D600, Sigma 105 OS HSM Macro
For all the concentration on high ISO performance on digital, with camera's reaching as far as ISO ~200,000, there's an equally useful ISO range being completely ignored. This range is the other end, the range between ISO 6 and ISO 100. Once upon a time ISO 25-50 in particular was where landscape photographers lived, shooting Velvia pulled to ISO 40, or Tech Pan at ISO 25 or any of a dozen other films in this range. Today we shoot at ISO 100 if we're lucky, ISO 200 if we're not and then have to dig out filters if we need to get the shutter speed down to blur water or let us get a lens wide open for some planar separation.
I can count on one hand the number of images I've taken above ISO 6400, but I constantly wish I could drop the ISO below the 100 (or 50 extended base) on most of the recent camera's I shoot. And I keep getting reminded that my F3's ISO range was 6-6400, a far more useful range for most shooting than the current 50-51,200 my D600 offers.
So come on camera makers. Do something different for a change and give me a camera designed for the ultimate low ISO performance, at an actual low ISO.
Wednesday, 29 January 2014
The Forgotten ISO Range
Wednesday, 15 January 2014
Saturday, 11 January 2014
That FX Look and Some Thoughts on Social Networking
D600, Sigma 105mm f2.8 HSM OS Macro
This shot is a great example of the FX look that many are looking for. This is at f4, but you still have some real DoF separation, and it would be difficult to achieve on APS-C as you'd need a ~70mm f2 lens stopped down to about f2.5 to achieve this look. Ironically it would be easier to get this look with m43 as 50/1.4's are commonly adapted (however most aren't nearly as good at f2 as the Sigma 105 is at f4). But this sort of mid-aperture subject separation is a constant struggle to achieve with smaller sensors and can really deliver when you are shooting subjects with planar separation like this one.
This is also a good example of what I don't like with FX, I'd have had to stop down a fair bit more to get the deeper DoF I generally go for, if it wasn't for how planar the subject was I'd have been struggling down at f8-11 to get the shot.
On to social media. I hate Facebook, just like everybody else. I'm regularly tempted to just walk away, but it provides too easy a capability to interact with people who I don't see face to face on a regular basis (and to plan events with those I do). I also do Flickr, which once was a great photographic community but now is mostly a mediocre hosting site with wide-spread support. And I do several subject-specific forums, notably Fred Miranda for photography and a couple forums for model aircraft. Frankly, I'm pretty unsatisfied with the entire setup, I'd like more integration, especially between the community I am involved with on Fred Miranda and the photo hosting on Flickr.
That leaves a few options:
500px - Great photography, almost non-existent community outside the semi-payed blogging/commenting interface. They've essentially fixed what used to be wrong with flickr (masses of lousy photos drowning everything else), but not the result (the interesting flickr users abandoning the community aspects). It's also even more photography specific than Flickr, and lacks the hosting capabilities of Flickr, so it's of interest to me, but never will be a primary area of action.
G+ - I'm still not sure what G+ is supposed to be. There's a strong community of photographers involved, but overall the interactions are stunted. And there's the Google Walled Garden aspect, as Google promotes interaction within their ecosystem it's easy to get content pushed out of G+ but difficult to push it in from non-Google sources (like say Flickr). This makes transitioning to G+ difficult for non-Facebook uses (and for FB, all you really have is the ability to push posts from G+ to FB). From what I've read it should also be a great replacement for subject-specific fora, but it fails there due to the lack of uptake outside of techie circles (very few of the typically middle-aged to elderly men who build model airplanes even realize G+ exists, so I can hardly replace the 4 fora I'm active on for that interest with G+). Oh and Hangouts? Supposedly the killer feature for G+, but I still can't see any attraction to them. But I never liked Chat in any form, especially not group chats, and Video chat is even less interesting. Of course I am a bit of an introvert which might explain that. Chat is hard, and not something I do for fun, rather something I do when I'm already somewhere with some people.
