Wednesday, September 17, 2014

Nikon D5300

 One of my first obsessions after high school was photography.  Shortly after basic training I purchased a pretty nice film camera, and I took pictures everywhere.  I have always been fascinated by the artistry of great photography.  I especially enjoy nature photography, go figure.

So I think its natural to add photography into my SOTA outings.  Kendall was nice enough to approve the funding for our new camera, a Nikon D5300.  Here are the tech specs on this nice little piece of hardware.

Effective Pixels

24.2 million

Sensor Size

23.5 mm
 x 15.6 mm

Image Sensor Format

DX

Storage Media

SD
SDHC
SDXC

Top Continuous Shooting Speed at full resolution

5 frames per second

ISO Sensitivity

ISO 100 -
12,800
Hi-1 (ISO 25,600)

Movie

Full HD 1,920x1,080 / 60 fps
Full HD 1,920x1,080 / 50 fps
Full HD 1,920x1,080 / 30 fps
Full HD 1,920x1,080 / 25 fps
Full HD 1,920x1,080 / 24 fps
HD 1,280x720 / 60 fps
HD 1,280x720 / 50 fps
VGA 640x424 / 30 fps
VGA 640x424 / 25 fps

Monitor Size

3.2 in. diagonal

Monitor Type

Wide Viewing Angle
Vari-angle TFT-LCD

Battery / Batteries

One EN-EL14a Rechargeable Li-ion Battery or EN-EL14 Rechargeable Li-ion Battery

Approx. Dimensions (Width x Height x Depth)

4.92 in.
 (125 mm)
 x 3.9 in.
(98.0 mm)
 x 3.0 in.
 (76.0mm)

Approx. Weight

16.9 oz.
 (480 g)

So far I have taken quite a few images, with more to follow.   

ENJOY!!!


















Monday, September 15, 2014

Mt Kephart 2014


It has been a busy few weeks.  Work, my lovely wife, and Kimber have been keeping me off the trail, and attending to my regular duties.  Today I took some time to myself and headed to Newfound Gap, and Mt Kephart.  This is my second time to the summit of Kephart.  I enjoy this trail.  It is simple, straight forward, and at a little over 6 miles round trip a very enjoyable hike.

Today I brought along a new piece of gear.  A NEW CAMERA!  I have always loved photography, and I have been wanting a nice DSLR for my frequent excursions.  After Kendall's approval we purchased a Nikon D5300.

I am really liking this camera.  The sensor is excellent.  It will shoot 1080p video, and with 24 megapixel I have the opportunity to build a real nice portfolio.

Soon I hope to try my hand at some video blogging.  SOTA TV anyone?





Today Mt. Kephart treated me to some comfortable temps, and overcast skies.  In the three miles to the summit I gained 1237 ft elevation.  Along the way I took some interesting photos.


This tree stands above a trail marker.  I remember it from last time, and in the misty fog I thought it made a good subject.


The trail today was littered with dew laden webs.  This guy here was blowing in the wind, and it reminded me of the T-10C parachutes that saved my life over several drop zones.  


This photo here is on of my first attempts with Lightroom editing software.  It is fun, so expect more HDR pictures in the future.


 Some magic mushrooms anyone?


Turn right here.  On my first assent of Kephart I blew right by this sign and had to backtrack 3/4 of a mile.


 This part of the trail is after the turn toward the Jump Off.  Very pretty.


I stumbled across this little guy, and almost jumped back 20 feet.  my presence didn't seem to bother him though.  He continued to chow down as I passed.  I expect he is acclimatized to the hordes of hikers along this trail.
 

It was a great activation.  I was worried the bands would be a bit harsh considering the recent flare activity, but the bands were hopping.  I listened for a few minutes on 15m, but my attempts at DX today didn't pan out.

Thanks once again to all the chasers out there.  Hopefully it wont bee too long before I get the time to hit the trail once again.

73's And Keep Climbing!!!