Wonderful! I've spent plenty of time looking at photos of those trains in the last couple of weeks, so it's great to see one in colour

Nick

Just stunning, as ever, Chris. I don't think I'll ever get bored of seeing photos of Catcott Burtle, so please don't stop taking them!

Mike

Chris -

Re the technical bits - from your entry it appears that Nikon have not changed their bayonet fitting then? Not that it matters overmuch, but I take it that 'autofocus' doesn't work with the older lenses?

Regs

Ian (I only ask 'cos I us a D40dx!

Lovely picture, as ever. I love the deep shadows in the shed, and the contrast generally.

It's interesting - while I think this is up there in the "most successful backscenes ever" accolades, the perspective compression of the middle clouds does give the game away, particularly since the telegraph wires give a clear reference for the perspective.. The higher clouds are less of a problem since they're more diffuse, and even more impressively, I think the hills read perfectly at this angle as a proper "straight" horizon. I wonder if stretching the lower clouds slightly would be a good way to compensate for this, or whether that'd just spoil the head-on shots?

Nowt wrong with auld lenses Chris... B)

Having a stash of auld Nikon primes to go with the auld FM has turned out to be a very handy "accident..."

Now all I need is to replace an ever more cranky D70

The sky backscene is very tasty and one looks forward to the article.

I could start messing about with the backscene, but then I'm doing computer graphics rather than photography and model making and I'm keen to keep away from that unless I'm shooting a layout without a backscene when I have no choice. Otherwise I might as well turn the camera off, sell the layouts and and buy MS Trainsim or whatever that's called. I think sometimes we have to accept limitations or merging 3d with 2d?

A non-AF lens cannot become an AF lens. AF is no good for this kind of photography anyway, so even if you do have AF you'll be turning it off. You'll be able to use old Nikkors (they'll need to be Ai converted - lots on Google about such - the mount goes back to 1959!) on the D70 and D40, the only other thing you won't have is metering, so just pop the camera in manual and take some test exposures using a small aperture with the camera well supported at the lowest ISO. Do not underetimate the D70, good technique and good glass is still the most important thing, though the chap in Dixons well not agree with me of course.

Perhaps I didn't explain it very well - I was wondering whether it was possible to design a physical backscene which reads better from the kinds of angles which get used for model photography without compromising the square-on aspect too much. Most (all?) physical backscenes have square-on perspective, but since we make a lot of long thin layouts and like to have photo's like yours above, the backscenes can at times be the *only* element which sells the picture as a model.

No computer graphics required

Just a pale blue one would work well with no clouds I guess - though it would need to darken to the top. But with Catcott it was important for me to get get that big summer sky effect so typical of the area with cumulus clouds. Something to think about with other projects maybe.

I could start messing about with the backscene, but then I'm doing computer graphics rather than photography and model making and I'm keen to keep away from that unless I'm shooting a layout without a backscene when I have no choice. Otherwise I might as well turn the camera off, sell the layouts and and buy MS Trainsim or whatever that's called. I think sometimes we have to accept limitations or merging 3d with 2d?

 

A non-AF lens cannot become an AF lens. AF is no good for this kind of photography anyway, so even if you do have AF you'll be turning it off. You'll be able to use old Nikkors (they'll need to be Ai converted - lots on Google about such - the mount goes back to 1959!) on the D70 and D40, the only other thing you won't have is metering, so just pop the camera in manual and take some test exposures using a small aperture with the camera well supported at the lowest ISO. Do not underetimate the D70, good technique and good glass is still the most important thing, though the chap in Dixons well not agree with me of course.

My D70 is a noble warrior Chris and it has never let me down - yet

Its just getting very auld and objects to the cold, rather like its owner.

I'll probably keep it as a spare mind.

All my Nikon len's are Ai's so that's nae an issue either.

I'd just love the loot to get hold of a more modern Nikon really.

Ooppps here comes the missus......................................................

I'm intrigued by this helicon focus business - must get around to giving a go. I agree wholedheartedly, some of the old glass was fantastic - a shame really that work went over to canon and i lost access to my old nikon stuff, you're dead right the 35 and 85 primes were awesome. Couldn't agree more - there are no longtermers in digi, cameras die and go and are not remembered with any great fondness whereas i miss my fm2 and RB, and even on masochistic days a 5x4 sinar. Hohumm progress eh?