suggests that one can place an EnEl3e in the camera body, a second in the grip and 8 AA batteries all at once. Is this true?

Thanks in advance for your responses.

Timothy Mathews TM

August 14, 2008

Have you purchases a split focusing screen for your camera to help with manual focus, or do you just eyeball it?

Do you measure the distance with a measuring tape?

I was thinking of getting a close-up filter so I could focus closer. I love my lens but can't get as close as I'd like.

a 50mm 1.8 would be awesome and it's on my wish list. Though I am still unsure whether to get a 50mm or a 35mm. The 35mm would give me the same viewing angle as the 50 mm on my film camera.

Is there some reason to prefer the 50 to the 35? What macro ratio can you get without an extension tube? I've been looking at the Kenko's. The only ones that claim to support AF are the set, specifically the "Kenko

Auto Extension Tube Set DG (12, 20 & 36mm Tubes) for Nikon Digital" Can I buy them individually? If so which would you recommend, and where do you buy your gear? I buy from B and H and Amazon. B and H has the virtue of shipping to me here in OZ. With Amazon I have to get any item sent to a friend and have him send it to me.

I'm a total NOOB when it comes to real Macro photography. My Pentax K100 has a Vivitar Series 1 28-105 macro lens on it, but that is as far as I've gone with Macro photography. My Gitzo tripod is great for Macro work because it can be lowered close to the ground etc. I use a Gitzo GT-2530EX Explorer 6X Carbon Fiber Tripod, with the off centre rotatable centre column.

I realize the topic is shifting a bit, but your responses have been very thought provoking. Keep them coming.

Cheers,

Timothy

August 14, 2008

Looking at max $500. I'd have to save up for it.

I use a B+W polorizer so IF is important.

So the 70-300 seems like a likely choice. My question is, is it as sharp as the Nikon 18-70DX lens?

2.8 would be nice but I can't afford $1000 on a lens right now. I am already saving to get the D300 and some accessories, like the mbd010 and a cable release. One major reason I want a D300 is that it can take a wired remote. Too many times the IR remote of the D50 failed and you have to be in front of the camera to use it. Not very useful if you're doing a model shoot or looking through the viewfinder when you take the shot.

How is the sharpness of the 70-300VR compared with say the 55-200 or Sigma 70-300 APO, or the Tamron 70-300?

Can the 70-300 be used with teleconverters to extend it even farther?

August 14, 2008

I am currently shooting with an 18-70mm dx lens and have been contemplating getting a 70-300 ED, VR. Would it be

as sharp as the 18-70? I tried a Sigma 70-300 that a friend let me test. In low light, it was quite soft even at

70mm. I took a shot with my 18-70mm at 70mm, then swapped lenses and took the same shot with the Sigma 70-300 APO

and found the later to be extremely soft.

Of course I'd love the 70-200 but I can't affor $1500 for a lens at the moment.

Any advice would be most appreciated.

Timothy

August 14, 2008

I have an 18-70mm DX lens and I love its sharpness. I want to get into macro phototography and was curious if I

could use extension tubes with this lens. If so is there one that will maintain autofocus, matrix metering etc?

I am using a D50.

August 13, 2008

I am finding that converting NEF to DNG degrades the quality of the image. It increases noise. Is anyone else noticing this issue? I am going to stick with NEF and HDR and TIFF.

Thanks for all the responses so far.

August 13, 2008

When I worked with film I never quite mastered flash photography. I have a manual flash that I can mount on the

camera or on a bracket and it works with my D50. I am getting a D300 for Xmas and I really think I need to invest

in an external flash.

The SB800 looks great but it's over 3x the price of this third party flash. Has anyone used the Phoenix flashes?

Do they support triggering from a commander flash or the built in commander in the D300 for off camera flash use?

Are they as powerful. Phoenix gives a guide number of 112 but Nikon doesn't seem to give a guide number.? One

report says it's 125 at ISO 100 but I shoot at ISO 200 because that's the default for both the D50 and the D300.

Any comments or suggestions would be most appreciated.

Timothy

August 6, 2008

I have been hearing for some time that I should convert my NEF's to DNG, but I have found that when I do, yes I get a slightly smaller file, but I also get more noise than the original NEF. For that reason alone I have stayed away from DNG. NEF can already be compressed with lossless compression, making it about the same size as the jpg version. I tried to ask adobe about this but I think lossless compression compressed a second time with "lossless" compression is no longer lossless.

What do you all think?

February 7, 2008

I no longer use Hoya filters either. Both my current filters are B+W. I got my polorizer because the Hoya I had purchased refused to clean no matter what I did. I took it into the shop, and it turned out there was crud between the coating layers. I now use B+W exclusively for still photography.

Very interesting that the coating makes smears more visible.

Thanks for the advice guys, and I'll steer clear of Hoya.

February 6, 2008

Back when I shot 35mm and used uncoated filters, I used lens cleaning fluid on

my lenses and filters. I did the same when shooting 16mm motion film.

Recently though I've gotten first a hoya dual coat and then a replacement

B+W SMC UV filter and a B+W SMC polorizing/UV filter.

So my question is: Do you ever use lens cleaning fluid on filters? I have found

that it smears and that water works better.

What have your experiences been?

Thanks,

Timothy

February 6, 2008

I ended up getting an SMC version of the filter from Amazon for about that price. Thanks for the advice.

September 7, 2007

Dear Moderator, feel free to delete this thread as the mispellings in the title will likely lead to few if any responses

September 7, 2007

While in LA this summer, I tripped and fell into a gutter. Luckily the only

thing to break was my filter which was a hoya dual coated UV filter. I have a B

+ W MRC polarizing filter that I'm very happy with so I went into Ritz and got a

B+W UV filter for $60USD. The Hoya had cost me about that in Australian Dollars.

So my question is. Is the B+W as good or better or should I get another Hoya

dual coated or multi coated filter to keep on the camera? Obviously the fall

brought home the reasons for keeping a filter on the lens all the time as my

lens is undamaged, but I don't want to be shooting through inferior glass that

might degrade my images.

There is no information at all on if the B+W is coated at all and if so how many

times. I know they do hand coating which is great.

Can anyone shed some light on the B+W filter I have and how it stacks up against

the Hoya dual coat or multi coated filter?

All the filter says on it is "B+W made in Germany F-pro" The box says "010

UV-Haze filter 70138"

Thanks,

Timothy

September 7, 2007

Sorry about the misspellings. I haven't slept in days.

September 7, 2007