Photography - equipment, help hints

[evangilder]

I got a remote control for my shutter on my Nikons that was great. It was real nice for photographing still subjects. Set the camera on the tripod and get everything set just right. Then you press the remote and click away hands free and movement free. The only problem is that it is small, and easy to misplace. I am looking for it yet again.

 

[GrauGeist]

Cool accessory, Eric! I've been thinking about getting one for my setup, but something usually comes along and pushes that idea to the back burner.

I did get a couple items last week from B&H Photo for my up-coming trip to Europe.

I got a Sigma 50-200 (Sigma 50-200mm f/4-5.6 DC HSM High Performance Telephoto 686109) and a Lowepro Compuday 250 backpack (Lowepro CompuDay Photo 250 Backpack (Black) LP36297-0AM B&H) for my carryon gear.

The new lens is an effort to stop changing lenses all the time and I typically use glass in the 50mm to 200mm range most often. I'll have an opportunity to get in some aircraft shots tomorrow at the Father's Day fly-in at Benton Field so we'll see just how well it performs.

 

[evangilder]

The remote was cheap, and after getting it, I wish I had done it sooner. The 50-200 sounds like a great lens. The 18-200 Nikkor lens I have is my best all around use lens I have, and it sees heavy use. It's been dropped, broken and repaired twice and is still a sweet lens. That range is great for almost any application.

 

[Shinpachi]

Beautiful shots of the Venus transit, GG.

In my case, I was not ready for it as I thought it would be cloudy but not.
In a hurry, I cut the negative film end tip as a filter and pasted it on the pin-holed aluminum foil to cover the lens.

When I was ready, it was already high noon. I lay on the ground to take the shot

 

[GrauGeist]

Well done, Shinpachi!!

Great idea with the filter and excellent results!

Ever notice how last minute ideas born out of desperation have some of the coolest results?

 

[Aaron Brooks Wolters]

STUPENDOUS Shinpachi!!

 

[Shinpachi]

Thanks GG and Aaron.
The lesson I learnt was "To be prepared" like you two

 

[Aaron Brooks Wolters]

I'm not always prepared.

 

[evangilder]

Well done, Shinpachi-san!

 

[ontos]

Well done Shinpachi, you adapt, overcame and improvised 8)

 

[Shinpachi]

You always look being prepared well, Aaron

Thanks for your kind comments, Eric and Merv!

 

[Aaron Brooks Wolters]

Looks can be VERY deceiving. But thank you for the compliment sir.

 

[GrauGeist]

I am LOVING my new 50-200 lens...I've been trying to get the "feel" of it as much as possible before the trip to Europe...I've posted several shots at FB taken with it already.

I'm thinking I'll take my 18-55 lens along too, especially for the visit to Herculaneum...but the cool thing is, I'll be travelling over the atlantic during the day AND my travel agent got me a window seat!

 

[Aaron Brooks Wolters]

Cool Dave! We want to see the photos once your back to.

 

[GrauGeist]

I might mention that the new 50-200 lens doesn't get along with my K100D body...it seems as though the len's hypersonic motor is for the newer K-mount bodies :/

I can't believe my K100D is already 5+ years old...I guess I need to start looking for a newer model, but it's hard to retire such a dependable body like that

 

[evangilder]

That stinks. I hate when manufacturers do that. That's the reason I dumped my Minolta. I had the X-370 when the Maxxum came out. All the new lenses and new body were completely incompatible with the X-370 and X-700. Always good to check with other people when going into a new piece of gear.

 

[evangilder]

A quick word about prop blur. There seems to be a bit of an obsession amongst aviation photographers about the nirvana of a full prop arc in photos. I have done a few with some success, but one thing that I have learned is that it doesn't always work. Below is a perfect example of a full arc not working. Depending on where the light is and the background, you may just make the prop disappear! If the sun had been reflecting off the prop, or even lighting it up, it might have been more interesting. This photo was taken at 1/50 in moderate turbulence.

And for the record, I can find at least 5 things wrong with this photo, but I am a lot more picky about my own photos. 8).

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

I just got my new 55-200mm telephoto lens in today. Can't wait to try it out at the Civil War Reenactment I will be going to in Wisconsin this weekend.

I would love to get some bigger better lenses, but as a regular "photographer" I can't justify the price.

 

[Aaron Brooks Wolters]

Eric, to get the prop blur I shoot with a shutter speed of 1/125. The Canon Rebel seems to pick it up really well at that shutter speed. Oh, and I ordered a new lens today.EF 50mm f/1.4 USM, Canon. Thinking I can do better in low light situations. But thinking usually gets me in trouble.

 

[Aaron Brooks Wolters]

My new lens showed up today. Hoping to be able to do better in low light situations. No Image Stabilization but I think I can make it work.