Home

Please support mflenses.com if you need any graphic related work order it from us, click on above banner to order!

SearchSearch MemberlistMemberlist RegisterRegister ProfileProfile Log in to check your private messagesLog in to check your private messages Log inLog in

First DSLR
View previous topic :: View next topic  


PostPosted: Fri Jul 09, 2021 7:15 am    Post subject: First DSLR Reply with quote



It was at a price I could live with Wink





There's a sample taken with my old and often maligned 55mm Micro Nikkor f 3.5 in the "K" variant A/I factory conversion.
I certainly don't frown on this lens, but it sure does seem to have it's internet detractors.
Focused off the ground glass. The only time the focus confirmation lights up is at infinity with a subject at that range...
1/160 sec at f8, ISO 100.

I am pleased with this, despite the slightly slow processor.
I have to spend a bit of time with the camera to learn how to use it properly.

-D.S.


PostPosted: Fri Jul 09, 2021 7:22 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

congrats! enjoy it Smile
Like 1 Like Dog Whoo Turtle


PostPosted: Mon Aug 16, 2021 7:35 pm    Post subject: Re: First DSLR Reply with quote

Doc Sharptail wrote:

It was at a price I could live with Wink

I am pleased with this, despite the slightly slow processor.
I have to spend a bit of time with the camera to learn how to use it properly.

-D.S.


Last year I bought a Nikon D100 & vertical grip for CHF 10.--, including original boxes and accus - simply out of curiosity since I had used Minolta stuff at the time of the D100 (around 2004). When I got it i was surprised how "cheaply" it felt compared to the Minolta Dynax 7D (which had the same Sony sensor as the D100). Not only that - the 7D had also a much larger screen, and - last but not least - a much much better user interface than the Nikon D100. Now I understand why Minolta Switzerland was selling truckloads of the Dynax 7D back then!

Three years later Nikon had learned the lesson. Both the D300 as well as the D3 were very well constructed tools. And now Nikon Switzerland was selling truckloads of the D300 Wink

Anyway - if you (or someone else reading this) is interested in the history of DSRLs it's worth to get a Minolta Dynax 7D. It has, from the standpoint of a "serious photographer", the best user interface of any digital camera I know, even better than the Sony A900 (which is much more intuitive to use than the Nikon D ... D5 series).

S


PostPosted: Thu Aug 19, 2021 4:47 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

The D-200 is a completely different camera than the D-100.
It has a solid weather-proof magnesium alloy body, and a completely different user interface.
I have very few problems with running the D-200. I can actually do a lot through the viewfinder, especially on manual.

The focus confirmation system is pretty weak. I am better off focusing off of the ground glass, than using the single focus lamp.
With some lenses, the focus confirmation does not work at all.
The early contrast focusing system is not the equal of a modern camera.
I manage to get by, though. Very Happy
The camera seems to like the 200 f4 nikkor a lot.
Best focus confirmation operation comes on the 28mm f3.5 nikkor, which is really no big surprise.
The normal "go to" lens for it seems to be the 50mm f2 A/I nikkor.
I still haven't gotten through all my lenses with it yet...

-D.S.


PostPosted: Sat Oct 09, 2021 4:18 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Love the D200!

There was a time I hated it. I found that D series lenses always gave a little back focus on my D200. Later using the newer AFS lenses found the focus works perfectly so the hate went away. Any manual focus lenses should not be a problem.

Way too much focus on gear these days. If you can't get great pics with a D200 it's not the camera that's the problem.

I personally find all the new gear has taken the fun and reward out of photography. I'm looking forward to Nikon releasing their D880 or whatever it will be and I will buy it. I still also have my D200 and it will absolutely still get use in the future.

I'll leave mirrorless cameras, lenses and all the modern gear to the rest of the world. I'm in this hobby for what gives me the most enjoyment and reward even if it's at the cost of the final image.


PostPosted: Sat Oct 09, 2021 8:31 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I have been using my D-200 quite a bit since I got it, and have few complaints.

The CCD sensor is getting a bit long in the tooth these days.
I think for my needs a CMOS sensor would be a bit of an improvement.
Focus confirmation is a very weak point on this camera.
In good strong daylight, I can usually get an almost acceptable image by ground glass focusing.
That lighting situation makes up less than half of my image making.

I have a bit of research to do first, but there is more than likely a newer to me DSLR in the future...

-D.S.


PostPosted: Sat Oct 09, 2021 10:53 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

...

Last edited by Blazer0ne on Tue Feb 22, 2022 6:30 pm; edited 1 time in total


PostPosted: Sat Oct 09, 2021 4:23 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Yes, when the right conditions window is open, nothing wrong with CCD.

I'd like to widen that opening in lighting conditions a bit.
To be realistic, the camera is nearly 17 years old now, which is quite old by modern electronics standards.
I'm sort of wondering if it would be fair of me to expect longetivity equal to my beloved F2 camera bodies.
It could be possible, but not very likely.

This is not a do it right now situation. Just giving the idea consideration for the time being...

-D.S.


PostPosted: Tue Nov 02, 2021 3:17 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I've managed to throttle down on the deleted image count.

First and foremost is that annoying focusing rod pushing against the base of the m/f lenses on every shot.
Setting the A/F mode to M is not enough to completely turn it off.
It can be turned off in the Custom Settings bank. Select a-6 A/F ON, then select A/F ON.
The default setting here is Shutter-A/F ON which is pretty useless for m/f lenses.
Focus confirmation is a lot less hesitant, and the dot flicker is tamed down a lot.
I found this out on my own- the manual doesn't mention very much at all for using m/f lenses.

I have been playing a bit with the image optimization settings.
The "Vivid" setting seems to work well with most of my m/f nikkors.
It is an improvement over the default normal setting, for at least the way I make images.
I find images made with the "Normal" setting to be a bit flat and low contrast.

-D.S.


PostPosted: Fri Feb 18, 2022 12:23 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

It is a good starter camera.


PostPosted: Fri Feb 18, 2022 7:41 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

My 1st DSLR was a Canon 400D, which I sold to forum member Newstuff in 2010.

I've never been a Nikon man for camera bodies.


PostPosted: Fri Feb 18, 2022 8:29 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Doc Sharptail wrote:

The "Vivid" setting seems to work well with most of my m/f nikkors.
It is an improvement over the default normal setting, for at least the way I make images.
I find images made with the "Normal" setting to be a bit flat and low contrast.

-D.S.

I tend to find Vivid looks garish, like having the colour turned up to max on a TV. Normal or even lower colour/contrast settings (the names of these seem to vary with camera make) look more natural to me.

FWIW my first DSLR was the Pentax K100d, of a similar age to your D200, and I've more recently added the Sigma SD14 to my toys which is again from 2006. Digital cameras of the era are quite capable of making great images. Newer cameras definitely offer advantages in challenging conditions, but that's no reason to ignore their older siblings, which sometimes can offer subtly different results (radically different in he case of the SD13 in infrared).

Enjoy your new kit!


PostPosted: Fri Feb 18, 2022 6:27 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

The "more vivid" setting over contrasts to the point of doing what D-convert describes.

I have moved on to a D-810, and love it.
I gave the D-200 to my sister.
The images from the d-200 left in my files are nothing to sneeze at, though.
Most, if not all of them are entirely usable.
It was a potent combination with the 55 P.C. f3.5 Micro.

-D.S.