Nikon Users

[john robinson]

Hi
I have used Nikon ever since I went Digital.
My son Steve too. I've had D100, D70, D70s, and am now on a D200.
If you need any help or just want to talk about something relating to this - get in touch.
Cheers
Johnn Robinson

[Jacqueline Burrell]

Hi John

I have been a dedicated Nikonian for many years and currently own a Nikon F5 with a range of lenses from 60mm f/2.8 macro (as favourite subjects include flowers and insects) to 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6D and 20mm f/2.8 for streets scene Fascinating here) landscapes and making sure I don’t cut off the tops of the minarets on the mosques!

I have found few disadvantages of living in a developing country until recently. A couple of years ago, 35mm slide film was no longer imported. Initially it was no problem as I got friends to bring in vast quantities of my very favourite Fuji Velvia 100 from the UK or Dubai. Then to my horror, the only two professional processors in the country could no longer obtain the necessary chemicals.

I have turned to digital with a Nikon D100 that has been dubbed ‘the toy’ as the quality is not comparable to the F5, so I am purchasing a second hand D2X from the UK.

However, I do need a new telephoto but Nikkor are too expensive so I’m tossing up between a Sigma 300mm and 2 x teleconverter or facing the possibility of being divorced by getting a Sigma 300-800mm f5.6.

Have you tried any of the alternatives lenses to Nikkor?

What lenses do you use?

And do you know Grays of Westminster, the best place on earth for new and used Nikon equipment?

Finally, having a member for a mere eight days, what is a moderator and how do you earn the title?

Happy New Year

[john robinson]

Hi Jacquelin
First of all happy new year. ! Secondly, I still have a D100 which is great. Hasn't the pixel count of the d200 but I have done some great stuff with it. cameras aren't everything -it's getting near to the birds in my opinion. About 95% of my stuff is done from hides. I have a 100-330 Sigma and a 50-500 Sigma. They are both very good but I love the 300 with a 1.4 converter on. The 2.8 is even better but big and heavy !. The 300mm works fine with the 1.4 but you have to go manual with the 2X
As far as the mmoderator thing goes , I was asked to do it. There hasn't been much for me to do yet and lets hope it keeps that way when the site picks up in time. It was thought I could give the newcomners a lot of help with the practical side of things after being at it 50 years I suppose !
All the best
JohnR
By the way - I get all my stuff from Warehouse express. never had a problem yet.

[Jacqueline Burrell]

Hi John

A Happy New Year to you too.

Thanks for your reply and reassuring me about the Nikon/Sigma combination. I envy you 50 years experience – if I had my life over again I would be a wildlife photographer but my career in journalism has got me to some fascinating places around the world.

Despite being brought up in a rural area of Kent with a three acre garden designed to attract wildlife, my fascination was macro flower photography and landscapes. I realised what I was missing a year ago when I ran into a group of British birders in Luxor during the spring migration and in three days managed to photo around 25 species, many of which such as the Nile Valley Sunbird I never really noticed before. Now I’m addicted and will need lots of help from experts like yourself.

All the best

Jacqueline
:beer: Here's to tomorrow night!

[Toon de Smit]

Since two years I own the Sigma 3/8. Combined with Nikon I find the results extremely pleasing. The lens has nice colors (not as blue as Nikon) and the contrast is agreeable. To be able to zoom is terrific. On 300mm you find the bird then zoom in to the desired compo. While zooming the camera stays in focus.
I uploaded some pix yesterday.
Even with the 800mm plus 1,5 crop factor I like to be as close as possible.

Yes this lens is heavy. I use it in the car and on a Gitzo 1548 with wimberley.

Good luck with your choice!

Toon

[Jacqueline Burrell]

Hi Toon

Thanks for the advice and I can easily see the quality of the 3/8 from your superb photos. I know its heavy but I have a good Manfrotto monopod and a husband that doesn't think its manly to let his wife carry the equipment when we're on the move!!

