I went to the city and spent some time at Henry's. Henry's is the largest photography store chain in Canada? Maybe, not sure but they are big. I picked up a Manfrotto Stacker light stand as well as another umbrella because my Opus ones was kinda falling apart. I will review the stand after I have tested it out a bit.
Buying a better quality stand and umbrella was fun however the trip got better. I got to test out some lenses that I would usually not have the chance of even holding. I got to test out a couple of lenses on the D7000. I have tested the D7000 out before but it was just with the 18-105mm. This time I got to use the 70-200mm VR II, 85mm f/1.4G, 14-24mm f/2.8, and the 10.5mm fisheye DX.
Personally I drool when thinking about the 70-200mm VR II. It looks like a very amazing lens in all of the reviews I have read/watched of it. So I was a kid in a candy store when I got to test it out. First impression... damn it is one heavy, heavy lens. When I was holding it at a 45 degree angle down to look at the LCD of the D7000, I could hold it well but I needed two hands to do it. When I went to click on the display button with my left hand, I couldn't hold the camera and lens with just my right. This was a little scary the first time I tried letting go of the lens because the 70-200mm felt as if it would snap off the D7000 if I didn't hold the camera with the lens straight down. I just couldn't believe how heavy the lens was.
However I did test the VR on the lens because I have heard it was stellar. So I could actually take a decent handheld shot at 70mm at a shutter speed of 1/2.5s. It was crazy. I couldn't get a perfect shot every time but I did get a clear shot of the magazines that were so willing to model for me. But yes, it is a very sharp and fast lens. I wont do a huge review of my twenty minutes of taking pictures of a photography store but what I saw was exactly what I have read about the lens. The weight however is really something for me. I was dreaming of having this lens for a portrait lens but man, I think I would have to do arm workouts at the gym for a year first. I am sure you could get used to it but that is just too heavy for a portrait lens since I don't do much wildlife or sports.
Moving on to the 14-24mm. The second of the holy trinity I looked at. It was not near as heavy as the 70-200mm however it did have some faults. It was very sharp from what I could tell form the LCD and the distortion was controlled well. However I understand why people have some issues with ghosting and such because the front element is a very obtrusive piece of glass. It is very sphere-like so that means it sticks out quite a bit. So at 14mm it is so wide that it it has to stick out enough to have a wide field of view. The lens does stick out quite a bit from the fixed lens hood. It was a very very great lens but I could never justify the lens because I cant put a filter on it. The front element is designed in a way you cannot have a screw on filter which I like using as a cheap insurance policy. If I owned a lens as expensive and good as the 14-24mm I would want to protect the front of it more. But very sharp lens and I am sure it is amazing to own but that front element is a deal breaker for me.
Hahaha then there was the fisheye. It was cool and fun to use but I don't think I would ever actually use it for photos. The distortion almost hurt my head looking through the lens. But for people more creative than I am sure could have some with it. That is all I will say about that cause it is just so wonky.
And last but not least. The 85mm f/1.4 G. This is a very fat lens. I have seen the Canon 85mm f/1.2 and I would have to see them at the same time side by side but the Nikkor 85mm is quite large. But boy it was a nice lens. The bokeh was amazing and it was sharp and the focus was smooth and quiet and accurate and I want one. But I don't have $1800 to drop on one sadly. It was a great lens to use since I am thinking about getting a 85mm sometime. However I doubt it will be the 1.4 G version.
So I finish with the D7000. I have used it quickly twice now and it is a great camera. You read all the cameras in the Nikon line up having 7 fps or 8 fps however 6 fps is not slow by any means. It is quite fast. The ISO is great but I was mostly testing the lenses. The camera when I got it was on 6400 ISO and the photos looked half decent before I realized what the ISO was on. I really like the D7000 because it is almost the exact same size as the D90 which I own. However the D7000 in my hands feels fairly boxy. But I think thats cause I am so used to the D90. Also I think that is how a camera feels with the magnesium alloy chassis. But it is a good camera for sure.
So this is more of my opinions on some great gear than a review of the gear. I would want to take photos of more than a photography store to pass more judgement on the optics. I was fairly hard on the 14-24mm for the front element and the 70-200mm for the weight. This is because personally I don't need either of those lenses but if I did I could try to get used to the weight etc. So if I was shooting weddings I would definitely invest in the 70-200mm for sure and maybe even the 14-24mm. But at the present moment I am not at that stage so the weight and the price tag are good enough for me to not want the lens. I thought I would toss this in here just so you know I am not saying the 70-200mm is bad in anyway, just not perfect what my needs.
Just thought I would share my experience and my thoughts on what I got to try out. I don't know if that helps anyone but there you have it! Update: Had Fun At Henry's
I went to the city and spent some time at Henry's. Henry's is the largest photography store chain in Canada? Maybe, not sure but they are big. I picked up a Manfrotto Stacker light stand as well as another umbrella because my Opus ones was kinda falling apart. I will review the stand after I have tested it out a bit.
