I hate to bother the D800 forum with D700 news :), but I thought I would share some pics of the Blue Angels Air show this past weekend in Tuscaloosa. I don't do action pics, and I've never shot action photos with the D700, but with the help of a fast shutter, they turned out okay. I normally never, ever crop photos, but I was across the Black Warrior river from the airport (quite a distance), so a LOT of cropping had to be done. I was really impressed with the sharpness of most of these pics (in RAW format). I can only imagine how shots with a D800 would crop! Sorry, I'm not sure how to post a link to the gallery, but that's where they are. I made it to the tail end of the show, just in time for the Blue Angels. I know the real test would be photographing planes with props! It's always a pleasure to read all of the posts. I learn an awful lot from this place!

Man, I love this camera! Oh, they were shot with a 70-200 2.8 II Nikon lens.

James

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Please, relax, 12MP can be a billboard.

Thanks for sharing, great stuff.

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Thanks! I'll be AT the airport next time, so I won't have to crop so much and get more of a variety. Seeing a show like this is awe inspiring for me!

James

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I was stationed at Nellis, (Thunderbirds) and formed an opinion that that the pilots of "show" jets, are certifiable.

Flipping over and tracking 75<>100 feet above the runway...'nuff said.

have a great time.

Rob

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In the mid-90s, I used to work in what had been a hanger building at the south-east corner of the runway at Alliance Airport north of Fort Worth, TX. My office was up on the second floor. Every year, about a week before the Fort Worth air show, which was at Alliance, these crazy guys would show up and start practicing.

One morning, all Texas misty spring, one of these jet dudes came rolling his big toy around the building at second floor level, condensation trail spilling off the wing tips, making a turning circle around the corners about as tight as a mini-van, and causing all the women in the place to, well, swoon.

He didn't flip the plane over, but he was more like 50 feet off the ground and must have been close to stall speed. I wish I'd had a D700 in my back pocket that morning; but they weren't invented yet.

North Texas was all blue-bells, con trails, and swooning ladies that morning.

BTW, I really liked the 2569 (I think it was), the one with the jets in the lower left corner powering up in front of a big cumulous cloud with a touch of blue sky above it. That would make a great print.

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The Blue Angels will be in Summerside this August. From the show last year I took this shot of a certifiable pilot.

Peter
Canada

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Attachment #1, (jpg file)

>The Blue Angels will be in Summerside this August. From the
>show last year I took this shot of a certifiable pilot.


Woah, I hope I'll be able to pan that well when I see those guys!
He looks a little too close to the ground for me!

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It's hard not to be proud of our military when you experience a show like this! The pilots of all the planes are extraordinary. This was the 3rd time in 4 years that the Angels were here (the first time that I've had a digital camera, however). I'm hoping the Thunderbirds can make it at some point. The folks here are a very large and appreciative crowd!

Thanks for the compliment on the picture!

James

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For a couple of years there the Blue Angels and Thunderbirds were swapping their normal show locations so one year you could see one team, then next year the other team. But by the 2012 schedule it looks like they went back to their routine schedules.
Here is the Blue Angels schedule - http://www.blueangels.navy.mil/show/
Here is the Thunderbirds schedule - http://afthunderbirds.com/site/upcoming-shows/

I'm retired Navy so I'm a little prejudiced. However I grew up in Colorado Springs, home of the Air Force Academy and NORAD, so I'm a little prejudiced.

I don't let prejudices get in the way though - If either one of these teams, or the Canadian Snowbirds are near you - GO!

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That's awesome, thanks for the schedules! I've heard about the alternating schedules. I'm hoping that will happen here so the Thunderbirds or others will get in on it. Very exciting stuff!

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When you open an image in your gallery, just scroll down and you will see a line that says for forum post. Just click the button on the right and it will copy a link to the clipboard. Now go to the forum start a post as usual and when you are ready to add the picture just enter "CTL V" to insert the link in your post. Now when you post you will see your image and the cool thing is if someone clicks on your image they will be taken to the gallery where they can see a larger version.

Bob Baldassano
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"Nikonians membership - My most important photographic investment, after the
camera"

Retirement is a gift of time - Don't waste it!

Yeeess! Thank you, Bob!!

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