White On Green

White On Green

Pentax K200D + Tamron 90
f/4, 1/500 secs, ISO 800

Double Cone, BMW Welt, Munich

BMW Welt, München

Nikon 1 V1 + 10-30 VR
f/4, 1/60 secs, ISO 280

Inside the double cone, at the BMW Welt, in Munich.This is the roof from the inside. The double cone structure is a part of a larger complex, which comprises the BMW Headquarters, a showroom cum delivery service, a museum and factories, close to the Olympia complex, in the north of Munich.

To quote Wikipedia, "...  a multi-functional customer experience and exhibition facility of the BMW AG, located in Munich, Germany"

Here's what the double cone looks like from the outside.

Double Cone at BMW Welt, Munich, Germany

Nikon 1 V1 + 10-30 VR
f/5.6, 1/320 secs, ISO 100

Read more at the BMW Welt website: English / German, or at Wikipedia.

Find it via Google Maps here.

If you are visiting Munich, the BMW complex and the neighboring Olympia complex make for a nice day trip, something to add to your list of places to visit on a 'good weather' day.

Coffee Break at Cafe Puck

 

 

 

A set of pictures, taken with a D300s and the Nikon 85 1.8G, at f/1.8 and ISO 200, with shutter speeds between 1/50 seconds and 1/1600 seconds.

Location and props courtesy Cafe Puck, München.

Over a cup of coffee, and some useless banter  :)

Find it on Google Maps here.

P.N. I make a double appearance in one of the pictures above.

Colourful Haze

Colourful Haze

Nikon 1 V1 + FT1 + Nikon 105 VR Micro
f/4, 1/4 secs, ISO 100

Neues Rathaus tower, over the Felderrnhalle, Odeonplatz, Munich

Neues Rathaus tower, over the Felderrnhalle, Odeonplatz, Munich

Nikon 1 V1 + 30-110 VR
f/5.6, 1/400 secs, ISO 100

Read more at Wikipedia: Feldherrnhalle, Munich, Odeonplatz, Munich, Marienplatz, Munich, Neues Rathaus, Munich
Find it with Google Maps here...

Brown Door, Theatine Church, Munich

Brown Door, Theatine Church, Munich

Nikon 1 V1 + 30-110 VR
f/7.1, 1/100 secs, ISO 200

Read more at Wikipedia: Theatine Church, Munich, Odeonplatz, Munich
Find it with Google Maps here...

The Picnic Crasher

The Picnic Crasher, English Gardens, Munich

Nikon D300s + Nikon 85mm 1.8G + Canon 500D Close up lens
f/5.6, 1/250 secs, ISO 640

This small little gate crasher was captured with the 85 1.8G and the close up lens combination. This post is more about the detail that can be had with this combination, than any purer photographic objective.

To give a sense of how small this fellow was, and how much cropping has gone in to get to the image above, check the original capture below,

And to put the size of the bag into perspective, see the image below where the same bag sits besides a Nikon 1 10-30 VR lens and a Parker roller ball pen.

85mm 1.8G Macro?

English Gardens, Munich

Nikon D300s + Nikon 85mm 1.8G + Canon 500D Close up lens
f/1.8, 1/500 secs, ISO 200

A tripod, or a steadier hand, would have made a significant difference to the picture above. Nothing extra has been done to the background, the Canon 500D close up and the wide open 85mm ensure you get a smooth OOF background.

The shot below is taken after stopping down. These flowers are very small and scattered all throughout the grass.

English Gardens, Munich

Nikon D300s + Nikon 85mm 1.8G + Canon 500D Close up lens
f/5.6, 1/60 secs, ISO 200

Another Daisy Close Up

Daisy close up, English Gardens, Munich

Nikon D300s + Nikon 85mm 1.8G + Canon 500D Close up lens
f/4, 1/250 secs, ISO 200

Here is another daisy, up close and personal. The combination of the 85 1.8G and the close up lens appears to be a great alternative for times when you don't want to carry a dedicated macro lens.

Below is the center portion of the flower, cropped heavily, and this shows that this combination can deliver the goods.

Daisy, close up with the 85mm

Daisy close up, English Gardens, Munich

Nikon D300s + Nikon 85mm 1.8G + Canon 500D Close up lens
f/4, 1/1000 secs, ISO 200

This is a close up of a small daisy, using the recently released Nikon 85mm 1.8G combined with a Canon 500D close up lens, on a Nikon D300s. While I do use a 105 VR, the purpose here was to test if this combination could help me get close and sharp if I were to just carry the close up lens along with a 35 and 85 when traveling light. My conclusion is a resounding 'yes, I can'.

The un-cropped version of the image is below.

Daisy close up, English Gardens, Munich

Nikon D300s + Nikon 85mm 1.8G + Canon 500D Close up lens
f/4, 1/1000 secs, ISO 200

Blackbird and the 85mm

Blackbird foraging in the English Gardens, Munich

Nikon D300s + Nikon 85mm 1.8G
f/1.8, 1/500 secs, ISO 200

Blackbird foraging in the English Gardens, Munich

Nikon D300s + Nikon 85mm 1.8G
f/1.8, 1/500 secs, ISO 200

V1, and the new 85 1.8G via FT1 (2)

Nokia handset (yes, the type with keys!)

Nikon 1 V1 + FT1 + Nikon 85mm 1.8G + Canon 500D close up lens
f/1.8, 1/250 secs, ISO 400

This image has not been cropped, it is as-is, just re-sized for web. What you see is the key pad from a Nokia handset (yup ... with keys ... no touch screen, a Nokia 6330 to be precise). These images (this is the second in a series) show that when the 85mm is combined with the Canon 500D close up lens, it becomes a nice macro lens with more than ample control on the depth of field. And when you stick it on a V1, then it becomes even more interesting!

