COMPARING THE NIKON D5000 AT HIGH ISOS WITH THE D90 AND THE D80

As I wrote when I tested other cameras, I am not a technical analyst but a professional photographer with some experience. For fans of in-depth laboratory analysis I would suggest you to consult the websites of DoX Mark and Hugo Rodríguez (in my links) that I consult frequently. I would be more in line with Ken Rockwell (another web I consults fairly often), a professional photographer who test cameras and lenses in the field with a lot of common sense and who does not care to ensure that a $ 500 camera gives better results that one of $ 3000, if that is the case.

For the test at high ISOS with the D5000 I used a still life with tomatoes (essential in the house of a Catalan to prepare pa amb tomàquet). Previously, for the D90 and D80 tests I used a still life with tangerines and tomato. The optics used in the D90 and D80 was a 28mm f: 2.8 Nikkor.
The still life I photographed with the D5000 was different but serves for comparison, because the detail is the same one for the three cameras: the tomato leaves, and in this case I used the 18-55 zoom at 28 mm position.

NIKON D80 ISO 1600

NIKON D90 ISO 1600

NIKON D5000 ISO 1600

Before the results, I had studied the comparisons made at high ISOS in DoX Mark: The Nikon D90 has a score of 977 on a theoretical maximum of 2526. The Nikon D5000 slightly less, has 867, but far beyond the Nikon D80 with a score of 524. In the photos of still life of tomatoes this difference becomes clear. There are no appreciable differences between photos taken with 1.6oo ASA D90 and D5000, and both outweigh the D80 clearly.There’s also a comparison at 3200 ASA. At such a high ISOS the Nikon D 700 is simply unbeatable

NIKON D80 ISO 1600

NIKON D 90 ISO 1600

NIKON D 5000 ISO 1600



NIKON D 5000 ISO 3200

NIKON D 700 ISO 3200

For the rest, the Nikon D5000 is an excellent camera for amateur photographers: light, with a removable screen, incorporated flash, you can shoot video ( see example), with a silent shutter, and a 12,3 megapixels sensor from the latest generation, which is the same as in the D90, all this at a very fair price. You can see the photos I made with it, at ISO 3200, at the party on the beach or at 1.600 ISO in Fotocolectania.

Disadvantages? The Nikon D5000 lacks the extra control buttons you can find in the D90 and the D80. To have access to basic functions such changing the ISO, the different options of measure the light, the type of shooting, etc., available on all the rest of professionals models you have to do it through the menu. Also, the autofocus does not work in older Nikon objectives that do not have a motor built. For the advanced amateur or professional photographer, for a few hundred Euros more, and without thinking, the D90 is much better. For someone who starts or who does not care about the inconveniences I wrote above they’ll find a great camera. In the ranking of DoX Mark, the D5000 is ranked number 14, just behind the D90, and outclassing 28 different models of Canon and Nikon digital SLR.

/ NIKON D 700 TEST AT HIGH ISO SPEEDS

ISO 6400

The good photographs always are due to the person behind the camera. Although it can help, especially for highly technical subjects, is a fallacy that it is essential to have the more advanced and expensive camera to get the best pictures. I have worked side by side with great photographers that, sometimes, used amateur cameras. With the advent of the digital technology, changes are happening very fast. But in the history of Photography technological advances and improvements that have been surfacing became indispensable. In the fifties it was the telemeter incorporated into the cameras; in the sixties there was the photometers measuring the light through the lenses and the electronic flash units; in the seventies it was the automatic exposure; in the eighties the autofocus; in the nineties the zooms replaced the fixed lenses; in this century, the digital replaced the film, and one of the major developments could be the amazing quality with which new cameras like the Nikon D3 and the Nikon D 700, take photographs at high sensibilities .

These are some comparative tests to sensibilities of 200, 1,600, 3,200 and 6,400 ISO using a Nikon D 700. The lens used was a Nikkor 50mm f: 1.8.

ISO 200

ISO 200

ISO 1600

ISO 1600

ISO 3.200

ISO 3.200

ISO 6.400

ISO 6.400

The results are simply stunning.

