anyone installed those katzeye focus screen thingy? or you all so far no encounter problems with manual lens?

haha.. cuz the focus confirmation dot lights up and the electronic rangefinder says the subject is in focus, but when i shift the focus (by a bit), it still stays in the same condition.. in other words, there is a slight free play or region of "in-focus" instead of dead on.. not sure if i described properly.. was thinking that if got the split screen it would be slight easier to get the correct focus.. but then my dilemma is the cost + support from nikon if i change the focus screen might be void? + i will lose the other focus dots guide when i not using the middle focus.. the other focus dots would still work, but now i dun have a "pointer" for me to point at.. unless i keep tapping the lights.. haha~ my issue is with the 85mm f/1.4 at wide open.. i guess i'll just have to practice more until it's a second nature to me.. hehe.. thanks for the opinions.

samyang 85/1.4 is full manual lens.. nikkor af-s wun fail me de.. but i cannot afford.. keke~

edit: read wrong.. i using D5100 and pair with the samyang, it's a full manual focus.. no AF..

This post has been edited by tctham: Jan 24 2012, 11:01 PM

haha.. small viewfinder.. i found out the hard way that it is impossible to focus without looking at the confirmation dot..

i no try it on any other camera yet except D70s.. haha~ that's agito's camera..

yea.. it does tell me when to turn.. but when the confirmation light lit up and the "electronic rangefinder" says it is in focus.. i can still move the focus ring back and forth like 1-2mm and the focus confirmation + "e-RangeFinder" still says it's in focus.. thus the picture turns out to be hit/miss case.. even stopping down to f/2.8 i still encounter that issue.. not sure it's an issue with my mind/eyes/fingers.. hahaha but that samyang lens is gorgeous.. loving it.

spam another shot of my cat.. keke



tried taking the star picture.. but there's way too much clouds.. at least i find out that i cannot use up to 30 secs for night sky shots.. i end up with star trails instead.. hahaha~ failed attempt.. guess I'll open the lens wider and or bump the ISO.. i heard that opening the shutter for long periods may cause dead/hot pixels.. is that true?

edit: spam another inanimate object.. do c&c..



This post has been edited by tctham: Jan 24 2012, 11:56 PM

yea.. using middle focus point.. i even avoid focus & recompose to make sure.. i also tested using tripod and remote release.. just to be sure..

tested that there is a slight free-play with the confirmation dot..

if focus with live view on max magnification, then things improves ALOT.. but that's for static objects like that orchid.. for quick moments, i still have to rely on viewfinder..

i got a few more pictures, but i haven't really gone through them yet.. usually i just fire extra.. just in case.. focus, fire, re-focus.. then fire and repeat for about 3 times.. just in case

the moment when it's falling and you try to save it.. and you made things worse by accidentally smacking and accelerate it's fall.. or redirected it to elsewhere which is more damaging..

thank goodness those only happened to my phone.. not the camera.. *touch wood*

nowadays if i drop things, i will let it land on my feet.. (provided that it's not heavy enough to break a toe or anything that i'd miss later) cause i reckon my feet is softer than the floor.. then when it actually hit the floor, it wasn't direct fall from its original height but slight rebounded from my feet.. not sure if this logic works or i'm just cheating myself.. hahaha~

how to differentiate the filter genuine or not ar?

kewl.. didn't know about that.. hehe.. thanks a lot.

you edi got 35mm right? is it ok if you go for 85mm and then compensate the missing "50mm" using your feet to zoom? 85mm for portrait.. 35mm for group.. although 85mm abit hard to get full body with 3m

your pictures are fantastic as always.

This post has been edited by tctham: Jan 28 2012, 12:04 AM

hi sifu(s),

wanna ask your opinion, which looks better?


or


i help my friend take this with her camera.. then when see the picture.. dunno how see which is better.. @_@ actually both same picture.. but one is cropped to 1:1 format and another is cropped to 16:9 format..

also if can c&c on how to further improve it.. do share.. hehe..

you have to half press it.. did you half press it?

funny.. i used d5100 and it can perform the selected functions mentioned in the video.. even on my kit lens..

just set to af-s and single point focus by selecting in the <i> and then you can move your red (focus) dot around by using the 4 way directional pad..

actually i was just telling her what settings to use when taking a landscape at night.. so i didn't really choose a good subject.. for a moment, i just felt the scene looked quite nice with the lights.. so i just fired away.. i admit i was careless and didn't find any story behind the shot.. haha.. thanks for pointing that out.. i think probably next time around i need to find a subject in the scene before taking the picture.. i usually shoot when feeling tells me to.. keke..

thanks for the comment.. will take note with the subject thingy.. and the answer to your question.. there was no subject in mind when i took the picture.. haha.. XD my bad..

another side question.. to make the signage sharper.. i would have to take few pictures and merge it right? if i wanted to get the exposure right.. otherwise.. i either get blown out highlights or i get dark scene.

either you are on manual focus mode.. (the switch set to M on your lens) or you have switched the focusing feature from your shutter button to the AE/AF button.. that's my guess.. @_@

yea.. i was thinking of HDR.. you referring to the DESA PARK CITY signage? or other signage? i was referring to that one wor.. cuz if i expose the scene correctly, that sign's highlight will overflow until the word desa park city is a smudge of white.. if i under expose the scene, then it's sharper..

p/s: i forgot where i set the focus point to.. haha.. this was taken at f/11.. altho with f/11, there is a possibility that i pre-focused at wrong area and the desa park city signage was not in the in-focus range.. haha.. i can upload the darker version of it tho.. XD

This post has been edited by tctham: Jan 29 2012, 11:45 PM

it's actually desa park city, kepong

nice clouds by the way.. keke..
serene feeling

edit: i spam pictures again.. keke



actually hor.. i think the star picture.. quite alot of coma.. how do you all photoshop it away using lightroom? @_@ i know stopping down can reduce coma.. but i cannot stop down.. cuz have to take picture within 3 secs else star -> star trails.. @_@
my exif:
85mm
2 secs
f/1.4
iso 400

This post has been edited by tctham: Feb 1 2012, 11:58 PM

my lcd screen protector only got smudge marks wor.. no scratches.. do you flip your screen back whenever not in use? if really unhappy, then change the protector again? haha~ better protector scratch than the lcd scratch.. hehe

i can't speak for other models.. i've tested on my d5100.. if i set it to timer, and even if i set it to take 2 shots.. it wouldn't do so with the pop-up flash.. however, i am able to take continuous self timer shots with the pop-up flash by using the interval mode.. which sets your camera to take x number of shots within a y interval starting from z time (or now).. not sure if that is helpful. @_@

omg~ i want the siu mui mui pictures.. dun ninja.. just samurai them in the open only!! ganbatte!!