BTS Look at the 2010 Faulkner Football Poster Shoot

Here is a behind the scenes look at the development of the 2010 Faulkner University football poster. The end result is shown below and the video beneath that shows the photographic process and the compiling of the final product. I hope to have a video showing my work for the 2010 football media guide cover soon, so stay tuned.

Here is the youtube video showing the behind the scenes work...



Enjoy

- R

Nikon introduces a new flash and a host of lenses

Nikon has had two lens releases since my last gear review post and that's both a good and bad thing. It's bad because that means I'm behind on my posts. But it's good considering that usually such releases are only twice a year at best. So, without further delay, here is a quick look at the new flash and lens releases from Nikon.



Nikon SB-700: Think of this puppy as the SB-900's mini-me. It brings in the focusing power, the improved LED display, better build, better head rotation, over-heating tracking, FX/DX auto tracking, filter identification and more are all incorporated in this new body. The unit is not as powerful, of course, as it's big brother, but that's to be expected. The BIG thing that I feel Nikon really overlooked or just deliberately left out is the PC-sync terminal. For $325-350 it really should feature the PC-sync input. This allows for the addition of wireless receivers to trigger the flashes remotely. You can add such receivers via hot shoe adapters, but that is an extra piece of equipment to have to keep up with. Pocketwizard has released new Mini and Flex units that can be placed on the camera and flash to bring that communication in, but at $200-220 each, that's a step you have to really consider taking.

One new feature that the SB-700 inherits from the SB-900 that the SB-600 does not have is the SU-4 mode. This setting allows the flash to use an optical slave to trigger when it sees another flash fire. This is very handy considering the lake of the sync slot, but it might not be suitable for all shooting circumstances and environments.

Bottom line, if you are in need of a flash unit and can get by without the PC-sync terminal, then this is the most well-rounded unit currently in the Nikon lineup. The SB-600 is not quite as feature laden, but it comes in at more than $100 less. The big brother, the SB-900, has more power and features, but will run you $100 more. Flashes have never been, nor will they ever be, inexpensive and at $330 online, it's a good compromise overall.



Updated AF-S 200mm f/2 VR II N: This a beautiful lens that every wedding, event and sports photographer wants in his/her bag. This is one of the best optics on the planet. It provides superb bokeh, rapid AF, excellent VR control and razor sharp results. This is an update to the previous version. This rendition gets the nano crystal coating (N) and the new VR II system (versus VR). At $6,000 though, you might want to rethink things. The current, and equally excellent copy, retails online for $4,800 for the USA copy and $4,000 for the gray market version. The newer one likely has somewhat noticeably better results, but depending you your line of work, they might not be a few thousands dollars better.



NEW Nikon AF-S 85mm f/1.4  N: Finally after years of waiting Nikon decided to bring AF-S to one of the best lenses in its lineup. The current AF 85mm f/1.4 is superb, but it focuses slow even on the best bodies and does so with a bit of a grunt. The new nano crystal coating should help with overall image quality and the AF-S feature will allow it to be used in even more environments - like sports. The current AF version runs about $1,250 online and the new N coating and AF-S will bump the price $450 to $1,700. If you don't have this optic and you shoot portraits, weddings, etc. you should definitely consider it. It is my favorite Nikon lens of all time. For me, the ability to use it in the athletic world as well as the portrait world does at the moment justify the extra funds. But this is my take on things. I'm considering selling my AF for the AF-S, but we'll see.



New Nikon AF-S 35mm f/1.4 N: Another huge finally.Why? Because there are a handful of 35mm options from Nikon, but none that quite hit the sweet spot. The current 35mm f/1.4 was non-af, making it virtually useless by today's standards. The AF 35mm f/2 was slow and load and despite a lot of great reviews was one of the worst lenses I ever used. I wound up sending mine back to B&H. The newer 35mm is the AF-S f/1.8, but it came in the DX flavor, rendering it pointless for FX sensors. For the money the 1.8 is an excellent optic and should be on every DX Nikon out there, but full frame shooters were stuck with no AF or slow AF with crapy results. Now we have something to consider. But consider it we must. At $1,800 it's the same as the 14-24mm f/2.8 N, a hefty amount more than the 50mm f/1.4 N (of course it's noticeably wider) which rings it at around $475 and is more expensive than the 24-70mm f/2.8 N. These optics are not all in the same category, but depending on what you need, you can see the overall cost. The Canon equivalent is only $1350, but it's a bit older. I'd love to have this lens, but only the 24mm f/1.4 at $2,200 scares me more for versatility for the price.



NEW Nikon AF-S 24-120mm f/4 N VR: Another lens that finally brings competition to the Canon equivalent. This lens offers a relatively wide to moderate telephoto option with a respectable constant aperture of f/4. The VR feature will help control vibration and the fact that it can be used on an FX camera is a big plus and the N coating will improve image results. However, if you can handle an f/3.5-5.6 variation the current version is a lot less expensive at $570 online. The new one rings in at $1,300, but should provide far better results. The reviews that I read on the current version were not so hot, but for $1,300, the older one at sub $600 might be a better option. This one might be more of a shelf-sitter than other new releases.



