Archive for the ‘Lenses’ Category
Lens Case Replaced
Thanks to a tweet from Neothermic I found out the soft case for my Nikon 200-400 lens was subject to failure. 
I sent the lens case in last Saturday via the provided FedEx return shipping label. I have the lens sitting on my desk at the moment, waiting for the replacement to arrive. I hope it doesn’t take too long, the lens doesn’t travel well without the case.
I’m planning a trip to Alaska at the moment. It’s not a true photography trip (more of a family vacation) so I’m not sure if I will be able to justify taking it or not. I may end up with the 70-200VR 2.8 and a converter or something instead.
I will post back when I get the replacement case in, and let everyone know how long it takes.
Gitzo Twist Now a Thing of the Past
I have a Gitzo “Mountaineer” tripod that I purchased several years ago. It’s a great tripod, but it’s a pain to use. As a result, I will often end up lugging around the heavier but more user-friendly Bogen unless I need to use the Wimberly head. Gitzo has fixed all of that, and I’m really pleased.
I just received my latest order from B&H and it included a monopod… specifically the Gitzo GM3551 Carbon Fiber. It uses the new 6x technology to make it lighter and stronger, but what’s really special is the new “twist lock” feature. No more Gitzo twist! Now you can twist to lock or unlock with one hand. I opened and closed it twice and was already making plans to replace my older Gitzo tripod with the newer 6x “twist lock” model. I think it would become my only tripod at that point.
I got the monopod to use with my Nikon 200-400 f4 VR lens. With VR you would think I would not need a tripod or monopod, and truthfully I don’t. I have managed to get some very good pictures without a support. Then why the monopod? Then lens is simply heavy. 
The monopod is more for supporting the weight while I’m using the lens rather than for providing stability. I have a soccer game this weekend and might try it out.
I also picked up a new VR lens, the Nikon 70-300 VR. This is not a fast lens or a fix aperture. But I have always liked the reach of the 70-300 lenses, and with VR it’s certainly going to be fast enough. I am going to take this to the soccer game this weekend too. If it works, it’s certainly going to be a lot easier to cart around, even if it is a bit slower I’m betting it will be more than adequate for soccer pics.
Stay tuned for more details as I get to start using my new toys.
Missed. Again. <sigh>
I got an email from B&H Photo Video the other day saying that they had some Nikon 70-200 VR lenses in stock. A few hours later I hit the site, and they were sold out. Yes, just that fast.
I have been told that the 70-200 VR will be re-released this fall as a VRII model anyway, so perhaps I’ll just wait until then. My 80-200 2.8 works quite well so the VR feature would be a bonus but not a requirement.
In any case, it’s amazing how quickly these lenses sell out. Maybe they’re just getting two or three at a time into their stock. 
DX Lenses Becoming Obsolete
A 35mm camera has, interestingly enough, a data collection mechanism (film) that is 35mm. Most of the digital SLR cameras (from Nikon or otherwise) on the market today have a sensor that is smaller than 35mm. The net result is that if you use a 35mm lens on a digital SLR the lens focal length is increased, and in some cases the image quality is sharpened at the same time. [1] For many lenses this is a positive result as a 400mm film lens becomes a 600mm lens when used with the smaller sensor. For wide angle lenses (anything below 50mm for a film lens is considered wide angle) this is not such a good thing. [2]
As a result Nikon came out with a line of DX lenses that were designed for the size of the sensor used in their digital SLR bodies. These lenses were smaller and less expensive and made it easier for new folks to get involved with digital SLR photography. But the problem is they’re already becoming obsolete. Continue…
Telephoto AF Micro Nikkor 200mm f/4.0D ED-IF Autofocus Lens
Not too long ago I posted my initial impressions of my new 200-400 VR lens. I still have not managed to give that lens the workout it deserves, so I am not ready to provide any additional comments just yet. Instead, today I bring you my initial impressions of another new lens, the Telephoto AF Micro Nikkor 200mm f/4.0D ED-IF Autofocus Lens. More alphabet soup.
Zoom Telephoto AF Zoom Nikkor 200-400mm f/4 G-AFS ED-IF VR Autofocus Lens
First Impressions
Wow, talk about alphabet soup. The title of this blog post is the way Nikon describes one of their newest lenses. It’s quite a mouthful, but each set of letters represents an important feature. I had been anticipating the release of this lens since last summer when it was first announced. It took quite a while for Nikon to ramp up production, and even today it is very difficult to find this lens in stock anywhere. I was fortunate enough to pick one up about a month ago during the few days B&H Photo Video had them in stock, and I have started taking pictures with it. So far, I am very pleased.
Continue…
Deciding on a Fisheye Lens Purchase
Toward the end of last year I decided that I needed to purchase a fisheye lens. The question was, which one? No, I don’t mean that I had to decide whether to purchase a Nikon lens or something else. I started buying only Nikon glass a few years back and have not regretted it at all. The question that I faced was whether to buy the DX fisheye or not.
The DX lenses from Nikon are intended to be used with their digital cameras. In a nutshell it means that the lens is designed for the smaller focal area found in most current digital camera bodies. Until now I have always decided to get the full-featured “film” lens because they work just fine on my film cameras. The will also work on the digiital cameras but the focal length is effectively increased due to the smaller sensor. This is great for longer lenses (a 300mm becomes a 450mm on a digital camera with the smaller sensor) and stinks for wide angle lenses.
So why would I even consider it for the fisheye? It’s because the fisheye lens geometry is so precise that it will only work properly on one type of camera or the other. Decisions, decisions… what to do?
