• Olympus OM-D E-M5 Micro Four Thirds camera with M.Zuiko 12-50mm  f3.5-6.3 kit lens
• Panasonic Leica DG Summilux 25mm F1.4 ASPH lens for Micro Four Thirds
• Nikon AF-S Nikkor 14-24mm f/2.8G ED lens
• Nikon AF Nikkor 50mm f/1.4D lens
• Nikon AF-S VF Zoom-Nikkor 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6G IF-ED lens
• Nikon AF-S VR Micro-Nikkor 105mm f/2.8G IF-ED lens

Out of all of these, it pains me the most to sell off the Nikon 14-24mm.  It’s part of what some refer to as the “holy trinity” of Nikon’s f/2.8 professional zooms. It’s an amazing lens but I don’t use it that often and need the cash more right now.

I’m also rather sad to part with the 105mm lens though truth be told, I’m hard-pressed to recall the last time I used it.  Selling it will leave me without a macro lens but I don’t seem to shoot macro.

And that Panasonic Leica. As others have noted, the lens is so good that it almost justifies getting into M4/3 just to be able to use this lens. Except I’ve found the Olympus to be too large for my purposes and I am not in a financial position to start investing in a whole series of M4/3 lenses so that’s pretty much that.

As I said, please feel free to contact me if you’re interested in any of this gear or share with your friends if you think you know someone who might want some of this.

The post Stuff I’m Selling appeared first on Spike's Photos.

By using the 51 point autofocus system on the D7100, Nikon demonstrated that it costs nothing to use a high-end autofocus system on any camera. So using the lower-end AF system on the D600 was intentional, similar to the 1/4000 shutter speed or the 1/200 sync speed limits. Nikon clearly did not want the D600 to compete with the D800, so it crippled the camera by stripping off important features. Did you really think it was a move to keep the cost of the D600 low? You would be very naive if you thought so. Even if there is a cost difference, it is very minor. Not in the hundreds or thousands of dollars that Nikon wants you to think.

The small buffer limitation of the D7100 is also equally intentional. When the D7100 was announced, I made a hasty statement that it possibly marked the death of a high-end DX line. After I discovered the buffer limit on the D7100, however, I reconsidered my thoughts. Why would Nikon intentionally cripple the D7100′s buffer capacity? Another ingenious game by Nikon’s marketing – get plenty of attention to the D7100 so that a lot of people buy it, but cripple it enough for sports and wildlife photographers to either have them switch to the expensive D4, or wait until a D400 comes out (if it comes out). Do you really think that extra buffer memory is going to cost a lot of money? Of course it doesn’t.

But I think the part that really grabbed my attention and made me want to share this post is further down, his “lessons learned.”  They include:

• Stop pre-ordering gear
• Use your camera until it dies
• Don’t pay attention to new product announcements

and a couple of other bits as well.

Me, I’m trying to get off the whole consumer merry-go-round thing.  I look back at some of the insane moves I did – things I bought too quick or sold too quick to buy other things – and I’m trying to change my ways. I admit that in no small part this is enforced by my budget, which means thinking more and trying to act less impulsively.  Stay tuned, we’ll see how it turns out.

The post Great Editorial About Nikon appeared first on Spike's Photos.

#1 – Burst mode is useless when you’re shooing RAW.  Even using Lexar 1000x CF cards, the buffer would fill up so soon, writing time to the cards took so long, after doing an initial burst of about 5 photos in a second or two, I was reduced to one picture per second for the next 5 to 10 seconds.  I didn’t want to switch to JPG because the crappy lighting design for the show means I’m gonna need the RAW files to get things to look the way I want.

#2 – Back home, let’s do some math.  2500 RAW files at an average size of 75 meg each = 187.5 gigabytes.  My MacBrook Pro’s SSD is 250 gig and has about 80 gig of free space.  The only external USB drive I’ve got that’s formatted for the Mac at the moment is a 120 gig drive.  I need to hunt down a larger external drive to offload the files from the memory cards.  And if I wasn’t so tired, I would have realized that before I imported half the stuff over, only to find out that I don’t have enough space to import it all.

