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Welcome to my digital SLR photography page. I hope you find the information here interesting and informative. If you
have time check out my flickr gallery.
You may also be interested in my digital SLR for dummies guide.
New: The Nikon D200 has arrived, check out my impressions below.
I only recently got into photography, circa 2004. My first digital camera was a Sony Cybershot P-7 (point-n-shoot), which I rarely
used, and thought a bit too bulky. Ended up selling it with the intent of getting one of those super slim Canons or Casios.
But in an ironic twist of fate I ended up picking up a Nikon D70 digital SLR, with the 18-70 mm kit lens. Can't pinpoint
exactly why I went the SLR route, but it was a good, albeit expensive, decision. Photography is a great hobby, and since I have absolutely
no artistic abilities, like music or painting, this is probably the closest I'll come to being an aristist.
SLR versus Point-n-Shoot
In many respects point and shoot cameras are rivaling today's SLRs. Great resolution, plenty of manual features, good image quality. But there's
one attribute I love about SLRs that makes it hard for me to go back to point and shoots - lag time. There's virtually no lag time between pressing
the shutter release button and the capture. This is really important in any type of action shots where timing is critical.
Nikon D200
Initial impressions: Wow! The shutter sounds so crisp, precise. The 5 frames per second is quick. It's a world apart from the D70's 3 fps.
Check back for a better review once I start playing around with the D200 more.
 
Nikon D70
The Nikon D70 is a great entry level dSLR. My only complaint is that out-of-the-box the photos tend to be a little dull
and underexposed. It's not really underexposed, just conservative in the tonal mapping.
This can be fixed with post processing (Photoshop, Picasa, etc.) or
directly with custom tone curves. Google for "Nikon D70 custom tone curve" for further details.
The D70's ergonomics is awesome. It feels so right in my hands, unlike the Canon Rebel series. Another lesser advertised fact I love about the D70
is the amazing battery life. On my month long trip through Europe I had to charge the battery maybe three times, and this was
after taking 15 CDs worth of photos.
Lens
Like most folks I was (and still am) obsessed with the camera body, but it's the lens that makes the world of
difference. The 18-70 mm f3.5-4.5G ED-IF AF-S DX Zoom Nikkor, the "kit lens," is a good lens. With the 1.5x sensor magnification it's not that wide angle of a lens,
but serves most purposes well. I like to shot Formula 1
races so needed the extra reach and bought a 70-300 mm f/4-5.6D ED AF Zoom-Nikkor telephoto. I'm not particularly a huge
fan of this lens, but I suppose it's good for its $300 price tag.
After my first F1 race I realized 300 mm wasn't enough to get shots from the distant grandstands and went with a 50-500mm f/4-6.3 EX APO DG HSM.
It's big and heavy, but the range is incredible, and suited me fairly well for the Shangahi Grand Prix. I won't be able to afford
paddock passes anytime soon, big Sigma should continue to serve me well.
But my favorite is the Nikon AF-S Nikkor 18-200 mm f/3.5-5.6G DX ED VR. This lens is simply amazing. Good range, and
the vibration reduction system is a miracle. I no longer need the other Nikon lens; the Sigma on special occasions.
Gallery
I host my photos on flickr. Here are four random photos from my sets:
Here's a few of my favorites
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