Reminder: For all participants of the Nikon/CS/NPS Sungei Buloh Wildlife Workshop

Avatar · 6th November 2003

To all participants of the wildlife shoot/workshop:

Hello everyone.

As the day for the wildlife workship is almost upon us, here are some basic information and what you should and should not do/bring on the day of the workshop:

For those taking the bus/transportation ...
The time is 7am SHARP, please gather outside the Mcdonald's restaurant at Tiong Bahru Plaza (above Tiong Bahru MRT station). Please be punctual as we are really tight on our schedules. I and several CS officials will be there to coordinate the transportation.

For those whom are driving there/not taking the transport ...
Please make sure you reach the wildlife reserve by 7:45 or latest by 8:00am. Kindly wait outside the reserve at the ticketing counter, do not enter first because we need to get you your tickets first (it is paid for in the $5 fee). Here's a map on how to get to the reserve if you are not familiar with it:

Please ...
- respect all wildlife in the wetland reserve, do not frighten them or go near their habitat ;
- do not smoke in the wetland reserve ;
- do not take anything from the wetland reserve ;
- do not litter in the wetland reserve ;
- do not damage or vandalize the reserve's property ;
- be as quiet as possible ;
- avoid brining your pets, radio or bicycles into the wetland reserve ;
- keep to the walking trails while on the move

Photographic Equipments
- please bring along your cameras if you have one ;
- F-mount SLR/DSLR camera users are encouraged to use their cams on some of the lenses provided by Nikon Singapore ;
- try to pack light unless you think you can handle the weight throughout the day

Travelling tips
- Dress in comfortable clothes that are neutral in colour ;
- Wear a hat in non-bright/neutral colour ;
- Wear comfortable walking shoes ;
- If you have them, bringing your own binoculars is a plus ;
- Try to bring a notebook and pen for notes during the workshop ;
- Bring along a bottle of insect repellent if you are wary of insect bites ;
- Prepare a simple lunch if you want to avoid eating at the Cafeteria (can be quite expensive) ;
- If there is a thunderstorm, please make sure you stay in the observation hides

A complete set of guide/itinerary will be provided to the participants on the day itself. Please note that drinks will also be provided but if you want, you can bring your own drink.

I guess that's about all, see ya at the workshop!

erwinx · 6th November 2003

Originally Posted by Avatar

Kindly wait outside the reserve at the ticketing counter, do not enter first because we need to get you your tickets first (it is paid for in the $5 fee). Here's a map on how to get to the reserve if you are not familiar with it:

Its normally free entry before 8.30 unless NParks is charging because this is an organised group activity

Avatar · 6th November 2003

Originally Posted by erwinx

Its normally free entry before 8.30 unless NParks is charging because this is an organised group activity

Erwinx, that's right but the Nparks is charging us prior to the event cuz it is a group event. All prepaid ...

Cursor · 7th November 2003

Sorry but do you guys think if tripod is necessary?

Larry · 7th November 2003

Originally Posted by Cursor

Sorry but do you guys think if tripod is necessary?

depends on what lenses you're bringing for yourself. there will be tripods on site already for the heavy Nikon lenses there, so just bring what you would use. but IMHO unless you got heavy gear, leave the tripod at home.

AJ23 · 7th November 2003

Just a question, what are the lenses and binoculars provided by Nikon? As per the last update?

Avatar · 7th November 2003

Originally Posted by AJ23

Just a question, what are the lenses and binoculars provided by Nikon? As per the last update?

AJ23,

The lenses are about 99% correct to date. As for the binos, they will be bring 6 sets from their wildlife range plus a digiscope (fieldscope + Coolpix cam) for those who are into a smaller bird photography setup

Lensman · 8th November 2003

Looking forward to meet all in the list and the birdies and the wildlife.... MINUS the mosquitos and the rain clouds...

chngpe01 · 8th November 2003

Originally Posted by Lensman

Looking forward to meet all in the list and the birdies and the wildlife.... MINUS the mosquitos and the rain clouds...

Hi Lensman, it is this morning ie, already over.

Cheers

Lensman · 8th November 2003

I was working today - IT roadshow at Funan... tot it was Sunday event, that is why I signed up.

