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Photo

Single lens in July, take 2


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112 replies to this topic

#1
Merco_61

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How about this challenge:
Shoot daily with a single lens the whole month.
It can be any lens you like or want to get to know better.
 

We did this last year with some stunning photos from all participants.
This year, I even remembered to start the challenge in time!

 

Please comment on the challenge, You will *not* be flamed for topicshift. I think the usual unwritten rule on unsolicited critique should stand, though. It is a simple one, just one word (or two). ”Don’t”



#2
g4aaw pete

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Thanks for the suggestion Peter - I shall have a go with a prime - perhaps a zoom would defeat the object of the exercise!



#3
lightcapture

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Thanks for the challenge. I'd be glad to participate in this after July 10. I'm on vacation before and what to shoot a variety of lenses. My go to prime is a 35mm and I used that mostly in my film days and w/ a fixed lens mirrorless as my only camera for 4 years so I feel comfortable with it. But I could go crazy and use my 24mm for the rest of the month as a change up. That may be interesting,



#4
krag96

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Last year I used my Nikkor 20-35mm f2.8 D  ED on a D700 and used the entire spectrum of the lens and never felt like I was cheating.  The purpose is to get to know the lens, and that mission was accomplished, (though sometimes panting and wheezing toward the end).    

 

If we remind Peter in October, or someone else can open it, a ''Normal in November'' challenge where we use a 50mm (or equivalent for DX) lens for the month.  We did that two years ago, and if anything, it gave a new appreciation for the regular old 50mm focal length.  We should do that again this year. 

 

This year I'll probably use my Nikkor 80-200mm f2.8 D  ED and again use it's full spectrum of focal lengths and apertures and even push it to new heights in light capture, (yeah, I have a few things I want to try that this lens hasn't done yet and conventional wisdom says it shouldn't do-we shall see).  



#5
Merco_61

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I want to put the 16-50 kit lens through its paces on the Z fc and see what I can do with this compact combo. 
 

Going for a Normalvember challenge again will be fun. Someone, please remins me in October.



#6
fallout666

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I want to put the 16-50 kit lens through its paces on the Z fc and see what I can do with this compact combo. 
 

Going for a Normalvember challenge again will be fun. Someone, please remins me in October.

 

you know me i will only use one lens this season nothing good for me to shoot up-close. since sports photographer. so will be 120-300mm or unless hit china town in los angles. if do only 28-75mm being use for street and other photography 



#7
Merco_61

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Here we go!

 

July 1 is tomorrow.

 

Remember to charge your batteriets and go out with your cameras this month. It will be interesting to see what we can show each other. 
 

Those of you that will start late, why not shoot for a full month? It is an informal challenge, after all. 

 

I won't copy/paste the EXIF in my posts, but as I use the gallery space here onsite, you can just follow the photo link and open the Options>View EXIF properties menu.



#8
fallout666

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Here we go!

 

July 1 is tomorrow.

 

Remember to charge your batteriets and go out with your cameras this month. It will be interesting to see what we can show each other. 
 

Those of you that will start late, why not shoot for a full month? It is an informal challenge, after all. 

unless in so cal not good right now in FL to humid 



#9
Merco_61

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The weather was wet this morning.

 

This man has sat here every late morning I have passed by the Sub shop since they opened about 15 years ago.

gallery_1251_819_331190.jpg

 

gallery_1251_819_1019184.jpg

 

I am wet, I am miserable and I have lost one horn, go away!

gallery_1251_819_340057.jpg

 

gallery_1251_819_18143.jpg

 

gallery_1251_819_602957.jpg



#10
g4aaw pete

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My choice, the most recent acquisition – Sigma 12-24mm D f4.5-5.6 DG HSM & D800E

 

This evening’s output, all at 12mm.

 

The Blue Flag Beach

wXMvdup.jpg

 

1/2000

f4.5

ISO 250

 

Regimented beach huts

l8TTGOZ.jpg

 

1/640

f8

ISO 250

 

Beach sunstar

XLBTclK.jpg

 

1/1600

f20

ISO 250

EV -3.0

 



#11
krag96

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D700  Nikkor 80-200 f2.8 AF  IF D  ED

 

200mm f9  1/200 M 1250

 

Nose to the ground on a hot day

 

NpDXtnol.jpg



#12
Merco_61

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A nice start to the month, both of you. 
Pete, be careful with those sun stars, shooting into the sun can be harmful to both eye and camera, even if it is an overcast day.

krag96, nice shot, but I have a feeling you might be a bit diffraction-limited here. I have had all three versions of the 16-element 80-200 and they were all slightly soft wide open and started going soft again from f/7.1, so I tried to use them between f/3.5 and f/6.3. This was in the film days, but the AGFA CT-18 I used had similar resolution to the D700 sensor.



#13
g4aaw pete

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A nice start to the month, both of you. 
Pete, be careful with those sun stars, shooting into the sun can be harmful to both eye and camera, even if it is an overcast day.

krag96, nice shot, but I have a feeling you might be a bit diffraction-limited here. I have had all three versions of the 16-element 80-200 and they were all slightly soft wide open and started going soft again from f/7.1, so I tried to use them between f/3.5 and f/6.3. This was in the film days, but the AGFA CT-18 I used had similar resolution to the D700 sensor.

