Scout Images

Over the last few months I have acquired a few new lenses and have not really bothered to purchase filters for them. With the need for some more UV filters and a sudden realisation that my preferred Marumi DHG filters are no longer as easy to obtain due changes in my photographic suppliers I was forced to consider some alternatives.

In filters I look for a few things:

• high quality glass
• thin rings to reduce vignetting
• high quality multi-coating

This lead me to the B+W MRC XS-Pro UV Haze, Nikon NC, Rodenstock HR Digital and Tiffen Digital HT. All of these filters are premium grade filters with immense reputations, and most importantly, reasonably available to me. However the solid brass rings and Schott glass combined with the UNCONDITIONAL LIFETIME WARRANTY (offered by the Australian Importer/Distributor) of the B+W filter won me over. I ordered a selection of sizes, 77mm (possibly to replace the Marumi on my 24-70, but mostly as a spare), 67mm (so I could move my Hoya HMC to my new 16-85VR and have the B+W on my Tamron 17-50), 62mm (for my 60mm Micro) and a 52mm (for my 35mm f/1.8 DX).

The 77mm and 67mm filters arrived today and it is amazing how these filters simply ooze quality. Having used and handled Marumi DHG, Marumi Super DHG filters, Hoya Pro 1D, Hoya HMC and Nikon NC filters I didnt expect a German made filter to be much different. Somehow they have a very different feel, must be that brass! I cant wait until my other filters arrive.

However it is still to be seen how they wear, but then again so many other people cant be wrong, right?

Interested in when new Nikon DSLRs will arrive? I know I get asked often, so I sat down and had a look to see if I can extrapolate what will arrive when based on the design trends and release patterns that Nikon have used.

In short the soonest we should get:

• D4 – Q311
• D3Xs – Q410
• D4X – Q412
• D700X or D700s or both – Q310
• D800 – Q312
• D400 – Q111
• D90s or D90 replacement – Q310 or Q112
• D5000 replacement – Q410 but this troubles me
• D3000 replacement – Q111

Want to see why? Have a read of the full article to find out.

Nikon DSLR Map, July 2010

So we have all accumulated a whole lot of gear. The better camera body, the nice glass…but have we turned around and looked what all this spending has allowed you to achieve?

In the last few years I have made a whirlwind transition from my first SLR that I owned (my sorely missed Nikon D40X + AF-S DX Zoom Nikkor 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6G ED IF) to buying a D300, adding a S5 Pro and enough glass to make most people cry. However, in recent months I have returned back to the smaller, lighter, simpler form factor with the addition of the D60 and more recently the AF-S DX Nikkor 35mm f/1.8G. Don’t worry, I am not getting all “Ken Rockwell” on you all.

I have really missed the inconspicuous nature and the creative freedom that such the smaller lighter bodies allow. But more importantly I have found myself using less, carrying less and spending less time worrying about what to use and spending more time taking photos. Most importantly I have in a sense recaptured some of the spontaneity in my photos that I lost when I moved to larger and heavier gear. In retrospect, I was happier with more of my work from the D40X compared to the work I did with the D300 and co. This is actually no fluke, restricting oneself forces us to think about what we do, makes us stop to compose, forces us to consider the chance of success of a shot.

I recently added the AF-S DX Zoom Nikkor 16-85mm f/3.5-5.6G ED IF VR into my kit bag. This lens harks back to the limitations of my 18-135mm but with a more restrictive range. The combination of the D60+16-85 is very reminiscent of the D40x+18-135 in size so it is in many ways a homecoming for me. Although I didnt bring home as many keepers on my last trip up to the Gold Coast where I ONLY brought this kit, I felt so free when I was using it. In short, I did not feel painfully restricted. I would happily travel again with only this kit.

This draws me to my main point: there is an innate sense of satisfaction in using simple gear. At the present I am happiest when I have a fast prime attached to my camera. In saying this, I do not mean an exotic prime, but the lowly 50mm f/1.8 or the 35mm f/1.8. Why? The answer is simple, with a fast, inexpensive prime I can enjoy all the benefits of my large, heavy, expensive f/2.8 lenses in a package that is not a pain to carry around. I have sharpness equal to professional zooms, I have great depth of field control and all in a tiny package that no one runs away from.

