First off it was off to Ku Ring Gai Chase National Park for a day of light hiking. Having just written a post about going back to basics I was feeling a bit guilty about that poor D300 sitting around not doing too much so I lugged that and a few lenses for the day. Also in the bag for the day was my reliable Tamron SP 17-50mm f /2.8 as well as a few other lenses. Most importantly I decided to grab my Cokin filter set (ND Grads). We did two hikes, neither being very long, but the most rewarding photographically was the short 1km walk down the America Bay, where we were treated to a spectacular view that is not typical Australia.

The next day, instead of sleeping in and resting we headed out to La Perouse, to explore Bare Island and then headed onto the Henry Head Scenic Walk. I am less happy with the photos from the day, but it was still great to get out there and take pictures. I took the D60 and the 16-85mm VR with the Cokin filters (which I didn’t end up using) and didnt actually feel like I was restricted at all. In many ways I feel that I am now more in tune with the D60 than I am with the D300.

By this point in time, any sane person would be headed home to rest before having to go to work the next day, but not me. I got a call from a friend who had not been able to get out to Vivid Sydney, and it was the last night of the festival, so I could not refuse the invitation. Now I have mentioned Vivid Sydney a few times, but have yet to share photos. In short I have been collecting my photos from the festival until the end before bombarding you with a few of my favourites. As a whole I have to admit that the festival was not as good as it was last year, but it did have some highlights for me. Over the last year I have managed to accumulate a few lenses that and skills that I didn’t have last year so the pictures are not at a loss. That Tokina AT-X DX 10-17mm Fisheye certainly has proved its worth.

In the last few years I have made a whirlwind transition from my first SLR that I owned (my sorely missed Nikon D40X + AF-S DX Zoom Nikkor 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6G ED IF) to buying a D300, adding a S5 Pro and enough glass to make most people cry. However, in recent months I have returned back to the smaller, lighter, simpler form factor with the addition of the D60 and more recently the AF-S DX Nikkor 35mm f/1.8G. Don’t worry, I am not getting all “Ken Rockwell” on you all.

I have really missed the inconspicuous nature and the creative freedom that such the smaller lighter bodies allow. But more importantly I have found myself using less, carrying less and spending less time worrying about what to use and spending more time taking photos. Most importantly I have in a sense recaptured some of the spontaneity in my photos that I lost when I moved to larger and heavier gear. In retrospect, I was happier with more of my work from the D40X compared to the work I did with the D300 and co. This is actually no fluke, restricting oneself forces us to think about what we do, makes us stop to compose, forces us to consider the chance of success of a shot.

I recently added the AF-S DX Zoom Nikkor 16-85mm f/3.5-5.6G ED IF VR into my kit bag. This lens harks back to the limitations of my 18-135mm but with a more restrictive range. The combination of the D60+16-85 is very reminiscent of the D40x+18-135 in size so it is in many ways a homecoming for me. Although I didnt bring home as many keepers on my last trip up to the Gold Coast where I ONLY brought this kit, I felt so free when I was using it. In short, I did not feel painfully restricted. I would happily travel again with only this kit.

This draws me to my main point: there is an innate sense of satisfaction in using simple gear. At the present I am happiest when I have a fast prime attached to my camera. In saying this, I do not mean an exotic prime, but the lowly 50mm f/1.8 or the 35mm f/1.8. Why? The answer is simple, with a fast, inexpensive prime I can enjoy all the benefits of my large, heavy, expensive f/2.8 lenses in a package that is not a pain to carry around. I have sharpness equal to professional zooms, I have great depth of field control and all in a tiny package that no one runs away from.

So what primes? I have mentioned two lenses, one that has been in my kit longer than any other lens, and the other an addition that I have found hard to remove from my cameras.

