dj88

<p>As I usually do on my early morning and late night walks now I take the X100 with me. Seeing what I can and can't do with it. So far, other than the odd focusing issue in low light, it's beat me at every turn. <br /><strong>Sunrise on the Quay </strong><br />the sunset will be for next week :)</p><div></div>

<p>Bit of a toss up for me today. Since I see others with two shots, monkey see monkey do! <br>

Roger Waters rolled into town for a show on Saturday and lucky me, as long as you didn't have a camera with a detachable lens you were fine to bring them to the show. This is one of my favourite shots of the night.</p><div></div>

<p>My first real attempt at birding while I was visiting with family in the Okanagan. Bright easy morning sunshine and a speedy Long-Billed Curlew made for a bit of a challenge. </p><div></div>

<p>Vancouver car show was a few weeks ago. Only real suprise car was a concept Corvette Stingray. As a Corvette lover it really put a smile on my face.</p><div></div>

<p>Been playing with a Fuji X100 the last week or so and having fun. Having such control of aperature, ISO, shutter speed etc is a blast on something so small.<br>

Figured since I was having so much fun I would show my pup doing just that. After a good play with the hose it was time to dry off.</p><div></div>

<p>re-found this one the other day. I took it while playing with my new (to me) 70-200 f/2.8VR. Glad I did. Rains hit the next day and wiped out all the new flowers before they could fully bloom.</p>

<p>*edit* <a href="../photodb/user?user_id=5337017">Vince Passaro</a> thanks for the compliment last week. much aprpeciated.</p><div></div>

<p>Day late, and several weeks/months behind the curve but here's an actual picture I took on wednesday. Playing with my newest of my three Heligon lenses. This one (Heligon-TV 64mm f/0.95) I attached the body or a ruined 50mm Series E f/1.8 AI-S via lens reversing ring attached to the Heligon.</p><div></div>

<p>Some great shots today. I've missed the last four or five weeks I think, due to a long deserved trip to Thailand. 4500 or so shots later trying to find just one to put here.... impossible comes to mind. but here goes.<br />This was taken at Wat Chet Yot in Chiang Mai.</p><div></div>

<p>After flying over that area of Thailand several times over the last month it will be a while before anything happens with any of the manufacturing districts north of Bangkok. I was pretty hard seeing everything under so much water. In some areas all you could see were the rooftops of peoples homes.....<br />Talking to locals there is up to 3.5m of water in all of the major manufacturing districts in Ayutthaya.</p>

<p>Walking back from a trip to a local lake.</p><div></div>

<p>Thank you everyone for the compliments last week. very much appreciated.<br />Before fall really kicked into effect here, I spent my last few days before the rains shooting macros. Decided to put a 14mm E2 tube on my 28mm 2.8 AI-S. Monopod to steady/brace with and really enjoyed myself getting "close" to everything. This little fellow was about 1cm long, on a good day. :)</p><div></div>

<p>from my usual daily walks</p><div></div>

<p>out for a stroll tonight with my pup and before it was too dark, I managed to catch this shot of a bee having a late evening snack.</p><div></div>

<p>Broccoli elastics from any grocer here in Canada (and I am assuming elsewhere) can work as well. That way you get your greens and some safety while travelling as well! I used one here in Vancouver for years as it was easier than having a george costanza wallet. :)<br>

thanks for the advice on lenses here by the way! My wife and I are leaving for Europe in less than a month and I am working on what lenses to take along.</p>

<p>No shaking of the Earth here. I was tho for this shot (allergic). Great shots today!</p><div></div>

<p>Going to go back to my short lived vacation/slice of heaven the other week. While resting on the beach we were able to spend some time with a herd of Alpacas and Llamas. This little gal was about a year old and didn't seem to mind the camera snapping at her while my wife held her.</p><div></div>

<p>Some very beautiful pictures today.<br>

Spent my weekend at a house on Shushwap Lake in the interior of BC. Monday morning was probably the best day for weather and managed to grab this before hitting the road home. Took loads more but this one makes me want to go back the most.</p><div></div>

<p>I am planning on hanging this one soon. Quite happily I might add. Sunny day down looking at the fishing wharfs walking the dog.</p><div></div>

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<p>Spent my Wednesday out in the sun so.. better late than never right? Took the pup to a lake nearby to have some fun in the water. Had a lot of more serious shots but just enjoy this one a lot. He had a blast and so did my wife and I. Celebrated the coming of summer. Finally.</p><div></div>

