Aug 4, 2021 | AF-S 70-300mm f4.5-5.6G IF-ED VR, F-4 Phantom II, Nikon 1 V3, Nikon 1 V3 Hodgepodge
Nikon 1 V3 Hodgepodge | F-4 Phantom The F-4 Phantom II is a tandem two-seat, twin-engine, all-weather, long-range, supersonic fighter-bomber developed by McDonnell Aircraft. It first entered service in 1960 and by the mid 1960s, became a major part of the U.S. Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps air wings. The Phantom is a large fighter with a top speed of over Mach 2.2. It can carry more than 18,000 pounds of weapons on nine external hard points including air-to-air missiles, air-to-ground missiles, and various bombs, but originally without an internal cannon. Later models incorporated a M61 Vulcan rotary cannon. Beginning in 1959, it set 15 world records for in-flight performance, including an absolute speed record, and an absolute altitude record. During the Vietnam War, the F-4 was used extensively as the principal Air Superiority fighter. It served as a first line fighter of more Western air forces than any other jet. For more information and images of fighter jets, see Fighter Jets | a 7 Image Story.
The Back Story This image was captured using a short burst of clicks while panning from knee height. Yes, you can still pan while standing on your knees since the panning movement comes from your waist not your arms. To learn more about using the Nikon 1 V3 for aviation images, see Nikon 1 V3 for Aviation | a 7 Image Story. Note: I post an image everyday at hankconrad.com.
Details…
| Event | A Day at Oshkosh AirVenture 2015 |
| Location | KOSH, Wittman Regional Airport, Oshkosh, WI |
| Date/Time | 7/24/2015 5:19pm Local Time |
| Weather | Fair Skies | 81°F | Moderate Southwest Winds |
| Method | Used a short burst of clicks while kneeling on the grass and panning. |
| Gear | Nikon 1 V3 with a Nikon FT-1 Adapter & Nikon AF-S 70-300mm f4.5-5.6G IF-ED VR lens |
Exposure
| 135mm (364mm) f/5.6 1/800s -0.33ev 160iso |
| Post | |
Sep 13, 2020 | AF-S 70-300mm f4.5-5.6G IF-ED VR, Daily Image 2020, F-4 Phantom II, Nikon 1 V3, Remembering Oshkosh
Remembering Oshkosh | F-4 Phantom The F-4 Phantom II is a tandem two-seat, twin-engine, all-weather, long-range, supersonic fighter-bomber developed by McDonnell Aircraft. It first entered service in 1960 and by the mid 1960s, became a major part of the U.S. Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps air wings. The Phantom is a large fighter with a top speed of over Mach 2.2. It can carry more than 18,000 pounds of ordnance on nine external hard points including air-to-air missiles, air-to-ground missiles, and various bombs, but originally without an internal cannon. Later models incorporated a M61 Vulcan rotary cannon. Beginning in 1959, it set 15 world records for in-flight performance, including an absolute speed record, and an absolute altitude record. During the Vietnam War, the F-4 was used extensively as the principal Air Superiority fighter. It served as a first line fighter of more Western air forces than any other jet. For the whole story with all images, see Remembering Oshkosh | a 7 Image Story.
Jun 11, 2020 | AF-S 70-300mm f4.5-5.6G IF-ED VR, Aviation, Daily Image 2020, F-4 Phantom II, Nikon 1 V3
Aviation | F-4 Phantom This F-4 Phantom II image was captured during the Oshkosh fly-in several years ago. The F-4 Phantom II is a tandem two-seat, twin-engine, all-weather, long-range, supersonic fighter-bomber. The Phantom is a large fighter with a top speed of over Mach 2.2. For the whole story with all images, see Aviation | a 7 Image Story.
Jun 7, 2020 | 1 VR 30-110mm f/3.8-5.6, 7 Image Stories, AF-S 70-200mm f/2.8 ED VR II, AF-S 70-300mm f4.5-5.6G IF-ED VR, AF-S TC 2.0 E III Tele-converter, Aviation, Aviation, B-25 Mitchell, Boeing 787 Dreamliner, F-4 Phantom II, F/A-18 Super Hornet, Martin JRM Mars, Nikon 1 V3, Nikon D300, Nikon D3x, Perth Amboy Bird CK, Piper J-3 Cub, Piper PA-18 Super Cub
Aviation | a 7 Image Story Picking seven aviation images from the thousands in my database was difficult. These images were primarily chosen because they represent some of my best compositions. Like these images, many of my favorite aviation images come from airshows and fly-ins. My favorite events include Oshkosh, Chicago Air & Water, the AAA fly-in, and the Lake City fly-in. See more wildlife images in my Aviation Portfolio.
