michael_chuang1

Knobby knees and all.

"Field" of Lotus.

Great Meadows NWR, Concord, MA

Great Blue Heron, Great Meadows NWR (Concord Unit). This is a crop covering about 20% of the frame on a Nikon 1 V2 (with 300/4PF + FTZ). Maybe I have low standards, but I'm pleasantly surprised.

Female red-winged blackbird, Great Meadows NWR. This was a grab shot with the Nikon 1 V2 and 70-300 CX lens. I was actually playing with ("testing") the 300 PF+FT1 on another V2 body, but that combo was too long for this. Oh yeah; the TL;DR is that the 300PF works a treat on the V2.

Fat muskrat. Great Meadows NWR.

Sony did this with a flat-panel computer monitor that failed under warranty. On their instructions I dutifully shipped it back, in its original retail box (compact, custom-foam inserts). It came back stamped "Refurbished", in a huge generic box literally 3x the size of the original box, padded with those air-bag things. And yes, it was the same monitor, verified based on serial number, and on a small sticker on the bezel. And you're correct. I was NOT happy.

Lady Amherst's Pheasant (and some other bird's backside), Topsfield Fair, MA

Another from Black Point Wildlife Drive.

Black Point Drive, Merritt Island

<p>Sounds like you accidentally hit the "clutch" next to the viewfinder. The lever is probably pointing to "2" when the dials change ISO and WB. Move the lever back to "1" to adjust shutter and aperture (or exposure compensation if in A mode).</p>

<p>Hunt's Photo in Melrose, MA (just north of Boston) had their events on Thursday, with presentations each hour. Either three or four presentations total were scheduled. The first session at 4pm had just over 40 pre-registered attendees; I'm pretty sure over 100 people signed up in total. There were I believe three D500's for inspection (a fourth was taken out of service after it was discovered that someone had damaged a control -- if I overheard correctly the joystick). Each D500 had the 16-80 lens mounted, though they did not stop people from mounting their own lenses. As others have noted, the card slots were gaffer-taped shut and the samples were clearly identified by the reps as "pre-production." There wasn't time to get even close to familiar with the camera, other than to say that it felt "right" in the hand to a former D300 shooter (and bitter clinger to same, Nikon-wise). IQ could only be assessed on the rear screen, but even there (and not surprisingly) ISO 51200 looked quite blotchy; 6400 looked like it might clean up okay, but a couple of minutes playing with the camera is not much of a basis for evaluation.</p> <p>While Alex the rep gave a well-rehearsed presentation and answered questions with aplomb, there was much the reps didn't know about the behavior of the final cameras. He did say that virtually all the buttons were customizable, whatever "virtually all" might mean. IIRC he indicated that the ISO button could be reassigned, but it's not clear that it can be reprogrammed to "mode" for those who might want that. Personally I wasn't bothered by the "who moved my cheese" factor versus the D300 because in the interim I got tired of waiting for the D400 (and for that matter of the people categorically declaring that the D7XXX-type was now the top DX model forever and aye -- and that talking about a "D400" was verboten; that includes some Nikon reps), and switched to the Olympus E-M1. So I haven't shot with my D300 bodies for more than a year, long enough to no longer be unthinkingly familiar with the operation. Now that the D500 (and 200-500/5.6) are out, or close enough to it, I have some decisions to make.</p> <p>There was at least one D5 (with a honking big telephoto mounted) to coon-finger and drool over, but I didn't pay attention to it/them since I'm nowhere close to that market. Nikon handed out some freebies to pre-registered attendees - you could get a baseball cap or polo shirt with "D5/D500" embroidered on it, a Nikon-logo LED flashlight, and I think a logo-ed flash drive or something. They (I believe it was Nikon and not Hunt's) also catered a buffet dinner.</p>

<p>Huhn. Looks like I may end up keeping those Nikon lenses I was finally sloping toward selling off.</p> <p>>I waited for that D400. And waited. And when I could wait no more by 2011 I gave up and bit the bullet and went FX.<br> Yeah, except I went m4/3 when the E-M1 came out. Now the D300 seems absurdly large on the few occasions I take it out. But I can get used to that size and form factor again. After all, the D7000 felt just wrong coming from a D300.</p>

<p>Aside from the good suggestions for sites more distant from Orlando, a word for two other close-by places, possibly in addition to Gatorland (which I've unfortunately never visited).<br> Black Point Wildlife Drive, part of the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge complex, is about an hour away (~62 miles) from DisneyWorld via route 528, and even closer if you are staying in the I-Drive/Seaworld area. You might be able to sneak in an extra hour or two of morning photography there. There is much on the web about BPWD, but from personal experience I can vouch for all manner of ibis, herons, egrets, vultures, moorhens, and so forth. Also alligators. The road leading to BPWD is good for belted kingfisher and various small birds of prey, albeit perched on telephone poles and posts.<br> Orlando Wetlands Park (on route 50) is an alternative, but in my limited experience less amenable for bird photography. Though I did see all manner of armadillo there.</p>

<p>Nothing like a good scratch.</p><div></div>

<p>Blackpoint Drive, Merritt Island NWR earlier this month. Taken in the harsh light of midday -- my first trip with (nothing but) the 1Nikkor 70-300 (CX) on a V2.</p><div></div>