Sigma Monster

My DSLR lens arsenal is now strengthened with the new super-tele zoom Sigma 150-500mm f5-6.3 APO DG OS. This will be very useful for my travel and nature pics. When I bought it, the shopkeeper was surprised how light it was. It is well made and is quite handholdable, balancing nicely on my Nikon D700. With its built-in optical stabiliser, shooting at max zoom is not a problem, with the image becoming almost rock-steady in the viewfinder after a second or so once it kicks-in. So far, my initial tests showed that the lens performed well, focusing accurately and quickly, with sharp images that are rich in contrast and natural in colour. I liked that the zoom ring is a little stiff - this makes it stay in place and not creep. A further zoom lock switch makes for safe lugging around. As a bonus, it fits in snugly unmounted into my Crumpler 7MDH with the rest of my photo equipment! It costs me an affordable RM 3,840 and is certainly an eye-turner...

Take a look at my Sigma monster....

Whaletail Clone

I fancied a more elaborate flash diffuser than the one provided with the Nikon SB-800. Mainly needed it for better outdoor night pics and also indoor shots of portraits with softer shadows. I liked the idea of Gary Fong's new Whaletail, but it costs a bomb. I discovered a clone version which performs virtually the same, yet costs almost a 1/3 of the real thing.

See some test pics of the Whaletail clone...

Sigma 150mm f2.8 APO Macro DG HSM

I just bought this lens, having decided to delay my purchase of the Nikkor 70-200mm f2.8 VR, since there were rumours of an upgraded version to appear possibly in PMA 2009. In any case, the Sigma offers 1:1 macro and can double as a portrait lens. My initial tests of it on my Nikon D700 showed that it delivered excellent sharpness and quick focusing, with typical Sigma colour and contrasts. It also feels lighter than the similarly sized Nikkor 24-70mm f2.8. With a great build quality, a pinch-style lens cap, and removable tripod collar, for the price of RM 2,350, I think this lens is a steal.

You can browse several more pics of the Sigma 150mm lens....

Nikon Capture NX2 Video Tutorials

I did a video tutorial of Nikon's Capture NX2 which covers changing IPTC info using presets, making RAW adjustments, making local image enhancements, and batch processing RAW to JPG.

Part 1:-


Part2:-

Testing DX on FX

To make sure my existing set of DX lenses work properly on the new Nikon D700, I went to the FT Mosque in KL and took several snapshots using the Nikkor 10.5mm fisheye, 18-200mm VR and Sigma 30mm f1.4. The DX lenses performed very well.

Check out more DX lens testshots.....

D700 Custom Settings

Below are my custom settings that I have modified from default, for my Nikon D700:-

Shooting bank:-
- File naming = dhw
- Image quality = raw
- Nef recording = lossless compression
- Active d-lighting = auto
- Iso sensitivity = auto, 6400, 1/60s

Custom settings bank:
“B” : newbie (default)
“A” : pro
A5: af activation = af-on only
D1 : beep = off
F2 : multi-selector centre button, playback mode = zoom in (medium)
F3 : multi-selector = reset meter-off delay
F5 : assign fn button = liveview
F5 : assign fn button + dials = dynamic area af
F7 : assign ae-l button = ae-lock (reset on release)

Camera setup:
- Image comment = personal website url
- Image authentication = on
- Copyright info = name (artist), email (copyright)

Nikon D700 and 24-70mm f2.8

At last, having been a happy owner of a d200 for the last 2 years, I'm delighted with my purchase of a new D700 (that costs RM8,600) with Nikkor 24-70mm f2.8 (RM5,200).

You can see my D700 at http://harun.zenfolio.com/p329250002 :)

Sample pics taken with D700 at http://harun.zenfolio.com/p491578885

Well, all i can say is that it performs very much like has been said by many satisfied users. I've only done some quick snapshots, but already found that its AWB is surprisingly good, and so is AE, which doesn't underexpose like the D200, and of course, superior image quality with hardly any noise at high iso. Very easy to use, esp. coming from the D200, with improved ergonomics, like the multi-selector with centre button (no more accidental navigation), zoom in/out buttons (why didn't they do this before), playback and info button (better layout of screen data), marvellous hires lcd and vf, liveview (no more neckaches during tripod work or awkward pov), virtual horizon (actually found it useful and is quite sensitive). even the shutter sounds snappier. on the whole, no complaints.

