Tag: Nikon D700

How To Catch a Bullet … updated

Update:  Yesterday, I accidentally posted this to Google+, so decided to just go ahead and update it.  See the bottom of the post for more info.

Okay, the title may be ever so slightly misleading … what I meant was how to catch a bullet inflight with a camera.  🙂

For some time now, I’ve wanted to try some sequence shots of a semi-automatic pistol in action.  This weekend provided the perfect opportunity while a photographer friend was visiting and we had a nice warm, sunny day.
(Yes, I know you can stop a bullet in flight with flash and trigger of some sort, but this was done the old fashioned way … pure luck!)

We set the camera at ISO 400 for a fast shutter speed of 1/6,000th of a second at f/3.3 using a fast 85mm lens on a Nikon D700.  Then while I did the shooting, my buddy took the photos.  Fortunately, I had the MB-D10 Multi Power Battery Pack on my D700 so the burst rate was up to 8 fps.  The pistol was a Beretta Px4 Storm, shooting .40 caliber S&W ammunition.

Continue reading “How To Catch a Bullet … updated”

My Digital Early Days – Part II – The DSLR

The first years of my “digital life” with cameras was a stable time when I used just one camera brand, Canon.  I got started with the D30, and then over the next seven years progressed through the Canon 5D, 10D, 20D, and 1D MkIII.  I guess I hadn’t yet been afflicted with the current day malady known as G.A.S. (gear acquisition syndrome), and I already had Canon lenses, so that progression made the most sense.

Curiosity – Canon 20D
Canon 5D
Survivor – Canon 1D MkIII

Then , partially influenced by a friend who was using a Nikon DSLR, I made the jump to Nikon.  And I went all in.  After selling all of my Canon gear, I bought the Nikon D700 and was thrilled with the camera.  Over the next two years, I actually took more photos with that camera than any other (digital) camera I’ve owned.

Nikon D700

Then the G.A.S. slowly, but inexorably, began to invade my photographer soul.  The D700 was followed by the D90 (5 months) and the D7000 (10 months).  All of those cameras were terrific cameras, capable of delivering better images than I could produce, but I think a part of me just liked the process of vetting a new piece of gear and exploring the latest innovations in this evolving world of the digital camera.

Big Dipper – Nikon D90

At any rate, on September 14, 2011, I ditched the DSLR and the big lenses and whole-heartedly embraced the “Mirrorless” concept of a smaller system that could still produce outstanding image quality and be a lot easier to carry around.  Thus began my season of “mirrorless madness” … and in the last three+ years I’ve bought (and sold) a myriad of different mirrorless cameras made by at least five different manufacturers.

Nikon D7000 (starburst added with Topaz Star Effects)

Actually, I have some reasonably good “excuses” for all the gear switches and I’ll talk about those and my mirrorless journey into madness in the next post.