The AF-S 70-200mm f/2.8 VR II lens came with a Nikon lens bag. However, I wanted a bag that I could carry my camera body together with other lenses that I’ll need in a photoshoot. The Kata DR-466i backpack can be used to serve this but that would mean I need to configure its compartment in such a way that it would not allow me to carry other items.

This time round, it didn’t take me as long to find a bag the met my needs.

The Retrospective series from Think Tank had just launched and the unassuming exterior caught my eye. It does not look like a camera bag but its interior is well-designed to carry and protect your camera gear. I chose the medium-sized bag from the series. I find the Retrospective 10 to be too small for practical usage and the large Retrospective 30 to be excessive for the gear I use.

Despite its relatively small appearance, the Retrospective 20 can swallow up an equipment with two full frame bodies and three large lenses, such as the Holy Trinity of 14-24mm f/2.8, 24-70mm f/2.8 and 70-200mm f/2.8 VR II.

There are quite a number of in-depth reviews so I won’t discuss the various features.

No related posts.

I have had this lens for since February this year. Since then, it has been the lens on my camera most of the time.

35mm on crop sensor gives and equivalent focal length of 52.5mm on a full frame sensor.  This makes it a standard or “normal” lens on a crop sensor body. It is not as sharp or as fast as its sucessor, the AF-S 35mm f/1.8G. However, it is still a very fun lens to use.

Image source: KenRockwell.com

I have tried the AF-S 35mm f/1.8G lens and I don’t see any noticeable difference in sharpness unless you pixel peep. The older lens has the advantage of having full frame coverage. The G lens is a DX lens. You will lose resolution when you use it on an FX body. The G lens produces significant vignetting on a full frame sensor. I chose the D lens because I plan to move to full frame in the near future.

This lens is attached to Shasha more often than the AF 50mm f/1.8D. 50mm is about 75mm on a crop sensor. That makes the field of view too tight for the kind of shots I prefer. Hence the 50mm has been sitting in the dry cabinet or in my bag unless I’m doing portraits. However, the recently-purchased 70-200mm f/2.8 VR II lens has become my preferred choice for portrait shots.

Sidenote

As there are many reviews of the lenses on the internet, I have refrained from doing reviews of the lenses that I own. That might change if time permits. My research on lenses has led to the discovery of many well-written and professionally conducted tests. Stay tuned!

No related posts.

I have made some plans to help me grow as a photographer. It is a little late since it is coming in the second half of the year. But now that I’m slowly settling down emotionally, I feel that I can push ahead and pursue my passion in photography.

Several life-changing issues have kept me from posting more regularly but I shall stick to a stricter schedule and churn out better quality posts.

My Photographic Goals for 2010

1. Get Project 365 back on track

I started a project last October to take a photo a day to force myself to take interesting photos every day. It documents my progress in improving my composition. Due to certain issues, the project ground to a halt. I have started to carry my camera with me on a daily basis again. Look forward to my Photo of the Day for Project 365.

2. Project 52 – Weekly photoshoots or photowalks

My brother picked up photography after I passed him Cammy. I also befriended several others who share the passion in this hobby. Some friends expressed interest to be photographed so that they can experience modelling.

I plan to arrange for photoshoots on a regular basis to work with these aspiring models and fellow shutterbugs. Photoshoots would require more coordination and our different schedules might not allow for weekly sessions. I aim to do one photoshoot a month and go for a spontaneous photowalk with my friends once a week to capture life in Singapore.

3. Project 12 – Monthly reads

To learn from the pros, the easiest way is to pick up a book written by them. There are many inspiring and educational photography books. I will attempt to digest a book every month.

4. Participate in photo competitions

Competing with others force me to give my best and think of an idea for a particular theme. Many photography websites and magazines hold such competitions on a regular basis. They provide a great platform to improve myself and gather feedback.

5. Share online to get critiques

Critiques from more experienced photographers can help me to improve. Many photography forums have critique sections. Flickr is an ideal platform to gather critique for my works. Some of my photos are posted on my Flickr account. If the model objects, I usually don’t post their photos on my Flickr account.

6. Improve post processing workflow

I spend a lot of time fiddling with Adobe Camera Raw and Photoshop to process my photos. I need to learn from someone more experienced so I can speed up my editing. Adobe Lightroom 3 seems like a very attractive solution, though I’m more comfortable using Photoshop since I dabble in graphic design.

7. Improve flash photography

Flash photography is not easy. I need to read up more and most importantly, practice more!

8. Improve panning technique

My panned shots don’t give consistent results. I need to review my technique.

