Spider's Web, Waihe'e Ridge, Maui

 

Spider's Web, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX7, Sigma 60mm f2.8 Art Lens

 

From my sunrise hike up Waihe'e Ridge in Maui. Sometimes jet lag can be a good thing. Today, it made it awfully easy to be up before dawn for the drive to the trailhead.

 

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Long Shadows - Waikiki Beach

 

Long Morning Shadows, Waikiki, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX7, Sigma 60mm f2.8 Art Lens

 

In this scene, I was struck by the extremely long shadow projecting from the person on the beach, and an even longer one from a palm tree not visible from this viewpoint. This highly directional strip of light was coming through between two large hotel towers. I took this from the 19th floor of the hotel.

 

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Japanese Maple in Autumn - Nikon Df

I'm enjoying my new Nikon Df a lot. Here's a shot of the Japanese maple outside my office.

 

Japanese Maple in Autumn, by Reed A. George

Nikon Df, Nikkor 50mm f1.4D AF Lens

iso 100, f1.4, 1/125 sec.

 

The 50mm f1.4 AF-D lens is now well out of date in the Nikkor lineup. It has always drawn criticism for lack of sharpness wide open, which I suppose is true. That doesn't keep me from using and enjoying it.

 

That said, the new Sigma 50mm f1.4 ART lens is the hot thing out there these days. My friends who have them approve. Much larger than the AF-D lens, these new Sigmas really seem to deliver amazing image quality. The updated Nikkor product, the AF-S 50mm f1.4G is another option, but both the Nikkor and Sigma lack aperture rings, something I'm unhappy about. This means that I can't use them on my old Nikon film bodies, or even adapted to Micro 4/3 for that matter.

 

As it stands, I can carry my older AF-D lens in the bag with any of my Nikon SLR bodies, from the 1959 model F to the 2014 model Df, and it will work just fine with any of them.

 

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Film Photography Project (FPP) Giveaway - My Sigma 400mm f5.6

 

 

I attended the FPP Walking Workshop back in May, and won two great pieces of gear in the giveaway - a Nikkormat FT3 and a Sigma pre-AI 400mm f5.6 telephoto lens. Of course I had to try this big old lens, so I mounted it on my plain prism Nikon F body and took it on the FPP walk to a local military commemorative event. Here are two examples of what I got.

 

At first, this young guy wasn't sure about having a 400 mm lens pointed in his direction. Than he settled down and had some fun "shooting" the 50 caliber machine gun on this vehicle.

 

Rat-a-tat-tat!, by Reed A. George

Nikon F Film SLR, Sigma 400mm f5.6 Pre-AI Lens

 

I was pleasantly surprised by the sharpness of this old lens. Shooting iso 400 film, I was able to keep the shutter speed up at 1/1000 of a second, which allowed me to handhold the lens. The lens is a little low in contrast, but I find the result quite nice. Thanks, FPP!

 

(Click Here) to learn more about the FPP.

 

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Photography as a Passion

Point Reyes Contemplation, by Reed A. George

Nikon D70, Sigma 600mm f8 Lens

iso 400, f8, 1/640 sec.

 

I took the shot above ten years ago. I remember the thrill of getting my first DSLR, the Nikon D70. Quite a machine it was. I also remember the feeling of hiking at Point Reyes, California on that day.

 

Eric Kim has posted 35 Magnum photographers' advice to aspiring photographers. I haven't read them all yet.

 

(Click Here) to read the full post on Eric Kim's blog.

 

Here's the one that will be my thought for the day, by Alex Webb:

 

"Photograph because you love doing it, because you absolutely have to do it, because the chief reward is going to be the process of doing it. Other rewards — recognition, financial remuneration — come to so few and are so fleeting. And even if you are somewhat successful, there will almost inevitably be stretches of time when you will be ignored, have little income, or — often — both. Certainly there are many other easier ways to make a living in this society. Take photography on as a passion, not a career."

I do feel that I "absolutely have to do it." I find that part of the quote very interesting. Taken out of context, that could mean that photography is your career, thus you have to do it. I think the follow-on is important: "...the chief reward is going to be the process of doing it." Certainly true for me. The process is the thing for me.

 

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Sigma Steps Up Its Game - Mount Conversion Service

Image Source: http://www.sigmaphoto.com/change-your-mount

I have precious little experience with Sigma products. I have owned one or two of their zooms in the past, and have occasionally borrowed a Sigma lens from a friend while out in the field. Other than that, the only Sigma product I currently own is an 800mm mirror lens from way back. Not a high quality beast, but certainly interesting to use. In fact, it's time to dust it off and play with it again soon.

