CGrindahl wrote:
Amazing close work Andy... but you surely are the master of this kind of photography. AND, I'm up way too late, so I'll say hello AND goodbye with one post. Take good care of the thread until the folks in Europe come by.
+1
Very nice shot from you too Curtis
Sony A7R II + Nikkor 16mm f3.5 AI fisheye by Ronny Olsson, on Flickr
Recent postings with this lens got me off my backside and out to try it out! Curtis is working his spell again!
My first attempt with Nikon Nikkor ED 180mm f/2.8 on my Fuji X-Pro2!
Kipon Adapter, Nikon PK-13 extension tube. ISO - 200, SS - 1/340 - Handheld. Out of camera untouched JPEG.
Because of its' size and weight I was considering selling this lens. Now I don't know
My neighbor's wife brought these tulips back from Sweden last year. I think they like it here!
Jack
Ballard wrote:
Seeing the outstanding work done with the 180/2.8 ED and extension tubes by various members, I decided to give it a try. So far, I haven’t found a successful way to hold the lens steady enough for macro work with any consistency. Most shots have been rather blurred. I seem to get better results with the much smaller and lighter 135/3.5. It’s clearly motion blur; fault lies with the user, not the lens. Here are 3 attempts with the 180 on the Df.
Rhododendron: lens + PN-11 at f/4
Chives: lens + PK-13 at f/5.6
Raspberry leaf: lens + PK-13 at f/8
To combat motion blur, get your shutter speed up. Minimum shutter speed is 1.5x the focal length if using tubes.
kwoodard wrote:
To combat motion blur, get your shutter speed up. Minimum shutter speed is 1.5x the focal length if using tubes.
I was shooting at ISO 800 to 1600 for the shots posted. There were some other shots that were thematically more interesting, but the light was waning and changing every 20 seconds or so—way too fast to set up a shot using a tripod. Even at ISO 3200 I was getting motion blur.
I like the optical performance of the 180. I don't like my ability to hold the lens steady under low light conditions.
Ballard wrote:
I was shooting at ISO 800 to 1600 for the shots posted. There were some other shots that were thematically more interesting, but the light was waning and changing every 20 seconds or so—way too fast to set up a shot using a tripod. Even at ISO 3200 I was getting motion blur.
I like the optical performance of the 180. I don't like my ability to hold the lens steady under low light conditions.
Ahh, the shot that got away.
I know you're an accomplished photographer Ken so you likely already know what I'm about to say... but I'll say it nonetheless on the off chance it will benefit someone who is beginning to play with extension tubes. When shooting with tubes in challenging light I'll always shoot manual mode, setting the shutter speed high enough that I'm not likely to get motion blur. Since the focal plane is so thin when shooting with tubes, I'll also stop down a bit. To make this work I rely on Auto ISO to make the settings work. I'm not afraid of the camera selecting higher ISO for a shot. The Df does just fine.
Of course, I agree with your comment that the 180 f/2.8 AI-s is a much bigger lens that can be a load when shooting hand held with tubes. Imagine shooting with the 300 f/4.5 AI-s ED-IF as I've done from time to time. But I think a 135 or 105 are the best lengths for doing tube work. My first work with tubes was with the 105, but then I began shooting with the 135 f/2.8 AI and really fell in love. Here is an old shot with that lens... with a 12mm Vivitar tube attached.
Another note that I mention in the Shooting with Tubes thread in the Macro World forum is that it is often easier simply to rock back and forth as you're seeking focus rather that turning the focusing ring. I always/only shoot hand held. Obviously a focusing rail will do the job if you're on a tripod.
MontanaKid wrote:
Recent postings with this lens got me off my backside and out to try it out! Curtis is working his spell again!
Jack
It does seem to work that way doesn't it. I was musing about it last night. I think because I am inclined to engage with folks on the thread, beyond comments about work being posted, it creates the opportunity for conversation as folks respond. As the conversation grows folks seem to want to join in and the thread begins to pick up.
I'm reminded of the television show Cheers, "where everyone knows your name..." We have a bit of that going on here. All it takes is someone adding a bit of juice to the conversation for it to take off.
Glad you got off your backside Jack. Remember the old adage... "use it or lose it..."
ramkumar999 wrote:
Sounds like a nice theme. I will need to pull out my 180mm as well.
I admire folks who compete in this kind of competition but I don't think I'm disciplined enough to follow through... Of course I recall when spending time on TrekEarth that they did a scavenger hunt with a list of ten things to photograph... not specific things but categories of things. I complained a bit, however, since one of the items was "take a photo of something over a hundred years old." Most of the folks participating on that site were from Europe. I lamented that those folks only had to turn around to find something a hundred years old... (we were excluding things in the natural world.) The only building I could find that was that old in the Bay Area was Mission Dolores in downtown San Francisco. I took it all very seriously and eventually won the competition.
