The essence of photography

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I am primarily shooting landscapes these days. Landscapes don't move and one can take ones time in composing the shot. I normally take a test shot and on the basis of the histogram reading, I decide what the actual exposure should look like. In the manual mode you can play around with various permutations of aperture, shutter speed, metering, iso, white balancing and exposure compensation in order to achieve the effect you want. I only use single point auto focus and still mode. Lately I have started using Auto white balance as I am happy with the results and there is one less element to worry about. If the camera could achieve the desired effects automatically then it would be convenient (but not satisfying) to do more things in the auto mode. But the auto mode cannot read your mind or understand what you really want. It reads the information available in the viewfinder and uses it's own mind to quickly decide on the combination of settings required for an optimal exposure. Pressing the shutter is the easiest part. Very often I let my small daughter do that part as she feels very excited that she is taking the pic.

In reality the creator of the pic is not the person who presses the shutter, but the person/machine who decides the settings for the exposure. In the purely auto mode one can take credit for selecting and framing the subject. Beyond that the actual shooter to whom most of the credit/discredit should go is the camera.

With D90 I normally used ISO 200 and never went beyond 400. Therefore when I wanted more light to hit the sensor, I opted for a wider exposure or a slower shutter speed. Both elements caused the pictures to be relatively softer and relatively more blurred. Good for certain kind of shots, but not so good when you wanted more things in the foreground and background to be in sharp relief. With D700 I have already started shooting at ISO 800-1600 without worrying about noise control. This enables me to shoot at faster shutter speeds and smaller apertures for shots requiring greater depth of field and more detail.

ISO 800 (D700+50mm 1.8D)

resting place | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

ISO 1250 (D700+60mm 2.8D micro)

green | Flickr - Photo Sharing!
 
The probability of D600 being announced in the next couple of weeks, has been upped to 99% by Nikon Rumors. The world's first budget full frame will probably be landing soon. The dilemma for most shooters is going to be whether to spend 80-90K on a D600 (new generation, entry level, full frame) or D700 (tried and tested, older generation, professional full frame).

For me the contest was over even before it began. I prefer the colors and image quality of the older generation D90/D300/D700 to that of the new generation D3100/D5100/D3200/D7000/D800. The only camera I wanted to buy was D700 and I was fortunate enough to find one at a good price. The colors and image quality rendered by the older cameras is very different from that of the new generation Nikon. It could be because of the increased pixels and dynamic range of the new cameras. Or it could be that I am completely mistaken. Anybody planning to buy a DSLR should definitely look at a few Flickr-streams before deciding which camera and lenses to buy.
 
ajay124 said:
The probability of D600 being announced in the next couple of weeks, has been upped to 99% by Nikon Rumors. The world's first budget full frame will probably be landing soon. The dilemma for most shooters is going to be whether to spend 80-90K on a D600 (new generation, entry level, full frame) or D700 (tried and tested, older generation, professional full frame).
Click to expand...

Hi Ajay, would this change if we shoot i RAW ? the D700 new comes to around 1,25K !
 
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Arj, congratulations. You are in for some great times ahead. Bangalore is a magnificent location to be in for photographers (I carried may D90 there last week on a business visit), apart from being a great place to listen to music (no need for fans, AC...).

Of the bags, I picked up LowePro slingshot, and it has given me great service. I can comfortably fit a D90+70-300, and keep it zipped without really losing reaction time.
 
Thanks Ajay. actually i already have a slingshot 100 and a manfrotto tripod 785. i might have to get rid of the tripod since it is meant to be in the 1kg weight which fits in very well with the Olypus cameras + lenses. the monopod is a great idea.

not sure if the 100 can accommodate the D700 though ?. it could keep my Olympus 510 + 11-22 and the 40-150 along with he mounted 14-42 lens. I love the Rainproof cover you can pull out during wet days.