TESTING THE NIKON D 90

Last weekend I had the opportunity to try a Nikon D90. I had read about his excellent image quality and very good shooting at high ISOS, but what really drew my attention was the possibility to shoot video as well as I had seen it in the Nikon website. I asked for information to my friends Pepe Encinas of El Periódico de Catalunya, and David Airob of La Vanguardia, about the weekend events in Barcelona. They both agreed that, by far, the best thing was El Tres Tombs . And also it was going to happen very close to my flat; I could almost have taken the photos from my window. Els Tres Tombs is a parade of horses and carriages celebrating the feast of San Antonio Abad. I shoot video and also, of course, photos. As you can see, especially in the video, we had very strong winds this day in Barcelona.

COMPARING THE NIKON D90 WITH THE NIKON D700 AND THE NIKON D80 AT HIGH ISOS.

NIKON D90 18-70 NIKKOR ZOOM AT ISO 200

First of all, I must make clear that I am not a super analyst but a professional photographer with some experience. For lovers of thoroughly done laboratory tests I recommend you to consult the website of DoX Mark (it’s in my links). I would be more in line with Ken Rockwell (another web I consult fairly often), a professional photographer who tests cameras and lenses in the field, with a lot of common sense, and who does not care to ensure that a 500 Euros camera gives better results than a 3000 Euros one, if that is the case. I tried the D90 for taking pictures of the Els Tres Tombs horse parade. The resulting images were of high quality with vivid and saturated colors. The camera is easy to use, with all the controls close at hand, a fact that not always happens with other models of the competence. For the ISO test I photographed a tangerines still life (my favourite fruit) and where we could not miss a tomato (indispensable in a Catalonia house to prepare the famous pa amb tomàquet). The lens used in the D90 and D80 was a 28mm f: 2.8 Nikkor. The still life picture with the D700 was different, but serves for comparison, and in this case I used a 50mm f: 1.8 Nikkor.

The results were as expected, completely in line with the study done by DOX: the Nikon D700 is unbeatable at high ISOS, it has a score of 2303 out of a 2526 total, while the 977 of the Nikon D90 beats the 679 score of the excellent Nikon D300, well over the 524 of the Nikon D80. With the Nikon D90 we can work at 1600 ASA with excellent results.

CROP SECTION NIKON D90 1.600 ASA

NIKON D80 1.600 ASA

NIKON D90 1.600 ASA

NIKON D700 3.200 ASA

NIKON D80 1.600 ASA

NIKON D90 1.600 ASA

NIKON D700 1.600 ASA

NIKON D700 3.200 ASA

Okay, we can not compete with the Nikon D700 at ISOS such as 3200 and 6400, but we professional photographers do not usually work with such high ISOS, as l Ken Rockwell said, working under poor light conditions we add light (strobes) or, as I would say, we use the tripod. Is it worth paying the triple for the Nikon D700 or almost 10 times more for the new 24 megapixel Nikon D3x? Of course, both cameras have a more solid construction and a full frame sensor, but we can use the money left over (those who still have it in this times of crisis) to invest in lenses, for example. The Nikon D90 is placed eighth in the best world cameras ranking done by DoX Mark (the Nikon D700 is in the third place and the Nikon D80in the 29th). The Nikon D 90, which has a next-generation sensor, gets a better ranking than the Nikon D300 (placed 13th in the DoX Mark ranking) and besides, we can take video wit it.
In a few words: a great camera at a very fair prize, about 900 Euros.

/ PHOTO EQUIPMENT FOR TRAVELLING

I always plan carefully the photo equipment I’ll carry for a trip. I add or remove items depending on the story I have to photograph. In this case it was a trip to South Africa for nearly two weeks.
Two bodies Nikon, a D700 and D80. Is basic to carry two cameras; one can’t afford to have a problem and stay with nothing. As for the optics, I'm used to working with fixed optics and I take profit of the excellent and fast Nikkor lenses I used with film cameras: a 20 mm f: 2.8, 28 mm f: 2.8, 50 mm f: 1.8, 300 mm f: 4 and a zoom 17-80 f :3,5-4, 5 for the D80. I carried the 300 mm because I knew I would have the opportunity to photograph many wild animals, otherwise I would have opted for the 180mm f: 2.8. The D700 is a full frame camera, but with the D80 the 300mm becomes a fast, excellent and light 450 mm tele lens.

