Z6 Nikkor 55mm 1.2 California Center for the Arts, Escondido. All at 1.2, nailing the focus makes a big difference on the 1.2 as compared to being close.
Didn't make it to Z, got only as far as W. Lame joke This is the Nikkor-W 135mm f5.6 lens on a Wista 4X5 field camera. On a Tri-X 320 4X5 film sheet. Looks like no light leaks in the bellows. Used rise (shift) for this exposure.
I was working late this week and no chance to go out with Z6. I played inside a bit with it, trying to know camera better. I changed F1 button for non-CPU lens selection and F2 for 100% magnification (it was the center of the selector before). It is very handy now, moving instantly from normal view to 100% and back if necessary.
I played with a few lenses... 55/1.2 show a very nice character even wide open. It is truly a special effect lens.
Off topic for this thread... my AF-S 300/4 works well, a bit prone to battle for focus but IBIS is great, giving me sharp results which I did not had since D700 era. Also, after my two Sigma lenses bad luck, hard to believe my battered Tammy 28-75 with focus motor works well - it too battle a bit for focus quite often, but not much, so it's perfect usable when I need f2.8 and not f4 like the kit lens. I was not expecting that so its a good bonus.
The biggest surprise was mounting a flash on camera. With SB900 on iTTL works incredible well with Auto ISO - I never used a flash before on Auto ISO - when I forgott the camera on Auto ISO before, I've got crazy results with flash. I also played with everything on Manual and is a pleasure to use the flash too. I did not touched the WB - looks very natural on Auto. Then I changed the flash with my workhorse Nissin MG8000. It works very well. When used on iTTL and AutoISO I saw that it uses more power in similar condition than SB900. For instance if the camera without flash read ISO 2000 (A and S on manual), SB 900 will bring ISO down to 1000 while MG8000 to 5-600. Also pictures look warmer with SB900. But MG8000 is a killer with a battery pack... can deliver 1000 pictures with no heat break or without slowing the speed. I rarely need that but when I need is there...
I already have a week with this camera and my excitement is still growing. It's a good time to love photography!
Just to let anyone know if you are interested, tomorrow or Monday I will be putting up for sale:
20/2.8 AIS 9/10 condition including HK-14 hood
45/2.8 AI-P Black. Including inverted hood 9/10 condition including caps (original inverted hood).
105/2.5 AIS 8/10 condition including caps. Taken many a fine image with this lens, but it needs to find a new home.
55/3.5 AIS Macro 7/10 condition. Overall extremely good condition, but focus is just a tad stiff. Very workable though. Comes with front/rear caps. Used it to digitize all of my slides with my D800.
D800 7/10 condition - perfect working order, but it's seen some life in the mountains so it has some cosmetic dings and scratches on the bottom plate. Comes with 3 Nikon batteries and all the original box and gear (charger, strap, etc.). ~27,900 shutter actuations.
PS-6 Slide attachment, BP-6E and PB6 Bellows. All in excellent condition.
After all the visits with family on Thanksgiving day my wife, son and I took a relaxing twilight walk on the farm in southern Virginia. There is a stand of planted loblolly pines on the farm and my wife wanted to gather some pine cones for Christmas crafts. The sun was setting so we grabbed our headlamps and off we went.
Here are a few shots from that NOCTurnal walk
Processing in SEP seemed to fit the cold and dark element of the evening.
The second shot has a "tunnel" into the stand of pines. At that time of the day you can let your imagination run wild as you go into the woods. There have been sightings of black bears in the area. At least that was my story
We missed the full moon by a day, but it was a beautiful moonrise.
After the walk above, we got back to the truck and the moon was higher above the horizon. I had the 200mm/2 in my camera case so I mounted it and steadied it on the tailgate.
saph wrote:
Didn't make it to Z, got only as far as W. Lame joke This is the Nikkor-W 135mm f5.6 lens on a Wista 4X5 field camera. On a Tri-X 320 4X5 film sheet. Looks like no light leaks in the bellows. Used rise (shift) for this exposure.
