The Weekly Bud featuring Sub's New Cam

[subcool]

I have been needing a new camera for some time now as the D-50 I shoot with is really limited based on industry standard. I love that cam and will always keep it around it is easy to set up and takes amazing shots with very little work from the photographer. It is a DX or compressed format however and only a 5 MP. Over the past few years I have missed multiple opportunity's for cover shots as publishers and editors these days want what is known as a "Full Frame" meaning basically the same size as a 35MM Film shoots. These things arnr't cheap so I have been saving back a bit each month and I reached my goal and went out and got a D700 Nikon. This cam does nothing automatically so it will take some time to develop my skill, with the D-50 I get 90% great shots, with the D-80 I get 70% great shots and with my new cam Id say its down around 20% but it will force me to learn more and get better and this can really has no limits to what it can do.

You will watch me figure it out here on this thread and I plan to post here each time I do a shoot.

Here is my first effort with the D-700 and a Sigma 105 MM Macro lens that I find out needs new firmware to take full advantage of this cam so I have some research to do I hope I don't have to send the lens to Sigma for an upgrade.


About the subjects featured these are 2 of the 5 Jillybean plants that I am currently growing out. The smell is amazing and I am so proud from a 10 pack I got 5 really nice females not one plant has a single male stamen at day 63 and each one matches the TGA discription listed to a tee with slight variations in growth and smell but all 5 smell like Orange Candy or Orange Ice cream etc.

Comments are welcome as I figure this all out.

The super close shots were taken at 2.8 f-stop and I progressed as to 5.6 F-stop


Some with flash some without.

Not bad for first time?

Sub

 

[Unnk]

WOW Beautiful Truly Beautiful

May i ask how much did that camera run you?

I'm using a silly camera phone, it does have a macro setting but it does no justice for my pics like here is one of my JTR's that's swamped in resin to the naked eye but cant see anything on the cam.

 

[TCurtiss]

Nice Sub,

I am going to look into a new camera also, the one I have now does a good job but I need to step it up also

The new shots look great, have fun with the new cam

 

[aleYarok]

awesome shots sub!!!
700f,b,a are my fav shots... love the bokeh on that lens. sooo smooooothh

soo jealous on your new purchase. thats my dream camera right now. got a d90 a couple years ago but ive quickly out grown it.

cant wait to see what u pull out with that camera and lens. u should be able to get really close with that sucker. not sure what else is in your set up but must haves for macro is a good flash (sb600/800) and a really heavy/sturdy tripod + macro slider. the macro slider makes a world difference when you are up really close and your DOF is only 1mm. ive also been playing with kenko extension tubes to get even closer.

 

[aleYarok]

WOW Beautiful Truly Beautiful

May i ask how much did that camera run you?

I'm using a silly camera phone, it does have a macro setting but it does no justice for my pics like here is one of my JTR's that's swamped in resin to the naked eye but cant see anything on the cam.View attachment 1235658

the d700 is a $3000 camera.... not for a novice at all
lens can range from $100-10,000

photography is a really expensive hobby

 

[Unnk]

i got the money stashes away for a good setup though thats why i asked i love photography but may not exactly go bawls to wallz yet but still want a amazing shot

 

[subcool]

I got this one for 2450 but paid 300 for a 3 year warranty that cleans the sensor and garantees against me dropping it etc

Sub

 

[Unnk]

That is certainly solid

 

[aleYarok]

i got the money stashes away for a good setup though thats why i asked i love photography but may not exactly go bawls to wallz yet but still want a amazing shot

i recommend starting with a cheaper/easier camera. u can still get stellar shots. ive got a d90 + tammron 90mm macro and it makes a great set up. i think the d7000 just came out which is the new d90. i believe its like $1200. the tammron 90mm macro retails for $500 i got mine for $380 on ebay. then u want a good flash, sb600 $200, good tripod $200, more lens, ect...

I got this one for 2450 but paid 300 for a 3 year warranty that cleans the sensor and garantees against me dropping it etc


Sub

sweet deal and and nice warranty although that camera is built like a tank

 

[Unnk]

i recommend starting with a cheaper/easier camera. u can still get stellar shots. ive got a d90 + tammron 90mm macro and it makes a great set up. i think the d7000 just came out which is the new d90. i believe its like $1200. the tammron 90mm macro retails for $500 i got mine for $380 on ebay. then u want a good flash, sb600 $200, good tripod $200, more lens, ect...

solid i like the set up looks like i got some purchasing to make ive been meaning to get a portfolio going

 

[anomolies]

Nice camera Sub. If you have time you should upload the pictures on a hosting server that maintains a bigger resolution so that we can see the full quality.

 

[homebrewer]

Your best pics aren't going to come wide open at f2.8. Stop down to at least 5.6 for some of the sharpest photos that your lens is capable of taking. That being said, the D700's ISO performance is sick! That was a good purchase.

 

[aleYarok]

usually with most lens, the sharpest, is generally two stops from wide open... but that doesnt at all mean u cant get fantastic photos at wide open. espically for more artsy photos and getting that nice DOF and bokeh

 

[Dropastone]

Nice, another picture thread. I coming along for the ride.

 

[subcool]

Your best pics aren't going to come wide open at f2.8. Stop down to at least 5.6 for some of the sharpest photos that your lens is capable of taking. That being said, the D700's ISO performance is sick! That was a good purchase.

Thank you I did notice that and have been creeping up to like 5.6
All tips welcome.

Sub

 

[subcool]

Using a higher F-stop of 4.5-5 and 5.6

I am still working on focus the cams viewfinder is massive and is throwing me off.

I am shooting at 200 ISO should I try the lowest setting of 100 when using the flash?


So many setting I am sure I am missing

I will shoot in Tiff mode next run

 

[Johnboh]

Sub,

great shots buddy looking good. you have any spacebomb around to snap some shots of?

 

[homebrewer]

As aleYarok already mentiond, stopping down 2 stops makes a big difference.

f2.8 @ 55mm





f5.6 @ 55mm





Maybe the results aren't too obvious when looking at the entire photo, but the crops of the previous pictures are night and day:

f2.8 @ 55mm




f5.6 @ 55mm





In addition to sharpness, the depth-of-field is more shallow at 2.8 than 5.6 meaning more of the bud is in focus at 5.6. Lastly, pro-level glass looks a lot better wide open than your standard lens. They still share the same 'stopping down for sharpness' properties, but the difference is pro glass wide open looks amazing and stopped down looks very amazing.

I am still working on focus the cams viewfinder is massive and is throwing me off.

Unless you have a bad copy (lens), the D700 should have tack-sharp autofocus.

In regards to ISO, the D700 performs VERY well over a wide ISO range. I'd be willing to bet that you'd have a hard time deciphering between ISO 100 and ISO 2000 without pixel-peeping.

For more info on how badass your camera is, checkout this in-depth review: http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/NikonD700/

 

[subcool]

The pics are not yet as sharp as with my D-50 taken in Macro mode but I am sure its user error.
I also think I need to send off my Sigma and have new firmware installed.
I will shoot next time with my Sigma 18-200 APO II FX Macro lens its an actual ful frame lens.

Thank you very much for the help I have hundreds of published shots but I actually know very little about fine tuning the settings but I am learning



Sub

 

[subcool]

When Shooting in jpeg the files are only 5 mp I assumed the cam was cropping due to the sigma but that was in jpeg mode next shoot I will fire in Tiff and I am hoping I see the full 12 mp file size.
Thoughts?

Sub