It's That Time Again...

Story deadline, which means a lot of gnashing of teeth and rubbing of hands as I try to:

1. Figure out what to say, 
2. Figure out how to say it, 
3. Choose the photos, and 
4. Do the 100 other little things that are required.

As my wife always reminds me, I stress out every time I have a deadline, but eventually figure it out. I suppose that'll happen again, but it's always easier looking backward.

The shot above, btw, is another Nikon 1 V1 gem, this time mounted via a RAM suction mount on the lead bike ridden by my good friend Sandy. The V1's AF is good enough to stick the camera on the back of a motorcycle and say to it, "You figure it out. That's what I bought you for."

Thank you for allowing me to procrastinate. Once the deadline fever is past, I've got a Pentax K-3 post on deck. Now back to my deadline...or maybe an empanada or three first...

Nikon 1 V1-Good Enough to be the A Cam?

Next time you're in Barnes & Noble, saunter (or sashay, your choice) over to the magazine rack and pick up a copy of the Feb '14 issue of RoadRUNNER Magazine. My Vermont dual purpose story, "One if by Land, Two if by Sea, Three if by KLR" is in there, and it's one of the first real tests of the Nikon V1 as my A camera. It's been on several trip now as my B cam, and it's done well enough. Well enough to be given a chance as the A cam. The B cam on this trip was that venerable Panasonic GH2 with the versatile 12-35 F2.8. And the C cam was the tiny Pentax Q. It's hard to leave the Q behind because it's so tiny, and with the fisheye and the Q mounted on a monopod I can get some neat POV shots.

Sony, Nikon, Send White Men into Countryside, Await Canon, Others

[frame from Nikon promotional video]

Following the launch of new full frame cameras from both Sony and Nikon (the A7/A7r and the Df), the two giants have joined forces for a unique event, the first annual White Men in the Country Full Frame Retreat (WMCFFR). A weekend of brotherhood and full frame photography, WMCFFR is intended to bring together white male photographers of all different European heritages to walk, take photos, and bond.

Local Man Deludes Self Again, Pre-Orders Nikon Df

And with a click of the mouse, it was done. Local man Brett Boghus has just pre-ordered the new Nikon Df, just hours after it’s official announcement.

“This is the last camera I’ll ever need. It’s got all the features that I want. So the right thing to do is to pre-order it now at the listed retail price because if I don’t, I might not get one from the first shipment and will probably have to wait weeks for it to come. With the holidays coming up, it was prudent to order it now, especially since family is coming in from out of town. I’d hate to miss photos that happen just once in a lifetime.”

The new camera makes his current camera, with which he has taken thousands of good photos (some good enough to post on online discussion boards, others good enough to even print!), now appear wholly inadequate for his needs. When asked if he couldn’t just use his current camera for the holidays, Boghus responded. “I guess that I could, but the new Df has so many more megapickles, better AF, and more ISO than my current camera. I’m sure to get much better shots of Uncle Albert slicing the turkey.” Boghus’ current Nikon camera, a Nikon D700, was well-regarded in its time, but Boghus is clearly looking forward to the new Df. “I compared some test shots of the Df against the D700 and the improvement in ISO12800 shadow noise is quite noticeable at 100%. The candlelit cranberry sauce doesn’t stand a chance this year!” Bhogus said with near childlike delight.

Bhogus was last seen at his computer, tracking his latest camera purchase. “It hasn’t shipped yet, but I’m curious to see if it comes from the Amazon Fulfillment Center in Carlisle, PA. That’s where my Fuji X-Pro1 was shipped from.” Bhogus is having the package sent to his office, for obvious reasons.


More camera "news" can be found on NewCameraNews.com

Canon Congratulates Nikon on Df

In a rare move, Canon congratulated key rival Nikon on the launch of their latest full-frame digital camera in a full page ad in the New York Times.

The ad features a photo of the new Nikon Df–a full frame camera with retro styling-with the simple line, “Good Luck with that.”

Following the launch of the Df, Canon stock is up 10%.

The move, although unusual, is not unprecedented. Following the release of the EOS-M, Nikon ran a full page ad in Japanese trade papers stating, “Nikon Congratulates Canon on the launch of the EOS-M” with the ad illustrated with a tortoise.