That's a cool bit of kit. You don't see any of those out shooting on the street. In fact, I've never seen anyone use one of those. How much does each image cost, from purchase of film and you're looking at it on your screen?
gbohannon wrote:
After all the visits with family on Thanksgiving day my wife, son and I took a relaxing twilight walk on the farm in southern Virginia. There is a stand of planted loblolly pines on the farm and my wife wanted to gather some pine cones for Christmas crafts. The sun was setting so we grabbed our headlamps and off we went.
Here are a few shots from that NOCTurnal walk
Processing in SEP seemed to fit the cold and dark element of the evening.
The second shot has a "tunnel" into the stand of pines. At that time of the day you can let your imagination run wild as you go into the woods. There have been sightings of black bears in the area. At least that was my story
We missed the full moon by a day, but it was a beautiful moonrise.
leighton w wrote:
So close, sounds like you had a wonderful time. Who owns the farm?
My wife, I and two of her younger brothers own a small section (was her mother's home). My wife's oldest brother owns the adjacent land. All total, a little over 100 contiguous acres. About 15 -20 acres for straw, wheat, or other crop depending on the year or my brother-in-laws mood . About 40 acres in pine timber and the rest in mixed hardwood with a couple ponds.
George, very cool dark scenes. Watch out for the bears. Although I understand black bears are a bit less aggressive.
Andy, love that path at f/4, especially the first one.
Leighton, depending on the film, its about $6+. So I don't usually take more than two of a scene. Its interesting, you might get to a place to take a picture, you take a couple you are done. I do have 4 film holders, so I can take a max of 8 at a time (they hold a sheet on each side). Then there's the entire process. I had to get hold of a dark changing bag to load and unload the sheets into the film holders. So one does all that by feel. And when I unload the exposed sheets, I have to have a black envelope ready to put the sheets in and seal it for mailing to the lab, all within the changing bag. And put a label on the envelope indicating type of film and ISO, since the film sheets have no indication, unlike roll film.
The LF lenses are interesting, no focus mechanism whatsover, focus is done with the bellows on the camera. But the lenses have a built in shutter. The ground glass in the back of the camera for composing and focusing is not so easy to look at in bright light, one has to have a 1800s style dark cloth to block out the sunlight, and plus use a loupe for critical focus. The Nikkor LF lenses have a very good reputation of course in the field. The 135 5.6 I used is about 40-45mm in terms of 35mm equivalence.
saph wrote:
George, very cool dark scenes. Watch out for the bears. Although I understand black bears are a bit less aggressive.
Andy, love that path at f/4, especially the first one.
Leighton, depending on the film, its about $6+. So I don't usually take more than two of a scene. Its interesting, you might get to a place to take a picture, you take a couple you are done. I do have 4 film holders, so I can take a max of 8 at a time (they hold a sheet on each side). Then there's the entire process. I had to get hold of a dark changing bag to load and unload the sheets into the film holders. So one does all that by feel. And when I unload the exposed sheets, I have to have a black envelope ready to put the sheets in and seal it for mailing to the lab, all within the changing bag. And put a label on the envelope indicating type of film and ISO, since the film sheets have no indication, unlike roll film.
The LF lenses are interesting, no focus mechanism whatsover, focus is done with the bellows on the camera. But the lenses have a built in shutter. The ground glass in the back of the camera for composing and focusing is not so easy to look at in bright light, one has to have a 1800s style dark cloth to block out the sunlight, and plus use a loupe for critical focus. The Nikkor LF lenses have a very good reputation of course in the field. The 135 5.6 I used is about 40-45mm in terms of 35mm equivalence.
Something I'm not interested in doing, but nonetheless very interesting. If you ever come back this way, I'd love to see your set up and watch you use it. The old Staunton train station would make an excellent place to grab an image.
