Another D50 ... Hello Nikkor 18-70 AF-S DX lens

[sameerrao]

Will someone pls break the Canon/Nikon drudgery here .... its equivalent to the sports car fan who only aspires to the Ferrari or Porsche. Where is the Corvette Z06 of cameras? :P

Anyway here is my one week old Nikon D50 with a Nikkor 12-24 DX ED wide-angle lens.

http://img347.imageshack.us/img347/7885/dscn13306io.th.jpg (http://img347.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dscn13306io.jpg)http://img347.imageshack.us/img347/7648/dscn13310on.th.jpg (http://img347.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dscn13310on.jpg)

The Wide angle lens is awesome ... I took it to a Ferrari Club of America event this weekend and had a ball. The main intent of course is to use it when I go to state parks like Yosemite. But in regular photography it makes the pictures interesting in the widest angle shots with the intentional distortion :)

Here are a couple of pics that I took with the lens, camera combo:
http://img347.imageshack.us/img347/8277/dsc01456ey.th.jpg (http://img347.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc01456ey.jpg)http://img347.imageshack.us/img347/7589/dsc01385dv.th.jpg (http://img347.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc01385dv.jpg)http://img347.imageshack.us/img347/1113/dsc00406zh.th.jpg (http://img347.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc00406zh.jpg)http://img347.imageshack.us/img347/2402/dsc00017ez.th.jpg (http://img347.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc00017ez.jpg)

[5vz-fe]

I agree, sometimes distortion could add freshness(hope I am not using to vauge of a word) to an object.

Got any more to show sameerrao or we have to wait for your other lens to show up at ur door? :wink:

[sameerrao]

I took a bunch of pics at the FCA event ... will post it soon

The 18-200 lens to which you refer isnt going to show up anytime soon. I think the waiting time is about a month or more. :shock: Boggles the mind ... looks like Nikon was caught unawares by its demand.

I am still debating whether I should buy it
Pros:
- VR
- Range
- Convenience
Cons:
- Slow lens for photographing racing cars

I wonder if the VR will sorta compensate for the slow lens .. hmmm.

[sentra_dude]

Congrats! :D

Glad to see another D50 owner on JW, that looks like a cool lens, keep posting pics! 8) 8) 8)

[dutchmasterflex]

Nice camera ;)

I'm sure you can't wait for your 18-200mm. I think the VR should be able to help you out when taking pics of cars in motion. If it doesnt help you, it will jut make you just have to work a bit harder thats all.. :P

the 12-24mm looks pretty nice.. i like the fisheye effect. If you dont mind me askin, how much did you end up paying for the combo?

[TT]

Congrats on your purchase! Actually I really don't see how somebody would want to buy something else than a Nikon or Canon when he goes reflex :)

[sameerrao]

Nice camera ;)

I'm sure you can't wait for your 18-200mm. I think the VR should be able to help you out when taking pics of cars in motion. If it doesnt help you, it will jut make you just have to work a bit harder thats all.. :P

the 12-24mm looks pretty nice.. i like the fisheye effect. If you dont mind me askin, how much did you end up paying for the combo?

About $1500 total - the lens is an expensive mofo.

[MartijnGizmo]

Why did you opt for the Nikkor 12-24 instead of the much cheaper Tokina 12-24?

the 12-24mm looks pretty nice.. i like the fisheye effect. If you dont mind me askin, how much did you end up paying for the combo?

It's wide-angle, but no fisheye. It's corrected linear, whereas a fisheye is circular.

[sameerrao]

REad good reviews of the Nikkor lens over the Tokina. I believe the resale value of a Nikon lens is very good - so if I re-sell it I wouldnt lose much at all.

[sameerrao]

New Lens today:

OK I bought a lens today after a sleepless night of deciding what to buy and reviewing a couple sites for suitable lenses.

I went to the store and tried out the Sigma 70-200 F2.8 and Nikon 80-200 F2.8. The Nikon 70-200 F2.8 was way beyond my budget.

