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 ….
Always liked the column, glad your willing to bring it back. I know it takes time from shooting! Would you give us your latest thinking on when to use or not use VR on a tripod/gimble with the latest versions of Nikons 300mm to 400mm lenses.
Thanks.
Pete
shot with D4S and AF-S 80-400mm
Pete, happy to bring it back! I personally don’t turn it off. If you’re asking if it’s needed or not, IMHO if you are using proper long lens technique, it’s not making any impact on your sharpness. In those situations when the lens doesn’t have a stable platform, VR can make a difference. For example, when I’m shooting air to air, I always have the 80-400VR3 in “Active” mode. Now the new 400f2.8 & 300 PF has a “Sport” mode which I’ve yet to explore. Nikon explains this as “What’s more, the lens is equipped with a SPORT vibration reduction mode optimized for tracking subjects exhibiting intense movement that can be predicted, such as athletes participating in sporting events, by compensating only for camera shake.” I don’t know if this means on a tripod, monopod or handheld
Moose, as you know, I’m an old dude, and I don’t want to store any of my photos in that new-fangled cloud. Our IT guy is kind of pushing back on this, but as inexpensive as storage capacity is these days, I want to replace the external hard drive I now use for photo file backup with something like the Buffalo drives that you’ve shown us on your web site. So I can discuss this somewhat intelligently with our IT consultant (who BTW is a great young guy and has done a super job for us here at the office) what model of Buffalo storage do you use/recommend? I think I’m looking for something like maybe 4TB.
Hope this finds everyone at the Moose household going gangbusters and look forward to seeing you this Fall.
Ron
Ron, thanks for the salutations and great question! I am not a fan of the “cloud” and have none of my assets there. Mine are all in my office where I currently have Buffalos right now, 12TB units. All of this is changing for us though. In April (next block of time I’m home long enough), we’re incredibly excited to be going to the IoSafe 1515+ Synology 60TB system. With IoSafe being fire and waterproof, its speed freakin fast and all in a comparatively small space, it rocks!! All my digital assets will then be all in one box, completely safe and with additional space easily added. We’ll be posting the entire process of moving over, setting up and organizing to the new system in April.
(whatever happened to greetings?)
Have you had any issues with manual focusing lenses damaging the lens mount on an autofocus body? Reason I ask is I was trying out my 70-210 Series E Nikkor on the D7100. After I took it off, lenses would no longer lock in place and the autofocus would not work. Inspection of the mounting ring showed the autofocus coupling and locking bayonets that normally extend through the mounting ring were flush with the ring. The body has been sent off to Nikon for repairs.
Regards,
Jay
Jay, this does not sound good! Since I neither have that body nor lens, I’ve never tried that combo. Looking up the information, this lens should work without any problem (see chart below). Glad to hear you’ve sent that lens off to Nikon, that’s what I would have recommended you do. Best of luck!
(geee … what did happened to greetings?)
Do you have a recommendation for a lightweight small travel camera. I would like one that shoots RAW and would be suitable for wet conditions instead of lugging my DSLR. I would also like something with a viewfinder as I have trouble using the LCD with my eyesight. I have not been satisfied with the smaller point and shoots due to the shutter lag.
thanks for the help.
Bill
shot with 1 V3 Mirrorless with 10-30mm Lens
Bill, do I! Ya, the Nikon 1 V3 simply rocks! No shutter lag, in fact it does 60FPS! Made plenty of 24×30 prints from its gorgeous Raw files and take it with me everywhere! I can’t say enough great things about it. Just shot with the 70-300 (800mm on your DLSR) and wow, what a lens and it’s only four inched long! Check ‘er out!
Hi Moose, (thanks for the salutation!)
I just purchased the Nikon D810, on your review you said when shooting HDR, to use the flat picture control setting. Do you set this mode only when you’re going to shoot HDR? Do you have any setup recommendations for the D810?
Thanks,
Wayne
Wayne, I’m not exactly sure what you’re quoting of mine. I think when it comes to the D810 or D750, if I think HDR is needed because the range of light is greater than 5 stops, you can go to the Flat Picture Control and the Matrix Highlight meter settings and expand the range of light these cameras can capture. I have mentioned a few times how this will work nearly as well as shooting with the D4s which has a 6 stop range of light capture. Since I do so very little to none HDR, I don’t have a HDR formula I use let alone outline. You bet I have recommended settings for bodies! When it comes to camera body settings for the bodies I shoot, you can find them all here for you refer to or use.