Post a couple of recent photos

[TomD]

It's winter, even here in Florida. For whoever needs it here are a few of my shots, all from the Pensacola panhandle area, to hopefully break the monotony.

 

[MColeman]

Tom, those are....

spectacular, especially the last one. Thanks!

 

[Boyd Allen]

You have a great eye. Equipment?

 

[benenglish]

You have a great eye. Equipment?

According to the EXIF data (which has been stripped out of all but one of the shots), a Sony A700 DSLR.

 

[abintx]

I got my commission in Pensacola way back when. It looks as nice now as it did in 1973! Where's your pictures of the recent snow?

 

[TomD]

According to the EXIF data (which has been stripped out of all but one of the shots), a Sony A700 DSLR.

That's the camera body I use though I've got several lenses that may be on for any give shot. I'm a little surprised that the exif data is in some shots but not others since I use the same program to take the shots from their native 10-15 meg down to a few hundred K for posting. Seems the exif data should remain or not remain.

My camera is the descendant of the SLR film cameras that so many of us had 40 or more years ago. I originally got involved in photography in the early-70's; I learned with the very good Canon film cameras at the time, including an F-1 which I still have. The capabilities of a modern dslr and image software (I use CS4) would have made us (the 70's us) fall over in shock. I remember doing a wedding with Kodak Veracolor film and being unhappy with the orange color cast (even under flash) but I (and the client) was stuck with it. The correction would have been trivial now.

Because of the immediacy and absence of cost of the images, the feedback loop in modern photography has no historical parallel.

Make of that what you will--

So many aspects of life are inferior to decades ago but not the technology of photography.

 

[dlay]

I still have my old canon ftb, made great pictures, but now it is a new world. I am wanting to buy a good camera at present, dont know if I want a dslr or not, have a fuji now with only 4mp and 10x lense which I have had for some time. There is a lot of new stuff coming, dont know enough to know what I want.

 

[Big Al]

I have tw anon F1 bodies and several thousands dollars worth of Lem's, I sure did not know you could do digital pictures with that gear.

 

[TomD]

I have tw anon F1 bodies and several thousands dollars worth of Lem's, I sure did not know you could do digital pictures with that gear.

Canon F1's? One of the best cameras ever made but they won't work for digital. F1 bodies are one of the very few 35mm film bodies ever made still worth significant money. Your Canon FD lenses will work on a digital body but only in pure manual, but that's ok because the F1 is a pure manual camera.

BYW: Thanks for the comments, Glenn.

 

[benenglish]

Canon F1's? One of the best cameras ever made but they won't work for digital.

Depends on your viewpoint. I've always been a Nikon guy and I have a Nikon DSLR, but I'm also hanging onto my F and F5. I still use them both (mostly the F5) in what Ken Rockwell calls "Real Raw" format.

Yes, the overwhelming number of photos I take are digital from the get-go. But I strongly suggest that anyone who has such a wonderful camera as the Canon F1 should use the darn thing. All the little rituals and requirements of classic, manual cameras are a reward all on their own. And shooting film then scanning to digital is still a better workflow for some types of jobs.

Great photos, btw.

 

[Greg Culpepper]

Tom,

I really enjoy your photos. Please keep them coming!

Greg

 

[WILDCATER]

digital all the way

Depends on your viewpoint. I've always been a Nikon guy and I have a Nikon DSLR, but I'm also hanging onto my F and F5. I still use them both (mostly the F5) in what Ken Rockwell calls "Real Raw" format.

Yes, the overwhelming number of photos I take are digital from the get-go. But I strongly suggest that anyone who has such a wonderful camera as the Canon F1 should use the darn thing. All the little rituals and requirements of classic, manual cameras are a reward all on their own. And shooting film then scanning to digital is still a better workflow for some types of jobs.

Great photos, btw.

In 2005 I sod my canon collection, 1N and a less than 3 year old 1V, top o the line film cameras at the time and lost money big time on them, but I had made up my mind that it was time and assure you that the new top digital cameras do everything film "did" better! Kept my precious glass.

I use a 1DMKIIN, and a 1Ds MKII, I have most of my money tied up in '"L" series glass, and like the the film cameras you would loose big time on the camera itself, but good lenses hold their value very well. The good thing is, you can use it manual, focus manual, anything you can do on a film camera you can do with digital. Your choice, I have never looked back or regretted the change, and if I had kept them they are all worth less year after year, even the F1.

