Why not a Blog 10

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Amazing how fast time flies, here is blog 10 of around 200 entries so far,

I was looking at that new 800 lens, yes serious glass, 18K worth,, can't see how they can justify it except for rariety.

Sometimes that happens where a good lens, becomes super expensive, not because of magic but because of supply and demand. In those cases, I just pass and let the types that gotta to have it,, overspend.

I don't mind paying, but has to have a value to cost ratio that is reasonable. So, for example, I felt that the D800 at 3K (now 2700), has a high value for cost ratio.

in the end, it is what your budget allows. My next lens will be the 14-24, but,, it will take a year before it ends up in my kit.. but, I am convinced it has decent value/cost ratio.

 

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I have been getting used to the D5100, and since it has the same sensor as the 7000, produces really nice images. I have decided on keeping the 18x200 that came with the bundle on the camera to make it the one camera/one lens system. This is going to be my car/backpack camera so that all those times when I don't have my main kit, this will be there to capture all those pictures I missed by not having the camera.

I had purchased a P7000 to fill that role, and while OK, just does not match an SLR. The 5100 is light enough, small enough to be avialable, and you don't have to worry about image quality. The camera can genereate portfolio quality pictures with ease.

 

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Weekend! kinda hazy day,, and well lazy day too..... but.. will trump around the woods for a few hours to make up for the Mexican Feast last night,, camera of course, but don't expect too much in the photo category.

 

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darn weekend went so fast. I ended up with a few shots for the weekend, which for how lazy it was, is ok with me. Sometimes, slow winter weekends is just what is needed.

 

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I swear the profile of my printer is getting off, I have to tweak the picture more and more to get the same printed results as my screens.

So,, lately, I have been creating copies of the final picture just set up for the printer, can't use for the monitor, but when printed looks good. And it is not a monitor calibratation, the tweaks is too extremes. I have reprinted pictures and those I have to tweak those too, so seems to be in the printer calibration.

I am going to get my backup printer up and running and take a look.

 

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brrrrrr,, cold,, and no snow,, which gives the opportunity of photographying frozen streams and water falls,, I will have to see if I can carve off some time today.

Darn,, my truck is costing me 1900 dollars in repairs today! there goes any new lens for a long long time.. Think once I pick up the truck, I'll go do a test ride with the truck, and take some frozen falls pictures to chear me up.

 

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I did drag my self out, after going broke repairng my truck... yuck vehicles, new cars drain you on car payments, and old cars drain you on repairs. so,, I tested the repairs by driving an hour to some frozen water falls,

It was late in the day, the light was really flat, maybe too flat to bring out the details of the frozen falls, I might have to go back.

I did post a shot of some ICE taken with the D800 and a 105 DC lens:

http://nikonites.com/d800/10403-misc-d800-photos-fun-2.html

the photography took away my irratation that I had just spent more money repairing the old heap
than a 14-24 2.8 lens..

 

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Filters are part of the bag, and the polarizier is a key filter for those sunny days that you are either trying to reduce glare, or bring out that vivid blue,

but,, recently, I had trouble, because I had left one on a bit long, and must have always been turning the polarizer in the filter tightening direction.. and here I was not wanting the filter on, in the field, and I could not get the filter, it was on that tight.

even when I got home, and tried to grip the thin inner ring hard, it was stuck on so so tight.

I ended up using a wrench, and carefuly got it around the filter and managed to unscrew it, I have
strong hands, so,, but without the wrench, that thing was stuck.

Managed to not harm the lens. screwed it gently back on,, no problem, but now I occassionally loosen to keep it from locking up again like that.

 

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Friday! nice...

Well,,, I yesterday I ordered the water proof Nikon, going on a Jamaica trip, and am tired of trying to get shots with my old underwater film camera. It was not the old Nikon, but a dedicated underewater camera in one of those Yellow cases. It worked, but you never knew until you developed the pictures, and well, I never got any for the wall, just Kodak Moments.

I still don't expect to get underwater wall shots, but at least I can see right away if I am getting any shots, plus, can use the camera for those surf pictures, without worrying about ruining a 5K setup.

The sensor has 16 meg,, which in bright daylight should produce some decent images. It was kinda funny, the orange, or blue models were not discounted much,, but the Camo model was discounted big time, like down to 180 dollars from 300 dollars.

Yeah,, I know, hard to see in the water if you drop... so... just add some waterproof orange duct tape strips! and problem solved.

It is also shock proof, etc, so should be a really good kayaking, boating, etc,, camera.

 

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I was commenting on lens selections and those old classics.

Perhaps the best deal on the web... a 28-70 3.5-4.5 lens..

it is compact built better than today's consumer lens, and see them sell for between 40-80 dollars!

