Scout Images

You may have noticed that I have been very busy and have not been posting much over the last fortnight (until last night that is) so I thought I would apologise once more and share with you images of my recent travels.

Firstly, I headed off to Kanangra Boyd National Park (beyond the Blue Mountains and Jenolan Caves) with members of my old lab group from USYD. This was not a photographic expedition, but rather a scientific field trip to collect lizards to continue the work on the evolution of viviparity (live birth) – yes this was the broad subject for my honours year. As it was not a photographic trip, I restricted myself to bringing only my Fuji S5 Pro (the D300 was still with Nikon Australia), Tamron SP 17-50mm f/2.8 and Phottix Geo One.

Soon afterwards (literally a two day break) I headed off to Kiama with some friends for an overnight getaway. However, the weather was not quite smiling down upon me so I did not get a lot of good photos. With me on this trip I brought along my Nikon D60, Nikon F80 (shooting Velvia 50), SB-400, Phottix Duo Cord, Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8, Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8, Nikkor 50mm f/1.8 as well as the Tokina 10-17mm fisheye.

Then after a single day at home, I headed down to Hobart for a four day trip. This trip was meant to be pretty photo intensive, so between myself and my younger sister we had the entire kitchen sink bringing the, Fuji S5 Pro + Tamron 17-50mm f/2.8, Sigma 180mm Macro, Nikon D60, Nikon F80 (shooting Velvia 50 and Superia 200), Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8, Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8VR, Nikkor 50mm f/1.8, Tokina 10-17mm fisheye, as well as the Phottix Duo Cord, Phottix Geo One and my trusty Nikon SB-400. This four day trip can be roughly split between four events:

Mt Wellington – standing behind Hobart, this landmark provides some great views of the city and surrounds

Cascade Brewery – Australia’s oldest continuously operating brewery, a great tour and some great drinks, I really enjoyed their Mercury Cider and the Cascade Lager (only available in TAS).

Bruny Island – untouched wilderness, some animal encounters and a hell of a ride in a 1400Bhp, 14m boat.

Salamanca Markets – a must see, a mix of craft and food and a great way to spend a day

I have only posted digital images taken with the D60 (as my younger sister was using the S5 Pro) with film images from the Superia 200 and the Velvia 50 to come if I have time.

Lastly, I thought I would share a few images from today’s bittersweet adventure where I welcomed back my trusty D300 but my good friend lost her D80.

Today was in many ways meant to be a great day, I was finally picking up my D300 from it’s latest (and very lengthy) visit to Nikon Australia (see here) and then I spent the day with a very good friend. Also on the list of things to do was to deal with some of the issues that have cropped up whilst I was away in Hobart last week (trip report + pictures to come soon).

The day started well, with picking up my poor D300 at Foto Riesel Camera House (who have been great). I dropped off the Velvia 50 (slide film shot on my F80 whilst in Hobart) for processing as well as grabbing a replacement Nikon LC-52 lens cap (I lost one off my 50mm f/1.8 whilst in Hobart). Unfortunately I did not get anywhere with a replacement Tamron DA09 lenshood (for the Tamron SP 17-50mm f/2.8 – mine picked up a large crack in Hobart).

But the bitterness really struck when a filthy, no good lowlife stole my friends treasured D80 from her bag at the end of the day whilst on the ferry back from Manly. The camera was at the top of my friend bag, which was sitting next to my bag on the seat opposite to us on the ferry. We must have both drifted off for a few minutes when it happened, but that is often all it takes.

For me it is a shock, I have often been very trusting, leaving gear in plain sight etc, but this event really shakes my belief that people are inherently good, maybe it is not so. How do you walk up to someone’s bag and take out a large camera in broad daylight and then walk away with it? Surely, even on a quiet ferry there are enough people around to keep an eye out for such occurrences. I know I was tired but I was drifting in and out of sleep on the ferry ride back, how gutsy would it have been to risk being caught??

Take heed, and ensure all your belongings are close by and any valuables hidden from prying eyes whenever you are out.

PS. that D80 has been reported to the Police and a serial number has been provided…so if it goes through a 2nd hand shop, chances are it will be found. We live in hope……slim hope

As some of you have noticed over the last few days this site has not been available. I have been away from good internet access for most of the last two weeks, and came back to find that this site had gone down. I have since gotten in contact with my webhost (3ix) and have gotten things sorted via LiveChat.