So why am I writing about Sigma now? Well, they're doing some very interesting things.

My take has always been that Sigma produces a very wide range of products, from the cheapest plastic consumer lenses to high end super telephotos. I think they're focusing on bringing their name up in the ranks by focusing more on the high end.

While hardly a competitor for more standard CMOS sensor cameras, the Sigma Foveon has many die hard adherents, and the results seem to be great. I've never tried one seriously.

More interesting to me is their new "Art" series of lenses, which now includes a 35mm f1.4 and newly-arriving 50mm f1.4, both reported to be best in class (or very near it), even as compared to the equivalent lenses from Nikon, Canon, and others. I've been eyeing both of these lenses for my Nikon kit. There's also the earlier 20mm f1.8 that sure would come in handy in low light concert shooting. My Nikkor 20mm f2.8 sees a lot of use in these shows, but I sure could do with the extra f-stops.

But, here's another example of Sigma catering to serious amateurs and professionals - a mount conversion service. How many times have you or one of your friends wished you could switch camera systems and mounts without having to start over buying lenses? Sigma will now convert any of their new lenses from the Art, Contemporary, or Sports lines between any two of these mounts:

• Nikon
• Canon
• Four-thirds
• Sigma
• Sony
• Pentax
• Sony-Emount

Compared to the cost of purchasing new lenses, the service price is quite reasonable ($80-$250 per lens).

(Click Here) to read more about this very interesting service. It would be great to know that your conversion was done by the most capable Sigma lens technicians, and verified with precision test equipment.

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Wild Birds Flying by Paul Nelson

Wild Bird Flying, shot by Paul Nelson

Image Source: http://www.lostateminor.com/2013/09/11/wild-birds-flying/?utm_source=feedburner

 

I was browsing the great site "Lost at E Minor," which covers various aspects of art, design, and creativity, when I came across this cool photo project by Paul Nelson. Capturing wild birds in various poses of flight, Mr. Nelson produces intimate views of birds that are impossible to see watching them in real-time.

 

Capturing birds in flight is a challenging and rewarding pursuit. There are multiple ways to go at it. It looks like he uses strobes of some kind to freeze the motion so effectively. This approach would make it very difficult to capture a natural look in the images, but that's not his goal. Instead, he isolates the birds from their surroundings, and I think to great effect.

 

(Click Here) to go to Mr. Nelson's web page and see more of his work.

 

I enjoy capturing bird pictures that show more of their natural environment. Here's one where I got the timing pretty much right:

 

Wings Spread, by Reed A. George

Nikon D700, Sigma 150-500mm f5-6.3 APO Lens (rented) at 500mm

iso 640, f7.1, 1/1600 sec.

 

I rented this Sigma 150-500mm lens at Baker Photo & Video in Yukon, Oklahoma, while I was visiting my parents.

 

(Click Here) to find Baker Photo. If you're ever in that area, be sure to drop in. It's a real camera store with very knowledgable and helpful staff.

 

The Sigma 150-500mm is a very good birding lens. Just barely hand-holdable (at least with my arms), the image stabilization worked very well for me. It would be a challenge in anything but bright daylight, but that's the norm in bird photography. I don't really understand why Sigma makes their zooms so wide. I can't really imagine carrying this lens around to shoot at 150mm. But, that said, I was quite pleased with the images I captured with it. If I were looking for a handheld birding lens, especially for birds in flight, I would seriously consider this lens.

 

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Luminous Landscape's "Best and Worst of 2012"

Luminous Landscape has posted their annual "Best and Worst of ..." results for camera equipment introduced in 2012.

 

(Click Here) to read the full story on Luminous Landscape.

 

In their "Best" category, they include two new DSLR models from Nikon, the D800/E and the D600. Nikon is really on a roll with great full-frame (24x36mm) digital cameras. Personally, I'm still shooting my D700, and am completely satisfied, no, actually amazed, with it's performance. It's nice to know that Nikon's still pushing the technology even further.

 

Nikon D800

Image Source: http://www.luminous-landscape.com/essays/best_and_worst_of_2012.shtml

 

Also under "Best," they include the new Sigma DP2 Merrill, which uses the sensor originally designed for a $7,000 SLR (see "Worst"), stuffed into a very compact pocket-sized camera. I am very interested in this camera.

 

Also in the compact camera market, they like the Sony RX-100. This 20MP little wonder includes a Zeiss lens. For me, however, the lack of any type of finder, relegating me to only shooting from the LCD, is a major drawback. Otherwise, I would probaly already be shooting one. My experience with Sony digital cameras in the past has been excellent, including one of my first digital cameras, many years ago.

