Jul 14, 2019 | 7 Image Stories, Colorado, Garden of the Gods, IMHO, Kodak Signet 30 - 44mm f2.8, Kodak Signet 30 to Garden of the Gods, Nature, Nikon Coolscan V, Places
Kodak Signet 30 to Garden of the Gods | a 7 Image Story My first trip to the Garden of the Gods with my first camera, the Kodak Signet 30, was an intense learning experience. Luckily, a few photos turned out reasonable well. In the Garden of the Gods, on a clear day you can see forever unless there’s a mountain in the way. An easy rock climb adds incredible vistas to photograph.
Garden of the Gods is a Colorado Springs Park with 300 foot high sandstone rock formations. It’s a registered National Natural Landmark. In 1859, two surveyors began a townsite survey; later to be called Colorado City. While exploring they found a beautiful area of sandstone formations. One suggested that it would be a “capital place for a beer garden”. His companion exclaimed, “Beer Garden! Why it is a fit place for the Gods to assemble. We will call it the Garden of the Gods.” In 1879, Charles Elliott Perkins purchased two-hundred and forty acres in the Garden of the Gods for a summer home. Although he added eight acres, he did not build on the property. He wanted it left in its natural state for the enjoyment of generations to come. He passed away in 1907. Two years later, his children conveyed his four-hundred eighty acres to the City of Colorado Springs with the stipulation that it be known forever as the “Garden of the Gods ” and remain open to the public, free of charge.
Manual cameras like the Kodak Signet 30 with no light meter or rangefinder really make the photographer think. The photographer must guess the distance while making the depth of field large enough and the shutter speed fast enough to keep the subject sharp. In other words, the photographer must determine aperture and shutter speed for the best exposure as well as the estimated distance. Of course, the film used determines the ASA/ISO value. Instead of my usual Kodachrome 64 slide film, these images are from Ektachrome slides. In this case, High Speed Ektachrome is ASA 160.
Each image will be posted individually this week with a bit more narrative under category Kodak Signet 30 to Garden of the Gods.
Click any image below for a slide show!
Jun 23, 2019 | 7 Image Stories, AF 80-400mm f4.5-5.6D ED VR, AF-S 70-200mm f/2.8 ED VR II, AF-S TC 2.0 E III Tele-converter, Bald Eagle, Black & White, IMHO, Nature, Nikon D200, Nikon D300, Nikon D3x, The Bald Eagle
The Bald Eagle | a 7 Image Story The majestic Bald Eagle, national symbol of the United States of America, resides only on North America. Bald Eagles are just magnificent creatures. The B&W format forces attention to the features of the eagle and its environment. Unless you live in Hawaii, there exists literally dozens of places to see and photograph Bald Eagles in North America. In the Lower 48, winter is very likely the best time for eagle watching since the northern birds migrate south to find open water. The Mississippi River valley and its tributaries have many places where the the water is open all winter. Bald Eagles are found through much of coastal Alaska, southern Canada, the United States, northern Mexico, and Baja California. They are found in all states except Hawaii. Although Illinois has the largest winter population of eagles except Alaska, it has only around 125 active nests. Bald Eagles are also prevalent in Florida, Wisconsin, Washington, Minnesota, Oregon, Michigan, and, of course, Alaska with the largest concentration. These birds stay near large bodies of water; lakes and rivers. Bald Eagles are still on the federal threatened species list, but are not any longer on the endangered species list. The national parks like Yellowstone tend to be havens for eagles. Of course, one of the best places on the planet to see and photograph Bald Eagles is Haines, Alaska.
Photographing Bald Eagles
Although they make great portrait shots, it’s not necessarily easy to get close enough, even with a long lens. Of course, the eagle in its environment shot is much easier. You must get close, but not too close to them. How close? Well, that depends on the images you are trying to capture, your location, the surrounding area, the camera gear with you, etc. But, you can not get so close that you disturb the eagle. In some locations, like national and state parks, where eagles have become accustomed to humans and motor vehicles, you can sometimes get close enough, without disturbing the eagle. See Bald Eagle Field Etiquette below. Two approaches to “get close, but not too close” have worked well for me:
Use your vehicle as a blind!
