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Post by Deleted on Jul 17, 2008 9:17:51 GMT -5
Gene:
I think you will really enjoy the D300. I have a friend who had a D200 and probably made less than a thousand exposures in the two years he had it. Traded it in on a D300 which he uses almost every day. You may want to download and install the 1.03 firmware update that some claim makes autofocus a little fasted and also takes care of false battery readings a very small number of owners were getting--mostly when using longer zoom lenses.
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Post by GeneW on Jul 17, 2008 11:35:30 GMT -5
Thanks Wayne. I know I'll enjoy it very much.
Gene
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Post by paulatukcamera on Jul 22, 2008 17:50:42 GMT -5
This is a sordid tale of ill-gotten gains and coveting another man's camera. Wayne, you have a lot to answer for - not all of this I admit, but a significant part of it! Some of you will remember that last June I exchanged three domain names I had registered (Cost $60) for a D200. A bargain I thought. That's where the clever bit ends! Last August, an Australian lady driving a French rental car drove into the back of my car. A small dent & a few scratches resulted. The "insurance approved" garage wanted $1200 to beat it out and respray the panel. No compensation then? Well ... you see the cheque arrived two months ago and I just happened to go into my local friendly camera shop and came out with a rather large lens I'd always hankered after, but could never afford - a 80-200mm ED-S f2.8. Suffice it to say I still have the dent! So family funds intact - cost £60 + dent for a nice outfit? Well the first part is no longer true! The lens is absolutely marvellous, but big and difficult to change. If you put it down upright, it can easily topple over, if you put it down, it starts to roll. Also because it starts at 120mm (35mm equivalent) I need my 18-50mm on the camera at least half the time. The trouble is, I don't know which half! After a few walks punctuated by lens changing stops and a very, very irritated wife I have had to buy a D300 to save all this swapping about! Doesn't end there though. My life insurance policy paid up after 30 years of me paying them, so today went the whole hog - part ex'd the lens for the VR version and the D200 for another D300. Why this D300itis? Just so much better with manual focus lenses - Wayne hasn't mentioned this aspect - live view makes it possible to easily focus them. Will all this bring better photos? Time will tell, I suppose, but I have earned back nearly a quarter of what I have spent as a direct result of that lens. (see the coracle photos, I posted earlier) Judge for yourself - here are some views of Tenby: www.welsh-cottages.co.uk/pembrokeshire/tenby.aspPaul
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mickeyobe
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Post by mickeyobe on Jul 23, 2008 4:57:04 GMT -5
Paul,
After enjoying the engrossing saga of how to obtain a camera and make only a minor "dent" in your savings I was then treated to a delightful interlude in the ancient town of Tenby.
Love this site.
Thank you.
Mickey
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Post by Deleted on Jul 23, 2008 9:24:27 GMT -5
Paul:
The D300 gets to you--even if Nikon is about to release the FF version (D700). Frankly the D300 does everything I require of a camera. The 80-200 f2.8 is an awesome lens but I'm not big into telephoto. My MF Tokina 80-200 f2.8 works pretty well if I need one. But like your lens the Tokina is pretty long and fairly heavy.
My big quandary right now is the 18-200mm VR Nikkor. It isn't a pro lens but we are heading for China in late October and the 18-200 would be a great all-in-one lens-especially since it's possible to correct WA distortion on the computer. With it at my Tokina 12-24mm f4 I would have things pretty well covered.
I've never used Live View for manual focusing although that would be handy with the camera on a tripod. For me, Live View is the least used D300 feature.
I have a friend, Tom, in Ottawa who had a Nikon D200 and seldom used it. After I got my D300 and he saw the results, he traded the D200 for a D300 and now that's all he shoots. The D300 doesn't seem that much more advanced over the D200 on individual features but when you add ALL the improvements, the difference is significant.
