Nikon 16-35mm f/4 VR Review
This is an in-depth review of the new professional Nikon AF-S 16-35mm f/4.0G ED VR lens that was released earlier this year.
The Nikon 16-35mm VR lens is a professional-grade constant aperture lens for enthusiasts and professional photographers that need an ultra-wide angle zoom lens with the latest generation of VR II (vibration reduction) technology for both FX and DX cameras (equivalent of 24-52mm on DX). Being the world's first ultra-wide angle zoom lens with vibration reduction, the lens is ultra-fast with AF-S silent-wave focus motor, has Nano crystal coating against flare and is sealed against tough weather conditions. Unlike the Nikon 14-24mm f/2.8G lens, the new 16-35mm f/4.0 VR has a 77mm filter thread, which is great news for landscape photographers.
AF-S Nikkor 16-35mm f4.0G ED VR
Nikon 16-35mm f/4.0 VR Image Samples
I have been playing with the new Nikon 16-35mm f/4.0 VR lens and I must say, this thing is sweet! The first thing that wondered me when I grabbed the lens, was to see if VR is truly useful on an ultra-wide zoom lens like this. Well, after some quick tests, I must say that VR truly does work the magic!
Take a look at this shot at 1/10th of a second that I shot hand-held in a very dark restaurant:
Nikon 16-35mm f4.0 VR - 17mm, 1/10 @ f/4.0, ISO 3200
Nikon D3000 vs D5000
Since I get a lot of requests from our readers to provide a comparison the two entry-level DSLRs - Nikon D3000 and Nikon D5000, I decided to post a quick "Nikon D3000 vs D5000" article to highlight the key differences and provide my recommendations.
 Nikon D3000 |
 Nikon D5000 |
Nikon 70-300mm VR Review
This is an in-depth review of the Nikon AF-S 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6G VR lens that was released back in August 2006 together with the Nikon D80. The lens was kindly provided by B&H - the largest photo reseller in the world that I use more than any other to buy my photography gear.
The Nikon 70-300mm VR lens is targeted towards sports, nature and wildlife photographers that need a lightweight, versatile telephoto lens with great optics and vibration reduction technology, at an affordable price. The lens works on both Nikon FX (full-frame) and DX (cropped) sensors and has an equivalent field of view of approximately 105-450mm on DX sensors, which makes the lens particularly good for reaching distant subjects. The Nikon 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6G ID-ED VR lens features two "ED" (extra low dispersion) glass elements that are used in all Nikon professional lenses, providing higher contrast, lower chromatic aberration and higher resolution, due to less air bubbles and glass deformities within the glass elements. In addition, the lens sports the latest vibration reduction "VR II" technology, giving up to 4 full stops of advantage over non-VR lenses at low shutter speeds. Vibration Reduction, especially the latest VR II generation, makes this lens particularly useful for hand-held shooting while hiking and traveling. Autofocus is practically silent, thanks to the Silent Wave Motor (AF-S) within the lens.
Nikon 70 300mm f/4.5-5.6G VR (image courtesy of Nikon USA)
Nikon 50mm AF-S vs AF-D
This article is a comparison between the new Nikon 50mm f/1.4G AF-S lens versus the older Nikon 50mm f/1.4D AF-D.
First of all, I want to start out by saying that the Nikon 50mm f/1.4 is my favorite low-light and portrait lens. The Nikon 50mm f/1.4D lens was one of my first lenses that I bought and I have been using it more than any other lens, even today. I was very excited when the new Nikon 50mm f/1.4G came out, because I loved the older version and couldn't imagine how good the new one would be with all of the new enhancements that Nikon has been adding to their line of lenses. So, as soon as the update came out, I pre-ordered one from B&H and started using it more than the older version for my everyday photography needs. I use it for all indoors/low-light photography and especially to photograph my two boys.
Omar and Osman, captured with the Nikon 50mm f/1.4G AF-S lens
Nikon 70-200mm VR II Review
This is an in-depth review of the new professional Nikon AF-S 70-200mm F/2.8G ED VR II lens that was released earlier this year.
