Initial Impressions of the Thom Hogan D600 Guide

I finally got the Thom Hogan Guide to the Nikon D600 "eBook". I have wanted it but I have the D610 and even though there really aren't any big differences, especially regarding using the D610 vs. the D600, I have procrastinated purchasing his book. I wish I hadn't waited.

If you aren't aware of Thom Hogan, he's an old school photographer who has also had an interesting career in a number of fields which give him a good, thorough background in technology. You can visit one of his websites at http://bythom.com/ (which is where you can pick up his books). 

Thom did photography work with Galen Rowell. If you're not aware of Galen Rowell, he was a significant landscape photographer (and more), worthy of researching as well. You can check out his website at http://www.mountainlight.com/. Thom's background makes him eminently qualified to offer a book on a camera.

In the last week or so, Thom updated the book to include information specific to the D610. That was enough for me to buy the book. I will say, however, that the version I received is still the first edition which does NOT have the D610 material. I emailed Thom and he replied in about an hour, stating he was working out some issues with the PDF formatting. So, I'm still waiting for the D610 version...

I am not all of the way through the book yet. It's over 800 printed pages. I'm on about page 150. The book, up to this point, is providing a detailed overview of how the sensor works. And I mean detailed. But, well explained - if you're the type to want his book you should be able to understand what he's saying. I have read about sensors before, but Thom mentions the material that the AA filter is made out of and how it's constructed and where it sits with respect to the actual photosites. Then he goes on to show how it affects resolution and why and what you should be aware of when shooting images that may be impacted adversely. I thought I already had enough to think about when taking a picture - Thom just increased that requirement and made me start worrying again. He kicked me out of my comfort zone and I'm only about 18% through the book!

Sidebar Thom mentions in a number of the articles on his website that if you're reading his information you're likely to be the type of photographer that is looking to derive the highest quality possible out of your equipment. Consequently he makes assumptions about certain things, such as that you have at least a basic understanding of what ISO is and how it is involved in taking a photograph. I like that about his information. When I was first getting involved in photography I needed to stick to the sites that explained over and over what an f-stop was. Now I don't want to hear the basics any longer. I want to dig deeper and Thom provides that.

Thom continues by giving a great explanation of the EXPEED3 processing system, the camera power system (you want to read the info about how to care for your batteries), storage cards, image formats (get ready for details about the NEF format and how the data is compressed to JPEG). I haven't finished this section yet (what he calls "D600 Basics") and I already know I need to re-read portions before I'll completely understand them.

I am looking forward to reading the rest of the book, and at this point I'm really interested in how to fine tune my lenses. I also know that he has great info about getting the best sharpness possible out of an image and want to get that info as well.

I know I haven't fully read the book yet, but I have two other D610 books and of the three, this has the most detail, background information, and in my opinion, insight regarding the camera. If I had this book I probably would NOT have purchase the other two even though they aren't bad. They're just not enough for me. (The other two books are: "Mastering the Nikon D610" by Darrel Young, and "Nikon D610 Experience - The Still Photography Guide to Operation and Image Creation with the Nikon D610" by Douglas Klosterman.) Based on my experience with these three books, as well as a LOT of online reading, I can't recommend Thom's books enough.

And, for full disclosure, I have no affiliation with Thom other than I have come to enjoy his insight and website more than any other single source. I have recommended his article on buying a tripod (http://bythom.com/support.htm) to a number of people.

The tripod article describes a philosophy that can be applied to any non-trivial equipment purchase, and one that I'm struggling with now regarding a GPS (I'd really like a more robust GPS. I'm on my second device in less than two years and I think it's going out again. I'd really like one that included the camera direction and the ability to use it as a shutter release (since it uses the shutter release connection on the camera).

So unless the rest of the pages in the book are blank, I think everyone, at least Nikon users, should own the Thom Hogan guide for their camera. It may not make you a better photographer but it will give you a lot of information on how to become a better photographer.

Nikon D610 Sensor - Cleaned

In my last post I discussed how it was time to get the sensor of my Nikon D610 cleaned and that I'd report on the outcome. Here it is, as promised...

I took Friday, 4/3/2015 off from work and headed north to stay in the Sedona, Arizona area. Usually you can get a campground spot by doing that as long as you get there about when the 3 National campgrounds open up along the Oak Creek Canyon, State Route 89A. This weekend was close. I don't know if I've never gone camping on Easter weekend, or if I've just never gone to the Sedona area.