So after playing around the Sigma and the Nikon for a few minutes and changing my mind 10 times along the way, I picked the Sigma - it was about $200 cheaper and had a slightly faster autofocus. I am sure the Nikon lens may be a tad ahead on quality but I should be OK with the Sigma - read great reviews on it.

I guess I will use this for medium range shots and will later buy a Sigma 50-500 for the long range shots.

The 70-200 is a big bugger but not as heavy as I expected - a monopod/tripod is not that essential. Good exercise for me also.
http://img153.imageshack.us/img153/4535/dscn13328sg.th.jpg (http://img153.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dscn13328sg.jpg)


Until the next purchase ... Adios

Here are three pics:

1. Flower from about 10 feet away with the lens set at 200mm and shutter at 1/1000 - nice picture isolation (bokeh?)
http://img153.imageshack.us/img153/399/dsc01744cb.th.jpg (http://img153.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc01744cb.jpg)
2. Top of the tree about 30 feet up with the lens shooting virtually straight up - the camera/lens combo was not shaking too much though I had to jam my left elbow into my body to steady it a bit
http://img153.imageshack.us/img153/2647/dsc01774fd.th.jpg (http://img153.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc01774fd.jpg)
3. My backyard
http://img153.imageshack.us/img153/2632/dsc01851sl.th.jpg (http://img153.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc01851sl.jpg)
I was looking for a bird or something to check the autofocus on but couldnt find any - they must be publicity shy ... aargh
4. A pic from the photo store - a dummy about 30 feet away
http://img153.imageshack.us/img153/3245/dsc01566or.th.jpg (http://img153.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc01566or.jpg)

[dutchmasterflex]

Some more shots in Hi-res would be nice ;)

I'm also thinking about getting a telezoom lens for my D50.. How much did you find the Sigma and Nikon lenses for? I would also like to see a couple VR lenses before I make a purchase.

[sameerrao]

Sigma is about $800 and the Nikon about $950 ... The Nikon 70-200 F2.8 with VR is a mindblowing $1600. Had to donate one kidney for the Sigma ...

I crunched the orig pics to put in Fchat. Sorry about that ...

Dont have too many good pics at full res ...

http://img153.imageshack.us/img153/7100/dsc01806xd.th.jpg (http://img153.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc01806xd.jpg)http://img153.imageshack.us/img153/1417/dsc01708bx.th.jpg (http://img153.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc01708bx.jpg)http://img153.imageshack.us/img153/8087/dsc01548qh.th.jpg (http://img153.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc01548qh.jpg)

Here is a pic I took yesterday - my neighbor's cat with the 12-24 lens ... cute thing ...
http://img153.imageshack.us/img153/8358/dsc01405vt.th.jpg (http://img153.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc01405vt.jpg)http://img153.imageshack.us/img153/5627/dsc01331ty.th.jpg (http://img153.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc01331ty.jpg)

[MartijnGizmo]

Ah, a 70-200 f/2.8 is always a nice adition. People complaining about the weight are too wimpy, I have no problems handholding it with my bad knee. :)

[dutchmasterflex]

Damn.. twice the price for the VR. Isnt the 18-200mm with VR under $1000?

[sameerrao]

Damn.. twice the price for the VR. Isnt the 18-200mm with VR under $1000?

Yes .. I think it is a fantastic all-around lens for about $750 but may not be great for shooting racing cars or action as the lens is a little slower. Otherwise the range and VR may make it an awesome buy.

The VR works exceptionally well when you are taking shots of stationary objects. Basically the VR allows you to forgo the Monopod/tripod under most circumstances. It will also help smoothen the picture when panning to get the profile of a racing car. But it will not compensate for a fast lens (f/2.8 ) nor a fast auto-focus.

If you have the 18-55 or 18-70, the 18-200 is the perfect replacement but you may need a few more lenses depending on your circumstances.

Another possibility is the 80-400 VR that retails for about $1200 - the lens is not as good as the 70-200 but you get more range.

Take your camera and try it out.

So far I have the 12-24 f/4 for landscapes and wideangle shots of cars and the 70-200 f/2.8 for racetrack and regular zoom situations. When my wallet has a chance to recover, I might go in for a longer range lens or perhaps get a 1.4 converter instead. Let's see.

