Author Topic: Is Nikon the greatest?  (Read 16025 times)

Bjørn Rørslett

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Re: Is Nikon the greatest?
« Reply #45 on: March 02, 2016, 11:10:45 »
None of these suggested "show-off" items will track in AF better than any D4/D5 camera. Quite the contrary.

Herbie49

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Re: Is Nikon the greatest?
« Reply #46 on: March 02, 2016, 14:48:15 »
I don't know whether Nikon is "the best". I suppose, in terms of technology and ergonomics, Nikon and Canon are, generally speaking, on the same level. Both make great cameras and great lenses (and some not so great ones). Sometimes things are trivial: I still use Nikon equipment, because I bought my first Nikon camera in 1977. Once you've got your array of lenses, you're more or less hooked to a system. So I stuck with Nikon, even when I switched from analogue to digital. The D4 ist not the greatest camera on earth - I hold the D810 in higher esteem -, but it served me well in the last 4 years. As I often do close-ups and macros of plants (and sometimes insects) in gardens and in the wild (recently in the Drakensberg in South Africa), where I cannot use a tripod and where there is often some wind, I'm reliant on a fast and robust camera with high sensitivity which allows me to take hand-held shots at short shutter speeds with great DOF (usually using the Micro-Nikkor 2,8/105mm). Video doesn't interest me, but a somewhat higher resolution would be nice for cropping. My 5K display has almost as many pixels as my D4, so cropped pictures often don't even cover the entire screen. And an embedded GPS would be nice, too.

Frank Fremerey

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Re: Is Nikon the greatest?
« Reply #47 on: March 02, 2016, 15:04:31 »
None of these suggested "show-off" items will track in AF better than any D4/D5 camera. Quite the contrary.


Sure. But imagine an Acra Swiss with a nice Superwide LF Lens on a Berlebach instead of a Giacometti as the center piece of a living room or study...
You are out there. You and your camera. You can shoot or not shoot as you please. Discover the world, Your world. Show it to us. Or we might never see it.

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Bjørn Rørslett

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Re: Is Nikon the greatest?
« Reply #48 on: March 02, 2016, 15:26:45 »
I have done my duties with various Arca-Swiss cameras over the years, thank you. All formats from 6x9 up to 8x10". The F-Line 6x9 was superb until rain commenced ... The bigger units needed to be tied down with guy ropes if used in wind outdoors. These days, film is long dead. Thus, give me a Nikon any time instead.

Berlebach tripods were horrible for my usual shooting venues which more often than not comprised mud, water, or snow. I had one and used it for firewood later when it had warped all out of true. I ditched the Gitzo back in the early '80s and replaced with Sachtlers. No need to look back except in anger that I procrastinated so long in the switching.

ArendV

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Re: Is Nikon the greatest?
« Reply #49 on: March 02, 2016, 15:58:37 »
With the risk of being attacked by several in this thread now, I think my Nikon V1 on a Berlebach tripod is the greatest  :P

Arend

Jan Anne

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Re: Is Nikon the greatest?
« Reply #50 on: March 02, 2016, 16:04:23 »
With the risk of being attacked by several in this thread now, I think my Nikon V1 on a Berlebach tripod is the greatest  :P
Nahhh, whatever you think is the greatest for you IS the greatest, period ;D

Nice setup btw.
Cheers,
Jan Anne

Frank Fremerey

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Re: Is Nikon the greatest?
« Reply #51 on: March 02, 2016, 17:27:39 »
You are out there. You and your camera. You can shoot or not shoot as you please. Discover the world, Your world. Show it to us. Or we might never see it.

Me: https://youpic.com/photographer/frankfremerey/

Peter Connan

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Re: Is Nikon the greatest?
« Reply #52 on: March 02, 2016, 17:53:57 »
A dog may move more erratically then a model airplane, so it will be more difficult to track. Also your model airplane creates a good contrast to the blue sky with its' orange wings.

Keeping the subject under the active focus point is the photographer's job.

Anything else leaves you no control over the composition.

Yes, irregular movement is tricky and will lead to some missed shots, but assuming the active focus point is kept on the eye (or at least on the dog's face) one should get a high percentage of keepers.

How about these for more difficult subjects?

Frank Fremerey

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Re: Is Nikon the greatest?
« Reply #53 on: March 02, 2016, 18:16:35 »
Peter Connan: The first picture is adorable as such. That said I want to know more about tracking.

Do you use the AF-ON-technique that many Action shooters apply (and I have never even tried in my life)?
You are out there. You and your camera. You can shoot or not shoot as you please. Discover the world, Your world. Show it to us. Or we might never see it.

Me: https://youpic.com/photographer/frankfremerey/

ArendV

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Re: Is Nikon the greatest?
« Reply #54 on: March 02, 2016, 18:28:12 »
Thanks JA and Frank, I am very happy using my Berlebach Report with my Nikkor 300/4 and V1 and to that it looks nice.
Arend

Bjørn Rørslett

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Re: Is Nikon the greatest?
« Reply #55 on: March 02, 2016, 18:35:46 »
Greatest or not, the Nikons and their sundry associated items take up an awful lot of space in my car boot :D (also seen a couple of decent tripods).

By the way, the keen observer will spot the longest zoom lens in my possession, the 360-1200 Nikkor, buried somewhere in the pile.

Frank Fremerey

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Re: Is Nikon the greatest?
« Reply #56 on: March 02, 2016, 18:42:15 »
I alway love to have a look into your car trunk. This equipment is heavily tested!
You are out there. You and your camera. You can shoot or not shoot as you please. Discover the world, Your world. Show it to us. Or we might never see it.

Me: https://youpic.com/photographer/frankfremerey/

Bjørn Rørslett

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Re: Is Nikon the greatest?
« Reply #57 on: March 02, 2016, 19:01:26 »
Unfortunately (or not?), cannot travel abroad with all this stuff as long as I go by air.

Hermann

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Re: Is Nikon the greatest?
« Reply #58 on: March 02, 2016, 21:11:51 »
Unfortunately (or not?), cannot travel abroad with all this stuff as long as I go by air.

Well, getting you camera bag into a plane would be a nightmare.

The holds just aren't big enough for your car.

Hermann

Frank Fremerey

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Re: Is Nikon the greatest?
« Reply #59 on: March 03, 2016, 00:10:31 »
Unfortunately (or not?), cannot travel abroad with all this stuff as long as I go by air.

Try this method instead: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_the_Conqueror
You are out there. You and your camera. You can shoot or not shoot as you please. Discover the world, Your world. Show it to us. Or we might never see it.

Me: https://youpic.com/photographer/frankfremerey/