Pages: 1 [2]   Go Down

Author Topic: Wanted: a quick guide to Nikon Lenses,  (Read 13039 times)

Justinr

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1733
    • Ink+images
Re: Wanted: a quick guide to Nikon Lenses,
« Reply #20 on: October 13, 2013, 08:56:58 am »

I ought to point out that I'm not really looking to undertake any great art projects, only provide a good printable file for my customers that will look good in their publications. The K10 is quite good enough in this case because they are going into a fortnightly trade magazine that prints on thinnish paper (80g, I think) and replicates photos in it's own happy way.

The k10 is a sound camera, easy to handle and use but it's not as good IQ wise as the K5 which I would put on a par with old film MF. The trouble is that life has moved on and I am now looking to supply images to accompany my articles in excess of that quality with not just a good DR but also tonal transitions that add a smoothness and precision to the picture. I'm thinking now that even the d700 won't cut the mustard and so the D800 may well have to be tried.

As you say, the Pentax's may be fine for press photos but not quality editorial and a browsing of the more expensive glossies rapidly confirms that.
« Last Edit: October 13, 2013, 09:16:06 am by Justinr »
Logged

langier

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1503
    • Celebrating Rural America, the Balkans and beyond
Re: Wanted: a quick guide to Nikon Lenses,
« Reply #21 on: October 20, 2013, 09:45:44 am »

My experience in publishing which dates back some forty years is that today even an iPhone will do the job *in the right hands*, but one must master the craft to accomplish it. With the exception of low-end p&s models and highly compressed jpeg images, nearly any salary and many premium p&s cameras properly set up and used well will produce images quite useable for both print and web.

I've had hundreds of photos used on the web and print with many covers and double page spreads even from my old 6MP jpegs and my higher end p&s camera. No problems for the editors but all from well crafted and properly prepared and edited files. Editing and crafting are the key.

Working backwards form the end result is the way you form your roadmap. If you are going for a cover, your image has got to be stunning and the best technical quality. However, if the work is to support and article with the words as the major thrust and images are a secondary facet, stunning images and quality are not quite as important other than to meet the mechanical and editorial requirements of the publication.

For both web and 95 percent of print media, high MP cameras as overkill. I'd say go with what you have and simply improve your skills rather than trying to improve the equipment unless there's an issue with the mecanics of the camera. In that case, just get another k5 if there are problems with the older camera, but check the other camera because it may be just the settings that may need tweaking to get its best performance.
Logged
Larry Angier
ASMP, ACT, & many more! @sacred_icons
https://angier-fox.photoshelter.com

Dale Villeponteaux

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 378
Re: Wanted: a quick guide to Nikon Lenses,
« Reply #22 on: October 21, 2013, 09:39:47 am »

This site may be useful:  http://www.naturfotograf.com/lens_surv.html.  And of course, Thom Hogan's site.

Regards,
Dale
Logged
My avatar isn't an accurate portrayal; I have much less hair.

Justinr

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1733
    • Ink+images
Re: Wanted: a quick guide to Nikon Lenses,
« Reply #23 on: October 21, 2013, 06:54:01 pm »

My experience in publishing which dates back some forty years is that today even an iPhone will do the job *in the right hands*, but one must master the craft to accomplish it. With the exception of low-end p&s models and highly compressed jpeg images, nearly any salary and many premium p&s cameras properly set up and used well will produce images quite useable for both print and web.

I've had hundreds of photos used on the web and print with many covers and double page spreads even from my old 6MP jpegs and my higher end p&s camera. No problems for the editors but all from well crafted and properly prepared and edited files. Editing and crafting are the key.

Working backwards form the end result is the way you form your roadmap. If you are going for a cover, your image has got to be stunning and the best technical quality. However, if the work is to support and article with the words as the major thrust and images are a secondary facet, stunning images and quality are not quite as important other than to meet the mechanical and editorial requirements of the publication.

For both web and 95 percent of print media, high MP cameras as overkill. I'd say go with what you have and simply improve your skills rather than trying to improve the equipment unless there's an issue with the mecanics of the camera. In that case, just get another k5 if there are problems with the older camera, but check the other camera because it may be just the settings that may need tweaking to get its best performance.

I know where you are coming from and I'm certainly not a fan of mp's for the sake of mp's but I do look at what comes out of the K5 and compare it with what a FF can produce and there is a quality, a sharpness of definition that is lacking in the APS Pentax. I'm not knocking the K5 because it is an excellent camera for its market slot but I want to offer more than it can provide irrespective of whether the end result is appreciated by the customer or not. I also run a Mamiya but that's a camera that should not be allowed out of the studio unless in bright sunlight and welded to a tripod, but when it all comes together it knocks the socks off a half frame dSLR.

Logged

Justinr

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1733
    • Ink+images
Re: Wanted: a quick guide to Nikon Lenses,
« Reply #24 on: October 23, 2013, 04:00:41 am »

This site may be useful:  http://www.naturfotograf.com/lens_surv.html.  And of course, Thom Hogan's site.