[Post inspired by Andrew Reid at EOSHD.com.]

More camera "news" can be found on NewCameraNews.com

Nikon Df: The Camera that Tom Selleck has Been Waiting for

The Nikon Df, A return to ugly.

In an exclusive interview, we sat down with Nikon Df Large Team Leader Suzuki Kawasaki to discuss the inspiration and aspirations of the new dF.

“When I was asked to lead the Nikon Large Df Team, I was very excited. I knew that the Df needed to be special, incorporating the latest technology but also respecting our heritage and the roots of Nikon. Our history is filled with wonderful moments captured by talented photographers using Nikon cameras. So we asked ourselves, ‘what does it mean to be a Nikon? What does it mean to be a Nikonian?’ We were surprised by what we found as we looked back through time-a lot of ugly cameras.”

A Short Rant: The Sometimes Tempestuous Relationship with the Nikon V1

My what a short memory I have! Just a couple of weeks ago I was waxing poetically about the Nikon 1 system, claiming that the V1 was going to become my primary motorcycle travel camera. There's a lot to like about it–the compact body and lenses, the lightning quick AF and FPS, the solid build, etc... The thing just blazes and does a lot of things right. And then I brought it along for my recent motorcycle trip to Kentucky and was quickly reminded of two things that drive me batty about it.

Cracks in the Facade

And so a scant few days after posting the rumored Pentax K-3, I find myself wondering it it's time to move away from the Pentax K-mount. A number of things have happened in the last six months to bring me to this point. One, I've really grown to like the Nikon V1 and am considering further investment in the Nikon 1 system. At first, I bought it as a rig camera, taking some nice intervalometer photos in Maine. Then I promoted it to second camera on my trip to Ontario. And it did well. I shoot with a very flat picture profile, which makes out of the camera RAW files looks kind of "meh", but the files handle pretty aggressive post processing without falling to pieces.

And then the big test came; I brought it on my last VT dual sport trip as the first camera (I also had a Panasonic GH2 along for video and backup). And the V1 did great. No, the image quality isn't at the level of the Pentax K-5, particularly when you push even a smidge beyond ISO400. And it doesn't have much DOF. And the zooms are on the slow end. And so on and so on. But I know that I can get magazine worthy files from this little machines, and I know that the platform will only improve as sensor technology improves and Nikon sees fit to develop more interesting lenses. To that end I've looked at second bodies and just purchased the SB-N7 Speedlight. If I just add the 6.7-13mm wide angle zoom, I'll have the ultimate small camera motorcycle travel kit.

So where does that leave the Pentax K-5 or the upcoming K-3? I'm not shooting events as much as I used to, so a DSLR is not high on my priority list. I'm using smaller sensor cameras to give me telephoto reach, and as I wrote recently, I'm enjoying the small zooms of the smaller formats. I don't think that I'll ever give up having a DSLR completely as they are such good workhorses, but they seem to be moving to the back of the shelf in terms of getting used.

And if I'm going to keep one, maybe I should get one whose lenses can be shared. Maybe I should go back to....Nikon. I started shooting more seriously with a D70 back in 2004 after all. And if I choose my lenses well, I can use them on a Nikon DSLR and on the Nikon 1 with the adapter and also on the GH2 with another adapter. A tri-fecta if there ever was one.

In a perfect, rational world, that is what I should do. Then why do I hesitate?

I Was a Primes Kind of Guy, Until I Wasn't.

I've got a bookshelf full of primes for four different systems–Pentax K, Micro Four-Thirds, Nikon 1, and Pentax Q. I love them dearly, appreciating the diminutive size (when compared to zooms), and photon gathering capabilities. And I also really appreciate their zeitgeist, a notion of elegance and simplicity made manifest in glass, metal, and plastic. In other words, I drank the Kool-Aid suggesting that primes make you a more thoughtful and considered photographer and thus wandered the Earth with a fistful of primes always at the ready. I grew quite adept at changing them on the side of the road too, balancing front and rear caps and two lenses while minimizing the change interval. And when meeting photogs with variable aperture zooms on their cameras, I could say with pride and conviction (and maybe even a hint of dismissiveness), "Oh, I don't have a zoom on this camera. I shoot primes."

