Inspiration

Time to post this again.

Inspiration, Reader Smackdown, Teaching point

(The original post is here:  Photography truths/rules I’ve learned over the years.)

Photography truths/rules I’ve learned over the years.

  1. The 35mm format is the ideal format for recording Life’s Little Moments.
  2. Rangefinders are the ideal camera platform for recording Life’s Little Moments.
  3. Photography is the art of exclusion (painting is the art of inclusion).
  4. Newer generation lenses perform better optically than old classics.
  5. Buy the gear you really want.  Do that once.
  6. The bond between you and your camera is more important than what the spec sheet suggests.
  7. When it comes to cameras and lenses, less is more.
  8. Internet photography fora, beyond the first year of participation, are generally a waste of time.
  9. You only get better with practice.
  10. CCD rules; Film rules CCD…  both are dying.
  11. Use prime lenses.  They lead to better photographs.
  12. Robert Capa was correct: “If your photographs aren’t good enough, you’re not close enough.“
  13. To increase your chances of success, shoot in Manual mode.
  14. Focus with manual lenses.  This too will increase your chances of success.
  15. The Rule of Thirds is a pretty good rule.
  16. One good idea is better than 100 frames per second.
  17. Have a healthy respect for those making a living via photography.  It’s difficult to do.
  18. Record video of your loved ones as well… you’ll regret it if you don’t.
  19. Photography is the most democratic form of art… all of us are capable of creating a masterpiece.
  20. Never bet against Leica.

–

—Peter.

D500 battery drain problem solved with firmware version 1.13.

Inspiration, Q&A, Teaching point

Nikon quietly released a firmware update for their D500 camera on July 11th that officially was supposed to fix only one issue:

“Fixed an issue that resulted in unreliable connections between the camera and the iOS 10.2 version of the SnapBridge app.”

Despite the fact that I don’t use the “SnapBridge” app, last week I went ahead and downloaded and installed the new firmware.

The result?

I’m happy to report that the well known D500 battery drain (where an unused battery will lose a significant amount of its charge with each passing day while sitting idle in the camera) is now fixed!  Every day since the update I’ve checked the battery status and the charge continues to read “100%”.  This applies equally to the battery in my accessory grip.

Prior to this firmware update I was losing 5 – 7% of battery charge per day.

Bravo Nikon!

(Please pass this information on to anyone you know who owns a Nikon D500.)

—Peter.