Some photos from Pat's -- a great hole in the wall for BBQ and worth a trip.
Shot with the Nex-7 - and developed with a preset from X-Equals.
Nex-7 Blue Plate
A quick trip to the Blue Plate Diner - known for it's appearance in Diners, Drivin-in's and Dives, for Robert in from Twin-Falls, ID.
Nex-7 with Stock 18-55mm
I've found only one serious defeciency with the Nex-7 and that is the ability to control the minimum shutter speed in Aperture Priority. With the advent of ASA control, or Auto ASA the camera will adjust, on the fly, what is needed for a proper exposure. As ASA is on the fly, and Aperture is controlled by the user, that also leaves the shutter speed to be automatically controlled. But with digital sensors being oh-so sensitive and dense with pixels - shutter speed needs to be at least 1.5 times that of the focal lenghth. So what does that mean -- well if I'm shooting at 50mm, then my shutter speed needs to be at least 1/80th of a second. And with the current Nex-7 firmware shutter minimums cannot be set.
Taken at FFKR Architects - Roger Jackson and Steve Goodwin in discussion - March 2012
Nex-7 with Nikon 50mm
Here's some with an adapted Nikon 50mm, f1.4. I've also been able to customize the AF/MF button on the back to be specific to what is called Focus Assist. Focus Assist zooms the image 10x center frame to allow micro focus adjustment with manual lenses -- then a quick press and the view snaps back to full view.
NEX-7
I've had the Nex-7 for about a week - and it is quite a power house for two reasons. The jam packed APS-c sensor and it's size. This isn't a review but just a few quick comments about the good and the bad.
The good - Big sensor, similar look and feel of the image compared to my Nikon D3s, Small body, EVF works well and has a lot of contrast and punch, very customizable controls/buttons, manual lenses can easily be used, the panorama function is killer, and the whole thing fits in my work bag.
The Bad - expensive, playback has a bit of hesitation, the shutter has a very long throw - meaning - the shutter seems to take a long time to cycle, video button can be easily and accidentally pressed, and the hot shoe is proprietary.
Utah Sky Trials
The 37th annual Utah Sky Trials kicked off last saturday West of Salt Lake in the desert.
The birds were, for the lack of a better word - really cool. Hit the link for the results - else see the posted photos.
HAGERMAN WINDFARMS
Yesterday we ventured to the wind farms of Hagerman, Idaho.
Hagerman is known for sportfishing on the Snake river and the production of Sturgeon Caviar.
Recently the potato fields in what is called the Bench have been abandoned and now those fields are populated by wind Turbines.
A TASTE OF FRONTSIGHT
FRONTSIGHT - DAY FOUR
The last day, Thursday, was brutal. The winds were strong and blowing sand swirled as we shot. It was a bit chilly also. Once again there were dry-fire drills, and practice drills and then the dry fire practice test.
But just before lunch - we had what was called man-on-man shootout. Steel targets with a hostage plate - and Ryan, Kurt's friend, took the title. I made it to the second round, Kurt the Third.
After lunch was the Practice test - and then the final test. It wasn't easy, and it wasn't difficult - and i was disappointed that I didn't shoot better and get Distinguished Graduate, as Kurt and Ryan did. I shot Graduate. Some rounds were thrown and I wasn't as precise as I should have been.
This is a highly recommended class -- there are some things I would like to see changed, but they have deemed their formula effective.
The Range Master Ciaccio is also highly recommended for his knowledge and teaching skill.
Range 1E, and 14
Range master: "Chachi" Ciaccio
The assistant instructors on our range were:
Wayne Walker
P. Walker
Spenser Moser
Dan Chomycia
Koop
Rover
FRONTSIGHT - DAY THREE
Through out this week of shooting at FrontSight - I'm surprised at the diversity of people here. I was expecting many of whom who would be former Military types but that could be anything from the truth as there were even some with limited firearms skills.
Today was more building of the previous days skills and new drills of drawing from concealment. I was mentally done at about 3pm today - but drove thru to the end.
Tomorrow is the final skills test and graduation.
FRONTSIGHT - DAY TWO
Day 2 - Started at 0800 with some review and dry-fire drills of yesterdays skill sets. The temps were in the mid 30's and once the Sun appeared quickly warmed to the 60's. Great weather for January !!
Half the day is all on the range - shooting, instruction, dry-fires and repeat.
Lunch is an hour and concludes with some kind of lecture of 30-45minutes.
After lunch and the lecture it's back to the range for the rest of the day until about 5pm. At 515 there is another day ending lecture.
My fingers are sore from loading mags - and a bit overloaded from trying to keep up with the malfunction drills to overcome.
And hopefully the guy on lane 14 - our neighbor pays some more attention and doesn't shoot himself or others.
We survived another day.
FrontSight - Day One
The first day started with an I.D'd check in and registration and a sign off of liability. The staff is professional and instruction everything is incremental.
There were many dry fire exercises which started at the grip and presenting the firearm to the threat - cullminating with a live fire. Morning and afternoon sessions saw about 200 rounds expended.
The take away -- the training is good - but so far I'm more impressed with the doctrine from the MagPul DVD's. I may be too quick to judge - as this is only day one.
There were many dry fire exercises which started at the grip and presenting the firearm to the threat - cullminating with a live fire. Morning and afternoon sessions saw about 200 rounds expended.
The take away -- the training is good - but so far I'm more impressed with the doctrine from the MagPul DVD's. I may be too quick to judge - as this is only day one.
LOAD OUT
Tomorrow is day one at FrontSight in Pahrump Nevada.
Nevada is a peculiar place and one of the only I've experienced where the hotel staff at the Saddle West offered "Rags", pronounced Regs, we are still getting used to some kind of accent, for firearms cleaning. Such a welcome takes you off guard.