Excellent photos!!

 

[gilream]

TomD...what fantastic photos! I have an old Minolta SLR circa 1968. Bought it at a pawn shop in Athens Georgia while in school in 1971. It predates internal light meters & it has a meter that mounts on top of the shutter speed dial. Years ago I tried to buy a replacement battery for the light meter but Minolta told me that it originally used batteries with mercury and they're now illegal. No modern batteries fit. I could never hope to come close to the quality of photos that you have posted here. Beautiful shots. Please post more. Mike

 

[Jerrschmitt]

Beautiful, Just Beautiful.

I held on to my Nikons and all the lens and gadgets until they were worth pennies on the dollar. Last Christmas my Grand daughter expressed an interest in photography so she got the whole mess. She's in heaven and I'm pleased as punch.

 

[Yote]

Tom, did y'all get any of the snow that moved through Friday? I'm just north of Tallahassee in SW Georgia. We had some for the first time since 1989. Global warming......hah!

 

[Dave Coots]

Great pics

Compared to benchrest shooting, how much money is tied up in your photography stuff? My oldest daughter is a professional photographer and tells me the cost of some of her new stuff--scarey.

Dave

 

[WILDCATER]

any shooting is expensive, rifles are cheap!!

I have more money in one of the two pro digital bodies than my LV and HV Rifles together, in both bodies w/no lenses more than my BR rifles and components scopes and all together. Good glass Canon "L"series, Flashes, remotes, tripods, monopods and the rest of the stuff would more than double that. If it's got a trigger and you got the fever and want the best, BENCH REST IS CHEAPER!! NO DOUBT!

But I was told a mans wealth is judged by his toy's, not his money. I don't have to be rich but I would like to be wealthy!!

OH YA! by the way, the rifles will hold there value 10 fold over the digital guns!!

 

[TomD]

OH YA! by the way, the rifles will hold there value 10 fold over the digital guns!!

Talking about the camera bodies, I'll agree with you but good glass holds its value. A top rated lens is gonna cost, new or used.

You can get pretty well into photography for less than or equal to the cost of a used BR rifle sans scope. A good high level enthusiast (not pro) camera body like a Nikon D-90 can be had new for sub-$1,000 and a pretty good 18-80 (or thereabouts) zoom lens for $600-$700. If you decide it is worth it, the sky is the limit from there, the best pro-quality lenses cost multi-thousands.

The lenses I used in these shots are all in the $600 range. I don't use the really cheap glass, either for my camera or my rifles. Same principle. My most expensive optic of any sort is a March scope followed by a Nightforce. I'm now trying to figure out how to acquire some pro-level lenses.

Tom, did y'all get any of the snow that moved through Friday? I'm just north of Tallahassee in SW Georgia. We had some for the first time since 1989. Global warming......hah!

Oh yeah, we got nailed. We got about 10 minutes of wet stuff that didn't stick. But it was a big deal locally. I'm from Atlanta, not exactly a snow capital but it was hilarious listening to the local Florida radio stations. *PANIC*

 

[TBonz]

Nice Shots TomD!!!

I can't say as I've spent as much on a scope as I have on glass...But, I've been shooting my cameras for quite a bit longer than I've been shooting BR...

I got the bug back when I had to save up money for a pocket camera and eventually a cheap SLR...eventually migrated to some good equipment when I was doing some free lance stuff.

When digital came out, I eventually traded my Nikon F4S towards a D100 and kept my glass. I've since added a D90 and some of the newer lenses and have been quite pleased with the new stuff. I've still got a couple of other pieces of glass that I want to pick up, but I'm afraid it will be awhile before that happens. Well, unless I want to sell something else to finance it!

Honestly, I thought I would miss the film cameras, but haven't yet! Strange as it sounds, I do miss playing around in the dark room though...still seems more creative than digital editing...

If I really want to throw back, I'll grab my Dad's Leica range finder setup...VERY nice!!! That's another that has maintained - maybe even increased in value over the years!

Tom

 

[H."Snuffy"Smith]

Nikon DSLR and OLD Nikon SLR base ??

Tom, do you mean I can use an old Nikon based SLR lens on my Nikon D-80 ??

"Snuffy" Smith

BTW AWESOME photos, GREAT eye and composition.
Did photo shop help ??