When you get off of I-17 at Exit 298 to take State Route 179, you will pass through Village of Oak Creek seven miles before hitting Sedona. Seven miles. I think it took me about an hour to get from Village of Oak through Sedona before hitting State Route 89A. In other words, traffic moved an average of probably 7 to 10 miles per hour. To put it another way, it was not pleasant or fun.

The delay made me too late to get a spot at Manzanita, the southernmost campground. I kept going until I got to Cave Springs at about 12:30PM but they would only let me add my name to a list which would let me get access if I returned at 2:00 PM. And, I was on the second or third page of the list. I had the attendant add my name but wasn't sure if I'd go back.

I continued on to Pine Flats, the northernmost campground. They had one spot and would let me take it so I did. The spot was closely tucked in-between two other spots but it was level and the tent area had been freshly raked. I felt lucky to get it.

Our campsite at Pine Flats, Spot #10, 4/3/2010

I put up the tent and did a few other things although I was again travelling very light. I didn't have a stove or gear for a fire nor did I plan to make one. I had a cooler with 3 beers, some lunch meat, and some apples. I had a loaf of bread, granola, craisins, and jerky. Oh, and a couple of gallons of water. It doesn't take long to make or break camp. I headed back to Sedona thinking I could tolerate the traffic now that I had secured a camp site.

I wanted to scope some picture locations during the day with the intent of returning at dusk to shoot. I'd seen a promising location near the Sedona airport so I checked it out. From the junction of 179 and 89A, you head southwest on 89A towards Cottonwood, turning south on Airport Road at the light.

Since it was mid-day and the sky was mostly clear (and therefore uninteresting) I didn't end up taking any pictures but it looks like would be good at dusk and night. There should be a good amount of city lights below the rock formations and it's a good vantage point.

Red Rocks at Sedona, AZ

I continued along 89A towards Cottonwood and then drove the Red Rock Loop Road, turning south at Sedona Red rock High School. After a couple of turns I found a little turn off with a number of other cars parked there so decided to see what was over the rise. That's where I snapped one of two pictures that were worth spending time post processing.
 
It's still a mid-day shot but I think it's okay. Maybe I think that because I had to move the camera a number of times in order to get the foreground trees to hide the houses that are at the base of the hill. You can't see them in the shot but they're all along the base, ruining the shot unless you hide them. I'm not positive of the rocks but I believe its the formation that the Chapel of the Holy Cross is up against.

I completed the Red Rock Loop Road and it was a nice drive but other than a rabbit I didn't see much else to warrant returning - and the other reason to take the loop is to visit the Red Rock State Park but it was closed at 4:00 PM.

I decided I'd seen enough. The traffic other than Red Rock Loop Road was awful. I ended up driving back to the campground, got there a bit before dark, enough to feed my dog and myself, and we went to bed, giving up on the dusk shots. I was hoping I'd wake up early and get either midnight shots or dawn shots.

I woke up a number of times throughout the night and early morning but it was so cold that I couldn't bring myself to get out from under the sleeping bag. I hadn't really brought a warm jacket and it was about 40F.

San Fransisco Peaks near Flagstaff, AZ

When we did get up, it was after the sun had been up and warmed up the place. We broke camp and headed north on 89A to Flagstaff in order to avoid the Sedona traffic. I drove up to Lowell Observatory but didn't go in because of my dog. I took this shot of the San Fransisco Peaks and their lack of snow pack. Then I headed back to Phoenix after a disappointing photography trip but which was still pleasant on other levels.

I have described the outing because there's not that much to report as far as the sensor cleaning other than I am very happy with the results. Before getting the sensor cleaned I normally had to get rid of maybe 50 or 75 different spots, depending on the aperture and how much sky was included in the shot (and whether or not there were clouds that might have hidden some spots).

Even using the Nikon Capture NX2 Dust Off functionality meant I still had to spend some time. Lightroom was about the same. I really disliked the amount of time required to get rid of the spots (on the other hand, I was very thankful the tools existed to do the clean up).