Ahhhh,......

there goes $5 ..

and that I have denied a place to others who could have made it.

My sincere apologies to this group.

No offense meant.

Originally Posted by chngpe01

Hi Lensman, it is this morning ie, already over. Cheers

Garion · 8th November 2003

Originally Posted by chngpe01

Hi Lensman, it is this morning ie, already over. Cheers

Any pics?

espn · 8th November 2003

D2h's pictures are not released, we were allowed to shoot but the pictures are taken back by Nikon

As for the other shoots, I'm sure the other users will be posting shots using the 400/500/600 soon

Larry · 9th November 2003

Originally Posted by espn

D2h's pictures are not released, we were allowed to shoot but the pictures are taken back by Nikon

As for the other shoots, I'm sure the other users will be posting shots using the 400/500/600 soon

hey but it's fun just to fill up the 40-shot buffer of the D2h at 8 frames per sec... yum yum.

iz_k · 9th November 2003

Originally Posted by Larry

hey but it's fun just to fill up the 40-shot buffer of the D2h at 8 frames per sec... yum yum.

It really sounded like a machine gun.
Thanks a lot Larry for letting me try the 12-24.
I'm getting it for sure...

chngpe01 · 9th November 2003

Wanna check if anyone kind soul found or happen to pick up an extra rear lens cap at Station 2 ie, the 500mm/600mm station. If so let me known, realised I have misplaced mine while manning this station.

Thanks and Cheers.

Avatar · 9th November 2003

Thanks to everyone who attended, and especially to those who had put in their time and effort to make this workshop a resounding success!

lensman: Ack! I was wondering why you didn't turn up? Guess you got the date mistakened, that's really a waste! No problem, we will see you in our next workshop than!

chngpe01, I will highlight it in the debrief thread later to see if anyone have it.

espn · 9th November 2003

Yeah, I nearly drooled until I believe I caused the high tide with my saliva, the D2h was *drool*

Yes, many thanks to Larry's 12-24DX, that was one lens I didn't get to try when Nikon brought it down. Still contemplating between 12-24/4 and the 17-35/2.8 now

Many thanks to Avatar, Kei, Larry, Viewfinder, chngpe01 and the rest for organising the outing + helping out

Hope to have another one soon, this time how about with the 1200mm ?

sfhuang · 9th November 2003

I didn't get to see or touch the D2h, as I was kept busy with the macro workshop and the 500mm/600mm lens tryouts! Anyway, thanks to all the CS and NPS folks who made the event such a success. I really enjoyed myself all morning.

Btw, one of my shots from the 600mm is here: http://forums.clubsnap.org/showthread.php?t=50911

Admittedly, it cannot match any of the splendid shots shown during the slide show. As I lamented to Chee Wai and chngpe01, I don't know how they get those shots!! :P

cheers,
sfhuang

agape01 · 9th November 2003

I am wondering... can anyone share with us who are Canon users the difference in performance between a D2h and a 1D? No doubt that 40 frame buffer is about 20 frames more than Canon's one, but is it really that significant?

Yes, I would agree with Larry that it is indeed impressive, but from what I know of the 1D, shooting all 21 frames will write pretty fast. It will thus enable the 1D to go back to number 21 in a pretty fast time.

Just would like to know what you all think?

Avatar · 13th November 2003

Caleb,

The D2H is more than just the 40 frame buffer, it is in reality a significant upgrade to the current D1 series (or 1D for that matter) in aspect of ergonomics, AF sensor capability, image quality, etc.

That said, if it is to be based on the its sheer buffer depth to the 1D, I think there is a significance IF you are an avid sport/action shooter.

I had the distinct opportunity to use the Canon system for 1+ month sometime back (that was after we went for the Street Fest shoot

), one of the camera I had with me was the 1D. Yes, this one is a monster with some really good feature but its IMO less-than-satisfactory buffer depth is really a letdown.

