Morning in the Garden

Let me preface this post with a few details about using a Nikon D80. “Why?” You ask.  The D80 shares the same CCD sensor as the Nikon D200, a 10 MP DSLR.  Unlike the D200, it does not meter with non-AF lenses, because that’s Nikon. Always dumbing down their “consumer-level” cameras.  I have a Nikon D200 (and D300, D7200 and Df), but the D80 is smaller, lighter, and it cost me $60.  Shooting it with manual lenses is almost like shooting a film camera, but with the instant satisfaction of seeing if your exposure is right.  While the camera does not know the aperture, you can easily change the shutter speed via the thumb wheel on the body, or change the aperture on the lens, or adjust the ISO to get what you feel is a good exposure.  Also, here’s where knowing the exposure triangle and estimating the light comes in handy.  The fact is, I also like the color rendering of those CCD sensors, and even shooting in B&W mode I get pretty good approximations of b&w film.

You can take excellent photographs with an old DSLR.  When the D80/D200 came out, they were considered to be excellent cameras, and they still are. Don't fall for the fallacy that you need the absolute latest digital to get great photos.  

I have used the Lensbaby Velvet 56 since 2018, and on a film body, it’s quite incredibly versatile. Wide-open at f/1.6 gives you some serious out of focus blur and a glow that’s really something. Stop down more than f/4, it is quite good, and since it close-focuses to the macro level, it’s great for flowers, etc.  I’ve shot with it on my full frame Nikon Df, and of course, everything works in A mode.  But on the D80, it’s going to be equivalent to about an 85mm lens in coverage, and I have to expose in manual mode.  Not a big deal for an experienced photographer. I’m not looking for perfection, I’m looking to make art.

Some of the images from this morning in Lightroom

So, this morning I took the D80 out into our garden. It had rained a bit overnight, the sky was cloudy, and very little wind. Perfect for what I wanted to do.  I set the ISO at 250 and upped it to 400 when I wanted to shoot at smaller apertures.  Most of the time I shot at f/4 to f/8, but in a few instances, I shot at f/2.8 and f/1.6.  

At f/5.6

At f/1.6 - wide open.   That's some glow.

I have been photographing flower closeups with DSLRs since 2006, and it’s great using odd lenses and experimenting with instant feedback and then making some adjustments.  That’s the beauty of an SLR, whether it’s film or digital.  And while I have also done similar photographs with mirrorless, I like using an SLR better, since I am seeing directly through the viewfinder, not an electronic rendering.  Plus, the battery lasts so much longer in a DSLR.  That’s my preference, and it doesn’t mean that you have to do it my way.  

I'd call this painterly.  Wide-open.

One of the things about the Lensbaby Velvet 56 that I like is that it can be a sharp lens when stopped down, but it can also give a dreamy velvety glow to images at wider apertures, and today, I really had some fun with it.  I did about 100 exposures in 30 minutes, just walking through out wildflower meadow and our more traditional garden.  The rain drops and soft light were perfect for what I wanted, and I got the shots.  

Senna leaves with drops

Virginia Spider-Wort

Purple Cone Flower is always a great subject

Hosta flowers

These Crocosmia flowers look like glass

Hydrangeas 

Hydrangea leaf

Hydrangea leaf

I sometimes feel that I am chasing down some unattainable level of perfection.  Maybe you do too.  In the end, if you like your results, that is what counts. If an image conveys an emotion, captures a feeling, a suspended moment that is beautiful, you got something that’s worthwhile.  Maybe it won’t happen again that day, but unless you are out shooting, you’ll never know.  That is one of the great aspects of photography.  Sometimes it comes easily, and sometimes it requires a lot of work.  I like being able to walk outside and have that opportunity to explore nature’s beauty right in my yard.

Ladie's Mantle leaves

Coreopsis flower

More Coneflower at f/2.8 or so

Coneflower at f/5.6

DSLRs will never go away for me

 

My D300 with the Sigma 18-50 f/2.8 zoom

With most of the manufacturers going all-in on the mirrorless craze, you'd think the DSLRs are dinosaurs.  With film cameras, SLRs have always been my preferred platform, no matter the manufacturer. My first real camera was an SLR, and that's the way that I have been photographing for a long, long, time. My first DSLR was a Nikon D70s, and I used that camera for almost 10 years before I sold it.  I've shot with a lot of different digital cameras, including the m4/3 Olympus, Nikon 1 system, Fuji X100s, and my latest mirrorless, a Canon EOS M5.  However, were I to consistently use a DSLR, it comes down to a Nikon D3100 - mostly for ebay shots, as it sits on a tripod in my "studio."  My APS-C DSLR for anything else is my D300.  It's a rock solid DSLR that I can trust in any conditions, and works with a lot of lenses.  The only significant downside is that it uses Compact Flash (CF) cards, and not SD cards.  It has sat in the drawer for a while, unused, because I was getting a CHA error message on the 32GB card, and sometimes with a 4 GB card.  I tried a bunch of 1 GB CF cards and no problems. Hmm... I ordered a new 4GB CF card that arrived yesterday and it's fine, so yay!  For me, the D300's 12MP are enough for anything I do, and for macrophotography, it's absolutely great.  

