[jpzk]

Instead of spending a fortune on switching systems you could just learn manual focus. Yes, people did take photos of birds and wildlife before AF.

As a matter of fact, I know how to use manual focusing, and I too took some decent shots way back when I started with a K1000 andlater with an ME Super (so I think it was an ME Super).
With the advent of AF, I've become lazy.
I like using AF when shooting BIF, especially birds of prey.
I do use manual focusing with my other gear for portraits and scenery ... even use manual exposure!
Cheers.
JP

[Steve Beswick]

As a matter of fact, I know how to use manual focusing, and I too took some decent shots way back when I started with a K1000 andlater with an ME Super (so I think it was an ME Super).
With the advent of AF, I've become lazy.
I like using AF when shooting BIF, especially birds of prey.
I do use manual focusing with my other gear for portraits and scenery ... even use manual exposure!
Cheers.
JP

So you are going to spend thousands of dollars just so you won't have to turn a focus ring? It must be nice to have that kind of money to blow. Can't you possibly find a better use for the money?

Here is an idea - Donate the money to this bird sanctuary that is in Québec. They might make you their official photographer for it.

[jpzk]

So you are going to spend thousands of dollars just so you won't have to turn a focus ring? It must be nice to have that kind of money to blow. Can't you possibly find a better use for the money?

Here is an idea - Donate the money to this bird sanctuary that is in Québec. They might make you their official photographer for it.

I have been hesitating to reply to your post, Steve.
Frankly, I admit that you have a very good argument regarding the focus ring, however this is not the place for me to start lengthy discourses on the subject of finances.

JP

[Steve Beswick]

I have been hesitating to reply to your post, Steve.
Frankly, I admit that you have a very good argument regarding the focus ring, however this is not the place for me to start lengthy discourses on the subject of finances.

JP

JP,

Sorry for the over the top sarcasm. I guess I just can't help myself sometimes. What I should have said is this; Think long and hard before spending any money on another brand. It is very likely that you will spend a considerable sum on a small improvement in performance.

I don't know if your style of photography would allow for it, but have you considered switching to a K-x instead? You of course would not be getting better AF out of the deal, but you would be able to have an extra stop or two of DOF thanks to the K-x's high ISO performance. I know it's not really the same thing, but it is also considerably less expensive, and might just do the trick.

[Samsungian]

Check out Lance's new D700 full frame kit & two full frame lenses


>>>"

I am an enthusiast amateur, new to Nikon and just picked up a D700, 24-70 f2.8, 70-200 f2.8 VRII, 1.4x TC II and SB600 flash, so far. Batteries are charging as I write this.

I am a long time Pentax shooter, K-7 with all the top quality glass, but wanted to get a FF camera especially the D700 with it's exemplary IQ, excellent AF and it's low light high ISO capabilities. I am keeping most of my Pentax gear so if I need small and light I can still shoot that.

I have been posting for the last 6 years over at the Pentax DSLR forum and sadly I am unfortunate enough to wear the mantle as the 21st highest number of posts on DPR! Yes, I do need to get a life!

Anyway, please try to go easy on me as shooting with Nikon is a whole new learning experience and quite daunting after being so familiar with my Pentax system, so I will be asking some questions that may be second nature to some here but obviously not to me. I will attempt to use the search function with some questions, but sometimes it is good to go over old questions as there may be new ideas or techniques that need to be refreshed.

I thank you in advance for your patience.

<<<"


New to Nikon and now have a D700 [Page 1]: Nikon D3 - D1 / D700 Forum: Digital Photography Review

The title may be misleading but I didn't quite had the room for the entire question(s).

So here it goes:
Some of you may know me as a Pentaxian "only", doing mostly nature and wildlife photography.
I presently have a great Pentax system/gear with two camera bodies, namely a K20D and a K7. Most of my stuff is done with a DA*300/4 with or without TC and /or a Tamron 80-200/2.8., plus quite a few other lenses.
Anyway, today I was shocked, or should I say amazed, to see what this Nikon300 could do when tracking BIF under cloud covered conditions. My buddy, a Nikon fan, let me use his D300 coupled with a rather fast 70-200/2.8 lens (Nikon).
Also, we use ISO 800 and up to 1250 and the results were unquestionably very good, to say the least.