Gerry_the_Merry, thanks :)

BTW i have a partiality for the National geo bags ;)
 
arj

Before ordering a bag you should ensure that it will comfortably hold a D700 fitted with a medium sized zoom. You should buy a bag which is a little bigger than your present requirements because your lenses and accessories will probably keep multiplying :) Lowepro's bagfinder option is useful for finding the right bag:

http://bagfinder.lowepro.com/amazon/add-gear

When I bought a Flipside 200 I had not anticipated that I would be buying a big zoom like the 80-200 2.8D. Thankfully it fits snugly in the bag when attached to the D700. There is still enough room to accomodate two small lenses, extra battery, lens cleaner, cell phone, small external hard disk and a water bottle. Flipside 200 does not have a rain cover as the entire bag is supposed to be made from a water resistant material. While wearing it the flaps for opening the bag rest against your back. It seems like a more theft proof arrangement than using a bag which can be opened from behind by someone. The provision for carrying a monopod was not very good. I got an extra strap stitched on to the bag to hold the base of the monopod. I am reasonably (but not completely) satisfied with this bag. I am now looking for a used 24-70 f/2.8 and I will be needing a bigger bag for carrying both the 24-70 and the 80-200.
 
Gerry_the_Merry said:
Ajay, Water bottle? Better make sure it does not leak...!
Click to expand...

Provision for carrying a small water bottle is in the usual place outside the bag. There is little risk of leaking water trickling into the main compartment as the fabric is water resistant.

Recently I have been doing plenty of walking in the hills and forests around our city. A water bottle, sun hat, water proof bag and a monopod are essential gear for landscape and nature photography. In recent times I have moved from shooting landscapes with D90+50mm 1.8D+monopod+toploader AW45 (weight app.1000g) to D700+18-35+80-200+monopod+flipside 200 (weight app 3000g!). I have also bought a Manfrotto 055XPROB tripod and 804 RC2 head, with a combined weight of app.2000g, but I have not used it much till now. It will only come into action during studio sessions at home, or when I can drive, rather than walk, to locations. But it is definitely not meant for rambling all day long in the hills.
 
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ajay124 said:
...

I shot a few pics with the D700+18-35mm today. I was absolutely floored by the vista which opens out at 18mm on a full frame. It took me less than 5 minutes to start using the D700 fluidly. It feels purr-fect in your hands.The other thing I will check tomorrow is its ISO performance. I never shoot beyong ISO 400 with D90. If D700 provides clean images at ISO 800 then I will be happy. And if it provides clean images at ISO 1200-1600 then I would be ecstatic!
Click to expand...

Hi Ajay, Congratulations on getting D700 :clapping:

Very recently I've acquired D5100. I've gone through Mansurov's site and have tried Auto ISO on my D5100 with kit lens and clicked few macros around 6:30 am in my garden which was really low light condition. The exif data had ISO 800.

Shots were taken with wide aperture and slow shutter speed and didn't have a tripod, so a slight blurriness is evident.

take a look...
Flickr: Kevian17's Photostream
 
Kevian

Nice macros. Lots of promise. The D5100/D7000 16 megapixel sensor is excellent. It renders lovely tones of blue and green. Images are relatively noise free till ISO 800. I was quite happy with the picture quality of D5100. But I sold it (and bought a D90) because the latter has a better viewfinder, better controls and a far better feel in your hands. D5100's major USP is that its ISO performance is better than D90/D300.

The 18-55 lens is capable of providing good results. A kit lens is a bait which is meant to draw newcomers further into photography. Both Nikon and Canon are wise enough to make their entry level zooms (18-55/18-105/55-200) and primes (35mm/50mm 1.8) good, value for money options. Because this is where most folks begin their journey into photography. Most budget lenses provide decent results if you shoot at apertures between f/5.6 - f/8. But these lenses normally render a fairly noisy and dirty bokeh. I like the 50mm 1.8D, because it costs 6K, weighs only 160g, is sharp from f/2.8 - f/11 and renders a decent bokeh. The 50mm 1.4D (15K) renders a superb bokeh and is great for low light, flash free photography. A couple of other options would be the 35mm 1.8G/50mm 1.8G (12K).

Moving up to the semi pro level one can look at 16-85 and 18-200 multipurpose zooms. But their current pricing is higher than the cost of a new D5100/D3200/D90 body. Pity! Since you are interested in macro, you should definitely consider the 40mm f/2.8G micro lens. It will auto focus with your D5100. It is extraordinarily sharp. Even the bokeh is quite nice. It would make an excellent general purpose lens. Price, after a bit of haggling, would be around 14.5K. The 60mm 2.8D is a great micro lens, but it will not auto focus on your current camera.

