Daily Archives: April 3, 2012

 

So now that all the new Nikon cameras are released and being shot, which is the one to buy?  Hold your horses, good question, but poorly asked!  Let’s ask this question first;   What do you use a camera for?

 

Let me draw some broad categories of shooters;

 

The Full Time Sports/Photojournalism Pro:  You shoot all day, everyday, under all kinds of weather, dust, and grime.  You charge your batteries every night, and the camera barely cools down in time to start shooting again.  You need a very high frame rate, and often shoot in miserable light, but still have to get the shot.  You are rough on your gear so it has to hold up to abuse!  D4, D3s, or D3, maybe in a pinch, the D700 are your cameras.  If you have to do video, the D4 and D3s are your only choices, (the other two have no video).  The D4 is the consummate, sports camera, plenty of resolution, but gobs of speed.  If your job is tough, this camera is even tougher.

 

 

The Landscape/Nature/Wildlife/Travel/ Studio/ Wedding/ Portrait/Fine Art Photographer:  If you shoot anything that requires lots and lots of detail and the ability to make enormous prints (think feet instead of inches)!  The new D800 is the answer to your prayers.  If you simply don’t need that kind of resolution, the D700 or D7000 will serve you well.  There is one problem, once you’ve shot the D800, it will be very, very hard to go back!  The detail is addicting!!  The D800 is made to be used hard, maybe not quite up to the D4 standard, but plenty tough!  It’s lighter and smaller and easier to carry than a D3s or D4.  The D7000, even more so.  If you shoot sports the speed and buffer on the D7000 will eventually disappoint you.  The D800 is only marginally better in that it has a big buffer, but 4 fps is not a sports camera.

 

 

What am I going to buy?  Good question.  If I had to decide today, I think it would be the D800 and the D7000, I might would get a D4 if the budget permitted, but I am now addicted to 36 megapixels and I love the D7000 when weight is an issue and to stretch my lenses.  More new cameras will come in the future and we will have to see what they are, and how they perform.  One thing is for sure, the D7000 will make almost any image I ever need to make, but oh my goodness how sweet it is to look at those big, super rich files coming out of the D800.  I don’t think I can ever go back now!!

 

Life is Good!

 

The pilgrim

 

It’s Tuesday the third day of April and I’m back in the, “infamous – pie shaped room”, at the Augusta National Golf Club.  It’s the Masters and I’m in Golf Prison all week.  Now before you start feeling sorry for me, fat chance of that, let me share a thought or two.  When you give yourself fully over to God, He does as He pleases with your life.  Even more so, He does with your life, what will bring Him the most glory, or at least that’s the plan, if you co-operate!   The biggest hurdle to get over,  in life,  is seeing that the purpose He has in mind might be something completely different than what you think you are experiencing.

 

I’m not a big golf fan.  I played when I was younger, and as the old joke goes;  “I gave it up because of all the people that got hurt!”  However, the week at the Masters could hardly be called drudgery.  Hotel rooms in Augusta go for $450 + a night during the Masters, so Nikon is kind enough to rent a large, very nice home, for the three team members to stay in for the week.  The pie shaped room is air conditioned, thank goodness in Augusta in the spring!!!  The Golf Club provides good food and nice facilities for the press, so all is well in that department.  No, all is well in the comfort zone.

 

Time for a thankfulness check up!  What I do love about this week is the fellowship with people I care a great deal for but seldom get to see! My team for this event at Brien Aho, and Takawuki Abe.  Brien is a new Tech Rep and has hit the ground running, he is going to be a great one!   Abe San is a legend in the golf community, he has saved more photographers bacon than anyone can remember!  It is a pleasure working with them.  While at the Masters we get visits from lots of photographers, many of whom, I only get to see once or twice a year.  this is a dangerous game, because you will always leave someone out, and that is a shame, they are all great people, but a few always come to my mind when you say the Masters!  Dom Furore and J.D. Cuban, both of whom work for Golf Digest, their two best shooters in my opinion, are also great guys who make this week long sentence a lot more than tolerable!  Some day when I hang it up and move onto other things, I will really miss these two guys!  We always make it as tradition to go out and have a meal together and it is much anticipated by all!  Fred Vuich, formerly with Golf Magazine, and now free lancing mostly for SI, (Sports Illustrated) is not only a terrific shooter, but one of the nicest men you will ever meet, and is a brother  in the Lord as well, which is a real joy.  Of course John Beaver and Robert Beck drop by (both from Sports Illustrated), and they are great friends as well.  There are more, but these are some of my very special friends that you can find at the Masters every year.  They make this event something to really look forward too!

 

I believe God gives us people, people to love for Him.  People to encourage, to listen to, and to learn from, and maybe, just maybe, teach them a thing or two as well.  It’s the wonderful way He works, as we invest in others, it brings back the riches of friendship to us, and, in the end,  He is glorfied!

 

I may be in prison, but as Paul said, “I’m note really in prison, I’m in Him!”

 

The words of the song For the Love of God, sung by Kenny Rogers,  seems like the right way to end this entry:

 

I could follow Him, I could pledge my faith
Bound by duty I could honor and obey
But the love I found is compelling me
To serve Him from a heart that’s been redeemed

I would give my all, everything I’ve got
To the highest call, for the Love of God
Every day I live, I’d give no matter what
I will do it all, for the love of God

May I never serve from a heart of fear
Thinking only that the end is drawing near
Oh but Lord I pray, that in all I do
I’ll be driven only by what pleases You

I would give my all, everything I’ve got
To the highest call, for the Love of God
Every day I live, I’d give no matter what
I will do it all, for the love of God

No greater motivation, there is no higher cause
My one and only reason remains the love of God

I would give my all, everything I’ve got
To the highest call, for the Love of God
Every day I live, I’d give no matter what
I will do it all, for the love of God

 

Yes, I have comitted my life to him, I will do it all, for the love of God………

 

the pilgrim

 

Clever Title????  My wife’s idea!  Thanks sweetheart!