Research the web for an area with Bald Eagles near you. Bald Eagles tend to perch and nest near rivers and lakes with open water. Many rivers and lakes have roads right next to them. From your research, find a road close to a river or lake with open water. In northern winter areas, find open water where the open water area is limited compared to iced over areas. Scout the area first and notice where the eagles tend to perch. It’s best to find a road that is lightly traveled, but traveled enough for the eagles to have become accustomed to vehicle traffic. Drive down the road slowly. Have your window open and camera ready before you get to a place to stop. Be safe. Pull over, off the roadway or to a convenient parking place. Don’t make loud noises. Watch for traffic. Use your window, maybe with a beanbag, as your “tripod” to support your camera and/or lens.
Get to a Bald Eagle fishing area before any eagles arrive and wait!
Research the web for an area with Bald Eagles near you. In northern winter areas, along certain rivers with locks and dams, Bald Eagles will gather by the tens, even hundreds to fish in the open water around such facilities. Sometimes, these areas are at or near public land like state or federal parks. Scout the area. Notice places away from the main body of open water; maybe a river branch, maybe a canal, which still has open water. Notice if eagles perch there and fish. When there are no eagles perched along the area, slowly walk to a place where you can capture a good photo of the eagles fishing, but which is at least 50 yards from where the eagles will likely perch. If you have a blind and/or wear camo, better yet. Now, wait. The waiting is the hard part. It can be cold; maybe very cold and/or wet. So, don’t forget to dress accordingly. A tripod tends to be a handy tool. After one or more Bald Eagles perch in a tree near you, you can capture images while they are perched. But, wait, wait, wait until they go fishing. You may be rewarded with a great shot of an eagle with a fish in its talons. Again, wait until the eagles leave the area before you leave.
Bald Eagle Field Etiquette
Human presence can stress eagles and force them to use precious energy that they need to survive; particularly in the winter. It’s best not to disturb the eagles especially in heavily visited areas. Try to remain in or near your vehicle at roadside viewing locations. Be safe; watch for traffic. Avoid loud noises, such as yelling, car door slamming, horn honking, and unnecessary movement. Use binoculars, spotting scope, or a telephoto lens instead of trying to get “a little bit closer.” Don’t do anything to make the eagle fly. So, how close is too close? Well, if the bird, in any way, alters its behavior like moving away from you or flying away, you are way too close. Watch for signs of the eagle getting nervous; like turning around on its perch or moving its head around to look at you. If you see these or others signs, back off; you’re too close. Although Bald Eagles are off the endangered species list, they are still on the threatened species list. It is still illegal to harass Bald Eagles.
Each image will be posted individually this week with a bit more narrative under category The Bald Eagle.
Click any image below for a slide show!
Jun 2, 2019 | 7 Image Stories, Action, IMHO, Kodachrome, Minolta 135mm f2.8, Minolta 50mm f1.7, Minolta SRT-102, Minolta SRT-102 to Yosemite NP, Nikon Coolscan V, Places, Yosemite
Minolta SRT-102 to Yosemite NP | a 7 Image Story My first trip to Yosemite NP was also my first trip with my new Minolta SRT-102 SLR camera. Although my previous cameras were 35mm film cameras, they were all rangefinders or viewfinders. Obviously, the camera was more capable than the photographer. Still, a few images turned out reasonably nice. After scanning the slides, they needed very little restoration. The Kodachrome slides held up quite well. Since the camera and lenses were new to me, I was experimenting with both the 135mm f2.8 and the 50mm f1.7.
Yosemite in the spring is all about rock and waterfalls. Yosemite is really “big country.” On a clear day, you could see forever, if it were not for all the mountains. Hiking Yosemite, particularly the high country, is not for the faint of heart. When hiking the high country, sunsets come quickly in the mountains. One moment it’s sunny; the next moment it’s dark. Best hike there with someone who knows the terrain!
On this first trip to Yosemite, image composition was much more instinct than knowledge. How do you get an up close and personal picture of a tall waterfall? For me, it was trying to capture the texture as well as the length of the falls. Nice thing about waterfalls; they create mist. Mist against dark rocks make an infinite number of interesting images. You can never have too many waterfall images.
For more information on the Minolta SRT-102 camera, please see Minolta SRT-102 SLR.