My full-frame (FX) DSLR is a Nikon Df, with 16 MP, and again, it's a wonderful camera that uses all of my manual and AF lenses just fine.  It's what I pick up when I want to make great images.  It's paired right now with an old 28mm f/3.5 that was factory AI'd. so it works great as a manual lens on the Df.

My point with all this is that I refrained from switching to a Nikon mirrorless Z system because, dammit, I am not made of money, and second, my suite of lenses does everything I need.  The new lenses for those mirrorless Nikons are even bigger than the ones I already have.  There's an insane amount of money being spent by people that think they need a newer system.  Maybe some do, but at what point is there a diminishing return?  I see people saying they need the latest and greatest because they are gear jockeys and to them, that's their thing. Fine. It's your money.  

However, the thing is - I don't trust Electronic Viewfinders.  Sure, I use one on my EOS M5, but that's a special purpose camera, not my main one.  With a DSLR, I have a viewfinder that's a direct and immediate connection to what I am seeing.  That's how I do photography. I shoot a DSLR like I shoot film.  

So, my now more dependable D300 will get more use, and believe me, it's a great DSLR.  The controls are perfectly placed.  Also, neither my D300 or Df do video.  I'm not a video person, and the fact is, the latest cameras concentrate so much on video, that they lack some functions that appeal to still photographers. Making video-less DSLRs or even mirrorless models, would drop their prices considerably.  I think that's the real crime with these new cameras, and maybe also a reason for some to shoot film cameras - there's no video feature.  My iPhone can certainly handle any short video I may need to do.  Maybe I'm just a curmudgeon, but I bet there are a lot of photographers that would agree with me.  Manufacturers - don't turn every camera into a video camera. make some good, robust, still cameras that appeal to still photographers!  Maybe the Df is the last of the still-only, and that's why I love it.

Quick Trip - One Camera

Last weekend I drove to Ann Arbor, Michigan from Weaverville, NC. It's about 11 hrs on the road, including rest stops, etc.  The purpose was to drive Beverley's vehicle with her to Michigan, and then I would return by air to NC the next day, and Bev would continue on to her parents in Ontario.  I knew that there wouldn't be a lot of time for photography, and I felt that digital would prevent any missteps at the TSA check in. I have flown many times before with film cameras, but I felt that a DSLR would be the easiest course this time.  However, I wanted something light, inexpensive, and not bulky.  The best candidate that I had was this Canon EOS Rebel XSi with the 24mm f/2.8 EFS STM lens.  I could have just used my iPhone XR, but there are times when a DSLR is so much better.

The Canon EOS Rebel XSi, a 12 MP DSLR introduced in 2008.

Now you probably are thinking "what's going on with Mark, I thought he was a dedicated Nikon user?" If you know me well, you'd know that I like to have a big toolbox, and I chose this combo because - lightweight, compact, good results - 12.8 MP, sensor, sharp lens, and it barely extends beyond the flash/mirror box. The Rebel XSi certainly isn't the latest (introduced in 2008), but you know what? It doesn't need to be. In fact, the lens costs more than a used body. The Rebel XSi is still a pretty decent entry-level DSLR with a cropped sensor, hence the EF-S lenses.  For a pretty thorough review from 2008 go to: http://www.digitalcamerareview.com/camerareview/canon-rebel-xsi-review/

side view. Compact, eh?

With the 24mm pancake lens, the Rebel XSi is really lightweight and a lot of fun to shoot with. While the entry-level Nikons have a more refined feel and familiar user experience for me, I didn't have a DSLR that matched the Canon's attributes for this trip.  In fact, Nikon has nothing like the 24mm STM lens.  

