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Hi all, I`m still on a learning curve with my new passion so please bare with me.
We are off to Morocco shortly and I`m very excited at the prospect of some very dramatic sunrises and sunsets, as such I have got the right gear or should I continue to invest a little more ..
My Kit..
Nikon D80
Nikon DX 18-135mm lens + Ultra Violet filter
Sigma DC 55-200mm lens + UltraViolet filter
If I need a wide angle which I feel I will, any suggestions and poss prices, and suggestions for filters.
regards
Graham
Last edited by gdleeds on Sun Nov 02, 2008 12:10 pm; edited 1 time in total
For my D50 i've got a Sigma 10-20mm lens. Excellent for landscapes. Also a sigma 18-200mm for normal use.
I'd recommend a polarising filter, good for making blue skies bluer and making water more transparent
This pack will give you the polarising filter along with a uv protector which you keep on all the time to protect the lens. Only removing when you need to use the polariser. Make sure you choose the correct size for your lens. I have highlighted the 67mm.
Then you need the graduated filters and require a kit which includes the holder and three nd filters:
One of the best wide angle low cost lenses at the moment is the Tokina 12 - 24. I bought mine from another forum which I recommend you join, however you will need to be on for 30 days before you can use the sale/trade section:
The graduated filters are vital as Mick says. To understand why do a search for Ansel Adams and the zone system.
I always advise people to do this. Adams was one of the greatest landscape phootographers to live.
He devised a system to understand what range of light level will record on the film.
Our eyes adjust automatically so we can look at detail in shadow and then look to the sky and still see the clouds, recording devices cannot do this and so we need to help it.
A graduated filter will block light from entering the lens in just the area you select.
Adams argued that film had a 5 stop tolerance so that if, for example your spot exposure meter reading on th emost important part of the image, as selected by you is seen as 0 then shadow detail within 3 stops over and highlight detail 2 stops under will show. If you spot meter read the clouds and they are 3 or more stops under they will vanish. Hence you take your graduated filter and change the amount of light entering from the sky to within those 2 stops. The main part of your image will always be seen by your meter as being 18 percent grey. The other way if you do not have the right grad filter is to shoot the same scene at different exposures and then combine them using layers in a post shooting digital software package such as photoshop. There are even some automatic software packages that perform an action called HDR but these often produce a very surreal image
I find that Grad Filters can be useful but at the same time can be a right pain to use. I have the Cokin P series and find that on my 17mm lens the frame causes some vignetting effects. They are also a pain in the butt to keep clean as they seem to act as a dust magnet which, because I don't have a lens hood show up as blobbies. You can get a lens hood for the Cokin holder but I suspect it will cut into the shot.
Grad filters work well if you have a fairly clean sky/land demarkation but if you want to prevent burnout in specific areas then you'll probabley need to resort to Photoshop.
I would suggest shooting in RAW format and if you're that serious try bracketing the exposure with the possiblity on mind of doing some HDR work. PersonallY I've almost given up using my Grad Filters. Adobe Lightroom 2 has a nice Grad Filter built into it and brushes to change the exposure etc in specific areas.
First let me thank you all for you input, invaluable.. cheers.. this is my Sunday taken care of, wife happily doing her watercolours.
I`v come across a couple of w/angle a Sigma 10-20 around 200 mark and also a Nikon 12-24 both with 77mm filter size these are second hand so unsure at moment about them.
Q do I use the neutral density filter together with the polaroid filter?
Q would you rec that I get above filters for my other 2 lens ?
Hi Chris
Just read up on the Tokina it gets some very good write ups and price appears good fixed price on eBay new from H/K at 225 + postage how would you compare to Sigma and Nikon (used)
On some of the reviews they give benefits to either lens. I managed to buy from a guy on talk photography who had his replaced for a new one under warranty to was very pleased.
I personally would not buy again from Hong Kong. Tried it when I bought my 18 - 200VR and it all went very bad causing a lot of problems with eBay and paypal.
However, I don't think either of these sell Tokina.
If you are going to buy second hand I would make sure it is a UK supplied product and personally I would not buy without trying. With this in mind I feel it is better to buy new if you can and pay just a little more. That way you can be sure the product is going to be OK.
point taken,
just read of a problem `purchased as new` lens on eBay that was not covered by Gnt as seller was deamed first purchaser and Gnt only valid to him even though eBay buyer thought he bought boxed brand new... better trot down to Jessops!!
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