The Nikon 70-200mm lens is a professional-grade lens that was introduced by Nikon in early 80's in a shape of 80-200mm f/2.8 constant aperture lens for professional news, sports, wildlife and portrait photographers. Since then, Nikon has been enhancing and redesigning the lens every 4-5 years, making it faster, sharper and more versatile by enhancing the optics and introducing new features.
AF-S Nikkor 70-200mm f2.8G ED VR II (image courtesy of Nikon USA)
The latest generation of the 70-200mm lens is no exception - Nikon completely redesigned the lens, adding more "ED" (Extra-Low Dispersion) optical elements, making this lens sharper than the previous version. Nikon also added the new "N" (Nano Crystal Coating) to this lens, which is supposed to minimize ghosting and lens flare. Other new features include a brand new "VR II" vibration reduction system, which provides a four stop benefit over non-VR systems and a new "A/M" focus mode for auto-focus priority.
Nikon 300mm f/4.0 IF-ED AF-S Lens Review
If you are a birder, you have only two choices for Nikon - either the 300mm f/4.0 AF-S or an expensive/heavy professional lens such as the 600mm f/4.0 VR. All other semi-professional lenses by Nikon are not good enough/long enough for birding. The 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6D VR is too slow to focus and a lot of people are frustrated with it because smaller birds are constantly on the move and won't just sit there for you to take your time. I have been using this lens for almost two years now and have been very pleased with the results. I take it with me everywhere I go and have used it more than any other lens so far (my second most used lens is the Nikkor 50mm f/1.4). It is relatively light and I primarily use it handheld for shooting birds and other wildlife of Colorado.
Nikon D300 vs D90 high ISO noise comparison
I decided not to do another feature comparison of Nikon D300 vs D90 like I did in the D300 vs D80 review. Just type "D300 vs D90" in Google and you will find a lot of good articles on feature comparisons.
What I will concentrate on, however, is the high ISO noise comparison in a low-light environment. I ran two quick tests - one with an external flash and one without. Both tests are performed on a sturdy tripod, with timed exposure to prevent camera vibrations. Both Nikon D300 and Nikon D90 were set exactly the same way, shot in manual mode with Nikkor 50mm f/1.4G at f/5.6. Exposures were exactly the same in both cameras, depending on ISO value. Shot both in RAW (Active D-Lighting off, High ISO NR Normal), then imported into Lightroom, cropped and exported with "Camera Standard" camera profile. The rest of the data is available via EXIF on the files to those who are interested in technical details.
Continue reading 'Nikon D300 vs D90 high ISO noise comparison'
Baby Carriers
Shooting wildlife is not easy, especially having my son Omar on my back in a child carrier. He really loves going out and exploring parks together with me and sits tight, understanding that his daddy is on an active hunt to find and photograph wildlife. I have been taking him out with me ever since we bought a child carrier by BABYBJORN. When Omar got heavier, we bought a different carrier by Kelty Kids. By the way, if you have a grown up kid (15 pounds or more) and want to go hiking, the Transit Carrier (TC 2.1) is what you want. We first tried the Frame Carrier (FC 3.0), but it was too heavy and bulky, so I returned it after a day of hiking. The Transit Carrier is very nice and extremely comfortable - my back does not hurt even after several hours of non-stop hiking in mountains. It is also very comfortable for the child. Omar does not get bothered by it at all, and even falls asleep in it, when he gets very tired :)
Focal length comparison on Nikon DX (1.5 crop factor) cameras
This test shows focal length comparison on a 1.5 crop factor camera (all Nikon DX cameras) from 12mm to 500mm. All images were taken on Nikon D300 with ISO 200, f/10. The focal lengths are not 100% accurate because of different lens sizes and mounts (when short lenses such as the 50mm f/1.4 were used, the camera was mounted on the tripod, while zoom lenses had to be mounted via lens collars). The tripod was never moved (just slightly re-adjusted to focus on the top-left portion of the blue ornament). The 420 and 500mm shots are a little soft because of slight vibration and use of a teleconverter.
The shots were taken indoors because it was too cold outside :)
Continue reading 'Focal length comparison on Nikon DX (1.5 crop factor) cameras'
