A sample shot of the sky from my backyard – I don’t have a good view for such a wide angle but I like the effect. Couldn’t wait for this weekend to try it out somewhere in the open so this will have to do for now. :)
It’s the first fisheye lens designed for DX format. It covers an entire 180 degrees and makes a great lens for landscape, wedding and architecture shots (at least that’s what I’m going to use it for).
I got mine here.
If you haven’t already heard the news, Nikon has announced their new flagship successor, the Nikon D4. This amazing little photographic wonder sports a newly designed FX (full frame) CMOS sensor, 16.2 MP, EXPEED 3 processing engine, shooting up to 11 frame per second, illuminated buttons and more. The most favorite feature I was happy to read about – low noise performance at ISO speeds up to 12,800, extendable to 204,800 at 4 EV. Incredible. Has the same selectable 51 focus points (not really needed unless you’re using 3D tracking, which I rarely do – I normally shoot with 11 or 21 points)
Get yours at Adorama - they’re taking pre-orders, offer free-shipping, and all the specs are listed on their site. The price is $5,995.95, which means the price of the D3S is “a little cheaper” at $5,199.95 and has the same 12,800 ISO (albeit on the older, yet very adequate sensor)
Often I’m asked “What camera should I get?” Well I shoot Nikon, I’m not qualified to talk about Canon products. I’m not affiliated with Nikon, and there’s nothing wrong with Canon, I just have personal issues with their camera designs.
Now… what are you going to be photographing. Portraits? Landscapes? Action shots? Macro? And how much do you want to spend?
If you’re looking to go real basic and just have an SLR that “will get the job done”, go with the Nikon D3000. Or D5000 if you want video. I have issued with buying a camera if you want to shoot video, or buying a camcorder if you want to shoot photos. Whatever you buy, realize their primary job and don’t expect too much from their secondary function. I don’t buy an expensive SLR and expect it to shoot great video, or buy an expensive camcorder and expect it to take SLR-quality photos. There is no compromise.
If you want to be able to use prime AF lenses, you’ll need a camera body that has the focusing motor built-in, like the D90 or newer D7000. The older 50mm f/1.8 AF is a very sharp, very inexpensive lens which. One of the perks of getting a higher end camera – you can save a little if you plan on using AF lenses but that shouldn’t be the only reason.
If you’re going to be a serious shooter and grow into your equipment, I’d go with the D7000 which will give you plenty of room to grow, and uses both AF and AF-S lenses. If you get a kit, they generally come with the 18-70mm or 18-105mm lens, but have very nice optic quality. If you want furthur reach, such as your sons soccer game, the 55-300mm will get the job done but realize that indoors or at night (say at a stadium where the lighting is not ideal) you will need a faster, more expensive lens – HOWEVER, you can increase the ISO in camera to be more sensitive to light which will help by allowing you to increase shutter speed and prevent blurred photos. The next step would be a faster, ie: wider aperture, more expensive lens. The D7000 also shoots up to 6 frames per second. (note that the more inexpensive D3000 and D5000 can shoot only up to 2.5 frames per second)
Generally, I use the 17-55mm f/2.8 for portraits/weddings and live performances on stage. Outdoors I’ll use the 105mm f/2.8 macro which also doubles as a great portrait lens. It allows me to be furthur away, and thus increases the bokeh behind my subject(s). On occasion I also use the 35mm f/2 and 50mm f/1.8 AF prime lenses.
This is just a short primer, but if you have any questions on specific photos I’ve taken or about technique/tips/tricks, feel free to contact me.
Photo courtesy KenRockwell.com
The latest addition to my arsenal – the Nikon 105mm f/2.8 AF-S VR Micro (Macro, whatever they label it these days)
Focus down to 12 inches away (camera backplane) from your subject. For up close flower/plant-life shots, bugs (freaky) and doubles as a great portrait lens!
The next post has some example shots I took, as well as write-up reviews by Thom Hogan, and Ken Rockwell.
Got mine here.
Photo courtesy of KenRockwell.com
Until recently, with the addition of the 17-55mm f/2.8 DX, this used to be the lens I would always keep on my D300s. It’s versatile, and in dark conditions with a bounce flash, makes a great lens.
There are some minor distortion drawbacks (which you nor I cannot see unless aided by a computer) and pincushioning, and that’s the sacrifice you make when you need a single lens that can encompass a wide gamut of focal lengths.
I got mine here.
For portraits where you don’t need the wide aperture of the f/2.8′s, this lens does a pretty decent job. The photo shown below was taken with this very lens. I even used it for some of these family portraits at La Jolla cove. I don’t use it for portraits since I added some “real” portrait lenses to my collection but I still use it for a variety of things, especially when I go to parks or the zoo, this is the lens I take with me.
See the specs here from Ken Rockwell, or here from Thom Hogan.
Photo courtesy KenRockwell.com
Every now and then I get asked what kind of equipment I use or what lens took what picture. I have had the Nikon 17-55mm f/2.8 DX for a little over a year. Once I got serious in wanting to do portraits full time, I needed an actual portrait lens. I had been using my 50mm f/1.8D but in confined spaces, 50mm was too long a reach. 99% of the time you’ll see me using this lens for pretty much everything. I use it coupled to my D300s and the image quality is excellent. Rarely I’ll use lens correction in Lightroom to compensate for any barrel distortion.
I got mine here.
There is no VR, but with the longest focal length at 55mm, you really don’t need it. And if you do, you probably drink too much coffee. 
If you mainly use prime lenses, you will notice the weight. The puppy isn’t light, but it’s not extremely heavy either – only ~1.5lbs. For events I typically use this lens on the D300s w/MB-D10 battery pack, all mounted to a Stroboframe flash bracket with an SB-700 and Lightsphere on top. It’s not too bad, I notice the weight but in this setup the whole thing is pretty balanced and my back doesn’t start to hurt after only a few hours unless I’ve been doing some extreme bending side to side in order to “get that shot.”
Ken Rockwell has a good write-up here, while I disagree with some of his points, he lists a lot of great info.
The images below were taken with this lens.
I’ve used clip-on guitar tuners for years, some bulky, some not-so-accurate, but while shooting some on-stage photography I saw several musicians using these little guys so I decided to get one.