In the Field

Portuguese Snow Dog. Findlay Creek, BC, Canada. 30 January, 2014

And sometimes - no matter how seriously you take your photography - ya just gotta have a little fun! Last week we finally got some decent snow and cold enough weather to leave the snow nice and fluffy. This is Poncho - our 4-year old Portuguese Water Dog who isn't very fond of water at all, but loves playing in the snow!

In my D800 Field Test I called the camera "enigmatic" and not the best in Nikon's present camera lineup for shooting action or wildlife. This view has attracted some controversy and it has even generated some "you don't know what you're talking about" emails directed at me. I've also said that I rarely hand-hold the D800 (and the only lens I will regularly hand-hold my D800e with is the new 70-200mm f4 with its very effective 5-stop VR). I stick by my comments on the D800/D800e.

So what's with this hand-held (with AF-S 80-400mm VR) action shot of a pretty wild life (typo intended) taken with my D800e? Well...when the conditions are JUST right you can (of course) bump the shutter speed way up (this shot at 1/2000s) and hand-hold virtually any lens and, because the D800/800e DOES have an excellent AF system, effectively shoot action shots (of sports, of wildlife, of your dog in the snow, whatever). BUT, when the light starts to fade or you're shooting a long sequence of shots and/or need a higher frame rate, the D800/D800e starts to show its limitations. It IS amazingly versatile for a 36 MP DSLR, but it isn't as versatile as a number of other cameras in Nikon's lineup (or past lineup), including the D600/610, the D4, D3s, D3 or even D700. And, for dedicated wildlife shooting, and with its inherent unpredictable and ever-changing shooting conditions, I'd take ANY of those aforementioned cameras BEFORE the D800/800e.

One additional reason for showing this shot is that my recently posted AF-S 80-400mm VR Field Test didn't include an action shot captured with that lens paired up with a D800 or D800e. So here's that sample (which, time permitting, I may just "tuck" into that field test).

Here's a higher resolution shot (2400 pixel) shot for your perusal:

• Portuguese Snow Dog: Download 2400 pixel image (JPEG: 2.4 MB)

NOTE: This image - in all resolutions - is protected by copyright. I'm fine with personal uses of it (including use as desktop backgrounds or screensavers on your own computer), but unauthorized commercial use of the image is prohibited by law. Thanks in advance for respecting my copyright!

Behind the Camera

Portuguese Snow Dog. Findlay Creek, BC, Canada. 30 January, 2014

Digital Capture; Compressed RAW (NEF) 14-bit format; ISO 450.

Nikon D800e paired with Nikkor AF-S 80-400mm f4.5-5.6 VR lens @ 300mm. Hand-held; VR on and in "Normal" mode.

1/2000s @ f7.1; No compensation from "recommended" matrix-metered exposure setting.

At the Computer

Portuguese Snow Dog. Findlay Creek, BC, Canada. 30 January, 2014

RAW Conversion to 16-bit TIFF, including first-pass/capture sharpening using Capture One Pro version 7.Two raw variants (different versions of a single raw capture) processed, differing by a total of 0.25 stops in exposure.

Further digital corrections on resulting 16-bit TIFF files using Adobe's Photoshop CC and Light Craft's LightZone. Photoshop adjustments included compositing (blending) of the two output files from the raw converter, further slight exposure adjustments, and sharpening for web output. Final tone tweaking performed using tonemapper/re-light tool in LightZone.

Conservation

Portuguese Snow Dog. Findlay Creek, BC, Canada. 30 January, 2014

Species Status in Canada*: Not listed.

The pampering of Poncho (along with daily exercise and a great diet) ensure his long-term health and welfare.

*as determined by COSEWIC: The Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada