Weekend with a new camera (Nikon D200)

[bvar22]

The new camera is a NikonD200 with a Nikkor 18-200mm F 3.5-5.6 VR (Image Stabilized) (FL factor 1.5)
This is my first DSLR (or SLR of any type), and I am still on the steep side of the learning curve.


I drove up to the "Arrowhead" to take some pics and begin learning how to use this camera.
The "Arrowhead" is the part of Minnesota that borders the North Shore of Lake Superior just south of the Canadian border (shaped roughly like an arrowhead). There is one 2-lane highway along the lakeshore. Almost everything to the north is protected wilderness (no motor vehicles, permit required for entry). This area is some of the most pristine wilderness remaining in the lower US. Canada also protects their side of this wilderness for many miles.

The first three shots are a "test" of the new lens. The subject is the Split Rock Lighthouse.
The light could have been better, overcast with haze, but as Rumsfeld would say, "You take pictures with the light you have, not the light you wish for. All shots are handheld, setting "AUTO".
Format: Nikon RAW, processed with RawShooter (which needed to be upgraded to handle the Nikon format :()
Most photos have been resized to less than 10% of their original format in Corel PhotoPaint12.


Lighthouse in center, Widest angle (18mm) (1.5 FL factor), full frame, no crop


Maximum Zoom (200mm), full frame, no crop


Max Zoom, crop to 100%

I was a little disappointed. I thought they would be sharper.
Maybe tripod? maybe haze? maybe improper camera settings? maybe improper use of RAW editing software? asking too much?
I was able to retrieve the EXIF data,the exposure is 1/100 @ f10.
What do you think?
I am going back this week with a tripod and better weather to try these again.



These guys were all over the place. They are a driving hazard even in the daytime. I would be nervous driving this highway after dark. The deer carcasses line the ditches alongside the road...very sad.
They are such beautiful animals. All the live ones appeared healthy, well fed, and unafraid of cars; but fearful of people on foot.


Northshore cliffs at Split Rock. The orange color is a product of high iron content in the volcanic rocks. The highly magnetic rocks caused the early mariners much compass trouble, and there many fameous shipwrecks in this area.


This made me smile. Handheld at max zoom.


Sculpture at Grand Marais, MN. Extensive "Shopping" to remove a real estate office and a tree.


Took this one Sunday night at late twilight, Minneapolis skyline through the bushes along the east side of the Mississippi River.
Tripod and Manual settings, 25sec@f16. Resized only, no post.

All in all, I'm happy with the camera. I'm working my way through the manual, and am becoming familiar with the buttons and dials. It is not a difficult camera. Most of the design is ergonomic, and after minimal study of the manual, cool and easy to use. I'm still on the steep part of the learning curve, but am having fun.

[Touchdown]

1. The faun and the sculpture are sharp.

I don't know what you did with the lighthouse closeup, but it doesn't represent what I've experienced with mine.

Is the lighthouse cropped? I've found that the AF will focus on the closest thing, and that you have to make liberal use of the AF lock to get the subject you want, or manual focus. I'm assuming there's something in the original that is in focus. My meter default is matrix metering, but the AF system and it's choices is a bit complex and I'm still trying to figure it out. I notice that yours pushes blue too. Try a warming curve in Photoshop.

[bvar22]

5. The 2nd shot...

...is Full frame, no cropping. The 3rd is cropped to 100%
I haven't played with the AF adjustments yet. It is still set on center spot focus.

I did very little "Shop Work" (crop and resize only), most of the shots are straight from the camera.


What software are you using to process the Nikon RAW?

[Touchdown]

10. iPhoto. PS doesn't recognise NEF...yet.

I need a new Intel Mac to get that memory hog Aperture, which reads all RAW files from all major manufacturers.

[CC]

11. If by PS you mean Photo Shop

it will do NEF but you have to go to the Adobe site and get the upgrade. http://www.adobe.com/support/downloads/main.html look for Photo Shop then for RAW upgrades.

[Blue_In_AK]

2. Nice photos...

It's fun learning the SLR stuff, isn't it? It took me a while to get the hang of it, too, but it gets easier. I noticed on my 70-300 Canon lens that my really long shots are much clearer using a tripod. The IS helps a lot, but still handheld it's hard to get a completely clear picture at that distance.

[bvar22]

6. I see tripods in my future.

Thanks
:hi:

[F.Gordon]

3. Looks like you're having fun

Love the Rocks/Water shot and the Night shot... and the critter.

IMO... f/10 at 1/100 sec is a tripod shot. No way to handhold that large of DOF at 1/100. It took me months of extensive fuckin' up to finally figure out that if I want to handhold a shot like that I merely crank up the ISO.
:dunce:

But f/8 is still the smallest aperture I'll ever go handheld... and that's rare unless camera is telling me I got at least 1/250 sec. But.. but.. landscape shots generally require a slower shutter speed so you can get a good exposure.... so it's not under exposed.

Ahhh shit. Screw all that. Just have fun. The learnin' part will come to ya one way or another.

[bvar22]

7. You mean I still have to learn this photography stuff?????

Gee, I was hoping all it took was a good camera! :+

I like the night shot too. I was surprised that there was that much light and detail out there.
Everything looked night time dark to my eyeballs.

Yes, I was having fun, and thanks for the tips.

[Blue_In_AK]

8. It's really amazing how much light can be pulled in.

When I was first practicing around with night shots I was trying to compensate for the dark, and my pictures came out looking like daylight. It takes some practice.

[CC]

4. If you were shooting the close up

of the lighthouse with a 200mm lens at 1/100 you needed a tripod. That is most likely why it isn't sharper, though must say you hand was pretty steady. The way it was explained to me was if you were using a 300mm lens the slowest optimum handheld shutter speed should be 1/600. You can get lucky smaller but by the time you hit 1/300 some blur will happen handheld.
Also no matter what digital camera (digital scans also) there will be some softness, the amount will very with your focal length. Not sure what Coral has, but try smart sharpen if you have that, or unsharp mask as the second choice. You are better off doing any sharpening in post processing instead of using the in camera settings, it gives you more control.

One of the things I liked better with the Nikons (D100 & D70) is that the buttons are the camera are so easy to use and you don't have to hold one button on the back of the camera to change say shutter speed or aperture while dialing another on front. Makes it much easier to use the viewfinder and change your settings in manual with out missing your shot. Sorry Canon users but that was a draw back the few times I tried the Rebels and D10, have not tried the D20. Though must say that most Canon users I know get used to their equipment and are as lost on my Nikon as I am on their Canons.

Great pics, keep on posting so I can see the D200 as I wait for mine. Specially since you are one of the two that made me break down and order one. :evilgrin:

[bvar22]

9. Thanks for the tips.

I'm planning on another trip as soon as the weather clears, and I will be able to try them out.

I just discovered the convenience of the thumb and finger wheels last night while shooting in "Manual".
They make changing setting quick, easy, and intuitive.....AND they also work in AUTO!

Initially, the Nikon seemed heavy, awkward, and hopelessly complex.
It is already beginning to feel natural in my hands.

touchdown is right....the OEM Nikon strap irritates the neck.

[regnaD kciN]

13. Actually, the standard formula for handheld shots...

...is 1/focal length. So, for a 200mm shot, the slowest speed you can handhold at would be 1/200s.

However, Nikon claims that the VR lens will add a couple of stops to that figure. So, theoretically, you could still get a sharp handheld photo at 1/50s. I've seen sharp handheld shots with that camera/lens combination at 1/20s, although not at full tele.

bvar22, did you make sure the VR was switched on before taking that shot? If not, of course, you needed to shoot at 1/200s or faster. (Or shoot at a higher ISO -- one thing digicam owners might not realize is that good DSLRs generally have less noise at ISO 800 than point-and-shoot cameras have at ISO 200. Don't be afraid to kick up the "film" speed!)

[priller]

12. Do you know what the in-camera sharpening is set to?

It's my understanding that most DSLR's default to do little or no sharpening (whereas consumer cameras do more). The reasoning being that they assume most DSLR users will post-process the photos, and software like PhotoShop can do a better job of sharpening than they can in-camera. It may be another factor as to why your lighthouse shot looks a bit soft.

[regnaD kciN]

14. It shouldn't matter with RAW...

...since that only records the sensor readings without any processing.

OTOH, for those who shoot JPEG, it has been noticed that the D200's standard sharpness setting is far lower than most other DSLRs, even those from Nikon. JPEG shooters who moved up to this camera from the D50 or D70 filled Nikon boards with complaints about "soft" images until that was discovered. With the sharpness setting bumped up, JPEGs are just as sharp as with the other Nikon DSLRs, not to mention with higher resolution.

[bvar22]

15. In camera set to "Normal"

There is a menu category called "Optomize Image".
In this category there are options for :
Normal
softer
vivid
more vivid
portrait
custom
B&W

There is no option for "OFF".
There is no specific option anywhere that deals with "sharpness", though "sharpness" along with "color enhancement" is included in the explanation for "vivid" and "more vivid" in the manual.

Thanks for the info. It appears that the " a bit soft" (you were kind) LightHouse is probably a combination of All of the Above. I am eager to return for another round with this shot.