The umbrellas, the horses, the carriage and the girls
August 18, 2009
Nikon SB900 Speedlight
August 18, 2009
After some time working with SB800 and SB600 I got my hands on Nikon SB900, launched in 2008 it is the SB800 successor. From the first touch you can feel and see the 5 years difference between SB 800 and SB 900. The finishing is better, the flash is much easier to use and more intuitive. In the same time it is bigger and more powerful than SB800. This fall will probably be launched the SB 700, the SB 600 successor. From my point of view, the new flash is a step forward in perfecting the Nikon CLS (Creative Lightning System), that is already advanced.
The question is: for whom is it SB900 perfectly suited and how justified is the money spend on it, considering that is twice the price of a SB600. From my experience I think the Nikon SB900 should be purchased as the second or third flash so you can use it’s full potential when working in a CLS lightning environment. Otherwise the new and fine features it has, will not be used.
Pluses:
- much better placed buttons;
- easy to use menu;
- On – Off – Remote – Master button, very well placed and designed so you can fast switch;
- gel system that eliminates the possibility of destroying the gels (on SB800 the colored gels like red and blue when used the are destroyed by the flash heat);
- great finishing;
- wider zoom range (17-200) and DX / FX detection;
- three types light patterns;
- 360 degrees swivel (only 270 on SB 800);
- stops working when overheat (this prevents various additional problems);
Minuses:
- big price (even if it is justified by it’s features);
- considerably bigger than SB600 and SB800;
CLS
If you are interested by the CLS and it’s capabilities the correct steps should be:
- purchase of a Commander camera (Nikon D80, D90, D200, D300, D300s, D700). By purchasing a camera that can be Commander it helps to avoid purchasing directly a external commander (SB900, SB800, SU800). D3, D3X, D3S cannot be commanders because the do not have a built in flash (aside of the fact that if you have money for them a SU 800 or SB900 is bargain).
- purchase of 1-2 flashes SB600, SB700;
- purchase of a SB900 and other SB700 considering the needs.
Nikon 24-70 mm vs. 18-200 mm vs. 50 mm – Nikon D300
August 17, 2009
General impressions about the lens and for what cameras I think it’s suited, please check the dedicated post: http://blog.adrianmoisei.com/lang/ro/2009/08/nikon-24-70mm-f28/. Now few details about the test:
- all the lens have been mounted on the same camera (D300), on the same tripod (exactly the same position);
- all the images in the test were captured in a 10 minutes time interval, on a stable weather;
- all the lens had filter mounted: Hoya Protector HD 77mm on 24-70mm, Hoya UV 72mm on Nikon 18-200mm and Kenko UV MC 52mm on Nikon 50mm;
- because of the lens size and the relativity of the test, even if the focal length was strictly set, the 50mm lens images are a bit closer (as you can see in the images), giving the 50mm a slight advantage, but not enough to win the test
Test conclusion:
The winner is definitely Nikon 24-70 f/2.8, the 50mm f/1.8 beating it (arguably) only on f/8 and only in the center of the image (maybe because the slightly closer image). On the corners 24-70 is like from another world.
Impressive: Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8
August 16, 2009
Nikon 24-70 defined in a single word: awesome. In more words: almost perfect. With good photo quality even at f2.8 and exceptional at f4, Nikon 24-70 f/2.8 is a lens that will remove your will to take it of, after you mount it on your camera (assuming that 24-70 is what you in terms of focal length). On FX is greater but mounted on DX (D300 or D300s) is almost as good. I will post later some photo samples. From my point of view, even if I tested it on Nikon D80, I wouldn’t buy it for D80 because it’s lacking the AF fine tune and you can have back-focusing problems (for example).
When I started, I stated that it’s almost perfect lens. It’s not perfect because this is a kilo lens and in a bigger size than it shows in the photos (especially with the hood on). So, it’s big and heavy and although f/2.8 is great, maybe Nikon should of integrated the VR technology. Also quite pricey!
All these disadvantages will soon disappear after you start shooting. For D300, D300s and D700 you need the MB-D10 grip for a good balance.
Nikon 24-70 mm vs. 18-200 mm vs. 50 mm – Nikon D300: http://blog.adrianmoisei.com/lang/ro/2009/08/nikon-24-70-mm-vs-18-200-mm-vs-50-mm/
