Wide Sketching

Rarely do I put the subject in the center of the frame - but when I shoot super wide, the combination of the two, with the right subject, works. 

This is a full sized design study, being sketched.  Shot with the Nikon 1 V1 and the 6.7-13mm at the widest, which is 18mm equivalent. 

There are some things to keep in mind while using this lens.  It doesn’t seem to be as forgiving at the 10-30mm on the sharpness scale.  For some reason it seems that I can get a sharper photo with less effort.  Maybe I’m too lazy during the shoot - so I will have to shoot more to really determine if I have to adjust technique. 

And, while indoors the lens is slow - slower than one would expect - but that is the way it goes - take it or leave it.  Sharpening is applied in post ever so slightly, or the image looks overworked.  I still have yet to print one of these — that will be this weekend to see how it looks.

Image was developed in LRoom in order to take advantage of the lens correction tools - something of which I can't do in ViewNX2.  Although ViewNX2's development is superior with Nikon's secret sauce.

March 28, 2006

Every year - I remember this date.

www.jsturr.com/blog/2010/3/28/march-28-2006.html

Know your settings.

Nikon 1 V1 - 10-30mm ASA 800

Every once in a while I get snapped back into reality, to check settings and slowdown. 

This only happens of course when the result of failure is very, very disappointing. 

The scene is the office, again, and I wanted to grab and go with the V1 and flash.  This time I was sure to be on Image instead of video from the day before - humph - but because I didn’t want to really mess around with settings with flash I decided to go “P” - Program. 

Program is nothing to be ashamed of - as these cameras are really smart.  So I set on P, and then I set ASA on 800.  I didn’t want to be on Auto ASA as exposure would be fighting the flash.  So with that - I started taking photos - and then I was seeing that flash was too distracting to the subjects - so I turned it off and started shooting available light.  But get this — I didn’t re-adjust any settings to what I usually shoot.

The V1 was still on P

ASA was locked into 800

Nikon 1 V1 - 10-30mm ASA 800

I should have taken a step back and stopped, and reset to “A” Aperture and then brought ASA to Auto.

Something did appear a bit peculiar while shooting - but of course in the middle of what Vincent Versace would call the “Hair Ball” - it didn’t make sense to me, so I drove on.

I did get some decent results - but not the best results for sharpness and exposure.

I wish was at on auto ASA and I probably should have been actually shooting the 18.5mm f1.8 for better resolution and ASA.

Also, my point is that all of this stuff takes practice, and these things even happen to the most experienced.

superWide

I purchased Nikon's 6.7-13mm super wide lens yesterday.  It allows me to go 18-35mm equivalent on the Nikon 1 V1.  No complaints, as it is super sharp from edge to edge.

Nikon 1 V1 - 6.7-13mm

Nikon 1 V1 - 6.7-13mm

3 Nikons

I shoot 3 Nikon’s - and the sensor of the D3s, CoolPix P330, and the 1 V1 all look the same.  The dynamic range of the P330 seems to have the most depth - but for color rendering and richness and the ability to not have to touch exposure; they are all one in the same.

Exposure has become more important the more I realize that these systems performs so well.  This is one of the reasons of which I keep coming back to the V1, and the speed is crazy fast.

As of late - I’m really done chasing megapixels as what I want is sharpness and performance.  And there are two genres to what I shoot - pro and non-pro.  And I think that is an essential distinction of which many never discuss - ever discuss.  Pro vs. Non-Pro keeps Nikon and Canon from worrying about the mirrorless platforms of which I think is a mistake.  

Since I shoot architecture and I have tilt shit lenses the V1 really can’t fit the bill, and I like full frame - but for everyday shooting; street, office, family - anything goes, and any system goes.

The uproar about the new V3 is a mind blower — total mind blower - good God.  I feel sorry for Nikon.

The V1 also has a wonderful monochrome conversion - wonderful - the blacks are black, and the convert looks so organic.  I love that.

I do wish there were more performance based primes - that’s a bit of a bummer.  These vari-aperture zooms kill me.

Nikon 1 V1 - 18.5mm

Cat Brow

Getting great pics of the cat is always good practice.  And when it all comes together it's pretty cool.

Nikon 1 V1 - 10-30mm

Two Wheel Pan

I don’t know where the 1 series is going — for all I know it could be Nikon’s new D2h.  

When searching for a performance based system I reached for the Sony Nex-7 and once the honeymoon wore off I grew frustrated.  AF was slow - color rendition was great as long as you were outside in great light - shutterspeeds were somehow pegged at 1/60, it seemed all the time in when in Aperture Pri.  I guess I could have lived with everything except the color rendering and exposure.