Cheers

Jacqueline:cool:

[Firstlight]

Hi,
can I first say to JOHN, I hope I am not being rude and hijacking the thread, but I would be very interested to know from TOON, how he is setting up his tripod inside his car (what make is car big/small ?), and any other info he would like to pass on regarding shooting from a car.
P.S. very nice images Toon, the separation of the background from the main subject, demonstrates the advatange of a very long lens and wide aperature.
regards Lastlight.

[john robinson]

Firstlight
You may be interested to know that my car "pod" is a ball and socket head fixed to a piece of three by two timber. It is shaped and cut so that it wedges down through the door handle and is tight against the door window padding.
Its perfect and as firm as you could hope for. The ones that fit on the windows are too flimsey in my opinion.

[Firstlight]

John,
Thanks for reply, what lens/camera combo are you supporting with your wooden block.
I have used bean bags, but was intrigued to see Toon using a big gitzo tripod from inside his car, and was interested to know how he set the legs up!!
regards Firstlight

[Colin Key]

Just thought I'd "chip in" as a Canon user. I often shoot from inside the car (Land Rover Defender) but tend to slowly creep around in very low 1st gear with my camera and 500mm lens resting across my lap. The lens has a "Lens Coat" protective camo covering made of neoprene which I find has sufficient cushioning effect to just rest it on the top edge of the window lowered to an appropriate height (I do have a home-made bean bag but it usually ends up falling out of the car and going to retrieve it has the effect of scaring everything away). This gives adequate stability as long as the engine is turned off.

I cannot possibly see how a tripod, or even a monopod, set up inside the vehicle could give me the versatility that my method does, and it sounds extremely awkward to me.

Anyone care to post photos of their set-up?

Colin

[Firstlight]

Hi Colin,
Was beginning to think there was no else on this forum.Thanks, for your reply,you do exactly the same as I do now, and I agree 100% with your views on photography from a car, especially turning off the motor.
I see you are in Portugal, plenty of good birds there, you jammy devil.
My wife and I, are going to Spain (Extremadura) for 3 weeks in May to get some "snaps" of birds.I have asked around for some advise on what gear to take, but have drawn a blank so far.Many of the images I have seen, appear distant and hazy(due to distance over hot terrain?).
Any thoughts?
regards Firstlight.

[Red-eyed Video]

I have asked around for some advise on what gear to take, but have drawn a blank so far.Many of the images I have seen, appear distant and hazy(due to distance over hot terrain?).
Any thoughts?
regards Firstlight.

My only thoughts on the haze issue is to get out before breakfast. The heat haze even on dull days when I was there in April a few years ago was pretty bad. If you're in a car it may be possible to get close to Bee-eater & Hoopoe but it comes down to how much gear you want to carry.

Have a great trip.

[Colin Key]

Hi Colin,
Was beginning to think there was no else on this forum.Thanks, for your reply,you do exactly the same as I do now, and I agree 100% with your views on photography from a car, especially turning off the motor.
I see you are in Portugal, plenty of good birds there, you jammy devil.
My wife and I, are going to Spain (Extremadura) for 3 weeks in May to get some "snaps" of birds.I have asked around for some advise on what gear to take, but have drawn a blank so far.Many of the images I have seen, appear distant and hazy(due to distance over hot terrain?).
Any thoughts?
regards Firstlight.

Hi Firstlight,

Difficult to advise on which gear to take without knowing exactly what you have (unless you have stated that in another post which I missed), but if you are going mainly as a birding/photography trip then I would suggest taking your longest lens. I travel with a Canon Mk III mounted on a 500mm f/4 lens stached in a Lowepro Lenstrecker 600 AW. If it was a more casual trip with a bit of birding thrown in then I would take my "walkabout" set-up which is the Mk III with my 100-400mm zoom which I can also use with a x1.4TC (and retains AF on my 1D series body) and gives me 560mm.