 

Good point well made Peter.

If pointing at the sun, I only have a very quick glance at the viewfinder. I certainly wouldn't do this in 'live view', for the reason you mentioned.

Overall, it's a practice best avoided as the result is never 'quite' what I wanted.



#14
krag96

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A nice start to the month, both of you. 
Pete, be careful with those sun stars, shooting into the sun can be harmful to both eye and camera, even if it is an overcast day.

krag96, nice shot, but I have a feeling you might be a bit diffraction-limited here. I have had all three versions of the 16-element 80-200 and they were all slightly soft wide open and started going soft again from f/7.1, so I tried to use them between f/3.5 and f/6.3. This was in the film days, but the AGFA CT-18 I used had similar resolution to the D700 sensor.

I'll review a few past photos that are very sharp and look at the histograms.  I did notice a few slightly out of focus shots when the pup was moving, I'm going to try shifting my focus setting around, I thought I had it on Matrix, but looking at it a second time I found it was on Center Weighted, (I'm used to shooting on Spot metering).  I'll give your suggestion a try though, ( it's my favorite lens). 

 

Pete,

 

When I shoot the sun, I never shoot a full sun for the reasons Peter suggested.  I shoot partial suns, screened by a cloud, tree, horizon, (rising or setting) building, or about any object.  I'm not at all familiar with your Sigma lens, it's rare I see a six point sun star though.  My old Nikkors produce eighteen points of light. 

 

X3R7Xckl.jpg

 

DH9Gs2jl.jpg?1

 

When my brain goes numb and I can't think of anything else to shoot, there's usually an interesting sky.

 

3vrMkBml.jpg

 

Street lights at night are also pretty good makers of stars.

 

E0zBVpOl.jpg

 

All photos on this post are old and from my files.



#15
krag96

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This post is going to be a bit picture heavy.  This is a learning thread, I took a bunch of shots at a wide variety of f-stops and exposures.  The WB is on auto, I kept the ISO at 200 and the lens at 200mm for each shot.  Spot Metered all shots.  I don't see much difference from f2.8-f13 which is where I couldn't hand hold the camera steady due to so slow of a shutter speed needed to keep ISO  200.

 

Nikon D700  Nikkor 80-200mm f2.8  AF  IF E  ED

 

1/125  f6.3

 

600JxYRh.jpg

 

1/60  f6.3

 

Qivknyfh.jpg

 

1/400  f2.8

 

dRp0vhhh.jpg

 

1/640  f2.8

 

jrIYjHwh.jpg

 

1/640  f2.8

 

PrJw7z4h.jpg

 

1/640  f2.8

 

OUduMcTh.jpg

 

1/640  f2.8

 

sb7KKEGh.jpg

 

1/400  f2.8

 

ei9uU1ch.jpg

 

1/125  f5

 

TqqKffeh.jpg

 

1/200  f5

 

oBrdlzih.jpg

 

1/200 f5

 

SckfFrAh.jpg

 

1/40  f9

 

4x516Tuh.jpg

 

1/20  f13

 

nAMgdo6h.jpg

 

1/40  f13

 

iizunvgh.jpg



#16
Merco_61

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Today was less miserable! 

 

These are both from the same little square. Quite a bit of difference by moving 5 meters and looking north instead of west.

gallery_1251_819_411593.jpg

 

gallery_1251_819_429309.jpg



#17
Merco_61

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krag96, if you look at the left eye in the last f/2.8 shot, the left eye in the last f/5 shot and the right eye in the f/9 shot and enlarge a bit, you might notice that there is definition in the flecks in the iris @ f/5 that is missing in the other two. Congratulations on nailing the focus on the eye in those three, by the way. The difference in "bite" due to light scatter wide open in the f/2.8 case and diffraction in the f/9 case is subtle, but it is there. 

 

I should add that I checked this on a wide-gamut calibrated EIZO reference monitor that reveals these details better than a normal office or gaming monitor does.



#18
g4aaw pete

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Before we'd discussed sunstars & the need for trees, I was up at the ridiculous hour of 6:20am taking this:

 

ud94Nek.jpg

 

D800E

12mm

1/80

f22

ISO 1000

 

This evening, a wander through Westgate.

 

St. Saviour's Parish Church

 

4u7be1p.jpg

P6lHA98.jpg

 

19mm

1/800

f8

ISO 800

 

Antique shop attention grabber:

 

twjzfYV.jpg

 

13mm

1/400

f8

ISO 1250

 

Finally, an evening train from Westgate station:

 

wrUKF2a.jpg

 

24mm

1/200

f8

ISO 1250
 



#19
krag96

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That's a fine set, Pete! 



#20
g4aaw pete

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That's a fine set, Pete! 

 

Thank you.

New surroundings - new opportunities.

I probably read that somewhere.


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