Thursday, June 16, 2016

Dear Kerby,

I just got the Diana Super-Wide 38mm lens in the mail a few days back. I have yet to use it and test it out. It is hard to test it out when I do not have the programs to open the raw files that my camera produces. I have gone back to working with my old Nikon D70 just out of curiosity.

  • Using the lens on the Nikon D70 allows me to achieve the wider view as compared to the cropped sensor of the Nikon 1 V1 camera.
  • Going back to my old camera I realize that it is only 6mp, which might have been an advancement when I purchased the camera. The Nikon 1 V1 is 10mp.
  • It might be a nice lens but I am not sure I am going it justice by putting it on a low resolution camera body or one that crops the wideness of the lens

I have multiple Nikon lenses and accessories for Nikon cameras but it might be time to look for a camera body that can handle the wide view of the lens as well as give me more resolution, in megapixels, for making bigger prints. The V1 has been fine for many a years but a new camera body might be in the future. I will continue to use my V1 for years to come because I love most of its features. Maybe I can get some video footage with the super-wide lens attached to my V1.

Talk to you later,
Bluelaugh

Wider

Monday, June 13, 2016

Dear Kerby,

I have been looking at my next purchase with my photography equipment. This is something I would need to plan into my budget and not forget the other items that my money will be going to.

My first small purchase would be a few camera cards. I am looking at another SD card card for my Nikon1 V1. The card would have to be of a higher complicity so I do not rely on the computer. On the flip side I have an old Nikon D70 which takes a Compact Flash card. I feel this format has died out due to the ease of destroying the little needle like pins that the card mush make contact to read/write to the card. In my mind I would like to pick up that camera and start to use it again. A few of my manual lenses would work with ease on the D70 without the need for an adapter.

A medium size purchase would be to get some sort of a ringflash. A ringflash is a "doughnut" or ring of light that sits on the end of a lens. The flash like light effects the image coming into the camera. With the light sitting closer it does not create dark shadows like a traditional flash sitting farther away on top of the camera. The Nikon1 system of cameras has an accessories port rather than a standard hot shoe making it difficult to trigger the ringflash. Lomography website sells a ringflash that comes with a set of colored filters to create fun colored photos. On the other side, Photojojo sells a more sophisticated and professional ringflash. This flash attaches to the front of the lens with a series of screw on adapters. Sorry, no filters.

The larger of the purchases would be to get a new lens. Yes, I said new. The lenses I have a mostly manual and have been either given to me on have been purchased used/as is. The only electronic lenses I have are the ones that came with either camera body. The new lens I am looking into is the Petzval 85. I have not found another lens that I am into at the moment. The lens not only functions as a lens to take crisp clean photos but has an artistic side.

Talk to you later,
Bluelaugh

What to Buy?

© letters from bluelaugh 2008 Dapinder