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randyhargraves

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Posts posted by randyhargraves

    50mm 1.8G or 85mm 1.8G?

    in Nikon

    Posted

    <p>The 85 will throw the background better than the 50 at a given aperture, at similar distances. I use the 80mm end of my 80-200 2.8 all the time around the backyard with my family, but I found the 50 a little awkward on DX. Personal preference - as stated use your zoom at 50 & 85 and give it a test run for a few weeks. The primes will smoke your 18-200. </p>

    Replacing Kit lens with a "Good" normal zoom

    in Nikon

    Posted

    <p>Perhaps I have a very sharp copy, but my 18-105 VR is excellent and super sharp on my D300s. Corners are great stopped down to 5.6 or smaller. Contrast isn't great but I can add that in post. AF is kind of slow but very accurate. The only thing I don't like is the plastic mount. I paid $300 for it which less than half of the 16-85. The 17-55 is a non-starter at $1500. Plus you can get the 18-105 as a kit lens with the 7000. </p>

    D300s 7fps for HDR ???

    in Nikon

    Posted

    <p>I've owned my d300s for about a year and it's been fantastic - best camera I've ever owned. I've only recently started shooting it in CH mode and 7 shot exposure bracketing as I've been doing more HDR stuff. I've noticed that when shooting RAW or TIFF, I can only shoot 3 or 4 frames before the camera locks up and won't fire any additional frames. It appears that it's writing to the card since the red light is on, and once it's gone I can shoot again. I've shot tons of high school football sequences at 7fps and it's never seemed to be a problem - only now when I'm trying to bracket. Has anyone had a similar experience? I'm using a Sandisk Extreme IV CF card and lesser sandisk SD card for backup. Like I said - it was never a problem with sports using the same cards and shooting RAW, only with the bracketing turned on. Any thoughts? thanks.</p>

    Handled the Nikon 1 today

    in Nikon

    Posted

    <p>This is Nikon's first attempt at mirrorless and who's to say they don't design a later model with a DX or even FX sensor. Certainly the compact size advantage over SLRs would be lost, but the phase detect sensor and it's allegedly super-fast AF could be ported over into higher end cameras of the future. This could be a precursor to the type of technology we will see in DSLRs down the road.</p>

    The Mirrorless Nikon Arrives

    in Nikon

    Posted

    <p>The sample photos on the Nikon USA site look like crap. Iso 400 sample of Tom Brady in the museum has as much noise as my D300s at 1600. The beach scene at ISO 100 looks no better than images from a compact in terms of acuity, resolution. I am a very open minded person about new things so I was considering this as a potential video solution, maybe even a magnifier for my telephoto stuff given the claimed AF speed. Looking at those samples is very disappointing. </p>

    photographic film - alive and kicking

    in Medium Format

    Posted

    <p>I'm 33 years old and the only cameras I'd ever purchased with my money were digital. While on a vacation in one of the US National Parks, I bought a photo book by Tim Fitzharris. In it were these incredible images with lots of technical stuff in the captions I didn't understand. "Fuji Velvia" "Pentax 645" etc. I researched it and decided to try my hand at medium format film. I bought a Mamiya RB67 for $300 and some Fuji transparency film and the rest is (recent) history. Love looking at those transparencies on the lightbox - it's the next best thing to being there.</p>

    Best telephoto zoom

    in Nikon

    Posted

    <p>If your budget is around $2000 US then you should definitely go for the 70-200 2.8 II. I bought the version 1 refurbished and, while a great lens, I think the new one is a big step forward. I demo'd it in the store and got perfect sharpness at 1/5th and 200mm handheld. Unbelievable.</p>

     

    D3/D90/D300 raw questions

    in Nikon

    Posted

    <p>To second what Matt Laur said, try Capture NX or at least ViewNX for RAW conversion. You can preserve the "Picture Controls" as set in-camera and also switch between them if wanted before converting. I convert to TIFF using ViewNX then work on the TIFF file in Aperture. That way I can use the Nikon Picture Style and D-lighting controls and then fine-tune white balance and levels in Aperture. I also use Neat Image as an Aperture plug-in which is an excellent noise reduction tool imo. It does lean toward heavy correction using the default settings but you can adjust it. </p>

    Nikkor 80-200mm f/2.8 (New) VS. Sigma 70-200mm f/2.8

    in Nikon

    Posted

    <p>I shoot high school games for the local paper and Servo AF performance will be your biggest challenge. My Nikon 80-200 2.8D required some AF Fine Tuning out of the box but once calibrated it was rock-solid and hardly ever misses now. Older cameras like the D200 don't have this option so you have to consider that. VR shouldn't be a problem since you'll need to be at 1/250th or faster anyway.</p>

    Nikkor 35mm 1.8 AF-S or a Nikkor 50mm 1.4G?

    in Nikon

    Posted

    <p>I own both the lenses you are asking about, and I'd have the say the 35 1.8 is a better all-around player. It's usually easier to step forward with the 35 than to back up with the 50. Keep in mind that there's more depth of field and 35 than at 50 on your DX camera at the same aperture. With the 35 I find myself shooting at 1.8 nearly always to make sure I'm getting enough background separation. My 35 seems to focus more consistently than the 50 and is noticeably lighter in weight. For strictly portraits I'd favor the 50, but for everyday shooting and for group shots like you're talking about, the 35 is a much better option. </p>

    Nikon 80-200mm 2.8D vs. Nikon 180mm 2.8

    in Nikon

    Posted

    <p>I own both of these and they are both great lenses. I love my 180 primarily because it's light, relatively small, has incredible bokeh, and is razor sharp at f/4 and smaller. I don't think it is better optically than the 80-200 though. For weddings, if I can only have one it would be the 80-200 just for the zooming ability. Keep in mind it's a good bit heavier and you will need to really watch your technique and shutter speed. With the 180 I can shoot slower speeds since it's lighter and easier to hand-hold. </p>

    Should I buy a Canon 5D or a Nikon D7000?

    in Nikon

    Posted

    <p>I'm a Nikon guy but I really like Canon lenses. They offer some things Nikon doesn't for example:</p>

    <p>17-55 f/2.8 has IS and is cheaper<br>

    50 1.2L<br>

    400 5.6L (Nikon only has 80-400 zoom)</p>

    <p>However the Nikon bodies are just way ahead in my opinion and the Cam 3500 AF system is why I use Nikon cameras.</p>

    Nikon D90, D7000 or D700

    in Nikon

    Posted

    <p>If you are shooting wide open aperture at these events then you may not need the ultra high ISO capability of the D700. If you shoot at or above 1600 then the D700 is the best option. I shoot a few paid weddings here and there and I use my D300s because I can stay under 1600 with my 35 1.8, 50 1.4 and 180 2.8. </p>
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