I know, old news.  Still …

The post Quick Note – Tonight Nikon D800 File Sizes are Killing Me appeared first on Spike's Photos.

Right now, B&H Photo is selling the Nikon D600 full frame camera together with Nikon’s 24-85mm F/3.5-4.5 lens for just US$1,996.95.  That’s usually just the price of the camera body alone, so you’re saving $700.  And then they’re also including at no extra charge another $150 worth of freebies:  a LowePro bag, a SanDisk 32 gig Extreme SD card, an Oben monopod and a spare battery.  The sale ends pretty soon so if you’re interested, click here to check it out.

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Just a reminder that many of the first D800 cameras also had an unusually high amount of oil/dust spots on the sensor. It seems that this issue was resolved with later shipments.

They also point to Amazon’s D600 listing and the reviews there (49 5-star reviews out of 66) and how some of the reviewers are mentioning issues with dust and oil.

There are, as of this writing, 54 comments on this post, many from people (including myself) complaining about similar problems with the D800.  I can tell you that in the year that I owned a D300 and the 2-1/2 years I owned a D700, I never needed to bring either camera in to Nikon for cleaning.  I’ve never needed anything for those cameras other than using the “clean sensor” function from the menu.

However, I’ve had to bring my D800 into Nikon twice in the six months that I’ve owned it.  I’m pretty careful about holding the camera down when I change lenses, not changing lenses in a windy or dirty environment, all the stuff one is warned against.  I use the “clean sensor” function and a Rocket Blower and still see an incredible amount of schmutz on the lens when viewing it with the Sensor Scope (which is proving to be a very useful accessory).  I purchased the Visible Dust brush but I think I have the oil problem and it seems to just smear that around.   I have some of the swabs but they don’t seem to resolve that well.  Then again, having brought the camera into Nikon twice for cleaning, one would think that they’d spot this and mention it to me.  Well, I have to bring the camera back to Nikon for focus calibration (another frustration) and will print out the article and ask them about this issue and see how they respond.

It is incredibly frustrating to know that a $3,000 product can have such poor quality control.  It’s frustrating to read that the issue was resolved with “later shipments” which means what to me, exactly?  That people like myself who thought themselves lucky to get the camera early on are now screwed, since there’s no official word from Nikon about this?

I’m certainly not ready to sell off all of my Nikon gear (9 lenses, speedlight, battery pack, etc.).  And I’m certainly happy with the photos that I took over the weekend with the D800 at The Wanch’s anniversary shows (taken, incidentally, immediately after taking the camera to Nikon for a cleaning).  But given that these issues first arose with the D800 and have continued with the D600, I’d have to think long and hard about buying another Nikon DSLR in the future.

The post Nikon’s Dirty Secret appeared first on Spike's Photos.

This is the JPG:

And this is the RAW:

All I’ve done with these two files is to import them into Lightroom and then export them, resized (and with my watermark added).  No other processing.

I personally like the JPG more, don’t you? Overall, the yellow leaf seams to have more definition and contrast than in the RAW file.  My assumption is that the problem here is not with the RAW output from the camera, it’s the way in which Adobe Lightroom interprets it.

Here’s the second pair, taken a few nights ago in Causeway Bay, believe it or not.

First the JPG:

And here’s the RAW:

Again, all I’ve done with these two photos is to load them into Lightroom and then export them out.  Based on my recollection, the colors in the JPG are accurate and the colors in the RAW are not.

I don’t want to stop shooting RAW because maybe someday Lightroom will do a better job with them, or maybe someday I’ll switch my photo processing software, and I’d like to have the RAW files to go back to.  But today, with Lightroom, they’re almost useless to me.

Now, a slightly different frustration, concerning my Nikon D800.  Here’s a photo I took in Central tonight.

