Triptych - Youth and Humor

Youth and Humor

Nikon Df, Nikkor 85mm f1.8 AF-S Lens

 

 

I accompanied my friend, Charles Arnhold, to one of his regular haunts this weekend. Charlie is doing a project on the place, Cafe Amouri, in Vienna, Virginia. (Click Here) to check out the cafe's website. Great coffee.

 

These are Charlie's friends, Anna and Jayna, having a little fun on the sidelines.

 

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Mixing Digital and Film - Melissa Wright's Tribute to Patsy Cline

Some of my good friends, Melissa Wright, Danny Zezeski, Rudy B., Dwayne Brooke, and Evan (a new acquaintance) put on an amazing tribute to Patsy Cline a couple of weeks back. I shot my Nikon Df (digital) and FM (film). I had my AIS 50mm f1.2 lens on the FM, and loaded it up with Ilford Delta 3200 film. I also processed the digital images with settings to emulate the Delta 3200 look.

 

Here's a film shot:

 

That's what an f1.2 lens is for...

 

And here's an example of a digital example:

 

(Click Here) to see the whole set.

 

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Northern Water Snake Triptych

From my morning paddle in the kayak on Saturday...

Northern Water Snake, Nerodia sipedon sipedon, by Reed A. George

Nikon D810, Nikkor 200-500mm f5.6 Lens

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Georgetown (less cynical)

Georgetown Street Scene, by Reed A. George

Nikon Df, Nikkor 35-70mm f2.8 AF-D at 70mm

iso 400, f5.6, 1/500 sec.

 

Shot through open passenger window while stopped in traffic.

 

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"Sightseeing"

"Sightseeing"at the Lincoln Memorial, by Reed A. George

Nikon Df, Nikkor 35-70mm f2.8 AF-D at 40mm

iso 400, f5.6, 1/800 sec.

 

 

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Snowy President's Day in Virginia

 

 

Valentine Flowers in Snow

Nikon Df, Carl Zeiss 85mm f1.4 Milvus Lens

iso 800, f5.6, 1/250 sec.

 

I have the great fortune of trying out two of the Zeiss Milvus lenses, the 85mm and 50mm f1.4, on loan. They are absolutely gorgeous.

 

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Happy Holidays!

 

Happy Holidays! Hope everyone has a nice end of 2015 and wonderful 2016!

 

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Fun with Nikon Film SLR - the Venerable FM

My Nikon film SLR collection is nearly complete, I've had my eye out for one I didn't have - the original FM. I finally found one in essentially mint condition, used, on Amazon. I took the chance and was rewarded with this great little camera. One of the best things about the FM is that it can mount and use both AI and non-AI lenses, making it the perfect film companion to my digital Nikon Df.

 

Here are some shots from the test roll of Ilford HP5 that I put through the FM.

 

 

Saying that I'm pleased is an understatement.

 

By the way, I scanned these on a new dedicated film scanner, the Pacific Image XA. While all of the autoloading on this scanner is a bit oversold, the image quality is outstanding. I can actually see film grain in my scans, something that has been elusive on flatbed scanners, even the Epson V750. If you're serious about scanning 35mm films, I suggest you give the XA a try.

 

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Digital Panorama with Nikon Df - Korean War Memorial, Washington, DC

I've been working on my technique for shooting digital panoramas. Today I shot this one, at the Korean War Memorial on the Mall in Washington, DC. I shot it with my Nikon Df, Nikkor 35-70mm f2.8 AF lens at 44mm, f/11. I found the approximate nodal point (ideal point of rotation for panoramic images) by using my gimbal head, usually reserved for the big telephotos. That worked quite well.

 

I am searching for a viewer to allow my blog readers to see it up close and scroll around - the detail in this huge image is amazing.

 

Just for fun, I printed it on my Epson P600 printer with roll paper. In order to get the height to 12 inches, the length of the print is nearly 10 feet! It is really cool to see on paper. I can't do that everyday. The cost of this one print was probably ridiculous. I think it was about $20 in paper, many times that in ink cost.

 

 

If you click on the image, it should take you to flicker, where you can see it bigger.

 

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Some Shots with the Pre-AI Nikkor 55mm f1.2

I took my old 55mm f1.2 Nikkor out, mated to my Nikon F2SB body, loaded with HP5, to Washington, DC. Here's what resulted:

 

 

Tough to focus (manually), lots of misses, but hey, what's a f1.2 lens for if not shooting in the dark? Fun stuff.