Sunday, 29 December 2013
First Day with the D600
D600, 24-50 f3.3-4.5 AF
Went out with a few folks I know from the TPMG for an unofficial photo excursion in northern Durham Region, along Sideroad 4 up to Uxbridge. I'd never been up that way and we were looking for the afteraffects of the ice storm a week ago, which we did find some of.
This is a small set of waterfalls on East Duffins creek right above an old millpond. Shot with the ancient ZOOM-Nikkor 24-50 f3.3-4.5 AF at 24mm and f4.8. It does surprisingly well on the D600, although the corners are weak. Shadows are lifted about 2 stops to bring some life into the scene, which worked very well. There's definitely more maleability in the D600's files than the D7100 or especially the E-M5.
I found I took to shooting with the D600 almost immediately. Only control-based issue I had was actually the fault of my Sigma macro, as I bumped it into MF mode by accident and had a brief scare when it wouldn't AF. Manual focus is OK, but I was relying a lot on the AF confirm for more distant subjects, especially with the 35/2.8 which just has tons of DoF when I'm not close in.
All in all, I'm looking forward to more shooting with the D600, and trying out some more exotic glass on it, especially an ultra-fast 50. I did try the 28/1.8G briefly and really liked it.
Saturday, 28 December 2013
That Didn't Last Long
D7100, 18-70G DX
Well, a couple posts ago I commented that I didn't think the D600 was a great value due to its specs, but that a $1200 price tag would cause me to change my mind. That has turned out to be a pretty good prediction.
The D7100, as much as I liked it, was always intended as an interim step, to hold value until I could get the FF camera I wanted (I was intending that be the Sony A7). I was vacillating on the A7 however because of adapter issues, using G lenses on an adapter is kind of a pain, and I've been shooting a bit with the NEX-5R and my G adapter and while it's workable I still can't help but think a set of the Sigma's would be a better carry kit for the 5R. So I'd also been increasingly considering a Nikon FX body, either the D600 or the D700 (D800 is too expensive and too many pixels).
Well the Henry's Outlet Centre's Boxing Week Sale is 25% off the last ticketed price. And they were already selling open box D600's for $1500. The sale dropped them to a little under $1200. And that price for an essentially new FX body with full warranty is not something I could resist, especially since my D7100 and both my DX lenses (18-70G and 35/1.8G) are within the exchange period and were purchased from Henry's. So I took the DX kit back and walked out with a D600.
After 8 years of digital, always wanting a FF body, but never quite being able to justify it, I'm there. This doesn't change my opinion that DX is where the value is for most any photographer, if I wasn't a big fan of old manual focus lenses I'd have kept the D7100. But the allure of using old MF lenses and modern glass on one body with the intended field of view is too interesting to me to skip FX.
As to the body, I still find it handles a bit worse than the D7100, the difference is all in the grip, which is skinnier and not quite as deep on the mount side on the D600. A small difference, but noticeable. The eyecup is not deep enough, but that's common to all the cameras using the DX-21/DK-23 eyecups. I'll also miss the D7100's AF unit, especially the better frame coverage (in comparison the frame coverage of the D600's AF points is tiny, barely more than the old F80) and the OLED viewfinder display. Controls are a wash, almost everything I liked on the D7100 is identical on the D600. The only thing missing is the ability to use the OK button as an instant magnifier. In return I pick up some extra configuration options with regards to quality and similar. Set & forget for the most part.
Overall I've got the two camera's setup identically. Only difference right now is the DoF preview button is still set as DoF preview on the D600, instead of AE-L as I had it on the D7100. I don't use either option all that much though.
As to lenses, I'm going to miss the all AF-S kit. I added an old 24-50 f3.3-4.5 AF as my everyday wide/normal walkaround lens and my normal will be either my 50/1.8 E, 35/2.8 AI or Anne's 50/1.8D. So I'm back with screwdriver AF (and without the wonders of Minolta's DMF mode). But the updated AF/M switch is easily and readily flipped unlike the old style C/S/M or AF/M switches so I suspect I'll be OK. Long term the 24-50 will get replaced by an AF-S 24-xx lens with more reach, likely one of the Nikkor 24-85 AF-S's (VR or my old favourite non-VR G) or maybe the Sigma 24-105/4 OS if it's not too big.