The first is the traditional 50mm f/1.8 (aka “fast fifty”, “nifty fifty”), a lens that is cheap to make, superbly sharp and regardless of the manufacturer always one of the best. These lenses were traditionally the lenses sold in kits with film SLR’s. The lowly 50mm f/1.8 is what is termed a “normal” lens, meaning it gives us a field of view similar to that of what we see, however digital throws a curve ball at us as the field of view is cropped. This leaves us with a 50mm f/1.8 that has the field of view of a traditional 75mm (but not the same compression though). So on APS-C (DX in Nikon terms) the 50mm f/1.8 has proven to be a bit too “long” to be a useful walk around, this has not stopped many from buying and loving this lens (and it’s f/1.4 and even f/1.2 brothers). For me, the AF Nikkor 50mm f/1.8D represents the first extra lens I bought, and since the day I picked it up it has been in the kit bag even though I had to focus it manually on the D40x. It proves to be a great low light lens and due to the crop a fairly good portrait lens.

The 2nd lens in question here is the AF-S DX Nikkor 35mm f/1.8G. I bought this lens on a whim, when I was woken by a very good friend who happened to be in New York and wanted to ask me which lens to buy (the 35mm or the 50mm mentioned earlier), I advised the 35mm and was quickly asked if I wanted one as well…the rest is history. Since I received my lens it has not really left the camera body. Traditionally the 35mm focal length is a bit wider than normal but not very wide, however on APS-C (or DX) 35mm provides a 52.5mm field of view….maybe you can see something here. For those who have not worked it out, 35mm is the digital 50mm, the normal field of view! Like a traditional 50mm f/1.8, Nikon’s DX 35mm f/1.8 is a small, lightweight package that offers supreme sharpness and depth of field control. I have found that this lens has just enough width of most everyday candid and street photography, therefore it has been constantly on one of my cameras (usually the D60).

Between the 50mm and the 35mm (or digital 50mm) we have two simple lenses that are both fulfilling to use and inexpensive. For those of you who are not using Nikon: 4/3rds have the 25mm pancake, and Canon sounds to be making a cheap 35mm f/1.8 as well, not to mention the 35mm primes (also available for Pentax). Everyone should try a “fast 50″ of some description. It is these basics that make photography fun and you’ll be surprised with what they can teach you!

For added versatility, consider coupling one of these lenses with a set of extension tubes, or even close up filters, (available here) for a handy macro solution!

Now most people would head to the Gold Coast in search of the thrills of the various theme parks up there, but this is not what I found myself doing. Instead I visited Springbrook National Park and Burleigh Heads National Park. Although both these trips were short ones, I did manage to get a few images worth sharing. There were countless points in time when I wished I had lugged up my D300 and associated lenses, and other moments when I wished for my tripod and graduated ND filters, but I made do with what I had.

Every Sydney photographer has shot the harbour, the coat hanger and the sails of the Sydney Opera House, and with the upcoming Vivid Sydney festival of light, we will bombard you all with more images. However, it is an exercise that gives up a chance to measure ourselves against the postcards and the images that are widely used by mass media. My recent trip to shoot the harbour also had an extra reason, the send off of a fellow DSLRusers forum member, a member who was based in Wollongong, but will be headed back to Europe. So I lugged out my Manfrotto, and my D300 to work on Friday and measured myself against the images that typify the marketing of Sydney. To keep things interesting I kept my lens kit to a minimum, Tokina 10-17mm fisheye, Tamron 17-50mm f/2.8, Nikkor AF-S 35mm f/1.8 and Nikkor AI 135mm f/2.8. Also coming along was my trusty Phottix Geo One.

The trip to Cockatoo Island was accompanying USYD Photosoc to visit the 17th Biennale of Sydney. My kit that day was even more intriguing, as I decided to let my sister pick it. Keeping in mind she is not photographically minded, I did manage to get a nice kit: Nikon D60, Nikkor AF-S 35mm f/1.8, Tokina 10-17mm fisheye, Sigma 180mm f/3.5 Macro.

