D300 handheld: 1/10 sec !

http://atlantic-diesel.com/Market.jpg


--
Focus

On Mon, 7 Apr 2008 19:56:59 +0100, "Focus" wrote:

http://atlantic-diesel.com/Market.jpg

Terrific but what kind of lens? Are you using a VR lens. I went to
the American Academy of Orchids in Delray Beach and tried to handhold
the D300 with a Nikon 70-300 4 -5.6 and a Tamron 90 mm 2.8 and I had
no luck at all without VR lens and without being as young as I used to
be. Some picture came out great but many were bad because of camera
movement.

After that experience and another in the house with my grandson, also
where there were some great pictures but many blurred, I gave up and
sent back the D300 because after spending $1,800, I realized I'd need
at least 1 good VR lens and new strobe because the SB28 that I use for
the F5, isn't great for the D300.

So, I decided not to make this a $3,000 purchase (with the memory
card) and since I needed new lenses anyway, why not wait for
technology to make this last camera that I'll probably buy, a great
one. With the new SONY Chip and perhaps good in-camera stabilization
I could be getting a lot more for my money and not be stuck with
lenses used on the F5. Amazon.com was great by the way and refunded
the entire $1,800 plus the $30 cost of shipping the D300 back.

There are some of us who want to take some great pictures, suitable
for hanging at 8 x 10 or larger, for which you need a really good
dslr. However, we aren't pros and don't want to have our cameras with
us wherever we go, nor do we want to be thinking about framing
everything we see as a picture all day long. Yet we are smart enough
to know when we need a macro lens or a telephoto and we appreciate the
density of the pictures of the birds shown here of late and the
dynamic range of colors in the fruits and vegetables in the picture
attached to this thread. Shoot me if I want it all.

I believe, this next camera I buy will probably be my last one, or I'd
want it to last 10 years like the F5 did, than waiting to see what
will happen with that SONY chip seems like a good thing for me.
However, I have to admit, going back from DSLR to film, means I take a
lot less pictures, or hardly any, and the colors captured by the d300
are very hard to beat.

"Alan" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 7 Apr 2008 19:56:59 +0100, "Focus" wrote:

http://atlantic-diesel.com/Market.jpg

Terrific but what kind of lens? Are you using a VR lens. I went to
the American Academy of Orchids in Delray Beach and tried to handhold
the D300 with a Nikon 70-300 4 -5.6 and a Tamron 90 mm 2.8 and I had
no luck at all without VR lens and without being as young as I used to
be. Some picture came out great but many were bad because of camera
movement.

After that experience and another in the house with my grandson, also
where there were some great pictures but many blurred, I gave up and
sent back the D300 because after spending $1,800, I realized I'd need
at least 1 good VR lens and new strobe because the SB28 that I use for
the F5, isn't great for the D300.

So, I decided not to make this a $3,000 purchase (with the memory
card) and since I needed new lenses anyway, why not wait for
technology to make this last camera that I'll probably buy, a great
one. With the new SONY Chip and perhaps good in-camera stabilization
I could be getting a lot more for my money and not be stuck with
lenses used on the F5. Amazon.com was great by the way and refunded
the entire $1,800 plus the $30 cost of shipping the D300 back.

There are some of us who want to take some great pictures, suitable
for hanging at 8 x 10 or larger, for which you need a really good
dslr. However, we aren't pros and don't want to have our cameras with
us wherever we go, nor do we want to be thinking about framing
everything we see as a picture all day long. Yet we are smart enough
to know when we need a macro lens or a telephoto and we appreciate the
density of the pictures of the birds shown here of late and the
dynamic range of colors in the fruits and vegetables in the picture
attached to this thread. Shoot me if I want it all.

I believe, this next camera I buy will probably be my last one, or I'd
want it to last 10 years like the F5 did, than waiting to see what
will happen with that SONY chip seems like a good thing for me.
However, I have to admit, going back from DSLR to film, means I take a
lot less pictures, or hardly any, and the colors captured by the d300
are very hard to beat.

I'm sure you would have been able to do well with the D300. It's a very good
camera, but not easy to handle. I've had mine for over 4 months now and I'm
still learning.
VR is not that great always. One of the things to watch is the speed that
you can handle. This is pretty low for me; not many people can shoot as slow
as 1/4 of a second without blur. The lens is a 18-135, but shot at 18 mm. So
there's not much shaking going on.
The beauty of the D300 is, that you can use auto ISO: set the minimum speed
that you're comfortable with and the highest ISO you wish (for the D300 ISO
3200 is very acceptable).
For longer distance the VR is very good, but in the lens. The VR of in-body
camera's is not as good. This makes sense if you think about the fact that
the VR works different at different lengths, while an in-camera VR can not.
The great thing I like about the D300 (and other Dslr's) is, that you get
to practice and shoot as much as you want for virtually free!

But, like I said, you have to be willing to learn a lot. The manual alone is
over 400 pages and that's just need to know, not how to use it.
Still: I'm not so young: 51 almost, and I enjoy learning every day. It helps
from getting old. That happens when we stop wanting to learn...
I hope you find what you are looking for.
Ask anything if I can help, I will.

--
Focus

On Mon, 7 Apr 2008 19:56:59 +0100, "Focus" wrote:

http://atlantic-diesel.com/Market.jpg


Nice shot... did you boost the saturation?

I'm thinking of getting a D300... does the white balance in the camera affect
the RAW format or are you free to pick w. balance after the shot?

wrote:
On Mon, 7 Apr 2008 19:56:59 +0100, "Focus" wrote:

http://atlantic-diesel.com/Market.jpg


Nice shot... did you boost the saturation?

I'm thinking of getting a D300... does the white balance in the camera affect
the RAW format or are you free to pick w. balance after the shot?

No effect on the raw file. This was just answered in another thread by a
response from Nikon.

Alan wrote:
[]
I believe, this next camera I buy will probably be my last one, or I'd
want it to last 10 years like the F5 did, than waiting to see what
will happen with that SONY chip seems like a good thing for me.
However, I have to admit, going back from DSLR to film, means I take a
lot less pictures, or hardly any, and the colors captured by the d300
are very hard to beat.

No need for a D300 - get a D60 and a good VR lens (even the kit lens
18-55mm now has a VR variant) and let the auto ISO go all the way up to
ISO 1600. The new 16-85mm VR lens gives even more range. That should
enable you to capture good images of lower-light or moving subjects. I'm
sorry to hear that you felt the need to send back the D300.

David

wrote in message
...
On Mon, 7 Apr 2008 19:56:59 +0100, "Focus" wrote:

http://atlantic-diesel.com/Market.jpg


Nice shot... did you boost the saturation?

I'm thinking of getting a D300... does the white balance in the camera
affect
the RAW format or are you free to pick w. balance after the shot?

Thanks.
Standard I have the picture control all at 0 except the sharpness at 9 and
saturation at 1. In rare occasions I turn either back, like for portrait
pictures.
The WB is set to auto and captures the mix of TL light with incoming
sunlight. This is how it looked to me, so no adjustment was necessary.
The woman's skin tone is a good measure stick for the reality of the
picture, I think.

WB is always adjustable after shooting in the camera or with the NX
software.

Go get one: you won't be sorry. The best DX camera on the market today,
according to many reviewers and owners. It does take some time to learn how
to use it, so start studying the manual.


--
Focus