Thursday, 26 December 2013
Giving Film Another Try
FM2, 50/1.8 AI, Delta 100
I finally got off my butt and finished scanning the last 3 rolls of C-41 colour film I had laying around. While I was at it, I decided to soup & scan a few rolls of B&W 35mm film. Doing so has really reminded me both why I love shooting film and why I gave it up for the most part.
The C-41 was washed out, grainy as heck and covered in dust. It was also lab processed. This is exactly why I for the most part dislike shooting 35mm colour film, it just looks like crap for the most part. Sometimes you get lucky and it turns out alright, but it's expensive and a pain to scan. Part of this is the need to avoid expired 35mm colour, but even shooting Ektar 100, by far my preferred option, is a struggle in comparison to digital.
On the flip side, the B&W is turning out lovely. It has a gorgeous tonality that I struggle to match with digital, and is a lot less hassle to scan & process given the lack of spooling after hanging and the low dust levels due to my workflow.
This is really pushing me towards shooting a fair bit more 35mm B&W. I do love the results and unlike the colour work I get consistent, repeatable and not too expensive results.
Thursday, 12 December 2013
First takes on the D7100
D7100, 18-70G DX
I've got about 100 frames now on the D7100 and am obviously still in new toy mode, where I tend to love a new camera just due to its newness. But I do have a fairly solid first impression of it already.
In terms of handling, it's larger than I'm used to at this point, but it fills my smallish hands quite well, pretty much a perfect grip for me. Weight is similar to the E-M5+halfgrip+14-54 when I've got the 18-70 mounted, this is because the smaller 18-70 offsets the larger body in weight. The button/control layout is excellent although I've come to prefer the Sony-style location of the front wheel. MUCH better than the E-M5 where the wheels were nicely located but all the buttons on the body were difficult to access without looking. Oh, and I love the locking mode dial. No more mode surprises, a continuous bugaboo and one reason I like Sony's virtual mode dial on the NEX-7 and NEX-3/5 lines.
Control setup is pretty simple. I'm in A mode, shooting Auto-ISO with an ISO 100 base, ISO3200 limit and shutter speed in Auto (this means the camera will bump the ISO when the shutter speed hits the 35mm-equivalent focal length. Which is utterly awesome, Auto-ISO that's actually useful). Button assignment is limited, unlike what I'm used to, but it's not a real issue aside from one case. I have Non-CPU lens on the Fn button (lower front), AE-Lock Toggle on the Pv button (upper front, the usual DoF preview button), AF-On on the AE-L/AF-L on the back and easy exposure compensation enabled (puts Exp Comp on the non-primary dial in P/A/S modes). The only disappointment here is I can't reassign the Movie button to something useful, but then again there's nothing I really need to assign to it, my control needs are pretty simple and all of them are already assigned. With Nikon's Two button format and the i button, I doubt I'll ever be in the menus.
The big change though is coming back to an OVF from 4-ish years with an EVF. It's a change, and a pleasant one. I like EVF's, especially for the ease of focusing, with magnification and peaking, the low-light boost and the information displays. But I had forgotten how much better an OVF is in bright light, and how nice the shorter blackout and lack of lag is. I still like EVF's for cameras, but it's good to be reminded that they are not unconditionally better than a good OVF.
In terms of IQ I'm seriously impressed. I never found the 24MP NEX-7 to have a clear advantage over the 16MP NEX or m43 bodies. The D7100 however seems to, it's probably a combination of the lack of an AA filter and the cleaner Toshiba sensor. But I'm digging it. A pleasant surprise is that the 18-70G DX stands up much better than I expected. I always knew it was a good lens, but I expected 24MP to be a bit much for it, however it's standing up pretty well and delivering better initial results than the E-M5+ZD14-54. Is it a better lens than the ZD 14-54 II? Nope. But it's a better combo than that lens on the 16MP Oly.