Scout Images

As many of my friends know, I go up to the Blue Mountains on a pretty regular basis; heading up there once every few months for a bit of a roam and some picture taking. Today was yet another one of these trips, with the excuse of taking a friend who had never been up there before, so I did a bit less shooting and hiking (which I always feel like doing more of) and a bit more of the tourist jaunt (which always seems to be the case). However, equipped with my Nikon D300, Tamron 17-50 f/2.8 and Phottix Geo One I managed to get some shots, including a few from the long trip via CityRail up to the mountains.

As always, these are images that are straight out of camera and resized.

I have decided to get myself an annual pass to Sydney’s Taronga Park Zoo with the goal of devoting some time there over the next year working on different techniques. Hopefully I will improve my animal pictures (and portraits in general) as I keep shooting the cats and birds that inhabit this sanctuary in the heart of the city.

Here are some of my efforts from today, shot with my D300 and Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 VR

I have been using my new (new to me) AI Nikkor 135mm f/2.8 and have been nothing short of impressed by what it can do. This experience has got me thinking and wanting more older style lenses….primes and manual focus primes. With the quality that is obtainable with zoom lenses it seems rather silly to be thinking about old manual focus primes, but after using the 135mm it has dawned on me that these lenses are of another breed.

The manual focus prime is a lot smaller, more compact and lighter than their modern brethen. Using primes forces you to be more careful with your compostion, drives your creativity and the need to manual focus adds to the care that is taken for each shot.

My usage of the 135mm brings me back to the days when I was first learning to shoot SLR (on an old FM2) and the pleasure of the precision that the MF demands means every shot that works brings a great sense of satisfaction. My only true MF lens at the moment is the AI 135mm f/2.8 but the build quality and precision is simply mind blowing.

Coincidently, the lens that this 135mm is looking like displacing is actually another prime…the AF Nikkor 50mm f/1.8D. I can now proudly say that I own three prime lenses (AI 135mm f/2.8, AF-D 50mm f/1.8, EX 180mm f/3.5 HSM) and two of these are my two favourite lenses that I own.

Whilst I am not going to ditch my auto focus zooms, I think there will always be room in my kit for a good MF prime or two. I will definitely look into getting some more MF primes in the future when my budget allows for this.

In the mean time…..anyone want:

• Tamron 28-105mm f/2.8 (big, nice range, does hunt a little – I really dont need this lens as I have the AF-S Zoom-Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8)
• Sigma 180mm f/3.5 Macro (I am tempted to downsize this to a Tamron 90mm, AF-S Micro-Nikkor 105VR or head for the Tamron 180mm f/3.5)

Only serious offers will be considered.

Razor sharp, tough as a tank, built with the precision of a swiss watch….in the few short hours that I have had this new addition to my kit, it has cemented it’s place. This small, solid lens really proves that they dont make them like they used to!!!

I have searching for an AI or AIS series lens to match my FM2n. Ever since I used the Carl Zeiss 135mm f/1.8 (for Sony Alpha) I have been mystified by the focal length, so when this lens was offered I jumped for it.

I just thought I would share some pictures that I have taken recently. This first set was taken during a Breakfast meeting at Badde Manors (Glebe) with my trusty little Fujifilm FinePix F100fd. I have to admit that the food was as good as it looked.

Here are some pictures from today, I went for a walk around Darling Harbour, visiting the Brazilian Festival before heading over for a roam of the Rocks.  Once again I found myself with the wrong set up (it seems to be a happening a lot more often these days when I decide to go for a roam) having brought the Sigma 180mm macro instead of the Nikkor AF-S 70-200mm f/2.8 VR, however I did manage to get some decent shots with the Sigma used as a telephoto (one of the key reasons why I picked the Sigma 180mm over the Tamron 180mm – the slightly faster AF speed).

It is true that a proper macro lens does a great job when your getting up close and personal, that is why we spend lots of money on them. BUT what happens when you dont have one on you?

I was out and about today with dad (keeping the Father’s Day thing rolling today) so I was travelling light (Nikon D60, Tamron SP 17-50mm f/2.8, Tamron 70-300mm and Nikkor AF-D 50mm f/1.8). Being the beginning of spring in Sydney I couldnt resist but to have a walk down to the Botanical Gardens in the afternoon. The flowers were in bloom and there were plenty of nice shots to be had. With my Sigma 180mm macro sitting very usefully at home, I had to fall back on what I did prior to owning a macro lens: I always carry a Marumi close up filter set for my 50mm f/1.8 and my Tamron 70-300mm has a 1:2 macro ability (not great quality but it gets the job done). Here are some of my photos from the day.

I just thought I would share some of my latest pics, these sets are more personal outings than planned shoots.

I took a stroll along the cliffs from Bondi Beach to Waverly Cemetery, shooting along the way. I mainly used the D60 and the Nikkor AF-D 50mm f/1.8. There are also a few shots taken at Centennial Park from earlier that day.

Alley Cabaret concluded their 2009 series with an Arabian Nights themed performance. Although I was not the designated photographer I was present and took a few pics with my trust D300 and 50mm f/1.8 and a few with the Tamron 70-300. The difference between kicking back to watch the show and being there on the job is huge. I prefer to be kicking back, even if the photos are not so great.

Today I spent the day at the Fish Markets, and having brought the D60 along with the Tamron SP 17-50mm I could not resist but to snap a few pics of the produce.

Tamron has announced a new version of my treasured SP 17-50mm f/2.8 with the built in motor and Vibration Compensation (VC – Tamron’s alphabet soup for VR).

I love my exisiting 17-50mm f/2.8 (A16N) and dont personally think I will be switiching to this new model designated SP AF17-50mm F/2.8 XR Di-II VC LD Aspherical (IF) (B005) looks very interesting and the initial chatter suggests that there is a new optical formula. This means that we should be able to safely assume that Tamron has tweaked the lens (hopefully for the better).

I resisted going from my screwdriver driven A16N to the built in motor A16NII as the focus speed of the lens dropped considerably compared to the screwdriver on my D300. Now that I have a D60 as a light weight body this new lens will be in my thoughts if I ever have to replace my A16N.

I do not have any affiliation with Tamron, nor it distributors, I am merely sharing some news that I have come across.