Front/Back Focusing Check on Nikon D90

Each lens is designed to varies in convergence point onto the sensor and the Canon Top-notch 1D Mark III even has a built-in function to correct and register them! Now, that brings me to question how the Nikon D90 accomodates such discrepancy.

Today, I am told by the Nikon Service center that they do have a sophisticated diagnostic software to verify this and that some sort of corrections will be made if a problem is detected! Interesting indeed...

Let me send my camera in to check this out soon.

First Nikon D90 Bug Detected!

Upon activating the LV mode of the Nikon D90, the indicated Shutter speed will cease to automatically update its value to indicate the changed settings on the camera.

"In LV mode the shutter speed is frozen at the value taken at the moment of activation. It doesn't change where ever you point the camera. However, it does meter correctly, but this new value is not seen after you shoot.

This also applies for the top level LCD and it doesn't work with Camera Control Pro either.

Nikon support has confirmed this bug."

Abstracted from DP Review.

Price Increase of the Nikon D90 Soon?

With the rising strength of the Japanese Yen, we will also see a gradual price increase of the Nikon D90 by about 10% next month.

Hmm...sounds good to me that my camera is appreciating in value for now.

For those outside the Nikon D90 camp, perhaps its a opportune time to jump on the D90 wagon?

Side Track #4 - Backup Camera Nikon D40

On the first pass, at simply $400, you get the whole nine yards with the Nikon D40 body and a Nikkor 18-55mm lens! Wow! That sounds like a deal cheaper than a Canon G10 prosumer compact. In fact, its cheaper than a Nikon Speedlight SB-900!

Sure, you might want to tone down your expectation on the Nikon D40 against her bigger sibling, but the numerous web reviews I have seen have shown positive results with this baby. Well, as fluid as water is, I am quickly resisting a Canon G10 versus Nikon D40 face-off! Mind you, the Nikon D40 readily accepts all my lens and it takes on an SD memory card format too.

Now, the definition of backup is quite fluid too. Sometimes, the opportunity demands an immediate use of a longer focal length. What do you do? Whip out the Nikon D40 with the premounted lens and fire away! That's what. Just make sure RAW is used for salvageable post processing later.

UPDATED - Nikon D40 is at the verge of being discontinued. I need to make a decision to get one or wait...

What Was Removed from Nikon D90 to Give Nikon D5000?

Out of curiosity, I have been starting my search for a cost-effective backup recently to go with my Nikon D90. I suggested a used Nikon D200 at around $600 a few weeks back, and have totally dismissed the fact I can properly get myself a Canon G10 or Nikon P6000 for that price range.

But with the recent price drop for the Nikon D40, could this mean a change of heart or should I check out the Nikon D5000 at $750 (body only)? Essentially, Nikon has removed the VGA LCD screen, wireless flash commander mode, vertical grip compatibility, lower shoot battery capacity and cheaper body construction from the Nikon D90 to give you the Nikon D5000. But at that price point, its not decisively positioned.

In all, I don't shoot to earn my daily bread, so its not entirely that important if the Nikon D90 should fail on my next overseas trip. I consider this - Good to have.

First Hand-on for Lowe Pro Mini Trekker AW Bag

Sure it's just a $120 bag and comes with over 10 separate internal compartment pads to house up to two DSLRs and 4-6 lenses. But I am most pleased today that it fit my Manfrotto 190XB like a glove too! Thankfully, I did not gave in when the tripod sales person wanted me to take a separate strap for the tripod for over $30 previously!

In my short photo shoot today, I, however, found that this bag is not designed for fast removal and swapping of DSLR and lenses on-the-go. And the two side fastener straps (of the bag) have to be unbuckered to access the main compartment.

Well, I guess the need for such swap is minimal and considering the fact it comes with a retractable rain cover, it's high on the practical side of design. In fact, this bag also comes with a separate compartment that allows you to stuff even a small netbook into it without much trouble. My mini Fujitsu P7120D laptop fits in just fine in that compartment!

I conclude this is a mandatory investment to prevent my three lenses from "tumbling" in my current Targus backup.

Warning - Nikon D90 AF Assist Illuminator Range

Ever wonder why your camera fail to focus tact sharp on your intended subjects at times? Screwed up contrast management in AF module due to insufficient light. Here's when your AF illuminator fires up. Right, its only up to 3m in range. So, don't go away thinking this wonder light to reach anything beyond that!

One more surprise I found - remove the lens hood to use it effectively on any lens with a 24-200mm focal length! Gotcha! I was surprised too. See page 55 of your manual.

Want a break from this limit? Get the Nikon SB-900 to throw the AF capability further via its built-in AF-Assist Illuminator!