I sensed that I wasn’t going to need the tripod very much, and also, with the D700, I could work at very high ISOS without problem, but I took with me a very light Gitzo. I also added a monopod for the 300mm and a tripod table in case. A flash Nikon SB 800 with a cable to use the flash removed from the camera and an Apollo softbox. Polarizing filters, plugs and chargers and many memory cards from 2 to 4 gigabytes. I prefer to spread the risk and save them once filled. At the same time I was discharging them in an external hard drive Jobo of 40 Gigas, so I had the photos duplicated. And also batteries and a small cleaning kit.Does this weigh too much? Don’t you have back problems? Many people asked me. Before, with film cameras, I had to carry even more equipment: You needed a lot of film, a camera for black and white, other for shooting slides and another one for high Iso colour film or pushed slide film. (See what I took on my trip to China in 1979).

To transport all the equipment I use a bag instead of a backpack because I like to access fast to equipment and optics. I use another bags for the tripods that I don’t always carry. Whenever I can, I leave the bag of cameras on the floor although secured between my legs.
Besides, I try to be in good physical shape. Unlike a journalist that can write from the hotel or from the redaction, the photographer needs to get to the place where the images are, no matter how remote or difficult is. The mythical image of the foreign correspondent at the bar, along with a glass of whiskey and throwing clouds of smoke, (I know many like that) is much rarer in the case of the photographers. In addition, having good abs help you of not using so much the spine to carry the weight.
For this trip (I knew we were going to stay in good hotels) I took some sneakers and shorts. And yes, I could go to the gym in three different hotels. The most amazing and unexpected gym was in a lodge, in the middle of African forest, where I saw monkeys and impalas while running on the tape. Incredible!

LIONS SANDS RIVER LODGE. NIKON D700 20 mm NIKKOR f:2,8. 400 ASA

PHOTOGRAPHING WITH LEICA, A LOVE STORY

LEICA M2 35 mm F:1,4 SUMMILUX

In the early seventies I bought a Leica M4 and two lenses, a 35mm f: 2 Summicrom and a 90 mm f: 2.8 Elmarit. I used her to photograph some of the student revolts in the last stage of the Franco regime as one, at night, in Barcelona’s Gracia quarter, that ended with the launch of Molotov cocktails. Afterwards I ran into a police car and a pair of 091 agents chased me to the race through the narrow streets of Gracia. I heard a couple of shots, but I didn’t turn to see if I they were aimed to the sky or to my body. At that time I played as a right wing in the School of Journalism’s football team and I was very, very, fast. The police didn’t catch me.

In the summer of 1973 I took the Leica to Derry, on my first trip to Ulster. Also had a Nikkormat, a Nikkor 35 mm f: 2 and a 135 mm f: 2.8 Nikkor. I needed to expand my photo equipment (at that time you needed a body to shot black and white ( Kodak Tri X) and another one for colour slides) and I could not maintain, and expand, the two systems, so I sold the Leica equipment to a friend who was an Architecture student, Miquel Corominas, for 25,000 pesetas. I always regretted it.

With the money from the sale I bought a Nikon F and with the two bodies I photographed the 1974 Portuguese Revolution in colour and black and white.
Over time I expanded my Nikon equipment but I kept missing the beauty of the Leica, her tact and the almost inexistent noise when I pressed the shutter. It was as if I had lost a love and could never forget it.
The years went by and, at last, I bought, second hand, a Leica M2-equipped with a 35mm Summilux f: 1.4. I didn’t take too many photos, it is not easy to work with Leica, but it was wonderful to feel her again in my hands. Never again would get rid of her.

With Leica M2 I photographed the miners, on strike, inside Cala mine, at 1 / 8 of a second, lens fully opened.

It also portrayed with her, 1 / 15 f: 2, Tri X pushed to 6,400 ASA, the woman who rummaged in bins on the Barcelona’s Ramblas on Christmas night.

I photographed with her, in Madrid, the Spanish general elections in 1982, together with José Azel and Magnum’s Jean Gaumy. We all used reflex but also carried our precious Leicas. "Working with Leica is like fishing whith fly," said Jean Gaummy who is a fishing fan. I do not know anything about fishing, but I thought it should be the ultimate.