The 24-70 is such a pro lens there's not much to talk about. it just delivers. matches and balances very well with the D700.

Anyway, the shots were taken in 14-bit raw, processed in nx2, and the fullsize jpgs can be viewed and downloaded here:-

http://harun.zenfolio.com/p491578885

Crumpler 7MDH

I needed a larger camera bag than my current Lowepro Photo Runner, which is too small to fit my flashgun along with my DSLR and lenses. After much research, I settled on the Crumpler Seven Million Dollar Home that I purchased in KLCC for RM 379. It's an excellently built shoulder bag with plenty of space and padding inside. Best of all, it doesn't look like a camera bag, making it less of a target for thieves.

More photos of the Crumpler bag.......

Vosonic Multimedia Storage Viewer

I just received the VP8860 on 23rd July that I purchased from http://www.shashinki.com/ for RM1,450. It has a 250MB SATA harddisk and can view several types of files, including RAW photos, movies, and MP3 audio. It also has an FM radio with earphones supplied, voice recorder with built-in mic, video recorder from a video source, and supports direct printing function. With a large 4.3" TFT LCD of 800x480 hires, it's a joy to view your images and movies, and it's pretty fast and easy to use.

A few more pics of the Vosonic....

My New PC - Dell XPS 730 H2C

• I had planned to buy a new PC for almost two years, ever since the quad-core CPUs were available. My aging computer crawled when trying to edit and process large RAW photos taken with my Nikon D200 DSLR, or when rendering a complex 3D animation scene.
  
• I wanted a Dell, as I liked their reliable products and good service. However, their PCs were quite proprietary, making upgrades using off-the-shelf components difficult, and performing esoteric things like overclocking short of impossible.
  
• So, I decided to build my own PC. Researching on the subject, I narrowed down on a specification based on the X48 chipset, Q9450 CPU, DDR2 SDRAMs, Nvidia 9600GT, etc. all with the intention that it could be overclocked, and wishing to run it on 64-bit Vista.
  
• The plan was going fine, until by chance, I happened to surf the Dell website and spotted a new model they just introduced – the XPS 730 H2C. Almost immediately I fell in love with it (as it looked damn cool, hehe) and after reading about its technology and checking out some online reviews, I was convinced this was the PC I was waiting for!
  
• So, without hesitation, (and I don’t normally react so impulsively, well, not always anyway…) I paid for the new XPS online, and within two weeks, got it delivered to my door-step! Yup, this is my very first overclockable, liquid-cooled, quad-core Dell!
  
• I remembered I had owned another Dell XPS model, almost ten years ago, which only had a Pentium II CPU, yet that system cost me almost the same as the new XPS 730 I purchased!
  
• Below, for comparison fun, are the computers I’ve owned:-

• Below is a table listing key differences between my older Dell machine and the new speed demon:-

• You can read some online reviews of both computers from the following links:-
  Dell XPS R450 - http://www.pcpro.co.uk/reviews/1378/dell-dimension-xps-r450.html
  Dell XPS 730 - http://hothardware.com/Articles/Dell_XPS_730_H2C_Performance_Gaming_System/
  
• Have a look at more photos of my new PC.....

Photographing the World Around You

Freeman Patterson, 2004 [ Technique ]

An easier read than his other book, Patterson begins with building blocks of visual design, covering light, line, shape, texture and perspective with a few example pictures. He then explains to us on how to put the building blocks together using interesting ideas of dominance, balance, proportion and rhythm that is inherent in your images. He also reasons with us the importance of evaluating your own photos and finishes off by encouraging us to tackle a few assignments on people, natural things, and constructed things. He also discusses on how to make an album.

More details on Amazon.