Nikon Speedlight SB-400 Battery Usage Observation

Can you believe it? Running on two Energizer AA batteries, my Nikon flash finally stopped flashing after 5 months of on/off usage. Remember that I bought my Speedlight almost together with my Nikon D90. Shot count on my camera currently read 5350.

So, here's my mini verdict. I hardly use my flash, however hard I tried in my daily routine. I was quite determined to get the Nikon SB-900 lately but concluded that I would grossly under utilize it as well.

New Addition to the Family - Lowe Pro Mini Trekker AW

A big gap can exist between recommendation made via casual web browsing against actual field testing. And I usually would not recommend something I don't own on my blog. The same applies to the camera bag I have just purchased yesterday. In my last article where the Lowe Pro Flipside/Top Load AW were evaluated, they all looked rosy on the Internet.

So, finishing my work on a Friday evening, I decided to pay my local camera store a visit. What do yer know? I have totally understated the capability of the intended camera bag to house my Manfrotto 190XB tripod! Gradually, browsing turned into a serious hunt among the 50 or so Lowe Pro models on the shelves, and I ended up getting the Mini Trekker AW.

Will update everyone when I decommissioned my current Nikon Sling bag...

What Have We Here? $850 Nikon D5000?

So, it's out? Hold your breath, and confirm it at tomorrow's Nikon Press Event in Australia!

Nikon D90: Welcome, little brother, to the family!

Nikon D5000: O Thanks! (Thought - I am gotta beat you when I grow up...)

UPDATED 5 minutes ago...

Nikon D5000 Key Features

* 12.9 megapixel DX-format CMOS sensor (effective pixels: 12.3 million)
* 2.7" tilt and swivel LCD monitor (230,000 dots)
* Movie capture at up to 1280 x 720 (720p) 24 fps with mono sound
* Live View with contrast-detect AF, face detection and subject tracking
* Image sensor cleaning (sensor shake)
* 11 AF points (with 3D tracking)
* IS0 200-3200 range (100-6400 expanded)
* 4 frames per second continuous shooting (buffer: 7 RAW, 25 JPEG fine, 100 JPEG Normal)
* Expeed image processing engine
* Extensive in-camera retouching including raw development and straightening
* Connector for optional GPS unit (fits on hot shoe)
* New battery with increased capacity
* 72 thumbnail and calendar view in playback

Read full review [here]

Ikelite Underwater Mount for Nikon D90 on Steroid!

Remember that $1500 underwater housing for the Nikon D90 article I reviewed sometime back? OK, a new bad boy is in town to claim its territory and that's the $3700 Subnal ND90.

Underwater photography is yet another whole new dimension in photography and I think its a bit too "professional" for my taking. But if this is where you want to go, click [here] to begin the journey.

Revisit of Rarely Used Buttons on Nikon D90 - Part I

You can say I love those buttons on the Nikon D90 (which provides better tactile feel to those on the D700) and I push them harder than most around me with a Nikon D90. But there are just that few more buttons I recently discovered I seldom use.

Namely - AE-L/AF-L button next to the viewfinder (and MB-D80) and DOF button below the Fn Button (next to the camera grip). I mean I just did not find enough justification to use these buttons as often as I want. As far as the AE-L/AF-L button goes, I have currently set it to perform a FV (Flash Value) lock role for my SB-400. It does indeed maintain that flash intensity on my subject with each re-composure of the scene. But AE-L? I am not too sure where it's best used...

OK. Say you are at a restaurant and you would like the waiter to help take a shot. You pass him the camera, he aims carelessly on a chair located before your main subjects. He took the shot, only to be discovered by you that it was a bad shot. Sounds familiar to you? In the days of using my Contax T3 (it still shoot crisp, perfect images today), there is a wonderful feature in it to shoot at fixed focal distance (2m, 5m etc). However you compose your shot, all your subjects at that prefixed range turned out razor sharp and well exposed.

I think these AE-L/AF-L button is supposed to do just that, just in a slightly fancier terminology. So, I personally think that the AE-L/AF-L feature is useful only to me in the above situation. The FV lock feature is much more useful to me, programmed on this button.

A Touch of Sea Blue on Nikon D90 Lab

It's very limited but that's all Google's got. In a new season of Spring, I thought a dash of sea blue will do all our eyes good.

Hope it helps.

"Problem" Encountered Today with Nikon D90

Fine black lines begin to appear on my viewfinder today as I switched my Nikon D90 on to shoot. Perhaps, they have been there all along...I am not very sure. They are not those lines you turned on via menu D2 - Viewfinder grid display but very fine horizontal/vertical black lines interconnecting the focus brackets at the center of the viewfinder.