Each image will be posted individually this week with a bit more narrative under category Minolta SRT-102 to Yosemite NP.
Click any image below for a slide show!
May 12, 2019 | 7 Image Stories, 7 Image Story Posts, AF-S 50mm f1.4G, Crabapple Blossoms, Depth of Field, IMHO, IMHO, Nature, Nikon 1 V3
Depth of Field | a 7 Image Story Depth of Field: the distance between the nearest and the furthest objects in acceptably sharp focus in an image. Seems like a simple enough concept! Applying this simple concept might be a bit more difficult than it seems. To help visualize DoF, these 7 images of a difficult subject at t different f-stops (f1.4, f2, f2.8, f4, f5.6, f8, f16) show the impact of small aperture changes.
The three main factors that affect the control of depth of field are aperture (f-stop), distance to the subject from the camera, and focal length of the lens. The higher the f-stop, the larger the depth of field. The shorter the distance between camera and subject, the shorter the depth of field. The longer the focal length of the lens, the shallower the depth of field.
This post will only show how changes to aperture affect depth of field. Aperture is the diameter of the hole through which light enters the camera’s sensor or film. The aperture size (f-stop) controls the amount of light entering the camera. The lower the f-stop number, the smaller the depth of field. The higher the f-stop, the larger the depth of field. Notice how the DoF in the crabapple blossoms continues to get deeper going from f-stop f1.4 to f2 to f2.8 to f4 to f5.6 to f8 to f16. As the f-stop number goes up, the aperture hole gets smaller; letting in less light. Notice, as the f-stop goes up, the shutter speed may get slower and/or the ISO get higher to maintain the correct exposure. In these 7 images, my camera was set to Aperture Priority and Auto ISO. When the aperture f-stop was increased, the camera set the shutter speed and ISO.
Controlling DoF can turn an everyday snapshot into a very nice image. In this case, both the f2.8 and f4 images are pleasing to me. They make the foreground cluster of blossoms stand out from the busy flower background. All 7 images were captured at approximately the same distances from camera to subject. However, the Nikon 1 V3 has a 2.7 crop factor so the 50mm f1.4 lens becomes 135mm. Thus, the images all have some compression; reducing the DoF a bit for all f-stops.
Crabapple Blossoms f1.4 An f-stop set to f1.4 produces a very narrow depth of field. Only the very front of the lighter flowers are in sharp focus. Even the second tier of flowers show some blur. F1.4 can produce some dramatic images by isolating a small area in the frame. In portrait images, one eye can be in focus while the other isn’t. In wildlife photos, f1.4 isolates the eye. In insect images, it isolates the insect from its surroundings.
Crabapple Blossoms f2 An f-stop set to f2 still produces a very narrow depth of field; just a tad deeper than f1.4. Now, the very front flowers and some of the second tier are in sharp focus. F2 can produce some dramatic images by isolating a small area in the frame. In portrait images, one eye can still be in focus while the other isn’t; depending on the angle from camera to the face. In wildlife photos, f2 still isolates the eye. In insect images, it isolates a larger insect from its surroundings.
Crabapple Blossoms f2.8 An f-stop set to f2.8 still produces a reasonably narrow depth of field; just a little deeper than f2. Now, the entire cluster of flowers in the foreground are in sharp focus. F2.8 isolates a medium size area in the frame. In portrait images, the entire face is in focus. In wildlife photos, f2.8 still isolates the entire head. In insect images, the insect and some of its surroundings are in focus.
Crabapple Blossoms f4 An f-stop set to f4 produce a little deeper DoF than f2.8. Now, the entire cluster of flowers in the foreground are in sharp focus and the background out of focus flowers have a bit more definition with deeper color. In portrait images, the entire head and shoulders is in focus. In wildlife photos, f4 still isolates the entire head and shoulder. In insect images, the insect and much of its surroundings are in focus.
Crabapple Blossoms f5.6 An f-stop set to f5.6 produces a little deeper DoF. Now, the entire cluster of flowers in the foreground are in sharp focus as well as a few background flowers. The background out of focus flowers have a even more definition. In portrait images, the entire person as well as some of the surroundings are in focus. In wildlife photos, f5.6 most of the animal and maybe some surroundings are in focus. In insect images, the insect and all of its surroundings are in focus unless the background is far away.