I do not know the area you are going to (my main forays into Spain are to Doñana and Almeria) but I do know that there will be a lot of birds and some fantastic photo-opportunities. May is not the best time but you might be lucky with the weather in that it may not be scorching. Heat haze is a problem in southern Europe all year round, in fact hot sun on cold ground in winter can make it even worse than in summer. As the year progresses from spring to summer I find that the major problem is "dirty" air due to humidity, pollen and dust, and using a long lens just compresses this due to the magnification effect. But, it is better than constant grey skies and p****g rain!!

Just as an example of what can be done I attach a photo of a nice male Black Redstart which I took three days ago using my 500mm + 1.4TC (700mm at 1/1000s f/7.1 ISO 400 and "hand-held"). This was a black bird on nearly white limestone under very harsh sunlight at midday and with a noticeable heat haze. This is a 70+% crop as the bird was 80 metres away (we paced it out afterwards). The original RAW file looks pretty 'orrible (I nearly chucked it) but I persevered with enhancing and cleaning it up in Photoshop; far from a perfect shot but under the circumstances not bad.

Enjoy your trip, look forward to see some of your results.

Colin

http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o100/Passarinhos/0C0J4550a.jpg

[Firstlight]

Hi Colin,
Thanks for reply.
Nice image of Black Redstart,especially under the conditions and the distance involved, thank god for post processing!! would have been interesting to see what you would have got back from mr.kodak/fuji slide film.
My trip is mainly to photograph the birds.I am happy to find a spot and sit it out, not interested in running around at break neck speed to get "tick in box" and report back saw 200 birds!!
I have made a list of 75 ish birds to get images of, that's about 4 a day!!(if I am lucky) over 3 weeks.
Raptors/vulturs first, then bustards/sandgrouse etc then swifts and larks (well that's the plan, you gotta have a plan).
I have decided to take 2 bodies and,
a. 600/4, + 1.4x/1.7x and 2x TCs.
b. 300/2.8 or 200-400/4.
c. 105/2.8 for bugs and butterflies.
d. short wide zoom, 18-35/4.5 for landscape type views.
e. 80gb portable storage device and 40 gb of card memory (optimistic or what ?)

I am thinking that I will be shooting from car (hence question on how did Toon set up tripod).My wife will act as driver and spotter and "umbrella holder upper", what more could I ask for!!
Thanks again
regards Firstlight.

[Colin Key]

Hi Colin,
Thanks for reply.

I have decided to take 2 bodies and,
a. 600/4, + 1.4x/1.7x and 2x TCs.
b. 300/2.8 or 200-400/4.
c. 105/2.8 for bugs and butterflies.
d. short wide zoom, 18-35/4.5 for landscape type views.
e. 80gb portable storage device and 40 gb of card memory (optimistic or what ?)

I am thinking that I will be shooting from car (hence question on how did Toon set up tripod).My wife will act as driver and spotter and "umbrella holder upper", what more could I ask for!!
Thanks again
regards Firstlight.

That is a LOT of hardware, I presume that some or all of it will go as "cargo" luggage? Your wife isn't called Sherpa Tensing by any chance? :laugh:

Best of luck, please do report back.

Colin

[Firstlight]

Hi Colin,
We are taking our own car, (through Santander) so no problems with space etc. If I run out of space then I will hide some in her bag:D
regards Firstlight.

[john robinson]

Firstlight.
I'm on a Nikon D200 with a Sigma 50-500mm and the Sigma 300mm. Plenty good enough for me. The 300 is perfect for my pool work.
By the way- We've done the Santander run many times but generally stopped around the Pecos area and the Northern coast. I really miss it - oh the good ols days !
Cheers
John R

[Firstlight]

Thanks John,
for your reply, the reason for asking was to get a feel for the sort of weight you were using on your wooden car support. The 50-500 sigma is quite a big lens and has a high following amongst birders, and turns out some very good images, and should be considered by those thinking of a long focus lens for birds, and at a reasonable price.
I hope the memories of Santander and the Pecos are all good for you, we are stoping off on our way back up to the ferry, somewhere in that area.Supposed to be brown bears in the region, hope the B**g*r doesn't turn up when my wife is cooking the bacon for breakfast!!:D
regards Firstlight

