Putting things into perspective: Had fun shooting with my $14,750 Kodak NC2000e a few days ago. I normally use it with some older, contemporary lenses, but this time I decided to mount a 17-55mm f/2.8 instead. A rare combination:
This camera was developed by Kodak in cooperation with the Associated Press way back in 1994. The 1.3 megapixel camera was the ultimate tool for press photographers with a tight deadline.
The camera does not have a low-pass filter over the sensor, so the images are very sharp - but at a cost. Photos typically have a heavy red color cast (due to the camera's IR sensitivity) and you'll often get plenty of color aliasing and moiré as well. However, with a little processing the photos aren't too bad. Here's a snapshot:
Here's one straight from the camera (no processing):
Often, it's easier to forget about the colors and just convert to b/w instead:
(I think this particular shot has a classic Tri-X/Rodinal feel to it).
Here's one of my daughter behind the camera (taken with my D2X):
And finally a classic mirror self-portrait w/camera. Heavily color corrected, but still far from perfect. The t-shirt is supposed to be black..
For more info, take a look at this interesting article over at robgalbraith.com
Enjoy!
Jarle
Shooting with the NC2000e
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Shooting with the NC2000e (part 2)
It's been almost a year since my previous "Shooting with the NC2000e" post, so I figured part 2 was long overdue. Or maybe I just needed some fresh air after struggling with the Digital Storage Unit (DSU) and SCSI problems for several days.
I don't think I've charged the battery for almost a year, and at first I thought it was dead. Plugged the charger in, and nothing happened. Absolutely nothing. First the DSU SCSI problems, and now this!?
Frustrated, I began reading old forum posts, realizing that I would probably have to get a new battery. I then found an old post where someone mentioned that "I've yet to find a DCS camera with a "Bad" battery - just several whose batteries won't fully charge any more."
So I left the charger plugged in, and after a while the LCD battery indicator indicated that the battery was indeed charging. Finally some good news!
Took the camera out into a raging storm (actually, I sat in the car most of the time, but don't tell anyone) and captured 16 frames before the battery died. Maybe it will work better next time? After all, it hasn't been charged in a long time.
Anyway, here's one of today's NC2000e photos, shot with a Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 AFS lens and converted using dcraw. Post processing in Photoshop CS3:
And for all you camera geeks, here's a photo of the NC2000e laying in the passenger seat, raindrops and all:
Jarle
I don't think I've charged the battery for almost a year, and at first I thought it was dead. Plugged the charger in, and nothing happened. Absolutely nothing. First the DSU SCSI problems, and now this!?
Frustrated, I began reading old forum posts, realizing that I would probably have to get a new battery. I then found an old post where someone mentioned that "I've yet to find a DCS camera with a "Bad" battery - just several whose batteries won't fully charge any more."
So I left the charger plugged in, and after a while the LCD battery indicator indicated that the battery was indeed charging. Finally some good news!
Took the camera out into a raging storm (actually, I sat in the car most of the time, but don't tell anyone) and captured 16 frames before the battery died. Maybe it will work better next time? After all, it hasn't been charged in a long time.
Anyway, here's one of today's NC2000e photos, shot with a Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 AFS lens and converted using dcraw. Post processing in Photoshop CS3:
And for all you camera geeks, here's a photo of the NC2000e laying in the passenger seat, raindrops and all:
Jarle
Re: Shooting with the NC2000e
Several suppliers now offer rebuilt/recelled batteries to breathe life back into these cool cameras. My first NC2000e is still doing good work taking product shots in studio where I've dialed in the exposure and lighting. No need for image preview(just like in the old days of film, just bracket a bit).
It was an eminently qualified camera for motor sequenced shots, too!
phi47
It was an eminently qualified camera for motor sequenced shots, too!
phi47