Even More Fun Pictures with Nikon

[clay stewart]

Tim, I love it! Keep 'em coming. Lets try to control the German camera lust.:deadhorse:

Yeah, no kidding, I find myself musing through the Leica M forums more than I care to admit, here lately. I keep telling myself that it isn't always just a bed of roses. Sometimes there is a little stink to go along with it as well.

 

[clay stewart]

I was comparing the size difference between my D700 and a M9 this morning. Just wanted to make sure my Nikon wasn't really that much bigger and heavier. Well, if you take away the hump from the viewfinder and the grip, they are pretty close in size, specially if you add one of those grips to the M9, but the Nikon weights at least a peanut butter and jelly sandwich more.

I don't know if the image quality difference would really be that noticeable to me, as I haven't really been able to pick out that special digital Leica image quality that people talk about, by viewing images on the Web. Maybe you have to see prints.

 

[clay stewart]

One thing about Nikon, is even though the prime lenses are not as good as Leitz, they are still pretty decent, for what you pay for them. I recently got the 28 2.8D and I'm really pretty impressed with it, although many people on the Internet have said it's a poor performer. Here is a recent one with it. The one above was with the Sigma 50 1.4, which had problems and had to be sent back. The one above it I think was the 130.00$ 50 1.8D

 

[Corlan F.]

Clay, thanks for sharing your extended views, i guess we've been a lot to follow a similar train of thoughts lately -including spending a great deal of time scrutinizig the M9 pictures in reports. Leica inded achieve a terrific job on the marketing side towards our community (photographers in general).

Thanks for supporting your comments with these beautiful pictures. It's comforting and quite interesting to see these results from lower cost primes.

And as far as details are going, from the many samples available now there's really not a lot to be ashamed from -and even less than nothing as soon as relative lowlight gets in the way.

Despite some unquestionnable Leica great traits, ISO 320+ details and IQ of M9 samples have been quite a disappointment for me.
Definitely a good reason to wait quietly... and see what's happening next.

And take a lot of gratifying pictures -like yours- in the meantime
Without second thoughts

 

[TRSmith]

I love that there's a Nikon. And I love that there's a Leica. I'm very fortunate to have both and quite willing to wait a bit while savoring the anticipation of perhaps someday owning an M9. These are very exciting times if you like photography!

 

[Corlan F.]

I love that there's a Nikon. And I love that there's a Leica. I'm very fortunate to have both and quite willing to wait a bit while savoring the anticipation of perhaps someday owning an M9. These are very exciting times if you like photography!

Hi Tim - don't get me wrong my remarks above go for the M8, too. Except for critical work, i guess you can easily live with the idea of owning one And to say the truth all this M9 craze indeed made me seriously think about getting an M8.2 at a sensible price down the road. Would work nice with a CV 90 and ZM 50 & 35 for a complementary approach to the Nikon.

But for all production shooting, D700 did not lose a bit of its great qualities (details, studio, focus control and high ISO especially. Which is incidentally a lot).

 

[TRSmith]

Nay, Corlan. I'm not attempting to defend either one or put one above the next. Just celebrating the fact that there are so many different and great tools available with which to approach the craft. As far as I'm concerned they all have something excellent to offer and I've seen beautiful examples of what they can do right here on this forum. My "fan loyalty" stops with the UCONN Huskies college basketball team. Beyond that, it's a terrific buffet and endlessly tasty.

 

[AlexLF]

I guess I'm leaning to architecture photography these days (D3x, 24-70):

Forgot to mention - poliriser and ND grad is used.

 

[TRSmith]

Another beauty Alex! You've got some great buildings to shoot.

 

[TRSmith]

Trying this on for size. Pushed a curve here and there...

 

[Corlan F.]

Nay, Corlan. I'm not attempting to defend either one or put one above the next. Just celebrating the fact that there are so many different and great tools available with which to approach the craft. As far as I'm concerned they all have something excellent to offer and I've seen beautiful examples of what they can do right here on this forum. My "fan loyalty" stops with the UCONN Huskies college basketball team. Beyond that, it's a terrific buffet and endlessly tasty.

I actually think they're very complementary approachs. And that you're quite a happy guy having both at your disposal.

 

[Corlan F.]

Tim- this pond image makes me think of your previous abstract work posted earlier this summer. I've mentionned that i've been working on some parrallel stuff for an upcoming exhibition project along abstract paintings. There's two series, here's a couple from the one based on "colors of Nature":

(practically no PP)

 

[Corlan F.]

...

 

[otumay]

Corlan, these abstract are wonderful! Million thanks for posting them.
Osman

 

[otumay]

Nay, Corlan. I'm not attempting to defend either one or put one above the next. Just celebrating the fact that there are so many different and great tools available with which to approach the craft. As far as I'm concerned they all have something excellent to offer and I've seen beautiful examples of what they can do right here on this forum.

Completely agree with you.

Osman

 

[TRSmith]

Tim- this pond image makes me think of your previous abstract work posted earlier this summer. I've mentionned that i've been working on some parrallel stuff for an upcoming exhibition project along abstract paintings. There's two series, here's a couple from the one based on "colors of Nature":

(practically no PP)

Wonderful colors Corlan! The green feels perfect. I like the concept and I'll bet the show is very well received. Best of luck with it! :thumbup:

 

[AlexLF]

Corlan, your abstracts are so interesting! And they're pretty original... at least to me!

 

[Corlan F.]

Thanks Osman, Tim, Alex for the kind words and appreciation.

Tim the green one is actually my favorite, but of course the first ones picked were the last two posted and i had to kid of force the green one in (the print looks good, so everyone's happy now). Thanks for your wishes, it's still in project stage though for now 'cause the oil painters are late -including a couple of my own that i trickfully squeezed in :angel:.

Can't trust an artist to deliver on time

 

[Lloyd]

I was comparing the size difference between my D700 and a M9 this morning. Just wanted to make sure my Nikon wasn't really that much bigger and heavier. Well, if you take away the hump from the viewfinder and the grip, they are pretty close in size, specially if you add one of those grips to the M9, but the Nikon weights at least a peanut butter and jelly sandwich more.

I don't know if the image quality difference would really be that noticeable to me, as I haven't really been able to pick out that special digital Leica image quality that people talk about, by viewing images on the Web. Maybe you have to see prints.

It is hard to distinguish the differences sometimes. I've been a Leica shooter since 1968, and shooting Nikon since 1974, with some forays into other territory, including large and medium format, along the way. Good photography is good photography, and the strength of the image is hardly dependent on "glow", or any other lens or camera or film or digital sensor signature. That said, I do love my Leicas, film and digital (M8, for now). The glass is wonderful, but the eye, heart and mind of the user are much significant to the ultimate outcome. Speaking of which, this is a wonderful portrait of a face full of character. Excellent b/w conversion as well. Very nice.

 

[Lloyd]

One thing about Nikon, is even though the prime lenses are not as good as Leitz, they are still pretty decent, for what you pay for them. I recently got the 28 2.8D and I'm really pretty impressed with it, although many people on the Internet have said it's a poor performer. Here is a recent one with it. The one above was with the Sigma 50 1.4, which had problems and had to be sent back. The one above it I think was the 130.00$ 50 1.8D

Another excellent image, and a wonderful b/w. Yup... no excuse for inexpensive glass required. Art is art.