tim_eastman
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Posts posted by tim_eastman
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<p>Scott:<br>
I admire your ability to drill and tap a hole in the same axis as the pole, but unless one has a horizontal boring machine, chances are the drilled hole will be off axis, which in my case would make doing my 360 spherical panoramas much more difficult. I depend on a Bogen pole spirit level to keep my rig plumb, so an off kilter rig would make stitching much more problematic.</p>
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<p>Scott:<br>
The Kacey has a 3/8" thread which does not work with the 1/4" thread of my Kirk clamp. It also has locking screw to keep from coming loose. I don't have a problem putting $ 2,000.00 worth of equipment on top of a $ 45.00 adapter, as it is a critical link, especially when my rig is way up in the air.</p>
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<p>So much depends on the desired outcome; look at old photographs where everyone knew they were being photographed. People would be hanging out of windows and the novelty of the art form was the main subject. I agree that spontaneity and model releases are mutually incompatible. Some photographers are less shy than others and have less trouble engaging subjects. Cultural sensitivity is very important in any case. Interestingly, I have noticed an odd barometer of sorts; on my trips to Nepal I love to photograph people, their beautiful expressions unencumbered by so much of the baggage of modern society. Sadly, in some of the more frequented areas younger people will ask for money if you take their picture. It seems the longer people are aware of being photographed the worse the pictures, so spontaneity works best for me.</p>
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<p>Look at http://www.polepixie.com/ I have their pro adapter and it is a rock solid conversion from the painter's pole end to a 1/4" thread. Could not be easier!</p>
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<p>The bigger question is why the same lenses that worked flawlessly on my D80 & D300 do not focus on the D7000. It is curious that so many folks are reporting the same issue; some lenses work and some don't. I don't recall previous camera bodies generating this level of trouble. </p>
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<p>Michael:<br>
Thanks for some encouraging news! Especially since I can ill afford to change cameras again.<br>
John:<br>
I generally use single focus point and then re-frame if needed. The other focus point modes can be good for some situations, but for static landscapes I prefer single point.</p>
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<p>I would wait for the D400 to come out if you can. I bought a D7000 and sold my D300, which I greatly regret. In some respects the D7000 is better. With my Sigma 8mm FE the image quality is better than with the D300. The same goes for my Tokina 11-16 ( after fine tuning focus ) Unfortunately, my Nikon 18-200, which focused perfectly on my D80, then D300, is hit or miss at best. After around 3,000 shots, a great number are out of focus, even on scenes which should be a no brainer for AF ( I use S AF & single focus point ) I would be happier if they were all out of focus, but it is the random nature that really bugs me. Test shots with my father's D300 & 18-200 show conclusively that the D300 focus is dead on while the D7000 is not. The camera is back to Nikon to have this issue dealt with, but if it persists I will return it, which is a shame because it has so much going for it.</p>
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<p>I am heartened to hear that the D7000 can be fixed to work the way it should. Like others, my 18-200 Nikon does not focus well on my D7000. I am especially disappointed because my LCS was raving about autofocus on the D7000, prompting me to sell my D300, which was wonderful with the 18-200. I am hoping mine returns fixed and does not change the way it works so nicely with my Tokina 11-16 and Sigma 8.</p>
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<p>A Crumpler Bucket makes a very nice insert to hold your gear inside a less conspicuous pack. It may not be as convenient, but I am taking mine to Italy as I did not want to walk around with my flashy Mountainsmith camera pack. I'll have to do some hiking to use it!</p>
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<p>I re-calibrated with better instructions on curve and white point and in less of a hurry. The converted images are much closer now.</p>
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<p>I have my monitor calibrated with a Spyder. I run CS2 and prefer Adobe RDB for the Working space, as it matches the output form my Epson R2400. What bugs me is the color conversion to web output. The default conversion color space I use is sRGB as it translates best to most monitors. Of course in the conversion the colors get washed out. I increase saturation by +21 to bring colors back and can probably create an action to automate, but must we always make a choice between print and web output as we work on images? This topic has been talked to death, but I think with no definitive answers.</p>
