mark_mandell

<p>Pat,<br>

Looks more like "Alabamastan".<br>

Come clean now, where was that made?</p>

<p>After a bit of pencil sharpening I decided to spring for the Nikkor 70-200/2.8 VR II. Then I had to take a couple of shots to test, right? So here is the 100% crop of the tree I chose, taken from the distance of 175 feet hand-held. Wish I could show the actual resolution, but to do that, Photo Net would have to allow file sizes way bigger than the 300K limit. D800, ISO 1200, 200mm, f/11, 1/200. [WOW]</p><div></div>

<p>Sure! I could pick up some Brooks Brothers shirts and genuine Gucci luggage while there!</p>

<p>"Ummm . . . No, nothing to declare occifer . ."</p>

<p>Done. I ordered it |;-}}}</p>

<p>I will be buying a 70-200 II, the only question is when. I missed the $300 Nikon promotion last Spring but am wondering if there might be a repeat in October when camera sales are often posted as a run-up to the Gifting Holidays. B&H has a current $150 promotion so I'm tempted to jump rather than wait.</p>

<p>Anyone hear of a further impending company promotion?</p>

<p>Jeff,</p>

<p>I just started doing video with my D800, and I've been using my walk-about 24-85 3.5-4.5G VR. The lens has performed quite well rendering nice and sharp with good color. I would be leery of taking only a 24 on that trip. While Big Sky country beckons, if you're wanted the full effect, a 20mm or even 16mm will outshine in the "gathering information" department; not, however, optimal glass for camp pictures, whether moving or still.</p>

<p>BTW, Remember to take Big Sky memory cards. Video eats storage space.</p>

<p>John Farrar,<br>

Very much like your capture of the tonal subtleties in those mountains. While I might have looked/waited for a stronger patch of sunlight, that would have overpowered the delicate shadings. Well done. <br>

What was your aperture on the 85 and the ISO setting? <br>

I take it you like your 800?</p>

<p>Either too hot or too much office to get out and play so dragged one out as a follow up on Sue's question on travel w/a. Pike's Peak from Crystal Lake, CO. D700 with Nikkor 20mm AFS-D at f/10 and ISO 800</p><div></div>

<p>Hi Eric,<br>

About that tree . . that was the composition I wanted as my effort was to pick up the modeling morning sun filtering down through the palm grove where the image was taken. Couldn't have gotten the whole tree as the others would have blocked it and I would have lost some of the crisp detail of the sun on the trunk and rocks.<br>

Could have done with that damn tanker though |;-}}</p>

<p>One More</p><div></div>

<p>Example:</p>

<div></div>

<p>Sue,<br /> The very first lens I bought for my D700 was the 20mm f/2.8 AF-D. I still have and use it on my D800. Very crisp, nice color. I've tried wider lenses when I was doing film and found I did like the results and wound up cropping the images back to what would be that of a 20mm.<br>

<br /> While others here have spoken to using the 20 and below for panaramic shots, I'll point out that the 20mm is a great travel lens if you want to capture a foreground subject but keep it in the context of its surroundings. It's one thing to make an image of your travel partner, it's quite another to place him/her in the context of the hot springs or glacier. The 20 will do that for you such that even your snap-shots will be more meaningful memories.<br>

<br /> And it's light too!! I'll try to attach an example</p>

<p>Thanks again, folks</p>

<p>Thanks Matt. Any preference between the two?</p>

<p>Hi Michael,<br>

It may have been partly my fault as I might have approved something as part of the download that I didn't need to. Either way, the junk is gone now.<br>

The home movie thing has never been a big thing with me. I can still remember my old man going out and getting a Bell & Howell 8mm triple-turret camera and projector to take movies of me in 4th grade on the football team. Worse than awful (both me and the movies), but I suspect he dug'em.<br>

If all else fails, I can always use the Big Glass for stills. 70-200/2.8 VRII here I come! |;-}}</p>

<p>Michael,<br>

I tried that link. The viewer editor didn't seem to have what I was looking for but what it did have came with a load of malware. Took several full-bore scans with Spybot and Malwarebytes to clean it all out.<br>

I'll stick to landscape.</p>

<p>Thanks guys. Seems my effort to concentrate "on the action" i.e. in portrait orientation, as I would doing stills, just has to change. Thus I'll need to get closer or get some bigger glass.<br>

Oo-o-o, with #1 grandson involved, "Bigger Glass" is in the near future!! |;-}}}</p>

<p>Yes. Didn't know I couldn't/shouldn't. <br>

All video shot in landscape? <br>

Can't rotate the image at all?<br>

Thanks</p>

<p>I've just started to play with video with my D800 and would really like to be able to at look at what I shot, after the transfer, without cranking my head over at 90°. I can't seem to find a tool or utility that will just allow me to rotate the image 90° to get it upright. Anyone here tell me where that simplest of tools may be hiding? LR-4.2, Windoz-7 <br>

TIA</p>

<p>What's a First Birthday without a First Birthday cake all your own? D800 24x85 Nikkor</p><div></div>

<p>After a long and happy First Birthday party in the park, our grandson just wanted to chill on Mom's lap but insisted on being stylish in his new fedora</p><div></div>

<p>Panayotis,<br>

Be sure to send the other dog's owner the vet bill. That may encourage them to leash their mutt and do something about its behavior.</p>

<p>I'll not presume to speak for the pros here, but when doing portraits, especially of my squirmy kids (and new grandson) I will look for as much DOF as I can get in the situation. Thus I'll move the ISO up a bit (4-600), stop the lens down and shoot in A. For portraits I really like my 105/2.8 Macro Nikkor. Works for me but YMMV |:-}<br>

I also do not depend on my old film technique of trying to get final composition in the finder. I do a fair amount of cropping in LR to get the final image I want. This is also why I decided to go to a D800 in order to maintain the maximum IQ I can in the cropped images.</p>

<p>Mine "started" at DSC-008.<br>

I'm cool with it.</p>

<p>From a photo session, aka Thanksgiving Day, with No. 1 Grandson. D800</p><div></div>