So what primes? I have mentioned two lenses, one that has been in my kit longer than any other lens, and the other an addition that I have found hard to remove from my cameras.

The first is the traditional 50mm f/1.8 (aka “fast fifty”, “nifty fifty”), a lens that is cheap to make, superbly sharp and regardless of the manufacturer always one of the best. These lenses were traditionally the lenses sold in kits with film SLR’s. The lowly 50mm f/1.8 is what is termed a “normal” lens, meaning it gives us a field of view similar to that of what we see, however digital throws a curve ball at us as the field of view is cropped. This leaves us with a 50mm f/1.8 that has the field of view of a traditional 75mm (but not the same compression though). So on APS-C (DX in Nikon terms) the 50mm f/1.8 has proven to be a bit too “long” to be a useful walk around, this has not stopped many from buying and loving this lens (and it’s f/1.4 and even f/1.2 brothers). For me, the AF Nikkor 50mm f/1.8D represents the first extra lens I bought, and since the day I picked it up it has been in the kit bag even though I had to focus it manually on the D40x. It proves to be a great low light lens and due to the crop a fairly good portrait lens.

The 2nd lens in question here is the AF-S DX Nikkor 35mm f/1.8G. I bought this lens on a whim, when I was woken by a very good friend who happened to be in New York and wanted to ask me which lens to buy (the 35mm or the 50mm mentioned earlier), I advised the 35mm and was quickly asked if I wanted one as well…the rest is history. Since I received my lens it has not really left the camera body. Traditionally the 35mm focal length is a bit wider than normal but not very wide, however on APS-C (or DX) 35mm provides a 52.5mm field of view….maybe you can see something here. For those who have not worked it out, 35mm is the digital 50mm, the normal field of view! Like a traditional 50mm f/1.8, Nikon’s DX 35mm f/1.8 is a small, lightweight package that offers supreme sharpness and depth of field control. I have found that this lens has just enough width of most everyday candid and street photography, therefore it has been constantly on one of my cameras (usually the D60).

Between the 50mm and the 35mm (or digital 50mm) we have two simple lenses that are both fulfilling to use and inexpensive. For those of you who are not using Nikon: 4/3rds have the 25mm pancake, and Canon sounds to be making a cheap 35mm f/1.8 as well, not to mention the 35mm primes (also available for Pentax). Everyone should try a “fast 50″ of some description. It is these basics that make photography fun and you’ll be surprised with what they can teach you!

For added versatility, consider coupling one of these lenses with a set of extension tubes, or even close up filters, (available here) for a handy macro solution!

I have come to realise that since I have not really posted many photos in the last few weeks. One may assume that this is because I have not been taking photos, but this is not the truth. Just in the last week I have been out and about a few times, but these are all going to be shared in one post after Vivid Sydney. I have been busy with my computer, but this has not stopped me from getting out there and taking photos.

Firstly, I would like to share a few images from almost a fortnight ago, when I went back to Cockatoo Island for another round of shooting. This time I restricted myself to only bringing and using my FujiFilm FinePix F100fd instead of one of my usual Nikons.

This camera has had a bit of a workout lately, being pressed into some low light work (which for a compact is not bad for) as part of my daily run to work.

Finally, I am both happy, and not so happy, to welcome another new lens into the family. This time it is the Zoom Nikkor AF-S DX 16-85mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR. Why have I bought a consumer lens? The truth is that I would not have really considered this lens which causes me two large issues, a lack of FX compatibility and a the overlap with the other lenses I already own. However it does fill a void for me, it provides me with a very useful range, with reasonable image quality that will AF on my D60. As I will be travelling LIGHT very soon (next weekend) it has been welcomed into the family. Here are some of the shots I took with this lens.

