Photography

Photography

How to import files into darktable

If you try using darktable 3.6 and previously been using older versions then you may be confused. In lighttable, import pane there are two buttons instead of one. Below you can find a little explanation. 1. Add to library By selecting “add to library” you just collect selected pictures instead of physically copying them. Be sure to check settings, storage, xmp, “write sidecar file each image”. For long time I used this setting to write these xmp files, but recently I decided to skip that option. That way the only option to move around picture with its processing settings is

Photography

RAW processing with darktable 3.6

If you shoot RAW then most probably you need to have dedicated software for processing such files. I use darktable, however it is worth to mention that Windows Explorer and built-in image viewer can display RAW image. Just in case there is no other software available at the moment. Still if you need to edit RAW files and not only browse them then you should try darktable. It is open source, free of charge, available for Windows and Linux. First of all it is great picture browser. You add or copy your files, both from local and remote drives. In

Photography

YN50/1.8 vs Nikkor 35-70 3.3/4.5 – sharpness comparison

I started wondering if cheap YN lens can be compared with with some cheap Nikkor lens. Yes it can. I shoot same lens cap with Nikon D200 with these two lenses with are Yongnuo 50mm/f1.8 and Nikkor 35 – 70mm f3.3/4.5. I think that comparing fixed lens with zoom lens might be weird, but originally I though that even with zoom, Nikkor should be better. I was wrong. If anyone is not convinced why should you buy fixed-focus prime lens below you have practical explanation. The reason why I even bother to compare them at such a level is that

Photography

Nikon D7100 vs D200

Some time ago I got rid of my D200. But now I have another one in excellent shape. In the past I upgrade from it to D7100 which is better in terms of resolution, sharpness and features. But there are some differences like image plasticity and color vibrance which make D200 still a very good camera. If shooting low light then D7100 wins for sure because of wider dynamic range, but if lighing is fine and you need not to crop pictures then go with other cameras like D200 or D70s. They work very well and produces fine images.

Photography

NIKON D7100, Yongnuo 50/1.8

It is a 24 megapixels digital SR camera. Sadly to say that I do not use this maximum resolution, because files are just too big. I even skipped using NEF raw files they are just enourmously huge for me. You can choose between 6 MP, 16MP and 24MP. I take pictures at 6 MP and select 24 MP only shooting far objects with telephoto zoom lens in order to be able to crop it. This camera has lot of pro features. It can take pictures quite fast, I think something like 4 frames per second. It is just my perception,

Photography

Adapting SMENA 8M lens to NIKON F

As previously stated, I tried to adapt SMENA 8M 40mm, f/4.0 lens to some DSLR. After week with no camera at all today I got my almost brand new NIKON D70s with only 1k pictures taken. I took NIKON F mount ring from some broken SOLIGOR lens and glued it to SMENA lens. Of course because of registration plane (flange) distance I cannot get proper focus but still can do some tests, which you can find below. I find it pretty good looking. In order to get out of some 30cm area I would need to have entirely different camera

Photography

SMENA 8M 40mm, f/4.0 lens

Continuing with USSR made SMENA 8M. I decided to take apart lens unit. It consist of upper cover with levers and lower unit with shutter blades, shutter spring-based mechanism and optics. There are three blades. They are mounted on pins located on the rotating plate. Plate itself is moved by the shutter spring mechanism underneath. In order to disassemble unit separating optics and shutter you just need to unscrew it hard. Most probably it will mangle focus limit pin, but I do not care about it that much. Inside you can find a lot of grease which is good. It

Photography

SMENA 8M, 35mm camera

I got this one as an exchange item for some old LCD TV. It is 35mm film compact camera made in USSR. Having quite a big monopoly on the eastern market, Soviet Russia manufacturer brought over 30 million of these to the markets. SMENA 8M is a very lightweight camera. It is made mostly of cheap plastic, springs, levers and dials. No electronics at all. No light meter, no mirror, no motor to move the film. It has fixed lens at 40mm, f/4.0. It is made of aluminum. Mine wobbles a little bit while rotating its focus ring. Whole thing

Photography

KIMUNOR 300mm f/5.6

It seems to be very decent lens. Especially speaking of build quality which is glass and metal with very little rubber and plastic. It is prime lens at 300mm with constant f/5.6. It is quite light. Has 3 rings. First to adjust focus. Second to adjust aperture. Third one is to open or close aperture. Second and third work together somehow. Below you can find 100% magnification (NIKON D200) of BTS antennas. Image is reasonably sharp with little haze, blur or soap. Shot at f/5.6 which is wide open. Target at 100m. Below you can find same target, but with