After the cleaning, when I post processed the pics I had a total of 4 or 5 dust spots per pic that I had to remove. The San Fransisco Peaks pic had 5 spots, all others only had 4. That was amazing and put a grin on my face! It took maybe 5 minutes in post processing per picture or less -mainly less since in Nikon Capture NX2 you can save the edits and then run them on additional pics as a batch. (I did go through that on additional pics but they were just more snapshot type pics of the campground.)

My conclusion is that Tempe Camera did a great job cleaning the sensor for $US65.00. It still had some spots but since I mounted the lenses in the field they could be new dust spots. They were in the center and upper right side of the image. It looks like they cleaned the entire camera and shrink-wrapped it for returning. It was clean inside and out. They returned my exact battery. They don't have you leave a SD card in it so there's no question about that. I recommend their service and will have it done again when I need it. Now I can change my lenses in the field without fear.

 



Spring Cleaning for the Nikon D610

I decided to try having my D610 cleaned. I've grown tired of trying to clean all of the dust spots off at post processing time. I often will use the feature in Nikon Capture NX2 software that automatically detects and corrects for dust spots (using a dust off reference image) but it doesn't always do the job satisfactorily. It does pretty good but I think it may be lens dependent if not aperture dependent.

Capture NX2 often times will partially correct a dust spot but not completely, meaning I still have to manually correct those. I think it does take care of a lot of them and I think if you're using a larger aperture the dust spots are less noticeable anyway and I think that's when Capture NX2 can really save some time.

Note: I refer to larger apertures where the opening size is larger, such as f/4, compared to smaller apertures where the opening is smaller such as f/20. I know a lot of people think of a bigger aperture when they see a bigger "number", but apertures are ratios or fractions defined as the focal length (f) divided by a number. Any number divided by 4 is a bigger result than the same number divided by 20. 1/4 is bigger than 1/20.

In Lightroom I can clean one image and then copy and past the cleaning to other images, which also saves some time but still I have to go through and at least look at the images where I've pasted the corrections. Sometimes they don't do a great job, other times there are additional spots showing up that need to be cleaned, and sometimes there are corrections I don't want such as on a hill side (where the original image had sky and showed the dust spot more clearly.

My time spent cleaning dust spots has gotten to the point that it bothers me enough to try to do something about it. I contacted one of our main camera stores in the Phoenix area, Tempe Camera, and they said to make sure that having it cleaned would NOT violate the warranty. So, since this is a refurbished camera and I got an aftermarket New Leaf warranty from Adorama, I contacted New Leaf and they said that they consider the cleaning to be maintenance and any issues would be covered. I hope they still feel that way when I get the camera back if there are any issues!

Home from the Cleaners

I picked up the camera from Tempe Camera on 4/2/2015. I talked to the person that actually cleaned the camera - he said there was one really good (and by that, he meant bad) spot on the sensor. He said it was like a bug on a windshield. We talked about how you can help prevent the sensor getting dirty by not changing lenses in dirty environments, and I told him I have a friend who avoids changing lenses as much as possible and really wants a single, do-it-all lens (like a 18-300mm) because he can avoid changing lenses.

I then told the technician that I'm kind of the other way. I bought a camera to take pictures. I bought different lenses to provide better quality at their focal lengths. I'll change from one lens to the other in order to use the lens that I think is the best for a given picture. Now that I know I can get the sensor cleaned for $US65, I can afford that once a year or more as necessary and I'll get to use my different lenses.

I received the camera with shrink wrap around it. I joked to myself that they'd wrapped it to keep the bad spots from infecting other cameras. When I unwrapped it, it looked like they also cleaned the exterior of the camera.

I haven't taken a picture with it yet, but when I do and if it is spot free, I'll be a happy camper!

Initial thoughts about the Nikkor 70-200mm f/4G ED VR Lens

Out for a Picture Shoot 

I finally got out a bit for some shooting with my new AF-S Nikkor 70-200mm f/4 ED VR lens. (I'm writing this on 3/29/2015 and notice that the sale on the lens is over - it's back up to $1,399.95 from the $1,199.95 I paid.)

I spent a night at the Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument in southern Arizona. It's about 3 hours from Phoenix (2-1/2 hours from my home).

I had just visited the park a week or so before I received my new lens and hadn't been particularly happy with the shots I got at that visit, as I mentioned in my 2/26/2015 post. A lot of that was due to the time of day I shot pictures there, but I also felt it was due to my composition.

