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Storm chasing without a viewfinder - NX500 in the field (literally at times)

Started May 21, 2015 | Discussions
imichael Regular Member • Posts: 216
Storm chasing without a viewfinder - NX500 in the field (literally at times)
11

Hi

After two weeks in the USA clocking up around 5500 miles chasing storms across 6 states, I think I can say that not having a viewfinder isn't a major issue for me, and the saving bulk/weight in the kit bag meant space for my Fuji XM to travel along too.

One thing I did discover is that my i7 laptop with 8gb ram isn't man enough to play back video resolutions higher than 1920x1080 so I have some rendering to do before I can check the outcome of handheld filming in 4k and UHD.  1920 is pretty damn good until the light drops below dusk levels (quite common under bigger storms) where noise can be an issue.

I used the kit pz lens and occasionally the 16mm, but the zoom stayed on for the majority of the trip, it's a great little lens especially for the price as part of a bundle.

A lone truck near Pecos, West Texas, just before it flooded

A screen grab from HD (1920x1080)

Softball sized hail in the core of a storm heading our way, near Elmer, Oklahoma

The same storm passing by to our north

I have the usual issue now of hundreds of pics and a stack of videos to trawl through to pick out the highlights, first world problems...

====================================
More toys than talent

 imichael's gear list:imichael's gear list
Samsung NX300 Fujifilm X-M1 Samsung NX30 Samsung NX500
Samsung NX500
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MOD Taffy Veteran Member • Posts: 5,020
Re: Storm chasing without a viewfinder - NX500 in the field (literally at times)
1

Great storm pics there, thanks for sharing them.

-- hide signature --

Have a good day.
Regards, Allan.

(unknown member) Veteran Member • Posts: 6,192
Re: Storm chasing without a viewfinder - NX500 in the field (literally at times)
1

Great pictures and the one of the truck is really different.

Are you specialising in these dark conditions so you can see the viewfinder.

The NX3000 is LCD and just usable and I find you can get used to it. I am still wary of AMOLED and curious if removing the air gap in the display which I believe started with the NX30 is now standard in all models.

imichael wrote:

After two weeks in the USA clocking up around 5500 miles chasing storms across 6 states, I think I can say that not having a viewfinder isn't a major issue for me, and the saving bulk/weight in the kit bag meant space for my Fuji XM to travel along too.

OP imichael Regular Member • Posts: 216
Re: Storm chasing without a viewfinder - NX500 in the field (literally at times)

Are you specialising in these dark conditions so you can see the viewfinder.

The lack of bright sun this year probably did help  I think I struggled on only one day with using the display, but tilting the screen and holding the camera at waist level solved it nicely - I create a decent amount of shade...

-- hide signature --

====================================
More toys than talent

 imichael's gear list:imichael's gear list
Samsung NX300 Fujifilm X-M1 Samsung NX30 Samsung NX500
racin06 Senior Member • Posts: 1,198
Re: Storm chasing without a viewfinder - NX500 in the field (literally at times)
1

Did you have the opportunity to see a tornado or funnel cloud? I find it interesting that a person from the UK would come to the U.S. to chase storms. I guess we Americans take those severe storms for granted ;). I hope you enjoyed your time in the U.S. Very nice photos!

 racin06's gear list:racin06's gear list
Fujifilm X100V Fujifilm X-H2 Fujifilm XF 18-55mm F2.8-4 R LM OIS Fujifilm XF 50-140mm F2.8 Fujifilm XF 100-400mm F4.5-5.6 OIS WR +7 more
Sports Dad Regular Member • Posts: 320
Love these (especially the first 2)
1

Be careful out there, so you can show us more.

 Sports Dad's gear list:Sports Dad's gear list
Samsung NX1 Samsung NX 45mm F1.8 Samsung 16-50mm F2.0-2.8 Samsung 50-150mm F2.8 S +1 more
Macintosh Sauce
Macintosh Sauce Contributing Member • Posts: 706
Re: Storm chasing without a viewfinder - NX500 in the field (literally at times)

Excellent photos!

-- hide signature --

Check out the new Web site for Samsung NX camera owners!
NX Photography - http://www.nxphotography.info
Note: Still under construction!

venice Senior Member • Posts: 1,973
Re: Storm chasing without a viewfinder - NX500 in the field (literally at times)

Great pix!

Are you here on a special storm chasing vacation?  If so, who runs it?

Thanks,

Bill

Harleysoftail
Harleysoftail Contributing Member • Posts: 506
Re: Storm chasing without a viewfinder - NX500 in the field (literally at times)

VERY Nice - thanks for sharing!

