Nikon D5 and D500 official (1 Viewer)

[JohnRice]

That's the Sigma 18-35 f/1.8, which is probably as close to an optically perfect lens as you can get. It's at 18mm, so you can see what a great hall Boettcher is. There are no bad seats and nothing is very far from the stage. Photos I post on HTF always come out overly saturated. I don't know why, but I guess I should make a habit of desaturating them a bit. The D500 has a very clean image. Less noise than the D7100, but I'm guessing once the D7300 comes out it will be the same. This is at ISO 800.

 

[Scott Merryfield]

I've read lots of good things about that Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8 lens. If I used my crop body for more than just telephoto work, I would be very tempted to buy one. Oddly, though, since adding a full frame body several years ago I went in the other direction with my zoom lenses -- both my 16-35mm and 24-105mm are a constant f/4 max aperture (I had a EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 when I shot crop only). When I need something faster, I use a prime lens -- mostly a 50mm f/1.2, although I also have a 40mm f/2.8 pancake and 135mm f/2. I also had a EF 28mm f/1.8 left over from my crop-only days, but never really had a need for a fast wide angle prime (which that lens functioned as on full frame), so I sold it. That Sigma, though, could replace a few prime lenses with its speed.

 

[JohnRice]

Maybe Sam already wrote about this, but I'm guessing he isn't someone to buy third party batteries, so maybe not.

The simple reality is, you have to use the Nikon battery in the D500. There are third party batteries that have been decoded to function in the camera, but even after at least 5 discharge/charge cycles, the ones I got still have less than 1/6 the life of the Nikon. Yeah, 1/6 the life. You can actually sit there with the battery level displayed and watch it count down like a clock, it drops so fast. Also, it appears that the only rechargeable AAs that work in the grip are Eneloops. I tried newly refreshed (discharged/charged twice) Amazon Basics LSD Ni-MH batteries, and after taking two pics or using live view for about 10 seconds, they drop to dead on the display. I can turn the camera off and on again, and they go back to full, then one or two pics, and dead. The Eneloops seem to work like champs, but I haven't really challenged them yet.

How fast did the batteries I got die? As a test, I did identical 13 minute videos with three batteries. The Nikon dropped 7%. The third party ones dropped 38% and 40%. So, I ordered two Nikon batteries and two sets of Eneloops, which will be dedicated strictly to the D500.

 

[Citizen87645]

Are these regular Eneloops or the professional black label ones? I'm curious how much better the pro ones might be in this situation.

 

[JohnRice]

These are the regular Eneloops.

 

[Sam Posten]

Only official batteries in my camera bodies.
Only Eneloops in my Speedlites.
I don't use a bulky grip on the bodies that don't have one built in. Seems kind of pointless to me. I often shoot with my hands on the regular trigger anyway on the D4, I feel like I have more control with the body hanging down than I do trying to hold the whole thing longwise. YMMV

Yes, video burns through batteries. It's getting better but still an issue.

 

[Citizen87645]

I tried grips for a time too, thinking it would make vertical shots easier, but muscle memory on the body controls won out over the seldom need for extended battery life (at least for photos). The added bulk also didn't help the cause.

I stopped getting them after my last body upgrade.

 

[JohnRice]

This is my first battery grip ever. I mostly got it because I've been doing a lot of time lapse, and having battery backup is kind of nice. Too bad I wasn't buying the D500 now, because I'd get a Nikon one free, but the one I got was only $50, so not so bad.

 

[Scott Merryfield]

It's too bad that third-party batteries do not work well with Nikon bodies. I have used Sterlingtek and Wasabi batteries for years in my Canon bodies. They perform just as well as Canon badge batteries at a fraction of the cost. I would never pay $70 for a Canon battery when the third-party ones are pretty much identical and cost $30 for two - - plus they throw in a charger. You can never have too many chargers.