My Composition Issues

A fellow "Stunning Digital Photography" group member (actually, more than one) suggested using a longer focal length to help isolate a subject. I had shot most, if not all, of my pictures on my previous visit using my 16-35mm wide angle. After thinking about their advice along with the books by David duChemin that I enjoy, I really wanted to return to the park and try the new lens.


One aspect of producing better images, in my opinion, and that I read someone else state and I like their vision, is creating pictures that make viewers stop and look at the image when they're leafing through tons of other pictures online or in any other fashion. With the proliferation of images now, such as on Facebook where almost every post has at least one image, you can see people just zipping past one post after another, stopping on interesting or eye-catching images.

What does it take to get an image that will make someone stop and consider it? That's been my quest (at least a quest for understanding even if the results don't meet the goals). David's books are geared towards just that, trying to MAKE interesting or compelling images, not just TAKING images.

That means paying deliberate attention to what is inside the frame and what isn't, the perspective, lighting, etc. And the aspect I'm working on the most is including/excluding items in the frame. With a wide angle lens it's hard to exclude anything. I think my problem is still NOT getting close enough to the subject. Doing that helps force other items to appear less significant compared to the subject. 

Another way to help isolate a subject is to decrease the lens "Angle of View" (check out this cool page from Nikon to see how focal length relates to the angle of view: http://imaging.nikon.com/lineup/lens/simulator/ ). That implies my new 70-200mm should help me compose better shots.

The End Results

I was not disappointed. I liked how the lens felt and the auto focus (although I do quite a bit of manual focus). I'm not going to say these are the best pictures ever, but I like these. I like the color and the reduced angle of view so it make it easier for your eye (and mine) to see a main subject. 

In the Sonoran Desert it's not easy to shoot a landscape image and NOT get a lot of cactus or other shrubbery in the image, but I think that the image at left really causes you to first focus on the Organ Pipe cactus, then perhaps look around at the other elements such as the ocotillio. And, getting this shot at sunset with the vivid sky and clouds doesn't hurt at all (which was, again, my major complaint about the shots I got in my previous visit). In fact I think there is a lot of color here that makes this image stand out on a page with other images. And yes, this is taken with the new lens.

I'm not great at capturing wildlife. There were quite a few birds around the campground but this is the only one I was able to capture (I missed a quail maybe 20 feet away but the camera was on my tripod and the quail was running fast. No, it wasn't a road runner - I didn't see any road runners this visit). This was at sunset, taken at 18mm, f/13, 1/40sec, ISO 400 (I don't often shoot at that ISO but there was wind so I was trying to get quicker shutter speeds). This was hand held with vibration reduction enabled. I think it's good especially since my hands shake uncontrollably quite a bit (which is why I'm not a surgeon).

I've included some additional shots below, all using the Nikon D610 and Nikkor 70-200mm f/4 lens. I did use my Nikon D3200 and kit 18-55mm lens a bit during the trip too, and have to say I do NOT enjoy the feel of that zoom action compared to the more expensive 16-35mm or 70-200mm zooms. Yes, they both cost over $1,000 each, so there should be some difference. I'd just never noticed it before. The expensive lenses just feel good.

In post production, in either Nikon Capture NX2 or Lightroom, I don't notice aberration but then I haven't much with even my cheap lenses. Between the D610 full frame sensor, using low ISO, and using these good lenses (along with my good but cheap 50mm f/1.8D) I don't think about quality issues. I am able to just think, and try to improve, composition issues. 

A Close Call with my Manfrotto 055XPROB Tripod

Manfrotto 055XPROB

I have a Manfrotto 055XPROB tripod. I did a good amount of research and chose this tripod purposefully. It met my needs at an acceptable price point. I find it to be very solid, in part because of its aluminum construction instead of carbon fiber. I was not seeking light weight for transporting but instead wanted more weight for added stability in wind. And I've had that aspect pay off already - it's been windy up on Mt. Lemmon north of Tucson, AZ, as well as yesterday out by the Superstition Mountains east of Phoenix, AZ.

I wanted a three section leg instead of four or more because the leg walls are thicker and therefore more robust. I wanted a tall tripod and this one is taller than a lot even though I could still use it a bit taller. I don't want to have the center column extended unless I absolutely have to. The other tripod I considered was a Gitzo Mountaineer without a center column at all, but ended up with the Manfrotto because of the center column.

