{"id":2193,"date":"2013-01-26T00:17:34","date_gmt":"2013-01-25T15:17:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/2013-01-26\/2193"},"modified":"2013-01-26T00:17:34","modified_gmt":"2013-01-25T15:17:34","slug":"more-thin-depth-of-field-retrospective-on-my-first-months-with-a-300mm-f2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/2013-01-26\/2193","title":{"rendered":"More Thin Depth Of Field: Retrospective on My First Months with a 300mm f\/2"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n
<\/a>\nNikon D700 + Nikkor 300mm f\/2 — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>8000 sec, f<\/span>\/2, ISO 200 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nMissed Opportunity<\/span>\nat Tokyo Midtown a couple of years ago\n<\/div>\n\n

This post is just a bunch of ultra-thin-depth-of-field shots taken with a\nNikkor 300mm f\/2 lens<\/a>, at its maximum f\/2 aperture.\nThese all date back to 2011, after I first<\/span> got the lens.<\/p>\n\n

I have a category on my blog of articles\nwith photos taken with this lens<\/a>, but I'm prompted to post a collection<\/span>\nlike this after not being all that happy with the super-thin-depth-of-field\nshots that I shared<\/span> the other day in “Kyoto's Souren-ji Temple at\nf\/1.2<\/a>”. Many of the shots on today's post aren't all that great either,\nbut some are nice, as were the 300mm\/f2 shots I posted<\/span> the other day in\n“Thin on the Depth of Field, Thick on the Cuteness<\/a>”.<\/p>\n\n

(My favorite photos with this lens are on\n“The Kind Of Shot That Ultra Thin Depth Of Field Was Made For<\/a>”.)<\/p>\n\n

The shot above, taken an hour or so after I first<\/span> got the lens,\nillustrates something many of the shots I've chosen for today illustrate:\nfocusing on one small object, throwing the rest of the photo out of focus,\noften just doesn't work.<\/p>\n\n

The focus in the shot above is the pair of shoes, but it really should\nbe the lady facing the camera. I posted<\/span> a similar<\/span> shot of the same scene in\n“Street\nPhotography (Sort of) In Roppongi Hills<\/a>”, but not focusing on the\nphotogenic lady facing the camera was a mistake.<\/span><\/p>\n\n

This next shot, though overall somewhat boring, is a better<\/span> use of the thin depth of field...<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D700 + Nikkor 300mm f\/2 — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>2500 sec, f<\/span>\/2, ISO 200 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nWaiting for the Light<\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
<\/a>\nNikon D700 + Nikkor 300mm f\/2 — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>2000 sec, f<\/span>\/2, ISO 200 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nModes of Transport<\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n

A busy shot, but I like the guy's slumped shoulders in contrast to the snazzy sports car.<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D700 + Nikkor 300mm f\/2 — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>640 sec, f<\/span>\/2, ISO 6400 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nBullet Train Arrival<\/span>\nKyoto Station (\u4eac\u90fd\u99c5)\n<\/div>\n\n

More shots from Kyoto Station that first evening I had<\/span> the lens appeared on\n“More Street Photography at 300mm f\/2<\/a>”\nand\n“Kyoto Station Evening at 300mm f\/2<\/a>”.<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D700 + Nikkor 300mm f\/2 — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>1250 sec, f<\/span>\/2, ISO 1000 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nLife in the Fast Lane<\/span>\njust a quick ride to check the feel of the bike\n<\/div>\n\n

This is Pierre Nadeau,\nJapanese swordsmith<\/a>, testing a friend's<\/span> bike. I tried<\/span> to follow focus as\nhe approached, and with such a thin<\/span> depth of focus I'm lucky I got<\/span> anything\nat all, so I don't<\/span> mind so much that he's barely in frame.<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D700 + Nikkor 300mm f\/2 — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>5000 sec, f<\/span>\/2, ISO 200 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nGood Times<\/span>\nOishi Kougen (\u751f\u77f3\u9ad8\u539f), Wakayama Japan\n<\/div>\n\n

Zak plays shakuhachi<\/a> as Pierre and St\u00e9phane enjoy.<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D700 + Nikkor 300mm f\/2 — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>8000 sec, f<\/span>\/2, ISO 200 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nDreaming<\/span>\n( he's actually looking at the remote-control plane he's flying, but I like<\/span> my version better. )<\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n

This next one is a perfect example of the lesson I'm learning in looking\nat this group of photos, that selective focus on a small<\/span> object in the\nframe just doesn't work well...<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D700 + Nikkor 300mm f\/2 — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>2500 sec, f<\/span>\/2, ISO 250 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nPerfect Focus<\/span>\nKamo River (\u9d28\u5ddd), Kyoto Japan\n<\/div>\n\n

It's hard to tell without clicking through to the larger version, but the focus is on the baseball in the water, which is there because\nthe guy failed to get to it in time. (Other pictures in the sequence are on\n“Big Lens at the River: Focusing on Disappointment<\/a>.”)<\/p>\n\n

