Baby – Patrick

Last week we had a family photo session with Patrick. He was extremely cute, adorable and surprisingly he didn’t cry at all. We are very honoured to have the opportunity to capture these special moments for the them.

Gear used for the shoot were

• Nikon D700,
• Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8 and
• Nikon 85mm f/1.4.

Here are some of the images. Enjoy

 

Where can I find the equipment seen on this site?

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The cheapest way to own both Nikon 24mm f/1.4 and 35mm f/1.4

Is this the cheapest way to own both Nikon 24mm f/1.4 and 35mm f/1.4? Well…. actually 36mm f/1.4

Nikon D3 + 24mm f/1.4

Nikon D3000 + 24mm f/1.4 = FOV 36mm f/1.4

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Model - Eva

Few weeks back, Zian and I worked together doing a photo shoot with Eva using Boxtale studio (Contact Jason for your studio and lighting equipment hire). Eva is a Burlesque performer who regularly performs in the US and over sea. It was our pleasure to have the opportunity to work with her for this shoot. Also thanks to Veronica for doing what she does best (make up).

Before we present you with the images, some people are always curious with what camera gear we used for the shoot. For this shoot, our images were mainly taken with the Nikon D3 and Nikon D700 coupled with the following lenses:

• Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8
• Nikon 50mm f/1.4
• Nikon 85mm f/1.4

Some behind the scenes were taken with the Olympus E-P1

Waste no time, let’s check out some behind the scenes !! Enjoy

and here are some of the final images !!!

Nikon AF-S 24mm f/1.4

 

With the arrival of Nikon 24mm f/1.4 G and 35mm f/1.4 G, Nikon has completed its fast prime lens line up in conjunction with the recent release of 50mm f/1.4 G and 85mm f/1.4 G. Prior to this, Nikonians can only rely on the expensive 28mm f/1.4 and 35mm f/2. The long wait has come to an end and Nikon now has something to compete with Canon’s fast prime lens line up which is considered to be much older. ** run away**

The 24mm f/1.4 at wide open gets two stops more light than the state of art zoom lens 24-70mm f/2.8.

Here is the awesome Nikon 24mm f/1.4 on a D3. The lens feels nice and balance on a FX body.

Consider that the more recent DSLRs like the D5000, D90 and above have such an amazing high ISO performance, in most cases, average users can probably get away with using a slower lens like 24-135mm f/4. But there are a few aspects that you can only benefit from fast lenses such as:

• stop action using a faster shutter speed even in low light condition,
• create shallower DoF,
• lower ISO to minimise image noise, and
• capture more light at flash sync speed.

How are you going to justify the $2,199 24mm f/1.4 depends on how important these aspects are to you.

The lens itself is smaller compare to the work horse 24-70mm f/2.8. It is shorter and hence feels more balance on a FX body.

The main feature of the 24mm f/1.4 is the ability to create a shallower DoF even at wide angle.

For example, with the following settings:

@ 24mm, f/2.8 and subject distance of 3 meters, the DoF is 3.2m, compares to

@ 24mm f/1.4 and subject distance of 3 meters, the DoF is 1.4m.

With an additional 2 stops of light (from f/2.8 to f/1.4), you can drop your ISO by 2 stops. This is a huge improvement if you are shooting in low light condition like in a restaurant. Typically you will need to use ISO 1600+ and by dropping two stops means you can now shoot at ISO 400.

Shooting at wide open however is more prone to vignetting issue and typically reduces the overall sharpness of the image.

Refer to the image below taken at 24mm f/1.4. You will notice there is a slight vignetting and the image is softer compares to the second image which is taken at 24mm f/2.8. The first image however gives a better isolation to the subject. Check out the differences in Bokeh and DoF (f/2.8 vs f/1.4)

Taken with the Nikon 24mm f/1.4 @ f/1.4, ISO 400. (The DoF is actually a bit too shallow for my taste)

This image is taken with the Nikon 24mm f/1.4 @ f/2.8, ISO 1600. The image appears to be sharper than @ f/1.4

Here are some more samples taken with the Nikon 24mm f/1.4

24mm, f/1.4

24mm, f/2

24mm, f/2

 

Personally, I love this lens. This lens in conjunction with the 50mm f/1.4 make a very nice “travel light” combo. Of cause I would recommend to bring a close up filter too for those close up detail shots. This lens is brilliant in low light condition, sharp and contrasty overall. The autofocus is fast and very quiet. If I have to be picky, the down side is the slight vignetting at wide open.

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Think Tank Retrospective 20

Think Tank’s new Retrospective series comes in two styles: Retrospective Soft-sided Camera Shoulder Bags and Retrospective Soft-sided Lens Changer Shoulder Bags. Available in two colours: Pinestone Cotton Canvas and Black Poly Spun Canvas. Ever since the release, they have been selling like hot cakes and are all most out of stock everywhere.

Luckily I was able to get my hands on the Retrospective 20 for a try out. The Retrospective is packed with many nice features, you can see them here.

The exterior of the Retrospective is simple, there are no obvious branding logo to attract any unwanted attention. I had my Len Changer 50 attached to the side for additional carriage.

The padding of the Retrospective is less compare to Lowepro’s shoulder bag such as the Stealth Reporter series. By that, the Retrospective camera bags are also more collapsible and flexible. The style is similar to the Crumpler’s Millions dollars bags, utilising Velcro under the main flap. One of the notable feature on the main flap is the “sound silencers” which allows you to suppress the loud tearing sound Velcro makes.

One feature I like the most is the collapsible nylon pockets on both sides of the main compartment. These pockets are designed to store  flash units which makes them nice and tidy. You will notice that most of the hook and loop straps (Velcro)  can be tucked away for quicker access.

