Tokyo: So I got a new camera

Shawn · #1 Posted **Oct 11, 2013, 11:06 AM**

I haven't posted a city pic that I've taken since 2002. That's pretty crazy. But after an extended hiatus and a few chances to try out some friends' DSLRs, I bought the bullet and got a new DSLR, a 70-200mm, and a 24-85mm. I got polarized UV filters for both lenses. No tripod yet, so that's hampered the clarity of my shots sometimes, especially when I took pics from the top of my roof during a typhoon. The typhoon's fringes only brushed Tokyo, so instead of rain we just got very brisk winds and a lot of awesome clouds.

These are the best of my first couple hundred shots, this camera is f'n complicated. Any and all advice is welcomed.

Zoomed southwest view from my office desk: Setagaya-ku and Kawasaki/Yokohama beyond. Fuji on the horizon.

Unzoomed southeast view from my office: Meguro in the foreground, the Kawasaki skyline towards the back, and the Yokohama Bay Bridge on the horizon.

Naka-Meguro and beyond.

Wide-angle from my desk. You can see the Musashi-kosugi skyline in the center-left horizon, and the Yokohama Minato-mirai skyline in the far left horizon.

Roppongi Hills and Midtown.

Azabu-juban, Toranomon, Roppongi 1-chome.

Kid in Yoyogi Park.

This is Cafe Masumiya, off one of the far less crowded Harajuku side streets. It is awesome. These three ladies are super nice. Go there, seriously.

They make sandwiches.

Wife + sandwich, mmmm. I need to adjust my ISO better for indoor I think.

Sunset from the stairwell halfway up my building.

From my balcony. I have taken this exact shot way too many times already.

From my roof.

Roof. Golden Daibutsu in the middle. Those clouds were zipping by like a movie in fast-forward.

Roof, looking south. Same deal with the fast clouds.

Roof during the typhoon.

Roof.

Fuji!

FREKI · #2 Posted **Oct 11, 2013, 11:36 AM**

Great pics mate!

Beedok · #3 Posted **Oct 11, 2013, 2:30 PM**

I love the fun shapes of Japanese buildings.

Coldrsx · #4 Posted **Oct 11, 2013, 8:37 PM**

Nice tour, love Edo

Danny · #5 Posted **Oct 11, 2013, 9:59 PM**

Awesome pictures of Tokyo. Thanks for sharing.

Very good purchase with your new camera and lens. Those views taken from your desk are amazing.

Congrats and greetings from Madrid, Spain.

diskojoe · #6 Posted **Oct 11, 2013, 11:00 PM**

Pics look decent. What type of motor did you get? For ISO I typically use the auto feature which is good about 90% of the time. If things get streaky they raise it up some more.

KevinFromTexas · #7 Posted **Oct 11, 2013, 11:54 PM**

Awesome. The air looks pretty clean.

i_am_hydrogen · #8 Posted **Oct 12, 2013, 12:41 AM**

Excellent shots. You've got a good eye. Hope to see more shots of Toyko.

ColDayMan · #9 Posted **Oct 12, 2013, 1:24 AM**

You're doing good.

Architype · #10 Posted **Oct 12, 2013, 6:41 AM**

Good shots, amazing city !

AJW · #11 Posted **Oct 12, 2013, 8:34 AM**

Hopefully we won't have to wait ten plus years for the next bunch.

Cory · #12 Posted **Oct 12, 2013, 7:13 PM**

Great stuff! Looks like you took advantage of some great lighting.

LMich · #13 Posted **Oct 14, 2013, 8:15 AM**

So good to see an old-timer getting bitten by the photobug, again.

Shawn · #14 Posted **Oct 15, 2013, 12:46 AM**

Thanks everyone! This stuff requires lots of practice and I am trying to find the time to spend a few hours a week with the camera.

Anyone have a particular tripod they'd recommend? I went with a Nikon, BTW.

hkskyline · #15 Posted **Oct 15, 2013, 3:29 PM**

No snow on Fuji!

Lipani · #16 Posted **Oct 17, 2013, 2:42 AM**

Great set, man! Hopefully we'll see more from you soon.

LosAngelesBeauty · #17 Posted **Oct 25, 2013, 11:41 PM**

Love love love Tokyo!

I can't wait to visit soon!

LSyd · #18 Posted **Oct 27, 2013, 2:42 PM**

great pics and welcome back to photography.

i recommend playing with settings until you find what you like. shoot in RAW and use rawtherapee or another editor until you get the hang of it.

and with those clouds from the typhoon, don't blow the highlights, go a little underexposed and correct post-processing.

-

Shawn · #19 Posted **Oct 28, 2013, 1:10 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by LSyd

great pics and welcome back to photography.

i recommend playing with settings until you find what you like. shoot in RAW and use rawtherapee or another editor until you get the hang of it.

and with those clouds from the typhoon, don't blow the highlights, go a little underexposed and correct post-processing.

-

Thanks LSyd, I am only shooting and editing in RAW, in Lightroom 5. Will have another batch to show soon, but as I am learning fast, post-processing can either take 3 minutes or 3 hours per shot, depending on how in to it I get.

volguus zildrohar · #20 Posted **Oct 28, 2013, 2:09 AM**

Not too shabby. I look forward to more.