Sunset at Essex Green

Sunset in West Orange

Driving home this evening was an awe-inspiring experience.

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Film Canister Lights

Film Canister Lights

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Southbound Route 24, 7:11 pm

Driving home from work down Route 24, the cloudless sky was an amazing shade of rainbow colors. I just had to stop texting and take this picture. (Just kidding.)

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When the CR123 batteries in my N80 died prematurely, I started seriously considering rechargeable Li-ion batteries. Unfortunately, I wasn’t finding the right combo of charger and voltage (they really have to be 3V; not 3.6, not 4.2.) Then, I came across these in, of all places, Home Depot.

I’ve been reading mixed reviews regarding the capacity and reliability of these Li-ion batteries, so until I find a set of genuine 3V batteries with a charger that plugs directly into the wall, this seems like a good solution. Fortunately, since their adoption by LED flashlights, they should be around for quite a while. The fact that they were used predominantly in 135 film cameras doesn’t bode well for their longevity by itself. 

 

Taming the Li-ion

After a full charge, I put my P5100 battery in an Irwin clamp to see if I could compress it back into shape. It’s still a bit chubby, but it slips in and out much more easily without the need to tug on the tab. So, the prognosis is looking good. If for nothing else, it'll encourage me to go back to using this camera for a while as I test the longevity of the battery. 

Nikon Fat Pack Batteries

Pulled out my trusty Nikon CoolPix P5100 this morning, and found it had a dead battery. And when I went to charge it, it wouldn’t pop out. The reason? It had expanded. 

This actually happened to my wife’s battery long before mine. I ordered her a new one, but before I do the same for mine, I’m going to give it a full charge and workout to see if it’s OK. Then, I’ll put a clamp on it to see if I can compress it back to its original dimensions. 

For now, I have a little scotch-tape tab on it to pull it out, instead of rapping the case on my palm. If it works, but won't contract, I’ll devise a more permanent tab. 

Nikon Digital SLR Guide, 1999-2010

High-end (Professional) - FX/Full Frame sensor
Nikon D3, August 23, 2007
Nikon D3X, December 1, 2008
Nikon D3S, October 14, 2009

High-end (Prosumer) - FX/Full Frame sensor
Nikon D700, July 1, 2008

High-end (Professional) - DX sensor, high resolution
Nikon D1, June 15, 1999
Nikon D1X, February 5, 2001
Nikon D2X, September 16, 2004
Nikon D2XS, June 1, 2006

High-end (Professional) - DX sensor, high speed
Nikon D1H, February 5, 2001
Nikon D2H, July 22, 2003
Nikon D2HS, February 16, 2005

High-end (Prosumer) - DX sensor
Nikon D100, 21 February 2002
Nikon D200, 1 November 2005
Nikon D300, 23 August 2007
Nikon D300S, 30 July 2009
Midrange - DX sensor
Nikon D7000, 15 September 2010

Midrange (Consumer) - DX sensor
Nikon D70, 28 January 2004
Nikon D70S, 20 April 2005
Nikon D80, 9 August 2006
Nikon D90, 27 August 2008
Nikon D5000, 14 April 2009

Entry-level (Consumer) - DX sensor
Nikon D50, 20 April 2005
Nikon D40, 16 November 2006
Nikon D40X, 6 March 2007
Nikon D60, 29 January 2008
Nikon D3000, 30 July 2009
Nikon D3100, 19 August 2010

Nikon Film Camera Guide, 1959-2005

Film 35 mm SLR cameras with manual focus
Nikon F series (1959–1972, known in Germany for legal reasons as the Nikkor F)
Nikon FTN Single-lens reflex camera
Nikkorex series (1960–1964)
Nikkormat FT series (1965–1977, known in Japan as the Nikomat FT)
Nikon F2 series (1971–1980)
Nikkormat EL series (1972–1977, known in Japan as the Nikomat EL)
Nikon EL2 (1977)
Nikon FM (1977)
Nikon FE (1978)
Nikon EM (1979)
Nikon F3 series (1980–1997)
Nikon FG (1982)
Nikon FM2 series (1982–2000)
Nikon FE2 (1983)
Nikon FA (1983)
Nikon FG-20 (1984)
Nikon F-301 (1985, known in North America as the N2000)
Nikon F-601M (1990, known in North America as the N6000)
Nikon FM10 (1995)
Nikon FE10 (1996)
Nikon FM3A (2001)

Film APS SLR cameras
Nikon Pronea 600i / Pronea 6i (1996)
Nikon Pronea S (1997)

Film 35 mm SLR cameras with autofocus
Nikon AC-2E Data Link System (1993)
Nikon F3AF (1983, modified F3 body with Autofocus Finder DX-1)
Nikon F-501 (1986, known in North America as the N2020)
Nikon F-401 (1987, known in the U.S. as the N4004)
Nikon F-801 (1988, known in the U.S. as the N8008)
Nikon F4 (1988)
Nikon F-401S (1989, known in the U.S. as the N4004S)
Nikon F-601 (1990, known in the U.S. as the N6006)
Nikon F-401X (1991, known in the U.S. as the N5005)
Nikon F-801S (1991, known in the U.S. as the N8008S)
Nikon F90 (1992, known in the U.S. as the N90)
Nikonos RS (1992) - for use underwater.
Nikon F50 (1994, known in the U.S. as the N50)
Nikon F70 (1994, known in the U.S. as the N70)
Nikon F90X (1994, known in the U.S. as the N90S)
Nikon F5 (1996)
Nikon F60 (1999, known in the U.S. as the N60)
Nikon F100 (1999)
Nikon F65 (2000, known in the U.S. as the N65)
Nikon F80 (2000, known in the U.S. as the N80)
Nikon F55 (2002, known in the U.S. as the N55)
Nikon F75 (2003, known in the U.S. as the N75)
Nikon F6 (2004)

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Rangefinder cameras
Nikon SP rangefinder camera
Nikon I (1948)
Nikon M (1949)
Nikon S (1951)
Nikon S2 (1954)
Nikon SP (1957)
Nikon S3 (1958)
Nikon S4 (1959)
Nikon S3M (1960)
Nikon S3 2000 (2000)
Nikon SP Limited Edition (2005)

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Underwater (Scale-Focus) Cameras
Nikonos I (1963, originally known in France as the Calypso/Nikkor)
Nikonos II (1968)
Nikonos III (1975)
Nikonos IV-A (1980)
Nikonos V (1984)

NIKKOR IX APS-C Lenses

Before the APS-C DSLR came the APS film SLR, and with it a series of 1.5x crop factor lenses known as the IX series. Even though they have angles of view and coverage circles comparable with APS-C DSLRs You cannot use them. Why? because they reach further into the lens mount, interfering with the mirror. It would be possible to use them with full-time mirror lock-up, but then you wouldn’t be able to focus, or , on all but professional cameras, set the aperture. But, just for fun, here’s a rundown of what was available between 1996 and 2000.

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Break Out the Brollies

When it comes to portrait photography, the classic umbrella is my stock in trade. Nothing beats it for portability and versatility.

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