2014 Long Island Cyclocross in Kings Park

I couldn't ask for a better first cyclocross shooting experience.
There were some valuable lessons learned.  My camera is not exactly water proof or resistant after 4 hours in the rain, LL Bean wading jacket is neither despite its Gore-tex designation (granted it's 4 years old).  Good thing I had another pull-over kayak paddling jacket worn underneath.  I was able to keep body dry the whole time which I think is important.  People buy expensive gears for very good reasons if you were to shoot in all conditions professionally.  Me ain't professional, toward the end of the shoot, my camera LCD was blown and the AF acted somewhat erratically.  My makeshift double zip lock bags rain cover couldn't save my camera in the end.  It was too dark for me to shoot anyway.  The venue was the abandoned Kings Park Psychiatric Center.

Alex Rider

Nikon D7000, Nikkor 20-35 f/2.8, SB-600, mini-SB bracket, flash sync cable.

Urban Cycling

Photos processed by Instagram
These shots were taken with a manual Nikkor 105 f/2.5 lens.  I was waiting for the bus and why not gave it a try.  I was actually quite happy with the some of the shots.
Then today I thought maybe with my usual Nikkor 80-200 f/2.8 I should be getting more keepers.  I actually missed a bus while I kept myself busy looking for my shot.  Too bad all of them came out no good.

Middle School Graduation

This is a difficult shot, I was giving up but I am glad I didn't.

Graduation ... Almost

The Urban Cyclist

shot using my oldie but goodie Nikon D7000 and my Nikkor AFS 18-70.  The lens is good enough but I always want a more professional looking one.  Just so I think I look better.  I panned to the right in his direction a bit.  This is from a BASIC jpg, USM, and a crop in Instagram without any filter.

Back Crawl

Swim

Taming of the Shrew

Compare and Contrast

I thought the 300mm f/4.5 would be a much bigger lens.  I was wrong.  Compared to the 80-200, the 300mm is slimmer and lighter.  Most obviously, the 80-200 takes a 77mm filter, meanwhile the oldie takes a 72mm.  The 300mm is a manual focus lens with a huge and smooth focusing ring.  For the 300mm, focusing in of itself is not an issue.  It's only an issue when you need to focus something that's moving.  The 80-200 does a better job, at least relatively speaking, in acquiring in-focus action shots using the various AF modes of the D7000.  As in the case of digital, I can always counter my own deficiency in focusing fast moving objects by shooting like crazy (or use anticipation and preparation to increase the yield).  In terms of optical performance, I think it's on par with my 80-200mm.  The 300mm comes with a nice removable oversize tripod mount but some folks lost it, too bad so sad.  The 80-200 has a smaller focusing ring and non-removable tripod mount so it won't be lost by anybody unless you lose the entire lens.
You can definitely hand hold this lens to shoot provided you have the good stance, good steady hands, a reasonably high shutter speed and don't shoot with your elbows out like an amateur should definitely help too.

Neighbor's Front Yard

(What kind of post title is it?)
Nikon 300mm ED f/4.5.  On tripod liveview to focus.  Raw to JPEG,

A Vespa

Nikkor AI 105mm f/2.5

Grand Central

Taken with Nikkor 24mm, f/2 with Nikon LB1c skylight filter.  This is converted from RAW using the D70 profile.  I can't find any D7000 color profile out there.

Grand Central

Nikon just announced its latest 28mm with maximum aperture at f/1.8, nano coating, SWM and whatnot.  I like my 28mm f/2 manual focus lens all right and I have no plan to acquire the latest and greatest.

Update:
Comments:  My pictures are exceedingly and astoundingly boring, as usual.  My take on the manual 28mm f/2 lens is that, chromatic aberration, ghosting are well under control.  The lens produces sharp, colorful and contrasty images.  Unfortunately its 28mm focal length which is not exactly wide to begin with becomes even more normal, or 42mm, when mounted on my D7000 or any Nikon DX cameras.  Having said that, there is actually nothing wrong with the 42mm focal length except it's not really behaving like a 28mm on a DX camera.

Update update 4/24/2012:
Regarding CA, I think if you shoot JPEG, like I do most of the time, the camera actually corrects that in-camera.  So I don't know how much is the lens and how much is the camera that I should credit for the lack of CA.  In any case, I still think the 28mm f/2 is a superb performer.

Update update update 4.24.2012
I checked the 28mm taken with the oldie D70.  The images have no CA or at the very least well under control.

Baby At Ho Ho Shanghai

Two Girls

Hong Kong

Swim

Nikon D7000 Firmware 1.03

From Nikon rumors I learned that Nikon is rolling out a new firmware for the most beloved D7000.  Anyway I don't think I experienced any of the stuff it's supposed to fix.

However I do experience what I believe is a quirk of the system.  At aperture priority, ISO 100, ISO auto, flash on.  I was shooting about 5 feet from the subject.  However the system had the audacity to pick ISO 4000.  The picture was "acceptable" but unnecessarily grainy.  With the flash up I see no reason the system has to up the ISO to 4000, I think that's absolutely crazy.

UPDATE 11/11/11:
The update was painless.  It doesn't fix anything I wanted to fix (auto ISO flash and skin tones) nor does it break anything so far.

Handball In The Snow

Bike Racing

Crossing the finish line ...