I have used the center column in the horizontal position a few times, and if I didn't have it, I wouldn't have been able to do the shots the same way. Once was when shooting over the railing of a bridge over Oak Creek at Slide Rock State Park in Arizona. I wanted to shoot with a long exposure and with the center column extended over the railing of the bridge I was able to use a long exposure with the camera securely held (it was windy that day too, but since the legs of the tripod were behind the railing I didn't have problems with stability).

The biggest complaint I have about this tripod is the center column. Most of the time I don't have it extended. Most of the time I shoot I want the tripod low to the ground. You can't do that with this tripod unless you put the center column in the horizontal position and that is a pain to do with a heavy camera and lens attached. Consequently I tend to just get the tripod as low as possible without switching the center column around, and therefore settle for what I can shoot from that position. In other words, I get lazy.

Manfrotto used to sell a short center column for the tripod but they don't any longer. I've written to them about the column and received no reply, but you can't find the short column available.
A couple of weeks ago I tried a different solution from Adorama, a short column designed for a different tripod. One reviewer said it worked on the 055XPROB with reservations.

I took it out to shoot with a few weeks ago and came up with my own reservations. As one or more reviewers pointed out, it tightens down quite a bit but still feels loose.

I had my Nikon D610 and new Nikkor 70-200mm f/4G lens on it which is a fairly heavy combination. That's right at $3,000 for the camera and lens. I had shot a couple of pictures and without thinking much about it, picked the tripod up with the camera and lens mounted.

I'm not sure how or why, but I was holding the camera and tripod with one hand each. That's when the camera fell off of the tripod - the short column came right out of the legs. If I hadn't been holding on to the camera too it would have hit the ground. Bye bye to my camera and lens!

Needless to say, I re-installed the correct center column and threw the little one away. That near miss points out how important the tripod is - you don't want it falling over or collapsing or falling apart. It's probably a good idea to check it every now and then to ensure the ball head is securely fastened to the column. And, while it's very enjoyable to get this level of camera and lens, it took some convincing of both myself and my wife, and it took a bit of financial wizardry. I don't want to loose it due to a stupid move like using the wrong adapters for a tripod!

LowePro Inverse 200 AW

LowePro Inverse 200 AW

I'm still waiting to get my foot fixed and can't walk far or much on it (I've got a neuroma - an inflammation of a nerve). I'm down for another weekend, and if I can't actually take pictures I can at least think and write about it.




I mentioned in my last blog that I picked up a new camera bag to accommodate my new Nikkor 70-200mm f/4G lens. I could no longer fit my full frame kit in my previous LowePro Inverse 100 AW bag - the new lens is too long.

I looked at a lot of different bags online but the ones that I thought might work had listed measurements that sounded a bit too snug or didn't hang the same as my  LowePro Inverse 100. However, the measurements for the LowePro Inverse 200 also sounded snug. But, I decided to try it with the plan that if it didn't fit I'd return it.

I got it from Amazon, with free next day shipping (can't beat that!), and everything fits and I'm happy again! And that is everyones goal - keeping me happy!

I really have enjoyed the hip/waist bag. The LowePro Inverse bags have a waist and shoulder strap, along with a small handle right on the bag. These three items make it very easy to put the bag on.

I can hold the bag with the short handle, put the shoulder strap on, then fasten the waist strap. It's a logical process, works well thanks to the little handle, and at no time do I worry about the bag getting away from me so that I drop over $4,000 worth of camera gear packed inside.


I have my Nikon D610 full frame body, Nikkor 16-35mm f/4G, Nikkor 50mm f/1.8D, and Nikkor 70-200mm f/4G inside the bag along with some cleaning gear. In the pocket with the LowePro logo I carry goodies like a spare battery, infra-red remote, small flashlight, leash for my eyeglasses. Between that pocket and the main body I have a small tablet and pen. On the back of the pack I have my GPS and I've attached my filter pouch to the straps. I've got everything I need in there. By the way, I use that little pouch on the front to slip lens covers in while shooting. It's convenient and I always know where the cover is.