 

Finally, the new Sony RX-1 is being considered as a contender for next year, since it was just released in December 2012.

 

What does Luminous Landscape think of Micro 4/3 developments in 2012? They put them in the middle. First, they like the technical improvements in sensors, but feel that Panasonic is pushing camera body size outside what Micro 4/3 is known for - compact, lightweight equipment - with the DMC-GH3. They are more positive about the Olympus OM-D, which is certainly a hit with users. I agree that the GH3 seems a little bulky - if I can live with larger size, Nikon wins hands-down. So, I'm looking forward to a Lumix DMC-GX2 with the same sensor, in a more compact body. Everything I hear about the Olympus OM-D is positive, and I'm tempted to give it a try.

 

They also place the new Fuji mirrorless cameras in the middle. I'm very impressed with Fuji's product designs and lens quality. Once they iron out any peculiarities with their unique sensors (and the software needed to best use them), I predict Fujifilm will be a powerhouse.

 

Finally, the "Worst." That doomed $7,000 Sigma DSLR that I mentioned above. Hard to imagine buying a Sigma body for the price of two Nikon D800s.

 

The remaining two cameras in this category were not even on my radar screen this year - the Blackmagic Cinema Camera, which is reported to be failing due to small company problems rather than technical capabilities, and the Hasselblad Lunar, which is a trumped-up Sony NEX7. Neither of these interests me, personally.

 

My only question - what about the Lytro? This new camera technology that allows multiple focus areas was supposed to be revolutionary (and maybe it is?). Personally, I have not heard much other than the initial announcements.

 

Anyone out there tried one? Please let me know your thoughts if you've use a Lytro.

 

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m43photo Blog Reviews the Sigma 30mm f2.8 for Micro 4/3

 

Panasonic Lumix 20mm f1.7 Next to Sigma 30mm f2.8

Image Source: http://m43photo.blogspot.com/2012/07/sigma-30mm-f28.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Micro4%2F3rdsPhotography+%28Micro+4%2F3rds+Photography%29

 
m43photo has issued a review of the features of the Sigma 30mm f2.8 prime lens for Micro 4/3 cameras.
 
(Click Here) to read the review on m43photo.blogspot.com
 
A quick summary of the pluses and minuses are:
 
Plus:

• Simple lens design (no extreme wide angle, super fast aperture, small size) allows decent results in inexpensive lens.
• Price - currently $199 on Amazon

 

• Bokeh at f2.8 (close to subject) looks okay to me. At 60mm equivalent, it could be useful for environmental portraits and the like.
• Autofocus is fast

Minus:

• Size - not large, but certainly not a pancake lens (see above)
• It rattles when it's not powered up
• Time delay on powering up the camera
• No hood supplied with it (this is true of the Lumix 20mm as well)

I have not tried this lens myself, and merely share m43photo's thoughts on it, and my suppositions based on what I see.

 
 
The focal length reminds me of the effective focal length of a 50mm normal lens on the Leica M8, which has a crop factor of 1.33, making the 50mm have the field of view of a 65mm lens (this 30mm has the field of view of a 60mm full frame lens). I have never been pleased with a 50mm lens on the M8. So, I don't think this is the focal length for me on Micro 4/3. I prefer a little longer lens for portraits (like the 45mm f2.8 Pana-Leica Macro Elmarit), and a little shorter one for general use (the Pana-Leica Summilux 25mm f1.4 is a super lens, as is the Panasonic Lumix 20mm f1.7). For reference, the Lumix 20mm is about $300 now.
 
If I were shopping for an inexpensive prime lens, I would give this lens a try. By the way, $199 is not that cheap, when you compare it to say a Nikon AF-D 50mm f1.8, which is faster, offers great image quality, and goes for $135 on Amazon (I've seen it for under $100). Of course, Nikon gets the economy of scale from selling many more units.
 
As it is, there are better alternatives in the "normal" focal length for Micro 4/3, and 30mm is not really in that range, anyway.
 
I generally don't pass judgment on lenses I haven't tried, and realize it's not totally fair or well-informed. However, based solely on specifications, let alone what the post above adds to that, I am sure this is not a lens for me.
 
That said, I'm sure some skillful photographers will make absolutely beautiful images with it.
 
In fact, you can look at some images in a flickr group dedicated to this lens (seems to include other mounts as well, but all Sigma 30mm f2.8 lenses).
(Click Here) to go to the flickr group page.
 

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