Our latest issue of the BT Journal is out and it features Costa Rica! This is the three year anniversary of our Digital issue! Those who have subscriptions (iPad and Android), just click and enjoy. And for those of you who have not joined the thousands, you can now subscribe (or renew) at our new low price of $9.99 a year! Ya, the BT Journal is so popular and read by so many, we are able to lower the price. So spread the word, enjoy the stories and improve your photography for less!
Please note the Android subscription price will lower later this week. A fix is required and is being worked on.
There have been many, many, many rewards, successes and amazing moments in my photographic journey, one of them just came to an end. Nikon brought in seventeen of the Nikon USA Ambassadors (two had dates conflict and were sorely missed) for a whirlwind 36hrs summit to talk about, YOU! Yep, not a camera or lens was shown or talked about (on full disclosure, we did get our sensors cleaned), barely heard a mention of a feature even. Instead, the Ambassadors, a powerfully creative and deeply touched group (take that as you will) sat in meetings for two days talking about how we can further our passion for photography through teaching and outreach even more. The creative juices and motivated conversations were some of the most stimulating photographic conversations I have been apart of for a long, long time! I am totally exhausted and completely energized from it all. None as much as meeting some of my idols who I have only known from afar but now can say, they are friends. The real highlight of it all, na, that doesn’t work. The most magical moment. Na, that doesn’t work either. The most overwhelming, mind shaking, heart awakening, passion affirming moment (ya, that’s closer) was Monday night when all the Ambassadors gave a five minute presentation (I toasted it, going 22min … yikes!)!!!! To seat and watch sixteen passion filled presentation (not going to mention the total fright of standing in front of them) about what it is we do, move the world with photography, was something you could never pay enough to see and one time wasn’t simply enough to take it all in but it will leave an everlasting impression on me for the rest of my life. I truly wish you all could have been there, it’s what photography is truly all about. While gear is part of the equation (and many of asked what new gear was discussed which I’m pleased to say none as in, we didn’t sign a NDA none) it’s all of our mind and heart that goes into visual storytelling that these masters came together to share. And the best part is, as time goes on, you will benefit from this summit as all the Ambassadors go out to do what we have been charged with, be ambassadors for what we all feel is the greatest passion in the world, photography. And to my fellow Ambassadors, thanks for all the laughs and tears, thoughts and challenges and most importantly, for who you are!
“Do you use filters to protect your lenses?” This is a real common question and the answer is a giant yes and it’s time to replace them, again! Ya, I’m aware of resolution chart tests, lists of photographers who don’t and how the image quality is degraded by using the filter. Silly me, I still use filters on all my lenses that accept them. Yes, technically, I’m sure that there is some degradation of the image quality. And no, I’ve never had a photo buyer say, “I’d use your photo but you used a filter to protect you lens and I can see the image quality suffer because of it! Which is easier to replace, the Nikon NC 77mm filter or the front element of the 24f1.4AFS? This one pictured is on my 18-35AFS and I replaced it just a year ago. Why? I work in conditions that can be unkind to lenses. The 18-35AFS gets a ton of environmental abuse and I often clean off the filter with the corner of my shirt. Came back from an air to air shoot and the filter on the 80-400VR3 had a real fine coating of oil on it! So glad I had a filter because the air stream would have forced that oil inside the lens. Why do I use the Nikon NC filter? Because of its mount, thin and metal and the glass is pretty sweet as well. And the fact I need to keep replacing the filters tells me that they are doing their job so I can do mine.
Got a gear question you want/need answered? I want to help and answer it. Send your gear questions to me at Gear Questions and I’ll do my best every Wednesday (use the search to check past answers). Keep in mind the answers are just my $.02 worth and you have to take what works for you and your photography and embrace it and ignore the rest. And if you want to comment, head to my FaceBook page. So here’s this weeks questions ….
Hey Moose; My question involves teleconverters. What is the difference in using the DX crop mode on a full frame camera verses the new Nikon 1.4 III teleconverter?
