NikonGear'23

Images => Life, the Universe & Everything Else => Topic started by: Akira on April 15, 2016, 08:13:30

Title: ISS astronaut Jeff Williams talks about Nikon he uses
Post by: Akira on April 15, 2016, 08:13:30
I start this thread here, because he for sure is an admirable nerd!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vkdAgyJ3Xqw

He handholds 800/5.6 with 1.25xTC on D4s.

By the way, the circular window on the "cupola" he refers to is allegedly made of sapphire glass and costs about 200 milion USD!


EDIT: thread literally belongs to the "Universe" thus moved into this board
Title: Re: ISS astronaut Jeff Williams talks about Nikon he uses
Post by: Tristin on April 15, 2016, 08:32:32
I'm sure the immense brightness of the sunlit earth combined with the virtually weightless 800mm males things much easier!
Title: Re: ISS astronaut Jeff Williams talks about Nikon he uses
Post by: ArendV on April 15, 2016, 09:06:53
I am sure you all have seen these ISS timelapses, they never bore me (and were all taken with Nikons).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hWz5ltE_I4c (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hWz5ltE_I4c)

Don Pettit has been a photography mentor for many astronauts and most of all a great photographer !
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rwt3kMivZk4 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rwt3kMivZk4)
Title: Re: ISS astronaut Jeff Williams talks about Nikon he uses
Post by: Akira on April 15, 2016, 10:03:35
I'm sure the immense brightness of the sunlit earth combined with the virtually weightless 800mm males things much easier!

Yeah, the shutter speed would be of no problem.  Only the pitch black shadows would be challenged.

I am sure you all have seen these ISS timelapses, they never bore me (and were all taken with Nikons).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hWz5ltE_I4c (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hWz5ltE_I4c)

Don Pettit has been a photography mentor for many astronauts and most of all a great photographer !
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rwt3kMivZk4 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rwt3kMivZk4)

Arend, thanks for the additional links both of which are well worth watching!
Title: Re: ISS astronaut Jeff Williams talks about Nikon he uses
Post by: Thomas G on April 15, 2016, 11:54:26
Great stuff!
Title: Re: ISS astronaut Jeff Williams talks about Nikon he uses
Post by: Frank Fremerey on April 15, 2016, 14:35:27
As we are here, do you know the virtual tour of the ISS?: http://esamultimedia.esa.int/multimedia/virtual-tour-iss/

I have a very soft spot for nerdy Italian girls, so the tour guide appeals to me very much.
Title: Re: ISS astronaut Jeff Williams talks about Nikon he uses
Post by: Akira on April 15, 2016, 16:16:17
Thomas, glad you enjoyed it!

Frank, this is crazy!  I love it!  Thanks for the link!
Title: Re: ISS astronaut Jeff Williams talks about Nikon he uses
Post by: Jakov Minić on April 15, 2016, 16:31:18
These are beautiful links, thank you for sharing them!
Title: Re: ISS astronaut Jeff Williams talks about Nikon he uses
Post by: BW on April 15, 2016, 16:53:22
Amazing imagery from space! ISS seem like a natural choise for future NG-gatherings. I know I will refrain from making timelapses after seing what they are able to produce 8)
Title: Re: ISS astronaut Jeff Williams talks about Nikon he uses
Post by: Frank Fremerey on April 15, 2016, 17:19:18
I also see a lot of Sony and Canon and IMAX in the Video domain.

For still photos thogh Nikon seems to be the brand of choice on the ISS.

I do not want to go to space. I am an Earthling. As long as we do not manage to live peacefully with other
humans and our natural environment I only see us bringing all the trouble from here to Mars.

My mission in life is to better our relationships to ourselves and the natural world.

That is what I am here for too. Share my love for nature and people in pictures and words!
Title: Re: ISS astronaut Jeff Williams talks about Nikon he uses
Post by: Akira on April 15, 2016, 22:38:24
These are beautiful links, thank you for sharing them!

The additional links are great indeed!

The space is not really a fun-only place to be.  The astronauts are exposed to the insane amount of radiation, and iodine tablets are indispensable.
Title: Re: ISS astronaut Jeff Williams talks about Nikon he uses
Post by: elsa hoffmann on April 16, 2016, 07:07:31
Very interesting thread and great links.

I guess after a while you get tired of shooting earth too. When the novelty wears off.
Not that I would mind getting those myself
Title: Re: ISS astronaut Jeff Williams talks about Nikon he uses
Post by: Akira on April 16, 2016, 07:47:14
Very interesting thread and great links.

