TMAX 3200 Urban Noir Adventures

There's nothing like shooting Kodak 3200 on an Urban Night Shoot.  The strong grain and huge contrast give the shots and unmistakable look.  There's something in these shots that I miss with digital.  I can't put my finger on it, but it's there. 

I can't actually remember what I shot these with, but probably it was the Nikon FE2 and one of the 35mm lenses I have.

The Night Street Shooter High ISO Comparison

The Night Street Shooter High ISO Comparison - Fuji X100 vs Sony NEX 5n with Voigtlander 35mm f1.4 vs Nikon D90 with Nikkor 35mm f2

I decided to compare my 3 main cameras to help determine the best street shooter.  Leaving aside camera size and sharpness, I decided to concentrate the comparison on high ISO noise.  The test was a shot of our baby gym with very low light and the ISO was set at 6400 for all cameras.  The cameras were hand held with vertical support from the arm or our couch, with shutter speeds ranging from 1/10th to 1/40th sec. The lenses were also set at their widest aperture, though I could have set the Voigtlander on f2 to make it equal with the other two lenses.

As expected, the Fuji X100 and Sony NEX 5n are quite a way ahead of the D90.  The D90 has significant noise at ISO 1600.  With the Fuji and the Sony, it is still there but much less noticeable.   I would say that these two have at least a 1 stop advantage over the Nikon.

Though I no longer have the NEX 3, I would say the noise performance with this camera is similar to or slightly worse than the D90.  Comparing this lot with the D700, I would say it is still the champ, but not a whole lot better than the Fuji X100 or Sony NEX 5n.

 Nikon D90 with Nikkor 35mm f2

 NEX 5n with Voigtlander 35mm f1.4

 Fuji X100

The year of waiting – Where’s the D800??

2011 was undoubtedly the year of waiting.  In June I sold my Nikon D700 as the used prices were very high as the tsunami in Japan had devastated supplies for Nikon’s pro cameras.   I decided to wait for the replacement, which most forums were tipping as September 2011.  A 3 month wait, I reasoned, was not a long one.   

Well, now it’s late December and the replacement still hasn’t arrived, though the current best bet is now mid to late January for launch, with likely availability 1-2 months after that.  If it isn’t too expensive (ie under $3000) I’ll probably buy the D800 replacement, though if it is much over this I’ll probably buy a used D700 again.