The Mirrorless DSLR

It may be a misnomer, but a mirrorless DSLR would be a great way to end the line.

After much shooting with the Nikon Z6, and far longer shooting with Nikon SLRs, I've got some thoughts.

I like the modern display of a mirrorless viewfinder. The Z6 has a fine viewfinder, and it's great to see the depth of field in real time. It's good to zoom in and confirm focus, both with the magnified view and configurable focus peaking. The quality of the viewfinder should only get better.

But I far prefer the body style of the professional D-series, whether it's the D1 through D6 lineage or the smaller D100 through D850 lineage. The controls on these larger cameras are simply more comfortably laid out.

I don't like adapting F-mount lenses to the Z-mount mirrorless camera. The FTZ adapter works well enough, though it desperately needs an AI follower for proper indexing with my (never-to-be-chipped) manual focus lenses. A screwdriver autofocus motor be nice. Make it require a battery grip or something, I don't care. But at least give it proper AI indexing.

At some point I'll give in and buy Z-mount lenses, but that's a long time in the future considering the cost, and regardless of the quality.

What I want is a D850 without the mirror and optical viewfinder. A full-time live view D850. Give it on-sensor phase detect autofocus, even with a speed penalty because of the less efficient geometry. Even contrast detect autofocus on these modern cameras is pretty good with modern lenses. A D850 with an anteater snout and an LCD in the viewfinder. What a dream.

Beyond that, we just need some compact lenses for the Z-mount. How about a pancake 24 or 28, plus a 50, plus a 105? That would be great.

Recommended Power Strips

My preferred power strips as of July 2020. You can never have enough outlets and USB power jacks.

I'm not putting links on these, because I don't do affiliate programs, and you know how to search for things.

Belkin BV112050-06

• Six vertically arranged outlets in the middle, intended for straight cords.
• Six outlets at right angles to the center row, three on either side, intended for wall warts.
• Two USB jacks below the center row.
• Power switch above the center row, with power cord at same end.
• Cable management clamp at opposite end, below USB jacks.
• Some horizontal wall warts may interfere with the USB jacks, but there shouldn't be any issues plugging those into the power switch end.
• Mounting slots allow for horizontal mounting in either direction.
• Six foot cord

Bestek MRJ1870KU-BK-10ft

• Eight outlets arranged in two rows of four at opposing angles. The outer outlet on both sides is spaced to allow for a wall wart.
• Four USB jacks on one end, with the power switch and cord on the same end.
• Mounting slots allow for horizontal mounting with the cord on the left, or vertical with the cord hanging down.
• Ten foot cord

Bestek MRJ6001-BL

• Six outlets running horizontally with no spacing for wall warts.
• Four USB jacks on one end, with the power switch and cord on the opposite end.
• Mounting slots allow for horizontal mounting with the cord on the right, or vertical with the cord hanging down.
• Six foot cord

Belkin BZ111200-06

• Sadly discontinued. This would have been an ideal power strip with four USB jacks, but that's how it goes.
• Six outlets running vertically with no spacing for wall warts.
• Four outlets running vertically with spacing for wall warts.
• Additional outlet on outside edge, with power switch on opposite edge.
• Cable management chase running the length of the chassis alongside the outlets. The main power cord comes out of the center of the chase and can be directed out of either end.
• Hinged dust cover that encloses the outlets and cable management chase.
• Mounting slots allow for horizontal mounting with the cable management chase at the top, or vertical in either direction.

Screw Sizes for Mounting a Power Strip

When it comes to mounting electronic devices such as power strips — items that have slots molded in the back or bottom of the plastic shell — you might wonder what kind of screws to use. I have had good results with two kinds: #4 flat-head wood screws and 3mm pan-head machine screws. There are undoubtedly others, but these are the ones that I've used.

Part of the problem is that the molded slots in these devices aren't large enough. A fraction of an inch or a couple millimeters extra diameter would allow a lot more flexibility, and give you a chance to use those random screws that have been piling up in the junk drawer over the years.

I most recently bought some #4 wood screws to mount a power strip, because I was short a 3mm threaded insert. I mounted the power strip onto a 6x12-inch piece of modeller's plywood, and that onto the rungs that encircle the table that needed the power strip. The screws fit the slot like a charm.

Prior to this, I've been using 3mm machine screws along with threaded inserts when putting my devices on wooden objects. The pan heads on these little screws are also the right size to cleanly fit the slots. In one case, I tapped 3mm 0.5 threads on the metal support arms of my TV stand, so I could hang my power strip behind the TV instead of letting it collect dust and cobwebs on the floor. It will still collect dust and cobwebs, but I can vacuum it out more easily.

When measuring for the slots, put a piece of paper over the device and carefully make a rubbing of the slots. Use a center punch to transfer the spacing accurately to the mounting destination. Sometimes a device will come with a pre-printed sheet for this purpose. Double check to make sure the sheet is accurate before you start drilling.

Comet Neowise, July 16, 2020

Stargazers watch Comet NEOWISE in Sioux County, Nebraska, July 2020. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

I wanted to see what I could get for photos of Comet NEOWISE, so I went to a spot near Fort Robinson State Park. With lightning in the distance and clouds gathering as the sky darkened, it was questionable if I would be able to see the comet. Several other people stopped at the same place, and we all lucked out. I took several photos of the comet against the stars, then used some of the stargazers as a foreground element. I should have brought a faster, shorter lens, because I was running a six second exposure at f/5.6 and ISO 6400. That also meant I had to keep shooting and hoping the folks in the foreground held still enough. This is the last frame, and I like their positions, along with the last bit of sunset color in the sky. Shooting at f/2.8 would have been great; I could have cut the time in half and still gotten a cleaner exposure. Oh well, it will work well enough despite being noisier than I'd like.

Fireworks and More over Chadron, July 4, 2020

Composite of sunset, fireworks, and lightning from 25 photos, Chadron, Nebraska, July 4, 2020. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

I hadn't photographed fireworks in a few years, and I had a hankering for a set of photos to play with. One possibility is a high dynamic time range composite. The traditional style I learned years back is an orderly style used by Martin Krzywinski. Out of 187 frames, I chose 25, and then masked in details from each to create this mess of a composition. The sky needs a bit more work to get a pleasing blend between dark and light areas. I hate to lose too much of the golden clouds from the sunset portions, but I need to use the dark blues that end up behind the various firework portions. There were storms passing the area and I had several frames with lightning (left of center and far right side), which I included. There are two sunset sections and two large sky sections across the top. The remainder are fireworks and foreground to bring in the city lights. For a quick 30-minute session, I'll go with it. And hopefully within the next year I'll finish it!

Update 2020-07-06

I didn't wait long to make some adjustments. Some transition area cleanup, and toning down the streetlights. I'm pleased with this iteration.

And here is the stack of 25 frames showing the elements from each that went into the finished composite.