NEW Nikon 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6 VR: This, to me, is a far more exciting introduction than the 24-120. Why? It's faster on the wide end - and is practically as wide - 100mm longer on the long end - and only a stop slower - has VR, is FX ready and is nearly $300 less than the 24-120! This is considered the 18-200mm lens for FX users. Nikon's popular 18-200mm has been an awesome "do all" lens for DX users, but FX bodies have had no such friend...until now. The 28-300 is a very good general "do all" focal range and the variable aperture is more than sufficient for most situations. It has a zoom lock switch so it does not creep open when held downward and is an all round nice little package. At $1,050 it's not for everyone, but considering that it could quite possibly be the only lens necessary for travel and adventure photographers, it's a steal in my book.

If I were going to be doing an international trip, entering a variety of shooting situations, packing an FX body and a few flashes, I would have to strongly consider weather I needed all the extra gear I would normally haul along. My current widest lens is 24mm and my longest without telephoto converter is 200mm. This trumps that and it's ONE lens. If I decided that I really would not need, or could, without penalty, forego apertures of 2.8 or faster, I would take ONLY this lens. If I had to pack something else, it would be my ultra light, inexpensive and fast 50 f/1.8. And I would ONLY use it for depth of field work and extreme low light shooting. My perfect - low weight, low cost travel/mission work/adventure/gone for the day/do it all setup for FX would be: D700 body, SB-800/900, 50 1.8, 28-300, a small transmitter and receiver - DONE. I love my MB-D10 grip and battery, but if I pretty much know I'm not going to be shooting a ton of action, I'd leave it (for pack space and weight) at home. If I had extra room, I'd toss in a clamp and another flash. When you own heavy, fast, expensive glass, you get used to the versatility and results, but many times, that much gear is simply not practical. When I went to Ukraine a few years ago to work with orphans, I decided that my point and shoot option from my previous visit was far too limiting considering that photography is my job and hobby. So, I took my backup body - then a D40 - a 55-200 VR lens, three Nikon flashes, two small light stands, a few collapsible umbrellas and a transmitter and my receivers. I was able to shoot a variety of things and only had the one lens! I set up some small "portrait" shoots outside with the lighting gear and the results were pretty good considering all of my limitations.

Today, I might consider the new Coolpix P7000 for it's quality, size and weight, but for double that price, I could get this excellent lens to pair with my D700.

I'm considering adding this to my kit for future travel use. I think it's a great solution.



NEW Nikon 55-300mm f/4.5-5.6 VR DX: This will apply to cropped DX sensors only and is a new "kit type" alternative to the popular 55-200mm VR. When most people pick up a kit purchase it usually features the 18-55mm and if it has a second lens, it's the 55-200mm VR. They are both great lenses for general shooting and the new 55-300mm offering simply sweetens the deal further. The new 55-300 offers the same aperture values as the 55-200, but with 100mm more focal length potential. The lens is also a nice alternative to the excellent 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 VR. At $80 less than the 70-300 it's wider on the back end and definitely worth a look. At $170ish more than the 55-200 it's a bit of a leap, but it offers more focal length in a very similar package size. The 70-300 still has the advantage of working on FX bodies. Overall I think it's a great new choice for the D300s model and down.

Again, all of these points are my own personal ones and in no way reflect what each unique shooter/buyer will think, want or get. I simply post my ideas to help in your decision to expand or replace your gear.

- R

Nikon releases the D7000

It's been a while since my last post on gear even though Nikon has coughed up a ton of new stuff, predominantly new lens, which is a good thing. They have introduced new entry level items as well as glass that the avid pro has been pining for for some time. If you don't believe me, look at my previous posts and you'll see that a lot of things I, and pros across the board, have been wanting and, in fact, genuinely needing for years. This post will focus on the new D7000 and I will follow up with a look at the new flash and lenses. Again, any recommendations, likes or dislikes are simply that - my opinions given my understanding of the equipment, cost and usability. So, here we go.



Enter the D7000:

So, what is it? Well, it's been dubbed the successor to the D90, which in all fairness, it sort of is. Expect the D90 to dwindle out by the first of the year or a little after.  It might hang around longer, but when you compare the list pros and cons and create your bang-for-buck scenario, I think the vast majority of shooters that are looking at this price point will side with the D7000. Now, the D90 might get a new life if the price continues to drop, but I'm not sure Nikon will continue to output that model once this one is readily available.

Now for the real kicker that many are probably NOT considering. Is the D7000 a D300s killer? We'll take a look at the features and see. Now, I'm obviously not going to talk about all of them, but there are certainly some things to hit on. After each topic I will keep a running "point" total as I see it.