 

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Upgrade of my Nikkor 85mm f1.8 Lens

I have had a Nikkor 85mm f1.8 AF-D lens for several years. Here's a shot I made with it some time ago.

 

Made with Nikkor 85mm f1.8 AF-D Lens][

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Not bad, right? The sharpness is not to be argued with. However, this is one of the few times that I've been unpleased with the "bokeh," or out of focus rendering characteristics of a lens. I don't like how the bright spots in the background are so regular and repeatable.

 

I recently decided to upgrade this lens, sending the AF-D off to KEH for a reasonable purchase price, and buying the newer Nikkor 85mm f1.8 AF-S G lens, refurbished by Nikon, for about $150 total cost (after selling the AF-D). I was not sure about this trade, especially since I am not a fan of G lenses overall. Their lack of an aperture ring makes them useless on my Nikon film cameras. But, the AF-S lens just hums on my Nikon Df (and the D810 for that matter).

 

Here's a sample shot from the new lens:

Made with Nikkor 85mm f1.8 AF-S G Lens

 

As you can see, the new lens has no trouble with sharpness, either. And, at least in this example, the bokeh is lovely. I have to gain more experience with this new lens, but it looks very good at this point.

 

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That's Old Time

Banjo Player with Pokey LaFarge, by Reed A. George

Nikon Df, Nikkor 180mm f2.8 AF Lens

iso 1100, f2.8, 1/250 sec.

 

This guy has a very classic look. Easy to photograph.

 

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Watching the Lanterns Lift Off

 

At the Watermelon Park Festival this last weekend, I got to spend some time with friends I haven't seen in a while. In this scene, as we sat around the campfire, my friend Rudy B and his lovely girlfriend Sarah watched as a group of people constructed, lit, and set free some Chinese Lanterns. They flew up and up, finally disappearing into the clouds of the night sky.

 

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Learning the Nikon D810 - My Menu Settings

D810's "My Menu"

 

I've been using my new Nikon D810 almost exclusively for shooting birds with my 200-400mm f4 lens so far. Clearly, it's good for so much more in addition.

 

So, I've decided to figure out how to use all of the functions, and how to remember which are important to think of regularly as I change shooting conditions.

 

Among the features are Shooting and Custom Setting "Banks." These allow you to save settings for different applications and quickly switch between them. The big problem (unbelievable, really), is that if you're in a bank and change a setting, it remains changed, even after you turn off the camera. Basically they really only represent whatever your settings were last in that bank! Yes, you can get around this, if you can remember to reload settings each and every time you shoot. This requires not only a good memory, but also that you use the same memory card (where the settings are stored) every time, and don't format it. Not so useful.

 

A better option is to use "My Menu." This feature allows you to identify up to 20 settings from the menu system, which you want quick access to at any time. I went through every menu and selected which features I think I'll need regularly. Here they are:

 

1. ISO sensitivity settings
2. e3 Flash contrl for built-in flash
3. e4 Exposure comp. for flash
4. Image quality
5. Battery info
6. NEF (RAW) recording
7. Manage Picture Control
8. d13 Battery order
9. d5 Electronic front-curtain shutter
10. d4 Exposure delay mode
11. c4 Monitor off delay
12. c3 Self-timer
13. c2 Standby timer
14. b6 Center-weighted area
15. a8 Number of focus points
16. a4 AF activation
17. a1 AF-C priority selection
18. Long exposure NR

 

That still leaves two more features, should I decide to add them.

 

These are by and far the features that I'll use most. By having them in My Menu, I will only have to find them in a list of 18, rather than searching through the entire menu system when I need them. Win.

 

So, while I may not use the settings banks, My Menu will be key for my use of the D810.

 

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Kind of Blue - Heron, That Is

 

Kind of Blue, by Reed A. George

Nikon D810, Nikkor 200-400mm f4 AF-S VR G Lens

iso 160, f5, 1/2000 sec.

 

 

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Today's Eagle Shot - Nikon D810, Nikkor 200-400mm f4 AF-S VR Lens

I got out kayaking on the Potomac River again this morning. I saw quite a lot of wildlife, including a muskrat that swam to within a few feet of my kayak, and a giant snapping turtle that nearly touched it. Both were too close for me to focus with the big lens. I also watched a herd of deer grab their morning drink at the river's edge.

 

Here's the best shot I got today, of an immature bald eagle.

Immature Bald Eagle, by Reed A. George

Nikon D810, Nikkor 200-400mm f4 AF-S VR Lens

iso 220, f5.6, 1/1250 sec.

 

You can click on this image to see it larger on flickr.

