Closeup at about 105mm to see how the new lens does in closeup. Looks promising, but couldn't get as close as using my 105mm macro (but on a photowalk that isn't about closeups, this isn't bad!).
Nice focus - fun to see what a new lens can do. And while experimenting, you got a really interesting shot. Love the focus of those hairs of the weed - that's a pretty good range on that lens!
It's Nikon's 28-300. KEH camera (used equipment) had a used one in 'like new' condition - no lens hood, but everything else. It's reviews were really high, with weight being what people disagreed on. It's lighter than my super-wide which I often use as my walkabout. What impressed me is the reviews talked about it's ability to act as a macro as well as the WA and telephoto capabilities, so essentially it means one lens to carry instead of my 25-84, 70-300, and 105 macro. That with my 14-24 and maybe the 50 which weighs nothing would pretty much handle any situation I'm typically in. Huge decision, but now that I've made it, it feels right.
Yes, I really love what it can do....this is fabulous! Frankly, I never take my 105 macro with me anywhere, but the wide angle and the zoom will be wonderful additions to your photo walks! My 70-300 finally croaked, and it just wasn't worth repairing, so I ended up getting the 70-200 Nikon, as it seemed like a better match for my 810. Have not used it much yet, but it is tack sharp. It does require switching lenses, though, when you go from landscape to zoom.
@panthora Oh gosh...I wish I'd known you were getting the 70-200 -- I just sold mine back to the place I bought this lens and know it was probably for a lot less than you had to pay for yours! DARN! I liked what it did but found it was so heavy that I always left it behind. That was the one that was the hardest decision to sell because the quality of that glass is incomparable to any other. I'll be interested to see how you like it and what you do with it. I can imagine your sunset and silhouette shots now!
This shot shows a whole new perspective on grasses, very effective dof Taffy, your new lens sounds like a lot of fun. I have a Tamron 16-300 and just love it and its versatility. Like you, I don't want to have to lug lots of stuff around in my bag.
It's great to have one versatile lens. Like Marnie @golftragic I also have the Tamron 16-300mm lens, which I love. It works well for what I want with the bonus of not having to change lenses.
Thanks for this and the other examples Taffy. You've got me thinking now. It sounds such a good idea. It would give me more scope and mean I don't always need to carry more than one lens. I must research used ones over here. It's my birthday soon and then Christmas!!
Sounds great and the shot is wonderful. Wish you luck with this plan. I didn't mind carrying a lot of equipment when I was young but today it's a different story. Now that my camera died I am think all in one might be the way to go.
@janiskay@thistle@salza@golftragic Thanks for the visit and comment! And you are all right on target in terms of how much lighter and easier it was to have this single lens. Both not having to switch lenses (which keeps the sensor more clean) AND not having the weight of an additional few lenses make such a difference. I think that all I'll need in my kit for anything I'd encounter is this lens, the 14-24, my 50mm and fisheye -- and the latter two hardly weigh a thing. And for most days, I'm guessing this one alone will be fine. It actually feels good to be 'cleaning house' of equipment that I can do without.
This is just lovely Taffy, and I was so interested in your lens musings (and the comments from other people). Also useful to see your comparison of two shots with the new lens. I'm in the process of building up my collection of lenses, rather than scaling down, but they're for a micro four-thirds Olympus so weight isn't quite such an issue. I want a good telephoto next ...
@pistache I'm going to a mirrorless in a few years, so this is an intermediary step, I think. If I can get my Nikon equipment down to what I'm really actively using, and not have money invested that is essentially sitting on a shelf, I'll be in a better position when I get the mirrorless system. I plan to keep both for awhile and if the mirrorless serves all my needs -- which I suspect it will by then -- I'll sell the rest of my Nikon stuff. It's hard to acknowledge that it was just getting too heavy for me to carry it all around, and I didn't like the limitations of carrying only a single lens on a trip -- fine when it's home and I'm going to commit to one lens, but when traveling I feel like more flexibility is important.
@taffy Interesting musings Taffy, I've been thinking on much the same lines. A mate of mine, a died-in-the-wool Nikon man made the switch about a year ago, and has never once regretted it. I just wasn't quite ready to make the jump when I bought the 7D II.
