Not a very exciting photo. I am happy with the camera's ability to do what I want at factory settings. This is "vivid" with no enhancement. I sharpened a little on the computer after resizing. Everything else is straight out of the camera. I love the shiny surface on the grapes. 50mm with 3x closeup filter / f16 / on camera flash @ -.5 / iso200 [This attachment has been purged. Older attachments are purged from time to time to conserve disk space. Please feel free to repost your image.]
really nice, but take out that one going bad next time, lower left, really bruised skin, although that detail level does speak well of the camera and settings
Can you explain when a close up filter is appropriate? I know what an extension tube does, one of these days I want to pick up a set, but I don't understand close up filters at all.
I like it. Ah, you are going to let a fellow Nikon shooter do a D300 test drive in December? Please! ;D
Dan, I don't know what an extension tube does! Close-up filters are nothing special. they are like a magnifying glass for your camera. they just screw onto the lens. They have +1, +2, +3, +4 power. They just let the camera focus really close. I was about 4 inches away from these grapes when I shot them. You can also stack them up to multiply the effect! Many people do not like close up filters, they say they ruin the quality. I don't listen to them. I love close-up filters! Scott, sure you can test drive the d300! I really like it. I thought my next camera would be full frame, but this is perfect! Do you need to try the 18-200? ;D HAHA
Okay, so.. they're kind of like a teleconverter, but presumably only useful for close up pictures? Extension tubes are literally just that. They go between a lens and the camera, apparently causing the optical effect of making you lose infinity focus but gaining the ability to focus closer. It may also cause you to lose light, I don't know if it just gets darker or if there's an aperture reduction factor like with teleconverters.. No magnification factor, it just lets you put your lens closer to your subject. Which... well, it does get you a better magnification ratio, but the tube doesn't do it, the reduced distance does. To further complexify things, apparently you can use both tubes and lenses. I don't understand the logic, but apparently different lenses benefit most from different setups.
Aw, thanks, Craig. Tell you what, you keep the 18-200VR on the D300 which will give me a good benchmark and I'll let you give the 80-400VR a whirl at AK. Yep, going to bring that monster with me for Mousefest. Should be great on the observation trails but I might hurt someone if I tried to use it on the safari! :
Did what? Use it or hurt someone? The lens is heavy and I don't think it would be safe to use it on one of those jeeps. Could easily bang it hard against something or someone. Either way, could damage it.
I use these Hoya Filters on the 18-200 (I have a step-up ring on it all the time) and I have a really old set of hoya 52mm for the 50mm