Very sorry for the disruption.

Just thought I would share a few pics from a recent trip down to Bowral, taken with my Fujifilm Finepix S5 Pro and Nikkor AF-S 24-70mm f/2.8.

I just thought I would share some new products that Phottix has been cooking up.

First of all is the Duo TTL cord, a flash sync cable that allows you to mount a flash on both ends of the cable…which comes in 1m, 1.5m and 2m (all coiled) these cables are all universal, being compatible with Nikon/Fuji iTTL (I have tested), Canon eTTL (I have tested), Olympus and Pentax/Samsung. However, the name of this product is slightly misleading, although TTL is retained perfectly when one flash is used, when the second flash is added (or turned on) you have to switch BOTH flashes to manual. This is CLEARLY stated on the packaging so as far as I am concerned Phottix is not being misleading. The usual caveats of using compatible camera and flashes is necessary. I have tested these cables with Nikon D3000, Fuji S5 Pro, Canon EOS 1000D, SB-400, SB-600, SB-800, Nissin Di622, 430 EX II.

Second up are the new Phottix AF Extension Tube sets – available for both Nikon and Canon (I have tested both). The good news is that they work, although they are still very basic extension tubes, the AF (AF-S, AF-D, USM) and image stabilisation (VR and IS) are retained. However I did find that you have to be pretty careful when mounting them on camera. I have not had any experience with extension tubes, but I can say that stacking all three tubes together appears to hamper the AF ability of lenses on a Canon EOS 1000D (18-55 IS, 50mm f/1.8 and 60mm f/2.8 macro). I have only briefly used them on a Nikon D90 + 18-105VR and 50mm f/1.8 but will hope to play with the Nikon ones more soon.

I have personally purchased one of the Duo TTL cords (1.5m as we only bought these) for myself and have purchased a set of the AF extension tubes (Nikon mount) for a friend. I would like to have a close look at the Kenko set of extension tubes to compare the two products as the Canon mount Phottix set appear to be very primitive with simple rods passing on the electronic signals to the lenses. The Nikon mount version appear to be more complex as they also pass through the screwdriver signal for AF-D lenses (and you cant see the guts of the extension tubes).

The Phottix Duo TTL cord

Unfortunately I have not been able to locate a link for the Phottix AF Extension Tube Sets

I do not work for Phottix, but I do use a lot of Phottix gear and do have a working relationship with Phottix. I buy all my Phottix gear (if this changes I will make sure I will clearly state this) and all my thoughts on the gear is as free from bias as possible.

I am very happy to say that I now have both my Nikon FM2n and my Fujifilm FinePix S5 Pro back from Camera Service Centre. I have to say that the experience with getting these cameras serviced has been both pleasant and quick, other than a short wait for parts to come in.

My treasured FM2n was sent in for a general check up and to have the AI metering ring (the ring that couples with the tabs on the end of a non-G type Nikkor lens) replaced as the previous owner had removed the tab.

I had stupidly scratched the focus panel on my S5 Pro trying to clean out some stubborn marks in my viewfinder with a PecPad wrapped around a plastic spatula cut down for sensor cleaning. Turns out this focusing screen is more delicate than the image sensor itself!

So now, if you refer to where all my gear is, I am getting closer to having all my gear in my possession, something that has never happened before.

As many of you already know, I am an avid reader of Thom Hogan’s (www.bythom.com) writing. For those who are not familiar, Thom is a writer and photographer, and often seen to be a Nikon expert, reviewer and critic. I really enjoy reading his pieces as he does not fall into the trap of being another blinded Nikon user, is willing to state things as they are, and often provides some great insights. Another great thing about Thom is that he is willing to admit he is wrong.

I was reading a piece written recently and thought it was some really good advice, so I thought I share it.

Shoot Less – Thom Hogan

I have just purhased some Velvia 50 (slide film) and will hope to experiment with this whilst I am away at the end of this month. Now the hunt for a good place to get this processed is on, with Vision Image Labs looking to be the most promising.

