I bit the bullet

After seeing what was being done in low light with high ISO and the new D3, I finally ordered one for myself. It will be here next Tuesday and I am really looking forward to getting it in my little paws. My last two "jobs" have paid for the new body so if I never make another dime with photography it will have at least paid for this great new body. My D200 will now be my backup and my D40 is going to my wife's nephew who is showing an interest in photography.

It has only been about two years now since I first got started in this wonderful obsession and my goodness how it has progressed. My next assignment is shooting a local, well known professional fishing guide and radio show host for magazine ad. His boat sponsor is Hydra-Sports and the ad is for them. I will be shooting him in Galveston Bay as he wade fishes with his boat in the background. Due to the potentially harsh environment in a shoot like this, I will NOT be using the D3. It's a far cry from the work of a Nicolas Claris but believe me, I will have things I have seen and learned from his forum posts as well as those of others in the back of my mind.
James Newman

CONGRATS James, but.... why would you not use the D3 on this assignment?

My thinking is, I will be wading in the bay myself to get some of the shots and I just have a fear of getting splashed or dunking the camera in the saltwater. Once I get it however, and after talking with my insurance company, I may change my mind.

Awwww LOLOL, you want to see what proceedures my Olympus E1 and E3 have to surrvive James, you probably faint seeing that.

The D3 is splashwaterproof afaik, all you need to check is that the lense you use there is as well.

My bodies are exposed to seawater nearly daily, to get rid of the salt I hold it under a running tap for a short while and use a leather to dry it.

I would be very astonished if the D3 does not take this as well. Last week the E1 slipped my hand and was in the ocean for ~ 5 seconds or so, competly submerged, sand, water, seaweed, really yuck, not a worry.

Hi James
congrats for this assignement!
I am with Georg on this, though I treat with more care my gear (I use a freshwater rinsed leather and swipe carefuly and gently every part of the camera body and lenses after each day of shoot, but not under the tab ! LoL)
Take your new baby with you, turn you back from the wind or spays when you have to change of lens, and enjoy!

When I know it's gonna be a wet session, I wear a long and large jacket and protect the camera with it when not shooting… If I get water spray (often!) on the front lens, I gently swipe it with a leather (wich is always in one of my pocket).

Tell me if you need any other tips, keep us updated and get joy with your D3, this will be felt thru your shots. One must take pleasure shooting for advertising… you transmit the feeling ;-)

OK you guys have talked me into using the D3 on this upcoming assignment. Why not? That's why I bought it in the first place.

It arrived last night by the way and it is really a beauty and feels very good in my hands. I love getting new things like this. I am taking it out tomorrow to Brazos Bend State Park to give it a try. I am meeting a friend that also has the D3 and another one that is, I'm sorry to say, a Canon shooter. Just kidding. Anyway, I hope to get a good feel for what this camera will do under those conditions and then next week I am planning a visit to Houston's new Co-Cathedral to see what it will do indoors in lower light situations. I look forward to both and will report back with some of what I find.
James Newman

New Nikon D3 - first time out

The D3 is a joy to have and to hold. It sounds like a second wife doesn't it? It really is a special camera and I am very glad to have purchased it. It will take me a while to get everything figured out properly. My first outing was more me just being excited about having it than actually thinking much about what I was doing with it. That's probably a shame but it's the truth.

Looking through the viewfinder is a real treat for me and my rapidly aging eyes. It was so big and bright, compared to my D200, it was like looking at my hi-def TV for the first time. The LCD display is also a complete joy. So bright and crisp and clear. It is all around just a giant leap for me equipmentwise and I so look forward to my learning journey with it. I know I am going to enjoy this fine piece of technology.

Brazos Bend is a different kind of place. On some days it is just full of life and on others it seems almost completely dead. Saturday was one of the lively days. In fact it was unlike any other day I have spent there. Right from the start, as soon as we hit the first trail, we came across this scene at 40 Acre Lake. There were just dozens and dozens of birds of all kinds, feeding feverishly on what had to be a large gathering of bream or perch. I have never seen so many of them together in one spot. They were taking turns swooping in through the middle of the lake and just tearing the fish up. The first image is just a shot of that special scene.

The second is a Great Blue Heron that was nice enough to pose for a bit. I was using my 70-200mm f/2.8 lens with the D3. That is the one thing that is a bit different for me and will take some getting used to. Going from the DX sensor of my D200 to the full frame of the D3 is making me consider another longer lens. I don't know how receptive my wife will be to that so for now, the 70-200 will have to do. I might should have posted these pics in the wildlife or landscape forums but I thought since I was describing my first outing with the Nikon D3, and just showing these as examples of what I did with it, I placed them in the Nikon forum. Feel free to move them if this is not suitable.
James Newman

Great photos, I look forward to seeing some more test shots.

Thank you Jeff. I look forward myself to seeing what I can do with this peach of a camera. It's better made for low light situations so I plan on putting it to the test soon in some of our museums and the catherdral I was talking about. This is just one more image from the first outing that I liked. It is one of the picnic grounds in the park right at the water's edge. You can sit and have your lunch and watch alligators chasing the birds.