It looks pretty nice – until you view it full size.  Then you’ll see that absolutely nothing is in focus.  This was shot with my “new” used Nikon 35mm F2.0 D lens.  I don’t recall for certain but I believe I was in manual mode, F4,0, 1/50th of a second (which should be fast enough with a 35mm lens) and the ISO was on auto and went for 1100.  In this case, is it the fault of the lens?  Very possibly I think.

I was at a party tonight, actually, shooting a lot in a restaurant, both with and without flash.  I note that on many of the photos that I took without flash, there’s visible purple vignetting.  Of course that’s fixable in Lightroom but that’s not really the point, is it?  The point is that the D800 demands good glass and it may well be that the current generation of G lenses are going to perform better on this camera than the older D ones.  I’ve seen nothing anywhere regarding this so it’s just conjecture on my point.

I’m off on a trip to New York City tomorrow.  I’m mostly packed but I can’t decide if I’m going to bring the Fuji or the Nikon with me.  Originally it was going to be the Fuji, because of size and weight.  But now I have something of a remotely serious and hopefully fun nature to shoot while there.  (A cousin of mine is executive chef at a restaurant that was a finalist for a James Beard award this year and he’s agreed to let me into the kitchen with my camera.).  For that, I’d normally bring the Nikon.

So do I only pack the Nikon for this trip?  And with just the 24-70mm lens, or with my 35mm, 50mm and 105mm primes?  Do I pack both the Nikon and the Fuji on the grounds that the Fuji will be a better daily walking-around camera.  Or do I stay Fuji only?  (And why do I agonize over small shit like this?)  I’ll decide in the morning before I head to the airport.  And whichever one (or ones) I choose, I hope to have some fun pictures to share with you a few days from now.

The post Camera Frustration & Upcoming Trip appeared first on Spike's Photos.

The D600 received an overall score of 94, putting it just behind the Nikon D800′s score of 95 and the D800E’s score of 96.  The Nikon D4 only scored 89!

Click over to Nikon Rumors to see a chart of the current top 10 in DxOMark’s rankings.  Nikon dominates the list with 6 out of 10 cameras.  Note that there are no Canon cameras in the top ten (the Canon EOS 5D MarkIII scores an 81) and oddly there’s no Sony camera on the list either.

Of course sensor performance isn’t the only way to rate a camera’s performance, just a part of it.  And at the end of the day, the person taking the pictures counts for more than the gear he or she is using.  I expect that with the technology rapidly advancing, we’ll see lots of changes in this top ten list soon.

The Nikon D600 has started shipping!  You can order it from Amazon body only or a kit with a 24-85mm lens.  Or order it from B&H Photo body only or with the kit lens.

The post Nikon D600 Sensor 3rd Best DSLR Sensor Ever? appeared first on Spike's Photos.

So the individual pixels on the D600 are significantly larger than the D800.  This could translate to outstanding high ISO performance.

On the other hand, the Strobist has looked at the specs and decided that this camera is not for him. His reason? Limitations on flash sync.

When you are balancing flash in bright ambient, you start at your max sync for your shutter speed. That will give you the most flash-friendly corresponding aperture, whether you are normally exposing or underexposing the ambient.

Think about it: 1/250th at f/16 equals 1/500th at f/11. Since the flash only cares about the aperture, you could balance in the same light with half of the flash power.

True, it is only a third of a stop as compared to 1/250th. But with speedlights and daylight, that is a critical third of a stop. To be clear,this camera makes every single flash you own less effective.

Also, the difference between 1/250th and 1/200th sync is deadly when it comes to stopping action when balancing flash and ambient. 1/250th is dicey enough. 1/200th just doesn’t work.

This doesn’t impact my style of shooting but perhaps it would impact yours?

The post A Little Bit More on the Nikon D600 appeared first on Spike's Photos.