Crabapple Blossoms f8 An f-stop set to f8 produces a fairly deep DoF. Now, the entire cluster of flowers in the foreground are in sharp focus as well as a few far background flowers. The background out of focus flowers have a even more definition. If the lens was not a 135mm telephoto, the background flowers would very likely be in focus. In portrait images, the entire person as well as some of the surroundings and background are in focus. In wildlife photos, f8 all of the animal and most of the surroundings as well as the background are in focus. In insect images, the insect and all of its surroundings and background are in focus.
Crabapple Blossoms f16 An f-stop set to f16 produces a very deep DoF. Now, the entire cluster of flowers in the foreground are in sharp focus and the far background flowers are a bit more in focus. The background out of focus flowers have a even more definition. If the lens was not a 135mm telephoto, the background flowers might be in better focus. However, at f16 and higher f-stops, light infraction may soften the sharpness rather than make the image sharper.
Each image will be posted individually this week with a bit more narrative under category Depth of Field.
Click any image below for a slide show!
Apr 21, 2019 | 1 VR 30-110mm f/3.8-5.6, 7 Image Stories, AF-S 50mm f1.4G, AF-S 70-300mm f4.5-5.6G IF-ED VR, Bee, Butterflies, Caterpillar, Damselfly, Dragonfly, IMHO, IMHO, Nature, Nikon 1 V1, Nikon 1 V3, Nikon 1 V3 for Insects, Praying Mantis, Yellow Jacket
Nikon 1 V3 for Insects| a 7 Image Story The Nikon 1 V3, and the V1 before it, captures a wide variety of image types quite well. With the right lens and a little patience, it will capture really nice insect images. The camera body and lenses are relatively small and light to carry. On a local hike to capture wildlife and/or insect images, only one or two lenses will likely be required. One goes on the camera and the other in your pocket. See my walkabout kit list below. Now, I’m not a serious insect photog and do not own a macro lens. Still, I like to capture insect images when the opportunity arises. Of course, without a macro lens (called micro lens in the Nikon world), those really close 1:1 magnification images are not possible, no matter what the camera body.
The V3 is my preferred carry camera for capturing daily walkabout images. It handles much like a DSLR in continuous mode. Although a bit noisy at higher ISOs, the image quality is quite good, particularly for posting. The 2.7 crop factor helps improve images where getting closer is not an option. Thus, the V3 allows me to capture wildlife, landscape, and some insect images on my walkabouts.
In a nutshell, what makes the Nikon 1 V3 suitable for capturing insect images::
- The Nikon 1 V3 is relatively small and light to carry.
- With it’s 2.7 crop factor, it adds inexpensive reach to telephoto lenses; actually any lens.
- It’s easy to carry with a telephoto lens attached, like the AFS 70-300mm & FT-1, using the sun sniper shoulder strap.
- Image quality seems quite good unless a really large print is required.
- The tilting LCD reduces the time spent focusing those awkward angles; particularly for focusing insects on ground level.
- A short video makes a nice addition to some posts.
- Of course, most Nikon AFS lenses work nicely, using the FT-1 adapter.
The V3 presents a few more challenges over my DSLRs! The Nikon 1 V3 requires a bit more camera discipline than a my DSLRs. The controls sometimes move during normal handling so the photographer must often check to ensure the settings are correct. Panning in low light can be demanding and a high ISO generates a good bit of noise. The small camera frame, attached to a long, heavy telephoto lens, does not seem balanced; making handling a bit tricky. The Nikon AFS 70-300mm works nicely, whereas, the AFS 70-200mm; not so much. Also, care must be taken not to break the camera mount with a heavy telephoto lens. Always carry it by the lens or the FT-1, not the camera. Higher ISO images sometimes require a pass through noise reduction in post processing. Changing the battery and/or the MicroSD card in the field takes some time and care. Build quality is more consumer than professional. If dropped, it can break.
What’s next? Nikon appears to have discontinued the Nikon 1 V series; too bad. A V4 camera could have addressed several V3 issues to become a really great camera. It’s not yet clear what my next walkabout camera will be; maybe another V3.
Each image will be posted individually this week with a bit more narrative under category Nikon 1 V3 for Insects.
Click any image below for a slide show!
