I decided to do 2 posts today - they're both kind of short but since they're unrelated, I'm doing them separately...
More Gear
I've been ill and it's still continuing, but I was able to get a new lens on order. It hasn't arrived yet but I'm sure I'm going to enjoy it. Maybe.
The Lens
I ordered a wide angle zoom for my Nikon D610. After much research, I decided to get the Nikkor 16-35mm f/4 VRII lens. It will fill in the wide angle spectrum for me, leaving me with a few gaps in my available lenses but I think they're acceptable and insignificant gaps that can be managed by using a different lens.
I'll have the following coverage: 16-35mm, 50mm, and 70-210mm. Yeah, it'd be nice to have full coverage, but I think this is fine for quite a while. I like the results I get from my telephoto lens so I have no burning desire to upgrade it. In the future, sometime, I may opt for a newer and perhaps longer telephoto with vibration reduction, but since I do so little hand held or wildlife, I think I'm set. I also have the D3200 and 55-300mm lens available if necessary.
The problem with the wide angle is that there haven't been any used lenses or zooms available that make it worth getting over a new lens. They just seem to hold their value. I also wasn't sure which prime to get and since they're not cheap you could easily get a 24mm and find you want a 20mm and you'd have spent as much as the 16-35mm zoom by then and still wouldn't have the same range of lenses available. So I opted for the 16-35mm f/4.
I was originally looking at getting a refurbished copy from B&H or Adorama but when I got the funds together neither of them offered it. They only had the new version. I found that Nikon had the refurbished version online so I decided I'd try buying from them directly. Then, to entice me further, they had a 10% off sale on refurbished items so I bit and ordered it (for this lens, that 10% amounted to $110).
The Conundrum
There was no notice before placing the order, and in my giddiness I didn't notice it until after the order was placed, but Nikon charged me taxes and shipping. I ended up saving only about $150 off of a new lens which has a 5 year warranty vs. the 90 warranty of the refurbished lens. Nikon doesn't offer an extended warranty.
This is my problem now... I may decide to just send this back and get a brand new lens for $150 more in order to have the 5 year warranty. If I got an extended, aftermarket warranty from someone else, for say $40, I am saving even less. On the other hand, it's hard to find complaints about Nikon lenses. If they work when you first get them, especially if they work the first 90 days, they are not likely to fail at all. So is it really worth paying another $150 for a warranty that likely won't be used? I dunno... We'll see. I have a few days before it arrives to make up my mind.
I've been dealing with some health issues lately, both myself and my dogs, and haven't posted for a while. Here goes - a post about why I haven't posted a bit...
My Health
Sad to say, but I'm not a terribly healthy specimen. As I told a co-worker, I don't get why I have health issues. For years and years I only drank the best whiskey and smoked the best cigars and ate the best pizza. In reality, my job as a software developer for the last 17 years results in me sitting at a desk for most of my 8 hour work days, and more when I work longer days.
On top of that, I have about a 1.5 hour commute round trip daily. And until I took up photography, my primary hobby for the last 10 years was writing and recording music, the bulk of which involved sitting in front of a computer at home. In other words, for the last 17 years most of my work week was sitting at a desk, and for probably 2/3s of that same time my hobby also involved sitting at a desk.
I did have a few years where I was fishing which entailed moving my body around, and a few years of wood working which at least kept my on my feet. But that has been a minor portion of my time.
That is why I was seeking a hobby that would once again get me outdoors. I quit fishing for various reasons, but missed being outside. I wanted a reason to go camping and get outdoors and decided to try photography. Hang-gliding just didn't seem like the ticket for me.
Over the past year I've truly enjoyed getting out and have found photography a great reason to do it. I like gadgets and technology (to a point) and photography has been a great way to marry the need to get out of the house with some technical goodies, not to mention something that requires skill and practice to be good at it.
Unfortunately, when I get sick, I don't have the drive to ignore it and go out and take pictures. I hate it! For almost 2 weeks now I've been sick and I believe it'll be another week or more before I'm ready to go camping. I don't want to miss the leaves turning colors up north near Sedona or Flagstaff so I'll likely try to push through it and make a trip. Otherwise I'll have to wait until next year.
And that is what I like - that my priorities are now to get outdoors, to take a picture, and damn the inconvenience of being sick!
