dougdarter
Suspended / Banned
- Messages
- 2,099
- Name
- Douglas
- Edit My Images
- Yes
I suppose I was always a Nikon Man. When I started with the Police Scenes of crime squad, we used Nikon F2 Photomics, then, later, F3s. The boss then decided that we would change to Mamiya, so I purchased my F3, and a few lenses. I loved that camera. I was, however, tempted into the light by a beautiful Canon T90, which I still think is one of the finest I have ever used. Later, I dumped the T90, and FD/breechlocks, and purchased a spanky new D10 and a few EF's, later a D20, the a couple of 1Ds.
When the Leica M8 was introduced, I decided that that was the way I was going to go, as I had several really good examples of Leica glass, so in an effort to fund an M8 and a new 50mm Summicron, I sold my EOS 1D mkIIn's and all my 'L' glass, on this forum, last summer. Firmware corruption on the M8, and the fact that all the old Leica glass needed coding to work in all modes on the M8, I packed the whole shebang carefully in a cardboard box, and sent it all off to Solms in Germany. That was the last I ever saw of it
Now, I'm retired, and I was never going to be able to afford to replace all the Leica gear, or, for that matter the 1D's and L glass. I did however, still have the F3, and some Nikon primes. A friend offered me a new old stock Fuji S3 pro, which would take all my Nikon F mount glass, so making enquiries, and being told that they would meter correctly in manual on the S3, I went ahead and bought it.
The S3 pro arrived, together with a spanky Tamron 35 - 300mm VR, and I was happy. It was a good combination, but s l o w :| Even worse, I found that I had been misinformed by someone who should know better (a world renowned Nikon retailer), who mistakenly told me that the MF lenses would meter on the S3. They wouldn't
So, I took some of my savings out of the biscuit box under the mattress, and bought a beautiful, and very capable Nikon D2X, and a new AF 400mm F4 ED IF lens to go with it.
I listned to the naysayers, and the prophets of doom, who tried to talk me out of it, and went and bought it anyway.
God is kind!! They were both excellent examples. What a combination. I honestly thought that I would never have a better camera than my 1DmkIIn. I was wrong. I never thought I would ever have a better 300mm tele prime than my Canon 300mm f4L. I was wrong. The combination of the D2X with the AF 300mm ED IF is a match made in heaven. I would review the kit here, but there is a better place, but I'd like to show you a couple of pics.
The pic was taken handheld, the cat was about 15 yards away. Exif will show 300mm, AE priority, f7.1 @ 1/300 sec ASA 100. All camera settings were neutral, AWB, NO SHARPENING!!! There has been no post processing either.
Here's the original:
Here is a 250% crop:
I am now a confirmed 'Darksider'. I don't think that any Canon lens that I used on my 1DIIn (and I had a few), would produce a crop as sharp and detailed as this. I am simply amazed that a Jpeg straight from the camera could be as good as this. Yes, I know that it is slightly OE, but I didn't want to do any PP before I posted it. I can't wait to get it mounted on a good tripod!!
When the Leica M8 was introduced, I decided that that was the way I was going to go, as I had several really good examples of Leica glass, so in an effort to fund an M8 and a new 50mm Summicron, I sold my EOS 1D mkIIn's and all my 'L' glass, on this forum, last summer. Firmware corruption on the M8, and the fact that all the old Leica glass needed coding to work in all modes on the M8, I packed the whole shebang carefully in a cardboard box, and sent it all off to Solms in Germany. That was the last I ever saw of it
Now, I'm retired, and I was never going to be able to afford to replace all the Leica gear, or, for that matter the 1D's and L glass. I did however, still have the F3, and some Nikon primes. A friend offered me a new old stock Fuji S3 pro, which would take all my Nikon F mount glass, so making enquiries, and being told that they would meter correctly in manual on the S3, I went ahead and bought it.
The S3 pro arrived, together with a spanky Tamron 35 - 300mm VR, and I was happy. It was a good combination, but s l o w :| Even worse, I found that I had been misinformed by someone who should know better (a world renowned Nikon retailer), who mistakenly told me that the MF lenses would meter on the S3. They wouldn't
So, I took some of my savings out of the biscuit box under the mattress, and bought a beautiful, and very capable Nikon D2X, and a new AF 400mm F4 ED IF lens to go with it.
I listned to the naysayers, and the prophets of doom, who tried to talk me out of it, and went and bought it anyway.
God is kind!! They were both excellent examples. What a combination. I honestly thought that I would never have a better camera than my 1DmkIIn. I was wrong. I never thought I would ever have a better 300mm tele prime than my Canon 300mm f4L. I was wrong. The combination of the D2X with the AF 300mm ED IF is a match made in heaven. I would review the kit here, but there is a better place, but I'd like to show you a couple of pics.
The pic was taken handheld, the cat was about 15 yards away. Exif will show 300mm, AE priority, f7.1 @ 1/300 sec ASA 100. All camera settings were neutral, AWB, NO SHARPENING!!! There has been no post processing either.
Here's the original:
Here is a 250% crop:
I am now a confirmed 'Darksider'. I don't think that any Canon lens that I used on my 1DIIn (and I had a few), would produce a crop as sharp and detailed as this. I am simply amazed that a Jpeg straight from the camera could be as good as this. Yes, I know that it is slightly OE, but I didn't want to do any PP before I posted it. I can't wait to get it mounted on a good tripod!!
:bonk:
