Underslung

" Ye canna beat the laws of physics, Cap'n. Ye canna mount a long telephoto lens on the average ball head or three-way head and move it about wi' ease. It'll fa over ever time. On yer heid. "

You can, however, mount the lens with the pivot point at or over the center-line of the lens and then lay it with ease - provided you have divided the weight fore and aft of the pivot. This is the principle of the wimberley-styled head.

One of the neatest we have seen recently in the shop is the Induro. Standard 3/8" hole on the bottom and 1/4" thread on the top but an infinity of up/down and fore/aft adjustment to balance the lens. Firm secure lock in final position if that is what you need - easy movement if you are following a target.

Perfect answer for wildlife, birds, and sports.

A Special Treat For You, My Dear - Care To Try One?

With apologies to Uncle Walt for the leading image...here is a report on three new lenses on the Camera Electronic shelves.

Rokinon is not a name that has cropped up here in the shop before. We got to see some of their DSLR lenses recently and were mightily impressed. So much so that we ordered some to test out - both in Nikon and Canon mounting.

The first is the longest - the Rokinon 85mm f:1.4 lens. It would appear to be full-frame, and is available in either mount. The lens is purely manual focus with a well-damped action on the focusing ring. It is marked as focusing as close as 1 metre and the infinity mark is floating to cope with variation. The lens mount is metal, finely machined, and since the lens is MF anyway, suitable for darn near any Nikon DSLR or film SLR.

Aperture is click-stopped to f:22. The lens barrel is very finely finished and I note that the basic barrel structure is cold metal. A lens hood, and F/R caps are supplied.

The 24mm lens by Rokinon is F:1.4 - that is exciting as it is. Very similar construction to the 85mm but with a petal lens hood and a red trim ring. Closest focus is 25 cm. (!). It is a weighty lens - there is a good barrel and a lot of glass in there. Not an inconsiderable thing to carry. Remember that it too is purely manual focus.

Shortest of the lenses is the 14mm f:2.8 Aspherical. It is an extremely wide-angle experience for Nikon users and is a little daunting with the forward bulge of glass. You can't detach the petal lens hood, and filters might be problematical, but it will certainly gather in all you want from an interior or landscape shot. I count 13 elements on the lens diagram.

Best news of all is that photographers can experiment with these lenses without risking the bank account - the 85mm is $ 399 - the 14mm is $ 499 and the 24mm is $ 749. That is as cheap as chips and chips aren't multicoated...unless you count the salt.

And in case you are wondering, the model is Amanda and in real life she is the sweetest person in Perth - nothing at all like the wicked queen.

We Are Delighted To Announce - The New Nikon Lens

If you have enthusiasm for any of the following:

Air Shows
Surfing
Football
Tennis
Hoss racing
Wildlife
Birds
Safaris
Motor Racing
Surveillance Work

...you may be very interested in a carton of lenses that have just arrived in our shop. They are the new Nikon 80-400 VR lenses - the AF-S G lenses - that I reported in a previous blog. Here. Now. For sale.

I had the privilege of using one of the demo models of this a month or so back and was vastly impressed by the handling and speed of the lens - it is everything that we expect from the modern electronic Nikon lens. It should find its way to hundreds of camera bags and as fast as possible - this is the Nikon lens that answers the question Canon raised with their 100-400 lens in the past. It will remain to be seen whether this poses a new question.

I daresay a number of prospective buyers will now start the long process of reading every internet rumour and review for this lens - I expect them to arrive with Officeworks looseleaf binders full of printout from their investigations...( Complete with impossible prices from faraway places with strange-sounding names. Calling, calling, to meeeee...)

Sorry about that. Little burp of cynicism. Better now.

Never mind the reviews. Bring your body down here - together with your camera body - and clap our demo lens on it and take some pictures outside in Stirling Street. We have arranged for the BHP company to erect a test target on St. Georges Terrace for your convenience. You will be impressed by the new Nikon lens.

Uncle Dick

Whole Lotta Pictures - New Nikon Lens Spy Photos

Hahahahaha. Got my hands on a pre-production model of the new Nikon 80mm - 400mm AS-S Nikkor f:4.5-5.6 G ED lens and ran out of the shop. The industry reps are at a meeting with one of our owners and this is my chance...

First, the studio pics of the lens itself. Note the new style of the barrel and the inclusion of a the 4 slider controls on the LHS of the lens. The bottom one is a lock to keep it from creeping open when you are transporting it. The barrel shape is a very elegant curve at the back there that leaves plenty of room for the fingers of your right hand.

The feel of the lens is very smooth and the results appear to be superb - the VR snaps in with authority and I was able to hand-hold all of the featured shots. It's a cool day out there with mild contrast and not a lot of atmospherics so we got a pretty neutral look at things.

The tripod foot is greatly redesigned in comparison to the previous model - much neater.

I cannot say how much this is going to cost, nor when we are going to have them in store. We'll announce it when we know.