[sameerrao]

Some more pics:

12-24 lens:
--> check here for all the action shots: http://www.motorworld.net/forum/showthread.php?t=38347&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=120
http://img187.imageshack.us/img187/4804/dsc03136wn.th.jpg (http://img187.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc03136wn.jpg)http://img187.imageshack.us/img187/1781/dsc01490qi.th.jpg (http://img187.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc01490qi.jpg)

70-200 lens:
http://img187.imageshack.us/img187/3126/dsc02043yz.th.jpg (http://img187.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc02043yz.jpg)http://img187.imageshack.us/img187/4254/dsc04805ji.th.jpg (http://img187.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc04805ji.jpg)http://img187.imageshack.us/img187/3307/dsc04502eg.th.jpg (http://img187.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc04502eg.jpg)http://img187.imageshack.us/img187/5677/dsc04529oq.th.jpg (http://img187.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc04529oq.jpg)http://img187.imageshack.us/img187/2042/dsc03053ut.th.jpg (http://img187.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc03053ut.jpg)
http://img187.imageshack.us/img187/3372/dsc02634ak.th.jpg (http://img187.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc02634ak.jpg)http://img187.imageshack.us/img187/783/dsc01169ik.th.jpg (http://img187.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc01169ik.jpg)http://img187.imageshack.us/img187/3868/dsc04790vs.th.jpg (http://img187.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc04790vs.jpg)

[ae86_16v]

Nice shots! I like them!

[sameerrao]

Thanks ... I love this camera .. makes me want to go and experiment with it every other day :)

[dutchmasterflex]

I say "I love this camera" every time I'm using it ;)

[sameerrao]

Some more pics with Sigma 70-200
Hello Kermit
http://img288.imageshack.us/img288/2012/dsc10092zx.th.jpg (http://img288.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc10092zx.jpg)

Lucky, my neighbor's kitten ...
http://img288.imageshack.us/img288/1504/dsc05225vk.th.jpg (http://img288.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc05225vk.jpg)
... about to pounce on an imaginary prey ...
http://img288.imageshack.us/img288/9061/dsc05293zv.th.jpg (http://img288.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc05293zv.jpg)
... she got real hyper over this vine - thought it was a ball of string ... funny seeing her fight with it
http://img288.imageshack.us/img288/2060/dsc05313aa.th.jpg (http://img288.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc05313aa.jpg)
... here she is stalking a bug in the grass ... very cool to see her hunt
http://img288.imageshack.us/img288/4950/dsc05562ug.th.jpg (http://img288.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc05562ug.jpg)

a Green Lizard prowling on my fence
http://img288.imageshack.us/img288/3089/dsc04946ny.th.jpg (http://img288.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc04946ny.jpg)

A wasp
http://img288.imageshack.us/img288/3548/dsc05756me.th.jpg (http://img288.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc05756me.jpg)

My sprinkler went off this morning in the lawn, so I popped over to take a few pics afterward.
http://img288.imageshack.us/img288/5285/dsc10610wv.th.jpg (http://img288.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc10610wv.jpg)http://img288.imageshack.us/img288/3113/dsc10665pn.th.jpg (http://img288.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc10665pn.jpg)
I tried my version of Martijn's shot but my focus was wrong - I should have been more patient when I took it. I'll get it right next time :)
http://img288.imageshack.us/img288/1672/dsc10723hi.th.jpg (http://img288.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc10723hi.jpg)

[dutchmasterflex]

Beautiful macro shots! The quality from the sigma seems really good.. I think I might have to pick one of those up for myself..

[sameerrao]

Beautiful macro shots! The quality from the sigma seems really good.. I think I might have to pick one of those up for myself..

Thanks. The lens is fantastic for sure but if you want macro maybe a different lens is needed. The minimum focus distance is approximately 7 feet. So you cant really look down onan object - either you are shooting straight ahead or at an angle.

A proper macro lens would allow you to focus much closer and so would give killer shots in such circumstances.