I recall shooting a game of baseball with it back in a stadium in Taipei. There was an instanence when the action was really thick, and after several 1 or <1 sec burst, this was when I realised its buffer is really lacking, a curse that is directly linked to its capability to fire at 8fps if you ask me. Thankfully I had my D1H with me, which in turn, was able to better facilitate my requirement in such intense actions due to its robust 40 frame buffer, all these even when in RAW quality mode. I am taking it as a comparison due to its similar buffer size as the D2H.

The 1D took approximately 1+ sec to empty a highest quality JPEG file into the CF card (*a Lexar 32X WA), with its buffer filled, it took roughly 25+ seconds to flush all the images to the CF card. Given in scenarios when you have a tight series of hot actions, and that you need at least 1 seconds burst of buffers back, it will take approximately 10+ seconds to back able to do that. That's significant enough to miss some priceless moments if they happen to turn up.

Buffers aside, another major caveat I have with it is its inability to properly review any picture when it was writing to the card, this wasn't the case for the D1H (or D2H for that matter) which performed admirably here. To make things worse, it (the 1D) lacks the crucial feature to review your pictures at 100% of their image size (ie. magnification), this is really a joke if you are to ask me cuz a camera of its status and calibre should have no reason for not doing it.

There are other ups and downs that I observed but I guess I will stop here. These point above are not to put down the camera as a whole but rather, to point out some really uncomfortable observations I had while using it. Depending on your shooting style/requirement, I would suggest a second thought before you take the plunge for it.

Just my 2 cents worth

PS. Apologies to the workshop participants for going OT here.

6th November 2003	#1
Avatar Member Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Singapore / Taiwan Posts: 1,244	Reminder: For all participants of the Nikon/CS/NPS Sungei Buloh Wildlife Workshop To all participants of the wildlife shoot/workshop: Hello everyone. As the day for the wildlife workship is almost upon us, here are some basic information and what you should and should not do/bring on the day of the workshop: For those taking the bus/transportation ... The time is 7am SHARP, please gather outside the Mcdonald's restaurant at Tiong Bahru Plaza (above Tiong Bahru MRT station). Please be punctual as we are really tight on our schedules. I and several CS officials will be there to coordinate the transportation. For those whom are driving there/not taking the transport ... Please make sure you reach the wildlife reserve by 7:45 or latest by 8:00am. Kindly wait outside the reserve at the ticketing counter, do not enter first because we need to get you your tickets first (it is paid for in the $5 fee). Here's a map on how to get to the reserve if you are not familiar with it: Please ... - respect all wildlife in the wetland reserve, do not frighten them or go near their habitat ; - do not smoke in the wetland reserve ; - do not take anything from the wetland reserve ; - do not litter in the wetland reserve ; - do not damage or vandalize the reserve's property ; - be as quiet as possible ; - avoid brining your pets, radio or bicycles into the wetland reserve ; - keep to the walking trails while on the move Photographic Equipments - please bring along your cameras if you have one ; - F-mount SLR/DSLR camera users are encouraged to use their cams on some of the lenses provided by Nikon Singapore ; - try to pack light unless you think you can handle the weight throughout the day Travelling tips - Dress in comfortable clothes that are neutral in colour ; - Wear a hat in non-bright/neutral colour ; - Wear comfortable walking shoes ; - If you have them, bringing your own binoculars is a plus ; - Try to bring a notebook and pen for notes during the workshop ; - Bring along a bottle of insect repellent if you are wary of insect bites ; - Prepare a simple lunch if you want to avoid eating at the Cafeteria (can be quite expensive) ; - If there is a thunderstorm, please make sure you stay in the observation hides A complete set of guide/itinerary will be provided to the participants on the day itself. Please note that drinks will also be provided but if you want, you can bring your own drink. I guess that's about all, see ya at the workshop! Last edited by Avatar; 7th November 2003 at 12:27 PM.

