Scout Images

I pulled an all nighter last night, but the reward was great. I am now writing this on my new AMD Dragon Platform, to add to the reward, this was the first time I had built a computer from the ground up (all the way from picking out the bits to putting it all together). I couldnt help but snap a few pics of the computer coming together.

Taken using Nikon D300 + Micro Nikkor AF-D 60mm f/2.8, lit by SB-600 and SB-800 using CLS.

The final spec is:

• AMD Phenom II X4 965 Black Edition 125 TDP
• Noctua NH-U9B SE Cooler
• ASUS M4A89GTD PRO /USB3
• 8GB OCZ Gold Low Voltage PC12800 DDR3 RAM
• XFX ATi HD Radeon 5850 Black Edition
• Seagate Barracuda 500GB HDD
• Seagate Barracude 1.0TB HDD
• Samsung SH-S223 SATA TruDirect DVD Burner
• Corsair HX 850 Modular PSU
• ANTEC Nine Hundred Case

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).

I have been waiting for this addition to my kit bag for a few weeks now. Since buying my Nikon D60 (refer here) I have been looking for a good lens to match this camera. My predicament was my lack of small, lightweight AF-S lenses (my only AF-S or equivalent lenses being the 24-70mm f/2.8, 70-200mm f/2.8 VR, 180mm f/3.5 macro) leading me on a search for an inexpensive AF-S lens to match the D60, the AF-S DX 35mm f/1.8G being high up on my list of lenses in consideration. A good friend of mine headed over the USA just after Christmas, and sure enough, just before new years I was awoken by a phone call from New York, asking for lens advice. In the end my friend offered to pick up a copy of this lens for me (they were at B H Photo Video and were going to buy a copy for themselves), so I became the owner of Nikon’s standard DX prime. My friend arrived back in Sydney yesterday and we caught up today.

The AF-S DX Nikkor 35mm f/1.8G

We had lunch then had a stroll through the city centre.

Razor sharp, tough as a tank, built with the precision of a swiss watch….in the few short hours that I have had this new addition to my kit, it has cemented it’s place. This small, solid lens really proves that they dont make them like they used to!!!

I have searching for an AI or AIS series lens to match my FM2n. Ever since I used the Carl Zeiss 135mm f/1.8 (for Sony Alpha) I have been mystified by the focal length, so when this lens was offered I jumped for it.

I just thought I would share some pictures that I have taken recently. This first set was taken during a Breakfast meeting at Badde Manors (Glebe) with my trusty little Fujifilm FinePix F100fd. I have to admit that the food was as good as it looked.

Here are some pictures from today, I went for a walk around Darling Harbour, visiting the Brazilian Festival before heading over for a roam of the Rocks.  Once again I found myself with the wrong set up (it seems to be a happening a lot more often these days when I decide to go for a roam) having brought the Sigma 180mm macro instead of the Nikkor AF-S 70-200mm f/2.8 VR, however I did manage to get some decent shots with the Sigma used as a telephoto (one of the key reasons why I picked the Sigma 180mm over the Tamron 180mm – the slightly faster AF speed).

I just thought I would share some of my latest pics, these sets are more personal outings than planned shoots.

I took a stroll along the cliffs from Bondi Beach to Waverly Cemetery, shooting along the way. I mainly used the D60 and the Nikkor AF-D 50mm f/1.8. There are also a few shots taken at Centennial Park from earlier that day.

Alley Cabaret concluded their 2009 series with an Arabian Nights themed performance. Although I was not the designated photographer I was present and took a few pics with my trust D300 and 50mm f/1.8 and a few with the Tamron 70-300. The difference between kicking back to watch the show and being there on the job is huge. I prefer to be kicking back, even if the photos are not so great.

Today I spent the day at the Fish Markets, and having brought the D60 along with the Tamron SP 17-50mm I could not resist but to snap a few pics of the produce.

Tamron has announced a new version of my treasured SP 17-50mm f/2.8 with the built in motor and Vibration Compensation (VC – Tamron’s alphabet soup for VR).

I love my exisiting 17-50mm f/2.8 (A16N) and dont personally think I will be switiching to this new model designated SP AF17-50mm F/2.8 XR Di-II VC LD Aspherical (IF) (B005) looks very interesting and the initial chatter suggests that there is a new optical formula. This means that we should be able to safely assume that Tamron has tweaked the lens (hopefully for the better).

I resisted going from my screwdriver driven A16N to the built in motor A16NII as the focus speed of the lens dropped considerably compared to the screwdriver on my D300. Now that I have a D60 as a light weight body this new lens will be in my thoughts if I ever have to replace my A16N.

I do not have any affiliation with Tamron, nor it distributors, I am merely sharing some news that I have come across.

I have just come home from a meet where we experimented with the technique of light painting. Using various light sources, including high powered LED torches (my Wolf Eyes Defender 260) and camera flashes (SB-600 and SB-800) in conjunction with soft boxes we painted up a beautiful 1966 Ford Mustang. I used my both my D300 and D60 with my Manfrotto 055 ProB and that Phottix Ball head. The lenses of choice for this exercise were the Nikkor AF-S 24-70mm f/2.8 and the Tamron SP 17-50mm f/2.8.

There is still a bit of work to be done for this technique but getting some form of result was very rewarding!

Nikon USA has made a press release announcing two new DSLRs and two new lenses.

D300s – incremental upgrade to the D300 adding movie and dual CF/SD card slots

D3000 – D40/D60 replacement, 10.2MP with 11AF points and 3.0″ LCD

AF-S NIKKOR 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR II – update on the excellent 70-200mm f/2.8 VR with Nano Crystal Coat and new optical design with 7 ED elements

AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR II – update on the 18-200mm VR with zoom lock switch and SIC

I have always wanted a Polaroid camera but since the film is now out of production it seemed very silly to invest in one but fortunately I stumbled across the Fujifilm Instax cameras. These are essentially Fuji’s take on the Polaroid instant camera but fortunately, due to their popularity in Asia the film is still in production and looks to remain so for some time. Unfortunately the film is still not cheap, but cheaper than the ever harder to obtain Polaroid film.

There are a few models in the line up but the cheapest and most readily available is the Instax Mini 7s that produces business card sized photos. After much lust, a friend brought one back for me from Hong Kong.

What is it like? How hard it is to use? Are the photos of decent quality? …find out here