@golftragic That is interesting...some of it is weight and some just the power of what appears to be terrific technology. But for now, I really love my Nikon and associated lenses -- especially the 14-24 and the 50. I also loved the macro, but today at the zoo, I took macro-type shots with the new lens and don't think I see a difference that makes a difference. So that one may be the next to go! I have a wonderful 85mm that is great for portraits that I think I'll continue to hold onto. After 3 years almost on 365 and doing something with my camera daily, I'm finding I know what I will and won't use very regularly. I'm guessing a lot of us get to that point!
This is a beautiful capture. I enjoyed reading your comments and the back and forth on lenses and that you are considering jumping to mirrorless at some point in the future, which is something I am going to do before the end of the year, I have been saving my pennies and am hoping for some bundle deals over the holidays.
@taffy You're right, of course. Most of the photos I take are with the 16-300mm which lives on the camera. I had a radical rethink about photographic 'stuff' after lugging a 7Kg photo bag around the Philippines a few years back. Put simply, that backpack was a PITA. I'm torn about lenses, in some cases I know that a 'more specialised' lens would do a better job, ditto tripod, but advancing age and, maybe, some laziness mean my go-to kit is camera with 16-300, and if going out specifically to shoot stuff, a spare battery and card/s, and a water-bottle. We've booked to go on a 2 1/2 hour walking tour to 'do' Art Deco buildings next Sunday. That'll test my resolve pretty well, though I think the kit as described above will do the job well without weighing me down too much. My left leg still isn't great and I have a pretty fearsome limp - hope I can finish the tour!! Keep your fingers crossed.
Great début with the new lens Taffy... Frank Hymus swears by this one too. I have two mirrorless systems - Sony and Fuji - and a very extensive Nikon set-up with 5 bodies... I wouldn't want to part with any of them as they all have their place. The main drawback with mirrorless systems is the limited battery life - 2/300 shots compared with 1200+ for the Nikons.
@vignouse What do you see as the main difference between Fuji and Sony? I'm just starting research on the system, as I know I'll only go with one. I want something as close to my Nikon full-frame system as I can get, but without the weight. And I know I have about 3 years at least before I'll seriously consider buying the new system.
@olivetreeann Thanks Ann, for your comment and visit here and elsewhere tonight! You're right about Bill being fun on a photo walk, and so generous about sharing his knowledge.
@taffy Survived - just. Trailed way behind all day though. Thoroughly enjoyed the tour nevertheless, learned heaps about buildings I've walked past hundreds, maybe thousands, of times.
@taffy I wanted to try the much vaunted Fuji X-Trans sensor and it's true that SOOC, the image quality is pretty amazing - see most of my shots in September which were taken with the XT-10 and the superb 35mm (50mm F/F equivalent). I normally always shoot raw though for the flexibility in processing so some of this benefit is lost. The Fuji's are more conventional and have most of the main adjustments as dedicated physical controls which I like... the new little XT-10 is light, compact and a great performer. In Sony I have the NEX 6 and NEX 7 with a wide range of lenses. If I am out with Mrs S and photography is a secondary consideration, then these two with the superb Zeiss lens pair 10-18mm and 16-70mm both F4 constant aperture are easy to carry and give nothing away in terms of quality.
Without doubt, the whole mirrorless scene is going to see some exciting developments in the next few years... Nikon must join the fray at some point with something other thatn its Nikon 1 range. If I were making the change you contemplate today, then it would be an easy decision for me... I would go F/F with the superb Sony A7 range.
@vignouse One hope have is that if Nikon enters the fray and has a good option, it would use the same lenses I now have. Lose the weight advantage, but allow me to keep a few favorites and use them. Thanks for all the information. It's really helpful!
@vignouse@taffy My thanks to you both too. I've been following your discussion with great interest. I just read about a woman who made the switch and was able to get adapters for her dslr lenses. Can't remember exactly, but think she was Canon. One of the biggies definitely.
@golftragic@taffy Marnie is right, one of the features of most mirrorless cameras - certainly Fuji and Sony is that you can buy adapters to use a wide range of legacy lenses... although you normally have to use them in purely manual mode, including focussing, Metabones make a range of adapters that enable big-name lenses to be used in fully automatic mode and Sony do the same. These are expensive however and add a lot of bulk and weight to the camera which somewhat defeats the point of going mirrorless in the first place... IMHO.
Without doubt, the whole mirrorless scene is going to see some exciting developments in the next few years... Nikon must join the fray at some point with something other thatn its Nikon 1 range. If I were making the change you contemplate today, then it would be an easy decision for me... I would go F/F with the superb Sony A7 range.