JFK 2/20/2011

[gonzalu]

Went to JFK for a few hours today... saw Conrad but it was cold and never left my car... could not stay the whole day so I missed the One World BAW :-(

http://manny.smugmug.com/Airplanes/Spotting/JFK-02202011/MAG7955/1193441583_Mxy9m-O.jpg

http://manny.smugmug.com/Airplanes/Spotting/JFK-02202011/MAG7979/1193441598_Xtxto-O.jpg

http://manny.smugmug.com/Airplanes/Spotting/JFK-02202011/MAG7994/1193441604_Uzshx-O.jpg

http://manny.smugmug.com/Airplanes/Spotting/JFK-02202011/MAG8040/1193445273_KSPzV-O.jpg

http://manny.smugmug.com/Airplanes/Spotting/JFK-02202011/MAG8066/1193447864_KLquA-O.jpg

[eric8669]

Went to JFK for a few hours today... saw Conrad but it was cold and never left my car... could not stay the whole day so I missed the One World BAW :-(

I was in the car right next to Conrad, I saw you drive by a couple times.

http://i895.photobucket.com/albums/ac155/southpawcaptures/20110220-IMG_4008.jpg

http://i895.photobucket.com/albums/ac155/southpawcaptures/20110220-IMG_4088.jpg

http://i895.photobucket.com/albums/ac155/southpawcaptures/20110220-IMG_4114.jpg

http://i895.photobucket.com/albums/ac155/southpawcaptures/20110220-IMG_4129.jpg

http://i895.photobucket.com/albums/ac155/southpawcaptures/20110220-IMG_4223.jpg

http://i895.photobucket.com/albums/ac155/southpawcaptures/20110220-IMG_4208.jpg

[gonzalu]

Ha!! Didn't notice it was you there tucked up against the Costco truck... Were you facing in or out? Sorry man... I would have said hello of course. LOL.

[gonzalu]

a "few" more :cool:

http://manny.smugmug.com/Airplanes/Spotting/JFK-02202011/MAG8450/1193473654_EKhqW-O.jpg

Homer Simpson Nose

http://manny.smugmug.com/Airplanes/Spotting/JFK-02202011/MAG8490/1193473671_X6AR2-O.jpg

http://manny.smugmug.com/Airplanes/Spotting/JFK-02202011/MAG8570/1193473680_syEXV-O.jpg

http://manny.smugmug.com/Airplanes/Spotting/JFK-02202011/MAG8615/1193473755_9cmSh-O.jpg

the water reflected the sun on the belly quite nicely

http://manny.smugmug.com/Airplanes/Spotting/JFK-02202011/MAG8652/1193473757_zcr2k-O.jpg

Anniversary sticker... ?

http://manny.smugmug.com/Airplanes/Spotting/JFK-02202011/MAG8670/1193473766_AMm2d-O.jpg

http://manny.smugmug.com/Airplanes/Spotting/JFK-02202011/MAG8135/1193473839_phoEa-O.jpg

http://manny.smugmug.com/Airplanes/Spotting/JFK-02202011/MAG8092/1193473891_AN5bM-O.jpg

http://manny.smugmug.com/Airplanes/Spotting/JFK-02202011/MAG8116/1193473895_8eVPE-O.jpg

http://manny.smugmug.com/Airplanes/Spotting/JFK-02202011/MAG8153/1193473919_9GNFc-O.jpg

http://manny.smugmug.com/Airplanes/Spotting/JFK-02202011/MAG8176/1193473981_SiHxA-O.jpg

http://manny.smugmug.com/Airplanes/Spotting/JFK-02202011/MAG8218/1193473987_Xr9vx-O.jpg

http://manny.smugmug.com/Airplanes/Spotting/JFK-02202011/MAG8277/1193473996_FEJmf-O.jpg

http://manny.smugmug.com/Airplanes/Spotting/JFK-02202011/MAG8329/1193474068_AvsQ8-O.jpg

http://manny.smugmug.com/Airplanes/Spotting/JFK-02202011/MAG8330/1193474072_CXxMj-O.jpg

