(continued from Part 1)
I'm actually quite comfortable working with my Nikon D80 with its vertical grip, and our Tamron zooms and Nikon prime lenses. The Tamron SP 17-50mm F2.8 has pretty much become my every day lens, unless the situation clearly calls for a different focal length. My wife is using the Tamron 18-200mm that was initially purchased with the Nikon D50, and frankly, I continue to be blown away by some of the images she is able to capture with that lens. I would have no problem taking it on another trip to Nepal & Tibet. It’s an excellent walk-around lens. We also have the Tamron 70-300mm which she acquired with her Nikon N65 (aka F65) film camera and its 28-80mm kit lens some years ago. (We keep thinking we're going to shoot more film, but we never seem to get around to it.) The Tamron 70-300mm is a fine lens for the price. Neither of us do a lot of longer telephoto work here in the SF Bay Area, though I might bring it along on an overseas trip, even though it's not that fast. Our Nikon primes (50mm F1.8 & 35mm F1.8) are tack sharp, and have more than proven themselves on multiple shoots, when using flash was not appropriate.
Then Nikon introduced the D300s. True, it's just an evolutionary progression from the already very popular D300, which already has some very nice improvements over the D80, and the D300s added even more. Based on the reviews, there were at least 6 features that would be very, very nice to have. In the meantime, my need for an external flash continued, if not increased...
We're blessed with an excellent pro shop nearby in Palo Alto, with a great rental department. Their amazing array of gear, total expertise and ready advice, makes renting lenses from them a very worthwhile experience. I've also been renting one of their two Nikon SB-800 speedlights for various event shoots. And even though they've always had one available, I wondered if the day might arrive when they didn't, and the event that really required a flash?
So a couple of weeks ago, I arrived at the pro shop, credit card in hand, ready to buy an SB-600. Yes, it doesn't have the reach of the SB-800; I've already discovered that, but it was also close to half the price of the SB-900. And there's always one of those two rental units, which could also open up the possibilities of using a second flash. Something my older son Tim was doing 5 years ago. (He was also, by the way, the one that encouraged me to move up from my point & shoot to a DSLR.)
Based on a couple of other podcasts, I also purchased the Gary Fong LightSphere Universal flash diffuser, and the secondary Chrome Dome disc for rooms with higher ceilings. I also ordered Joe McNally's Hot Shoe Diaries, Big Light from Small Flashes. I'm really enjoying this book!
Needless to say, all of this has added a whole new dimension to my photography. More in subsequent posts...
So there's much to be thankful for this Thanksgiving, just in my photography world!
26 November 2009
Happy Thanksgiving!
Thanksgiving—already! Time really flies by these days — everyone seems to be noticing this.
A couple of interesting changes have been developing in my photography lately. I did a Halloween-engagement party shoot. It was a fun party, and another excellent learning experience. While there were plenty of good images captured, I realized how much more I could have done using an external flash. I do occasionally rent one (as explained more below) but there really wasn't time for this event, due to another project earlier during the day.
Last Spring, at my high school reunion near Solvang, California, I was able to have an in-depth conversation about my work with one of the teachers — a graduate of the well-known Brooks Institute in Santa Barbara. It was very illuminating (pun intended). I was making an argument for avoiding the need for flash by using low light photography, perhaps even moving up to a Nikon D700 someday.
The teacher listened patiently, and then politely indicated the limitations of my strategy, particularly for shooting events, people shots & portraits. Even using a camera with excellent low light capabilities, he noted, there will still be times when there just isn't enough light, and potentially good images won't be captured, or not captured as well as they could be. He further suggested that having my own flash would also mean I'd really learn how to use it, as opposed to just putting the rental flash on auto, and hoping that it all just worked.
IAnother concept began to develop in my mind. In one of the regular podcasts I listen to, the two photographer-hosts mentioned that when they travel, particularly on long or overseas trips, it is so much easier to bring along their crop-sensors cameras, since those lenses are smaller and lighter, making a much easier, lighter "kit" to transport and use. They also like the additional reach with telephoto zooms, thus avoiding the need to bring the longer "big glass" lens along. It occurred to me that almost half of my photography already, in fact, involves travel, and hopefully will in the future. And most of my future trips would be candidates for a crop-sensor camera and their conveniently smaller & lighter lenses. Additionally my experiences using "big glass" have been less than positive — these lenses are too heavy and unwieldy to be much fun, especially for the types of shooting I like to do! So what would be the point of moving to a full frame camera, if I wouldn't use it traveling? Another podcast mentioned that there aren't many third party lenses for the full frame cameras, making such a transition even more expensive. Bottom line: I'm just not a full-frame/big glass photographer. Maybe if I were 20 years younger...
(continued in Part 2)
A couple of interesting changes have been developing in my photography lately. I did a Halloween-engagement party shoot. It was a fun party, and another excellent learning experience. While there were plenty of good images captured, I realized how much more I could have done using an external flash. I do occasionally rent one (as explained more below) but there really wasn't time for this event, due to another project earlier during the day.
Last Spring, at my high school reunion near Solvang, California, I was able to have an in-depth conversation about my work with one of the teachers — a graduate of the well-known Brooks Institute in Santa Barbara. It was very illuminating (pun intended). I was making an argument for avoiding the need for flash by using low light photography, perhaps even moving up to a Nikon D700 someday.
The teacher listened patiently, and then politely indicated the limitations of my strategy, particularly for shooting events, people shots & portraits. Even using a camera with excellent low light capabilities, he noted, there will still be times when there just isn't enough light, and potentially good images won't be captured, or not captured as well as they could be. He further suggested that having my own flash would also mean I'd really learn how to use it, as opposed to just putting the rental flash on auto, and hoping that it all just worked.
IAnother concept began to develop in my mind. In one of the regular podcasts I listen to, the two photographer-hosts mentioned that when they travel, particularly on long or overseas trips, it is so much easier to bring along their crop-sensors cameras, since those lenses are smaller and lighter, making a much easier, lighter "kit" to transport and use. They also like the additional reach with telephoto zooms, thus avoiding the need to bring the longer "big glass" lens along. It occurred to me that almost half of my photography already, in fact, involves travel, and hopefully will in the future. And most of my future trips would be candidates for a crop-sensor camera and their conveniently smaller & lighter lenses. Additionally my experiences using "big glass" have been less than positive — these lenses are too heavy and unwieldy to be much fun, especially for the types of shooting I like to do! So what would be the point of moving to a full frame camera, if I wouldn't use it traveling? Another podcast mentioned that there aren't many third party lenses for the full frame cameras, making such a transition even more expensive. Bottom line: I'm just not a full-frame/big glass photographer. Maybe if I were 20 years younger...
(continued in Part 2)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
