The Nikon Thread

FreshCoffee2

Really lovely photo. Just as a point of interest, what effect do the special filters have, EG had you only had a protective UV or Daylight or whatever filter on the front, (or for that matter removed whatever protective filter from the front for the shoot) would the photo have looked the same? Or to put it another way...are your special filters adding any effect? ...Questions, questions.... ;D

Brett H

And good ones.  I don't want to steal GKs Thunder but I've used a ND filter when there was too much light and I wanted a slow-capture to blur a waterfall.  GK will explain it better!

GeekKopi

on 1450331953:

Really lovely photo. Just as a point of interest, what effect do the special filters have, EG had you only had a protective UV filter or some such thing on the front, (or for that matter removed whatever protective filter from the front for the shoot) would the photo have looked the same? Or to put it another way...are your special filters adding any effect? ...Questions from the floor 

Hi FC I'm using a graduated filter plus a ND (nuetral density filter). The grad is darker on the top and clear on the bottom (gradual effect). This is to avoid blowing out the sky (too bright) and is mainly required due to the limited dynamic range of dslr camera sensors. The ND filter I used in that photo is 10 stops which means that the light is reduced by a factor of 10 (logarithmic scale). So therefore giving me an exposure time of 408 seconds in that photo. Without the ND filter the water would look choppy and the clouds won't have any movement (trails). The effect I was going for is silky smooth water and blurred clouds with trails. Here is a photo without the ND filter but with a grad filter. Videos here on my website http://photographyconcierge.me/pages/introduction-to-nisi

GeekKopi

on 1450332219:

And good ones.  I don't want to steal GKs Thunder but I've used a ND filter when there was too much light and I wanted a slow-capture to blur a waterfall.  GK will explain it better!

as Brett said. There are many strengths of ND filters from 2 stops to 10 stops plus you can stack them to get even larger stops of light.

Brett H

Some spectacular pictures on that website mate.  Very schmick altogether!!

GeekKopi

on 1450344495:

Some spectacular pictures on that website mate.  Very schmick altogether!!

thanks B. It's all coming together. Slowly but surely. I'm about to add options for prints and canvasses too. A little hobby sometimes can generate a little income stream. At least it pays for my gear.

FreshCoffee2

Thanks for explanations guys, very helpful and interestink especially the graduated filter scario 

GeekKopi

90% timing, 10% skill. Post sunset dusk. Blood red sky. I took this photo last night. Today it got featured on a few social media sites. 2 minute exposure @ ISO100, f11, 11mm at 8:55pm.

Brett H

Just lovely!  We have a new Nikon friend joining us from Teds!!  It's being delivered because the thought of braving the city was too much to bear so when I saw free postage.... No points for guessing what model but it means I'll the availability for me to use a camera will now be greater as it won't be tied up in the studio!!

Koffee_Kosmo

on 1450705803:

Just lovely!  We have a new Nikon friend joining us from Teds!!  It's being delivered because the thought of braving the city was too much to bear so when I saw free postage.... No points for guessing what model but it means I'll the availability for me to use a camera will now be greater as it won't be tied up in the studio!!

Good, You can come over and take some photos on my sound system and a coffee This meet up has been 2 years in the making folks  :stir And that dusk photo is beautiful KK

GeekKopi

on 1450705803:

Just lovely!  We have a new Nikon friend joining us from Teds!!  It's being delivered because the thought of braving the city was too much to bear so when I saw free postage.... No points for guessing what model but it means I'll the availability for me to use a camera will now be greater as it won't be tied up in the studio!!

Mmmm. If I had to guess it would be a Nikon d810. Or you went totally left field and got a canon eos 5diii with its shonky DR /stir.

Brett H

Or better yet, a 50mpx 5dR with a sigma 18-55 lens circa 2003.  >:D

GeekKopi

Merry Christmas everyone. It's getting to that time of year where I'll prolly be switching off for a while. I'll leave you with these photos taken from the top of 100 steps to Federation. The cityscape of Melb was shot at around 5am with a 140mm Tele. Sky was actually pink as pictured.

