D90 Lenses

[Ethan Cooper]

I've got a bit of a conundrum. I love the light gathering capability and how silky smooth the focus ring operates on my cheap little 50mm lens, but don't like how that old lens "cripples" the D90 by rendering many of the auto features useless while it's attached. I love the way the DX lenses work as part of the entire camera system, but would like better light gathering, and absolutely disdain the abysmal 'manual' focus ring. It just doesn't work at all for following action while shooting video, or racking focus.

What lenses in Nikon's lineup give me the best of both worlds? I'd like to keep all the features of the DX lenses, but have a good manual focus mechanism and light gathering capability of the older primes. Does this lens exist? If it doesn't what gets me the closest to what I'm looking for?

[Chad Dyle]

Ethan,

My new fav lens for my D90 is the Nikkon 60mm Macro. I'm pretty new to the still cameras and really like this lens so far. I also have a Nikon 50mm and 28mm.

-Chad

[Ethan Cooper]

Originally Posted by Chad Dyle

Ethan,

My new fav lens for my D90 is the Nikkon 60mm Macro. I'm pretty new to the still cameras and really like this lens so far. I also have a Nikon 50mm and 28mm.

-Chad

Chad - I'll have to drop by and play with your lenses one day after the first of the year.
Did you go with manual lenses or autofocus?

[Chad Dyle]

I decided to go with m/af lenses because I have a D300 that I want to use them with as well. The lens allows some great close ups. My only problem with the D90 right now is holding it steady. I have a really small Bogen tripod that I've been dragging around with it. It looks really strange when you have a camera, sitting on a tripod, aimed straight down at a pair of rings.
I worked with Kristin last night and she said you broke yours out Friday night :)
Let me know when you will be in the area and we can grab lunch.

[Ethan Cooper]

I did get a chance to use mine this past weekend with my 50mm 1.8 manual lens. I have to say that I loved using it way more than my 35mm adapter. There's no way on earth I could have gotten those shots with the 35mm adapter's light gathering problems.

The one thing that bugs me about the d90 is the apparent compression problems in the footage. Are you noticing compression artifacts in your stuff, especially in the dark areas? I'm seeing it crawling around a good bit sometimes when I get the footage home and look at it. I don't think it's high ISO noise, it looks more like artifacting to me since it doesn't seem to be covering the entire image.

I'm still having a hard time knowing exactly where the camera is at in terms of ISO and shutter speed. I know what it's telling me on the screen, but sometimes it seems that it bumps up the ISO without telling you. Are you seeing this too?

[Josh Brusin]

my solution was to cover AF with f2.8 zooms and go manual with the primes. Cheaper but effective. If I had the dough I'd get an AF 85mm and an AF 35mm both 1.4

[Ethan Cooper]

Originally Posted by Josh Brusin

my solution was to cover AF with f2.8 zooms and go manual with the primes. Cheaper but effective. If I had the dough I'd get an AF 85mm and an AF 35mm both 1.4

Josh - which 2.8 zooms did you get? I've considered the 2.8 Sigmas, but would love to hear what you went with.
My concern now is that after shooting this weekend with a 50mm 1.8 is that a 2.8 might not be fast enough indoors, but you don't always shoot indoors now do you?

[Chad Dyle]

Ethan,

I did notice the artifacts. I noticed mine in a well lit situation (doors open with sunlight). I haven't tried yet, but this guy (Too Much Too Soon Free Plugins for Final Cut Pro and Final Cut Express) that made the cool transition for FC has 2 D90 plug-ins that should help with the stair-stepping. He says that the D90 captures video at 800p, but doesn't down convert it very well. Let me know what your results are.

-Chad

[Ethan Cooper]

Originally Posted by Chad Dyle

Ethan,

I did notice the artifacts. I noticed mine in a well lit situation (doors open with sunlight). I haven't tried yet, but this guy (Too Much Too Soon Free Plugins for Final Cut Pro and Final Cut Express) that made the cool transition for FC has 2 D90 plug-ins that should help with the stair-stepping. He says that the D90 captures video at 800p, but doesn't down convert it very well. Let me know what your results are.