I am now in the "consider Nikon" phase as a second system, specifically for wildlife, fast moving subjects and, more often than not, having to shoot at high ISO settings.
I am not trying to bash Pentax, which I really like and will likely stick with it for a very long time yet, but if Nikon can give me more latitude for this particular type of photography, that would be the most important reason(s) to buy into it.
As well, I NEED fast AF tracking which locks on the moving subject(s) without having to deal with AF hunting.

For that, I would sell some of my Pentax equipment, but still keep an entire system which, as I said earlier, suits me fine for most of my photography.

Hence, I would like to know whether this would be suitable for my purposes, for a few years at least:

Nikon D300 (lightly used or "NEW" in the box ... there are some still available out there I am told), and a Nikkor 70-200/2.8 VR, plus a 1.4X TC matching this lens.

I thought this would be a good place to start asking questions about the Nikon system.

Cheers.

JP

[jpzk]

JP,

Sorry for the over the top sarcasm. I guess I just can't help myself sometimes. What I should have said is this; Think long and hard before spending any money on another brand. It is very likely that you will spend a considerable sum on a small improvement in performance.

I don't know if your style of photography would allow for it, but have you considered switching to a K-x instead? You of course would not be getting better AF out of the deal, but you would be able to have an extra stop or two of DOF thanks to the K-x's high ISO performance. I know it's not really the same thing, but it is also considerably less expensive, and might just do the trick.

No problema!
Kx would be a good pick, given the ISO handling, but I still would like to see an AF which can lock on and stay that way when following fast moving subjects.
I guess I will have to wait and see what Pentax may come up with until I decide if I will buy into another system.
Moratorium for now.
Cheers.
JP

[jpzk]

Check out Lance's new D700 full frame kit & two full frame lenses


>>>"

I am an enthusiast amateur, new to Nikon and just picked up a D700, 24-70 f2.8, 70-200 f2.8 VRII, 1.4x TC II and SB600 flash, so far. Batteries are charging as I write this.

I am a long time Pentax shooter, K-7 with all the top quality glass, but wanted to get a FF camera especially the D700 with it's exemplary IQ, excellent AF and it's low light high ISO capabilities. I am keeping most of my Pentax gear so if I need small and light I can still shoot that.

I have been posting for the last 6 years over at the Pentax DSLR forum and sadly I am unfortunate enough to wear the mantle as the 21st highest number of posts on DPR! Yes, I do need to get a life!

Anyway, please try to go easy on me as shooting with Nikon is a whole new learning experience and quite daunting after being so familiar with my Pentax system, so I will be asking some questions that may be second nature to some here but obviously not to me. I will attempt to use the search function with some questions, but sometimes it is good to go over old questions as there may be new ideas or techniques that need to be refreshed.

I thank you in advance for your patience.

<<<"


New to Nikon and now have a D700 [Page 1]: Nikon D3 - D1 / D700 Forum: Digital Photography Review

Thanks for the link, I am going to see what it's all about.
JP

[philbaum]

Nice to see that you dealt with a store which respects customers. That is just great.
My K20D is one great camera, just that there is that "little something" missing, as I explained in my opening post. As for the K7, it is now being used with my "other glass": 31mmLtd, Carl-Zeiss 85/4, and a Tamron 70-200/2.8, the latter when the lighting conditions are perfect.
Yeah, the D7 seems like a great piece, but I haven't read much about it except that it performs very well. Expensive too, right?

