The NIKON Thread (Talk About Nikon Stuff here)

[dj_mocok]

This thread needs a bit more Nikon sample picture goodness.

[Edwood]

Been playing around with a D80 and D200. Nikon is renowned for their flash system and it shows. Pics taken with a flash (even the on camera pop up flash) are much better metered and exposed than my Pentax.

But under indoor lighting without a flash, the Nikons take overly warm yellow pics. I've tried to tweak the WB manually, and it still looks bad. I have to tweak it alot in Photoshop otherwise.

Also, I'm not all that impressed with the contrast and color overall without the use of a flash. Not as contrasty and saturated as my Pentax.

But the AF system is a lot faster and accurate than my Pentax for sure.

In the end, I prefer the image quality from Pentax, but Nikon is a lot faster and easier to use.

-Ed

[lan]

Originally Posted by Edwood

OK, I need a new bag to carry my gear now.

I have 5 for multiple configurations. Welcome to club multibag and multibody!

Originally Posted by Edwood

In the end, I prefer the image quality from Pentax, but Nikon is a lot faster and easier to use.

You sure it's not the lens you're using? have any examples?

[Samgotit]

Originally Posted by lan

I have 5 for multiple configurations. Welcome to club multibag and multibody!

I'm an arrangement FREAK! We're different than neat freaks; neat freaks must have things in order all the time. Arrangement freaks want stuff to fit perfectly, in its very own home, but don't necessarily need to have things in order at all times. In accordance with this, I have 4 bags for different configs, and I'm always on the look out for a better solution.


*Canon user backs out of thread, never taking his eyes off the Nikon mob*

We do read your thread you know.

[jmmtn4aj]

Originally Posted by Edwood

Also, I'm not all that impressed with the contrast and color overall without the use of a flash. Not as contrasty and saturated as my Pentax.

In the optimize image field- +2 saturation, medium/high contrast, 3deg hue, +2 sharpening, Ia colourspace for skin, IIIa colourspace for landscape

[Mrvile]

Originally Posted by jmmtn4aj

In the optimize image field- +2 saturation, medium/high contrast, 3deg hue, +2 sharpening, Ia colourspace for skin, IIIa colourspace for landscape

lol, I'm exactly opposite.

My parameters are: Contrast -2, Sharpness 0, Hue 0, Saturation -2

I prefer using lower contrast and saturation to ensure that I get no clipping or lose any image information. I then work the contrast, saturation, and sharpness later in Photoshop as I see fit. Photoshop's processing is a LOT better than in-camera processing.

[Edwood]

Nikon's color and contrast are rather poor with artificial lighting indoors. With sunlight it's much better.

Shooting the same subject with a flash, and it is far improved.

So far shooting with a D80 and D200, I'm getting the same results, except the D80 keeps overexposing in most cases.

I can get much better pics with my Pentax ist DS with 35mm f/2 with no flash.

But the AF system is so slow and piss poor in low light.

So if the Pentax K10D has better AF system, I may end up ditching Nikon.

I am very proficient with Photoshop, but I just don't want to do that much work on nearly every single image I shoot.

-Ed

[jjcha]

Hmm, so the 18-200 VR came in today. Man, this is a small lens. I guess I'm just used to "L" sized lenses (hah, I made a funny) on DSLR.

Quick question - does anyone else experience an odd visual shaking once in a while with a VR lens? It's almost like the lens shakes 3 times when the VR turns on (or at least when I turn the camera on). Is this normal (this is my first Nikon VR lens)?

EDIT: Hmm, it doesn't appear VR related. It's auto-focus related. If I turn off auto-focus, it doesn't do the shake thing. My understanding is that there's a rod inside the D200 that connects to the lens to auto-focus for lenses without such motors there-in. It's almost like this rod is trying to connect with the lens, shaking it 4 times, before disengaging or something.

EDIT2: Wait, maybe it's not an auto-focus issue but a VR issue. When I have the lens on manual focus, but the VR engaged on the lens, it does the clickly shakey thing. The view in the viewfinder does jump around pretty significantly with each click - you can feel the lens and body vibrate with each of the 4 clicks (it is 4 and consistently 4 clear clicks/shakes) when something engages.

EDIT3: Hmm, don't have that issue with the 70-300 VR I've got here either... interesting. Might just be a defective lens.

Best,

-Jason

[Edwood]

Originally Posted by jjcha

Quick question - does anyone else experience an odd visual shaking once in a while with a VR lens? It's almost like the lens shakes 3 times when the VR turns on (or at least when I turn the camera on). Is this normal (this is my first Nikon VR lens)?

LOL, I'm the opposite, I'm so used to small prime lenses, this lens is huge compared to my other ones.

As for the visual shaking, yeah, is it an almost distortion type shaking, not particularly a violent shake. I see it happen in two different ones.

-Ed

[Edwood]

Here's a pic I took with my D80 with the 50mm f/1.8 lens, no flash.



natural light is sunlight from the window.

-Ed