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<p>My pup was definately trying to sabotage my day but I managed to get this and a couple more. Was a slow/day walk and didn't take many.</p><div></div>

<p>Thank you all. Experience is what I am lacking in this regard and the more pieces I have the better I feel my decision is.<br>

Hector,<br>

Thank you very much. this is all good info.<br>

Wouter,<br>

Currently my wife and I are mainly using a 12-24mm f4, 35mm 1.8DX, 50mm 1.8D and 85mm 1.8D in addition to the 180mm 2.8D. I'd just like to add either that longer lens or a good quality zoom. From there I'll look at completing more of the faster zooms below 70mm as we feel the need.<br>

For the weight i'd be the one carrying it mostly. She loves the closer in/smaller lens combinations where I like to sit back a bit more out of the way (6'3" tall and 190lbs can't be unobtrusive).<br>

I'll look into a TC for the 180mm. Thank you!<br>

Shun,<br>

You provided the clarification that I needed. Thank you. I have enough now (and more of an understanding than yesterday) that I can feel comfortable spending the money towards the lens/TC combo. More than likely it will be the 70-200mmVRII but if the cost is too prohibitive right now for my wife the 300mm is my next choice. I was concerned with dropping down to f5.6 or lower again with the 300mm but for that i'll look at a 1.4 at the most. Beyond that nah.<br>

If I get <em>very</em> serious in the future about wildlife shots I'll start working towards a faster 300mm or longer lens. Most of the wildlife here is the urban crowd walking the streets with a starbucks in one hand and yoga mat in the other. For that the 35mm to 85mm work great.</p>

<p>Thank you again.<br>

cheers!</p>

 

<p>So after reading Shun's comments (very well timed by the way. thank you) about using a D7000 with the 70-200mm VRII and TC's I am in a bit of a quandry. <a href="../nikon-camera-forum/00YslM">http://www.photo.net/nikon-camera-forum/00YslM</a>.<br>

Specifically these comments <br>

"<em>The 70-200 VR II by itself works great on the D7000; it is extremely sharp even at 200mm, f2.8. With the TC-14E it is margainal. With the TC-20E III it is quite poor</em>."<br>

"<em>The problem is that even though the D7000 is 16MP, it is 16MP on DX. The pixel density is equivalent to 36MP on FX. That is extremely demanding on the optics</em>."<br>

I am in the process of researching new lens/TC combos for a future investment and I am not sure where to go now. I am hoping to extend my reach a bit more and get a bit faster than what I have now. VR 70-300 f 4.5-5.6 ED. I like what I can get out to about 200mm but past that it's getting iffy when it isn't a really nice day outside.<br>

Three combo's I have been looking at are:</p>

<ol>

<li>80-200mm AF-S (used) with TC's to get up to 400mm. </li>

<li>70-200mm VRII (new or used) with TC's to get to 400mm.</li>

<li>300mm f4 AF-S (new) with TC14 or 17 420mm or 510mm.</li>

</ol>

<p>Keep in mind I am fine with either the zoom or fixed focal length. But my wife is hoping to branch into more portraiture and event photography but I am not sure when that will happen. For right now I just enjoy more nature/wildlife shots. So whether it is a zoom or not may not be a huge factor at the moment.<br>

Currently my main longer lens is a 180mm 2.8D wich I love, but lose the AF when I look at putting a TC on it. As well birds sure seem to have an issue when I come creeping up to them. And setting up a blind in the city.... not sure how well that will go over. :)<br>

How significant is the IQ loss with the 70-200 and TC on the d7000? I am guessing then that it will be similar with the 80-200?<br>

Due to the 300mm already starting at f4 wide open am I going to end up where I started, difficulties in not perfect weather and lens speed, once I add the TC and drop down in speed because of the TC?<br>

I do have a D90 as well to add in the mix. Will this be a better option with the zooms and TC's? than the D7000? <br>

I don't really have the opportunity to try out all these combos and see what possible drawbacks I may run into and just closing my eyes and picking one of three possible scenarios isn't something I want to do if my $$ don't end up with good results.<br>

anyone have any experience or more knowledge they can impart on a newb who is still just navigating through all of this? Any suggestions/examples would be very muchly appreciated.</p>

<p>Still having fun with my XR Heligon 100mm 1.6. Too much it seems. Can't find the time to enjoy them all.</p><div></div>