JP

There would be pros and cons to a move like this. A month ago, i spent 2 1/2 hours shooting stills during a dress rehearsal of Chekhov play, about 15 feet from a guy shooting a D300s. Then I was given all the photos to select the 16 for the lobby. I picked more of his to post than mine :-), but that was primarily due to a better choice of ISO (he chose 3200 ISO while i chose 2200 - his afforded greater DOF and shutter speed) for some darker scenes, and also he was in tighter on framing.

In comparing RAW images, I don't see any marked improvement in noise from the D300s to my K20D. (Edit-I'm comparing my k20 pics at 1/2 step better ISO, e.g. 2200, to the D300s at 3200 so thats a potential 1/2 step improvement, but still its not the 1+ step Kx improvement)

This is all by way of saying that the Kx sensor is a harbinger of a step change in ISO performance in newer sensors. The D300 and K20 sensors are from an early 2008 performance level.

I read a related article in last month's Outdoor Photography magazine that said newer higher camera ISO performance was helping nature pros carry lighter weight f4 lens rather than heavier more expensive f2.8 glass. Not only carry, but the cheaper glass was allowing some to buy rather than rent lenses. (and of course, some of this remarkable ISO performance was from going to a FF cameras such as the Nikon D3)

I believe you would get better AF with your hypothetical D300, but would you lose out in not having a model with the improved sensor ISO performance in newer entry, enthusiast and pro models that are coming into the market place. As a guy who does occasional live theatre work, my top priority in any new camera is ISO performance. And frankly, i don't care whether you buy P, C or N :-)

[aliquis]

Regarding sensor development there is quite a lot of rumors/expections of new Nikon bodys during the summer. Some guy in germany couldn't get a D700 from the store since they couldn't order them themselves since it was said to be discontinued.

[Samsungian]

Pentaxian #1 continues to enjoy full frame D700.


I cannot curb my enthusiasm for the D700+AFS24-70 f2.8 x 5 images: Nikon D3 - D1 / D700 Forum: Digital Photography Review


As far as D700 not available in Germany, it makes sense to me.

B&H has raised D700 price to $2549, and the kit I was following for $3900 has popped to $4500. Nikon raises prices on remaining cameras when they are out of production, so I'll guess D700 is not longer in production. D700 replacement is rumoured to be as high $3,500.

D700 is up almost $250 since I bought my new one some 16 months ago


Its nice to see Lance enjoying his full frame dslr.

[Bart]

...Its nice to see Lance enjoying his full frame dslr.

I'm afraid that the fact that *isteve switched to Nikon FX and Lance added the FX, is bad news for those hoping for a FF from Pentax in the near future.

[Steve Beswick]

Samsungian continues his trollish ways.

https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/off-brand-camera-discussion-canon-nikon-e...ml#post1053084

Seriously man, we all know that you switched brands, and you for some reason hate Pentax. Nobody cares. Congratulations, you have proven to all of us how incredibly annoying you can be. You win! Now please get a life, or at least go somewhere else to annoy people.

To the OP, I would like to clarify further and say I have nothing against the big "N". Though not my taste, I think they make fine cameras. Apparently some of there users (read: Samsungian) need help, but I'm not going to hold that against the company. I do think that trying to work with two systems will do nothing but cause frustration and an empty wallet. I think you will often find yourself in a situation where you have one camera with you and end up reaching for the other. For me it is a film vs. digital problem, but the problem is similar.

Whatever you decide to do, good luck and happy shooting!

[Samsungian]

I still own some Pentax gear, even considered getting a K-7 to see how the smaller camera works with my remaining lenses. But its has not deflated to under $699 and thats my price target for Pentax $1,299 dslrs.
I paid full price for Pentax once, or should I say Fool Price ?