[Zee71]

Nice stuff gentlemen!!! I was out this morning for a couple of hours and meet up with Antonis and a couple of his friends. Too darn windy at HoBe again and darn cold.

http://mbsphotography.smugmug.com/Aviation/Airplanes-and-Spotting/Kennedy-JFK/Evergreen01JFK20Feb2011/1193505495_g8TBp-L.jpg

http://mbsphotography.smugmug.com/Aviation/Airplanes-and-Spotting/Kennedy-JFK/FedEx01JFK20Feb2011/1193505535_M3FhD-L.jpg

http://mbsphotography.smugmug.com/Aviation/Airplanes-and-Spotting/Kennedy-JFK/Avianca01JFK20Feb2011/1193505445_UUtTY-L.jpg

http://mbsphotography.smugmug.com/Aviation/Airplanes-and-Spotting/Kennedy-JFK/NorthAmerican01JFK20Feb2011/1193505767_KC8DA-L.jpg

http://mbsphotography.smugmug.com/Aviation/Airplanes-and-Spotting/Kennedy-JFK/BritishAirways01JFK20Feb2011/1193505698_TcMM9-L.jpg

[727C47]

great shots !!!

[gonzalu]

Mark, it looks like BAW 747 was the only that delivered a decent position for a great shot. Although I like the way the Evergreen came out :-)

I hope tomorrow's weather predictions are wrong... light today was simply amazing as was air quality!

[NLovis]

Hey somebody caught N490EV. Hang onto it. Its being repained for Saudi sometime in march.

[Zee71]

Thanks Manny! I actually like the way the Evergreen came even though it was back lite. I did some post processing to cleanup the EV image and give it some better lighting. The Evergreen rotated and banked early. On the otherhand the only thing I like about the FedEx was the way the wing was luminated. I only hung around till about 10:30-ish before I had to leave.

[gonzalu]

Hey somebody caught N490EV. Hang onto it. Its being repained for Saudi sometime in march.

Thanks Nick, nice to know. I love to have before and after and after and ... shots :-)


Thanks Manny! I actually like the way the Evergreen came even though it was back lite. I did some post processing to cleanup the EV image and give it some better lighting. The Evergreen rotated and banked early. On the otherhand the only thing I like about the FedEx was the way the wing was luminated. I only hung around till about 10:30-ish before I had to leave.

I hear you Mark. I have many shots in my personal collection of HoBe throwaways because I like a reflector or an angle that would never be liked in the wild :-) I was at 31L spots by around 12:00pm and had to leave before 3:00 because my commute is so long. I stuck around until 3:40p and paid the price for it. Ten minutes to JFK Cargo Area on Rockaway Blvd, then 30 minutes on the Van Wyck - Grand Central. It ws bad... from there, another 10 getting through the GWB exit on I-87 and then flew home from that point. By that time my wife was waiting behind the oor with a rolling pin LOL. Seriously we had dinner plans with friends and we are usually on-time! So I probably got a few points deducted today and likely won;t be allowed to play with the other children for a few weeks.

[RomNYC]

Hey somebody caught N490EV. Hang onto it. Its being repained for Saudi sometime in march.

Man, Saudi is on the hunt for EV birds. They already repainted N491EV...

[NLovis]

Man, Saudi is on the hunt for EV birds. They already repainted N491EV...

Contract and $$. Thats all I have to say. They want another -400 we dont have anotherone so they get our pure -200F till that time.