Inspired by some friends, I have reworked one of the images in my previous post using Capture NX2 to try to emphasise and improve the image. I just thought I would share.

The original image:

The reworked image:

Other news to share is a quick update of where all my gear is with the Fuji S5 Pro joining the Nikon FM2n at Camera Service Centre (both to return to me by the end of the week) and the D300 still away at Nikon Australia.

Another trip to the Zoo and this Zoo Friends pass is really starting to get a workout. This time with so much gear out…including my 70-200mm f/2.8 VR and my D300 I decided to try very different kit just to see how it would go. So on this grey, wet day out came the Nikon D60, Sigma 180mm Macro and the Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8. Shooting alongside me was a friend Marcus (Photomarcs) with his Canon EOS 1000D, Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 and Sigma 18-200mm OS.

Enough gear talk…here are a few images.

Now that this saga is drawing to a close, I just thought that I would compile an all-in-one post to fill in the gaps for those of you who have heard about my adventures with Nikon Australia and those who may be interested in hearing my story.

The saga begins when I became the proud owner of a new Nikon D300 (back in Jan 2008) which I purchased locally through work (when I was working with Broadway Camera House). This camera provided sterling service for well over a year (about 14-16 months of trouble free service) before I noticed a degradation of the image quality of the rear LCD screen. At first I ignored it thinking I was being paranoid, but was forced to act on it when members of this forum noticed that my D300 screen was funny at the forum PMA Dinner. At the time, Gary, Leigh and a few others believed that the reason for this image colour and detail degradation could be originating from one of two sources, a faulty LCD panel, or a faulty piece of circuitry. This resulted to my first trip to Nikon Australia.

This first trip to Nikon Australia (June 2009) was pleasant, probably the most pleasant from this saga. I dropped off the camera at Lidcombe in person and was told that I would hear from them in a week or so. I got this initial quote back within a few weeks (June 30), the news:

NIKON D300 DIGITAL SLR S# 601XXXX
Inspect and test camera unit, dismantle
unit, replace LCD monitor, re-assemble
unit, check operation, adjust, clean and
service unit as required and test all
functions. NOTE: Fault was not observed
during testing – repair actions are on
speculation only.

ESTIMATED COST OF REPAIRS 337.81

After reading this, I called up Nikon to clarify the situation and was told that they could not find the cause of the fault but thought that the LCD would be the most likely suspect, I would be covered for SIX months and any further repair work on this situation would be covered under warranty. I was very happy to go ahead on this repair with the firm belief that things would go well and I would have a fully functional camera back soon. However this would not be the case.

When I was told the camera was ready for pick up (July 16) I welcomed the camera back, initial shots showed that everything was in order. However, this was short lived, with the same problem rearing its ugly head again in a matter of hours, so the camera was taken back to Lidcombe on the same day. At this point in time I was still happy to return the camera and have it checked over again.

On July 23 I recieved another email letting me know that my camera was ready for pick up, that nothing was wrong with it and that there was a Technicians report. This did not bode well for me, and I was eagar to see what was in that report.

NOTE: This has been typed up by me as I do not have an Electronic copy of this Tech Report

NIKON D300 DIGITAL SLR S# 601XXXX
Inspect and test camera unit, clean unit as required and test all functions. NOTE: The monitor is a VGA (Video Graphics Array) display, with a 640×480 at 16 bit colour depth. This is a very basic display and when viewing images that have a similar but slightly varied brightness will show the rainbow banding seen in the sample images. The LCD is 900, 000 pixels but still will display the VGA colour depth. Also, the exposure has contributed to the problem. The sample images that show the effect are poorly exposed, generally by about +1 to +2 stops, due to the use of manual exposure mode. Under normal exposure conditions the effect is not present or greatly reduced. This is why it was stated in the previous repair estimate report that the effect was not observed and the replacement of the monitor was to be carried out on speculation only. Had sample images been supplied, monitor replacement would not have been suggested. When seen a monitor of greater colour depth, the effect is not present or greatly reduced. Recommend that the user utilise auto exposure modes to achieve better exposure results and recognise the limitations of a VGA display. The intended use of the monitor is to confirm correct exposure, focus, composition, etc, not as a primary display. For these purposes, the VGA standard is suitable.