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<p>I know that I will give up some things with the D7000, but the image quality is more important than frame rate. At that, if I am shooting in bursts it is likely to be JPEG fine and not frequently. The bracketing issue is interesting though. The D300 only allows +- 1 increments for bracketing, meaning that if I want to do HDR shots, where I would prefer to go in +_2 increments, I need to take five shots, vs. only needing three with the D7000. Of course I lose the ability to shoot +_4, so it is a question to consider. Maybe the increased dynamic range of the D7000 would factor in here as well? I take very good care of my equipment, so body composition is not so important to me.</p>
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<p>I know this has been covered here before, but.... I am considering changing from my D300 to a D7000. For anyone who has made the switch, what is your impression of the difference in image quality?</p>
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<p>Ashley:<br>
You may consider a Feisol CT 3441S. It just so happens I am trying to sell mine ( http://www.photo.net/gc/view-one?classified_ad_id=1282310 ) I love it, but bought a comparable Sirui model because of a removable leg I can use for most of my panoramas. It folds very short and is comparable in most ways to a Gitzo, except, of course, price. Included is a short center column. Give it a thought! http://www.feisol.net/feisol-traveler-tripod-ct3441s-rapid-p-38.html<br>
Tim</p>
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<p>Take a look at this: http://www.photo.net/gc/view-one?classified_ad_id=1282310<br>
Very nice light tripod, good price and in pristine condition.</p>
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<p>Here is one from the Zugspitze in Germany. Equally endless mountains.<br>
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<p>Below zero is a walk in the park compared to blackflies!</p>
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<p>Justin:<br>
You may also appreciate this pano from near Mera Peak in Nepal:<br>
http://eastmanwoodworking.com/panos/mera.html<br>
It was taken in 2001 with a Nikon 6006 / Fujichrome and a $ 20.00 home made pano head, which was also used for the Haystack one.</p>
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<p>Justin:<br>
I can definitely relate to the clarity of thought that happens after a long day of hiking. It is a win win; getting to be in one of my favorite places, the Whites, ADK's or Nepal ( when I get back ) plus the endorphin buzz cannot be matched. A few years ago after an 18 mile hike up Haystack via Saddleback and Basin, the exhaustion was only matched by the clarity it brought! I thought you might appreciate this pano taken quite a few years ago:<br>
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<p>Ellis:<br>
I can see how the cost of a RRS setup might seem inconsequential relative to a camera so expensive that the price is hidden from the public, but I would think that having to look at a pano base and keep track of ( multi row ) a minimum of 48 different gradations might get a bit tedious. Maybe you like tedium, but a NN R16, which can go as small as 3.75 degree increments, might save a lot of work!</p>
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<p>Ellis: I am curious how detents get in your way? It is one thing to pay way too much for pano equipment, but to have to check how many degrees you turn the head for each shot is just another potential error which you may not pick up till you have gotten home. The process has enough other steps to check off I would rather not have to worry about whether I turned my rig 20 or 30 degrees.<br>
Donald, you would do well to check out http://www.panoguide.com/<br>
There is a wealth of information there and many people with much more panorama experience than you will find here. You will find many people there who use Nodal Ninja panorama setups. You can buy this setup: http://store.nodalninja.com/products/NN3-MKII-RD8.html for around $300.00 Doing panoramas does not need to cost a bundle!<br>
In addition to panoguide, John Houghton has other tutorials. John has been a great source of knowledge to the panorama community, giving freely of his time and not selling a product!<br>
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<p>I suggest you read John Houghton's tutorial, particularly #4 Traditional method. http://www.johnhpanos.com/epcalib.htm<br>
Finding the nodal point / no parallax point will help you understand the process. Not difficult at all. Once you know how to do it you can calibrate for other lenses. I suggest PTGui or PTAssembler. The time spent learning either will give you a better end result.<br>
You may also want to consider a Nodal Ninja panoramic setup, particularly as RRS has yet to offer a rotator with detents, which makes the process much easier.</p>
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<p>I came across this tripod http://www.siruiusa.com/tripods/n2204.htm recently and wanted some feedback from anyone who has used it. I am traveling to Italy this summer and plan on taking a tripod as is my habit. In addition to standard photography I also do 360 degree panoramas with my D300 / Sigma 8mm. I have come to prefer taking my panoramas on a monopod, as patching the nadir is much easier. The Sirui has a detachable leg which can be used as a monopod. The tripod is very similar in features to my Feisol CT3441S and the fact that I can use the leg as a tripod makes it very tempting. I would like to hear some feedback.<br>
Thanks</p>
Update on D7000 issue - and a lens dilemma
in Nikon
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