So here are the specs:

• 24.3 effective mega pixels, very possibly the same sensor that’s in Sony’s new A99
• 3.2 inch LCD 920k pixel
• 39 point phase detection focusing system
• ISO range 50-25,600
• shutter speeds 30 – 1/4000
• burst mode 5.5 fps
• scene modes (ugh)
• full HD video at 30 fps
• SD card slot
• battery EN-EL15 – same as D800 and D7000

The camera will be available on September 18th (and will probably be an instant sell-out).  While some rumors had the camera coming in at as low as US$1,500, the price will be $2,100 – or get it together with the 24-85mm f3.5-4.5G VR lens for $2,700.  At least one blogger  with a very short memory is going gaga over the price but come on, the D700 when it was a current model was just a couple hundred more and new ones can still be found for under $2,000 (of course no video and a much older sensor inside but still a very worthwhile camera).

So the autofocus system isn’t the same that you get on the D800 or D4 and shutter speed tops out a bit lower, but otherwise this looks like it could be a very robust camera indeed.  If you’re going to buy this, you can pre-order it now from Amazon – body only or body plus the 24-85mm lens – just a friendly reminder that clicking on either of those two links and buying anything at all helps support this blog.

Nikon also announced something called the Communication Unit UT-1.

This huge ungainly item looks as if it could be very useful as it will allow owners of the D600 as well as the D800 and D4 to use Nikon’s WT-5 Wireless Transmitter.  The UT-1 will cost US$60 alone or come bundled together with the WT-5 (which costs $700, out of my price range for sure!).  From Nikon’s press release:

Nikon Corporation is pleased to announce the release of the Communication Unit UT-1. When connected to a digital-SLR camera, an Ethernet (wired) network can be used to transfer images from the camera to a computer or FTP server, or to control the camera remotely from a computer. When used with the Wireless Transmitter WT-5 (available separately), the same functions can be performed over a wireless network.

The UT-1 is compatible with the Nikon D4, D800, and D800E cameras for professional and advanced amateur photographers, as well as the D7000 for photo hobbyists. With an Ethernet network connection, still images can be automatically transferred as they are captured, and still images and movies already stored on a memory card can be transferred and saved to a computer or FTP server.

In addition, when the WT-5 is connected to the UT-1, smooth image transfer over a wireless network is possible. Nikon plans to market an UT-1/WT-5 bundle, Communication Unit Wireless Kit UT-1WK.

When used with Camera Control Pro 2, remote control software developed for studio and remote photography in the field (available separately), remote control over a wide variety of Nikon digital-SLR camera functions from a computer is possible. Camera Control Pro 2 allows users to specify and adjust not only basic shooting settings such as exposure mode, shutter speed, and aperture setting, but also allows them to adjust white balance, use live view photography, and even record movies remotely. With remote control over camera operations, such as in a studio setting, images are transferred directly to the computer, enabling immediate verification of photos as they are captured.

These communications functions significantly increase on-site work efficiency for all photographers, beginning with professionals.

With the combination of the D4 and its built-in Ethernet network functions, the WT-5, and the UT-1, Nikon is working to make photography more efficient for professional and advanced amateur photographers. The Wireless Mobile Adapter WU-1a and WU-1b can be used to easily transfer highquality images captured with cameras such as the D3200 and D600 to a smart device, or to control the camera remotely (remote control over movie recording is not supported). Wireless connection to the Internet using operations similar to those to which smart phone users are accustomed is also possible with the COOLPIX S800c. By continuously working to increase wireless network functionality and support for all of its digital cameras, from high-end digital-SLRs to compact digital cameras, Nikon is helping users of its cameras to remain connected.

The post Nikon D600 FX Camera Announced appeared first on Spike's Photos.

Here’s what Nikon Rumors is reporting:

•  24.7 megapixel sensor
• weighs 760 grams (without battery), compared to 900 grams for the D800
• 16 bit image processing
• 16 scene modes
• Price may be as low as US$1,500

Cheaper construction on the body – magnesium alloy on top and bottom only – plus shorter rated shutter life than D800 and it’s unknown if it will be weather-sealed or not.  Hit the link above to see the rest of the rumored specs.

I think Nikon’s going to have another winner here.

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