Comparing Nikon Supertelephoto Lenses

Came across this sometime back ... this is a video of  Roger Cicala from http://www.lensrentals.com where he compares a bunch of the big guns from Nikon.

On display are (in order) ... Nikkor 80-400mm AF VR f/4.5-5.6D ED, Nikkor AF-S 300mm f/4D IF-ED, Sigma 50-500mm f/4-6.3 EX DG HSM (the Bigma!), Nikkor AF-S 300mm f/2.8G ED VR II, Sigma 120-300mm f/2.8 EX DG HSM, Nikkor AF-S 200-400mm f/4G ED VR II, Nikkor AF-S 500mm f/4G ED VR and Nikkor AF-S 400mm f/2.8G ED VR.

If you get over the visual fest, then you can head to some of these sites for some reviews and views based on actual usage ...

@ ByThom ... http://www.bythom.com/nikkor-telephoto.htm
@ Natural Art Images ... http://www.naturalart.ca/artist/fieldtests/4waysto400.html

While I dream about some of these lenses all the time, a video like this puts things in perspective ... though it won't stop me from thinking about the 300 f2.8 or the 500 f4 ... hmmm! Nor will it stop me from enjoying such lewd videos ...  :)

Also, remember that the Nikon 1 V1 with the FT1 adapter and the Nikon 70-300 VR gets you a light, compact and cheap (though slow)  189mm - 810mm zoom lens with vibration reduction, that you can almost run a race with ... the whole package is smaller than the smallest lens in this video ...

Gear: Cleaning lenses

Clean your lens correctly ... Whatever type of camera you use ... in all probabilities you have a lens sticking out in front of it (pin-hole users, please ignore the post) ... That lens collects its own set of souvenirs as you travel along and put your equipment to use ... in the form of dust, smudges and (hopefully not) scratches.

Here's an article that I had found recently on how one of the more popular lens rental companies clean their lenses ... and note that these guys clean lots and lots of lenses!

http://www.lensrentals.com/blog/2011/05/the-lensrentals-lens-cleaning-methods

This is possibly too 'hardcore' for most of us, but it gives you more than an idea on how to go about it!

Gear: The big new 85mm

105 VR next to the 85 1.8G

 A quick size comparison between the reasonably hefty 105 VR Micro and the new 85 1.8G ... Ever since I returned a copy of one of the older versions, I knew I would get one again, specially if it got updated (so that I can use it on my wife's D3100 as well) ... Along with the 35 1.8G, this focal length makes for a nice two lens kit for me ... So I literally jumped to get the new 85mm ... and managed to get the only copy I could track in-store a few weeks back ... 

Of course, what was a bit of a surprise was the larger size compared to its ancestors ... the new 85mm is a bigger fellow ... as you can see it next to the 105 Micro above ... and you really only realise it when you have it in hand ... As a comparison point, you can see the non-D version (that I had) next to the tiny 24 2.8D below ... This also implies that one of the two tiny Lowepro pouches I used to carry this two lens combo is now useless for this purpose (the Nikon 1 30-110 sits in it now) ...

24 2.8D next to the older 85 1.8 (non-D)

But of course, no regrets, this is a great lens, and I am having fun with it ... even put it on the V1 with an FT1, and tried out the 500D close-up lens with this combo as well ... good fun. The facts that the lens hood is reversible and clicks into place (vs. screw into place in the older version) are also very welcome.

See some shots and other stuff related to the lens here ... (http://rohanthakursphotoblog.blogspot.de/search/label/85%201.8G) ... especially when combined with the V1 and FT1 (just for fun).

Gear: Nikon 1 V1 + FT1 + Nikon 70-300VR + Canon 500D close up lens

Nikon 1 V1 + FT1 + Nikon 70-300VR + Canon 500D close up lens

A super macro set up ... great fun to play around with, but tripod recommended!

Check out some of the results I have obtained with this combination ...
http://rohanthakursphotoblog.blogspot.de/2012/03/euro-1-cent-coin-v1-macro.html
http://rohanthakursphotoblog.blogspot.de/2012/03/nikon-1-10-30-tab-macro.html

Gear: Nikon 1 V1 + FT1 + Nikon 70-300VR

Nikon 1 V1 + FT1 + Nikon 70-300VR

A useful combination in decent light ... now if only some of the FT1 limitations could be done away with ...! Light weight and portable ...

Here are some results that I have obtained with this combination ...
http://rohanthakursphotoblog.blogspot.de/2012/04/v1-shoots-great-spotted-woodpecker.html
http://rohanthakursphotoblog.blogspot.de/2012/03/blue-tit-with-v1-2.html
http://rohanthakursphotoblog.blogspot.de/2012/03/blue-tit-with-v1.html
http://rohanthakursphotoblog.blogspot.de/2012/03/moon-nikon-1-v1-ft1-nikon-70-300-vr.html

V1, and the new 85 1.8G via FT1 (1)

the table cloth

Nikon 1 V1 + FT1 + Nikon 85mm 1.8G + Canon 500D close up lens
f/1.8, 1/50 secs, ISO 400


While playing around with the new 85mm 1.8 G, I realised that I could combine it with the 500D close up lens, and the Nikon V1 via the FT1 adapter ... and took this shot of the table cloth ... I am very happy with the sharpness and control over the depth of field that this combination is capable of ... not an all-weather macro ... but it does seem to have tremendous potential!