DMR: first year (long)

It's been one year more or less since good fortune graced me with a DMR. Its features that have made the biggest differences in my photos are common to most DSLR cameras: the extremely low cost per exposure, the superior high-ISO image quality, and the near-instant feedback. The DMR's excellent dynamic range and color rendition have also been a huge benefit. I will always be thankful for the benefactor who offered the DMR to me on very favorable terms and for those whose generosity permitted me to keep the DMR during my family's crisis earlier this year.
My favorite pictures so far made with the DMR, with photographic notes where appropriate, all at ISO 400 with -1 stop compensation (prevents highlight clipping) except where noted. 

http://www.wildlightphoto.com/birds/anatidae/cago01.html

Canada Geese - R8/DMR, 280 f/4 APO + 1.4x APO-Extender-R
One of my earliest DMR photos, and the one where I learned to "chimp". I had been working close to the ground with the camera on a tripod collapsed as low as it would go. I heard the geese coming and saw that their probable flight path would give some good backgrounds. No time to switch to shoulder stock or monopod so I picked the whole rig up tripod and all to pan along with the birds. Exposures made and geese gone, a silly grin came over my face as I reviewed the new photos. I had learned to "chimp". 

http://www.wildlightphoto.com/birds/tyrannidae/atfl00.html

Ash-throated Flycatcher - R8/DMR, 560mm f/6.8
With this photo I learned to take advantage of the DMR's high-ISO capabilities and excellent shadow detail retention. The ISO setting on the camera was 400, but I had set exposure compensation to -3 stops to keep shutter speeds workable (~ 1/125 sec), bringing up the image tones during development and further refined with Photoshop. This is cropped with no noise reduction. 

http://www.wildlightphoto.com/birds/accipitridae/coha05.html

Cooper's Hawk - R8/DMR, 280mm f/4 APO-Telyt-R
In this pair of photos (second is below) I realized how much better the DMR's color quality is than professional ISO 400 slide film. Both photos are uncropped from the same location; the only difference is the camera body. 

http://www.wildlightphoto.com/birds/accipitridae/coha06.html

Cooper's Hawk - Leicaflex SL2/Provia 400F, 280mm f/4 APO-Telyt-R
It also dawned on me that to get the same image size with the film camera I could use the 1.4x extender, and that with the extender's loss of light I'd have to use a faster film to use the same shutter speed as I did with the DMR and no extender. Thus a valid comparison for my purposes is DMR @ ISO 400 vs. ISO 800 color film. In technical quality it's no contest, the DMR wins. 

http://wildlightphoto.com/mammals/artiodactyls/dash01.html

Dall's Sheep - R8/DMR, 560mm f/6.8 Telyt
ALASKA! I spent six summers in Alaska in my younger days and now on the 30th anniversary of my first summer I brought the DMR. Chimping and the histogram display made this photo possible. In my first few exposures of this ram the brightest whites had lost detail due to clipping; histogram review and subsequent exposure adjustments brought back the detail in the brightest white areas (clearly visible in the print) 

http://wildlightphoto.com/birds/corvidae/grja00.html

Gray Jay - R8/DMR, 280mm f/4 APO
I was beginning to notice some aliasing and color moire in the fine feather detail, particularly when using the 280 APO which can resolve more than just about anything else. A photoshop plug-in from fredmiranda.com tamed the beast, and only where it reared its head. The DMR's battery life was a problem occasionally, fortunately I was car-camping and had 12-volt power available overnight. 

http://wildlightphoto.com/birds/corvidae/stja02.html

Steller's Jay - R8/DMR, 560mm f/6.8 with 1.4x APO-Extender-R
I'm not a big fan of the cropped viewfinder OTOH it allows the SLR user to see the action outside the frame lines and anticipate when the action will be in the picture area. 

http://wildlightphoto.com/birds/anatidae/come10.html

Common Merganser - R8/DMR, 560mm f/6.8 Telyt
I've gradually realized that the DMR's high-ISO image quality as made the 560mm Telyt much more usable than with film; I can use higher shutter speeds in weaker light and still get image quality equivalent to E100G, my current favorite slide film. All the E100G photos made of this bird were tossed due to subject motion. 

http://wildlightphoto.com/birds/corvidae/ybma01.html

Yellow-billed Magpie - R8/DMR, Novoflex 400mm f/5.6
Birds with large areas of black and white plumage were always a problem with film because I could get detail in the white areas or detail in the black plumage or neither. The DMR's dynamic range plus judicious histogram chimping helps keep the detail in these black-and- white birds. 

http://wildlightphoto.com/birds/rallidae/clra02.html

Clapper Rail - R8/DMR, 560mm f/6.8 Telyt
DMR's dynamic range to the rescue again. With film I'd have lost shadow detail or white detail or both. 

I'm showing these photos just 'cuz I like 'em. All: R8/DMR:

http://wildlightphoto.com/birds/falconidae/amke01.html
http://wildlightphoto.com/birds/turdidae/webl06.html
http://wildlightphoto.com/birds/recurvirostridae/amav01.html
http://wildlightphoto.com/birds/strigidae/leow01.html
http://wildlightphoto.com/birds/strigidae/nsow00.html
Problems: the battery life can be a problem especially with heavy chimping, the R8+DMR is a hefty package, and I'd really like an SL viewfinder in the R8. All things considered though I'm looking forward to another year with the DMR. 

Doug Herr
Birdman of Sacramento
http://www.wildlightphoto.com



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