2021/09/25

D300 or D70s, how about iphone SE?

Photography can help us to freeze special moments, to retrieve the feeling of our emotion in a specific time; to capture the beauty that may be lost forever…or even more; that’s why I love to shoot. 

Nikon D300 camera with wide angle lens attached

It was a struggle moment when I packed my luggage for this trip, whether I should bring along with my Nikon D70s in a lighter weight? Or Nikon D300, much heavier but more full function, or…simply my iphone? 

Nikon D70s camera with VR 18-55 lens attached

A standard lens, a wide angle or a 18-55/f3.5 VR zoom…? I know this scenario is not strange to some of you, especially when the technology of the build-in camera improve sharply in these years; I wished I could have a mirror-less interchangeable lens cameras at that minute :P

Finally & fortunately I decided to bring along with D300 + 12-24/f1.2 + 18-70/f3.5 + iphone SE (1st generation). I’m an amateur in photography, they may seem a bit “old- fashion” compare with the modern gear, but they are my intimate companions since 2015, and this time, they brought me lots & lots of good memories for my Petit Paris series, thank you “pal”.

I rarely crop photo frame after shooting because it‘s my own training to frame seriously before press my shutter: a rule that I’d like to keep since the first day I was using filmed SLR camera. It‘s a lot more sensation when holding a camera instead of a phone, thus better photos as a result.  I don’t know why, may be I am stubborn I guess.

wide angle photo of sky & garden & a couple with kid in Paris
By D300 (ISO-200_f/10_1/125s)

In fact, a good quality wide angle is almost a must to capture the enormous breathtaking architecture, and those fascinating colour coverage on or below the sky. Truly speaking, this set of photo gear, to me, was a bit heavy for a long day walk; but I did carry them with me in 8 out of 12 days for a reason.

purple orange pink & peach blossom color flower bed in Paris
By iPhone SE (ISO25 f/2.2_1/276s)
On the other hand, iphone did works tremendously well that, I was a bit free of tension to keep an eye onto it compare with a camera, in terms of security issue, i.e.: free “float” to explore!

Paris is basically safe enough for solo trip, provided you have to avoid some treacherous zone at night; but hanging your camera around your neck is still not a good idea, especially for a tourist outside the tourist spots. So I had to put it back into my bag after every few shots which was inconvenience and that’s while a small iphone helped so much in these occasions. 

In my book, you may find some photo quality difference; 80% of the photos were taken by D300 and the rest by iphone especially 2 full days in Mortmartre and The Louvre. 

To maintain the atmospheric colour as close as to the true moment, I do minimize my post editing process to all my photos. They may not professional in some sense, they are what I saw in 95% real at that moment in that space. 

I am happy of what they are & I hope you will like them, too.