On my way to Reno Saturday, I elected to take the old U.S. 395 through Washoe City. There, next to the Chocolate Nugget (sounds nasty, doesn’t it?), resides Prospector Pete. He’s a very patient model and quietly posed for me while I worked the light.
The Nikkor 28mm f/2.8 AIS is a great lens. It’s sharp and contrasty throughout its aperture range.
I don’t have a lot of use for an 800mm lens. But, now and again, it’s a useful tool to have when shooting wildlife, especially from long distances. It’s a catadioptric lens, meaning it’s a mirror lens. It’s an unusual piece in that the glass is one solid part. It was unusual and expensive when it was made, so not very many were sold. It’s also a decent piece of glass and can get the job done.
On my crop-sensor Nikon D300, it’s the equivalent of a 1,200mm lens. That’s a lot of reach. I have a Nikon 1.4x extender that I can use (and lose a stop), but there’s not much out there that needs to be shot that can’t be reached with an 1,800mm lens.
I made some minor adjustments to the image, mostly exposure and contrast, and added a bit of sharpening as a final step. Enjoy.
After comments from my friend Griff, I decided to mount the Vivitar 400mm f/5.6 telephoto on a tripod and shoot a few frames with my Nikon D300. The D300 is a crop-sensor dSLR with an APS-C sensor size and a crop factor of about 1.5. So, the 400/5.6 is equivalent to a 600/5.6 on a full-frame camera. I shot the lens wide open, f/5.6 , stopped down one stops, f/8, and stopped down three stops, f/16. The first frame (follows) is at f/5.6 (wide open). It is not very sharp.
The next frame is the test shot at f/8. It’s better.
The final frame is the test shot at f/16. It’s reasonably sharp.
So, here’s my take-home lesson. The Vivitar 400mm f/5.6 telephoto lens is unacceptably soft wide open. It’s better at f/8 and good at f/16. That means if I need a large aperture because the light is failing, this is not the tool to use. If it’s reasonably bright (where Sunny-16 is good), then the lens is useable at f/16 (maybe f/11) and can produce decent images. But, don’t let your friends shoot one of these wide open. It’s irresponsible photography and will frustrate everyone.
I have a Vivitar 400mm f/5.6 in my stable. The 400mm is not a focal length I use a lot, but it has its place for long shots, particularly of wildlife of both four- and two-footed varieties. The shot was handheld (braced against the door) from my back door. The birds were in a tree about 80–100 feet away. They are sharp enough, but not the kind of razor-sharp image I’d like.
I’ll have to put this lens on a tripod and reshoot. I don’t know if it’s inherent in the design, the focal length, or is a reflection of poor camera technique.
My friend Jimmy loaned me a Tokina 28–85mm f/4 zoom lens in Nikon mount a couple of weeks ago. The lens isn’t particularly fast, but it’s the right focal length for both my D300 and my Nikon film cameras. It’s a chunk of glass and the build quality is excellent. Focus is smooth but not too light. The zoom action is internal (it’s a two-touch zoom) and has no creep. It’s a good match for the dSLR although it’s a bit of a chunk on the Sony NEX-5N, but then what isn’t a chunk on that itty-bitty mirrorless body?
The lens has been out and about with me several times on the D300. On the crop-sensor camera, it’s in the range from normal to medium telephoto. It’s a little slow to isolate a subject well, but the optics are quite good. I shot the image on morning walkies a few days ago (with the Girl) at 85mm and about f8. It’s sharp enough, especially for a zoom. Color rendition looks neutral to me.
When I grabbed the lens for a closer look, Jimmy said “That’s the last I’ll see of that lens.” He’s probably right.
The other evening I took The Girl out on walkies a bit later than I like. It was overcast and as we walked to the end of the cul-de-sac to access public lands (a place we often walk), I noticed the sky brightening like it does before a sunset occurs. Given the nature of the clouds, I thought it might be something special. I worried we would not get clear of obstructions before the peak time. So, I hurried us along just a little.
I was rewarded with a beautiful sunset. We made it clear of the obstructions of human habitation in time to view it. Well, I viewed it — The Girl was too busy doing doggie things. I made a number of captures over the next 15 minutes. This is one of my favorites. The image was made with my Nikon D300 and a Tokina 28–85mm f/4 zoom. There is some post-processing, but it’s mostly limited to a bit of contrast adjustment, denoise, a hint of saturation, and final sharpening.
Saturday afternoon The Girl and I drove to Reno to pick up my Nikon D300 (cleaned) and visit with our friend Jimmy. After shooting the bull at the Camera Clinic for a bit (and wasting Steve’s time), we headed over to the Sparks Marina. After a coffee, we walked around the perimeter. The sun was headed west (somewhere) and the light was beautiful on the water. This duck elected to pose for me. So I took the shot.
I almost forgot. The lens is a Tokina 28–85/4 RMC. It’s one of the better builds I’ve handled. The optics aren’t bad either.
Here’s another frame from my collection of shots at the broken motel. Enjoy.
On the long road down from the Guadalupe Mountains, I found an old motel that is in substantial disrepair. I decided that it’s better to stop and make some images than to think “I should have stopped and shot a few frames” another hundred miles down the road.
So, the Girl and I stopped, parked, and wandered around the old structures for a half hour or so. She managed to find a lot of stickers, poor thing. So I had to stop now and again and remove them from her pads. Nonetheless, I think we both enjoyed exploring — each in our own way.
On my way home from Texas last week, I elected to drive through Yerington, Mason Valley, Smith Valley and Wilson Canyon. The colors along the Walker River in Yerington were gorgeous. I could not find a good spot to make the capture, though. I was really bummed by that.
However, when I drove through Wilson Canyon, there were a couple of places where I could pull off and get a decent composition. The leaves won’t last much longer and are really past their prime color. But, it was still worth stopping for a few minutes on a Friday afternoon.