Photography and the Art of Seeing

Freeman Patterson, 2004 [ Technique ]

This may be a thin book, but it is quite heavy reading. Patterson challenges the reader to break the barriers of seeing by "thinking sideways" and "relaxed attentiveness", two techniques he introduces to us in Learning To Observe. He then goes on the next chapter of Learning to Imagine and teaches us to use our mind's eye to gives us exercises on abstracting and selecting visual elements. Finally, Learning to Express covers the treatment of subject matter and thinking about visual design. 136 pages.

More details on Amazon.

Learning to See Creatively

Bryan Peterson, 2003 [ Technique ]

Actually, this book covers the traditional topics in photography such as Elements of Design (line, shape, form, etc), Composition (golden section, right third, diagonals, etc), and Magic of Light (colour, direction, etc). It emphasises on how to expand your vision by creatively imagining the scene in various original ways and avoiding common visual pitfalls. 160 pages.

More details on Amazon.

Great Photography Workshop

Bill Fortney, 2003 [ Technique ]

This is an interesting book on how to do outdoor photography. It begins with a portfolio of beautiful photos from selected amateurs, and then covers 13 chapters beginning with Goals for Success, Four Keys to Great Images and later on tackling issues relating to Exposure, Light, and Composition specific to outdoor scenery. 192 pages.

More details on Amazon.

A Short Course in Nikon Coolpix 5700 Photography

Dennis Curtin, 2002 [ How-to ]

This is an excellent book that is suited for beginners. It explains the workings of the CP5700 more clearly than the manual, which can at times, be a little confusing. Related how-tos and tips are neatly grouped together for easy reference.

The book is not a regurgitation of the CP5700 manual. It covers broad subjects like lighting, exposure metering, focusing, and flash techniques, and introduces each topic fittingly. Dennis discusses the merits of using certain functions of the CP5700 and suggests ways to best make use of them. For example, he talks about how to read the histogram and provides sample photos with tips on applying exposure compensation based on the histogram readings. Another example includes controlling depth-of-field combining the various functions of the CP5700, using focus lock, aperture priority, zoom length and understanding the hyperfocal distance.
This book is strewn with tips like those; coupled with loads of good photos that explain scene situations, it becomes an indispensable handbook.

Since I bought the book and cd-rom version, I'd say the cd-rom is well worth it because: -

• It contains the coloured version of the paperback :D
• There are two .pdf files, one for print quality, and the other for screen viewing
• There are several software included - Picture windows (an image editing tool), Poster (creates huge prints), Screensaver toolkit (creates shareable screensavers), ThumbsPlus (graphic viewer)
• You can do keyword searches on the pdf files. All in all, I'm very happy with this book. Highly recommended.

More details at Shortcourses and Amazon.

Designing With Photographs

Linda Proud, Peter Bonnici, 1998 [ How-to ]

I spotted this book and was delighted that is was so inexpensive - only US$8. Yet it is in full colour and contains a marvellous set of pictures and graphic designs. Although it is geared for the layout designer in mind, it has a lot of commentary from photographers and editors who use pictures to tell their story. So you learn a lot about visual communication and pictorial impact. It even covers the use of borders around photos, something no other photography book I own, does. An absolute bargain. 160 pages.

Digital Photographer's Handbook

Tom Ang, 2002 [ Technique ]

Another book I am aiming to buy. Targetted primary at the new digital photographer, it focuses on technique rather than techie stuff.

More details at Amazon.

Hedgecoe on Photography

John Hedgecoe, 1998 [ Photo Essay ]

This is an older Hedgecoe book (I couldn't find it on Amazon.com) You get lots of colour and b&w photos covering all sorts of subjects from portraits to abstract. Pubished by George Weidenfeld & Nicolson Limited.

Moments: The Pulitzer Prize Winning Photographs

Hal Buell, David Halberstam, 2002 [ Photo Essay ]

This book contains the best Pulitzer awarded pictures from its inception since 1942. Most of the photos are in B&W and you begin to realise how much more powerful and appropriate it is to be shot in this medium, as it strips away the epidermi of the scene and reveals the emotional flesh of the moment. Every photo is accompanied with a commentary about how it was made and the situation that exposed the determination, patience and grit of the photographer. This book makes you want to be a photojournalist.