 

[JohnRice]

I think they work fine on other bodies. I used them with my D7100. The D500 is just extremely hard on batteries. Nikon even updated theirs.

 

[Scott Merryfield]

In that case, the better 3rd party battery companies may come out with an updated model for the D500 at some point.

 

[Sam Posten]

If there's anything better than seeing a 65 ton Abrams tank go flying over a 3 foot berm and firing while airborne I have yet to see it. Definitely the cover of my personal photo book this year!


17-APGLiveFire-9863 by Sam Posten III, on Flickr

 

[JohnRice]

There's something you don't see every day.

 

[Sam Posten]

Here was the morning version of same tank jumping the berm:

17-APGLiveFire-8844-2 by Sam Posten III, on Flickr

Think I adjusted ok? =)


17-APGLiveFire-9953 by Sam Posten III, on Flickr


17-APGLiveFire-9826 by Sam Posten III, on Flickr


17-APGLiveFire-8581 by Sam Posten III, on Flickr


17-APGLiveFire-9909 by Sam Posten III, on Flickr

Full set now up here:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/kadath/albums/72157681219686813

 

[Sam Posten]

I've never been super impressed with the quality I was getting out of the 80-400. That changed Saturday with the Ocean City Air show. Combo of D500 and the 80-400 was INCREDIBLE. Very happy with how these came out. Only half edited so far, Blue Angels and F-22 Raptor to follow.

SOCOM Black dagger jump team

17-OCAirshow-0066 by Sam Posten III, on Flickr

Happy face:

17-OCAirshow-0129 by Sam Posten III, on Flickr


17-OCAirshow-3684 by Sam Posten III, on Flickr


17-OCAirshow-0154 by Sam Posten III, on Flickr

Panchito B52:

17-OCAirshow-0406 by Sam Posten III, on Flickr

Sea rescue:

17-OCAirshow-0514 by Sam Posten III, on Flickr

Osprey with Wing Vortices (NOT CHEMTRAILS!)

17-OCAirshow-0676 by Sam Posten III, on Flickr

GEICO Sky Typers:

17-OCAirshow-0843 by Sam Posten III, on Flickr


17-OCAirshow-0849 by Sam Posten III, on Flickr


17-OCAirshow-0921 by Sam Posten III, on Flickr


17-OCAirshow-1170 by Sam Posten III, on Flickr


17-OCAirshow-1309 by Sam Posten III, on Flickr

A-10 / P-51 History flight:

17-OCAirshow-1476 by Sam Posten III, on Flickr

Hang loose and Bzzzzttttttttt!

17-OCAirshow-1642 by Sam Posten III, on Flickr

B-2 Stealth Bomber:

17-OCAirshow-1853 by Sam Posten III, on Flickr

Full set:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/kadath/albums/72157682259370964

Last year's set with Thunderbirds:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/kadath/albums/72157669988488076

 

[JohnRice]

Is that the original 80-400? Didn't they come out with a new one recently? What do you think is the difference? The focus system in the D500?

 

[Scott Merryfield]

Sam, did you use a polarizing filter on those shots? I like using a CPL in those instances, as it seems to cut down on the haze a little, as well as deepen the blue in the sky.

My original Canon 100-400L did not work well at all with a CPL (it messed with the auto focus), but it works fine on the version 2. I missed not being able to use a CPL when whale watching using the original 100-400L, so I'm looking forward to trying it out with the new version of the lens this summer when we are in Maine. I used a CPL with the 70-200L f/4 while whale watching, and it worked well on cutting the glare on the water.

 

[Sam Posten]

Nope, no filter at all.

 

[Sam Posten]

Is that the original 80-400? Didn't they come out with a new one recently? What do you think is the difference? The focus system in the D500?

It's the new 80-400VR, had it a year or two. I dunno if any difference other than I just got better hand holding it.

 

[JohnRice]

Nope, no filter at all.

I kind of figured. In those situations, I find the loss of light outweighs the benefits.