9. Explore macro photography

Macro photography seems interesting. I borrowed a 55mm f/2.8 micro lens. It can only focus manually but it is fun! If I become hooked on macro, I’ll get a dedicated macro lens.

No related posts.

As mentioned in my previous post, I wasn’t able to resist the temptation of the AF-S 70-200mm f/2.8 VR II lens. It didn’t take me long to decide to splurge on this pro glass.

I’m still using my D90 body and, boy, this lens works wonders on a crop sensor. There are many reviews of this lens on the internet, such as the one here and here. Hence, I will not join in the chatter.

I believe the unanimous verdict is that the lens is sharp, bokeh is creamy and the focusing is fast.

My only complaint is that the lens is 1.5kg!! My hands were aching after a few hours of shooting. Maybe I should get a monopod. But I find that using tripods or monopods tend to restrict the perspective used to take photos.

No related posts.

Update: Added 70-200mm f/2.8 VR II to the list.

This is not my dream camera gear list. It is simply a list of camera gear that I feel would be what I’ll need as I grow as a photographer.

Camera body: D700

I will definitely go for a full frame camera body. The D3S is the reigning king but I prefer a smaller and lighter body that is more convenient to bring around. I don’t find myself needing the high speed performance of the D3S so I won’t spend extra on the body. I’d rather save the money for a lens.

I’m still hoping for a smaller version of the D3S. Imagine the performance of D3S in the D700 body. Such a move would eat into the market share of the D3S and there would definitely be trade-offs should Nikon decide to produce a scaled-down version of the D3S.

Portrait lens

I’m undecided which lens would better suit my needs when it comes to portraits. I have narrowed down my choices to the 85mm f/1.8D and the AF-S 105mm f/2.8 Micro lenses.

AF 85mm f/1.8D

You might be wondering why I chose this over the f/1.4D. I don’t have the luxury of cash to splurge on the best and the difference of two-thirds of a stop does not matter that much to me. I find the working distance of an 85mm lens to be comfortable for portrait work.

AF-S 105mm f/2.8 VR Micro

The advantage of this lens is that it is the best macro lens around and it can produce sharp portrait photos too. I have not tried out macro photography but this lens would definitely come in handy should I need to shoot my figurines. The only issue I have is that it’s only f/2.8 compared to the abovementioned 85mm lens.

Update: AF-S 70-200mm f/2.8 VR II

This lens is sharp and it is the best telephoto zoom made by Nikon. The AF 80-200mm f/2.8 might focus faster but from my tests, the 70-200mm does well enough for me. Of course, this lens produces the best result on a full frame camera but the pictures taken on my D90 makes me want to grab this lens. I wonder how long I would be able to resist the urge to splurge.

Conclusion

Yes, I did not include a wide angle or a normal lens in this list. I own a 35mm f/2D and a 50mm f/1.8D. These two lenses cover wide angle and the “normal” range for me.

I might switch to the AF-S 50mm f/1.4G but I feel that f/1.8 is enough for what I shoot. I don’t feel the need for the faster focussing and sharper qualityof the f/1.4G. At least not yet.

35mm is wide enough for what I shoot for now. Perhaps it is time to explore ultra wide-angle photography.

No related posts.

I have published a page that lists wuxia terms.

This was posted when I was still using Drupal for the blog. Since data from the old blog was lost, I’ll post the list again.

The list was created to propose a list of wuxia terms to be used in their original forms in translations. Due to the various Chinese dialects and styles of translating from Chinese to English, there is a myriad of terms used. This makes it confusing for both the readers and the translators.

Instead of resorting to translation, I prefer to use the original term and explain what the term means in English.

View the  list of wuxia terms.

No related posts.

It’s never been easy for me
To find words to go along with a melody
But this time there’s actually something on my mind
So please forgive these few brief awkward lines
Since I met you my whole life has changed
It’s not just my furniture you’ve re-arranged
I was living in the past
But somehow you’ve brought me back
And I haven’t felt like this since before Frankie said relax
And now I know based on my track record
I might not seem like the safest bet
All I’m asking you is
Don’t write me off just yet

For years I’ve been telling myself the same old story
That I’m happy to live off my so called former glories
But you’ve given me a reason
To take another chance
Now I need you despite the fact
That you’ve killed all my plants
And now I know
I’ve already blown more chances
Than anyone should ever get
All I’m asking you is
Don’t write me off just yet
Don’t write me off just yet

No related posts.

If your camera has the live view function and has a dedicated ISO button, you can preview your white balance setting.