But anyway, I didnt buy this lens for macro but I am glad it can do some of it too ... Seems like a pretty versatile lens.

Test the Nikon 80-200 F2.8 also and decide for yourself which is better.

[sbcarguy]

Some cool pics you have. I'm a D50 user myself. What image quality mode are you using? How do you convert them to jpeg if you shoot NEF (raw)?

This shot with 70-300mm kit lense.

http://img66.imageshack.us/img66/5489/dsc01480ir.th.jpg (http://img66.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc01480ir.jpg)

[sameerrao]

I shoot in JPEG fine mode with 6MP resolution. I then import the picture to Adobe Photoshop, adjust it using the levels tool and change the image size to approximately 1600x1200 resolution and then use unsharp mask to sharpen it. I then save it at the best possible resolution (11 or 12) such the file size falls just under 1MP.

I tried using RAW and appreciate the fact one can adjust the white balance and the exposure afterwards but for normal pictures it is too much hassle. Maybe I will save NEF for the special shots only. If you install the Nikon CD that comes with the camera, you can convert from RAW to JPEG using it, but I prefer Photoshop

[sentra_dude]

Awesome pics sameerrao, that seems to be a really nice lens. That cat pics are cute lol. ;)

[sameerrao]

Thanks

[sameerrao]

More pics ... I drove down to Lake Conroe to check it out and snapped the following:
Two colorful rusted out trucks
http://img192.imageshack.us/img192/4385/dsc12573kw.th.jpg (http://img192.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc12573kw.jpg)

Some kind of plough in the field
http://img192.imageshack.us/img192/5/dsc12610qo.th.jpg (http://img192.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc12610qo.jpg)

Some youngsters practicing jumps on their lil motocross bikes
http://img192.imageshack.us/img192/6982/dsc12712nv.th.jpg (http://img192.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc12712nv.jpg)http://img192.imageshack.us/img192/7916/dsc12720ss.th.jpg (http://img192.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc12720ss.jpg)http://img192.imageshack.us/img192/7751/dsc12704lg.th.jpg (http://img192.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc12704lg.jpg)

Lake Conroe
http://img192.imageshack.us/img192/9683/dsc12057vq.th.jpg (http://img192.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc12057vq.jpg)http://img192.imageshack.us/img192/6919/dsc11927kw.th.jpg (http://img192.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc11927kw.jpg)http://img192.imageshack.us/img192/1504/dsc12415qd.th.jpg (http://img192.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc12415qd.jpg)

The above pics were taken with the 70-200mm lens. The one below was taken with the 12-24 lens
http://img192.imageshack.us/img192/5338/dsc12307az.th.jpg (http://img192.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc12307az.jpg)

[MartijnGizmo]

Some comments:
- I'm not too fond about partial desaturation, and you were a bit sloppy as I still see some green. ;)
- the plow is nice, although cropped a little too narrow, also looks oversharpened
- the first motocross pic is really good, you can still see some motion in the wheels, the second one has a halo around everything in the background and the third has a tilted horizon
- the first Lake Conroe pic is really unsharp, the jetskiers are nice

I hope that didn't sound too negative, just trying to give some usefull feedback. :)

[sameerrao]

Some comments:
- I'm not too fond about partial desaturation, and you were a bit sloppy as I still see some green. ;)
- the plow is nice, although cropped a little too narrow, also looks oversharpened
- the first motocross pic is really good, you can still see some motion in the wheels, the second one has a halo around everything in the background and the third has a tilted horizon
- the first Lake Conroe pic is really unsharp, the jetskiers are nice

I hope that didn't sound too negative, just trying to give some usefull feedback. :)

Its fine .. I am always looking to improve ...
- I was just trying out the partial desaturation for the fun of it - didnt spend too much time on it to be honest. Next time I will look at a bit closer :)
- I agree on the plough - I hit the unsharp mask twice - should have done it just once
- the first Lake Conroe pic is really unclear - I agree - it was too damn far from me - I just wanted show this guy hanging on for dear life on that dingy like thing as it was flung about like a top... Couldnt seem to improve the picture any in Photoshop.
- About the motorcycles - I have to admit it was my goofing about in Photoshop that did it. Originally the picture came w/o a halo but the sky behind came out white. So I tried to lasso the sky section and change the levels on it to make it blue - but I couldn't get the edge perfect around the little boy and so you see the white halo :lol:

[MartijnGizmo]

If you try to darken the sky you're better of with a partial Curves Layer. It acts kinda like a Gradual ND filter. :)

[sameerrao]

I returned my 12-24 lens today ... didnt seem to get much use from it as much as I had originally hoped. Traded it for a Nikon 70-200 F2.8 VR. Unfortunately the 70-200 is in backorder - so I will have to wait a bit till I get my hands on it.

I will be selling the Sigma 70-200 f2.8 soon. The Sigma is awesome and I got great pictures from it but VR will be really useful at a race track that I find myself going to a couple times a year.

I also need a buy a more normal lens for taking some landscapes and static car pictures and such. Any suggestions?

On a side note, I had bought my 12-24 lens from Ritz Camera about 1.5 months back and they took it back without a fuss after all this time and without me losing any money. Some of the other shops have a 5 day return policy and if you return it any later you stand to loose about 15%-30% of its original value as a re-stocking fee. Ritz is certainly more expensive than the e-tailers but I am very happy with their service.

[MartijnGizmo]

The 18-70 kitlens from the D70(s) is a nice and afforable standardlens.....

[sameerrao]

You know what .. that is exactly the lens that I am planning to buy - seems perfect for everyday shooting and static objects...

[ae86_16v]

Not meaning to jack your thread, but I just picked one up from eBay for under $200 shipped. If you must have new, I think they are around $300 - $350.

[sameerrao]

Not meaning to jack your thread, but I just picked one up from eBay for under $200 shipped. If you must have new, I think they are around $300 - $350.

I can get new for about $280 shipped from adorama.com including a 67-77 step up ring so that I can use my existing filters.

Thanks for the heads-up .. I will check up on ebay as well.

[sameerrao]

My Nikon 70-200 F2.8 VR arrived ... Hope to take a few pictures this weekend to give it a proper road test.

http://img58.imageshack.us/img58/1088/dscn14196aa.th.jpg (http://img58.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dscn14196aa.jpg)
L-R: Nikon 70-200 F2.8 VR, Sigma 70-200 F2.8, Ferrari 348 ;)

First impressions:
- It is about 4 inches longer and about .3 lb heavier. The length and extra weight means that it is a bit more cumbersome than the Sigma. You can definitely sense the extra weight. But this is something one gets used to after some time.

- Placement of the zoom and focus ring - the placement for the Sigma lens was: Camera body --> focus ring --> zoom ring (i.e. the zoom ring was the furthest away). In the Nikon, the arrangement is Camera body --> zoom ring --> focus ring. The Nikon arrangment is a lot more logical and you can use both controls pretty easily with the same hand. The focus ring was awkwardly located - you needed to slide your hand closer to the body to focus and then slide it back to hold the camera steady. Of course this wouldnt be that important if AF was used only and no manual adjustments

- Construction - like the Sigma, this lens looks solid - can take a beating

More impressions later. I made a quick comparison of the two lenses to check out if the VR works - I will post it separately

[TT]

Cool! That's money well spent :)

BTW, how the fuck can you insert the ferrari into your camera? Do you need an adapter of some sort?

:splat:

[sameerrao]

Cool! That's money well spent :)

BTW, how the fuck can you insert the ferrari into your camera? Do you need an adapter of some sort?

:splat:

Definitely possible with a 67mm-1:18 step up ring. Of course the maintenance costs goes thru the roof as it is a Ferrari of course ... :lol:

[MartijnGizmo]

I've been getting great results from my Canon-version:
http://www.xs4all.nl/~akoevoet/JW/P048.jpg

[sameerrao]

:lol:

[TT]

LMAOOOOOOOOO!! Brillant!

[dutchmasterflex]

ROFL.. haha.. that's hilarious martijn!

Where the pics at samerreo?