Every time I use it her I think is the camera that also used Capa, Cartier-Bresson, William Klein and Robert Frank, and closer, Xavier Miserachs and Joan Colom.
I must confess it, Leica is a woman (the name says it) and most photographers are madly in love with her. If not, ask Larry Towell who even composed a song for her. A statement of love, isn’t it’?

WALKING WITH A LEICA

It was a precious days, almost summer. We decided to stroll through the nature reserve of La Font Groga (Yellow Fountain), on the northern slope of Collserola Mountain, between Barcelona and Sant Cugat. The abundance of the past rains was present in the forest: green, leafy and full of streams.

I still had in my head some recent comments on my blog: -So what I recommend is that you buy a Leica 35mm mainly because it has 2 key advantages, you get a quality very superior than any of the professional digital SLR currently in the market and because you’ll no longer have to carry you heavy bag with all the elements shown in the picture, as longest Leica lens occupies less than the palm of your hand, - advised me Andreu Robusté or- When I find a safe place to leave the luggage, what a pleasure to go out for a walk at sunset (and return at dawn) with a Leica M6,and a 50 mm and 35 mm lenses, eager to learn and live ... - wrote Juan Pablo Moreiras.

I could not resist it and I took my old Leica M2 with a 35mm f: 1.4 Sumilux and black and white film. And besides the Leica, I had a very nice companion, dog included. In short: a great day.

PHOTOGRAPHING WITH THE NIKON D700 IN SOUTH AFRICA

NIKON D 700, 50mm NIKKOR F.1,8, 3.200 ASA, 1/30 F:2,8

Here is some examples of photos taken on my recent trip to South Africa with the Nikon D700 and my opinion about the camera. In this picture we see a lion cub, part of a lion’s pride starting a hunt at night besides Kruger Park. It is an impossible picture almost for any other camera. The darkness was total, and two all-terrain vehicles followed the group. The animals of the park have become accustomed to cars and act as if they did not exist. The lion is illuminated by a torch from the vehicle and I photographed it with a 50mm f: 1.8 at a speed of 1 / 30 and 3200 ASA. The incredible capacity of the D700 to shoot, with little detriment to the quality, at ISOS so high, as does her older sister and much more expensive D3, is a major revolution in photography.

NIKON D700, 300 mm NIKKOR F:4, 1.600 ASA. 1/500 F:4

NIKON D700, NIKKOR 300 mm F:4, 200 aSA, 1/500 F:4

The Nikon D700 camera is very solid and sturdy, easy to use and incorporates new developments that were of great help to me as the dynamic AF area autofocus with which the camera automatically detects the subject and selects the focus point. It is very useful for moving subjects and was crucial to photograph this couple of impalas. It was 7 am and there was little light, the power to shoot at a 1600 ASA was key. In continuous shooting mode you cab take up to 5 per second photos. Later in the day, the light grew, and I was able to photograph this family of warthogs at 200 ASA.

NIKON D700 ,NIKKOR 28 mm F:2,8, 3.200 ASA, 1/15 F:2,8

Dinner outdoors in Makakatana Bay Lodge, inside the natural reserve of St Lucia. On similar occasions, with another camera, I would not have taken the photo. After getting up so early in the morning, and a whole day of work, you want to relax and quietly enjoy the delicious food accompanied by a good South African wine without disturbing all the guests. I could have used a strobe, with the power reduced to a minimum but, even so, I would have destroyed the warm and intimate lighting. If I had to take the picture I would have used the tripod with all the hassle involved, but with the Nikon D700 I simply adjust the sensitivity to ASA 3.2oo and shoot.

NIKON D700, NIKKOR 20 mm 2,8, 1.600 ASA, 1/30 F:4

It was my room imitating a Zulu hut, although much more spacious, in Stewart's Farm. If not within the story, sometimes I take the photo and others I don't. I need to mount the tripod, level it ... It takes your time. Here, as in the previous photo, I just set the ASA dial to 1600 and shot with a 20 mm. lens. Because the D700 is full frame, the 20 mm covers a very wide angle. It is incredible: it seems that the photo is taken at 100 ASA.

This is a very small sample of the possibilities of the D700, but the best images are saved up to the moment to be published in the magazine that has the rights.

PACO ELVIRA, KARKLOOF, SUDÁFRICA . FOTO: CARLOS FERNÁNDEZ