My advise, which you are welcome to take/toss into the dustbin :) :

Sell the D5100+18-55. Buy a D90+50mm 1.8D. I did this and my exploration of photography really took off. This combo is so good that you can actually live with it, all your life, without looking at any other option. To truly understand the potential of the 50mm 1.8D, you need to (exclusively) shoot with it for a few months. You could also look for a lightly used D300/D7000 (30-35K) or D300S (40-45K). Out of all these options I would recommend D300S, provided you can find a clean one for around 40K. If you want to hang on to D5100, then you should consider the 40mm 2.8 micro lens
 
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Kevian said:
Hi Ajay, Congratulations on getting D700 :clapping:

Very recently I've acquired D5100. I've gone through Mansurov's site and have tried Auto ISO on my D5100 with kit lens and clicked few macros around 6:30 am in my garden which was really low light condition. The exif data had ISO 800.

Shots were taken with wide aperture and slow shutter speed and didn't have a tripod, so a slight blurriness is evident.

take a look...
Flickr: Kevian17's Photostream
Click to expand...

which lens did you use to click on the jupiter ??
 
Hi Ajay,

Yes I am relatively noob to DSLR photography and Nikon did attract me with this combo of body+lens kit. This DSLR will not go anywhere as it has acceptable video recording and it may come handy at a family event, but yes, I will upgrade to a FX format camera may be in couple of years for pure photography. For now I have to get accustomed with so many DSLR menu options.

My primary interest is to go do wildlife photography, but 18-55 won't do good. I am currently saving for this

Regarding Macros, I didn't know I was good at it until I got few appreciations like yours.

@Aman
That shot was taken with Canon 590IS

Regards
 
"My primary interest is to go do wildlife photography, but 18-55 won't do good. I am currently saving for this"

kevian

Before I clicked on "this" I kind of knew what lens you would be looking at :). The 70-300 VR is the budget choice for most wildlife shooters. It's major advantage is that it is an FX lens which can be used on both formats. But for using only on the DX format, I feel this lens is a little overpriced. The 55-200 for 12K and the non VR 70-300 for 6K seem to offer better value for money . A lot of wildlife shooters prefer the DX format because the crop factor works in their favor.

The 70-300 VR will cost you 25-28K. The 70-300 non VR will cost you 6K. Personally I would never dream of paying the extra 20K merely for VR. I would rather buy the non VR version for 6K and a buy a Manfrotto 679B monopod (3K) for image stabilization. Save yourself 20K and go for the non VR 70-300. You lose out on the VR function and get a plastic mount instead of a metal one. These are probably the only real difference between the two lenses.
 
ajay124 said:
"My primary interest is to go do wildlife photography, but 18-55 won't do good. I am currently saving for this"

kevian

Before I clicked on "this" I kind of knew what lens you would be looking at :). The 70-300 VR is the budget choice for most wildlife shooters. It's major advantage is that it is an FX lens which can be used on both formats. But for using only on the DX format, I feel this lens is a little overpriced. The 55-200 for 12K and the non VR 70-300 for 6K seem to offer better value for money . A lot of wildlife shooters prefer the DX format because the crop factor works in their favor.

The 70-300 VR will cost you 25-28K. The 70-300 non VR will cost you 6K. Personally I would never dream of paying the extra 20K merely for VR. I would rather buy the non VR version for 6K and a buy a Manfrotto 679B monopod (3K) for image stabilization. Save yourself 20K and go for the non VR 70-300. You lose out on the VR function and get a plastic mount instead of a metal one. These are probably the only real difference between the two lenses.
Click to expand...

Ajay Sir....this is what I too believed in but in wildlife photography its a fast action shot. D5100 doesn't have an inbuilt autofocus motor and same is the case with non-VR version lens. I won't be able to autofocus on a fast moving bird and by the time I manage to focus manually, I might loose "the moment". Your thinking in managing money is what I always look upto, but "the moment" won't come every now and then. Right?

With VR version, autofocus works like a snap and its considerably sharper even at 300mm compared to a non-VR 70-300 and 80-200.

Also, a VR version has good resale value and demand.

A lot of VR vs Non-VR threads on google suggests a VR one. Really confused...but I will take good time to decide.

Regarding tripod, I think I'll wait and get a nice manfrotto tripod at 10K from gaffarbhai.

one more expensive hobby added to my list:mad:.....I wish I was a caveman with no access to technology:lol:

Added Later:

Apart from so many online discussions on telephoto lens, I found this a reasonable reading material to help one decide to what to go for in one's budget.
 
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