I do not need to tell you that I was not happy with this result. I found this report both not useful and offensive, summing to.
- a lecture about VGA displays
- I don’t know how to use Manual exposure
- I should use P, A or S modes on a D300

BUT not taking into account
- detail degradation – which makes focus confirmation very difficult
- 14-16 months of faultless service prior to degradation of the LCD image
- supplied images being well exposed or slightly UNDER exposed (-0.5 to -1 stops) as confirmed by Steve Castle (Head of Service at Nikon Australia).

After a lengthy discussion with Steve Castle about the issue, and comparisions between images recorded and displayed on my D300 and then the Nikon Service “master” body, we could not reach an agreement as to what was being observed. I felt as if I was the only one there that was not colour blind, although I had the knowledge that everyone outside of Nikon that has seen the camera can vouch for the presence of a fault. Possibly to my error I took the camera back and pursued a refund on the original repair. This process took until after September 10 to get a partial refund, I agreed to be reasonable and compromised with a refund on the cost of the LCD screen and paying for labour with Kurtis White (National Sales and Service Manager).

The saga does not end here, as a stroke of luck meant that I would have my D300 with me on a Sony Cybershot training (Oct 7) night where I met and got to know some of the VERY NICE people from Foto Reisel Camera House who saw my camera and urged me to bring it in to them so they could try to help me out. To their credit, Colin Macdougall (Retail Manager) and Jade (Repairs) were a great help. I dropped off the camera, along with both repair reports with the hope that having the support of an important retailer would help my case. Before we sent off the camera we compared my D300 with one in the shop, and everyone (myself, Colin, Jade and George – another salesman present) concluded that there was something seriously wrong with my camera. We even let their Nikon rep (Andrew King – whom I had worked with in the past) know about the service history in hope that he could help get to the bottom of this.

It wasn’t until the mid October that we would hear from Nikon again. According to Jade, Nikon could not find a fault and had a technicians report for me, this was to the same affect as the previous report. Thankfully, Jade put his foot down and refused to accept that resolution. 

The next twist was one that really intrigues me. I received a call from Steve Castle on October 26 telling me that there was nothing more he could do except perform a custom hue adjustment to remove the ‘green hue’ from my screen and that there was nothing wrong with the unit, it was ‘within spec’. I proceeded to enquire the reason for the call and was told that he had already spoken to Jade, so I asked Steve Castle to have the image processing pipeline checked to see if my (and Gary, Leigh, Jade, Colin and Richard – Camera Service Centre) suspicions were correct. I then called Jade to verify that he had spoken to Steve, it turns out that there was no conversation with Jade, only a conversation about the fault, not the proposed solution.

The final installment arrived on November 3. I received a call from Jade informing me that Nikon had “found an improvement when they replaced a DRG board” one of the driver circuits for the LCD display (what everyone had suspected!!) BUT the cost of repair would be $600, however Steve Castle was in conversation with Nikon Japan, Nikon Australia still believes that the camera is behaving within spec. I waited, until today (November 5) when I saw Jade in person and was told that there was nothing to be done but either take the camera back unrepaired ($100 quotation fee) or pay for the repair ($600).

I have decided not to go ahead with this repair, and to Jade’s (and Foto Riesel’s) credit, they reduced the quotation fee to $60 (what Nikon is charging them). I cannot praise the quality of service that Foto Riesel has provided me, but I cannot say the same about Nikon Australia. I now await the return of my D300 and will update this post when I get the Technicians report that comes along with it. I will however proceed to find and email Nikon Japan directly to share with them my thoughts on the whole matter.

It has taken Nikon Australia 3 (or is it 4) attempts over five months to find a fault (that according to them is not a fault) was speculated by us all along. To their (dis)credit, it appears that they did not fire test images during the first trip, insulted myself (2nd tech report) and are now not fixing a problem that they have indicated to be so unique that it is the first recorded case.

For those who made it to the end of this marathon post, thank you for reading. If you could all share your opinions on how you would feel about this if it were you, I would be greatly appreciated. I know that I cannot praise Nikon Service to any customer who comes in to buy a Nikon, it really is tough to sell a camera from a company that lets you down.

NOTE: This was also posted here