Nikon V1 at the Central Jersey Jazz Festival

Took the Nikon V1 to the Central Jersey Jazz Festival. Last year it was the Somerville Jazz Festival, but they've teamed up with New Brunswick now and have beefed up their lineup and marketing. This year's crowd was much bigger, but it was still a really fun, low key event, with everyone sitting in camp chairs on the closed-down street and on the lawn of the country courthouse.

The Nikon V1 was totally in its element–good light, good subjects. I laughed inside at the few that I saw hauling full frame gear–boy their backs must ache LOL. I did shoot some video, which I'm going through now. Here are some stills for now. V1 with the 30-110 zoom.


Donald Harrison


Marcus Strickland


Christian McBride

Roadtrip with a 2013 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid

I'm currently down in Hatteras NC (OBX) with a 2013 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid. Hyundai was kind enough to loan us the car for a one week review, and our first thought was, "let's put some miles on this puppy." So we filled the tank in NJ and 13 hours and 481 miles later we were at the Seaside Inn. And the tank wasn't empty! We averaged nearly 42MPG and stopped for everything but gas - food, ice cream, bathrooms, photo ops. I don't think I've ever driven a car with that much range.

In any case, one of the bags was filled with camera gear, a rolling case from jLab (no, I've never heard of them either) that I poached from Groupon for like $30. Score! The bag's got the following:

• Panasonic GH2 with 12-35 F2.8
• Nikon 1 V1 with 10-30, 30-110, 10/28, and 18/1.8 lenses
• Panasonic LX-7
• Pentax Q with 5-15 and 01 Standard Prime
• Pentax K-01 with FA43
• Merlin Steadicam 2
• Switronix TorchLED light
• small reflector
• chargers, batteries, memory cards
• Apple Macbook Pro
• Apple iPad
• the kitchen sink

The Panasonic LX7 and Nikon 1 have gotten the most use so far; they are just so small and convenient that they always end up in our backpack. The review is for NewMotor, a digital publication, so the highest resolution that we're going to need is for an iPad with Retina Display, 2048 by 1536 pixels. The LX7 and Nikon 1 will be able to handle that no problem; heck nearly all digital cams will be able to handle that.

I feel a bit guilty about bringing the Pentaxes along, or to be more precise, about leaving them behind. They're both great cameras but a luxury for this project. I guess that it's one of those things where if you've got a big bag you'll be sure to fill it. I think I'll bring out the FA43 today; that lens needs a workout...

Go Figure (The Continuing Adventures of the Nikon V1)

Nikon's been in the news a bit lately, primarily because of it's reduced forecasts and admission that their 1 Series cameras aren't doing as well as they had hoped. That's really a shame, because I'm really warming up to the V1. Go figure.

The New Normals

Back in the 70s (when having a big bushy mustache wasn't ironic), the standard kit of most budding photographers included a SLR without the "D" mated with a fast 50. It was F2.0 if you were on a budget, F1.7 if you ate cheese sandwiches for a week, and an F1.4 if you just got that big promotion.* With some change rattling in your piggy bank, you'd save up for a moderate wide around 28mm and a short telephoto of around 105mm and Bob was your uncle.** The fast 50–the normal–got the hardest workout, as it was pretty close to your actual vision and useful in a lot of situations.

The Case Against 1" Sensors

This is last (I think) in a series of ponderings:

The Case Against Full Frame

The Case Against APS-C

The Case Against Micro Four-Thirds

The recent introduction of 1" sensors has been both a bang (Sony RX100) and a "meh" (Nikon 1 series) in the world camerascenti. Sony is clearly on a roll with their sensors, as the one in the RX100 is a peach. The 28mm f1.8 at the wide end adds to the charm, and pushes the compact point-and-shoot deep into entry-level DSLR and mid-level Micro Four-Thirds territory in terms of both price and image quality. The Internet is filled with gushing praise for the achievement of this camera. Putting a comparatively large sensor in a point-and-shoot body is something that has never been done before the RX100 (at least in our digital age), and people were rightly chuffed at the image quality they could stuff in their pocket. Like any camera, it has its flaws–the lens is slow on the long end, controls are more consumer electronics than camera, etc...–but Sony really caught Panasonic (LX7), Olympus (XZ-2), Canon (G15), and Nikon (P7something or other) off guard. Each, undoubtedly was too far into their product development cycle to change course, so they released the cameras that they had in the pipeline. And pity poor Pentax, just entering the fray with the brassy MX-1, only to find that the party's moved on. It will be interesting to see how the serious compact segment evolves from here, but it's a fair bet that more next generation cameras will be sporting the 1" sensor. That's not to say that the smaller sensor compacts don't have a place; I am enjoying the LX7 immensely, especially at it's lower price point–I thank the Sony RX100 for that. And the smaller sensor of the LX7 enables Panasonic to fit a really fast lens (24-90mm f1.4-2.3 EQ) in a small package; that's likely the reason the sensor in the LX7 is smaller than the sensor in the LX5. Panasonic's not the only one betting on smaller sensors; Pentax has stated publicly that they are fully committed to the tiny Q.

Nikon V1 Compendium is Published

If your interested in the Nikon V1 and the Nikon 1 system, here's a collection of my most interesting posts:

Nikon V1 Compendium

Enjoy!

Nikon Hits 1 Deep (Final thoughts on the V1)

The big slugger steps up to the plate and the baseball stadium gathers its collective breath to watch; the beer runs and bathroom breaks will have to wait a minute longer, because nobody wants to be the schlub that was in the can when the highlight reel homer was launched into low earth orbit. The numbers tell us that the odds of missing the homer are slim, but the royal we stay anyway because we're a sucker for drama.

Nikon V1 + 18.5mm f/1.8 go to a Birthday Party

In my continuing quest to test the limits of the Nikon V1 and 18.5mm f/1.8 lens, I took the camera to my great-niece's second birthday. The setting is a typical house interior (dimly lit for photography purposes) on a cold winter day. In other words, not a lot of light.

For this test, I also decided to let the camera do all the work. I set the V1 to the automagic Scene Selector mode and let it handle all of the AF selection, aperture, shutter, and ISO. The biggest challenge would be light levels and moving, candid subjects. I didn't shoot a lot as I was too busy eating and chatting with family. But here's the best of the litter:

1/100s, f/1.8, ISO500

This is a JPG still shot while shooting video. This is one of the cool tricks of the V1 and it works pretty well. The only downside is that the resolution matches the video resolution, so this is 1920x1080 which ends up being around 2 megapickles.

High FPS with the Nikon 1 V1 indoors

Playing around with the 30FPS RAW of the Nikon 1 V1. The fast 50 (18.5mm f/1.8) helps here in the dim indoor light.

I've actually had to halve the number of frames in order to keep file size down. The high speed performance of the Nikon 1 really is fun and makes five, six, and seven FPS of DSLRs seem rather pedestrian.

Good food in bad light.

Nikon V1 with 18.5mm f/1.8 @ 1/60s, f/1.8, ISO400

A new restaurant, Yamataka Tea Room, opened in town, in one of those spaces that never seems to flourish; every town has a space like it. We went there to try their tea as well as some dumplings and buns. The owners speak with the thick Chinese accents of recent immigrants, which made us hopeful that the food would be authentic and tasty. It was. It was all freshly made.

Flores Flora with the Nikon V1 with 18.5mm f/1.8

More flora from the Flores residence. No flowers though, except for the name.

1/125, f/2.0, ISO400

With a close focus distance that's a shim under 8.5", the 18.5mm f/1.8 does a reasonable impersonation of a macro lens. Well, not quite, but it will let those that dabble in the close arts take a pretty picture. More serious macrotogs will no doubt be looking for more purpose built gear such as the FT1 adapter to use micro-Nikkor lenses with. The 1" CX sensor will give DX and FX lenses additional reach along with deeper depth of field, something most macrotogs appreciate. I haven't shot with the FT1 adapter myself, but here's someone that has.