Nikon TC-20e3 – All She Wrote!

Feb 10, 2010 | Field Reports

Seriously, this is how it went. I’m sitting at my desk. Always set up next to me is the 600mm so I can photograph birds out the window while I’m at my desk working. I was finishing up details for a project coming up in a few months and needed to check something out on the map. We have a 6′ Alaska map on the wall and being lazy, I swung the 600mm to look at the logistics of the location. Without really thinking about it, I attached the TC-20e3 to see more detail (lazy slug I am) and that’s when it occurred to me. Make a click.

I didn’t take time to make the camera and the map parallel like I should for a true test (you can see in lower left corner of 600wo photo it’s soft because of this), I just clicked and looked at the LCD. I took off the TC-20e3 and made another click. I’m more then satisfied with the results. Yeap, I give it the Moose blessing (big whoop) and will now consider it a valuable tool. Here, you can see what I saw in the files

Now a ~real~ freakin common question is, “Have you tried the TC-20e3 on the 70-200VR2?” The answer was, no, because that’s not a combo I would normally shoot with. I would simply pull out the 200-400VR because I want the DOF. There are a couple of things I really like about the TC-20e3: it’s sharp, it’s really, really snug when attached to body and lens; and Nikon put in the instruction book, finally really clear that the DOF is “1/2 that of a prime lens (pg20).” Been fighting that battle for a long time but there it is. So when attached to the 70-200VR, you ain’t got no DOF until you close the lens down and then you’ve lost your shutter speed. Being in a lazy test mood though, I decided to put the TC-20e3 on the 70-200VR2 and take a snap of the office sign (handheld shot).

And with that, I’ve done my official, unofficial review of the TC-20e. And those who know me know that the only true test comes from in the field shooting. I’ve got about 10days of office work ahead of me so any real field, need a problem solved, shooting ain’t going to happen right away. But I have no hesitation saying Nikon did a sweet job with the TC-20e3, it’s worth the moolah. And that’s all she wrote, at least all I wrote.

Behind the Scenes – Nikon Winter Games

Feb 10, 2010 | Field Reports

My bud Scott at NPS posted this really cool time lapse of the unpacking and set up of their Winter Olympic Games service center. You look closely you’ll see the heroes of USA NPS like Scott, Bill, Annie (Joe’s wife), Mark, Mike and others. It’s pretty cool. Click here to see the whole clip.

D3s Firmware 1.01 released

Feb 9, 2010 | Field Reports

Here are the particulars

• Movie recording specifications have been modified as follows and an issue that, in some rare cases, caused movie playback to appear to have stopped has been resolved.
• When exposure preview is enabled in live view tripod mode, information + histogram display is possible, but the histogram is no longer displayed while movies are recorded.
• When the live view button is pressed with the Audio Video Cable EG-D2 connected, the image is displayed in both the television and camera monitor, but the camera monitor now turns off during movie recording.
• The camera monitor turns on again when the Audio Video Cable EG-D2 is disconnected from the camera.
• Some simplified Chinese menus and help displays have been revised.
• When some memory cards were inserted in the camera, “CHA” was displayed in the top control panel and images could not be captured. This issue has been resolved.

The 24f1.4 AFS and YOUR photography

Feb 9, 2010 | Field Reports

You might be looking at the price of $2200 for the 24f1.4AFS and be saying to yourself, “Damn, speed’s expensive!” The answer is, yes, it is very expensive but before you discount the 24f1.4 because of price, consider what that f1.4 can do for you at 24mm and nice and close to your subject. Minimum DOF, isolating your subject, taking in the rest of the world but just hinting at it, these are just some of the attributes the 24f1.4 might bring to your photography. I have two videos on the two f1.4 lenses I currently have in my arsenal, you might want to give them a view, they might help you think if a need for the 24f1.4AFS.

If you’re on the fence, can I recommend you rent the 24f1.4 prior to buying it. When you rent, do it so you have a least a week with the piece of gear and when you have time to really shoot with it. You’d be surprised how you’ll find the right lens doing this and the right lens can make all the difference in the world!.

Nikon announces 24f1.4AFS and 16-35f4VR

Feb 8, 2010 | Field Reports

Yeap, two new lenses hit the lineup, hot dogs! No, I don’t have them. Will I be getting them? The 24f1.4AFS has been in my sights for a long time, time will tell. Here’s the trivia.

AF-S NIKKOR 24mm f/1.4G ED Primary Features

• A fast, wide-angle 24mm fixed focal-length lens with a maximum aperture of f/1.4
  This lens is perfect for capturing scenes such as architecture, landscapes and narrow indoor spaces with incredible perspective at the wide-angle focal length of 24mm. As an wide-angle lens with a maximum aperture of f/1.4, it offers superior optical performance demonstrated not only with handheld shooting under dim indoor lighting, but with large blur characteristics that make the most of this fast lens in images that exhibit dynamic perspective.
• Constructed with two ED and two aspherical lens elements
  A new optical design achieves an excellent balance between high resolution and aberration.
• Nano Crystal Coat significantly reduces ghost and flare
• Equipped with a Silent Wave Motor (SWM) for extremely quiet autofocusing
• Offers two focus modes, M/A (autofocus with manual override) and M (manual)

AF-S NIKKOR 16-35mm f/4G ED VR Primary Features

• An ultra wide-angle zoom lens with maximum aperture of f/4 through the full 16mm to 35mm range of focal lengths
• Built-in vibration reduction (VR II) offering camera shake compensation equivalent to a shutter speed increase of approximately four stops
• Nano Crystal Coat significantly reduces ghost and flare
• An ultra wide-angle zoom lens with an angle of view beginning at 107° and a filter attachment size of 77mm
• Equipped with a Silent Wave Motor (SWM) for extremely quiet autofocusing
• Constructed with two ED and three aspherical lens elements for superior aberration compensation
• Offers two focus modes, M/A (autofocus with manual override) and M (manual)

TC-20e3 – Self Preservation

Feb 8, 2010 | Field Reports

Holly Cow! I mean really, the emails just keep coming in asking, “Where’s Your Review?!” “There’s nothing on your website, what’s wrong with you?!” You’d think McNally blogged again I have a special D3x with RGB pixel finder (no Joe, not forgotten that one). First, there is something on the website (click here to open up aTC-20e3 image in Zoomify), one just has to read (I’m always being told I’m an optimist). But I’ve not had the TC-20e3 in my hands for even a week, just days and I think I need to spend a little time with it before making any judgment calls.

I can tell you that sitting here in my living room at night with just two 60watt lightbulbs with a shutter speed of 1.5″ f5.6 shooting with the 70-200VR2/TC-20e3 on D3s, the focus snaps right in. I can tell you that just messin around with it this weekend I am impressed with my results. It seems better in all regards compared to the older TC-20e but I don’t have an older unit here to do a side by side comparison. But this is by no means a quantified review nor a verdict. I’m hoping this simple posting will give me a break and allow me the time to assemble something worth value to post on this cool, new tool.