More details at Amazon.

National Geographic Photography Field Guide: People and Portraits

Robert Caputo, 2002 [ How-to ]

Since I wanted a book that covered my favourite topic - candid portraits, I bought this particular field guide among the few made by National Geographic. It is a focused treatment of the subject and is well written. Included are three profile articles by professional photographers that give a flavour of their working style and approach. They provide some valuable lessons and tips in producing successful shoots. Highly Recommended. 160 pages.

More details at Amazon.

National Geographic: The Photographs

Leah Bendavid-Val, 2002 [ Photo Essay ]

Another brilliant collection of stunning photographs of the last 15 years, and the facts behind them. 336 pages.

More details at Amazon.

Photographic Assignments: The Expert Approach

Michael Busselle, 1992 [ Technique ]

Similar to style to John Hedgecoe, it is a collection of tips and ideas on tackling various subject matter. Lots of nice colour photographs accompany the text.

Within each topic that he covers, such as Techniques, there are several short ideas and tips on how to deal with, for example, creative blur, mirror images, and infra-red effects. Other topics like Light and Colour, or Subjects, or Composition and Style, have varying explanations on suggested assignments to tackle, whether the photographer is into making pictures of trees or portraits, on using wide or tele lenses, or exploring bold colours and textures.

More details on Amazon.

Reader's Digest Complete Photography Manual

Ailsa McWhinnie, Reader's Digest Assocation, 2000 [ How-to ]

This is one of the best all-rounder books I've read on understanding the basics of photography. It is quite thorough yet takes you step-by-step thru the whole process and also covers digital imaging workflow. Another thing I like is that it covers other formats besides 35mm SLR, like the medium and large cameras, including studio lighting techniques and working in a B&W darkroom. You learn to appreciate where the SLR and point-and-shooters stand in the hierarchy of professional photography, and so are the wiser when choosing the proper setup for your photographic objectives.

It also makes meaningful recommendations when applying certain techniques. For example, in macro photography, it covers the whole gamut from close-up filters to extension tubes, and gives the pro and cons of using each setup. Another example: with filters, it recommends the use of square ones with holders because it is more flexible than screw-on filters (you can adjust the placement of graduating colours) and you only need to purchase a single polariser that can be shared with many lenses of differing thread diameter. Tips like these can be found in every topic.

Of course, it goes beyond the technicalities and discusses ways to improve your artistic abilities and photographic styles. Containing beautiful colour photographs, it emphasises exploration, previsualisation, and simplicity. And lots of practice!

Definitely highly recommended.

More details at Amazon.

The Art of Seeing: A Creative Approach to Photography (Kodak Workshop Series)

Derek Doeffinger, 1998 [ Photo Essay ]

This is one of the best books that highten your photographic abilities. It makes you aware of preconceptions you may have about photography, and encourages you to explore your seeing and observation skills. Included are chapters on what elements make up a scene, the importance of composition and lighting, and varying your ways of looking and treating the subject. I've reread it several times, learning new things everytime. It's remarkably well written and is non-technical.

More details at Amazon.

The Photographer's Project Book: Shooting Like a Professional

Jeanne Griffiths, 1984 [ Tutorial ]

This is an excellent collection of projects that you can follow to build your portfolio. Covering a wide range of assignments like "A Day at the Races" to "Shapes and Symbols", it guides you to take a professional approach to photo making, and emphasises planning and preparation before a photo shoot. Sample work done by beginners and real professionals show actual results from doing a few of the projects in the book.

More details at Amazon.

A Nikonian Hobbyist

Photography has been a hobby of mine, as I was exposed (pun unintended) to it since I was little. My late dad and older siblings were into photography and I had played with picture taking using their analogue cameras.

This blog was intended as a place to record some of my thoughts on my hobby, from book and equipment reviews to tips and techniques. Hope it benefits you in one way or another.

To view my online gallery, please visit http://harun.zenfolio.com