I think I’m going to enjoy this. Manual focus is not as difficult as I thought it would be but I could understand it being problematic when photographing something active (Loki was pretty tired when I took this photo).
Posts Tagged ‘Photography’
New Lens – 50mm f/1.8
Wednesday, June 4th, 2008Nikon Repair Service
Wednesday, June 4th, 2008Just wanted to give the thumbs up to Nikon’s repair service. I sent my 55-200mm VR in for repair (the VR stopped working) on May 21st and got it back today, June 4th, in perfect condition with all the accessories and paperwork that I sent with it. Everything was covered under the 5 year warranty that came with the lens.
The paperwork that came with the lens looks like they replaced one of the lens elements (doesn’t say which), repaired the VR system, adjusted the auto focus operation, checked everything (zooming, aperture, alignment, resolution, etc), and cleaned it. That’s amazing considering all I asked for was functioning VR.
Kudos Nikon!
Random Updates: Megen Uses Docs, Vanity Searches, and New Toys
Monday, June 2nd, 2008Google Docs Saves The Day
Megen’s been using Google Docs for doing a lot of her work for Medical School. They aren’t allowed to save to the computers at school so using Google Docs lets her work from any computer and continue working at home. There were some small issues with formatting but other than that it sounds like it worked really well for her.
The Ben Golub
I now have the number one search for Ben Golub (but not “Ben Golub”). I used to be the Benjamin Golub but now I’m also the Ben Golub. This is pretty big news because Plaxo’s CEO is also a Ben Golub.
Another Ben Golub was hired at my company recently and I’ve been getting all of his meeting invites and emails (including one asking me to record my hours in order to get paid; super confusing and scary because I’m on salary). Lame.
New Toys
I purchased a 50mm 1.8 and a DK-21M today. This cheap ($115 for the lens and $30 for the eyepiece) combination will open up a whole new realm of photography for me: low light and narrow DOF. The 50mm will be manual focus only on my D40 but the DK-21M will help by magnifying and brightening the viewfinder. I’ll write more about these when I get a chance to use them.
Insuring Photography Equipment
Thursday, May 15th, 2008Do you insure your expensive photography equipment? I didn’t for a long time. I thought it would be a waste of money. Then I found myself not bringing my camera certain places: downtown, on road trips, or anywhere it might get left in the car. All because I was worried about what would happen to my $750 investment.
So a few months ago I bought “Valuable Personal Property” insurance for my camera through USAA. I already had Megen’s ring insured the same way. For only $12 a year (to cover $750 worth of equipment) it features:
- No deductible.
- 100% replacement cost up to the amount you have insured.
- Extra coverage that our renter’s insurance (also through USAA) doesn’t cover.
Now I have no concerns taking my camera with me. Obviously I’m still very careful with it but I’m definitely getting photos that I would not have dared before.
I only wish I had it for our trip to Vietnam.
Most Successful Zoo Photography Yet
Tuesday, April 1st, 2008Megen and I went to the zoo this weekend. It was a perfect day: the sun was out but it wasn’t too hot and there was a nice gentle breeze. I’ve had successful photography outings at the zoo before but I always made rookie mistakes like forgetting to change settings after coming outside from an indoor area or forgetting to check my histogram. This time I was determined to minimize my mistakes and I have to say that this was definitely my most successful trip yet. I do have some great shots (especially this one) from other trips but I’m more proud of the fact that technically and creatively I think I’ve improved. My compositions have improved and I’m constantly checking my histogram and settings to make sure I’m getting the most out of my shots.