Boeing 787 Dreamliner This image, captured several years ago at Oshkosh before the 787 had entered service, shows the Dreamliner on its takeoff roll. The Dreamliner can carry around 300+/- passengers 6,000 to 7,500 nm. To help passengers on those long hauls, the cabin pressure and the humidity are higher than most airliners. Passengers feel like they are at an altitude of 6,000 feet instead of the industry standard of around 8,000 feet, which may help passenger fatigue.
B-25 Champaign Gal In this image, Champaign Gal is taking off at Grimes Field in Urbana, OH before the 70th Reunion of the Doolittle Raiders at the Air Force Museum in Dayton, OH in April 2012. Twenty B-25 aircraft attended the reunion with the five remaining crew members from the raid. Similar images could have easily been taken at numerous airfields around the world in 1942. Champaign Gal is based at Grimes Field as part of the Champaign Air Museum.
F/A 18 Super Hornet This image was captured at the Chicago Air & Water Show. If you have never gone to it; it’s a really nice venue for capturing aircraft images along the beach, particularly if you like jets. You can’t always pick the background, but even with these bald skies, the vapor trail provides some contrast. Notice the “F/A” in the F/A-18 designation since it’s both a fighter and an attack aircraft. The Super Hornet is a twin-engine, carrier-capable, multi-role fighter and attack aircraft. It has an internal 20 mm M61 rotary cannon and can also carry air-to-air missiles and air-to-surface weapons. Turn & burn!
Cub & Super Cub Two iconic airplanes flying in nice snow make for memorable images. Of course, the difficulty to capturing good airplane images in the winter with snow, is to keep the shutter speed low enough to blur the prop and pan well enough to keep the wings and fuselage in sharp focus while dealing with bright, hard mid-day light. A 1/125s shutter speed is about as high as I like for a click like this one.
F-4 Phantom This F-4 Phantom II image was captured during the Oshkosh fly-in several years ago. The F-4 Phantom II is a tandem two-seat, twin-engine, all-weather, long-range, supersonic fighter-bomber. The Phantom is a large fighter with a top speed of over Mach 2.2.
Perth Amboy Bird CK This Perth Amboy Bird CK image was captured a few years ago at the Annual Antique Airplane Association Fly-in in Blakesburg, IA. Only 50 Perth Amboy Bird CK aircraft were built in the 1930s and only four are registered in the USA today. It’s powered by the five cylinder Kinner B-5 radial engine.
Martin JRM Mars This Martin JRM Mars is dropping 7,200 gallons of water on runway 18/36 at AirVenture 2016. The Martin JRM Mars flying boats are the world’s largest flying boats ever flown operationally. Although seven were built, only two remain flying, the Hawaii Mars JRM-3 pictured here and the Philippine Mars. They have been refitted as firefighting water bombers carrying 7,200 gallons of water.
Each image will be posted individually this week with a bit more narrative under category Aviation.
Click any image below for a slide show.
Dec 4, 2019 | AF-S 70-300mm f4.5-5.6G IF-ED VR, Daily Image 2019, F-4 Phantom II, Fighter Jets, Nikon 1 V3
Fighter Jets | F-4 Phantom The F-4 Phantom II is a tandem two-seat, twin-engine, all-weather, long-range, supersonic fighter-bomber developed by McDonnell Aircraft. It first entered service in 1960 and by the mid 1960s, became a major part of the U.S. Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps air wings. The Phantom is a large fighter with a top speed of over Mach 2.2. It can carry more than 18,000 pounds of weapons on nine external hard points including air-to-air missiles, air-to-ground missiles, and various bombs, but originally without an internal cannon. Later models incorporated a M61 Vulcan rotary cannon. Beginning in 1959, it set 15 world records for in-flight performance, including an absolute speed record, and an absolute altitude record. During the Vietnam War, the F-4 was used extensively as the principal Air Superiority fighter. It served as a first line fighter of more Western air forces than any other jet. For the whole story with all images, see Fighter Jets | a 7 Image Story.
Jan 27, 2018 | 7 Image Story Posts, AF-S 70-300mm f4.5-5.6G IF-ED VR, Aviation, Daily Image 2018, F-4 Phantom II, Military Aircraft, Nikon 1 V3, Nikon 1 V3 for Aviation
Nikon 1 V3 for Aviation | F-4 Phantom The F-4 Phantom II is a two-place, twin jet, all-weather fighter with top speeds more than twice the speed of sound. This image captures it taxiing back after a landing; just fast enough to keep the parachute from drag gin on the ground. To see the entire story with all seven images, go to Nikon 1 V3 for Aviation | a 7 Image Story.