My Nikon 1 V3 walkabout kit fits into a very small Lowepro camera backpack. The camera equipment includes a Nikon 1 V3 Body, Nikon FT-1 Adapter, 1 VR 10-30mm f3.5-5.6 PD-Zoom, 1 VR 30-110mm f3.8-5.6, AFS 50mm f1.4G, and a AFS 70-300mm f4.5-5.6G IF-ED VR. The supporting equipment includes a Nikon Speedlight SB-N5 Flash, LitePanels MicroPro Hybrid, Sennheiser MKE 400 Directional Mic, Sun Sniper Shoulder Strap, Extra Nikon EN-EL15 Battery, Nikon MH-25 Charger, Extra SD Cards, Lens Cleaning Supplies, and a Headlamp with red & white light. A small MeFOTO tripod has its own bag. Find more Nikon 1 V1 and V3 experiences posted under IMHO. On local walkabouts, I usually only carry the camera with a lens and one other lens in my pocket.
Mar 31, 2019 | 1 VR 10-30mm f/3.5-5.6, 1 VR 30-110mm f/3.8-5.6, 7 Image Stories, Action, AF-S 70-300mm f4.5-5.6G IF-ED VR, IMHO, IMHO, Nikon 1 V1, Nikon 1 V3, Nikon 1 V3 for Travelers
Nikon 1 V3 for Travelers | a 7 Image Story The Nikon 1 V3, and the V1 before it, travel very well. The camera body and lenses are relatively small and light. They fit easily into half of a briefcase allowing plenty of room for a computer and paper work. See my travel kit list below. The small kit means no extra bags are required. The first rule of the road warrior is two hands; no more than two bags.
The V3 captures a wide variety of image types quite well. It’s now my preferred carry camera for capturing images while traveling on business. It handles much like a DSLR in continuous mode. Although a bit noisy at higher ISOs, the image quality is quite good, particularly for posting; even when capturing images through an aircraft window. The 2.7 crop factor helps improve images where getting closer is not an option. Thus, the V3 allows me to capture business and travel images as well as landscape, wildlife, and aviation images during time off work.
In a nutshell, what makes the Nikon 1 V3 suitable as a travel camera:
- The Nikon 1 V3 is relatively small and light to carry.
- With it’s 2.7 crop factor, it adds inexpensive reach to telephoto lenses.
- It’s easy to carry with a telephoto lens attached, like the AFS 70-300mm & FT-1, using the sun sniper shoulder strap.
- Image quality seems quite good unless a really large print is required.
- The tilting LCD reduces the time spent focusing those awkward angles.
- A short video makes a nice addition to some posts.
- Of course, most Nikon AFS lenses work nicely, using the FT-1 adapter.
The V3 presents a few more challenges over my DSLRs! The Nikon 1 V3 requires a bit more camera discipline than a my DSLRs. The controls sometimes move during normal handling so the photographer must often check to ensure the settings are correct. Panning in low light can be demanding and a high ISO generates a good bit of noise. The small camera frame, attached to a long, heavy telephoto lens, does not seem balanced; making handling a bit tricky. The Nikon AFS 70-300mm works nicely, whereas, the AFS 70-200mm; not so much. Also, care must be taken not to break the camera mount with a heavy telephoto lens. Always carry it by the lens or the FT-1, not the camera. Higher ISO images sometimes require a pass through noise reduction in post processing. Changing the battery and/or the MicroSD card in the field takes some time and care. Build quality is more consumer than professional. If dropped, it can break.
What’s next? Nikon appears to have discontinued the Nikon 1 V series; too bad. A V4 camera could have addressed several V3 issues to become a really great camera. It’s not yet clear what my next travel camera will be; maybe another V3.
Each image will be posted individually this week with a bit more narrative under category Nikon 1 V3 for Travelers.
Click any image below for a slide show!
My Nikon 1 V3 travel kit easily fits into one side of my briefcase. The camera equipment includes a Nikon 1 V3 Body, Nikon FT-1 Adapter, 1 VR 10-30mm f3.5-5.6 PD-Zoom, 1 VR 30-110mm f3.8-5.6, and sometimes, a AFS 70-300mm f4.5-5.6G IF-ED VR. The supporting equipment includes a Nikon Speedlight SB-N5 Flash, Sun Sniper Shoulder Strap, extra Nikon EN-EL15 Batteries, extra SD Cards, and lens cleaning supplies. Find more Nikon 1 V1 and V3 experiences posted under IMHO.