Enjoy, Paul
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Post by GeneW on Jul 23, 2008 12:03:37 GMT -5
Nice story, Paul! I've had my D300 exactly a week now and I think it's just great! Cheers, mate! Taken yesterday, D300 + Nikkor AF 50/1. Gene
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Post by nikonbob on Jul 25, 2008 12:36:27 GMT -5
All your talk on the D300 finally got to me. I did not get a deal like Paul but I hope the D700 is going to perform like the D300 for you fellas. I have been waiting for Nikon, ever since they started producing DSLRs, to give me a camera that I can use with my old wides at the FOV that I am used to. I never traded up through successive models so that takes some of the sting out. I have got the batteries charging and after the 12 hour nite shift we will see if it was worth the wait. Did I mention that I have a saint of a wife to boot.
Bob
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Post by GeneW on Jul 25, 2008 12:52:19 GMT -5
Bob,
This is really exciting! I can't wait to see some images from the D700. Your wife is to be honoured above all women! :-)
Gene
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Post by Deleted on Jul 25, 2008 15:24:26 GMT -5
Bob:
Congratulations! You must have put in your order early. And yes, you obviously have a saintly wife. The D700 is supposedly about the same size as the D300 but with the FX sensor. That makes more sense to me that the D3 which is considerably larger and heavier. Plus it's a little cheaper than the D3, although more than I can justify (with my wife) until I pick the right lottery numbers.
Despite my Ebay rantings I'm either doing pretty well or pricing things too low. Sold a 35-135 AF and 20mm AF D Nikkor, both on Buy it Now almost as soon as I listed them and I have three actions that I'm confident will get at least the minimum bids I set. So in a couple of weeks I should be ordering my 18-200 f3.5-5.6 VR Nikkor. It's not up there with the pro models but has been getting great reviews for a "all-in-one" lens and should be great on the trip this fall (I'm going to China instead of getting a D700--the costs are pretty comparable.)
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Post by nikonbob on Jul 26, 2008 17:07:00 GMT -5
GeneW and Wayne Just played a little today changing some settings and so on. Tried a few shots and am impressed with the JPEGS. The photo i am posting may not be any true indication of what the D700 can or can't do just an example of my lousy skill using it. Too much to learn. It is JPEG fine taken with an old 70-210/4 AF Nikkor at F4 and 1000 iso,1/30. I would not even consider trying this with my P&S digital. Anyway, I am so far impressed. Bob
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Post by Deleted on Jul 26, 2008 17:17:13 GMT -5
Remember in the film days when you expected mega grain any time you went above 400 ASA? Fantastic shot. I don't see any noise and the 70-210 is really a 70-210. Congraulations and keep the pictures coming.
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Post by GeneW on Jul 27, 2008 5:57:44 GMT -5
Bob, this really looks good. ISO1000 is clean, and the colours are great. I think you're making us jealous :-)
Gene
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Post by nikonbob on Jul 27, 2008 7:38:46 GMT -5
Wayne and Gene
From the little playing I have done with this cam there are a lot of things I am enjoying and it looks like high ISO performance is one of them. You can teach an old dog new tricks. I have liked using Aperture Priority Mode before but I have found that the Shift Program is similar and more flexible. When you combine that with the cams very good/clean high ISO performance and let the camera select the ISO you have got a great combination. For me that means a no fuss travel cam. OTH I would have preferred a digital FM2n but I don't think that will ever happen. Having said that, I don't think the D700 will be hard to get to love either. You just have to get used to a new way of working. So far as I can see, from limited use, Nikon has done a very good job.
Bob
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Post by nikonbob on Jul 28, 2008 23:26:57 GMT -5
Well, I played a little more today. Here are three nothing shots to give you more of an idea of lower and higher ISOs. Again JPEG FINE and USMed in PS Elements 2.0 and saved for web. The B&W converstion was a quick and dirty grey scale in PS. Bob ISO 3200 ISO 200 Grey Scale conversion of above
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