February 2024

Papa Tango · Feb 3, 2024

Piano Guts (Arpeggio)
Nikon D7100; Sigma 17-70mm F2.8-4 DC Macro(OS) HSM|C

hjoseph7 · Feb 4, 2024

I always wondered about that lens(Sigma 17-70mm f2.8-4). I used it for years, but now I can barely hear the OS. Not sure if it's working ? I'm thinking about replacing it with the Contemporary model which is newer and I heard is sharper.

Gerald Cafferty · Feb 5, 2024

Bill J Boyd · Feb 7, 2024

Nikon Z9, 24-70mm shot at 46mm

Jon Eckman · Feb 8, 2024

Jon Eckman · Feb 19, 2024

Gerald Cafferty · Feb 19, 2024

Papa Tango · Feb 19, 2024

And a Dog
Nikon D7100; Nikon AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-140mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR

Gerald Cafferty · Feb 26, 2024

Pineapple

Papa Tango · Feb 28, 2024

Ah, the 'humble' pineapple. It was not until I studied architectural history that I learned how valuable these things once were--and why they are commonly seen as finials and other decorative elements:

The rise, fall, and rise of the status pineapple

For a couple of centuries, the British were in an unlikely frenzy for the exotic fruit.

www.bbc.com

Papa Tango · Mar 4, 2024

hjoseph7 said:
I always wondered about that lens(Sigma 17-70mm f2.8-4). I used it for years, but now I can barely hear the OS. Not sure if it's working ? I'm thinking about replacing it with the Contemporary model which is newer and I heard is sharper.

I bought this lens in 2015, and a Sigma fisheye. They were expensive new, but I was making big money back then so it did not matter and I was willing to pay for the prestige of the hype that surrounded Sigma at the time... Both were the Contemporary series (APS-C), as the Art is strictly for full-frame. They are actually the better lenses.

Being the fool who always needs to find any sort of useless accessory for something new and buy it, I also got the USB docking hub to make fine adjustments and update lens firmware.

It never dawned on me why the ability was provided by the manufacturer to make those adjustments.

The Sigma were OK lenses. Not for fast-moving subjects at events or crowds. I printed a target and then did an extensive calibration on them but was never really satisfied with the autofocus behavior. Too much searching and too many false focus points. After a year, I sold both and bought Nikkor glass.

I am surprised at who is jockeying for position with the mirrorless universe. Back in the 80s, brands like Vivitar, Tamron, Sigma, Tokina (Cosina/Kenko), Spirotone, and Soligar were common offerings to substitute for affordable glass. Now I see that the first two have concentrated on mirrorless solutions. Tamron has specialized in Sony & Fujifilm, and I am considering a Tamron 18-300mm to replace the same focal length Nikkor I use with a Fringer on my XT-5.

From my experiences and those of people I know, the full-frame Art lenses perform the best...

Mickeyess · Mar 4, 2024

This black and white photo has been edited to add texture. The photo is from the Marlboro Psychiatric Hospital cemetery, a public hospital operated by the State of New Jersey. It opened in 1931 to treat adults and children. There were 6 investigations of the facility addressing corruption and patient abuse. The facility was closed July 1, 1998, and demolished in 2015.

The hospital’s cemetery opened with the hospital in 1931. There are 924 graves with headstones marked only with a number assigned in the order of the patient’s death. No date. Nobody cared.

Canon EOS 5D MIII; EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM shot at 105mm; 1/800 sec; f8.0; ISO 200

20240227 5DM31574 Marlboro Psychiatric Hospital grave 772 MWS BW Painting V2.jpg

Papa Tango · Mar 5, 2024

A note before closing this late-running thread, and moving on to March!

Photography is a wonderful thing with many different visions and interpretations.

One person works mightily to remove the "worms" in their Fuji RAF files.
Another opens a digital can of them and applies liberally to their print.

I remember in the late heyday of B&W papers there was a semigloss double-weight of some forgotten brand that had this sort of texture rolled into it. Remember 'pebbled'?