HarveyG

AF-S NIKKOR 24mm f1.4G ED

New release from Nikon, the AF-S NIKKOR 24mm f/1.4G ED. Get one here…

A really nice to have if you can afford it and will certainly delight landscape and low light photographers no end.

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A slightly enlarged version of my latest entry into the Daily Awards Macro Challenge. Click on the image to follow voting.

I’m selling various print sizes of this image, or framed canvas for your home, office, pub, boardroom, shop, restaurant, or it can be licensed for print/advertising. Please click on about/contact here or above and I’ll gladly send you pricing/terms. Thanks!

A Rock Dropwing - Trithemis kirbyi ardens, photographed on granite at the Pretoriuskop natural rock Swimming 'Bath', Kruger National Park, South Africa. Camera: Nikon D90 | Lens: Sigma 180mm f/3.5 EX APO Macro IF HSM for Nikon | Shot Settings: @180mm, ISO 200, 1/640s, f/8

No, not the one in your bathroom…!
After writing this post about the Vivitar 500mm f/6.3 Mirror Lens, and having a bit of time on my hands to do more DSLR + Mirror research, I came across a few more reviews:
Olympuszuiko site, with images.
Pro Optic 500mm f/8 for the Sony Alpha, with images.
Rokinon 500mm f/6.3 on a Pentax, with images.
Mark Sabatella The Vivitar 500/8 Mirror Lens
Popular Photography CAT Article (2003!)

Vivitar VIV-500-6.3 500mm f/6.3 Mirror Lens

Note to readers: Please leave a comment! It would be nice to know where you are from and if the article helped you in any way!

Christmas 2009. A new Vivitar 500mm f/6.3 DX Series 1 Mirror Lens. I’ve always been fond of them.

A lightweight (1.4 lb – 651 g) manual focus, multi-coated, catadioptric (reflex), fixed aperture “Super” Telephoto which, despite the “DX” label, can be used on full and small frame DSLR sensors as well as on regular 35mm film SLR’s. On the D90, with it’s DX sensor and 1.5x crop factor, that’s an effective 750mm! Make sure you are a good 15+ meters from your subject unless you want to shoot that Lion’s eyeball. These mirror lenses can be attached to virtually any (D)SLR using common T-Adapters. My first set of images can be found at the end of this post. You deserve to see what some lens manufacturers may not want you to see and thus why reviewers (and others) often unfairly malign these marvellous mirrors…

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Sigma 28-70mm F2.8 EX DG

Today I became the proud owner of a Sigma 28-70mm f/2.8 EX DG for Nikon AF-D.
Sigma MSRP $1100 US
Initial Street Price $499 US
Final Street Price $349 US (December 2009)
The full frame (Sigma’s DG Technology) lens that is effectively a 42-105mm f/2.8 on the D90′s DX sensor. Ideal for daily and portrait work. Sigma have for years made outstanding lenses. This one is no exception. This lens has sadly been discontinued and replaced by the slightly wider 24-70mm f/2.8 EX DG with MACRO. (MSRP $1400 US! Initial Street Price $569 US December 2009)
Here are it’s technical specs from Sigma’s own website recorded for posterity before they take it down: A review will be posted here in due course. (continue reading…)