Again, all shot in Selous game reserve in Tanzania. D70S w/ Nikkor 80-400 VR (with dead VR motor, so no help from that... ) Tell me what you think!

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5.


Raph

I think the backgrounds could use some noise filtering. I really like the unusual comp in 5.

Thanks for the input! You mean just a basic "reduce noise" filter?

Nice shots.

The white balance appears a bit off to me, especially the first two shots. I think there's too much green in them.

Cheers,

Larry

Thank you! I agree, they are too green... thanks for pointing that out.

Raph

Raph,

I have to agree on WB being off.... What do you have it on? Either change it to Daylight for stuff like this or leave it on Auto & change in NX in post.

Love the lion, just wish the lion had more room to look into on the right side of the frame, like the crock has....

Really like the last fun shot.

Lil

Raph, when you do the noise reduction only do it on the background, you don't want to run that on the subject. There are a couple of ways of doing it, the easiest to explain is to select the subject then invert the selection so that now everything but the subject is selected then run the noise reduction. A quick Google search can help you out there if you are not sure how to do that.

I like that last shot the best.

Tim

Nice series. I like the first and the last.
Harsha

Neat shots! Ditto Harsha!
Susan

Thanks for the tips and comments

Lil: Thanks for the advice! I tend to shoot in the cloudy wb mode, because the D70S's auto white balance always seems really cold. I then post process in Adobe Camera RAW, but since i'm using dual screens and neither is calibrated... you can see what i'm gettin at. i know which screen tends to be better, but if i happen to be working on something else with that screen and edit a photo on the other, its white balance will tend to be off.

Tim: Thanks. If I use noise reduction, i tend to just use it lightly across the whole image, but will do what you suggest in the future.

Harsha+Susan: Thanks

Raph,

go to Nikon's website & download Nikon Capture NX & try it for 30 days for free. I really think you'll like it a lot better than Adobe Camera RAW. NX is a wonder for any Nikon camera. If you have problems with it - - PM me. You can try it for 30 days - - do it. On the Nikon USA's web site you can see movies on how to use it. Use this link here for Capture NX. You'll open a whole new world for your D70s RAW files.....

I'll be glad to help with NX... I'm a firm believer in it & it's a super tool.

Lil

Thanks Lil! I'll do that. I've heard some... not so happy reviews... about its speed, and had been wondering whether i should get it or not, but if you say it's that great, then I'll definitely give it a go. Won't buy it though... as in theory it should come with the d300 i'm buying in about a month!!!

Raph

Raph,

don't know how long that deal is still going & it varies from place to place. I like version 1.2 (PC) over the 1.3 version. So if you're running a PC, I'd go for version 1.2

It has problems. But once you've figured it out it's a wonderful program. You can download it - try it for 30 days & then when you get the D300 & you potentially get the NX with it you just enter the code you get with the D300. All it comes with is a license code.

Also, you should have no problems with speed with d70 files. It's the huge D300 files you have to worry about.

Lil

Lil,

Sounds good. I have horribly slow internet here, but trying to download it right now Hope i get the license with the d300... i feel it's pretty cheap of nikon to sell DSLRs with only nikon view or whatever it's called...

Yeah, i guess there is a pretty large difference between a 6MP raw file at what? 10 bit? i can't remember. and a 12MP at 14 lol

Raph