Category : The Learning Center

I’ve been on a tear to lighten my camera bag!  It all started a few months back when my doctor asked if I would like to have some more shoulder surgery!!!???   I said no way, and he said then stop carrying a 25 pound camera bag!  So I’ve been working on how to lower the weight, it’s an ongoing process!  My tripod, which is my constant companion was another thing all together!   Those of you that know me, know I live and breath by a tripod!  I’ve often said the only person that can hand hold a camera completely steady, rigor mortise has set in!  If you have a heart beat you’re moving…..  So how to get a really sturdy tripod that cuts the weight in half???  Thankfully in the last decade a lot of progress has been made in tripods!  My go to, everyday, tripod is an old Gitzo 1348 Carbon Fiber 3 series, it has served me faithfully for almost twenty years!!!!  I own other tripods and use them for special applications but they almost never travel with me, just too big and too heavy!  So recently I picked up two new smaller, but still very good quality tripods for my new lighter travel system.  First why not another Gitzo?  Well, frankly cost.  There is not questions that, at least in my opinion, Gitzo is still king of the hill, but they are not cheap.  I have several friends that were using a couple of other brands and spoke highly about them, so I bought two different ones, and like them so much I’m keeping both!!!  Ugh, more weight!!!!!

 

The first is the Induro CT-214.  the legs alone are around $400. and it is extremely well made and feels very substantial, yet has shaved several pounds off my normal Gitzo carry tripod.  I’m using the Really Right Stuff  BH-30 head and it works great and has really reduced the weight.  It’s also short enough collapsed to fit in most of my suitcases which is a big plus for travel.  I bought the shorter center post so I could take it almost to the ground, a must for me.  I do also own the Kirk Low Pod, which I find great for ground level close-up work and for close-ups in the studio!  My friend Vincent Versace loves his Induro and I’m glad I took his recommendation, this is a great and affordable tripod!

 

Another shooter and good friend, David Akoubian, showed me his Vanguard tripod which had a very unique feature which I’m finding very valuable, a tilting center post for extending the camera out over the subject.  When I first was shown the feature I didn’t think much of it, then a friend, Eric Wojtkun,  made a killer shot at the Southeast Train Museum with a tripod that had the same feature, when I saw him use it and saw the shot, below, I was hooked!  This tripod I picked up is the Vanguard Alta Pro 254 CT and it is another big time winner!  Just like the Induro it is made of high quality carbon Fiber, has great one twist leg locks, and the center column tilting feature works super easy.  For around $320 it is another steal!!  It is slightly smaller than the Induro which is not a bad thing, yet  it is very sturdy and well built.  It came with their BBH-100 ball head that accepts Arca Swiss plates, it is very well made, and functions solidly!

By being able to make the center post go out or down you can get a new angle on the subject as Eric did on the model train shot below!!  While I would not recommend hanging a D4 with a big lens out to the side a smaller camera like Eric’s Pentax K-5 can be supported very well indeed.  By placing the camera over a barrier and right over the subject Eric was able to make a shot I wanted but could not make with a conventional tripod I was using!!!

 

I think these kinds of devices can be more useful than I had imagined when using a smaller camera.  Thanks Eric for opening my eyes to another great way to approach and make a shot!!!

 

Here is Eric’s wonderful HDR image!

 

 

So the moral of the story is, if you can’t foot the bill for the most expensive tripods out there, we now have some very capable and affordable alternatives!  Now if I can just figure out what to leave out of my camera bag or reconfigure my carry system, maybe I won’t be doing any more surgery!!!!!

 

Blessings,

 

the pilgrim

 

 

 

Epilogue:  After publishing Eric’s image, he sent this one from our recent workshop, just too good not to be the ending shot! 

 

 

 

After the last of the airplanes were landing yesterday, walking around the resort, I couldn’t help but notice how lush the islands plants were, especially in back light!  I went to the room and mounted a 60mm micro lens and did some close-up work.  This was done casually, hand held, which I almost never do, but I was pleased with the take.  Though not tack sharp, in all instances, the the images convey what I was feeling looking though the lens and enjoying the wonderful light!  Hope you enjoy them….  This early afternoon one more shot at some of the big planes that fly in, the AirBus 320’s, Boeing 757 and 747.

 

 

This trip has been a good rest in prep for a killer schedule in April, and it has been spiritually a wonderful opportunity to reach out.  God has provided numerous chances to fellowship and share, in some cases at a deep level with those He has placed in our paths.  It is always a grand adventure to go out into the world and see what He has prepared for us!

 

Blessings,

 

the pilgrim

 

I’m learning a lot from the aviation shooters on St. Maarten!!  Shooting landing planes over the beach is just like shooting all action shots, it’s about; light, vantage point, focal length, and most of all, timing!!!  The light has been great, I’m learning from the locals the best vantage points, with the 14-24 and 80-400 (120-600 in DX), focal length is covered.  Now the hard part, timing!!  I’ve been practicing and I’m starting to get in the zone.  Below are some practice shots that are getting close!

 

Next assignment is to be on the beach looking up with the 14-24 when the KLM 747 comes in again Thursday.  Even landing these guys come in pretty fast, you have to be ready and work on your timing.  Below are some examples of beach work and practice sessions.

