I recently went to the UK on business and took my D2X and several lenses. I had a free day, during which I visited Oxford and London. I've made a http://photos.smartbean.us/UK-2005-09/htmlFiles/images.html]photo albium[/url] with my favorite shots. I'm interested in any comments. (The "medium" and "large" images refer to the file size, not the number of pixels. The compression is less for the large images.)
I'm very pleased with my results with the D2X for outdoor shooting. I deliberately set the camera to give low-contrast images, to avoid any blown highlights or featureless shadows. Using the RGB histogram helps me ensure that I'm using the camera's dynamic range as well as possible. This gave me a lot of freedom in postprocessing. For example, I did a few digital blends of the same image with itself, by first making a dark version to get detail in the sky, then blending it back with the original.
My only gripe is that I get front-focusing with the 12-24 mm Nikkor at 12 mm for subjects at infinity. It is very repeatable. If I set the zoom to 15mm and focus on a subject at infinity, the distance indicator is at infinity. For 12mm, it shifts the focus point to somewhere between infinity and 1 m. Anyone else found this issue?
You've got some good pics there, I hope you had fun up at the vale of white horse and Uffington castle - there's some fantastic views from up there. I was only there myself a couple of weeks back.
As to the front focusing 12-24, I have noticed that too. However, I don't think that it's a fault with either the lense or the camera, it's just that the auto focus can struggle and become confused when you use a wide lense in some situations. If I remember correctly, when I got that lense it came with a note that gives you some info on possible autofocus issues that may happen with wide lenses. I think the general advice was either to manually focus or to choose a different subject for focussing on and recompose.
Shooting at 12mm, I can't hardly see anything to focus on infinity I could easily see how the AF wouldn't be able to perform well. The 12-24 is one of my favorite lenses, and I can't recall ever focusing it to infinity, because I'm focusing for maximum DOF.
Thanks for your comments. Yes, I did enjoy the views from Uffington castle. It was quite windy though, and it took a few days before my ears felt normal again!
We were a bit disappointed in the views of the White Horse itself. We imagined that we'd be able to see it clearly, but that seems to require a helicopter.
jacko wrote:
Shooting at 12mm, I can't hardly see anything to focus on infinity I could easily see how the AF wouldn't be able to perform well. The 12-24 is one of my favorite lenses, and I can't recall ever focusing it to infinity, because I'm focusing for maximum DOF.
Jack
Jack,
How do you focus for maximum DOF, given that the lens (like all zoom lenses these days) has no DOF scale? Even using a hyperfocal table would be hard, since the distance scale goes from 1m to inifinity.
It is too bad that the D2X doesn't have a "set to hyperfocal distance" button.
How do you focus for maximum DOF, given that the lens (like all zoom lenses these days) has no DOF scale? Even using a hyperfocal table would be hard, since the distance scale goes from 1m to inifinity.
It is too bad that the D2X doesn't have a "set to hyperfocal distance" button.
--Michael
Carefully It is so aggravating to me, not have a DOF scale. Considering it's a DX lens, one would think there would be one at least for either the 12 or 24mm end.
I use the DOF preview button, and that's a pain, but that's all I know to do. Having a "set to hyperfocal distance" button is about the best idea I've heard! That would be a tremendous tool.
Carefully It is so aggravating to me, not have a DOF scale. Considering it's a DX lens, one would think there would be one at least for either the 12 or 24mm end.
I use the DOF preview button, and that's a pain, but that's all I know to do. Having a "set to hyperfocal distance" button is about the best idea I've heard! That would be a tremendous tool.
Jack
Jack,
I'm embarrassed to admit that I forgot about the DOF preview button. I almost never use it because I can't see much when the viewfinder is darkened and my eyes are stopped down for normal daylight. You must be very patient indeed!
Somewhere I once saw a photographer's hat for sale that had a big roll-up flap attached to the front. The purpose of the flap was that the photog could unroll it and cover the camera, to make using DOF preview easier. I considered getting one until I realized my wife would probably divorce me if I ever wore it in public.
I didn't do it all in one day. Up to image 44 was done in the morning and evening when I could get away from work. From image 45 to 77 was done in one day, which was enough to wipe me out, since I started at 6:30 AM. I had to quit before sunset and go back to the hotel.
I see you were in Abingdon... I thought I recognized the place It's been a good 4 years since I left school there! (and not much has changed in that time, it seems) Must go back for a visit soon for old times' memories.
Thanks for sharing these photos - they have brought back lots of memories for me.
jhmaeng wrote:
I see you were in Abingdon... I thought I recognized the place It's been a good 4 years since I left school there! (and not much has changed in that time, it seems) Must go back for a visit soon for old times' memories.
Thanks for sharing these photos - they have brought back lots of memories for me.
Charlie,
Yes, I was staying in Abingdon doing work at Rutherford Lab. I liked Abingdon. I was lucky enough to be there on Heritage Day (I think that's what they called it), so I was able to go inside a few old places.
Glad to know the photos brought back some good memories.
I could easily see how the AF wouldn't be able to perform well. The 12-24 is one of my favorite lenses, and I can't recall ever focusing it to infinity, because I'm focusing for maximum DOF.
It is so aggravating to me, not have a DOF scale. Considering it's a DX lens, one would think there would be one at least for either the 12 or 24mm end.