Thanks as always…
Ray
Ray … excellent question about something that confuses many. There are actually many differences, some apply to shooting a DX format camera as well. DX Crop (cause that’s what the camera menu says), is known also as High Speed Crop (HSC) (as in the instruction book) and when this is activated in your FX camera, two things happen. You see in the viewfinder the image being “cropped” by a grayed out border. You are now only capturing 50% of the FX area or as most think of it, you have increased your focal length by 50%. I use this a lot in my D4s, Df and D750 and have a quick button setting to activate it. The other big benefit of HSC is it increases your frames per second (FPS), how much depends on the camera body. The last thing that happens with HSC is the final file size is smaller while quality is maintained. The TC-14eIII (or previous 1.4x teleconverters) increase the focal length of the lens by 40% by changing the angle of view. They also suck up one stop of light changing the effective f/stop for exposure while reducing the DoF. So in comparing HSC and the 1.4x, HSC does not change angle of view but does increase image size while not sucking up a stop of light or reducing DoF. The 1.4x does increase angle of view, sucks up light while maintaining MFD. When it comes to actually using the two, my personal preference will always be the 1.4x over HSC. This is because I prefer the narrower angle of view and reduced DoF. I use HSC when, well, to be honest, I’m too lazy to walk back to the vehicle and get a longer lens.
Good Day Mr.Moose In past videos, I believe you have used both the 13” Wacom(for travel) and the 22” Wacom(for the office). I have read recently that a 27” Wacom Cintiq is now available. Have you used this new product? If yes does it meet your criteria of (please pardon me, but I have to paraphrase) , do some thing that your current gear does not do, solve a problem that your current gear does not, or something along those lines.
Thanks a bunch for all you wisdom
PJ
PJ, an excellent question and very relevant. Just so we have all our ducks in order, I dote on the Wacom 13HD and 24HD using them nearly every single day. The 13HD is what travels with me and probably gets used the most because, I seem to be on the road the most of late. The 24HD is the center piece of my digital library back at the office and is a tool that makes me money. Now to the question, the 27QHD Wacom, will I be upgrading to it? As I need my reading glasses more and more, I sure am tempted, there is no doubt. But I won’t be doing so anytime soon. The reason is kinda simple, the 24HD works beautifully still for my needs. Don’t get me wrong, the resolution of the 27QHD is really tempting but at this point, I’ll be sticking with the two Cintiqs I’ve got now. Great question PJ!
Hey Moose! Can I borrow your 800? Just kidding…I shoot Canon, wouldn’t help anyway. But on a more serious note…
What is “special” about a pancake lens? I can see the obvious size/weight advantages, but if you’re putting a lens like that on a D4s or a 1DX, that’s kinda like leaving the tailgate off a dump truck to save weight. And you’d hardly be inconspicuous for street shooting, when you have a shoe box in front of your face anyway. Is there a special optical quality to them? Why would you shoot, say, a 40/2.8 pancake over a 35/1.4?
Thanks for your blog. Now if you could just do a workshop in British Columbia. Or Washington. I might even be able to convince the CFO at home that Oregon was doable….
David
David … I am amazed how many shooters I go out with of late who have the 800mm lens, Nikon or Canon! It’s great to see this incredible focal length being used. But no, you cannot borrow my 800mm :-)
The Nikon 45f2.8GN (sorry, no nothing about the Canon version) is an old lens that was all about flash. The GN stands for Guide Number and you could set the GN on the 45f2.8 and as you focused the lens, it would change the f/stop giving you the right exposure. The modern version does not have this feature so why did it come out? I can honestly say, I have no clue. While I have two 45f2.8GN in my collection, I’ve seen the modern version only once that I can remember. But like any lens in photography, it can serve unique rolls, everything from needing a small profile for a housing to sex appeal. It’s a great lens to use on a bellows for macro, but I don’t think folks do that anymore. It is very sharp, it does focus very fast but your question could really fit any photographer’s gear purchase. Why do they own what they own is often a mystery to me.