Another important feature of this bag is the very large organizer pocket inside the main compartment. It is large enough for those spare batteries, CFs, cables, etc.

There is also an expandable front pocket (one for the Retrospective 10 and 20, two for the Retrospective 30, ) which is big enough for a spare pro size DSLR. For the Retrospective 10 or 20, you can actually fit an iPad or netbook there.

On both sides of the Retrospective, there is  a webbing loop which can be used in conjunction with the modular pouch. The pouch fits very securely to the webbing loops, I didn’t feel any swaying movement from the pouch when it was attached to the side.

The canvas strap is also nicely designed; the non slip material on the pad is much better than the one I have on my Lowepro Stealth Reporter. The strap is thick and integrated fully to the side of the bag (sewed from top to bottom). The strap of the Retrospective distributes/secures the weight of the bag more evenly  in comparison to the Lowepro Stealth Reporter. The Retrospective actually uses the whole width of the strap to loop through the side buckle, while the Lowepro Stealth Reporter uses a “D ring” type of connection on the side.

There is also a side pocket on each side which is suppose for water bottle, but the pocket is way too small for any standard size water bottle, so it is probably more suited for loose change, wallet, phones, etc.

The “D-ring” type of strap connection on the side of the Lowepro Stealth Report doesn’t distribute/secure the weight of the bag too well.

Finally what can you actually fit in a Retrospective 20 ? A lot…………….. Click image to check out the attached notes

• Nikon D3 + Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8 (attached)
• Nikon 14-24mm f/2.8 (attached on the side with Len Changer 50)
• Nikon 70-200mm VRII (Left hand side compartment)
• Nikon 24mm f/1.4 (Right hand side compartment)
• Nikon 85mmm f/1.4 (Right hand side compartment)
• More rooms for iPad, flashes, spare pro size DSLR

Having tried the Retrospective 20, I will be getting the smaller Retrospective 10, which is about two inches shorter but still big enough to store the 70-200mm f/2.8. It will be a nice addition to my Think Tank Street Walker Pro and Modular Belt that I am currently using.

 

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Close Up Filter, Extension Tubes or Macro Lens?

Previously, I have tested using extension tubes as an cheaper alternative for macro photography. I have tried the extension tubes on both Nikon 50mm f/1.4 and Nikon 105mm f/2.8 VR. You can re-visit the posts from the below links.

• Marumi/Kenko auto extension tube set with Nikon 50mm f/1.4
• Marumi Kenko auto extension tube set with Nikon 105mm f/2.8 VR

If you compare both articles, you will notice that using the full set of extension tubes (13+21+31mm) on the Nikon 50mm f/1.4, it is possible to go beyond 1:1 macro (see below).

In this test, I have used a 52mm lens cap as the test subject and the below image is taken with a 50mm f/1.4 at minimum focusing distance using a FX body.

When using the full set of extension tubes, you are able to go well beyond 1:1 macro , but you will lose some image quality on the edges.

Nikon 50 f/1.4 with 13+21+31mm extension tubes

Compare to 1:1 macro using a Nikon 105mm f/2.8 VR. Image quality wise, it is better than using extension tubes.

 

If you want to achieve extreme macro, you can add a full set of extension tube (12+21+31mm) and a TC-14E (1.4x teleconverter) on top of the 105mm macro lens. You will get to this close as shown in the below image. Note that the below image is taken at f/16 already. The extension tubes do indeed degrade the image quality at the edges.

Now what about using close up filters? Close up filter is another cheaper alternative to achieve macro photography. It simply enables you to increase the magnification of your subject by allowing you to shoot closer (reduce minimum focusing distance). The filter simply screws on to the front of the lens similar to CPL filters. You can also get different strength of close up filter ranging from +1 to +10 diopters.

Unfortunately, I only got my hands on the Marumi +1 and +3 diopters for this test, but you can still see the effect of having close up filters on. In this test, I used the close up filters on the Nikon 50mm f/1.4.

Here are the results with different strength of close up filter attached to the Nikon 50mm f/1.4. With the close up filter attached, both exposure metering and auto focus are maintained. You can see that there is quite a bit of magnification with +1 and +3 close up filters stacked. Certainly that’s no macro, but if you have a +10 close up filter, you will probably achieve near macro. I didn’t notice any degrade in timage quality with the +1 and +3 close up filters stacked, but you might with the +10 close up filter.

I don’t shoot a lot of macro, but I find close up filters to be very useful and very easy to use, especially they are light and easy to carry around and all you need to do is simply screw them on. It is less hassle than carrying a macro lens or putting on the extension tubes.

Close up filters are not only for macro, but you can use them when you just want that extra bit of magnification. For myself, I don’t shoot a lot of macro, but when I want to travel light, I will simply bring the Nikon 50mm f/1.4 “D” (only 230g). The only problem (perhaps not wide enough for some, but not a problem for me) is that the 50mm f/1.4 has a small maximum reproduction ratio (1/6.8), so sometimes I find it hard to capture those “detail” food photos which I usually do when I go travelling.

Carrying a close up filter like a +3 diopter will certainly let me shoot a bit closer while still travelling light.

So what should you get?

• Simplest to use – Macro lens
• Cheap alternative and simplest to use – Close up filters
• Only want a bit more magnification – Close up filters
• Cheap alternative and don’t mind the hassle of detaching lens – Extension tubes
• Require greater than 1:1 macro – Extension tubes
• Want the best image quality and have money to burn – Macro lens
• Extreme macro – Macro lens + Extension tubes

Where can I find the equipment seen on this site?

If you find this site useful and planning to purchase any of the equipment seen on this site, please show your support by purchasing your photo equipment at B&H Photo Video or through any of the affiliate links seen on this site.