Regards,
Dale

Thanks for that, plenty of grist to keep the mill busy there.
Logged

Justinr

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1733
    • Ink+images
Re: Wanted: a quick guide to Nikon Lenses,
« Reply #25 on: November 15, 2013, 01:02:03 pm »

Thanks for all the input folks.

In the end I decided to go for a used D3 (28,000 shots) and managed to pick up a barely used 24 - 85 AF to get me started. Image is the second shot straight out of the box at iso 6400, why did I kid myself the Pentax could hold itself up with the big boys!
« Last Edit: November 15, 2013, 02:58:09 pm by Justinr »
Logged

Rob C

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 24074
Re: Wanted: a quick guide to Nikon Lenses,
« Reply #26 on: November 15, 2013, 03:11:25 pm »

Thanks for all the input folks.

In the end I decided to go for a used D3 (23,000 shots) and managed to pick up a barely used 24 - 85 AF to get me started. Image is the second shot straight out of the box at iso 6400, why did I kid myself the Pentax could hold itself up with the big boys!


Just found this thread. Guess it's too late.

FWIW, I wouldn't swap my D700 for anything. Except for the impossible: another, simplified Nikon with a real pentaprism and screens designed for non-af lenses; a Hassy 500 series with an FF sensor (but I couldn't buy that even if it were available).

The D700 allows me to shoot in any light I have ever wanted to use. I still have a D200 but it never gets used. Night and day. All my lenses are non-af prime AIS Nikkors: 2.8/24mm; 2/35mm; 1.8/50mm; 2.8/105 Micro; 2.8/135mm; 2.8/180mm (the only af one - couldn't get an af one at the time); 8/500 Reflex.

The reason for the af 180mm is that I'd bought a brand-new 2.8/24mm-70mm G Nikkor, and I couldn't get rid of it fast enough; a terrible lens. The dealer would only accept it back if I bought something else, hence the 180mm. I shall never buy another zoom - it was my first and only such Nikon aberration since I started in this game.
 
You can pick up great used Nikon/Nkkors from Grays of Westminster (London) and they are great specialists with whom to deal.

Rob C
« Last Edit: November 16, 2013, 03:27:58 pm by Rob C »
Logged

Justinr

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1733
    • Ink+images
Re: Wanted: a quick guide to Nikon Lenses,
« Reply #27 on: November 15, 2013, 05:10:36 pm »

Hi Rob

Never too late as I will hopefully be adding to the collection and all comments are welcome.

I needed a flexible lens for the sort of work I am doing now which is mainly images to accompany magazine articles and although the said publications are not the glossiest I still wanted to offer a good image quality without having to carry bag loads of equipment about. A recent trip to Italy was a case in point, five factories in two days plus dinner with the boss and then 2,000 words by Tuesday morning. It's a challenge at times, but one I enjoy. I have attached a couple of pictures that were used.
Logged

Justinr

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1733
    • Ink+images
Re: Wanted: a quick guide to Nikon Lenses,
« Reply #28 on: December 11, 2013, 06:53:11 pm »

My experience in publishing which dates back some forty years is that today even an iPhone will do the job *in the right hands*, but one must master the craft to accomplish it. With the exception of low-end p&s models and highly compressed jpeg images, nearly any salary and many premium p&s cameras properly set up and used well will produce images quite useable for both print and web.

I've had hundreds of photos used on the web and print with many covers and double page spreads even from my old 6MP jpegs and my higher end p&s camera. No problems for the editors but all from well crafted and properly prepared and edited files. Editing and crafting are the key.

Working backwards form the end result is the way you form your roadmap. If you are going for a cover, your image has got to be stunning and the best technical quality. However, if the work is to support and article with the words as the major thrust and images are a secondary facet, stunning images and quality are not quite as important other than to meet the mechanical and editorial requirements of the publication.

For both web and 95 percent of print media, high MP cameras as overkill. I'd say go with what you have and simply improve your skills rather than trying to improve the equipment unless there's an issue with the mecanics of the camera. In that case, just get another k5 if there are problems with the older camera, but check the other camera because it may be just the settings that may need tweaking to get its best performance.

I've just got back from a job I do every year but this time I had a D3 rather than a K5 and as much as we might like to think that any camera in the right hands can do the job, tonight proved otherwise. The Nikon was set to 125th shutter priority and it just kicked out perfect images every time with no adjustment being necessary before printing and all the highlights well reined in, even Santa's beard was spot on. I was working with a flashgun on the hot shoe triggering a 1200w unit and brolly behind me and the camera just took it all in its stride. The Pentax was on a lead last year and it still struggled to cope.

« Last Edit: December 12, 2013, 03:07:01 am by Justinr »
Logged
Pages: 1 [2]   Go Up