FreshCoffee2

A great way to finish off. Lovely piccies.

Brett H

Glorious!

FreshCoffee2

Hey guys , could one of you good nikon guys pls advise which button on a D7000 selects Live View? There is an "L" button but the screen stays black...so wondering if that may not be it?

GeekKopi

on 1451028395:

Hey guys , could one of you good nikon guys pls advise which button on a D7000 selects Live View? There is an "L" button but the screen stays black...so wondering if that may not be it?

hi FC. I believe on they camera there is a slide switch with an LV symbol. Flick it clockwise . The switch is on the top right with the back of the cmsera facing you.

FreshCoffee2

Thanks mate will try. Sister in  laws camera and trying to help her...there seems to be a problem! 

GeekKopi

on 1451029518:

Thanks mate will try. Sister in  laws camera and trying to help her...there seems to be a problem!

how did you go FC. In the meantime here is a HDR (processed off camera) photo from last night. 5 exposures (-3, -2, -1, 0, +1 EVs). Good thing is you can't tell its HDR - and that's how it should be. And yes those dark clouds got me wet. Some light showers while taking the photo.

Brett H

And we're back.... And glad to be so.  Beautiful mate!

FreshCoffee2

Thanks for the follow up! I had been thinking of explaining but have had a house full of family for days and haven’t had the chance. Only a handful of people left now, so… S.I.L. has D7000. She fitted her newish 18-105 Nikkor lens and was complaining the view through the viewfinder was impossibly dark (middle of day). I had a look and also found the autofocus was not functioning. She removed that and fitted her Sigma lens (70-200) and the view through the viewfinder was as normal…but again there was no auto focus. I have absolutely no experience with Nikon  and when I asked for location of Live View activation (she didnt know), I was just wanting to see if there was any diff between view finder view and that though Live View...trying to help her trouble shoot source of problem (as the two lenses were indicating differently)…. Subsequent to that I noted her battery indicator was showing imminent power failure and advised her to charge the battery and see if that helped…and while I was telling her that the power actually failed and camera auto'd off. With fully charged battery all functions subsequently returned to normal, problem solved. What is interesting about this is how the two (diff brand) lenses on this body indicated different symptoms but both lost partial functionality with battery power very low…. My experience with my Canon bodies and lenses is that it all works as normal until the auto off function just shuts it all down. Weird. PS....got lots of family christmas shots over the last few days...

GeekKopi

on 1451211605:

Thanks for the follow up! I had been thinking of explaining but have had a house full of family for days and haven’t had the chance. Only a handful of people left now, so… S.I.L. has D7000. She fitted her newish 18-105 Nikkor lens and was complaining the view through the viewfinder was impossibly dark (middle of day). I had a look and also found the autofocus was not functioning. She removed that and fitted her Sigma lens (70-200) and the view through the viewfinder was as normal…but again there was no auto focus. I have absolutely no experience with Nikon  and when I asked for location of Live View activation (she didnt know), I was just wanting to see if there was any diff between view finder view and that though Live View...trying to help her trouble shoot source of problem (as the two lenses were indicating differently)…. Subsequent to that I noted her battery indicator was showing imminent power failure and advised her to charge the battery and see if that helped…and while I was telling her that the power actually failed and camera auto'd off. With fully charged battery all functions subsequently returned to normal, problem solved. What is interesting about this is how the two (diff brand) lenses on this body indicated different symptoms but both lost partial functionality with battery power very low…. My experience with my Canon bodies and lenses is that it all works as normal until the auto off function just shuts it all down. Weird. PS....got lots of family christmas shots over the last few days...