I do happen to read some Canon and Nikon forums. In Lance's , Richard Day's , and *isteve's threads elsewhere there are many ex-pentax owners posting about their joy with their other brand gear, well in their case, Nikon. Steve added another brand new dpreview account, abandoning his clever Pentax inspired name:

Member profile: CriticalI: Digital Photography Review

Member profile: *isteve: Digital Photography Review

Me? I still own Pentax, my first dslr brand though the pile of money tied up in Pentax gear could be re-used for something else from Canon or Nikon.
Still I wonder about K-7 replacement, will it have a better Sony sensor, will it be bigger like K20D or even smaller, or will it just be the same K-7 but offered in colors for 2011 ??? Colored cameras seems to be the smartest thing Pentax has offered since Hoya bought out the Pentax brand. So my guess, we'll see same old K-7 in an array of colors for Photokina 2010.

Check out how colored Pentax are displayed in a store in Japan:

http://photo.net/pentax-camera-forum/00WUbo

edit.

[tokyoso]

I still own some Pentax gear, even considered getting a K-7 to see how the smaller camera works with my remaining lenses. But its has not deflated to under $699 and thats my price target for Pentax $1,299 dslrs.
I paid full price for Pentax once, or should I say Fool Price ?

I do happen to read some Canon and Nikon forums. In Lance's , Richard Day's , and *isteve's threads elsewhere there are many ex-pentax owners posting about their joy with their other brand gear, well in their case, Nikon. Steve added another brand new dpreview account, abandoning his clever Pentax inspired name:

Member profile: CriticalI: Digital Photography Review

Member profile: *isteve: Digital Photography Review

Me? I still own Pentax, my first dslr brand though the pile of money tied up in Pentax gear could be re-used for something else from Canon or Nikon.
Still I wonder about K-7 replacement, will it have a better Sony sensor, will it be bigger like K20D or even smaller, or will it just be the same K-7 but offered in colors for 2011 ??? Colored cameras seems to be the smartest thing Pentax has offered since Hoya bought out the Pentax brand. So my guess, we'll see same old K-7 in an array of colors for Photokina 2010.

Check out how colored Pentax are displayed in a store in Japan:

Pentax Shrine - Photo.net Pentax Forum

edit.

looking to sell? i'm interested in your tamron...

[jpzk]

There would be pros and cons to a move like this. A month ago, i spent 2 1/2 hours shooting stills during a dress rehearsal of Chekhov play, about 15 feet from a guy shooting a D300s. Then I was given all the photos to select the 16 for the lobby. I picked more of his to post than mine :-), but that was primarily due to a better choice of ISO (he chose 3200 ISO while i chose 2200 - his afforded greater DOF and shutter speed) for some darker scenes, and also he was in tighter on framing.

In comparing RAW images, I don't see any marked improvement in noise from the D300s to my K20D. (Edit-I'm comparing my k20 pics at 1/2 step better ISO, e.g. 2200, to the D300s at 3200 so thats a potential 1/2 step improvement, but still its not the 1+ step Kx improvement)

This is all by way of saying that the Kx sensor is a harbinger of a step change in ISO performance in newer sensors. The D300 and K20 sensors are from an early 2008 performance level.
Would be nice to have both: the speed of the K7 and the sensor from the Kx. I see that the ISO improvement from a K7 to a D300 might not be justifiable, in my case.
I read a related article in last month's Outdoor Photography magazine that said newer higher camera ISO performance was helping nature pros carry lighter weight f4 lens rather than heavier more expensive f2.8 glass. Not only carry, but the cheaper glass was allowing some to buy rather than rent lenses. (and of course, some of this remarkable ISO performance was from going to a FF cameras such as the Nikon D3)
That actually makes a lot of sense to be able to buy an F4 glass instaead of a F2.8 as long as you can retain high ISO capabilities.
I believe you would get better AF with your hypothetical D300, but would you lose out in not having a model with the improved sensor ISO performance in newer entry, enthusiast and pro models that are coming into the market place. As a guy who does occasional live theatre work, my top priority in any new camera is ISO performance. And frankly, i don't care whether you buy P, C or N :-)

Then, I think I must just wait and see what Pentax will offer in the near(?) future. If I am not gaining in ISO, might as well stick with what I have. That way, I am not getting into an additional brand/system with the related expenses.
Thanks for the reply.
JP