[Stephen R]

Hi guys,
I was wondering if you could give me some technical advice,
I use a Nikon D50 (my dad's) and was uploading my pictures to the computer, when it crashed. I restarted the computer with the camera still plugged in and turned on via usb. It now wont work or turn on. Has anyone had this experience before or got any help for me? or do i need to invest in a d300? (i'd rather not buy my dad a new camera)
cheers

[john robinson]

Hi Stephen
I presume you mean the camera won't turn on again?
Try all the usual things like taking the battery out and replacing it etc. Can't remember if the d50 has a reset button.
JohnR

[Colin Key]

Stephen,

I am not familiar with the D50 or with the set of circumstances you describe, but John's advice about battery removal (including subsidiary date/time battery if it has one) is good, and I would leave it out for a while and possibly fully recharge it before inserting. I would also replace the CF card. I can't imagine that the current via USB could have done any serious damage to the camera, but I could be wrong on this.

Are you a member of DPReview forum? You might get more info from someone there, otherwise it is a trip to Nikon Service.

Lesson: Always download using a card reader - it is much quicker and safer than tethering the camera to the computer.

Hope you get it sorted.

Colin

[Stephen R]

Thanks guys, turned out my dad was thinking on the same lines, he took the battery out, recharged it, put it in again and it turned on again.
Thanks for all your help.

[Colin Key]

Well done Stephen, now go and buy the Sandisk 12-in-1 card reader - well worth it, believe me.

Colin :beer:

[Jacqueline Burrell]

Has any Nikon user tried the Tamron 28-200mm f3.8-5.6 XR Di ASP IF Macro Lens?

I have a D2X.

[NicoleB]

Hi there,
one more Nikon user here :)

I got a Nikon D300 in May last year (with a Nikkor 18-200mm) and I'm still learning how to use it properly ;)

I shot with a Casio EX-P505 before that. :ohdear:

Cheers, Nicole

(P.S.: I have not had any trouble so far with transfer via cable... *knocks on wood*)

[manelson]

Hi.
I have been shooting with my new D90 since xmas and I must say I am very pleasantly shocked at how the new technology in the camera handles noise at high ISOs. I previously had a D70. I tend to use my Tamron 200mm-500mm lens and will shoot at 1/500sec so that I can handhold in the rainforest on tours I run. Tripod and fixed lens is not practical with all that extra weight. Now with the D90 I am finding I leave the tripod at home almost all the time now and shoot at higher ISO with much higher quality then would be expected. Its interesting to see how technology on most of the new DSLRs is rewriting many of the rules of photography.

Cheers,
Mike

[PaulW]

Hi all

I'm having a constant irritation with a Nikon D60 and a Sigma 150-500mm, when I'm tryin to (auto) focus on a bird say sat on top of a post or in a tree the focus point insists on using the far left point instead of the central one even if I've programed "single point" not "dynamic"ie [ [] ] its always the left one never the right!! Its not a problem with a Nikkor 70-300vr that I own? Its very frustrating as you can imagine because when theres no background its fine!! any suggestions would be greatfully recieved

cheers
Paul:beer:

[Colin Key]

I can't answer your question Paul since I am not a Nikon user, but if you get no response here I would suggest signing-up with the Fred Miranda Forum ( http://www.fredmiranda.com/ ); click the "Forums" button in the header, scroll down to "Gear Talk" and you will find a designated section for ""Nikon-mount SLRs". They are a friendly and helpful bunch and I an sure there is a simple solution to your problem.

Cheers,

Colin

[NicoleB]

That's odd.
You don't have the trouble with the Nikkor but you have it with the Sigma.
Sorry, but I honestly have no clue there.
Best of Luck to find a solution.
I know those things can drive one nuts!

