Beachglass Photography

Incredible ISO performance from today's DX cameras.

2011-05-07T07:15:00.001-07:00

The longer I use the D7000 the more amazed I am with its performance. I remember times when I shooting at anything above base ISO was meant a compromise in image quality. Now I can shoot without thought with natural light deep into four digit ISO numbers without concern.

D7000 Video Samples

2010-10-24T09:32:00.000-07:00

Video samples added to the gallery.

D7000 ISO Comparison

2010-10-20T17:46:00.000-07:00

Nikon D7000

2010-10-19T14:34:00.000-07:00

I was able to get my hands on a D7000 early. There are a lot of high expectations for this new DX camera from Nikon. Some rumors claim that it has better high ISO performance than the D3/D700. Some claim that it will be the new DX champ until the D400 makes its appearance. I am still testing the camera so I can't answer all of these questions. There are however a few early observations that I was able to make.

The D7000 has a black shutter release button. Same style and feel as all the pro cameras from Nikon. I think this hints at the pro-"ness" of the camera. If you are observant enough you will notice that out of the Gen 2 cameras, the consumer level cameras had a chrome shutter release button and a very direct two stage feel to it. One click for focus, push all the way for shutter. The Pro bodies all had black shutter release buttons (perhaps to avoid having the chrome wear off when used with the rigor of a professorial environment?)and a less pronounced two stage feel (perhaps these switches have a higher cycle life?). I am guessing here but I can't think of other reasons for the differences.

Nikon now rates the shutter mechanism for 150,000 cycles just like the D300, vs. the 100,000 cycles for the D90 consumer body. The body is now mostly a magnesium shell, like the other pro bodies starting with the D300 and up. The body is now weather proofed as well. Another slight but important improvement is 1/8000 second shutter speed (like the pro bodies), an increase from the 1/4000 second speed on the consumer level D90.

I am also a fan of the dual card slots. This feature may seem like a gimmick at first but it really helps if you still shoot JPG and RAW. I like to send the RAW files to one card while sending the JPGs to the other. This lets me import the JPGs only and when I find one that isn't how i want it, i can then go back to the RAW card and pull that image. Most of the time the JPG will be just fine and i can save space and time by not downloading the RAW files to the computer. After I process the JPGs and feel satisfied that I don't need the RAW files for anything I can then just format the card and start over. This is just one use. If you actually plan on using the camera for video, you can send the video files to one card (perhaps the bigger of the two) and send the still images to the other.

Another thing that really impresses is the large and clean view finder. The etched focal points and other markings are more subtle and don't overly obstruct the view through the finder. The 100% coverage doesn't mean much on paper, but the view finder does feel clean and roomy when you use the camera.

More observations to come...

Eastern State Penitentiary

2010-10-13T19:43:00.000-07:00

Baltimore

2009-10-17T14:38:00.001-07:00

Philadelphia

2009-03-15T09:24:00.000-07:00

Some walk-around shots of Philly....
Gallery

Industrial

2009-03-08T21:28:00.000-07:00

I got some good creepy shots of an abandoned hospital here locally.
Industrial

Some cool shots of Quebec City...

2009-03-05T18:44:00.001-08:00

Recent trip to Quebec City Canada was awesome. Check out some of the shots HERE....

D90 is in town...

2008-09-18T19:49:00.001-07:00

Here are a few quick shots straight from the camera along with a video. The majority of the images are at 3200 ISO, can you tell? ha ha that's the whole point!

New video embedding!

2008-05-17T07:01:00.000-07:00

This is a nice surprise from smugmug, now the cool video player can be embedded where ever...

Lens Test: Sigma 28mm f1.8

2008-04-21T19:20:00.000-07:00

Recently acquired this lens and I am very impressed with the performance. Its easily as sharp as Nikon's 50mm f1.8 if not sharper and with a much more usable focal length on DX sensor cameras. Look here for some quick sample shots (taken as JPEG basic) as I walk the aperature from wide open.

Sigma's technical details can be found here.

Lenses (Sigma APO 50-150mm F2.8 EX DC HSM)

2008-03-18T20:07:00.000-07:00

If you are building your kit or just need a lens that can do more, the Sigma APO 50-150mm F2.8 EX DC HSM is a great choice. The 50-150mm zoom range is perfectly matched to APS-C size sensors, equivalent to 75-225mm in the 35mm format. This focal length is comparable to the classic 70-200mm zoom range on 35mm cameras. 70-200mm lenses are less useful on cameras with APS-C sized sensors (equivalent to 105-300mm) especially at shorter distances.

The Sigma also retains all internal zooming (no extension while zooming) and internal focus (no rotation of the outside element) mimicking the classic pro 70-200mm lenses from Nikon and Canon. The HSM focus motor is absolutely silent and by far the fastest focusing of any lens I have owned to date. The lens has a high quality fit and finish, the zoom ring is smooth and dampened. Optical performance of this lens is also quite impressive and with excellent bokeh, works wonders as a portrait lens! All this at a price point that makes it very accessible for photographers of all skill levels.

Capture NX

2008-03-11T19:17:00.000-07:00

If you haven't tried Nikon's Capture NX do yourself a favor and download the 30 day trial full version. Just make sure you give it a fair shot during those 30 days. If you do you will be hooked. When I first downloaded it I hated it. I didn't understand how it worked or why it was significant. But I kept on playing with it and trying new things until one day I had an awakening! Color Control Points! I recommend that you do some research so that your trial and error period is shorter but once you get it you realize this is the easiest and fastest photo editing software out there... I'm not advertising, I'm really just that impressed.

Welcome to Beachglass Photography

2008-03-05T19:07:00.000-08:00

Welcome to our blog. I will try to keep to relevant issues and maybe a few posts on my favorite gear or whatever else might come up.