The lens is sharp, and works great on my D800,, yes,, I love the 35-70 2.8,, but is fairly heavy.

So,, check one out, there are less and less bargain lens out there, too many buyers.

 

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I like to create my own postcards when I travel, the D800 is a great camera for that just for the amount of detail it captures, Same for the 600 I am sure.

here is a shot from this summer usng the 20-35 lens

http://nikonites.com/attachments/d800/26910d1360509360-misc-d800-photos-fun-_dsc1901-ny-ny.jpg


fun to make your own postcards, and then you can print as large as you like! that one, I have not yet,, mmm maybe today.

 

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I was using my old F3,, almost forgot about split prism focus, almost seems quaint now,

Some cameras I removed hand just had the non split prism, but in someways, the split worked
very well, but, I like better the more natural way of today's prism view,

I have to say that I rarely ever had an out of focus picture in film days. Maybe it was just the
effort it took to allign the split filter, you really concentrated. I can go thru boxes and boxes
of slides, and hardly ever see an out of focus shot, can't say that always with my digital
shots.

I would definitely not want go back to split prisms,, much nicer composing in todays screens.

 

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Yesterday, I took out my 300 mm F4 lens to give it a go for a test using my dog for some action shots, yes it worked, but it was pretty slow in focus, I bet lots of birds shots are missed as the lens/camera tries to get in focus, I did get some nice shots, but good form, and planning was neccessary to off the shot,

I will say the lens felt good on the camera, well balanced, and really not that heavy. I look forward to some
bird shots when I travel to Jamaica this spring.

 

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midweek already, in just a few weeks I get a week out West, looking forward to taking pictures in the clear blue sky. I am thinking Death Valley, Monument Valley, Bryce, maybe Grand Canyon,, bit of the Colorado river, and of course more Vegas Lights. I had a year to think of my mistakes, and how to improve.

 

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Opened up the Coolpix shock proof, waterproof camera today,, a joint Valentimes day for my wife and me for a future adventure. Really compact, waterproof to 30 feet, shock proof for 5 feet, GPS built in with a world map, sweet. 16 Meg sensor,, sure not going to match my SLRs,, but.. it serves a purpose.

Now we can go right out in the waves, take pictures of the surfers, and such, dive under and not worry about ruining the camera.

It was on sale for 188 dollars (for the camo version).

 

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weekend coming up,,, might be getting some rain tonight, so,, if so,, I'll go downtown and get some lights/wet brick walkway shots. sometimes tempted to get people to stage shots.

 

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no rain, so I did no go out and take shots, funny to be wanting rain for photo taking,

looks like a quiet weekend, and not really planning much, but I did hang some framed shots at a local business, never know, maybe someone will buy one.

 

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Today,, I have time for some outdoor time, and has that blah look out there, all overcast,, go figure that yesterday it was beautiful but I was busy doing chores!

Now have 3-5 hours,, and it is that lousy light. If water was running,, then a good waterfall day, but alas, the falls are all hidden.. but maybe I should check one out.

 

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brrr,, now it cold,, but beautiful,, always the trade-off for us, either you get a warmer day,, but overcast with that pale yucky light, or you get this nice deep blue sky, but super cold.

I prefer the nice blue sky even with the cold, too bad I don't have time today for pictures.

but, I do keep that firesell D5100 package in my packback at all times, so, always have a slr available when I am drivng around..

The package was a 5100 with a 18x200 VR lens which was at a mistaken price at 649, which will remain my deal of a lifetime.

 

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amazing,,, this blog is wrapping up soon, I have been starting a new thread after about 20 entries, just because scrolling gets too long, too bad their is not an option of showing the last post on top.

I got thinking about how obscessed one can get thinking about the best lens posssible, but I really wonder in the real world how much hair splitting we are doing.

With kids in college now, I have joined the proverty stage where every extra dollar has to be mailed to those brick buildings. Every 6 months, more then every dollar I have ever spent on camera gear flies out the door.

I am pretty much going to hunker down for another 3-4 years until they finnally finish.

Luckily, I managed to squeeze in some more favorite choices, I cashed in a Visa Awards and was able to get the 105 DC lens,, sweet. along with a super deal on the 80-400, and 300 F4.

I sold off most of my lens that I were not using,, and while some lens might sit for a while, eventually, they all get used.

Only exception: an old 50-300 zoom,, its a tank, It the next lens on my sell list, I have purchased almost all my gear in the last 2 years by selling off old gear. That way my wife could not complain, but, except for this and a few old clunkers, I am at the state that I don't have any gear I want to sell off anymore.

I might still sell the 50-300,, but is such a cool antique, and shows what quality Nikon used to build to. They used to call this the Safari lens.