[hiss srq]

Great grabs guys.......Kuwait got lost after it cleared 31R and almost tried to go strait ahead to T7... Jammed on the brakes.... sat for 30 seconds than made the tightest turn I have ever seen a 777 make to get onto Alpha and heaf fown around the bend to the Gulf entrance to T4

[Zee71]

Hiss Srq.....just like when ships enter the harbor a pilot gets on board and helps navigate the ship through the harbor, maybe the Kuwaities need a pilot to get on board as well to help navigate in and around the ramp. :)

[gonzalu]

Hiss Srq.....just like when ships enter the harbor a pilot gets on board and helps navigate the ship through the harbor, maybe the Kuwaities need a pilot to get on board as well to help navigate in and around the ramp. :)

I can help the Port with that job, and I'll take rights to photograph from the ramp as payment :tongue:

[ANITIX87]

Here are mine from yesterday, guys.

All completely unprocessed except for cropping. These are straight out of my camera, as the light was so perfect I didn't need to change anything.

http://www.tisdigital.com/HOBE/1.jpg
http://www.tisdigital.com/HOBE/2.jpg
http://www.tisdigital.com/HOBE/3.jpg
http://www.tisdigital.com/HOBE/4.jpg
http://www.tisdigital.com/HOBE/5.jpg
http://www.tisdigital.com/HOBE/6.jpg
http://www.tisdigital.com/HOBE/7.jpg
http://www.tisdigital.com/HOBE/8.jpg

TIS

[gonzalu]

You are right about that... light was simply superb... my exposures were so dead on I would do two corrections and look at the original and notice nothing different. Nice 31L banking shots... I have to process my BAW one and post it to A.net :cool:

[steve1840]

Nice shots Tis. I can only dream of light that good on my next trip to JFK.

[ANITIX87]

Thanks, Steve.

Manny, I think you've had your share of HoBe shots on a.net in the last couple of weeks, no? No need for another kick-ass BAW shot. Time to put your ridiculous lens away and give others a chance. Thanks.

TIS

[gonzalu]

Antonis, I sensed a bit of annoyance on your forum comments on A.net and now here... what's with it man?

[ANITIX87]

Antonis, I sensed a bit of annoyance on your forum comments on A.net and now here... what's with it man?
Hahah. Manny, it's purely sarcasm, I promise. I'm just jealous of your gear, so it's more fun to be sarcastic. No hard feelings at all. You're a fantastic photographer and a chill dude.

(Out of curiosity, where on the a.net forums did I come off as aggressive?)

Sorry for coming off wrong!

TIS

[gonzalu]

Thanks Antonis, I just wondered. Since there was no :redface: or :cool: next to them I started to get a feeling I was coming off as arrogant and annoying some :-)

This is the line that made me wonder:


Manny,

Looks like, even with your camera and lens, you've simply had to crop too much.

so when I saw your post here I felt maybe there was something to it. To be honest with you, my camera is ONLY good at high frame rates and low light situations... the quality of the pixels is also great, but for spotting from a distance, it sucks big time :-( Full Frame sensors shine with subject distance being short. A crop sensor can put a lot more pixels and density on a subject making them ideal for HoBe shots :-) The D3/D3s/D700 is actually worse than a D300s/D300/D2Xs in Nikon world for spotting from a distance. I actually was considering a D7000 for the extra few pixels. The more you put on the subject, the more resolution you have to play with in post, and then more is better ..

My D2Xs [was] a terrific camera for a crop sensor but the D300 and D300s kicked its ass years ago. I can't trust the AF or meter on it for spotting that much so I don;t use it as often and whenever I do, it bites me in the butt :-( so I stick to my D3 FF sensor and try to get lucky with the distance from HoBe given a particular airraft and the use of KK or full length.

As for the ridiculous lens, believe me, it is also a curse ! The lens is absolutely sharp even at f/4. It really shines wide open. It is also devoid of any CA to my eyes and so it is my fave lens for the subject.
But the zoom range is a hindrance as is the weight and utility in stealth situations. I can say a 80-400 VRII if it ever comes is on my list of buys because of the flexibility and portability. The current model hass a bit of CA at 400mm especially around the edges and that kills me. I use my gear to actually make money primarily shooting High School sports and events etc. so I try to have good quality glass.

