D300 Camera testing Part 2 of 2 (night shots)

Let's see what i did last weekend....Fri night...as usual another blitzkrieg outing to make sure my spontaneity is kept alive after weeks of brain numbing studies. Straight after my Anatomy exams somemore. Had a quick meet up with Jimmy, Clarice and her cousin(whom I heard sooo much about) for a movie (Day Earth Stood Still) at Plaza Sing. So shiok... already wanted to see show for the past 3 weeks but never found the chance. In all the rush left out the cousin's tickets and had to sneak him in through the cinema exit. Conveniently (but not fortunately) PS's seats can fold up the armrest and 4 of us manage to squeeze 4 person in 3 seats. See beh queh shio! First time feel so hot watching a movie but I think Jimmy wouldn't mind ah? HEheheeeh..... The "leg action" caught me aback so I can only react by laughin sheepishly...
Show was only average at best (predictable alien invasion plot and scenes) but I like Keanu Reeves all the same. :)

Alright now for the pics from my D300, which passed my daylight evaluation.... but what about in low light? Would have wasted my 2 grand if there's no significant improvement over it's predecessor, the D200. After all, the whole pt of trading the D200 in was because I am frustrated at the noise level whenever I shoot in indoor sports locations and dark exploration locations. I dun give a hoot at the other bells and whistles that the new cam has.
Since it's the Christmas season, street photography will naturally involve Xmas lighting and trees!
here we go:


No feel for this shot lousy composition and all. Shot was blurred. Partly due to the rotation movement of the tree and waiting for Guanghao, his wife and Ah Ben for 2 hours due to miscomm.. haiz.... somehow the camera din work very well in this lighting. Setting at IS0 1600 is beginning to push it. Details are starting to smudge due to the auto noise reduction.









The gina playing by the fountain(it's all fun and games till someone gets shot in the eyes....) pics din come out that well but saved by abit of software adjustments. Gotta admit I am still lousy at photographing people. Maybe cos lack of practice. Too paiseh to take people shots liao.....

Nice and Brite moon. So brite even had it's own halo. My bike playing peekaboo....

My little scoot in the moon lit nite. To the right is the 55years old 7th storey hotel which will be yet another victim to LTA's urban "swallow up anything old" plans. Heritage is dead nowadays.
"C'mon kids, hurrah to Nasionul identiti...erm...except... identify with wat"?

Next: Orchard Road
It was still drizzling, a hassle to keep my lens dry and cold as hell. But hey! It beats the heck outta staying at home to mug! At least the wet road reflected the lights from traffic and all the Chyna imported LEDs on the trees so that I can shoot at ISO 800 instead of 1600. And at that sensitivity level, the results are great! The noise reduction even though still annoying, are not as bad. The saturation did their job and the shutter can be set to a level where I still can take handheld shots without the shakes.
Overexposed but I still like the final effect.

Lots of construction going on in Orchard at this pt of time which kinda dampens the holiday shopping mood.

Ngee Ann City Square with reflective flooring. Which Kinda reminds me abit of the ice skating rink in front of Rockefeller Centre in NY.


Ice Cream never goes outta style. Even in icy weather!



Lively-britely-lit-colourful-holiday-season-streets-of-Orchard. Say that 3 times fast!

Even more colourful is the personalities you find outside cineleisure's entrance every weekend nite. Now with funky blue and green lighting to make them feel more in their zone.

Every major shpping mall's gotta have their own tree. If not very malu leh. Here's Paragon's.

And our local fav pastime this time of the year. Take snapshots with the trees. Funny, I dun remember to have ever done that.

*The three beside the tree*





This Jamaican's earning $$ for a flight tick back home cos father's dying of prostrate cancer.... Dunno true anot but he does add character to the streets. Spotted him in Bugis too.

Ok.... overall the D300's does show improvement over the D200 in the dept that I care most but issit enuf? The bugis shots shows some reservations and the metering ain't that accurate at night either.
Should I have blown my bank to oblivion by getting the D700 instead? The low light performance is guaranteed but that isn't possible as I have to change my entire collection of lens to full frame ones.
Hopefully in the next wushu tournament I will be able to use the increased sensitivity for a faster shutter to freeze mid air motion. Next on the shopping list: MB-D10.... sick of adducting my arms so high everytime I take a potrait shot. The extra frame rate advantage dun hurt too in a sports event. And of cos.... the AF-S 70-200mm F2.8VR......Yeah I love to dream....cannot ah?