D100 lenses and kit and other beginner's questions

ydobon · #1 03-10-2003, 11:54 AM

Hi, firstly, many apologies for the long post (I write fast and a little on the longwinded side). Just a bit.

After using a CP880 for three years, and learning and maximizing its limits, I am getting ready to buy a D100 (after saving all my lunch money for three years. Scout's Honor!). I've done a little bit of homework and here's what I came up with. WOuld love comments, welcome constructive criticisms and wittycisms (is that a word), so I can avoid wasting my lunch money.

1. Lenses
I shoot mainly street performers and people in New York C., up close, and some landscape (twilight New York scenes with sky backgrounds). I think of it as a photojournalist approach to art (I know, I'm full of my self

, but, in my defense, self-delusional, too

). I have settled on the nikkor 24-85 2.8, and the 50mm 1.4. But, I totally despise the flash, especially when shooting people I am coming into contact with for the very first time. I find people are more tolerant when they're not getting blinded by the Men In Black memory eraser the flash represents. Besides, being that I am still a student at this, I nearly crack my brains trying to learn how to properly use one (Dumb question# 1: WHat are slow-rear techniques anyway?) Will I benefit from going the extra $1000 miles with the 28/1.4? Does this--last-lens provide any zoom? Or will I be able to get a decent portrait shot say around dusk out in the street, without flash, with the 24-85/2.8? Now, can I get 3/4 of the body with a 50mm/1.4 of a street dancer if am say 2-6 feet close (and no flash)? Can I get 4 drummers sitting on a park bench side by side (again, no flash) with this lens? Any other lenses out there for low available light? With a little bit of wide angle (24-28)? Any CHEAPER options (that would help tremendously)?

2. Tripod & ballhead
My need is to travel light, setup fast, pack and move on a dime.
I've chosen to get the Acrotech Ultimate ballhead and a Gitzo 1128. Are these decent choices? Or am I a novice-knucklehead tumbling toward future migraines? Any good and/or bad field experiences with these items? Any other recomendations?

3. Flashcard?
I would like to print as large as possible (possible gallery displays), and so I hear I have to shoot RAW in order to do this. How true is it? ALso, I love adjusting and callibrating in the PC afterwards (using Photsohop Elements 2 and ACDSee for browsing and archiving). Can I print large with the JPEGS? SO, if RAW is indeed necessary, I am leaning to the Lexars, but find their press releases (PR) for their upcoming 40X and their 32X confusing. This is made worse by the write acceleration (WA) technology. The PR for the 32X claims that the cards should attain WA speeds (40X) with selected cameras (D100 included). Can someone verify this? The advantage would be that I would buy 1 unit of the 32X 2GB card, as opposed to being forced to buy 2 units of the largest storage in the 40X line, the 1GB.

4. Camera plate.
I've selected the Real Right Stuff's D100 camera plate. Comments? Other recommendations?

5. Batteries
Any recomendations. Normally I shoot anywhere between 2-5 hours, and then I run out of card space, or interest, or light, or the girlfriend starts to give me mean looks or to call me on the phone with strained tones. So, getting a second battery should be enough, right?

6. Dumb questions:
#2 What is a "candid" shot anyway? In my defense, although a "made" New Yorker of 21 years, I'm still an immigrant at heart and so some expressions and slang still go right over my head.
#3 Any web address with school-type workshops (FREE, please) I can use to enhance my skills?
#4 I absolutely love NYC subay system. But was warned by police officers that I can not shoot down there without a NYC permit. The thing is the permit is issued if one can show insurance worth $1,000,000.00 macaroos!!! That is insane. The Big hollywood studios afford it no problem. But would-be-artists, students-of-the-game like yours truly are left out in the cold, or face summonses, or impounding of one's camera equipment without a permit. Apparently, because of spionage fears during WWII, a law was created to prohibit still photography in the subway system becasue, as NYC was the ship out port then, the subway was drenched with American GI's going to war. Now the only Defenders of the mother land we get out here are "On The Town" navy types looking all charming and bright eyed in the early evenings and all raggedy and filled to the rim the next morning on their way to their ships (always just a handful of them in the sunnier months). So! I feel discriminated agaisnt as an artist. I want to document my fellow NYkrs for history and for the future. And nowhere are they more alive than under the easrth. Who can help me bring up a legal challenge to this draconian law which the MTA is obviosuly abusing in order to get big money? Am I not protected by the first ammendment tp document anything anywhere anytime?

Finally, many thanks for your patience.

RobertBurmaster · #2 04-03-2003, 10:43 AM

Pakal9

Not sure if this is still valid for you, but here are a couple of links that focus on Nikon equipment and photography. This site is full of great information as well.

http://dpreview.com/forums/forum.asp?forum=1021 (have some great info in there, but unfortunatly have a bunch of whinning also (in my opinion), you will have to sort through the BS). They have some very talented and well educated professional posts.

http://www.nikonians.org/cgi-bin/dcforum/dcboard.cgi (This one is pretty good too for equipment questions without the BS involved at DP Review)

Good luck

ydobon · #3 04-16-2003, 02:02 PM

Hey, sorry for taking so long. I have visited those sites, but you're right, one has to filter 70% of the stuff. I think I need to post the single questions separately. But anyway, am getting answers on my own here and there. So I am getting there, even if like a turtle. Thanks again.

joed · #4 04-22-2003, 01:36 PM

Rear curtain sync is achieved by setting your flash on rear, and shooting as slow as you can to get streams of light in your image. The flash fires before the shutter closes not at the time your press the trigger. Example: for a 3 second exposure, your flash will fire at the end of the shot not at the time you press the shutter release. Good for live performance where flash is permitted (rare) or street scenes at night or, my favorite, club scenes.

A candid shot is simply an image taken without the knowledge of the subject. For example, sitting at the fountain in Washington Square Park with a long lens.

The faster the flash card, the better the performance.

If you can find a copy of Bruce Davidson's book "Subway," some interesting images. One thing to note is that he lost ten grand worth of equipment shooting that book. I wouldn't worry about NYC Cops more than offending someone and having a confrontation. Hey, we use our street smarts, if I get a bad feeling....... Also, the permit thing in NYC also pertains to tripod setup in public places. It depends on the police, we've shot CD covers in the subway but were just lucky to pull it off with no police presence. Also shot with tripod at Grand Central and Penn Station. First amendment does not apply, they call it a safety issue. With the law, we are not even permitted to setup a tripod at Times Square, I've been told to fold it up on a few occasions.

Lens choice. The 28 f1.4 is a great piece of equipment. We find out what our needs are with digital after shooting for a while. The lens conversion changes everything.