Bottom line, I use the beast because I have no other choice lol. [IT] is all the long tele I have. So Antonis, I am glad we're cool. I hate to come off as arrogant ! ... If I had a dime for each time I get a message asking what lens/camera I used on a shot, I'd be rich... so I post the gear used on each image to reduce the mystery. :cool:

[ANITIX87]

Interesting analysis. I've considered getting a 5D (full-frame) because I'm getting into weddings and I love doing short depth of field stuff. But my 100-400 would be less effective, since I'd lose on the focal length. I think, therefore, the 1D is the way to go, when (if) I can afford it. It's a 1.3x crop, and the larger sensor plays nicely into depth of field work. It also has far superior noise performance, which is one thing I absolutely despise about my 50D. However, I used a 1D at the last wedding I did, and found that my 50D actually focuses much, much faster in low light. So I'd probably have to keep two bodies on me.

With the way these camera companies work, it will never, ever be possible to have ONE body that does everything you want it to. You'll get the best of one world, and have to sacrifice something else. It's how they keep us spending money and buying upgraded equipment.

TIS

[gonzalu]

Yeah, same feeling here. I was hoping the D3X would deliver AT LEAST 12MP in crop mode but it only reached 10MP which is not enough for my base print sizes. A 12MP crop would be incredible in that it would give you essentially a 2x crop factor almost ... imagine a 400mm at 800mm equiv and then a 1.4x TC? Can you say Bayswater? LOL.

I would recosnider the 5D for your wedding work. The pixel quality is what is all about, especially for portraits and closeups/macros of the rings, cake details etc. If I were you, my setup would be a 5D with a mounted flash and a 24-70mm and the 1D with a 70-200mm no flash ... some sort of sling harness and be done. I use ThinkTank Photo gear exclusively and have the skin set waist kit and that holds a 50mm, 85mm and 135mm for specials... it also has the 14-24mm when I absolutely have to go ultra wide. Batteries, cards, blah blah... the setup works very well and it does not stress my neck and shoulders that much after an entire day of shooting.

Bottom line, do not discount the quality of the pixels on the 5D for critical skin tones and detail. Crop sensors just can't deliver the same quality. Well, at least in the land of Nikon that is. For Canon, it may well be that the 1D delivers far better results than the equivalent Nikon D2Xs/D300/D300s :cool:

[ANITIX87]

I would recosnider the 5D for your wedding work.
Oops, I should been more clear, sorry. My fault. The 5D is the PERFECT camera for wedding work. The guy I shoot events with uses a 5D + 35L and 1D + 70-200 (exactly what you recommended). But I can't justify spending money on a 1D AND a 5D anytime soon. I have loans to pay back, a car to buy, and want to move out of my parents' house eventually! Hahaha.

Therefore, the 1D will be my first buy, since spotting is my main photography endeavor, and it will crossover nicely for both tasks if need-be. I can only dream of owning the 1D + 5D combo in my lifetime. Lottery, anyone???

TIS

[steve1840]

I can only dream of owning the 1D + 5D combo in my lifetime. Lottery, anyone???

TIS

I feel you on that Tis. Although I currently have the 5D, I would like to have a second body but cannot afford to get one right now as I am currently paying off this body and lenses. I am shooting my first wedding this summer and am very thankful that I have the 5D to use for that. I just need to get a 50mm prime for the occasion. And hopefully I can borrow another Canon body from a friend of mine for a backup. As with you spotting has become my primary use for my camera gear as of late. Now that I have been learning more about this camera, I have been more than happy with the results I have been getting from it when out spotting. Even with the bad light I had a few weeks ago, I was happy with most of the shots I took. I now need to figure out the best settings on it to take the same shots as the sun is setting. Hopefully this coming weekend I'll get the chance to do so.