 

Man, am I lucky to have access to such a beautiful place to paddle on weekend mornings at sunrise.

 

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Great Egret - Nikon D810 and Nikkor 200-400mm f4 AF-S G VR Lens

And here's my best bird-in-flight shot from Sunday's paddle trip.

Great Egret (Ardea alba), by Reed A. George

Nikon D810, Nikkor 200-400mm f4 AF-S G VR Lens

iso 200, f5, 1/1250 sec.

 

I watched this beauty, and his/her nearly-identical partner, approach me from far way, flying downriver toward my kayak. I was lucky enough to get the focus just right on this shot, and capture the wings spread wide. This camera / lens combination is just astounding. It's what I've been working toward for years in gear for nature photography.

 

I find myself tempted to try the new Nikkor 200-500mm f5.6 (Click Here), a much lower cost and lower weight solution, but it's not going to provide image quality like this. And, that extra stop of light gathering (f4) in my lens really matters.

 

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Back Home, on the River

My long vacation over, I'm back out on the river in my kayak, with my Nikon D810 and 200-400mm f4 AF-S VR lens. Here's a shot from last Sunday on the Potomac.

Great Blue Heron, Ardea herodias, by Reed A. George

Nikon D810, Nikkor 200-400mm f4 AF-S G VR Lens

iso 1800, f5.6, 1/1250 sec.

 

On this particular outing, I focused on wildlife photography, leaving my fishing rod untouched. Rather than "running and gunning" down the river as I fished, I pulled the kayak quietly to shore in a few places, and was rewarded with more time to observe each creature that I came across, including several bird species, as well as a red fox.

 

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lions, tigers, and... BEARS! Oh, My.

Okay, no lions or tigers, but on the drive in to my local kayaking spot here in Northern Virginia this weekend, I did see foxes (4), deer (dozens), and a black bear!

 

Black Bear (Ursus americanus) in Suburbia, by Reed A. George

Nikon D810, Nikkor 200-400mm f4 AF-S VR Lens

iso 3200, f4, 1/125 sec.

 

Keep in mind, this is in Northern Virginia, where the townhouses and strip malls are rapidly gaining on the trees in number. It was a pleasant surprise to see this beautiful animal here. Also a little troubling. I'm concerned for his (her?) future.

 

It was just after 6:00 AM, and the light was low there in the early morning shade. I didn't have time to make adjustments, other than to crank the iso up as far as I felt comfortable with. Luckily, that got me to a shutter speed where one or two exposures came out sharp, even though I was handholding the big 200-400mm lens, zoomed to 400mm.

 

The approximate focus distance is 29.9'. That bear could cover that distance in less than one second. Thankfully, he didn't.

 

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Nikon D810 and Df - The Best Combination Available Today?

Well, I've been thoroughly enjoying my Nikon Df for some time now. The low light capabilities of this camera are spectacular.

 

I've recently purchased a Nikon D810, specifically to take advantage of the increased resolution (36 megapixels) for nature photography. Mounted on my Nikkor 200-400mm f4 AF-S VR G lens, the D810 should allow me more freedom in cropping, which is always useful in wildlife photography, especially with active species like birds.

 

I've only had my D810 out a couple of times so far. One was this morning, shooting birds on a kayak outing. Here's a tightly-cropped shot of a swallow hitting the water surface.

And here's a 100% blow-up (cropped even more).

What I've found so far is that while the D810 does allow significant cropping, it doesn't handle high iso noise nearly as well as the Df. Of course, that's well-known in the Nikon crowd, and makes perfect sense, given the much higher number of pixels crammed into the same sensor real estate as the Df. The shots above were made at iso 1600, and noise is quite visible on my screen, looking at the images in Lightroom.

 

Here's a snapshot of DxO Lab's comparison of the two cameras:

 

Image Source: http://www.dxomark.com/Cameras/Compare/Side-by-side/Nikon-Df-versus-Nikon-D810___925_963

 

As you can see, the D810 wins in overall score, color depth, and dynamic range. But, it performs significantly worse in low light (high iso). Again, no new information here, but it's helping me to form my opinion of this pair of cameras and how best to use them.

 

Basically, the D810 will fill my need for high resolution and cropping ability when shooting wildlife in good light. Or anything else in good light, for that matter. The Df will remain my go-to camera for more challenging lighting situations, and when cropping is not as necessary.

 

So, I think that for me, yes, this is the best combination of Nikon bodies available today.

 

I have to get the D810 out in the field again, and shoot at lower iso settings. I'm sure that's going to really impress me.

 

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