Richard & Caroline's Blog

So it is finally here, the stunning new 85mm.

I’ll be giving it a good long hard look, but also looking at the previous version. Its a real statement lens, and I’ll be looking at testing one at the earliest opportunity.

As I have not used it there is little for me to say.

If the 50mm is anything to by its 85mm big brother is going to stunning.

Matt Irwin has already had his hands on it so I’ll leave this video down below for you to check out.

So many people fixate on the sensor in a camera. Or who manufactures it.

It is the lens and the imaging processor that gives you the look. Nikon have often been said to have the best colour science. Leica are acknowledged to have some of the best lens, but when they first stepped into digital they definitely had short comings in many areas. For many years now Leica have partnered Panasonic for their electronic expertise, but Leica have also been forging relationships with universities and Adobe. There image processing and colour science is now up their with the best, and while Panasonic are still helping with the electronics manufacture, its now Leica assisting Panasonic with the image processing side. L² Alliance between the two companies has now been announced where they will take this partnership forward.

The trusty professional standard zoom as gone from 35mm to 70mm to 24mm to 70mm. Canon then made life interesting producing a range of professional zooms, a little slow but more range. The Canon 24-105mm f/4 has long been popular for Canon users.

Nikon finally copied and improved with their recent Nikkor Z 24-120mm f/4 which has been a sellout.

Now Sony are getting in on the act and have just announced a very interesting lens. a 20-70mm f/4 zoom. So for people who generally prefer to go wider but still need that reach into the mid short telephoto range a great lens for them.

Nikon started well with their Z series mirrorless lens. The high quality S line trinity of professional zooms. A selection of stunning f/1.8 that out perform the best of the old F mount f/1.4 pro lens. We have had the 50mm f/1.2 for a while and I am a proud owner.

For low light and to eliminate and control the background, fast lens are idea, though can prove difficult to use.

At the moment I am not sure if I will buy it, I want to see what they offer in 105mm and 135mm fast glass. I may go for a fast 105mm or get the 85mm and the 135mm. At the moment the 105mm and 135mm are unannounced so we may be waiting a few years, and the old F mount 105mm was incredibly good.

The 26mm is an odd one.

The 28mm, 35mm and 50mm focal lengths are liked for street photographers, but Nikon do not have a many small lens. The 35mm and 50mm f/1.8 are still large but stunning. We have the smaller 28mm and 40mm which many people are calling muffing lens but no real pancakes.

This new 26mm looks to be the first real pancake lens of the Z system and I think will prove popular with street photographers.

I know of a number of portrait photographers that also occasionally reach for a wider lens, and with this being so small, could be a handy lens to have tucked into ones bag when sometimes your 35mm prime is not quite wide enough.

As Nikon build out there small lens and the f/1.2 primes I hope we will see a few more wide angles in both these formats. Many would love a fast 24mm, 28mm or 35mm as would many like a 17mm or 20mm small lens.

Its looking like a rosey future for the Nikon Z system.

What lens would you like to see?

Looking through my archive for 2022, I can see some good work.

From snaps around the village, visiting local churches and parks, plus some of work for clients and models.

February I did my first model shoot of the year. A walk through a cold and very windy Lincoln, but one that produced a good selection of images of Casey.

March had me testing out a new location.

Shay was my volunteer to test out the old smoke house in Branston. With the location tested I then booked Lydia for some fashion shots, plus a few for mine and her portfolios.

The two rooms gave us lots of options.

April was a busy month, a holiday in Wales with lots of photography, but also two model shoots, one on location and one in a studio.

May was quiet, so just some personal work, but I also took a few snaps of the village duck race.

June was the Lincolnshire show. Always a great visit with lots of photographic opportunities.

I still did some studio work and of course it was our late queens Jubilee.

July saw the country heating up, every month this year except December had above average temperatures, and with hot air driving down cold polar air masses the winter in some countries was going to get bad. Global warming is a terrible name. We are adding energy into the weather system, for some thats going to be more heat, others more winter snow storms.

With the heat and the browning grass, we had treats for the chickens and lots of shade and extra water available for them.

August and a trip to my favourite location and to work with Joceline a great art nude model who I have wanted to work with for a number of years.

Here in England car boot season was well underway.

September we had more studio work, plus trips into Lincoln.

It was also the month our Queen died.

October had location and studio shoots.

November saw the weather start to turn, so I visited a number of locations to capture the colours.

November was the end of my booked shoots, though next January is looking good.

Now December was a quiet month. A few snaps of the local area, I did miss a few wonderful sunrises but not every dawn dog walk sees me carrying my camera.

As you can see, I am not the only dog walker around visiting the local churches.

So a good photographic year. January 2023 is now also booked up so preparing for February.