Feb 10, 2019 | 7 Image Stories, AF-S 70-300mm f4.5-5.6G IF-ED VR, Birds, IMHO, IMHO, Nature, Nikon 1 V3, Nikon 1 V3 for Birds
Nikon 1 V3 for Birds | a 7 Image Story The Nikon 1 V3 makes bird photography possible for amateurs who do not specialize on birds. As an amateur, who captures mostly wildlife, landscapes, and aviation, investing in very expensive 400mm – 600mm telephoto lens just to capture bird images, is hard to justify. A Nikon AFS 70-300mm lens on a Nikon 1 V3 with its 2.7 crop factor, becomes a 189-810mm lens. Of course, the image quality will not be nearly as good as with the expensive lens, but it’s still possible to capture very nice bird images. My V3 has captured a variety of bird images large and small.
What the V3 does well, it does very well. The V3 is my preferred carry camera for capturing daily walkabout images. It shoots much like a DSLR in continuous mode. Although a bit noisy at higher ISOs, the image quality is quite good, particularly for posting. The 2.7 crop factor helps improve images where getting closer is not an option and/or where the subject is very small. In a nutshell, what makes the Nikon 1 V3 suitable for bird photography:
- The Nikon 1 V3 is relatively small and light to carry.
- With it’s 2.7 crop factor, it adds inexpensive reach to telephoto lens.
- It’s easy to carry with a telephoto lens attached, like the AFS 70-300mm & FT-1, using the sun sniper shoulder strap.
- Image quality seems quite good unless a really large print is required.
- The tilting LCD reduces the time spent focusing those awkward angles.
- A short video makes a nice addition to some posts.
- Of course, most Nikon AFS lenses work nicely, using the FT-1 adapter.
The V3 presents a few more challenges over my DSLRs! The Nikon 1 V3 requires a bit more camera discipline than a my DSLRs. The controls sometimes move during normal handling so the photographer must often check to ensure the settings are correct. Panning in low light can be demanding and a high ISO generates a good bit of noise. The small camera frame, attached to a long, heavy telephoto lens, does not seem balanced; making handling a bit tricky. The Nikon AFS 70-300mm works nicely, whereas, the AFS 70-200mm; not so much. Also, care must be taken not to break the camera mount with a heavy telephoto lens. Always carry it by the lens or the FT-1, not the camera. Higher ISO images sometimes require a pass through noise reduction in post processing. Changing the battery and/or the MicroSD card in the field takes some time and care. Build quality is more consumer than professional. If dropped, it can break.
What’s next? Nikon appears to have discontinued the Nikon 1 V series; too bad. A V4 camera could have addressed several V3 issues to become a really great camera. It’s not yet clear what my next carry and/or bird camera will be; maybe another V3.
Each image will be posted individually this week with a bit more narrative under category Nikon 1 V3 for Birds.
Click any image below for a slide show!
My Nikon 1 V3 walkabout kit fits into a very small Lowepro camera backpack. The camera equipment includes a Nikon 1 V3 Body, Nikon FT-1 Adapter, 1 VR 10-30mm f3.5-5.6 PD-Zoom, 1 VR 30-110mm f3.8-5.6, AFS 50mm f1.4G, and a AFS 70-300mm f4.5-5.6G IF-ED VR. The supporting equipment includes a Nikon Speedlight SB-N5 Flash, LitePanels MicroPro Hybrid, Sennheiser MKE 400 Directional Mic, Sun Sniper Shoulder Strap, Extra Nikon EN-EL15 Battery, Nikon MH-25 Charger, Extra SD Cards, Lens Cleaning Supplies, and a Headlamp with red & white light. A small MeFOTO tripod has its own bag. Find more Nikon 1 V1 and V3 experiences posted under IMHO.