[sameerrao]

Some Houston downtown shots ....
http://img77.imageshack.us/img77/5095/dsc40117os.th.jpg (http://img77.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc40117os.jpg)http://img77.imageshack.us/img77/3610/dsc39816rg.th.jpg (http://img77.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc39816rg.jpg)http://img77.imageshack.us/img77/766/dsc40014vl.th.jpg (http://img77.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc40014vl.jpg)http://img77.imageshack.us/img77/5338/dsc40050ak.th.jpg (http://img77.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc40050ak.jpg)http://img77.imageshack.us/img77/5258/dsc40740lu.th.jpg (http://img77.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc40740lu.jpg)
http://img77.imageshack.us/img77/9963/dsc40381kc.th.jpg (http://img77.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc40381kc.jpg)http://img77.imageshack.us/img77/3143/dsc39988pt.th.jpg (http://img77.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc39988pt.jpg)
--> Pics 1, 3, 4, 5 and 7 were shot on from inside the car when it was moving slowly with the VR on Active mode.

But even VR can't save this shot taken while moving about 35mph while the inevitable bumps on the road reared their ugly heads
http://img77.imageshack.us/img77/4138/dsc40039ii.th.jpg (http://img77.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc40039ii.jpg)

http://img77.imageshack.us/img77/5492/dsc40802ec.th.jpg (http://img77.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc40802ec.jpg)
Yes I am aware that only a part of the car is visible but it was the best I could do due to obstructions around me ... The 70-200 VR requires you to be pretty far away from the car to be able to see the whole thing ... :)

Panning shots
EXIF: 90mm-F22- 1/30 -- The S4 was moving really slow here so I slightly overdid it to create motion
http://img58.imageshack.us/img58/9555/dsc39538io.th.jpg (http://img58.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc39538io.jpg)http://img58.imageshack.us/img58/3163/dsc39629th.th.jpg (http://img58.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc39629th.jpg)http://img58.imageshack.us/img58/6218/dsc39648qk.th.jpg (http://img58.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc39648qk.jpg)http://img58.imageshack.us/img58/5751/dsc39561ff.th.jpg (http://img58.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc39561ff.jpg)
70mm-F22-1/60sec
http://img58.imageshack.us/img58/2459/dsc40773rm.th.jpg (http://img58.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc40773rm.jpg)http://img58.imageshack.us/img58/8440/dsc40270ni.th.jpg (http://img58.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc40270ni.jpg)http://img58.imageshack.us/img58/1572/dsc40260sg.th.jpg (http://img58.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc40260sg.jpg)

Nature shots
http://img77.imageshack.us/img77/5163/dsc40198ed.th.jpg (http://img77.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc40198ed.jpg)http://img77.imageshack.us/img77/7451/dsc39268pr.th.jpg (http://img77.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc39268pr.jpg)http://img77.imageshack.us/img77/1690/dsc40551os.th.jpg (http://img77.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc40551os.jpg)http://img77.imageshack.us/img77/3414/dsc41266da.th.jpg (http://img77.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc41266da.jpg)
http://img77.imageshack.us/img77/5623/dsc41255fo.th.jpg (http://img77.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc41255fo.jpg)http://img77.imageshack.us/img77/3646/dsc41215bq.th.jpg (http://img77.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc41215bq.jpg)http://img77.imageshack.us/img77/5553/dsc41229ou.th.jpg (http://img77.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc41229ou.jpg)http://img77.imageshack.us/img77/8178/dsc41348zl.th.jpg (http://img77.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc41348zl.jpg)http://img77.imageshack.us/img77/5156/dsc41522iz.th.jpg (http://img77.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc41522iz.jpg)

--> I love the sunset silhouette ...
Fun at night with slow shutter speeds ... ;)
http://img77.imageshack.us/img77/9543/dsc41119au.th.jpg (http://img77.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc41119au.jpg)

Misc stuff
http://img77.imageshack.us/img77/7769/dsc40492cb.th.jpg (http://img77.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc40492cb.jpg)
--> It was tough catching the golf ball in the frame ... :)

Learn your ABCs thru the camera ...
http://img77.imageshack.us/img77/4787/dsc41046yd.th.jpg (http://img77.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc41046yd.jpg)