Despite not yet having found the time to go through the images that I took over the weekend (they are coming) I am going to introduce you all to my latest addition. So new to my arsenal that I have yet to have found the time to break out the light tent to shoot some product style images of this baby.

I am now the happy owner of a AF Micro Nikkor 60mm f/2.8D. This lens is a welcome addition to the kit bag and will probably mean that my Sigma 180mm f/3.5 Macro will spend even less time out and about, but it will mean I now have another, lighter, macro solution.

Another piece of news to be shared is that I am in the process of upgrading my main computer. My venerable AMD Athlon X2 4200+ system is about to turn 5 and is starting to show its age, so it’s successor is in the process of being built. What will it be? For all those nerds out there:

• AMD Phenom II X4 Black Edition 3.4GHz 125TDP
• Noctua NH-U9 CPU Cooler
• ASUS M4A89GTD Pro USB3
• 8GB OCZ Gold Low Voltage DDR3 1600 RAM
• XFX ATi Radeon HD 5850 Black Edition GPU
• Antec Nine Hundred case
• Corsair HX 850 PSU

This DRAGON system has proven to be hard to assemble with parts trickling in (still waiting on that Noctua) but I couldn’t help but to unbox the XFX. So here are some of the first shots from this lens (mounted on my D300, lighting provided by SB-800 and SB-600 using CLS).

It has been a bit of a long and enjoyable long weekend for myself, with a triple dose of photography, something that I have not been able to do in a long time.

First up was a compact only day, where a few friends and I did a pretty nice hike from Otford lookout down to Burning Palms and the Figure 8 pool. This hike is rated as “HARD” and really lives up to that rating, hence I didnt complain about only bringing a compact camera. So which compact did I bring? The Sony Cyber-Shot TX5 got the honours that day, mainly because it is so small and lightweight as well as being waterproof without a case, and it was in good company with a Panasonic Lumix LX-3 also in attendence.

This exercise was followed by a long nights sleep, but the next night I found myself hauling out an insane amount of gear to participate in a model shoot. My D300 got another decent workout, along with my AF-S 24-70mm f/2.8 and AF-S 70-200mm f/2.8 VR. Being a night shoot there needed to be light, so out came my Nikon SB-800 and SB-600. These were used in conjunction with some coloured gels and the diffuser panel from a Phottix 5-in-1 reflector.

I ended the ANZAC day long weekend with a trip out to the Royal Botanical Gardens. For this trip I decided to travel light, my shoulders still being sore from the weight of the previous nights adventures with the Lowepro Magnum 400AW, so out came my Nikon D60. If you remember my earlier post “Who needs a proper macro?” then you will remember that although I own a Sigma APO EX DG 180mm f/3.5 Macro, I dont always use or carry this behometh. This time, instead of using a Marumi close up kit with my Nikkor AF-D 50mm f/1.8, or my Tamron 70-300mm (1:2 Macro), I was using my Nikkor AF-S DX 35mm f/1.8 with a set of Phottix Nikon AF Extension tubes. My baby Nikon SB-400 and Phottix Duo Cable provided the lighting.

I have to apologise as I am still working on the Velvia scans as mentioned in this post. Also I have updated my gear location, at the moment I only have a SB-400, my other flashes are on loan!

Firstly I have to apologise for the lack of activity lately. I present the excuses of a higher than normal workload followed by some pretty nasty sickness. However, I did put together the beginnings of a comparison between Sony’s Exmor R (circa 2010) sensor and Fujifilm’s 8th Generation SuperCCD HR (circa 2008).

Fuji’s SuperCCD technology has long been the benchmark setting sensor in the compact camera market, producing the amazing F30/F31 (2006) compacts that have ISO performance that the compact cameras of 2010 are only starting to match. The technology has evolved quite greatly over the years culminating in the major redesign in 2008/9 to produce the current generation SuperCCD EXR, but the oversized octagonal photosites aligned at 45 deg remain.