It's not easy to see, but at this point I store the gear without any lens attached to the body. I could  leave the 16-35mm or 50mm lens attached with the camera in the bag but I will start out with no lens attached because it always seems like when I get someplace I want to switch from the attached lens to a different one anyway. If that's the case then why leave one attached?

I had to leave the 16-35mm attached in the Inverse 100 - I couldn't store it in the bag with the camera unless it was attached.

Although I haven't actually got out to shoot with this rig yet, I shot for a year or more with the smaller Inverse 100 so I know I really like the bag. This version is basically the same except bigger, allowing me to take my upgraded equipment.

I like how this type of bag is on may waist so that I can get to things without having to take it off (unlike my backpack which you're always taking on and off to get to anything - at least I couldn't reach anything in it when it was on my back). Carrying a backpack with just one strap over your shoulder made me uneasy and unbalanced.

I carry my somewhat large Manfrotto 055XPROB tripod on a strap on my back too, which interferes with a backpack. With the waist bag there's no problem carrying both.

I like that when I sit on the ground, which I do quite a bit in order to get a lower perspective shot, the bag is securely off to my side. When I stand up it doesn't throw off my balance as much as a bag on my back does, which was another reason to take the backpack off frequently.


I can't wait to get my foot repaired and get back out shooting! At present I'm hoping to return to the Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument - if it's not too hot next weekend. I have plans to go down next Saturday and spend the night at the campground so that I can get better lighting. Until then, keep shooting!

Downtime Musings

I got my new Nikkor 70-200mm f/4G lens a week ago today. I still haven't gone out to take pictures with it and it is bugging me. I even had a plan to go out with a couple of local fellow photographers I met online through the "Stunning Digital Photographers" group on Facebook. Unfortunately I had to cancel due to health issues. I've got a neuroma flaring up in my left foot and it is too painful to walk very far. What a drag! I've got an appointment next week to get an injection and hopefully I'll get back out somewhere that weekend.

I did receive a new camera bag last Friday, to hold my new and much larger lens. I got the LowePro Inverse 200 AW, an upgrade from the LowePro Inverse 100 AW. The bags are almost identical except for the size. The new bag holds my Nikon D610, Nikkor 16-35mm f/4G, Nikkor 50mm f/1.8D, and Nikkor 70-200mm f/4G plus cleaning gear, spare battery, remote, GPS, and filters (although they're attached to the bag's straps).

The most I've accomplished since then was to try an experiment on the bag. I do (or have done) a bit of shooting at night using the LowePro bag. One thing I don't like is trying to find the black zipper pulls on a black bag in the middle of a black night. On my Inverse 100 I had wrapped the zipper pulls with yellow electrical tape. It provided visibility but the tape separated from the pulls and feels and appears sloppy.

On my new bag I decided to try applying some bright finger nail polish to the pulls. I've applied it but haven't tried it out in the field yet. It looks okay and feels okay. I hope it lasts and doesn't flake off. If it does I'm going to try some model or other paint. I think I'd like glow in the dark paint eventually but I didn't see any finger nail polish that glowed in the dark so for now I'm trying a bright yellow.

I did a review of the bag on Amazon and that was one of the things I mentioned as a drawback for me. On the positive side, it does have a light gray interior which is great for helping you see little camera accessories in the bottom of the bag. My Amazon Basics camera bag is black inside, which is the same color as most camera parts. If you drop the hot shoe cover in that bag you need some light to find it.

I've been reading a lot of Thom Hogan's editorials at his site (http://bythom.com/) and enjoying them. I really appreciate his writing style even though there are some typos here and there. He does actual research to develop or substantiate his opinions which seems rare, especially for a web site. I know I don't do much of it here!

Thom has been involved in photography for many years and had a relationship with Galen Rowell (http://bythom.com/chasing.htm) who was a prominent photographer. Thom was part of the original Osborne "portable" computer company. Thom has worked with both file and digital cameras. He has great insight on what to carry in your camera bag and why. I highly recommend following him if you're into photography (which most people reading this are likely to be).

I've also been noticing that my page views are increasing on my blog here. I really think that is cool, that more people are finding out about my little blog and reading it. I am not trying to sell anything here, and don't have the advertising turned on so there are ads which slow the page from loading and which irritate me on almost ever site I visit. Thanks for reading my blog and please feel free to leave comments.