Ahhh. The old battery is flat. Glad it all worked out. Seems Nikon turns certain automated functions off when power is low and makes you switch back to manual focusing. The viewfinder being dark is probably due the lcd overlay on the focus screen being switched off by the lack of battery power. Looking forward to seeing the photos FC. I'm probably heading out soon to make an Exxon Mobil refinery look majestic.

mycuppa

One of my favorite places - Bells Beach (Southside) quick point and shoot this morning (unfortunately lots of people jostling for a spot). Also took a few from the Xmas Day fire around Lorne area just prior to evacuation, but considering the tragic loss and trauma of the situation, decided against showing.

Brett H

A beautiful picture and a good decision.  I remember having my dslr in the car when stopped at an accident between a car and a petrol tanker, many years ago in the Lockyer valley.  It would have been wildly inappropriate to snap away given the loss of life and property. I'm no journalist and no desire to see the world through those eyes.

GeekKopi

on 1451278739:

One of my favorite places - Bells Beach (Southside) quick point and shoot this morning (unfortunately lots of people jostling for a spot). Also took a few from the Xmas Day fire around Lorne area just prior to evacuation, but considering the tragic loss and trauma of the situation, decided against showing.

great photo and yes I agree with B. Tragedy

GeekKopi

So i tried to get to a high vantage point to capture the lights of the Altona refinery. I parked the car where the underpass is (Millers road bridge) and walked up the bridge to compose my photo. Then I was approached by security asking me not take photos as it is "critical infrastructure" and that I look suspicious. I guess I did wearing a tracksuit although my hair was styled. I explained that it's legal to take a photo of anything or anybody from a public place (i.e. footpath) but it didn't gel with security. Oh well and I left. Better luck next time - but I did manage to take this photo from behind the refinery where the old Paisley train station used to be.

FreshCoffee2

Covering a few bases.

on 1451278739:

One of my favorite places - Bells Beach (Southside) quick point and shoot this morning ...

Agree, great photo J.

on 1451350247:

So i tried to get to a high vantage point to capture the lights of the Altona refinery....I was approached by security asking me not take photos as it is "critical infrastructure" ...

Much as it pains, I can see their point (as well as yours).  But wait...didnt know we had any refineries left in this country....the powers that be seem to be content to allow them to close (ref: Kurnell) so we can buy our fuels off shore and be at the mercy of other countries when the sheet hits the fan... Very, very shortsighted, not acting in the best interests of the country. And re my S.I.L...I never let my batteries run that low, always have a charged spare in the bag when I go out, so dont usually get to see what happens when the battery is so shagged it goes dead. My advice to her was to buy a second battery....they're certainly not expensive in the scheme of things.

Brett H

That's good advice.  I'd also add that you should buy the camera brand genuine batteries.  Sure they're two to three times the price of cheap knock-offs but saving $60 only to jeopardise $1000 ++++ is madness.  If there is an issue with a genuine battery you have recourse with the manufacturer.  Issues with fakes aren't often reported but why take the risk!

GeekKopi

on 1451436082:

Much as it pains, I can see their point (as well as yours).  But wait...didnt know we had any refineries left in this country....the powers that be seem to be content to allow them to close (ref: Kurnell) so we can buy our fuels off shore and be at the mercy of other countries when the sheet hits the fan... Very, very shortsighted, not acting in the best interests of the country.

I can see their point if I was parked on their property and set up a camera at their main entrance. I actually was on a bridge (public footpath). Security actually came to me on a public street which is out of their jurisdiction. I would have been happier speaking to police. Nonetheless. If you can see it from a public place you can take a snap (except for restricted government bases etc). I'm not fussed though. See Google map street view. This is where I was setting up. They should be more worried about googles satellite and street view imagery and people happily taking snaps with phone. Hehe. Yes there are a couple (refineries) in melbournes west.

FreshCoffee2

on 1451212789:

....I'm probably heading out soon to make an Exxon Mobil refinery look majestic....

Am rather disappointed  ;D was really looking forward to see what you could do with the refinery...