I’ll be the first to admit that when I began researching monopods and ballheads I had no idea what I was doing. Until now my photography was predominately handheld. On those occasions when I needed a tripod I relied upon an aluminum model that I purchased at K-Mart in the early 1980’s. This was definitely not what you would call state of the art.

I have to admit; when I bought the monopod I inaccurately assumed it came with some type of head to mount the camera to it. When the monopod arrived you can imagine my surprise when I found that all it had was a threaded bolt at the top.

Of course I had procrastinated and waited until just before a soccer tournament before buying the monopod leaving myself relatively no time to get something that would work in time to cover the event. Even if I had all the time in the world I had no idea what I was looking for.

I began searching the Internet for information on heads that could be used with tripods and monopods. One manufacturer continued to be talked about with several positive reviews. That company was Really Right Stuff.

I went to their web site and after reading about all of their products I was still very confused as to what it was I actually needed. Fortunately they had a way to contact them. I immediately called and talked to one of their sales people.

The company was extremely helpful and after a brief conversation we determined that what I needed was a Really Right Stuff BH-40 Ballhead with a quick release lever. The BH-40 is their midrange ballhead and allows loads up to 18 pounds, which is perfect for what I was looking for to use with the monopod.

Although the product was currently out of stock they were expecting more in any day. As I hung up the phone I was feeling depressed that I had waited until the last minute and would not be able to get what I needed.

That depression was short lived though. About an hour later I received a call from Really Right Stuff and they were able to get the ballhead I needed and configured it with the appropriate clamps. They shipped the item priority and it arrived the day before the soccer tournament began.

Armed with the Gitzo GM3551 and the Really Right Stuff BH-40 I headed out to cover the soccer tournament with equipment I had never used before. That is normally a recipe for disaster but these two products were so intuitive that by the end of the first quarter of the first game I felt as though I had been using these products forever.

The ballhead worked flawlessly holding my Nikon D300 with the 80-400 lens securely to allow me to get the shots without fighting with hand holding the equipment. At the end of the two days of shooting I covered roughly eight games and yet my arm didn’t feel the strain I had experienced at previous events.

The BH-40 securely held the camera and lens leaving me free to worry about the creative process instead of the mechanical issues of camera shake. Perhaps the best endorsement I can give is the fact that I didn’t have to think about the ballhead. It blended into the background of my mind while I was shooting.
The quality of workmanship on this device is first rate. It will no doubt outlast all of the cameras and lenses that I have. It has found a place in my camera bag and is one of the few devices I won’t leave home without on the day of a shoot.

A big thanks to Really Right Stuff for not only providing a great product but awesome customer service. This is a company I plan on endorsing for a very long time. They are definitely near the top of my list for photography accessories.

I’m a total technology geek. I am always looking for a new toy or tool that will make my life easier or just plain more fun. It doesn’t matter what aspect of my life I am talking about; I am always looking for fun new toys. This winter my son was selected to play on an AYSO tournament soccer team. As a former soccer player myself I was enthusiastic at this selection. As a nervous father I tend to pace the sidelines and over analyze each moment of play. In order to keep my sanity and not get thrown out, my wife suggested that I take my Nikon D300 and D200 cameras and take pictures. She is now regretting that suggestion as I have filled hard drives with pictures and begun to make a list of camera accessories that I “need” in order to get the best possible shot.

I already had a Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8D ED Autofocus VR Zoom lens that I was using to try and capture the action on the soccer field. This is my favorite lens and works great especially in low light and high-speed action shots to freeze the ball and player. The problem was that it just wasn’t quite long enough to reach out and get that close up shot across the field. Since most of my shooting was as a parent with no possibility of making money I knew my options for a new lens was limited. I sat down to begin making a list of requirements and where I would be willing to make compromises to meet my needs in a cost effective manner.
From this exercise I established the following criteria:

• Minimum of 300mm length to capture action from a distance
• Total length of the lens must be less than 11 inches
• Width of lens must be less than 5.5 inches
• Lens should be sufficiently fast enough to shoot hand held
• Autofocus must be fast enough to capture moving players in game action
• Lens must be compatible with DX and full frame cameras
• Low light abilities would be preferred for shooting dusk and night games
• Lens must be Nikkor brand