I found myself reaching for it less and less.  Paris was the last time I seriously used it - so I sold it.

But — in the mean time - on a lark I bought the Nikon P330 Coolpix.  Canon’s products were rendering skin tones much too red and peachy.  And I fell in love - lens was crazy sharp, it shot raw, and the colors were rich and deep and recognizably all Nikon.  Hmm… I thought.

I wanted to get back into mirrorless, but funds were on the decline, Fuji wasn’t a contender as it was a slow system, lenses were getting great reports though, and i saw that the V1 system was getting better and better writeups.  The $300 refurb pricing helped also.

AF is lighting fast - whoa… crazy fast - silent shutter is really trick, I use it almost exclusively, and most importantly rendering and exposure is nailed and finally the raw BW convert is crazy black.

So where does that leave me — The Fuji XT1 is attractive - bigger sensor, but raw development seems a bit challenging, irregardless of that the fans tell me it is a non-issue with LR etc.  Sony’s A7 series is a bit too expensive and maybe needs to be tripod based for shooting and I just can’t see going m4/3 for some reason.  So that leads me back to where I’m at - because I really love the V1.

The D3s backfills the pro work - and in the next few weeks I’ll be picking up the 30-110mm, and the 6.7-13mm where I have the 18.5mm, 10-30mm, and the flash.

So that’s my story.

Nikon 1 V1 - 10-30mm

Snow on Grass

Nikon 1 V1 - 18.5mm

Porch in BW

Nikon 1 V1 - 18.5mm converted in SilverEfx

Cafe Noir -- SLC

Nikon 1 V1 - 18.5 - BW convert with SilverEfx

Black and White reading

Nikon 1 V1 - 18.5mm

The Whiteboard

Nikon 1 V1 - 18.5mm

Photo walks

I took some time out last Saturday to photo walk, something of which I rarely do.

The scene

I've said it before - but there are times when the scene just grabs me.  

This image is one of those from the office when the "planets" aligned.  

I love those moments when I can pay the scene this attention - if I can't then I almost become obsessed of the missed shot.

Spring

When the Sun is out - and although it hits the fake orchids on the back porch shelf - I can't help but think of Spring.

Nikon 1 V1 - 18.5mm

Images at night

I really like images captured at night - and i'm going to try to push the limits this year and get more night shots.

Shooting at night is a bit more inconvenient -- but the good and great image is usually captured during the least convenient circumstances.  Be it - war, cold, early morning, high above, underwater etc...

Ford and Chevy

CES just finished up, and all the “big hitter” camera companies made some announcements.  And even I can’t help but get caught up in it all.  Nikon teased with the up coming D4s, Fuji offered the blacked out x100s and new lenses and Canon was in the mix also.

I bring this up because I get asked every once in a while, “what should I buy”, or “what’s a good camera” ?.  This is so difficult as the end result or goal is really important.

If you are in the market for a new camera or want to make it a go and get started take this into consideration.

• Identify you budget - and try to stay with that number as much as possible.
• Determine what MFG you want to identify with — and that could be because of style, accessories, expandability, or price.  For the most part - buying into a camera system is like the difference between “Ford and Chevy”.
• Strive for photos which exhibit sharpness better than anyone else’s.  Understand what sharpness is and how to recognize it in a photo.  Learn how to chase, capture, and harness the sharpest photo possible above the limitations of your gear.
• Every piece of gear has a sweet spot — find that - and be able to get back there over and over again.
• Go to Flickr and look at the “Explorer” section - and look at it over and over.  Identify with the images you like.

I took this last photo with a $300 fixed lens point and shoot, Nikon P330.  The camera is amazing for what it is - but with many limitations.  With that thought, I normally can’t help myself and usually shoot thru those limitations and come up shorthanded.  This image as it turns out -- it was selected as one of Engineering News Record's Images of the year for 2013.  

My point -- get out and shoot -- irregardless of what you have for equipment.  Sure - many of us want the Porsche - but as it turns out, most of us only have the Ford or Chevy.

Utah Bad Air

The bad air is taking its toll.

Nikon 1 V1 - 10-30mm

BackYard

The setting South Western Sun and the backyard scene was irresistible.  The main attraction to the V1 is the color rendering -- the colors are just so rich -- like a good cup of coffee - I really can't explain it. 

Nikon V1 - 10-30mm

Temple Square Lights

The seasonal lights are always something special - every year I shake my head in wonder as the stringing seems somewhat an impossible feat.

Nikon 1 V1 - 10-30mm