I guess after a while you get tired of shooting earth too. When the novelty wears off.
Not that I would mind getting those myself

Elsa, you may want to do portraits or even "streets", if you would get bored with shooting the planet earth.   :o
Title: Re: ISS astronaut Jeff Williams talks about Nikon he uses
Post by: elsa hoffmann on April 16, 2016, 07:51:32
Elsa, you may want to do portraits or even "streets", if you would get bored with shooting the planet earth.   :o

haha and I bet I would shoot myself stupid - as I would only get one opportunity - I will need a hard drive the size of Mexico.
Title: Re: ISS astronaut Jeff Williams talks about Nikon he uses
Post by: Akira on April 16, 2016, 08:05:54
haha and I bet I would shoot myself stupid - as I would only get one opportunity - I will need a hard drive the size of Mexico.

Yes, the "cloud" is far below, and the bandwidth should be very limited.  :D
Title: Re: ISS astronaut Jeff Williams talks about Nikon he uses
Post by: Frank Fremerey on April 16, 2016, 10:00:28
You will have a lot of other work to do up there....
Title: Re: ISS astronaut Jeff Williams talks about Nikon he uses
Post by: MFloyd on April 16, 2016, 10:54:06
The additional links are great indeed!

The space is not really a fun-only place to be.  The astronauts are exposed to the insane amount of radiation, and iodine tablets are indispensable.

A 10 day journey in space exposes you to an average of 4.3 mSv; airline crews take 3 mSv per year (700 flight hours); maximum allowable seems to be 20 mSv per annum.
Title: Re: ISS astronaut Jeff Williams talks about Nikon he uses
Post by: elsa hoffmann on April 16, 2016, 11:54:41
A 10 day journey in space exposes you to an average of 4.3 mSv; airline crews take 3 mSv per year (700 flight hours); maximum allowable seems to be 20 mSv per annum.

ye - imagine the amount of shooting in that time....
I will eat bacon and hard boiled eggs - and just shoot!
Title: Re: ISS astronaut Jeff Williams talks about Nikon he uses
Post by: Bill De Jager on April 17, 2016, 04:12:58
The space is not really a fun-only place to be.  The astronauts are exposed to the insane amount of radiation, and iodine tablets are indispensable.

Low Earth orbit is not bad, and astronauts have stayed a year or longer.  It's the missions into interplanetary space that will involve excessive ionizing radiation, to the point of potentially being debilitating over the course of the mission.  There's also a non-trivial risk from coronal mass ejections (from the sun) which *do* involve an insane amount of radiation ("insane" as in fatal) if you happen to be unlucky enough to be in their way.

Iodine tablets only make sense when one is exposed to nuclear fission byproducts (from nuclear reactors, nuclear waste, or nuclear bombs) which may include a radioactive isotope of iodine, I-131.  Taking the iodine pills in advance of exposure saturates the thyroid gland with non-radioactive iodine, so when I-131 is ingested the thyroid tends to not take it up quite as much.  Otherwise iodine tablets are of no use for radiation exposure. Link: http://emergency.cdc.gov/radiation/ki.asp (http://emergency.cdc.gov/radiation/ki.asp)
Title: Re: ISS astronaut Jeff Williams talks about Nikon he uses
Post by: elsa hoffmann on April 17, 2016, 08:39:05

Iodine tablets only make sense when one is exposed to nuclear fission byproducts (from nuclear reactors, nuclear waste, or nuclear bombs) which may include a radioactive isotope of iodine, I-131.  Taking the iodine pills in advance of exposure saturates the thyroid gland with non-radioactive iodine, so when I-131 is ingested the thyroid tends to not take it up quite as much.  Otherwise iodine tablets are of no use for radiation exposure. Link: http://emergency.cdc.gov/radiation/ki.asp (http://emergency.cdc.gov/radiation/ki.asp)

What if one doesn't have a thyroid gland anymore- or it is non functioning?  I assume you wouldn't make it on the space ship in the first place - so my question is theoretical.
Title: Re: ISS astronaut Jeff Williams talks about Nikon he uses
Post by: Akira on April 17, 2016, 22:32:49
Low Earth orbit is not bad, and astronauts have stayed a year or longer.  It's the missions into interplanetary space that will involve excessive ionizing radiation, to the point of potentially being debilitating over the course of the mission.  There's also a non-trivial risk from coronal mass ejections (from the sun) which *do* involve an insane amount of radiation ("insane" as in fatal) if you happen to be unlucky enough to be in their way.

Iodine tablets only make sense when one is exposed to nuclear fission byproducts (from nuclear reactors, nuclear waste, or nuclear bombs) which may include a radioactive isotope of iodine, I-131.  Taking the iodine pills in advance of exposure saturates the thyroid gland with non-radioactive iodine, so when I-131 is ingested the thyroid tends to not take it up quite as much.  Otherwise iodine tablets are of no use for radiation exposure. Link: http://emergency.cdc.gov/radiation/ki.asp (http://emergency.cdc.gov/radiation/ki.asp)

Maybe not the iodine tablets, but I've heard that the ISS astronauts need to take some special tablets to reduce the affect of radiation.  As you say, they stay in the far less protected against the radiation than on the ground far longer than the airline crews.