Just yesterday I was given the opportunity to accompany a good friend to a shoot at a slightly different location. This was a model shoot at an abandoned warehouse/factory. This is not my usual sort of thing, but I brought out some toys and headed off with an open mind. What do you bring when you are not sure what you will be doing? I brought along my Nikon D300, Nikkor AF-S 24-70mm f/2.8, Nikkor AF-S 70-200mm f/2.8 VR, Nikkor AF-D 50mm f/1.8, Nikkor AI 135mm f/2.8, Sigma APO EX DG 180mm f/3.5 Macro, Nikon SB-400, Nikon SB-600 and Nikon SB-800. Not everything got used in the end but I didnt feel like I missed out on anything.

First up was a compact only day, where a few friends and I did a pretty nice hike from Otford lookout down to Burning Palms and the Figure 8 pool. This hike is rated as “HARD” and really lives up to that rating, hence I didnt complain about only bringing a compact camera. So which compact did I bring? The Sony Cyber-Shot TX5 got the honours that day, mainly because it is so small and lightweight as well as being waterproof without a case, and it was in good company with a Panasonic Lumix LX-3 also in attendence.

This exercise was followed by a long nights sleep, but the next night I found myself hauling out an insane amount of gear to participate in a model shoot. My D300 got another decent workout, along with my AF-S 24-70mm f/2.8 and AF-S 70-200mm f/2.8 VR. Being a night shoot there needed to be light, so out came my Nikon SB-800 and SB-600. These were used in conjunction with some coloured gels and the diffuser panel from a Phottix 5-in-1 reflector.

I ended the ANZAC day long weekend with a trip out to the Royal Botanical Gardens. For this trip I decided to travel light, my shoulders still being sore from the weight of the previous nights adventures with the Lowepro Magnum 400AW, so out came my Nikon D60. If you remember my earlier post “Who needs a proper macro?” then you will remember that although I own a Sigma APO EX DG 180mm f/3.5 Macro, I dont always use or carry this behometh. This time, instead of using a Marumi close up kit with my Nikkor AF-D 50mm f/1.8, or my Tamron 70-300mm (1:2 Macro), I was using my Nikkor AF-S DX 35mm f/1.8 with a set of Phottix Nikon AF Extension tubes. My baby Nikon SB-400 and Phottix Duo Cable provided the lighting.

I have to apologise as I am still working on the Velvia scans as mentioned in this post. Also I have updated my gear location, at the moment I only have a SB-400, my other flashes are on loan!

Mamak is a Malaysian restaurant in Sydney that I really love (for more information please visit their website), fast paced food that is simple yet delicious. Here are some pictures taken using my Fuji F100fd.

More recently, I had some fisheye fun in the Queen Victoria Building. My Nikon D60 + Tokina AT-X 10-17mm. These were taken more for myself than for anything else, and experiment with zooming whilst shooting, often used with other lenses.

I used my Nikon D300 and Tamron SP 17-50mm f/2.8 for these photos with some photo editing done in Photoshop CS2 and Capture NX2.

Yesterday, I headed to the Australian Museum to see the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition, which included an interactive photo studio component this year. Armed with my Nikon D60, Nikkor AF-S 35mm f/1.8 and Sigma 180mm f/3.5 Macro I headed in. A prime kit? Between these two lenses I have everything I want, from close focus ability to candid captures, throw in the SB-400 and the Phottix Duo Cable I am ready to take on anything.

That evening I attended the DSLRusers/ex-SURCAS/current SURCAS fire night, an event that I had organised with the help of my friends from SURCAS. Although I was officially there as part of the photographic party, I was too tempted with the thoughts of playing with fire and spent a fair bit of time with the staff in hand. My D300 spent most of the night in the company of the Tamron SP 17-50mm f/2.8 and my Manfrotto 055 Pro B/322RC2 combo. The Tokina 10-17 fisheye and Nikkor AF-S 70-200mm f/2.8 VR also made appearances.

The AF-S DX Nikkor 35mm f/1.8G

We had lunch then had a stroll through the city centre.