DOF tests
http://img77.imageshack.us/img77/751/dsc41390wi.th.jpg (http://img77.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc41390wi.jpg)http://img77.imageshack.us/img77/5474/dsc41407zo.th.jpg (http://img77.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc41407zo.jpg)http://img77.imageshack.us/img77/8363/dsc41362gu.th.jpg (http://img77.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc41362gu.jpg)

My test guinea pigs - Lucky and Rev - they always oblige me for a photograph
http://img77.imageshack.us/img77/798/dsc41376vo.th.jpg (http://img77.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc41376vo.jpg)http://img77.imageshack.us/img77/9756/dsc41356cj.th.jpg (http://img77.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc41356cj.jpg)http://img77.imageshack.us/img77/2050/dsc41334sf.th.jpg (http://img77.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc41334sf.jpg)

[nthfinity]

for the downtown shot, all taht looks off is the fucos... i dont see movement otherwise.

1/30 still looks a PITA to keep the camera still even with VR on... that said, the two hondas, and the mercedes seem to work the best

my post earlier w/out Image stabilization, or vibration reduction etc. of the Cobra was taken @ 1/50 of a second @ 55 mph....

the wheels look great, but the pictures still look soft, and shake is still evident in them... keep practicing :)

[sameerrao]

No offence but I thought your Cobra image was too soft. I liked the Blue Chevy Monte Carlo one though. The quality pics of the SDK and Martijn are what we need to improve to. :P

[nthfinity]

No offence but I thought your Cobra image was too soft. I liked the Blue Chevy Monte Carlo one though. The quality pics of the SDK and Martijn are what we need to improve to.

:P right right

there were two i posted, the second was nearly as sharp as the monte carlo

[sameerrao]

Got the Nikkor 18-70mm f/3.5-4.5G IF-ED AF-S DX Zoom today. This will be in addition to the 70-200 VR that I already have.

Stock picture included:
http://www.dpreview.com/news/0401/PMA/Nikon/18-70dx.jpg

Will be taking both lenses out at Seaworld this week - catch the killer whale Shamu strut its stuff. :)

I will be using the 18-70 for more normal shoots and hopefully will get a decent wide-angle out of it in the 20-24mm range.

[MartijnGizmo]

Nice, best value for money in the Nikon-world.....

[sentra_dude]

You're really going to town buying lenses sameerrao. ;)

The lights on the ground in this pic are pretty neat!
http://img77.imageshack.us/img77/9543/dsc41119au.th.jpg

[sameerrao]

You're really going to town buying lenses sameerrao. ;)


:D

I believe this will be it for now (so says I ... famous last words). :)

Actually there is one more lens that I am interested in ... a Nikon TC14E or TC17E teleconverter for the 70-200 VR f2.8. This will enhance my reach at a racetrack.

The TC14E gives 1.4X magnification with 1 stop loss .. i.e. the lens become 98-288mm with a F4 max aperture. Excellent option with minimal negatives.

With the TC17E, you get 1.7X magnification (lens becomes 119-340mm) with a 1.5 stops loss of light - F5 approximately.

I am leaning towards the TC14E but I will wait a bit until I have a few "miles" under the belt with the 70-200VR. Hopefully I will get a good converter second hand.


The lights on the ground in this pic are pretty neat!


Thanks ... I loved it too ... Sort of got it by accident - basically I got a snap of the cross traffic - 70mm, F11 and 1/3sec shutter speed. The VR option kept the lens pretty steady.

[ae86_16v]

Got the Nikkor 18-70mm f/3.5-4.5G IF-ED AF-S DX Zoom today. This will be in addition to the 70-200 VR that I already have.


Will be taking both lenses out at Seaworld this week - catch the killer whale Shamu strut its stuff. :)

I will be using the 18-70 for more normal shoots and hopefully will get a decent wide-angle out of it in the 20-24mm range.

Oh my god, I just picked up this lens and went down to San Diego too. Haha. Although I just dropped by the park and Zoo. Didn't have the time to go to SeaWorld.