Jan 20, 2019 | 1 VR 30-110mm f/3.8-5.6, 7 Image Stories, Action, AF-S 70-300mm f4.5-5.6G IF-ED VR, IMHO, IMHO, Nikon 1 V3, Nikon 1 V3 for Walkabout Wildlife
Nikon 1 V3 for Walkabout Wildlife | a 7 Image Story What the V3 does well, it does very well. Now, the V3 is my preferred carry camera for capturing daily walkabout images including local wildlife. It shoots much like a DSLR in continuous mode. Although a bit noisy at higher ISOs, the image quality is quite good, particularly for posting. The 2.7 crop factor helps improve images where getting closer is not an option, like distant wildlife. Would I only take it to Yellowstone NP and leave my DSLRs at home? Well yes, if a light travel pack is required. Still, I’d rather take both my DSLRs and the V3.
My journey with the Nikon 1 series cameras and lenses started with the V1, skipped the V2, and embraced the V3. The V3 fixed several annoying V1 traits. Also, handling, auto-focus, and metering improved dramatically. The Nikon 1 V3 became a reasonably nice camera for capturing wildlife images. I’ve captured a wide variety of wildlife images on my local walkabouts including birds, small critters, larger mammals, and insects. Thus far, my data base contains over 75K+ V1 and V3 images with over 1330 posted on this blog.
In a nutshell, what specifically do I like about the Nikon 1 V3 for wildlife images?
- The Nikon 1 V3 is relatively small and light to carry. Carrying heavy gear all day hiking gets old, fast.
- With it’s 2.7 crop factor, it adds inexpensive reach to my telephoto lens allowing me more flexibility in framing critters.
- It’s easy to carry with a telephoto lens attached, like the AFS 70-300mm & FT-1, using the sun sniper shoulder strap.
- Image quality seems quite good unless a really large print is required.
- With a little practice, it can be panned handheld to capture moving critters.
- The tilting LCD reduces the time spent hugging the ground to get that low angle shot.
- While I seldom use video, a short video makes a nice addition to wildlife posts.
- Of course, most Nikon AFS lenses work nicely, using the FT-1 adapter.
The V3 presents a few more challenges over my DSLRs!
The Nikon 1 V3 requires a bit more camera discipline than a my DSLRs. The controls sometimes move during normal handling so the photographer must often check to ensure the settings are correct.- Panning in low light can be demanding and a high ISO generates a good bit of noise.
- The small camera frame, attached to a long, heavy telephoto lens, does not seem balanced; making handling a bit tricky. The Nikon AFS 70-300mm works nicely, whereas, the AFS 70-200mm; not so much. Also, care must be taken not to break the camera mount with a heavy telephoto lens. Always carry it by the lens or the FT-1, not the camera.
- Higher ISO images sometimes require a pass through noise reduction in post processing.
- Changing the battery and/or the MicroSD card in the field takes some time and care.
- Build quality is more consumer than professional. If dropped, it can break.
What’s next? Nikon has discontinued the Nikon 1 V series; too bad. A V4 camera could have addressed several V3 issues to become a really great camera. Nikon has introduced two full frame mirrorless cameras, the Z6 & Z7. To me, the Z6/Z7 cameras are more a replacement for my DSLRs than the V3. Perhaps, after I have an opportunity to try the Z6 or Z7, I’ll feel differently. It’s not yet clear what my next carry camera will be; maybe another V3.
Each image will be posted individually this week with a bit more narrative under category Nikon 1 V3 for Walkabout Wildlife.
Click any image below for a slide show!
My Nikon 1 V3 walkabout kit fits into a very small Lowepro camera backpack. The camera equipment includes a Nikon 1 V3 Body, Nikon FT-1 Adapter, 1 VR 10-30mm f3.5-5.6 PD-Zoom, 1 VR 30-110mm f3.8-5.6, AFS 50mm f1.4G, and a AFS 70-300mm f4.5-5.6G IF-ED VR. The supporting equipment includes a Nikon Speedlight SB-N5 Flash, LitePanels MicroPro Hybrid, Sennheiser MKE 400 Directional Mic, Sun Sniper Shoulder Strap, Extra Nikon EN-EL15 Battery, Nikon MH-25 Charger, Extra SD Cards, Lens Cleaning Supplies, and a Headlamp with red & white light. A small MeFOTO tripod has its own bag. Find more Nikon 1 V1 and V3 experiences posted under IMHO. On local walkabouts, I usually only carry the camera with a lens and one other lens in my pocket.