I will be paying the Nikon Service Center today to find out if it can be rectified during lunch hour.

Will keep everyone posted what happens next...

UPDATED - According to the Nikon D90 manual - page 9, this situation is classified normal. Don't panic.

Tip #27 - Select High-Contrast Points for Sharp Focus Subject Alway

With this fairly new discovery, its time to apply it with regard to obtaining better focus on our subjects. Looking back at instances via Nikon View NX, I can now confirm that those fuzzy shots all have low-contrast points selected! No wonder the Nikon D90 could not really make out a sharp focus.

So, here you are, the baby discovery in focusing technique I found today.

OK. I am off for a short hike with my boys now...to do more shots along the sea coast.

Spring Cleaning my D90 Photo Gallery

Well, I think its time. Time to get more critical with my own work and start dishing the commonly composed shots out of the almost-full picture gallery.

Just a recap, if you can truthfully claim that 5% of your total shots are similar to those found in Flickr, I think you are there! You have just turned pro. I know I am well behind that.

So, hence the need to still post to Picasa and not something more professional like Smugshot.

Hahaha...I don't really mind.

Tim Jackson Focus Test Chart

Now, if you, for a moment, has so much as an ounce of doubt with your Nikon D90 focus engine integrity, I would first advice you to read up this guy's two-cent worth of explanation (I think its much more than that) and perform the simple test yourself [here].

If not, just send it in and the Nikon technician will confirm this with their set of tools. Tim Jackson sure shed some light with regard to this problem I sometimes face with the Nikon D90.

Discover Why Image Area Under Focus Point Not in Sharp Focus - Part II

I guess this problem has prompted some perfectionists among us to upgrade to the Nikon D700 or D3/X! But at least, let me finish the explanation as I attempt also to bring some solutions to the table.

What if the autofocus for one reason or another isn’t working? Then there are a couple of tricks you can resort to.

These are:

- Manual Selection of autofocus points

- Focus lock (also known to us as AF-L)

- Engage Autofocus assist beam (also known as AF Illumination)

- Engage AF-C focus mode (for continuous focusing)

- Move into Manual focus

- Get the Nikon Speedlight SB-800/900 to turn on the Multi-Area AF-Assist Illuminator

Discover Why Image Area Under Focus Point Not in Sharp Focus - Part I

Get a coffee...this is a good read.

Explanation #1 - Autofocus with Contrast Measurement Not Perfect in Nikon D90

If a camera knows the distance to a subject, it is easy to focus. But the camera does not know this; in practice, it has to guess the distance.

All cameras attempt to find a focus distance with the help of the function autofocus (or AF). This is done quite automatically, typically when the release is pressed halfway down. The camera’s electronics tries to identify the main subject and the distance to it, so that it can focus. There is a little motor in the lens, which can move the optics, so that the focus is altered.

Contrast is bigger, when the image is focused. Autofocus examines the image to find the area, which has the largest contrast.

The focusing itself is done with the help of contrast measurement of the light, which comes through the lenses. The image sensor measures the contrast in selected areas of the image’s pixels. The area, which contains the biggest contrasts, is identified as the focus area. Then the lenses are just moved back and forth until there is maximum contrast in the area in question.

When the contrast is at a maximum, the camera assumes that it is focused on the main subject. The contrast is examined in the points and the lens is set to focus on the point, which has the biggest contrast. This point is often accentuated in the viewer or on the LCD screen.

There are two problems with autofocus: If there isn’t enough light for taking an exposure, then the system doesn’t work; there has to be light for measuring the contrast. The other problem is that the autofocus has to find the distance to the right subject. This isn’t always easy.

When the release has been pressed halfway down, the AF system measures the contrast in the points. The point that has the biggest contrast, is assumed to be the subject, and is, therefore, focused on. The active focus point is often lit up with green or marked in another way, when the camera has decided where it should focus. There might also be a little bleep in the camera’s loudspeaker indicating that the focus point has been found.

Using the Nikon D90 to Bond with Your Family

Frankly, I have not taken my boys out more than once a month before I acquire the camera, and at hind sight, this thing has been a strong catalyst for me to exercise while I bond with my boys.

At times, I have to backpack them for miles into the trail that they can pose for me when needed. I have also found myself becoming a teacher, sharing with them the whats and whys of each road trip.

To date, I have spent about $2000 in this hobby but its all worth it considering the above advantages it brings! Its priceless to see the joy in their faces when I take them to places I dreamt of as a boy to visit. The above Lego truck was built together with my boys before a momento shot was taken.