So what is tickling folks fancy as the season's change? Perhaps you're toying with the idea of going mirrorless as some of our friends have done. Perhaps a new/old lens is on your mind and you're beginning the search. Or perhaps something you've seen on this or other threads has you pulling out old lenses to give them another run.
I was able to create a new Camaro for well over $50,000 with a mind-boggling list of options. I definitely long for the days when I could buy a Corvette for $3,500...
Here are my additions to this recent car thread. 1st photo is of my highly customized 1991 560sec. I took two cross country trips in my "Black Mistress" and she even took 1st place in a Las Vegas concurs of these coupes. It had a new euro engine installed as well as stainless steel headers and a Remus exhaust system and numerous other performance enhancements. It was a screamer and a bachelor's long distance cruising dream!
The second car is my 1967 Mercedes 560sel which I purchased in 2007 in Florida and it only had 72,000 miles on it at the time. The picture is in Ormond Beach, FL just after I had it lowered, 19" AMG rims installed, timing chain replaced, and many other new parts installed. This car has also seen two cross country trips (the last one delivering Moose Drool to Leighton). It is our " senior citizen" touring car. It will cruise effortlessly at 80 all day long!
As many of our European friends will tell you these were the some of the best cars ever produced by MB.
Buddy, can I request that you take some photos of your crabs? Sounds really cool
>>
I think they call this art...
At the Singapore Art Museum - they're having a 3 month-long kids' themed exhibit iirc
Filled with craft corners and stuff for the kids to get their hands on, tactile feel and interactivity
Don't ask me what this was!
I hate to say it Chin but I think whatever it is... it just took a dump...
Sue and I have friends with the money to indulge their interests and one of them is art. Their home has a great many very valuable pieces they'd acquired from around the world. At times we've engaged with them in conversations about pieces they're considering, sometimes pieces that have been shipped from wherever for their approval. I find much of what they have in their home interesting, some of it quite beautiful... but I often wonder at what folks conclude is art. The above piece looks like an unraveled floor mop dyed orange. The artist obviously thought the knots and hanging fiber is art but you'd have a difficult time convincing me of that fact.
When visiting the DeYoung Museum recently, we found a piece by an artist our friends have hanging in their home. Their piece is much like this only SLIGHTLY smaller. It is made out of labels from liquor bottles... I do like the look of the piece and I know some folks pay big money to own his work... Quite remarkable. This was shot with the 28 f/2 N.C.
I'm definitely enjoying the black and white work you've been sharing with us Lestor. I like how you've processed the images. I assume that is your daughter giving you a great big smile. She is a sweetie.
CGrindahl wrote:
So what is tickling folks fancy as the season's change? Perhaps you're toying with the idea of going mirrorless as some of our friends have done. Perhaps a new/old lens is on your mind and you're beginning the search. Or perhaps something you've seen on this or other threads has you pulling out old lenses to give them another run.
Maybe WE should do a scavenger hunt... mmm.
Well for me the season change has brought on a new work in video a couple times a week and I am volunteering shooting video for our area high school graduations. There is one very large venue that just about all the high schools and community college use for graduations. So there are 6 or 7 coming up the next few weeks. Will be just doing live video feeds to two large video displays.
It is a 3 camera set up feeding a video mixer/switch to two jumbo displays. Most of the time traditional video cameras are used, but I am going over tomorrow morning and see how we can utilize my X-T2 with the versatile Zoom-Nikkor 50-300ED AIS. Hoping to utilize the large sensor (relative to the Sony camcorders) and aspects of the Nikkor for some unique angles and shots. Also taking the 200/2. So still keeping it real with these great manual focus lenses.
I am firmly in both camps (mirrorless and Nikon DSLR). Df for most of my F mount glass, X-Pro2 almost exclusive w/ Nikkor rangefinder glass (do have a couple native Fuji lenses) and the X-T2 is quickly becoming quite the video workhorse for me.
My son is home from college and we are heading to the mountains camping this weekend through next Tuesday and it will be the X-Pro2 and Nikkor rangefinder glass in the pack.
Scavenger hunt? Ok, you have piqued my interest. Do tell more
CGrindahl wrote:
I'm definitely enjoying the black and white work you've been sharing with us Lestor. I like how you've processed the images. I assume that is your daughter giving you a great big smile. She is a sweetie.
Thanks Curtis, great to be here on this thread!
Indeed , her name is Aria and she turned 2 this Feb.
This image is one of the rare times she actually stays still for a picture.