Jan 21, 2018 | 1 VR 30-110mm f/3.8-5.6, 7 Image Stories, AF-S 70-300mm f4.5-5.6G IF-ED VR, Antique Aircraft, Aviation, Aviation, F-22 Raptor, F-4 Phantom II, Fairchild 71, GA Aircraft, Helicopter, IMHO, IMHO, Martin JRM Mars, MH-65 Dolphin Helicopter, Military Aircraft, Nikon 1 V3, Nikon 1 V3 for Aviation, Piper J-3 Cub
Nikon 1 V3 for Aviation | a 7 Image Story My journey with the Nikon 1 series cameras and lenses started with the V1, skipped the V2, and embraced the V3. The V3 fixed several annoying V1 traits. Also, handling, auto-focus, and metering improved dramatically. About the same time, a firmware upgrade allowed the auto-focus to more easily keep aircraft in focus while panning with the lens attached to the FT-1 adapter. Thus, the Nikon 1 V3 became a reasonably nice camera for capturing aviation images as well as most other images. I’ve captured a variety of aircraft images including props, jets, sailplanes, float planes, helicopters, and even a blimp. Those images included statics both on land and water as well as ground to air while panning handheld. Unfortunately, there haven’t been any air to air images yet. Thus far, my data base contains over 75K+ V1 and V3 images with over 1330 posted on this blog.
What the V3 does well, it does very well. Now, the V3 is my preferred carry camera for capturing daily walkabout images. It shoots much like a DSLR in continuous mode. Although a bit noisy at higher ISOs, the image quality is quite good, particularly for posting. Although bracketing would really be helpful, today’s post processing software reduces the need. The 2.7 crop factor helps improve images where getting closer is not an option, like at air shows. Would I only take it to an air show or fly-in and leave my DSLRs in the hangar? Well yes, occasionally I do, if a light travel pack is required. Still, I’d rather take both my DSLRs and the V3.
In a nutshell, what specifically do I like about the Nikon 1 V3 for aviation?
- The Nikon 1 V3 is relatively small and light to carry. Carrying heavy gear all day around air shows gets old, fast.
- With it’s 2.7 crop factor, it adds inexpensive reach to my telephoto lens allowing me more flexibility in positioning.
- It’s easy to carry with a telephoto lens attached, like the AFS 70-300mm & FT-1, using the sun sniper shoulder strap.
- Image quality seems quite good unless a really large print is required.
- With a little practice, it can be panned handheld with slower shutter speeds to capture blurred propellers.
- The tilting LCD reduces the time spent hugging the ground to get that low angle shot.
- While I seldom use video, a short video makes a nice addition to event posts.
- Of course, most Nikon AFS lenses work nicely, using the FT-1 adapter.
The V3 presents a few more challenges over my DSLRs!
- The Nikon 1 V3 requires a bit more camera discipline than a my DSLRs. The controls sometimes move during normal handling so the photographer must often check to ensure the settings are correct.
- Panning in low light can be demanding and a high ISO generates a good bit of noise.
- The small camera frame, attached to a long, heavy telephoto lens, does not seem balanced; making handling a bit tricky. The Nikon AFS 70-300mm works nicely, whereas, the AFS 70-200mm; not so much. Also, care must be taken not to break the camera mount with a heavy telephoto lens. Always carry it by the lens or the FT-1, not the camera.
- Higher ISO images sometimes require a pass through noise reduction in post processing.
- The V3 does not have exposure bracketing, which would come in handy.
- Changing the battery and/or the MicroSD card in the field takes some time and care.
- Build quality is more consumer than professional. If dropped, it can break.
What’s next? Nikon appears to have discontinued the Nikon 1 V series; too bad. A V4 camera could have addressed several V3 issues to become a really great camera. It’s not yet clear what my next carry camera will be; maybe another V3.
Each image will be posted individually this week with a bit more narrative under category Nikon 1 V3 for Aviation.
Click any image below for a slide show!
My Nikon 1 V3 aviation kit fits into a very small Lowepro camera backpack. The camera equipment includes a Nikon 1 V3 Body, Nikon FT-1 Adapter, 1 VR 10-30mm f3.5-5.6 PD-Zoom, 1 VR 30-110mm f3.8-5.6, AFS 50mm f1.4G, and a AFS 70-300mm f4.5-5.6G IF-ED VR. The supporting equipment includes a Nikon Speedlight SB-N5 Flash, LitePanels MicroPro Hybrid, Sennheiser MKE 400 Directional Mic, Sun Sniper Shoulder Strap, Extra Nikon EN-EL15 Battery, Nikon MH-25 Charger, Extra SD Cards, Lens Cleaning Supplies, and a Headlamp with red & white light. A small MeFOTO tripod has its own bag. Find more Nikon 1 V1 and V3 experiences posted under IMHO.
Jun 21, 2016 | AF-S 70-300mm f4.5-5.6G IF-ED VR, Aviation, Daily Image 2016, F-4 Phantom II, Nikon 1 V3
F-4 Phantom II is a two-place, twin jet, all-weather fighter with top speeds more than twice the speed of sound. It was one of the most versatile fighters ever built. It served as a first line fighter of more Western air forces than any other jet.