Along with the non-existent "Clean-Air Act" in the casinos, a pack of smokes, and some guns - well… life isn't too bad.
Just kidding about the smokes.
The Disinter-mediation of Media
OLYMPIC OVAL SLC
Yesterday's World-Cup speed-skating event at the SLC Olympic oval pushed the limits of the photographic skills.
I brought the gear not because I was thinking to get a special photo, but to refine the skills and work through problems. And it's a bit more interesting than chasing the cat around the house in January - although I did that also - more on that later.
Big fast lenses are the norm and I see why anything less than an f4.0 and light becomes a scarce resource. These athletes are not slow movers - and when I placed myself in the 3rd turn following them thru with 3-d tracking and the D3s said -- "whoa"..
- What did I learn -- shooting this stuff is all percentages - I blew thru 300 frames and maybe have 2 good pics.
- Know your equipment - the D3s chokes when it's trying to focus, expose, and capture while writing NEF - I thought about JPG - but I hate JPG.
- Know your venue - press passes are scarce and mostly impossible, so get there early to scope out the best areas to shoot from.
- Know your backgrounds - busy backgrounds make interesting photos.
- Shoot what everyone isn't.
An explanation of SOPA
NIKON D4
Nikon, today, released the D4 - the successor to the D3s, and I've been asked if I will get one. Short answer, is no. But if you are trying
to decide there are a couple of ways to figure this out.
26 months ago I bought the D3s - which replaced the long in the tooth D2h.
The D2h was a great camera, but I out grew it. When the mega-pixel race was on there those who would argue that MP didn't matter, and there were those who knew better. This is a bit of a long back story but it's an important part to the decision when weighing the why.
The D2h was a love it and hate it piece. The AF was thoroughbred, the files were small and easy to manage and the body fit the hand like a glove. ASA's could be pushed to 1200 with great results.
On the flip side, it was only 4mp - so forget anything bigger than 12x19 and to push that limit you had to nail the exposure and know what you were doing in post. The JPG engine was crap - and the reds and greens were bad for jpg and marginal for RAW. Every single image - and I shot a lot of images with that camera, had to be touched - and that was ok, as I had nothing else to compare it too. The only better in the market place was the D2x and that you couldn't shoot past 800 ASA, and it was twice the price on a good day used.
As this was my first - I decided on a $1200 used D2h.
The D3 was released 6 months after I purchased the used D2h.
I was still in my learning curve though - and shooting a kit lens, 18-135 f3.5-5.6, with really good results, before I even know what the D3 could do - I still lusted after the D3.
Two years latter I finally started to get frustrated with the D2h - the reds and greens were a pain - the images lacked detail, and I wanted something new. So I worked two jobs and saved the $5,200 for the upcoming D3s - rumored, but yet to have been announced.
Long story longer - I ordered it when it was announced in Aug of 2009 - and it changed my game.
The images are like butter, colors are spot on - I have a two-three stop latitude if I want to adjust or really screw something up - AF is even more racehorse and it's full frame. Did I say full frame. Oh -- and it can shoot in the dark - I exaggerate with that last comment, but lets say it puts me in the 5%.
So since I'm still totally happy with the D3s - and it's paid for itself this year - I will still have at least 2 years left until the D4s is announced.
Then I may get a new body. The other side of this argument is save the cash for Lenses - and I'll discuss that in a later post.
I can't wait to see the photographers at the Summer Olympics flying the Nikon flag - good luck Canon.
Aerial Video
Keep hands and feet inside the ride and no cameras or video recorders. I cheated - and didin't listen. This brought us up 301 feet and rotated while we were strapped in. It wasn't as bad as it looks - Knott's Berry Farm.
The 5%
Trey Ratcliff, @treyratcliff, posted his thoughts about the death of the traditional SLR as we know it. I didn't quite know what to think of his far reaching ideas - and I had to think about the industry and more importantly the photographer.
His ideas maybe don't quite take into consideration what I call the 5% rule. There are going to be certain things related to process and equipment which is going to allow you to perform past the 95% of your peer group, putting you in the top 5%. This may be achieved in many areas such as approaching a job, composition, process and delivery - and when all of these disciplines are in the top 5% then a sort of state of Grace happens. Meaning - you nail it !
Now -- back to the hardware -- sure, there are those who say the camera equipment doesn't matter - and they can make pictures with some film, a lens, and a paper cup. Of course I'm being sarcastic.
Recently Sony is getting some traction with their mirrorless NEX series - and Panasonic and PEN with the micro 4/3 systems.
I have a NEX-7 on order - and I can't wait to get it and run it into the ground.
For me - during a shoot, I try to live in the 5% - the D3s sensor allows me this by being able to shoot at a printable 6400 ASA - and printable I mean this ASA was published - amazing. I could only get these photos by the way of the D3s - and I was in the 5%.
An 80-200 f2.8 lens - puts me in the 5%
9 "Full" frames per second - puts me in the 5%
There are times when most of this related to photography doesn't matter -- there are times when 95% of the time I can use an Iphone to get some great pics -- but, and here is the key to my whole argument - when someone is paying me to perform for them - I'm using the best to almost guarantee the 5%.
The SLR and the big lenses will never disappear -- be it for weatherproofing, easy external controls, great battery reserve, dual memory card slots, or lighting fast autofocus. And more imporantly, when I"m shooting a job - that's what I'll be using - else, it's amature hour.
Disney
The new year and a new experience of Disney Land with the extended famly. I'm amazed at the will of man to develop such a place. I enjoying it - much to my dismay of the thought.
The big camera stayed home - and I'm with IPhone-4 and the small Canon SD780. I love the phone for it's ability to instantly process and share/post - and I love the Canon for the video.
This is my best shot so far - I love this - early morning breakfast overlooking the park.