A couple of fun shots with more appropriate use of thin depth of field...<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D700 + Nikkor 300mm f\/2 — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>2500 sec, f<\/span>\/2, ISO 280 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nKamo River (\u9d28\u5ddd), Kyoto Japan\n<\/div>\n\n
<\/a>\nNikon D700 + Nikkor 300mm f\/2 — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>2500 sec, f<\/span>\/2, ISO 200 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n

I've tried a number of times to get an interesting shot of fall foliage with this lens, but I've yet to get one.\nHere's one (of many) failures...<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D700 + Nikkor 300mm f\/2 — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>2000 sec, f<\/span>\/2, ISO 250 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nBlown Out<\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n

Compare to this shot<\/a> and you'll see that I've still got progress to make.<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D700 + Nikkor 300mm f\/2 — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>400 sec, f<\/span>\/2, ISO 1000 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nAwesome Sunset<\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n

I came outside (from my first meeting with my only Japanese niece<\/a>)\nto see this sunset, so I very<\/span> quickly grabbed the\nlens from the trunk and snapped a shot.<\/span> The utility<\/span> pole is ugly, but better than it would be\nat a smaller<\/span> aperture.<\/p>\n\n

Then there was the Gion Matsuri, Kyoto's largest and most important festival, Two months<\/span> after getting the lens.\nThis was its first real workout in my hands.....<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D700 + Nikkor 300mm f\/2 — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>1600 sec, f<\/span>\/2, ISO 400 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nHerding Cats<\/span>\nGion Matsuri (\u7947\u5712\u796d), Kyoto Japan\n<\/div>\n\n

Gion Matsuri is a month-long festival of events, with street parties the\nthree nights before the main event (a procession<\/span>\nof huge wooden floats). I went out<\/span> each of the\nthree nights that year, with many resulting blog posts starting with\n“A Thin<\/span> Slice of Big Crowds at Kyoto\u2019s Gion Matsuri\nFestival<\/a>”, mostly with this lens.<\/p>\n\n

Among those many photos are some of my favorite shots, highlighted on\n“The Kind Of Shot That Ultra Thin Depth Of Field Was Made For<\/a>”.<\/p>\n\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D700 + Nikkor 300mm f\/2 — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>1600 sec, f<\/span>\/2, ISO 2200 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n

I do this next shot all the time.... focusing on the screen of someone's camera...<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D700 + Nikkor 300mm f\/2 — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>1600 sec, f<\/span>\/2, ISO 900 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n

...but in this situation the background was just too far out of focus, so you can't tell the situation unless you already know what it is.\nFor comparison, here's a shot<\/span> moments later with the focus further away...<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D700 + Nikkor 300mm f\/2 — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>1600 sec, f<\/span>\/2, ISO 1100 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n

A few wider shots... not sure that f\/2 is doing much here...<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D700 + Nikkor 300mm f\/2 — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>1600 sec, f<\/span>\/2, ISO 2000 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nLooking West<\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n
<\/a>\nNikon D700 + Nikkor 300mm f\/2 — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>800 sec, f<\/span>\/2, ISO 3600 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nLooking West<\/span>\nhalf an hour later\n<\/div>\n\n
<\/a>\nNikon D700 + Nikkor 300mm f\/2 — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>500 sec, f<\/span>\/2, ISO 6400 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nHere's Looking at You<\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n

Then we jump past the summer to a near<\/span>-miss by a typhoon,<\/span> a couple<\/span> of shots that didn't quite make it into\n“Typhoon Was Mostly a Non<\/span>-Event in Kyoto<\/a>”...<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D700 + 300mm f\/2 — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>1000 sec, f<\/span>\/2, ISO 360 —\nimage data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n
<\/a>\nNikon D700 + 300mm f\/2 — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>1000 sec, f<\/span>\/2, ISO 280 —\nimage data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n
<\/a>\nNikon D700 + Nikkor 300mm f\/2 — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>2500 sec, f<\/span>\/2, ISO 200 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nNoticed Me<\/span>\ncamped out at the Sanjo Starbucks, Kyoto Japan\n<\/div>\n\n

For some reason I brought the 300\/2 when I met<\/span> Zak for coffee, and had\nplanned to get some candids of him as he approached, but he saw me across\nthe river right away.<\/p>\n\n

Inside, I switched to a 50mm f\/1.4 and tried the “focus on one small object” shot...<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D700 + Nikkor 50mm f\/1.4 — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>2500 sec, f<\/span>\/1.4, ISO 6400 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n

This time it seems to work better. A bit.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This post is just a bunch of ultra-thin-depth-of-field shots taken with a Nikkor 300mm f\/2 lens, at its maximum f\/2 aperture. These all date back to 2011, after I first got the lens.<\/p>

I have a category on my blog of articles with photos taken with this lens, but I'm prompted to post a collection like this after not being all that happy with the super-thin-depth-of-field shots that I shared the other day in \"Kyoto's Souren-ji Temple at f\/1.2\". Many of the shots on today's post aren't all that great either, but some are nice, as were the 300mm\/f2 shots [...]","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7,2,26],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2193"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2193"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2193\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2193"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2193"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2193"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}