Saturday, November 6, 2010

Changing Guns in 2011



In 2011, I will be selling my Nikon D90's to upgrade to the new Nikon D7000 cameras. I will not need to buy lenses so I will be buying bodies only and selling D90's with the unused kit lenses that came with the cameras.

If you go to the Nikon D7000 camera press release you will see many features showing exactly what the D7000 can achieve. Most often, I don’t even understand half the features they talk about. I got dropped a lot as a baby so I need a little extra help. So I have listed the key features and advantages FOR ME! If you are younger than me … some of the ones I mention may be totally useless for you. I know a man with Parkinson’s. He remains a great photographer because he knows how to use his equipment in order to be able to keep on shooting. Knowing your camera features and capabilities will help you produce better results and that can keep photography interesting for you!
So, here are the immediate advantages for me in upgrading to the Nikon D7000. You can get these features in other cameras. I am not by any means thumping Nikon as the only option. I am just deeply invested in their lenses and I am now a Nikon life-r. I respect all manufacturers!

Here are the key Nikon D7000 features for me:

1. High Resolution 16.2 MP DX-format CMOS sensor for large prints and tight cropping.I’ll try to use plain and simple language here. Having extra pixels means I can crop a photo and still have more pixels at the end of the job. It’s almost like having artificial zoom lenses that great out power what I can afford. I always buy pixels. For me, the more pixels, the better. I am using Nikon D90’s at the moment and they have 12.2 MP. Jumping to 16.2 gives you a greater cropping capability to move in tighter. It’s like every 100mm lens will now let you crop to the equivalent of having a130mm lens.

2. High Speed 6 frames per second continuous shooting up to 100 shots captures the most fleeting action.What can I say about 6 frames a second. The D90 shoots at 4.5 which isn’t horrible. In a four second burst this feature adds the possibility of an extra 6 shots to nail the one you wanted. This is a big plus in so many ways especially as I age. I am not the steady hand I once was so I like anything that increases my chances.

3. Twin SD Card Slots compatibility gives you options to keep on shooting or separate your NEF (RAW), JPEG and movie files.Capacity is big for me as you might be able to tell by now. The fact that you can put 2 cards in the D7000 just doubles on affordable memory. For example, … Have you ever noticed that you can buy two 8 GB cards cheaper than one 16GB card? Well, this is a quick way for me to double my capacity in less expensive ways.

4. Two User Definable Settings (U1, U2) right on the Mode Selector Dial let you store most camera settings so you can go back to them at anytime without the need for further adjustments or menu settings.This might be a little easier to understand if you were having to shoot very time constrained situations. Photography is the main reason I see sunsets. Do you ever feel like you haven’t seen enough sunsets in your life? Maybe not if you live on the West Coast. Sunsets are fun to shoot but there can be so much going on as you switch from one mode to another or change color temperatures. This feature just allows you to make a lot of adjustments by switching one button and in some situations added seconds matter.

5. Virtual Horizon Graphic Indicator shows whether the camera is level and in Live View mode, lets you place a grid over the scene you’re about to shoot — an invaluable tool for shooting landscapes and architecture.I love landscapes. I am planning to shoot as many as possible before I catch the big Tuna Boat to the sky. My recent trip to Oregon revealed that my camera hasn’t been as square in my hand as I thought. I reviewed shots in a hotel one night thinking that I am really losing it. It was obvious everything was tilted counterclockwise so this feature may become more use to me than I have ever anticipated.

6. Breathtaking Full 1080p HD Movies with Full Time Autofocus and external stereo microphone jack to record cinematic-quality movies up to 20 minutes all enhanced by NIKKOR interchangeable lens quality and versatility.1080p HD Video on board. Now I don’t need to remember to pack a video camera. The D90 had a decent 720p HD video package but it did not have Full Time Autofocus feature so you had to constantly focus and that is another thing that isn’t as easy for me as when I was younger. I waited forever to watch HD video improve and after my kids quit playing sports … I didn’t think I had much use for it any more. Well, now after ignoring video … video has come back to me in the D7000. I might experiment to see if I can use video to teach some things on NikonSniper.

7. Flash Synchronization at 1/250 sec.The D90 on board flash only allows shooting at 1/200 sec. I have the Nikon SB600 and SB800 flash units that are unlimited but more often than not a shot presents itself when it would be impossible to go and get one of the bigger flash units. I would have to carry one in my back pocket or keep it on the camera. Not always so easy … so every little bit counts in flash sync speed with the on board kit.

Hope you find this helpful.
NikonSniper Steve

A Clear Violation Of The Rental Agreement

The Great Pumpkin Porch

Jazzin' It Up Again

This weeks "Jazzin' Up yer Saturday" features the great horn of Miles Davis. This track is called "So What" on perhaps the number one selling jazz record of all time, called "Kind of Blue". This track was recorded in 1959 and you could say it launched Miles Davis to became bigger than ever as a result. It was all just a little over 50 years ago. I love listening to "So What" during a rainstorm. I have no idea why. Hope you enjoy!
May your Saturday listening be Kind Of Blue.
NikonSniper Steve

Friday, November 5, 2010

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Freedom Heads To The Polls


Election Day 2010
Is anybody else sick of their political candidate choices? Are ya sick of attack ads? I am not talking about one party being better than the other! I wish there was a way we could fire every blasted one of them. Why should they be allowed to bankrupt the future of your children and grandchildren and skate off with their personal life benefits? Exercise your freedom today! Kick someone out!
NikonSniper Steve

Monday, November 1, 2010

Sunday, October 31, 2010

Gettin' Skooled Up Again

If you have been following NikonSniper for some time, you will know that I have recently been trying to highlight photographers that I enjoy and believe are worthy of a greater following. There are hundreds and hundreds of you that impress me with your skill and photographic vision.
This month, drop in and say hello to Dagmar from the Netherlands. See Dagmar's work in Barefoot From Heaven. Scroll back into older posts so that you get a broader feel for what she does with her camera.
When I look at your blogs, sometimes, I ask myself ... Which of these photos would I like to brag was mine? Often it is very obvious to me. Sometimes picking my "winner photo" from a blog is much harder. If I can't easily pick which photo of yours I would like to brag was mine ... I keep looking deeper into previous posts. This usually means there are a ton of really good ones.
I soon discover ... I am once again being taken to photographic SKOOL. Thanks Dagmar!

My Small Business Needs Tax Cuts Now