Obviously a lens meeting the above capabilities is not possible so some of these criteria would not be met. Before deciding that though I should probably explain the why behind some of these statements. The 300mm length should be self-explanatory. Since a soccer field is larger than a football field and many tournaments quarantine photographers to a specific area it becomes necessary to have a long focal length to capture action that is occurring across the field.
The length and width of the lens at first might seem like strange requirements. The reason they are there are because some sporting venues such as MLB, NBA, and NFL stadiums are now cracking down on fans bringing “professional” cameras and lenses. After contacting the local teams and stadiums it seems that at least in Phoenix they have defined “professional” lens as being longer than 11 inches or having a lens opening larger than 5.5 inches. These measurements were devised to allow an usher to check equipment using a piece of paper. The lens can’t be longer than the paper or wider than half a sheet of paper. I know, it sounds random to me too but if I am getting a new lens I need to make sure I am able to use it in all venues.
Many stadiums also prohibit the use of tripods and monopods meaning that the lens must be able to be used as a handheld model and produce sufficient results. Since most of my shooting is sports action the autofocus motor needs to react quickly to make sure the subject is spot on focus. Many of the fields are poorly lit or have dark areas so a fast lens would take precedence over a slower one. I prefer the quality of the Nikkor lenses. I’ve had very good luck with the Nikon brand and want to continue to use them where possible. Finally I currently have a DX format camera but hope to move up to a full frame. I would prefer not to have to replace the lens when I make the camera switch.
Given the above criteria my choices quickly diminished to where the most logical selection was the Nikkor AF VR Zoom 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6D ED lens. This was one of Nikon’s earliest VR lenses and provides the necessary length for me to reach action at long distance. The lens itself is fairly heavy weighing 48 ounces. The weight is both a blessing and curse. On the plus side its bulk provides a good balance to the camera itself. On the minus side, this lens on a Nikon D300 is HEAVY! This will take its toll on you after 4 or 5 games where you are holding it up all day.
The focusing motor is on the slow side and there have been times when the pictures were not in focus due to the motor not being able to adapt quick enough. It requires you to be a little more creative and plan the shot or at least the distance ahead of time on a breakaway. I would love to have had a slightly faster lens than f/4.5-5.6. I typically shoot at f/4 to get the necessary depth of field so having 1.5-2 f/stops more makes some of the shots seem a little cluttered due to the focusing plane. It’s not extremely bad but is not necessarily optimal.
I’ve taken this lens attached to a D300 camera to several events and in all cases it has passed through security without any question as to its length. Fortunately in this case the zoom mechanism changes the length of the lens so if I keep it at 80mm when going through security it is well within the 11 inch length limit. With a diameter of 3.6 inches that too makes it well within the rules. Some of the security personnel have commented on how nice the camera and lens were but none have complained that it was out of compliance.
The pictures produced with this lens have been very good and I have had several people comment on the quality and length. The action seems to come alive with the extreme focal length. This lens has definitely found a place in my bag when I am shooting action sports especially in daylight when the overall speed has less significance. In low light it does falter but with the noise reduction capabilities of the D300 bumping the ISO has resulted in successful pictures. If you have similar needs as I did I suggest looking at the Nikkor AF VR Zoom 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6D ED lens.

For my birthday this year Trina had given me a Nikon D300 camera. Since then I have been in digital camera heaven. I have been interested in photography since high school and have owned several cameras during my life. Many of these are chronicled in the About page on my Photo Blog. When I initially suggested that I wanted a Nikon D300 camera Trina was less than enthusiastic. Part of the reason for her apprehension is that I already owned 3 digital SLR cameras. She could not understand why in the world I would need another one especially since I had stated on several occasions that the Nikon D200 I owned was probably the most perfect camera I had ever used. This was definitely a mistake on my part. Not that the D200 is not a great camera; just that I should never let my wife hear that I am content with anything otherwise it makes my life miserable trying to justify why I need a new toy.

I’ve now had the Nikon D300 for 2 months and during that time I have shot over 1200 pictures. Some of these have been posted on 1Photo2Share and others are being readied to be part of an online album on my web site. I thought I would provide a little feedback on this camera and my experiences with it. My shooting style is action oriented and I am constantly challenging myself and the camera to focus and shoot quickly trying to capture each fleeting moment. The D300 is quite suited to this style assuming the lens is capable of complying. What I mean by that is that the D300 seems to focus relatively quickly and maintain that focus through the shot. The camera is bound by the speed of focus of the lens not the other way around. That means that if you have a fast focusing lens you can get quite a few shots off.
I take a lot of pictures at Chase Field. This is probably because I spend a lot of time at Chase Field. I usually try to take my camera to at least one game every series. I am usually shooting form my seat in Section 112 and I will use either the Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 lens or the Nikkor 18-200mm f/4.5-5.6 lens. On those days that I carry the 70-200mm I am able to get several shots in a burst capturing a pitcher’s wind-up or a batters swing. The focus is flawless and fast. The same cannot be said for the 18-200mm lens. Its focusing motor is much slower and I am unable to get as many shots as I do with the 70-200mm. I like the flexibility of the 18-200mm lens and the ability to carry just one lens but I do miss some shots because of its lack of speed. The 18-200mm being much slower also challenges the D300 and requires me to use a much higher ISO to capture the action of a baseball game. With the Nikon D200 I would end up with a grainy picture that I would have to manipulate in post-production. I don’t have that problem with the D300. Its noise level software is much better than previous generations of the Nikon DSLR cameras. This has opened up my creativity without having to worry so much about lower levels of light coupled with higher ISO settings.
Battery life on the D300 seems very comparable to what I experienced with the D200. I am able to continuously shoot game action and not have to stop to replace the battery. This is much better than I had when the D100 was first released. I don’t know whether the extended battery life is a result of better power management within the camera or better battery construction but either way I’m happy. I do keep an extra battery pack with me just in case but very rarely am I required to use it.
The color rendition of the D300 is fairly good but still a little muted for my tastes. I therefore have to tweak the color and saturation slightly when I bring the pictures into my editing program. I think I was spoiled in the film era by shooting Fuji Velvia and therefore like things a little brighter. I’m sure there is probably a setting in the D300 that will allow me to modify that a little but I have been so busy with games and events that I have not had a chance to completely go through the manual.
Speaking of manuals, the one that comes with the Nikon D300 is adequate but leaves a lot of unanswered questions in my mind. Third-party books on the D300 have been quite sparse with many of the major publishers not having technical manuals available yet. Several field guides are scheduled to be released in the next month so hopefully I’ll pick one of those up and review it at a later date.
Overall I have been very happy with the Nikon D300. The 18-200mm f/4.5-5.6 lens is a good everyday lens but does suffer from a slower focusing motor making it better suited for family events than for serious stop-action shooting. I would highly recommend the 70-200mm f/2.8 lens but you should be aware that the size of this lens does make it difficult to get into many sporting events. Teams and venues have begun limiting the size of lens they allow fans to bring so you should check with the stadium before taking your camera and lens to a game. As I get more comfortable with the camera I’ll post pictures and settings that I have found that have made my life easier.