I didn't shoot much on the road on the Saturday driving towards Michigan, but on Sunday I had some time to do some shooting in Ann Arbor.  I had breakfast at Zingerman's Road House on Maple Road, which was a real treat. The Nichols Arboretum Peony Garden was at its peak, and since Adrienne used to be the person in charge of it, I knew that she would love to see some images of it this year.  The 24mm lens (36 mm equivalent in full-frame) did a great job with closeups as well as the bigger picture.  A bit of a walk at the edge of campus, and then it was time for me to go to Detroit Metro (DTW) to get on a flight to Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport. I don't think I have ever seen so few people at DTW, and the line through the TSA checkpoint was very short.    It was my first time walking to the B concourse, and the big tunnel with the "light show" was new to me.  My flight back was uneventful, and Adrienne picked me up at the airport (which has all of 10 gates).  We then went back into Greenville for some dinner and a walk in the lovely Reedy River Falls Park.  Then it was back home to Weaverville!

It was a bit of a surreal weekend, driving N to Michigan and flying home the next day. On the way into Michigan along US-23, we were greeted by a number of new billboards adverstising the pot dispensaries in Ann Arbor. That was perhaps the biggest change since we left Michigan.  The images that follow are all from the Canon Rebel XSi. Some were shot on b&w, the rest shot in color.

I always loved the artwork associated with Zingerman's

The Circle-K station was built  just about the time we left in 2019.

Just say high!

Peony Garden Entrance

so many great peony flowers

UM School of Public Health

Observatory Lodge. I stayed there for a few days 1in 1981.

You can find some stark compositions at DTW

almost Hockney-ized

Really a cool spot

some parts are purer than others

PSA 

Reedy River Falls in Greenville, SC

It's been a month!

Yes, it has been a month since my last post. June has been busy, as I have been away over 3  weekends. From the 10-12 of June Adrienne and I were in Bellaire, MI for the Michigan Entomological Society Meeting.  From the 16-19, I was at Photostock in Harbor Springs. And I returned Tuesday from the 23-28 trip to Amenia, NY for Adrienne's mom's 90th birthday.  Lots of miles on my Ford Escape, lots of film to process (starting today),  and lots of digital files to edit. One of the things I have greatly appreciated is being able to use my smartphone (Android) to update during a trip. The images and comments become sort of like placeholders to remind me where I was on these trips. They also inform family and friends where the heck I am at.  I do try and keep a written diary of the photo aspects of a trip, but Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook are useful for documenting my travels.  Of course, the snaps I take for Instagram are not of the quality that my real cameras take, but they have their own low-fi charm.

Preparing my equipment for any particular trip is always an interesting dilemma. What cameras do I bring? How many bags? What film? Which digital system?  You are probably saying "This guy has too many cameras."  Truth is, I probably do, but i have pared down quite a bit.  My digital gear is in 3 categories:

• Fuji X100S -- ideal for street shooting, gatherings, and travel.  Limited to only the 35mm-equivalent f/2 lens.   Image quality is fantastic. 
• Nikon D200 or D3200 - full range of lenses, etc.  The 3200 is lighter, more compact, and has a better high ISO ability, but the D200 is more versatile, better overall camera, but fewer MPs.
• Nikon 1J1 - Don't laugh -- this little camera is very capable, and my favorite lenses on it are the wide-angle (28mm equiv.) and my 25mm CCTV lens with the swirly bokeh.  It's a compact, non-threatening, and very creative tool.

Film cameras are a whole different environment.  35mm or medium format? Polaroid or Instax? Toy cameras? Rangefinders? Which SLR system?  and so it goes. June has found me on a Nikon SLR kick, and mostly I have been using the Nikon FG, F3HP, and FM2N.  The FG now sits in my all-purpose bag with the Yashica A TLR, Holga, and Vivitar ultra-wide P&S.  With a 50mm 1.8 and the 36-72mm zoom, for the FG,  it is a nice package.  I love the viewfinder in the F3HP.  As a glasses-wearer, it is perfect for me.  I also know that the F3 is pretty much the perfect camera, unless one is using flash a lot.  The Nikon FM2N is another great camera, and I should use it more than I do.  All manual, and I like the metering.  Solid.

I knew that I would not be doing much photography at the MES meeting, so I took only the Fuji X100S, Nikon D200 bag, and Nikon FG.  

For Photostock, I tried to limit my choices, and ended up taking the Mamiya C330 bag, Fuji X100S, Nikon F3HP bag, and the all-purpose bag, with a sack of Dianas and Holgas for good measure.