-Chad

I found that plugin the other day and used it. It seems to work pretty well. I didn't like the 1080p upscaler as much, but his sharpening tool is pretty useful for when I'm shooting at 1.8.

I still don't know what this noise is I'm seeing. It's not all that bad, but it bothers me that it's there at all. I keep thinking it's something I'm doing wrong. I've yet to shoot in broad daylight, so after this weekend I'll have a better idea of the noise problem. Maybe it's just a low light/ISO issue.

I can say that I love the colors straight out of the camera. The images have a great muted quality about them, very much more filmish than my FX7's straight out of the box. Could be the way the highlights roll off too, I don't know, but the 24p, DOF, color and highlight handling all work together for a great old family film 16mm look. Something very nostalgic about the images that come out of this thing. I'd be posting shots, but I'm killing myself trying to get a few more weddings out the door before Christmas as promised.

Maybe after the first of the year I'll post some stuff. I do like the D90. Loved using it at a wedding (much easier than my Letus) but... I don't know... might be looking at the 5D next year. I didn't want to spend the cash, but there's something lacking here and I can't quite put my finger on it. I want to love the images, and part of me does, but then again there's this other side that wants a little more....

For $1,000 though, I'm getting stunning stuff. Especially when you consider the adapters cost that much alone, without rails and lenses. I'll get some stuff posted after Christmas.

[Ethan Cooper]

**POST DELETED**
oops, didn't mean to hit that button again

[Chad Dyle]

I think there will be an upgrade to this camera sooner than later. Do you know if adjusting the ISO while recording video does anything? I couldn't notice any changes at all. I've got some cool ideas that I'd like to try the camera on. If any of them work and aren't to embarrassing, I'll forward you a link or two.
Did you use a light on the camera? I've got the Litepanel mini, but it doesn't have much throw. I also used my 20 watt Sony lights as well. I used the lights for some dancing shots at the reception. The video looked great......as long as nobody moved towards or away from me ;)

[Ethan Cooper]

Originally Posted by Chad Dyle

I think there will be an upgrade to this camera sooner than later. Do you know if adjusting the ISO while recording video does anything? I couldn't notice any changes at all. I've got some cool ideas that I'd like to try the camera on. If any of them work and aren't to embarrassing, I'll forward you a link or two.
Did you use a light on the camera? I've got the Litepanel mini, but it doesn't have much throw. I also used my 20 watt Sony lights as well. I used the lights for some dancing shots at the reception. The video looked great......as long as nobody moved towards or away from me ;)

It doesn't look like adjusting ISO while shooting does anything. It really doesn't appear that adjusting ISO at all does anything, from what I can tell by reading over on DVXUSER the camera controls ISO. That explains how I can get really noisy low light shots even when I set it to ISO400. Wonder why they don't let you lock things like ISO?

Right now with the inability to control things properly, it looks like manual aperture lenses are the way to go. At least then you can take one variable out of the equation.

I threw my Sony 20 watt light on the camera at the reception and shot dance stuff too. Turned out great. Really had fun getting some shots at the ceremony with it.

[Josh Brusin]

Originally Posted by Ethan Cooper

Josh - which 2.8 zooms did you get? I've considered the 2.8 Sigmas, but would love to hear what you went with.
My concern now is that after shooting this weekend with a 50mm 1.8 is that a 2.8 might not be fast enough indoors, but you don't always shoot indoors now do you?

I have used a tokina 80-200mm ATX zoom and liked it enough. I think the Nikkor ED is pretty pricey. I also used a sigma fixed 2.8 35-70mm to cover.

PM me if you want more specifics. I am switching to Canon and my AF glass might as well go.

An advantage should be that these newer SLRs have better quality ISOs and you should be able to go darker... at least you don't have the mini35 ground glass issues :)