More results of the DX-ing crop

Here we have some unexpected guests, who came to sample the berries of our trees in the middle of the big February 2011 blizzard. The first two shots were done by "cropping" the image with the DX-sized sensor, with an AF 80-200 f2.8 zoom lens (this time, at f4.5 or f5.6). As a result, we have the viewing field of a 300mm lens at the long end of the zoom. Neat...

February 1st, 2011. In the middle of a brutal blizzard, these two guys (a couple maybe, but they have both the same plumage) parked on one of the trees close to the house. One of them was dangerously perched on the branches, picking out berries. The other remained on the trunk, fluffing his feathers and trying to get something out of the bark.

February 2, 2011. They're back! They survived! Here's one of them, hanging out on a branch, apparently after cleaning it from berries.

On February 3, 2011, I saw them again. This time I forgot to switch the image view from FX to DX, so you're looking at an image shot at 200mm. Not too bad... but could be better.

So, those were the news. Later on... more news!

Playing with DX

In both of these images I used my trustworthy (despite being much maligned) AF-S 24-120 VR lens. However, only, one of them has the DX area setting. Which one may be? The one with the colorfully made-up girl, or the window announcement about "patriotic items" going down in price? BTW, these were images from the Swedish Days in Geneva, where we went with our son (he has to learn to travel with his parents some day...).

So, which one is it?

Try again...

Yep...

The reason to do this was to crop in camera at the same time that I maximized the reach of the lens. The nice portrait didn't take me long to shoot, and it benefitted from the framelines that help compose through the viewfinder. Yes, one could claim that I "lose" information by reducing the document to 5 MP instead of using the whole shebang of this 12 MP sensor... but my concern is to get the image, reach where I want, not to produce a file of a certain dimension.

Do you do this often? I found myself doing it for this shot in California, only that instead of my AF-S 24-120 I had my AF-S 24-70.

Not bad for a beginner... At a given moment, having the DX option contributes to extend the reach, get the shot and maximize a telephoto. This image, cropped to look like something shot with a 115 or 120mm lens, simply delivers what I wanted to show: the thrill of going down in a weird, crazy machine, in a sunny, gorgeous and intensely blue day.