Sony’s Exmor R sensor takes traditional CMOS and puts it on its head, literally. Traditional CMOS sensors have layers of circuitry overlaying the photosites, as you can imagine this is rather inefficient in capturing light. The Exmor R sensor has this reversed, it is the first backlit CMOS (ie. the circuitry in under the photosites) that has been mass produced.

These two technologies promise better light gathering abilities. As a long time Fuji user and the owner of a Fujifilm Finepix F100fd which utilises an 8th generation SuperCCD HR, I was keen to test the abilities of Sony’s Exmor R sensor, as a result I found myself the owner of a Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-TX5. Unfortunately I have yet been able to source a SuperCCD EXR sensor for comparison, but lets see how 2yr old SuperCCD technology stacks up against Exmor R…..more

My internet travels have led me to discover another interesting lens. Tamron has finally developed a SWM/USM equivalent, this means for the first time Tamron offers fast, silent focus with full time manual override – the USD (Ultrasonic Silent Drive). The first lens that uses this new technology is the “Tamron SP 70-300mm f/4-5.6 Di VC USD”.

This lens is clearly designed to compete with the Nikkor AF-S 70-300mm f/4-5.6 VR and the Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM, featuring the same focal range, image stabilisation (VC) and fast silent focus. (What does the alphabet soup mean?)

I know I will be keeping a close eye on this lens as a possible replacement for my Tamron 70-300mm (1:2 Macro).

Full press release available here.

I recently picked up a Samsung E1107 Crest Solar mobile phone from catchoftheday.com.au as a back up mobile phone that would have good battery life. The E1107 is a very basic phone that essentially makes and accepts calls and allows you to send and receive text messages. However, its claim to fame is the solar panel on the back…the whole reason why I purchased this phone.

It is claimed that the solar panels will allow the phone to gain 5-10min talk time for one hour in direct sunlight….or approx 5hrs of standby time. Other features include:

• FM Radio
• LED Torch
• Fake Call

I had a time working out how to activate the Fake Call feature, with nothing on the web actually helping, I eventually found a solution that works for this phone by trying suggestions for other Samsung phones.

I decided to post how to ACTIVATE FAKE CALL on the Samsung E1107 Crest Solar to help others that are wondering how to do so.

1. Unlock phone
2. Press and hold the “down” arrow on the D-pad
3. Wait until you get “Fake Call Activated”

Hope this helps someone.

Although Samsung is not the first brand that we think of when we think camera they have given us the first APS-C sensor EVIL (Electronic Viewfinder Interchangeable Lens) camera. Whilst at work today I had the pleasure of handling one under the watchful eye of the Samsung rep.

I have been following this camera quietly since it first broke news as a announcement at CES 2009, now that I have played with a pre-production prototype (with production firmware) I am impressed enough to admit that Micro 4/3rds has something to worry about.

Small and lightweight, but at the same time very comfortable to grip the NX10 will definitely appeal to those who want something smaller than a SLR but with the same performance. The NX10 delivers most of the benefits of an entry DSLR with its APS-C sized 14MP CMOS, although not focusing quite as fast. The combination of a 3″ AMOLED and a high resolution EVF works well. The ability to shoot 720p HD video at 30fps  in 25min clips means the NX10 can challenge the EP-1/EP-2 and the GH1/GF1.

Initially only 3 lenses will be available. A pancake lens (30mm f/2), a standard zoom (18-55mm OIS) and a telephoto zoom (55-200mm OIS). I handled the first two of this trio and did not find anything amiss with these Samsung designed/built lenses. However proper testing is needed.

I was also lucky enough to play with Samsung’s K-mount adaptor, which employs an aperture ring compatibility is maximised. Novoflex has also promised EOS and Nikon F adaptors, so if you want to use your precious Canon and Nikon glass you can.

I only had a short play with this camera, but I am sufficiently impressed by it to consider further examination in the future. Maybe it can replace my D60, or be a candidate for IR conversion.

How much?

NX10 + 30mm f/2 Pancake – expected rrp AUD899.

NX10 + 18-55mm OIS – expected rrp AUD849.