1. Build: It's got a new magnesium alloy frame. This puts it on par with the D300s and a big step up from the D90. This improves body integrity and can contribute to better weather sealing. D7000: 1     D90: 0     D300s 1

2. Sensor: The D7000 gets a bump up to 16MP from 12MP. This is not, of course, the end all, be all of image quality, but it does help. The user should see sharper images with more detail overall with everything being equal between the bodies. This could effect low light shooting results, but only tests will confirm this. I highly doubt that this sensor will suffer more than the current generations when it comes to low light work. Nikon is leading the industry in this area as far as I'm concerned. You still get the cropped DX sensor, but what did you expect? D7000: 2     D90: 0     D300s 1

3. ISO: Another point for the D7000. The D90 and D300s are base 200-3200 with expansion up to 6400. The D7000 knocks that out of the park with a base of  100-6400 with expansion to a ridiculous 25,600. Not as high as the D3s, but more than enough for even non-practical purposes. D7000: 3     D90: 0     D300s 1

4. Movie Mode: This might not even appeal to a lot of shooters, but it's definitely something that would-be indie film makers will love and, honestly, it does expand the creative arena for the photographer. So many photographers are moving into film because of the lower cost of gear - because they already own it! The D90 revolutionized the DSLR world when it became the first body that produced HD video. Then everyone followed. Now the D7000 breaks into a new realm - autofocus in video mode. This is a HUGE step forward because it allows you to use follow focus if you want, but does not make it necessary. It also shoots full resolution 1080 HD at 24 fps. So, even though the D90 does have video, the D7000 blows it away and the point will only go to the new body. D7000: 4     D90: 0     D300s 1

5. AF Sensor: Luckily all three of these cameras will focus even non-AFS lenses. It remains to be seen if the D7000 will be a significant leap in AF speed, but the sensor is a bump from the D90 where it gets 39 points with 9 cross type areas versus the 11 and 1 of the D90. It still isn't on par with the fabulous 51 area/15 cross type of the D300s (and D3 bodies), but it's excellent at this level of camera. But, because we are doing a side by side look, the D300s will get the point. D7000: 4     D90: 0     D300s 2

6. Metering Sensor: The D7000 will win here too as it features a new 2016 pixel sensor versus the 1005 of the D300s and the 403 from the D90. What does this mean? Theoretically it makes the camera more efficient at ganging light levels for proper exposure, white balance, focus tracking and iTTL output. D7000: 5    D90: 0     D300s 2

7. Viewfinder: The D7000, like the D300s gives you 100% coverage at .94x magnification. The D90 gave you 96%. It's a tie with the D300s. D7000: 6    D90: 0     D300s 3

8. Shooting Speed: This might be where the pack gets separated in a major feature for some. The D90 could only output 4.5 fps on a good day. This is not bad for family shooting, but when you compare the D7000 to the D300s and higher, this number will become a factor. The D7000 outputs a maximum 6 fps which is very respectable, but no match for the excellent 8 fps max that the D300s is capable of - although it does require the MB-D10 grip and more battery power. So, if you're a sports shooter looking for either a new rig or a backup, you should consider the lack of frame rate in your purchase. Again, for non-sports shooters, this might not be an issue. D7000: 5    D90: 0     D300s 3

9. Storage: The D7000 keeps the SD slot for its storage type, but does provide a second slot to either provide roll over storage or separated storage or say RAW and JPEG when shot simultaneously. I prefer the Compact Flash option on the D300s, but I think for this class of camera, the SD is a more common storage format and since it accommodates the SDXC cards and there is double the internal capacity, the D7000 gets the point. D7000: 6    D90: 0     D300s 3

10. $: This is tougher to do side by side, because you have to take value into consideration here. For a hands down winner, the D90 finally gets a point coming in at $780 for the body only (as of this post). I expect that price to drop even more as it exits the stage, so if you are a new shooter in the DSLR field or just want a superb backup, grab the D90 or wait for it to drop a little. I see it absolutely bottoming out at $699 new, but I'm not a marketing expert. The D300s has been around for quite a while and is in need of an update, but not more so than the excellent D700. The D300s will cost you about $1,480 new body only. It's at the top of the list and considering that it's only real advantages over the new D7000 are AF points, 2 more fps and a possible preference for the CF card, it seems unlikely that most shoppers will throw out the extra $300. The D7000 also offers some newer metering sensors, the new processing engine and the excellent movie mode. I think the deal breaker here would really just be the shooting speed. The D7000 comes it at a respectable $1,200 and in my opinion is the bang for buck champ of the group. The point for dollar amount goes to the D9o, but the value point goes to the D7000. D7000: 6    D90: 1     D300s 3

11. Value: See point 10. for info. D7000: 7    D90: 1     D300s 3

At the end of the day, camera dimensions and weight are totally subjective, so are not included in the review. I actually prefer a meatier camera so I like the D3s/x bodies, but I shoot with a heavier (when fully loaded) D700. There are also other features that can be talked about, but I think they impact the shooter/buyer less than those points listed above.

If you're a full-frame shooter, just keep waiting for the D700 update or other major D3 advancement. If you're an entry level shooter consider the D3100 or D5000. If you are looking at the middle of the pack consider the D90 for it's excellent price if the features of the D7000 are not necessary for you. If you need speed, still go with the D300s if the D3s is out of your price point. If you want the most for the best value, I'd strongly consider the D7000. Wait for some image and performance reviews from other great sites, but at the end of the day it offers a TON of features that are sure to justify the $1,200 price tag.

- R