Common items

It's a common Lynx Spider and a common flower which can be found in any grass patches. But I still want to shoot to bring the best of of it.

D600 w 100mm Tokina + raynox250

Domke F803 & Nikkor 200mm F4 Q & WU-1B

The shipment from B and H USA arrived one day in advance. I was happy to know that the small domke F803 can fit my D600 with 24-85mm attached , a 100mm f2.8 and a 200mmf4. The inner front 2 pockets is spacious enough to put a water bottle and SB-400 flash and other accessories like batteries.

The rugged look is the one that attracts me. It look more like a messenger bag than a camera bag. On the back Slot, a IPAD can be fitted too.
This bag may look small during the first impression but I realised it can do more.It is one of my favorite bags. The colour of this bag matches the nature surrounding too. It cost at US$109 and with shipment it cost around US$150. Converted to Singapore dollars, it cost about $195 SGD. In one of our reputable shops here, it is selling at SGD268.

One bad thing about the Domke F803 is the clip-on for the main flap. I find it is stiff and difficult to open/closed. So i have a solution- I bought a $0.80 carabiner hook for easy handling.,

I usually will buy 2-3 items from B and H to ammortised the shippment costs. Thus I get the cheap Niikor 200mmf Q at US$89 only.

The 200mm Nikkor lens is a pre-AI lens but it was modified to AI thus my D600 is able to use it (meter, aperture set etc). I actually been wanting to buy the newer 180mmf2.8 or the 80-200mmf2.8 but worried I may  seldom use this range. So I bought this lens to see if the focal length match  my shooting style. If worst case, I really like this focal length length, I will resell it and buy the newer lens. I believed with the new DF Nikon FX retro DSLR, manual lens will be in demand again. This old lens is ok, but I think the lens construction is unable to match the D600 high resolution. As long I do not pixel-peep, the sharpness and contrast is there.

I also bought a Nikon Wireless adapter WU-1b. I buy it in preparation of my Australia trip in December. I can easily transfer my images to Ipad during my free time.

Domke F803 and Nikkor 200mm f4 Q (ai modified)

my own carabiner hook for easy access.

Able to put a IPAD behind.

Shot by Nikkor 200mm with raynox 250

Low light shoot with 24-85mm Kit lens

I brought a D600 and the kit lens to the S.E.A Ocean restaurant in Sentosa island. It is a fine dining place with the giant aquarium as the main attraction. The lighting is low and I try shooting it at ISO6400 and above without flash. Only the group photo is with flash.The result are astonishing.

Domke F803 and Nikkor 200mm f4 Q

I have just purchase online from B&H USA the Domke F803 Rugged wear and aNikkor 200mmf4 Q (Ai modified) lens. The package should be arriving this coming friday.

I am very excitied about the f803 Domke bag which will replace my F5-XB domke. I need a bigger bag now as I have added the 200mm f4 lens. The F5XB is able to carry my D600 plus 2 lens.

Will update when the stuff arrived.

Time lapse photography D600

I have upload into youtube for better resolution viewing. Most of the shots are taken by a Nikon 50mmf1.8 set at f8. The built-in time lapsed function in D600 is fun and easy to use. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fKayptsNeOc&feature=youtu.be

Does Fullframe matters?

When I was a mirrorless camera user and when I was in the m4/3 format, I have to admit I try to adjust my shooting so the end results looks like a Fullframe sensors. In the end, the result seems to be ok until I use the true fullframe sensor. It is hard to explain in words, the fullframe do look more pleasing and to get a creamy background is much more easier. I can still get creamy background even on a compact camera, but more effort and thoughts are required. The below photo of the butterfly with the nice creamy background was easy (100mm f2.8) to achieve even I was standing quite far from the subject. If I am using OM-D (m4/3), i may need to move in further with a 60mmf2.8 lens.(equivalent-120mm)

Other advantages of the Fullframe(FF) have been discussed and compared many times. The immediate advantage for me, if the FF is able to pull back the exposure even if it is 2 or 3 stops under/over due to the higher dynamic range.

With the new Sony A7/A7r Fullframe mirrorless, it will again set many photographers into thinking. It does matters. The fullframe output is now at almost same body size as a Olympus EM-1 (m4/3 sensors).
Some may be quick to hammer that the lens for A7 system will be huge and has no significant size saving but I bet the lure of Fullframe will be great as the price of the A7 with same sensor as D610/D600 is much cheaper than the DSLR.

For me I will still be holding on to my D600 mainly due to available low priced but good quality lens in the Nikon lineup. For me, when I go out to buy a camera system, I usually will hunt for the lens I need for my shooting style and if the price is ok vs the quality before choosing the camera body. So lens choices are important for me.

With the A7/A7r, the scene of photography just like when Olympus launched E-p1, will change. I believe the DSLR segment will be open to more FullFrame models with smaller/cheaper body.

Two hoppers 1 stem

Sometimes we are so addicted to getting closer and closer to macro. We buy extension tubes, magnify filters and crop the image to get close-up. But at times a normal macro shot is also interesting and getting the moment right needs more patience.

Here is my favorite of the day. D600 and 100mm Tokina