 Harleysoftail's gear list:Harleysoftail's gear list
Samsung NX1 Samsung NX 60mm F2.8 Macro ED OIS SSA Samsung NX 12-24mm F4-5.6 ED Samsung 16-50mm F2.0-2.8 Topaz Adjust +5 more
PTurbo Forum Member • Posts: 87
Re: Storm chasing without a viewfinder - NX500 in the field (literally at times)
1

love these pictures. That's something I  have always wanted to do while in the US

 PTurbo's gear list:PTurbo's gear list
Fujifilm X10 Fujifilm X30 Canon EOS 5D Samsung GX-10 Samsung NX300 +11 more
OP imichael Regular Member • Posts: 216
Re: Storm chasing without a viewfinder - NX500 in the field (literally at times)

racin06 wrote:

Did you have the opportunity to see a tornado or funnel cloud? I find it interesting that a person from the UK would come to the U.S. to chase storms. I guess we Americans take those severe storms for granted ;). I hope you enjoyed your time in the U.S. Very nice photos!

Thank you, yep, we caught a few tornados too, but this years storms are pretty 'grungy' with incredible amounts of rain so getting a clear view has been challenging.  El Nino might be ending the drought status around the plains,  but it's sure making a mess as it does it.

-- hide signature --

====================================
More toys than talent

 imichael's gear list:imichael's gear list
Samsung NX300 Fujifilm X-M1 Samsung NX30 Samsung NX500
OP imichael Regular Member • Posts: 216
Re: Storm chasing without a viewfinder - NX500 in the field (literally at times)

venice wrote:

Great pix!

Are you here on a special storm chasing vacation? If so, who runs it?

Thanks,

Bill

Thanks Bill

We head out from the UK every year to show our guests the incredible power of storms in the Plains.  As it's my company, I don't want to break any rules by promoting it here, but if you check the truck picture our company name and logo is on there :-).

Ian

-- hide signature --

====================================
More toys than talent

 imichael's gear list:imichael's gear list
Samsung NX300 Fujifilm X-M1 Samsung NX30 Samsung NX500
venice Senior Member • Posts: 1,973
Re: Storm chasing without a viewfinder - NX500 in the field (literally at times)

imichael wrote:

venice wrote:

Great pix!

Are you here on a special storm chasing vacation? If so, who runs it?

Thanks,

Bill

Thanks Bill

We head out from the UK every year to show our guests the incredible power of storms in the Plains. As it's my company, I don't want to break any rules by promoting it here, but if you check the truck picture our company name and logo is on there :-).

Ian

Thanks. That is very cool.

Maybe I'll look for a tour company that does bad weather safaris.

-Bill

Jorginho Forum Pro • Posts: 15,370
Funny, last night I dreamt of stormchasing

imichael wrote:

Hi

After two weeks in the USA clocking up around 5500 miles chasing storms across 6 states, I think I can say that not having a viewfinder isn't a major issue for me, and the saving bulk/weight in the kit bag meant space for my Fuji XM to travel along too.

One thing I did discover is that my i7 laptop with 8gb ram isn't man enough to play back video resolutions higher than 1920x1080 so I have some rendering to do before I can check the outcome of handheld filming in 4k and UHD. 1920 is pretty damn good until the light drops below dusk levels (quite common under bigger storms) where noise can be an issue.

I used the kit pz lens and occasionally the 16mm, but the zoom stayed on for the majority of the trip, it's a great little lens especially for the price as part of a bundle.

A lone truck near Pecos, West Texas, just before it flooded

A screen grab from HD (1920x1080)

Softball sized hail in the core of a storm heading our way, near Elmer, Oklahoma

The same storm passing by to our north

I have the usual issue now of hundreds of pics and a stack of videos to trawl through to pick out the highlights, first world problems...

====================================
More toys than talent

Seriously. I was hunting a superb, superb supercell but my GH4 was in repair (it is) and I had to use my EPL5 (which I have) and GX7 (which I don't). In the dream I just couldn't get either to work! One would not timelapse, the other had the wrong lens on it...Arrrghh.

I reallife though, things are fine. Love stormchasing in The Netherlands (we had a tornado 20th May. I was at work and I had to let a huge rotating supercell with meso pass me by 10 km....Couldn't leave my job, sadly...

Tornado and Dixie Alley are the place to be on planet Earth, but my part of Europe (NL, Belgium, northern Germany) are good places too. It is a great hobby.

Pics: like them, but the second has this typical stormchaser look where too mych PP got the better of you I think. It does not look natural anymore. But the other pics are very nice.
The NX500 has a very nice sensor with some great resolution, certainly at the price!

 Jorginho's gear list:Jorginho's gear list
Olympus PEN E-PL5 Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH4 Olympus E-M1 II Panasonic Lumix G Vario 14-45mm F3.5-5.6 ASPH OIS Panasonic Lumix G 20mm F1.7 ASPH +8 more
OP imichael Regular Member • Posts: 216
Re: Funny, last night I dreamt of stormchasing

You're in the right place for some decent storms there, I've seen some amazing pics from Europe already this year.

Yep, pic 2 got pushed quite hard to bring out the lightning, I've never played with screen grabs before and I think I must have been under exposing while filming too.  I'll see if I can find the original unaltered grab to show how flat it was.

Cheers

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====================================
More toys than talent

 imichael's gear list:imichael's gear list
Samsung NX300 Fujifilm X-M1 Samsung NX30 Samsung NX500
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