For the New York State Trip -- Nikon 1J1 bag, D3200 bag with external flash for the birthday celebration, all-purpose bag, and Nikon FM2N bag. Oh, and also the Leica M2.  The only thing I had forgotten was a Gorillapod for some low-angle shots. My carbon-fiber tripod with a ball head is ALWAYS in the back of the car, and it gets used a lot.  I brought a 19mm lens to use with the FM2N along with a deep yellow filter to shoot a roll of FPP color Infrachrome film.  I hope to have it developed soon.

I know one can go really minimalist for a trip, and I have done so in the past.  However, if I have the room, I may as well bring what I think I'll need.  A long trip has many photo opportunities, and I hate it when I am limited by the tools I can use for a shot.  Also, as you can see, I am not averse to shooting digital, and am not limited to only film.  It all depends on the situation and my desired result.  All these things are tools to be used to get whatever I am after.  It has been a busy and productive month, and  I hope to process all of my film over the next week or so.  In the meantime, here are a few shots from the digital cameras.

fence, Amenia, NY, June 27

Dingmans Falls, PA, June 23

Alley, Clare, MI June 10.

farm at Birchwood Inn, June 16

A.D. Coleman in foreground, Photostock, June 18.

Fishtown, Leland, MI June 19.

Alex, June 16, Photostock.

Letchworth State Park, NY, June 28.

Amenia Burial Ground, June 26.

Some of the images shown here will be part of photosets elsewhere, and some are parts of long-term projects.   I have some specific shows/print projects in mind for the Amenia Burial Ground and the old Murphy Crest farm in Amenia, NY.  Once I develop my film, I'll know here I stand in regards to other imagery.

Canon Fodder

A few posts ago, I warned you that I would soon post something about a Canon DSLR. Well, I got rather lucky on ebay a few weeks ago and picked up a Canon 1000D from someone in Michigan. If you are in the USA, you are probably wondering "What the heck is the 1000D?" For some reason Nikon and Canon have often labeled non-pro SLRs differently in the USA from the rest of the world. For Nikon, they'd label a camera the F-301 elsewhere, while in the USA it would be called the N2000, or the F80 vs the N80. In this case, the Canon 1000D is the Rebel XS. Maybe Canon thought the name "Rebel" sells better in the USA? In any case, the 1000D/Digital Rebel XS is a 10.1 MP APS-C sized DSLR. It would classify as the low-end of Canon's current camera line-up. New outfits with the 18-55mm EFS IS lens generally sell for around $550 or less. I picked my mint-condition outfit up for $355, including an 8-gig SDHC card. Not bad.

As a long-time Nikon user, and owner of a Nikon D70s and a D40, and at one time having owned a FinePix S2, I am pretty used to the way that Nikon DSLRs work. The Canon isn't too different, overall. Some controls are placed differently, but nothing that could not be figured out pretty quickly by an experienced user. The camera has automatic sensor-cleaning, a variety of shooting modes, 2.5 in LCD monitor, diopter control, and many features that one would expect. Oh yes, it also has Live View -- a feature mostly suited for macro photography, in my opinion.
The lens, an 18-55 EFS with Image Stablization, has been rated as a very good lens elsewhere on the web, and I have no problems with it. The camera will also meter with non-Canon lenses on adapters. So, I actually put a Nikon lens on this, and though I had to focus and set aperture manually, the camera worked in Av mode, which is something my low-end Nikons cannot do.

The 1000D handles very nicely, with the controls pretty logically laid out. The body feels more plasticky than my Nikon D40, more like the Rebel film cameras. But, all that aside, what are the photos like?

I really love b&w, and having had a taste of shooting in b&w with my now-gone Fuji Finepix S2, I was curious how the 1000D/XS handled b&w. I have been shooting B&W with the Nikon D40 (the D70s does not do this), and really liked the results, but they could be more contrasty. The 1000D renders scenes in B&W beautifully.

A little vignetting done on the computer.

It's probably on a par with a Nikon D60 in many respects, but better due to the ability to meter with other lenses. If you are in the market for a "beginning DSLR" -- give the Rebel XS a try. I think it combines excellent features at a low price, and the all-black body looks sharper than the silvery bodies of the older low-end Rebels.

More photos...

A Canola field off Pleasant lake Road.



Some stools at Espresso Royale. I like the way the highlight and shadow detail work with this camera.

Pop on a Canon 50mm 1.8 EF lens (as in the photo of the guys with the press cameras), and you have a nice portrait outfit. I need to shoot more with the XS to get a better feel for its capabilities, but so far, it has been a breeze to use, and the image quality has been wonderful. Canon or Nikon? It doesn't matter, really. Edward Weston or Alfred Stieglitz? Now there's a choice one can debate over!