[michael23]

To me, the only thing which jumps out to me on this one is a technical fault with your body with the sigma lens. I would contact sigma to see if there have been any reported problems with your combination. 1 of the2 is not communicating with the other correctly, their contact details (in case you dont have them already) service@sigma-imaging-uk.com
Telephone: 01707 329999

Found this on their website, maybe useful?

"I am focusing on a persons eyes but am finding in the image their ears are the sharpest point in the picture. Is my lens faulty.
This is a phenomenon with digital SLRs. If the image sensor is fractionally out of alignment, even by microns, the point of focus will not fall exactly on the sensor. The first thing to do is get the focus flange distance and AF sensitivity of your camera checked by the camera manufacturer. Getting this flange distance corrected normally solves the problem however if the problem persists, we will need your camera and lens sent in so we can set the lens to your camera. If your camera is not reset first we may be setting your lens to a camera that is not to specification, which would mean your lens will not focus accurately with any other camera. Depending on the focal length and maximum aperture of the lens, the focus problem issues can be more apparent with some lenses than others"
Hope this helps, let us know when you find an answer for it!
all the best, michael

[PaulW]

Thanks to all so far, I think though the question I now want to ask Sigma is "how big were their ears??":laugh:

if I find the solution I'll post it here, its either that or can someone recommend a good taxidermy site because 2kgs of camera will do alot of damage when thrown at a small bird!!:eek:

regards
Paul

[manelson]

Hi.

You have a number of focus points you can use. While you are focusing on a subject try pressing the arrow buttons on the camera to move the focus point around. Sorry I don't have a D60 but a D90 and that is how it works. Hopefully it will be the same for you.

[PaulW]

Thanks Michael

I did discover that fact by reading the strange booky thing that came with the camera I think its a Spanish word Manuel or something like that, normally testosterone forbids me from reading them:err: I havent yet had the chance to find out but it would seem to default to the left hand side so perhaps it is becoming clear!:ohdear:

regards
Paul

[Red-eyed Video]

A belated happy birthday to you John & thanks for starting the thread. I've recently bought a Nikon D40 and a Sigma 70-300 APO AF lens to go with it and I'm quite happy with results and I now want to upgrade.

I don't have any particular brand affinity between Canon & Nikon and bought the D40 as it was within my budget (cheap :laugh:) and as I'm reasonably happy with the lens I'm looking to upgrade to a D80 with a higher pixel count and better shutter response time, 11 point AF etc. The D40 also has the annoying default to left side focussing.

I read on VB's website that she found the D80 particularly noisy compared to her new Canon set up and while I've used Neat Image I find it softens the image. So, should I bite the bullet, break into the piggy bank and go Canon or does anyone have any other suggestions or advice please?

These pics were taken with the D40, or shall I throw it all in and stick with video?

[Colin Key]

Dave,

You have some very nice images but they need some more work in lifting detail out of the shadows.

Neat Image is a superb program, but it has to be applied correctly - you should use it before you sharpen, and then sharpen again after resizing the image to 800 pixels. And, always save your image at a maximum quality JPEG, NEVER use the "Save for Web" tool.

If video is that important to you I would seriously consider a Canon 5D Mk2 and get the best of both worlds (I am hoping that the awaited Canon 1D Mk4 will have HD video).

Colin

[Red-eyed Video]

Dave,

You have some very nice images but they need some more work in lifting detail out of the shadows.

If video is that important to you I would seriously consider a Canon 5D Mk2 and get the best of both worlds (I am hoping that the awaited Canon 1D Mk4 will have HD video).

Colin

Thanks Colin, I made some basic adjustments in iPhoto and exported to desktop to upload the second two photos and photoshop would produce better results I'm sure.

The video results from a 5D look very impressive though I'm sure it wouldn't be as versatile or give as good all round results as my Sony HDR-FX7 video camera. I take around 5 hours video on birding trips and edit down to one or two hours but it takes me forever to finish, hence my leaning towards stills photography.

I'm still deciding which way to go.