Small Winter Flowers
Something a little different then what I’ve been posting this last week, although, the photo subject matter did come from the same location.
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Spring on Pond's Edge
With spring almost here there’s been “opportunities” this week for working in our yard — weeding the flower beds, fertilizing and seeding the yard, and spreading pine needles among the shrubs and plants around the house. Some of these chores will prevent additional work as spring turns to summer, such as the pine needles, while others will mean more work, the fertilizer (and mowing yard.)
I have to get as much done outside as early as possible before my spring allergies begin in ernest. The worst allergy period for me is the month of April — tree pollen.
Each day now the grass is greener and more plants are budding/blooming. Spring flowers will also soon be making their appearance. I’ll certainly be out enjoying the sights this weekend.
May each of you have a good weekend as well.
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Budding Trees at Pond - Salisbury NC
I’ve commented before on how Nikon’s 24-70mm f/2.8 is one of my favorite lens but I have to say with time and a lot of use I’ve also become a fan of Nikon’s 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6G VR lens.
It’s not the fastest Nikon zoom lens in this range, the “professional” 70-200mm f/2.8 holds that honor, but it’s a decent “consumer” lens for any situation where you don’t need the extra speed. The fact it cost about 1/3 the amount of its faster “professional” brother doesn’t hurt either.
The following impressions are from using the lens on a Nikon D700, full frame camera. I haven’t used it enough on my D300 to say how it performs on a DX camera but I would expect similar results.
The 70-300mm is sharp at almost all focal lengths. It’s only as you approach the maximum (300mm) that it loses a bit of sharpness around the edges — however the center remains sharp. The Vibration Reductions (VR) function works as designed allowing hand shooting at lower shuttle speeds, making the slower speed of the lens less of an issue. When there is sufficient light auto-focus is fast and accurate, however as you approach the minimum f/5.6, 300mm, under lower lighting it will often “hunt” for focus — it’s best to switch to manual focus under these circumstances. I’ve found the lens to have a pleasing Bokeh, a minimal vignette and seldom exhibits lens flare.
While initially I was wanting the 70-200mm f/2.8 lens, I’ve found the 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6G VR to be a wonderful compliment to the D700. That extra 100mm of reach is often well appreciated in a full frame camera and there’s not much to fault with the lens performance.
Considering price, features, performance, quality, I’d have to say this lens is a winner — at least it has been for me.
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