Buying a better quality stand and umbrella was fun however the trip got better. I got to test out some lenses that I would usually not have the chance of even holding. I got to test out a couple of lenses on the D7000. I have tested the D7000 out before but it was just with the 18-105mm. This time I got to use the 70-200mm VR II, 85mm f/1.4G, 14-24mm f/2.8, and the 10.5mm fisheye DX.
Personally I drool when thinking about the 70-200mm VR II. It looks like a very amazing lens in all of the reviews I have read/watched of it. So I was a kid in a candy store when I got to test it out. First impression... damn it is one heavy, heavy lens. When I was holding it at a 45 degree angle down to look at the LCD of the D7000, I could hold it well but I needed two hands to do it. When I went to click on the display button with my left hand, I couldn't hold the camera and lens with just my right. This was a little scary the first time I tried letting go of the lens because the 70-200mm felt as if it would snap off the D7000 if I didn't hold the camera with the lens straight down. I just couldn't believe how heavy the lens was.
However I did test the VR on the lens because I have heard it was stellar. So I could actually take a decent handheld shot at 70mm at a shutter speed of 1/2.5s. It was crazy. I couldn't get a perfect shot every time but I did get a clear shot of the magazines that were so willing to model for me. But yes, it is a very sharp and fast lens. I wont do a huge review of my twenty minutes of taking pictures of a photography store but what I saw was exactly what I have read about the lens. The weight however is really something for me. I was dreaming of having this lens for a portrait lens but man, I think I would have to do arm workouts at the gym for a year first. I am sure you could get used to it but that is just too heavy for a portrait lens since I don't do much wildlife or sports.
Moving on to the 14-24mm. The second of the holy trinity I looked at. It was not near as heavy as the 70-200mm however it did have some faults. It was very sharp from what I could tell form the LCD and the distortion was controlled well. However I understand why people have some issues with ghosting and such because the front element is a very obtrusive piece of glass. It is very sphere-like so that means it sticks out quite a bit. So at 14mm it is so wide that it it has to stick out enough to have a wide field of view. The lens does stick out quite a bit from the fixed lens hood. It was a very very great lens but I could never justify the lens because I cant put a filter on it. The front element is designed in a way you cannot have a screw on filter which I like using as a cheap insurance policy. If I owned a lens as expensive and good as the 14-24mm I would want to protect the front of it more. But very sharp lens and I am sure it is amazing to own but that front element is a deal breaker for me.
Hahaha then there was the fisheye. It was cool and fun to use but I don't think I would ever actually use it for photos. The distortion almost hurt my head looking through the lens. But for people more creative than I am sure could have some with it. That is all I will say about that cause it is just so wonky.
And last but not least. The 85mm f/1.4 G. This is a very fat lens. I have seen the Canon 85mm f/1.2 and I would have to see them at the same time side by side but the Nikkor 85mm is quite large. But boy it was a nice lens. The bokeh was amazing and it was sharp and the focus was smooth and quiet and accurate and I want one. But I don't have $1800 to drop on one sadly. It was a great lens to use since I am thinking about getting a 85mm sometime. However I doubt it will be the 1.4 G version.
So I finish with the D7000. I have used it quickly twice now and it is a great camera. You read all the cameras in the Nikon line up having 7 fps or 8 fps however 6 fps is not slow by any means. It is quite fast. The ISO is great but I was mostly testing the lenses. The camera when I got it was on 6400 ISO and the photos looked half decent before I realized what the ISO was on. I really like the D7000 because it is almost the exact same size as the D90 which I own. However the D7000 in my hands feels fairly boxy. But I think thats cause I am so used to the D90. Also I think that is how a camera feels with the magnesium alloy chassis. But it is a good camera for sure.
So this is more of my opinions on some great gear than a review of the gear. I would want to take photos of more than a photography store to pass more judgement on the optics. I was fairly hard on the 14-24mm for the front element and the 70-200mm for the weight. This is because personally I don't need either of those lenses but if I did I could try to get used to the weight etc. So if I was shooting weddings I would definitely invest in the 70-200mm for sure and maybe even the 14-24mm. But at the present moment I am not at that stage so the weight and the price tag are good enough for me to not want the lens. I thought I would toss this in here just so you know I am not saying the 70-200mm is bad in anyway, just not perfect what my needs.
Just thought I would share my experience and my thoughts on what I got to try out. I don't know if that helps anyone but there you have it!
And I thought about this post for a bit and I thought I would like to add that it is a good idea to test out a lens before you buy it. Personally I have not tested out lenses before I got them but I have researched potential lenses a boat load. I actually read any and every review as well as look up the lens on Flickr. This way I know the lens I buy will be one I will keep for a long time. Also I debate getting it for about a month before I get it. Thought I would mention this because now I no longer dream about the 70-200mm because I know I would only get it if I needed it. However that trip made me really want the 85mm f/1.4 G but at least the 85mm is cheaper. Hope that in someway helps!
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