Even though I understand the theory behind how the white balance setting affects the image, I have yet to master anticipating the white balance setting to use. I have my white balance set to Auto almost all the time. When the camera is unable to give the correct white balance setting, I would have to try the different white balance modes in an attempt to get the white balance closest to my desired outcome.

When I used my D40, I had to shoot at each white balance mode and then view the resulting images. With my D90, I can use the live view function to preview the outcome I would get with each white balance setting.

1. Turn on live view.
2. Scroll through the different white balance modes. Your LCD screen will show how the mode you chose affects the colour cast.
3. Shoot at the white balance that gives the result closest to the result you want!

This can help you to better understand what each white balance mode does to your picture.

Of course, you can always shoot in RAW and correct the white balance during post processing. I prefer to get it right in the camera whenever I can.

No related posts.

A larger f-number means that the aperture is smaller, and vice versa. For example, f/1.8 is a larger aperture than f/8.

Aperture setting affects the amount of light entering the camera, and in turn affects the exposure of a particular scene.

Depth of view

The size of the aperture does not affect the quantity of light entering the camera. It also affects the depth of view.

Depth of view is the portion of the scene that appears in focus. Larger apertures (smaller f-number) will give a shallow depth of view. This means that part of the scene will be in focus while the parts outside the depth of view will be thrown out of focus.

Likewise, a smaller aperture (larger f-number), will give a deep depth of view. This will render a greater portion of the scene in focus.

What aperture size to use?

Large aperture

A large aperture is used to isolate the subject. The shallow depth of view will render the subject in focus and throw the background out of focus.

However, if the depth of view is too shallow, you might end up with part of the subject in focus and part of it out of focus.

Small aperture

Small aperture gives a greater depth of view and will render more of the picture in focus. This is used when you want the picture to be as sharp as possible from foreground to background.

Critical aperture

If depth of view is not a concern, use the critical aperture of your lens. When the subject and background are in the same plane, depth of view is not important.

The critical aperture of a lens is the aperture that will give the sharpest image. Every lens has its critical aperture. Zoom lenses have different critical apertures at different focal length.

Smaller apertures are supposed to give sharper images. However, at sizes smaller than the critical aperture, diffraction occurs.

Depth of view preview button

Some DSLR cameras come with a depth of view preview button. When you press the button, the camera stops the aperture to the size you selected. This allows you to see the depth of view that you will be getting at that particular aperture.

If your camera has such a button, you can use the button to learn more about depth of view. Use the largest aperture and focus on a near object. Keep the button depressed and change the aperture. You will be able to notice the change in the sharpness of the background.

No related posts.

The shutter speed you should use depends on the lighting in the scene. It is also based on your preference on the results you wish to achieve.

1/1000 second or faster

At this shutter speed, you will be able to capture frame-filling action shots. The actual speed to be used depends on the speed of the action, the distance from the action and the focal length used.

When you are zoomed in using a telephoto focal length, a small movement will translate into a greater movement in the viewfinder when zoomed in as compared to when you shoot at wider focal lengths. Likewise when you shoot at a distance nearer to the subject.

1/500 second

This shutter speed allows you to achieve action stopping effect and it works well in most situations. However, certain movement might still be too quick to be captured at this speed and, as you have guessed, you will have to increase the shutter speed.

1/250 second

When the action is moving towards you, you can freeze the action with this shutter speed. Of course, you can use faster speeds to freeze the action but 1/250 second is fast enough in most scenarios.

1/60 second

This shutter speed is good for capturing rain. Water droplets will be captured as streaks at this shutter speed. Faster speeds will render the droplets as shorter lines while slower speeds will generate longer streak lines. The shutter speed of 1/60 second gives a result that I prefer. Experiment and see what speeds give you the desired result.

1/30, 1/15, 1/8, 1/4 second

These speeds are slow enough to create blurring of the scene when you pan the camera. You press the shutter and move the camera while keeping the subject at the same spot in the viewfinder. This will render a photo with the subject in focus while the background is blurred.

It is important that you take note of the background! The background should have different colours or different shades of the same colour so that it will generate blurred lines. If the background is of uniform colour, you will not get the streaks of lines characteristic of the panning effect.

1/2 or 1 second

If you want to create the silky effect when you shoot moving water, these are good shutter speeds to try. An exposure of 1 second gives a softer feel to the water flow.

Above 1 second

Exposures longer than a second are usually used for low light and night shots.

Disclaimer:  the above is a rough guide that I came up with for my own use. I’m sharing the list to help fellow budding photographers. You may want to experiment and come up with your own list of preferred shutter speeds.

No related posts.