9th November 2003	#15
chngpe01 Moderator Join Date: Oct 2002 Posts: 7,469	Rear Lens Cap - Lost & Found Wanna check if anyone kind soul found or happen to pick up an extra rear lens cap at Station 2 ie, the 500mm/600mm station. If so let me known, realised I have misplaced mine while manning this station. Thanks and Cheers. __________________ my work I am featured here, in Vol 4

13th November 2003	#20
Avatar Member Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Singapore / Taiwan Posts: 1,244	Caleb, The D2H is more than just the 40 frame buffer, it is in reality a significant upgrade to the current D1 series (or 1D for that matter) in aspect of ergonomics, AF sensor capability, image quality, etc. That said, if it is to be based on the its sheer buffer depth to the 1D, I think there is a significance IF you are an avid sport/action shooter. I had the distinct opportunity to use the Canon system for 1+ month sometime back (that was after we went for the Street Fest shoot ), one of the camera I had with me was the 1D. Yes, this one is a monster with some really good feature but its IMO less-than-satisfactory buffer depth is really a letdown. I recall shooting a game of baseball with it back in a stadium in Taipei. There was an instanence when the action was really thick, and after several 1 or <1 sec burst, this was when I realised its buffer is really lacking, a curse that is directly linked to its capability to fire at 8fps if you ask me. Thankfully I had my D1H with me, which in turn, was able to better facilitate my requirement in such intense actions due to its robust 40 frame buffer, all these even when in RAW quality mode. I am taking it as a comparison due to its similar buffer size as the D2H. The 1D took approximately 1+ sec to empty a highest quality JPEG file into the CF card (a Lexar 32X WA), with its buffer filled, it took roughly 25+ seconds to flush all the images to the CF card. Given in scenarios when you have a tight series of hot actions, and that you need at least 1 seconds burst of buffers back, it will take approximately 10+ seconds to back able to do that. That's significant enough to miss some priceless moments if they happen to turn up. Buffers aside, another major caveat I have with it is its inability to properly review any picture when it was writing to the card, this wasn't the case for the D1H (or D2H for that matter) which performed admirably here. To make things worse, it (the 1D) lacks the crucial feature to review your pictures at 100% of their image size (ie. magnification), this is really a joke if you are to ask me cuz a camera of its status and calibre should have no reason for not doing it. There are other ups and downs that I observed but I guess I will stop here. These point above are not to put down the camera as a whole but rather, to point out some really uncomfortable observations I had while using it. Depending on your shooting style/requirement, I would suggest a second thought before you take the plunge for it. Just my 2 cents worth PS. Apologies to the workshop participants for going OT here. Last edited by Avatar; 13th November 2003 at 11:17 PM.*

7th November 2003	#4
Cursor Member Join Date: May 2003 Posts: 309	Sorry but do you guys think if tripod is necessary?

7th November 2003	#6
AJ23 Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Town of Queens doing PORT-9YOU Posts: 6,711	Just a question, what are the lenses and binoculars provided by Nikon? As per the last update?

8th November 2003	#8
Lensman Member Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Singapore & Hong Kong Posts: 908	Looking forward to meet all in the list and the birdies and the wildlife.... MINUS the mosquitos and the rain clouds...

8th November 2003	#12
espn Deregistered Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Planet Nikon Posts: 22,045	D2h's pictures are not released, we were allowed to shoot but the pictures are taken back by Nikon As for the other shoots, I'm sure the other users will be posting shots using the 400/500/600 soon

9th November 2003	#18
sfhuang Member Join Date: Jan 2002 Posts: 972	I didn't get to see or touch the D2h, as I was kept busy with the macro workshop and the 500mm/600mm lens tryouts! Anyway, thanks to all the CS and NPS folks who made the event such a success. I really enjoyed myself all morning. Btw, one of my shots from the 600mm is here: http://forums.clubsnap.org/showthread.php?t=50911 Admittedly, it cannot match any of the splendid shots shown during the slide show. As I lamented to Chee Wai and chngpe01, I don't know how they get those shots!! :P cheers, sfhuang

9th November 2003	#19
agape01 Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Somewhere Out There Posts: 2,256	I am wondering... can anyone share with us who are Canon users the difference in performance between a D2h and a 1D? No doubt that 40 frame buffer is about 20 frames more than Canon's one, but is it really that significant? Yes, I would agree with Larry that it is indeed impressive, but from what I know of the 1D, shooting all 21 frames will write pretty fast. It will thus enable the 1D to go back to number 21 in a pretty fast time. Just would like to know what you all think?