 

 

I had a great thing happen yesterday, one of the contestants, a lady about my age came over to the Gazebo to talk photography and she shared about her cancer experience,  and how it led her to a deeper walk in her faith, and made photography a lot more of a stress relieving outlet or her.  We were able to pray together, it was  precious moment!  When God is in charge ministry can happen every day, everywhere!!!

 

Blessings,

 

the pilgrim

 

 

Equipment notes:  

Top Shot of the 747 right over the beach, Nikon D7100 and 80-400 lens at 600mm,

1/200th of a second at f 8.

 

 

The last four shots are all with the D800 and Nikkor 14-24 wide angle zoom.  Most are at 1/1,500th of a second at F11.

 

 

The Last Shot……..   no people, but a cool angle.

 

 

One more for Nick Coury, this is the beautiful bokeh I was telling you about, shot during dinner tonight:

 

This week in Las Vegas at the WPPI Show, I’ve had the chance to play with and get familiar with two new products from Nikon.  You can find all the specs on Nikon USA website and places like DP Review, so I won’t rehash those sites, I hope to share some of the exciting things, I’ve learned.   I will put both products through and extensive testing in St. Maartens Island in the Caribbean next week, but for now here are the exciting details;

 

The D7100.  While the D7100 is the long awaited update to the wonderful D7000, (one of my favorite cameras of all time), it is more than I had expected!!!  The D7100 has a 24 mp sensor that does not have an Optical Low Pass Filter in place!  The result is exceptional sharpness and resolution.  This is a very exciting development…..   While I have only been able to pop off some hand held shots at our booth, it is obvious, even in those images, that this camera is going to be a force to be reckoned with with in the DX sensor category!!  The other extremely pleasant discovery is that the noise at high ISO is remarkably low, far better than in the 16 mp D7000, which was very good in it’s own right!!

 

The D7100 feels just a little more substantial than it’s previous little brother, and is definitely built for lots of use.  It maintains the same great ergonomics of the D7000 and most all the features and includes some new ones.  The most important added feature for me, besides the wonderful new sensor design, is the autofocus system has grown up to the 51 point  (15 cross type, and the better processor should provide faster, and more accurate autofocus performance, in addition to working in lower light!  The D7100 feels great in the hands, and makes fantastic images!  (Oh well, maybe changes are in the wind for my Nikon DX body needs!!!)

 

The Long awaited, and worth the wait, Nikon 80-400 AF-S VR G f 4.5-5.6 Zoom.  This lens is everything I had hoped for and while substantial, not a back breaker!!!  The new lens has a very solid feel, zooms without the excessive lengthening of the older version and has the latest and best VR system!  I am not the most steady shooter and yet standing at the booth, handheld I made several images of people’s faces a about30 feet away at 400mm at a shutter speed of 1/60th of a second, and could count the eyelashes!!!!!!  Next week as i photograph jets landing in St. Maarten, at their famous low pass over the beach airport, I hope to post some stunningly sharp images from this lens!  The lens takes 77mm filters (yeah!!!), (and the barrel does not rotate during focusing, yeah again!!!)  it focuses down to only 5.74 feet at 400mm!!!!!! (Can we say close-ups!!!!! and micro lens type results with high quality diopters!  With ED, and Super ED elements, and Nano coatings, this lens is stunningly sharp!

 

The lens appears to be tack sharp and with a very well designed tripod collar (supplied with the lens), I believe this will find a home in many bags.  At $2.699. it is not cheap,but considering it’s quality and utility, I believe it will be well worth the price!!!  At 56 ounces, it is not light, but certainly manageable, for even an old guy like me!  On our FX cameras (D4, D800/800e, D600. etc) it will be a true 80-400, on the new D7100 an all our DX models it’s a whopping 120-600 f 4.5-5.6   WOW, what a great range for those that own both FX & DX bodies……   As you know I’m never convinced until I try it for myself, and I will report on that next week, but to be honest, I’m expecting to provide a sterling review in the days to come.  Can you tell I’m excited???? I think I’ve used that word forty times in this blog entry!!!!!

 

Caveat:  Please know that even though I am employed by Nikon, (and have been a life long Nikon user for all my years, I bought my own gear, and still do, Nikon does not give me gear, only consigns it for use in my job).  I would never, and have never, hyped any of our products on this blog site, just for that reason, if I did not genuinely believe my opinions to be accurate, I would say nothing at all!  My mother always taught me, “If you can’t say something good, say nothing at all!!”  Still great advice all these years later.  While on that subject, from time to time I mention products that I have purchased with my own money and love, that is my policy on this website.  I do not accept, free products for the purpose of review.  If I request a product, or are sent a product to review, I return it, after the review or, if I want to own it, I send a check to the manufacturer for the product. Some manufacturers give “professional discounts” which are appreciated, but nothing is accepted free.  The one exception to that is any sponsor of His Light Workshops may give samples of their products for our use, and testing, and this is a standard procedure in the industry.  I and Jim choose our own sponsors and we approach them, because we already use and highly respect their products. Period!!   We have not, and will not review cameras or lens products, other than Nikon’s, while I am employed by them.   

 

My goal is simple, I want you to know, you can read this blog and all my blogs, and feel assured that I am only passing on what I believe, in my opinion, to be accurate information you can use to consider in your equipment purchases study.  My faith and my stand in life for Him would allow me to do no less.

 

Blessings,

 

the pilgrim