eric_bowles1

The other common error could be your nose or check is hitting the AF selector button. That's a common issue on some of the Nikon cameras and for people who shoot with their left eye.

<p>Sorry about the late response, but wanted to clarify a bit.<br>

It depends on your camera and the amount of reflected light.<br>

Modern sensors - such as my D800E - have about 14-15 stops of filtering of IR light on the sensor. This is a tested result comparing exposure times on a converted IR camera with a filter to an unconverted camera. <br>

An IR filter such as the R72 blocks visible spectrum below 720nm - all the visible spectrum. But blocking is a relative term. If you are using a conventional camera in bright sun, you may get some light leakage through the viewfinder or the distance scale. Be sure to shade the camera and cover the viewfinder during the exposure to prevent light leakage.<br>

Live View and Auto Focus won't work with an R72 filter on a conventional digital camera. It works great on a converted camera.<br>

With a current camera in bright sun, I'd expect exposure times in the 15-30 second range at base ISO with an 81C filter (an 810nm filter that is for pure IR spectrum). You can increase ISO for a faster shutter speed. You'll have to try some test images and look at the histogram. You may have some light leakage in the red spectrum - some visible light - and that would shorten exposures. <br>

The R72 filter will allow a little visible spectrum to pass through, so I would expect a 2-3 second exposure as a starting point. The exposure is likely to be dominated by leaking red light from the visible spectrum since the sensor blocks 14 stops of IR and your filter does not block the 700-730nm range of barely visible spectrum very effectively. You want visible spectrum with a 720nm filter - it's just that it dominates IR on an unconverted camera. (Blocking 10 stops of visible light with an R72 filter is 99.9% - it's just that you still have 10 times more visible light than IR in your image. This is known as false IR since it is mainly red light.)<br>

There is a big difference in exposures with less than full sun. Subject matter does make a difference as it influence reflection of IR spectrum. Bright green foliage or synthetic fabrics are highly reflective of IR spectrum.</p>

<p>Sorry, but it does not work. The problem is you'll have a filter edge showing. You might get away with an edge in the middle of the image if you hand hold the filter and move it around enough, but the technique is difficult. <br>

If you ever try handholding a filter, you'll see how easy it is to see a filter edge.<br>

Just buy a Reverse Grad ND filter. Most of the major vendors sell reverse filters. They are very helpful to block brighter light on the horizon around sunrise or sunset. The work better with a level horizon or a level cloud layer.</p>

 

<p>I've recently been looking for a small wide prime as part of a prime kit. Light weight is one of my objectives, but sharpness is the most important factor.<br>

On a D800E, I'm using the 50 f/1.4D, the new Sigma 35mm 1.4, and was looking for a 20mm lens. All of the 20mm options seem to be good lenses for some uses, but they are all soft in the corners. The Nikon 16-35 f/4 is much better across the frame.<br>

The Nikon 24-70 is one of my most used lenses - and it is very good compared to alternative zooms. But the Sigma 35mm is much sharper. <br>

The improvements in the zooms over the last 15 years are pretty remarkable. Primes and zooms are designed for specific needs. And there are compromises with each.</p>

<p>Sometimes uninstalling programs does not remove everything. Contact Nikon Support and ask for them to send you their Registry Sweeper. Then reinstall the software.<br>

You should be using the latest version of View NX2. It contains an embedded Nikon Transfer program. Do not use the stand alone Nikon Transfer program as it is known to corrupt files from newer cameras.<br>

You mention the programs not staying open. Can you describe a little more what is happening? Are the programs actually closing without a command?</p>

<p>I'm not sure of how you are activating AF, but if you use the AF-on approach rather than the shutter, Live View is even better. <br>

My approach is to get a rough focus and composition first - typically through the viewfinder. It does not have to be perfect as you will focus more accurately using Live View. Then I activate Live View and move the AF cursor to the desired area of the image. I typically zoom in for a much closer look, then activate AF using the AF-On button. The red box of the cursor turns green if focus is achieved. I can still manually adjust focus if desired. <br>

One of the related uses of Live View is to check focus on other areas of the image. You can move the cursor and zoom in to look at specific elements of the image.<br>

One word of caution. There are different ways that Live View is deployed depending on your camera. The newest cameras initiate mirror up with Live View. Earlier cameras do not - and there can be some vibration. <br>

Another note - the Contrast Detect AF used in Live View is a little slower than normal Phase Detect AF. But Contrast Detect is more accurate and overrides any lens calibration issues.</p>

<p>The CamRanger was the hot new product at the NANPA Summit earlier this year. They completely sold out, restocked, and almost sold out again.<br>

On iPad and iPhone the product works extremely well - far better than any of the alternatives. It allows control of the camera settings and focus from your iPad or iPhone. This is quite useful for a bracketed series or for focus stacking. It works like Live View - only better.<br>

I you only need to download images immediately for viewing, the Eye-Fi card is a good solution. While it can handle RAW files, I find it works best with a small, basic JPEG for best performance. It simply transmits the image via wi-fi to any connected device - tablet, phone, laptop, etc.</p>