Daily Archives: January 21, 2012

 

Nikon has released several fast, single focal length lenses, last year.  After some time to shoot them I’m in love!   All are f 1.4 maximum aperture.  85 f 1.4 – 35 f 1.4  and the 24 f 1.4.  They are spectacularly sharp, and very well corrected.  As you would imagine they cost more than $199.   All are just sub $2,000. each!!!   So why would you invest in such expensive glass?  Actually you might if you had to shoot in dismal light, or needed as bright an image as possible for viewing.  If you worked in reasonably good light and had a camera that can shoot in High ISO (6400 and higher)  You can work perfectly well with f 2.8 lenses.   the 24-70 AF-S f 2.8 is a perfect example.  It is razor sharp and reasonably fast. I even find the 24-120 AF-S VR II f 4 to work good in “most” situations.  “Most” is a big word when you are being paid to shoot.  If you have to work in miserable light, you’re gonna want these lenses in your bag.

 

Another reason you may want such fast lenses is to get very shallow depth-of-field.  Nothing is prettier than a soft, out of focus, background when you want to eliminate distractions.  The faster the lens, the easier it is to get that effect.  One other reason to think about this trio is the exclusive Nikon “N” coatings.  The Nano coatings are the ultimate weapon in the battle against reduced contrast due to  flare.

 

All in all, if you have the right reason to buy them, these three great lenses look less and less expensive!

 

the pilgrim

 

Is there anyway to save some money and still enjoy the fast glass???  Sort of, if you own both DX and FX bodies buy the 24 f 1.4 which on your DX body would be a 36 f1.4 and then add the 85 f 1.8 which is costs almost 1/4 the 85 f 1.4.   You would get 95% of the performance at substantially less than half the cost.  So I have a D4 and a D7000 if I own the 24 mm f 1.4 it will be a 24 f 1.4 on the D4, and 36 f 1.4 on the D7000.  The 85 mm f 1.8 is an 85 mm f1.8 on the FX, a 127.5 mm f 1.8 on the D7000.  Pretty cool………………

 

 

 

Every January the KNPA (Kentucky News Photographers Association) has their annual meeting in Lexington, Kentucky.  My wife, who works for Baptist Hospitals, always has a corresponding meeting close by.  We always look forward to going up for this weekend together, she works during the days, as do I, and then we can enjoy some time in the evenings.  One of the few meetings where I don’t have to travel alone.  The kicker that makes this trip extra special is that the Marriott for the meeting is the Marriott Griffin Gate.  Now if you stay in Marriotts a lot you become a Premier Member, then a Platinum Premier, and finally a Platinum Premier Elite member,  If  you stay in Marriotts 75 nights in a year you make the top rating, last year I had 179 Marriott nights!!!!

 

So the very gracious manager of this hotel always puts me in the Presidential  Suite, once stayed in  by George W. Bush (thus the name), plaque below, other famous guests have been Paul McCartney, Bruce Springsteen,  and other celebrities that have visited Lexington.  This weekends guest, not so much!

 

As I said, I’m certainly not bragging, more like saying how fortunate I feel when I get to share a good time like this with my wife!   God knows what our needs are, and even the desires of our hearts and I think he wants us to all feel special sometimes, as long as we don’t start believing we belong in a place like this!

 

So I will tough it out and try to manage to get by in such a humble abode!

 

 

Till Monday, the suffering pilgrim sends his blessings……

 

the pilgrim