Quentin_Bargate
Well-known member
I have posted a few shots previously from my trip to KL and Bali. After a few weeks I though it might be useful to mention what worked and what did not (with a few further shots).
I took
A900, Zeiss 24-70mm F2.8, Sony 70-300G, Zeiss 85mm F1.4, Sigma 12-24 F4.5-5.6 EX DG, 2 batteries, two 8mb CF cards, lightweight travel tripod and carrybag, Lowepro belt and a Lowepro Toploader 65AW, Polarising filter and set of ND grads and Lee filter holder.
The A900 performed faultlessly the whole trip. I removed the portrait handgrip that I usually have attached to keep weight down and travelled with a spare batterey and two 8mb CF cards which I backed up to a laptop, and then to DVD's before wiping the cards.
Biggest issues I had was the weight and lack of reach of the 24-70mm Zeiss. Optically, the Zeiss is excellent but I really missed something that went to 150-200mm as too often I was caught in two minds between choosing to use and have on camera the 24-70mm or the 70-300mm G. I need the equivalent of the Nikkor 28-200 I last used on a Kodak 14nx in Egypt, so I have ordered a Tamron 28-200mm f3.8-5.6 XR Di ASP IF which I hope I don't regret! But its fairy cheap.
I also discovered the Zeiss 24-70mm was back focusing and I had ti adjust to -9 on the A900 to correct. Odd how I had not notied before.
Another problem with the Zeiss 24-70mm was - it broke! Well, to be more precise the focus lock button thing on the lens fell out. Lens still works fine but its going to need a trip to Zeiss to get it repaired (so the Tamron will have to stand in for it...a tough ask!)
Take the trip to the monkey forest, for example of where I was on the cusp of wide angle or telephoto - mostly the latter. This has meant more cropping that I would have liked on occasions.
The 70-300G was fine but I find it very sensitive to camera shake and better mounted on a tripod than just using Steadyshot (which I find only party effective most of the time and slightly inferior to in-lens image stabilisation). The tripod I took was me was excellent - small and light, easy to carry, welll made and strong enough provided no strong winds
As for the Sigma 12-24mm, I only used it a few times, including the earlier shot posted on the towers in KL and this below of the associated shopping mall (no tripod, just rested on the railing)
I hardly used the 85mm F1.4 great lens though it is.
So to conclude, A900 great, Zeiss 24-70mm also great but proved a tad fragile and now needa repair, Sigma 12-24mm also very good, useful and light too.
Now I just need to find the time to process more of the images...
Quentin
I took
A900, Zeiss 24-70mm F2.8, Sony 70-300G, Zeiss 85mm F1.4, Sigma 12-24 F4.5-5.6 EX DG, 2 batteries, two 8mb CF cards, lightweight travel tripod and carrybag, Lowepro belt and a Lowepro Toploader 65AW, Polarising filter and set of ND grads and Lee filter holder.
The A900 performed faultlessly the whole trip. I removed the portrait handgrip that I usually have attached to keep weight down and travelled with a spare batterey and two 8mb CF cards which I backed up to a laptop, and then to DVD's before wiping the cards.
Biggest issues I had was the weight and lack of reach of the 24-70mm Zeiss. Optically, the Zeiss is excellent but I really missed something that went to 150-200mm as too often I was caught in two minds between choosing to use and have on camera the 24-70mm or the 70-300mm G. I need the equivalent of the Nikkor 28-200 I last used on a Kodak 14nx in Egypt, so I have ordered a Tamron 28-200mm f3.8-5.6 XR Di ASP IF which I hope I don't regret! But its fairy cheap.
I also discovered the Zeiss 24-70mm was back focusing and I had ti adjust to -9 on the A900 to correct. Odd how I had not notied before.
Another problem with the Zeiss 24-70mm was - it broke! Well, to be more precise the focus lock button thing on the lens fell out. Lens still works fine but its going to need a trip to Zeiss to get it repaired (so the Tamron will have to stand in for it...a tough ask!)
Take the trip to the monkey forest, for example of where I was on the cusp of wide angle or telephoto - mostly the latter. This has meant more cropping that I would have liked on occasions.
The 70-300G was fine but I find it very sensitive to camera shake and better mounted on a tripod than just using Steadyshot (which I find only party effective most of the time and slightly inferior to in-lens image stabilisation). The tripod I took was me was excellent - small and light, easy to carry, welll made and strong enough provided no strong winds
As for the Sigma 12-24mm, I only used it a few times, including the earlier shot posted on the towers in KL and this below of the associated shopping mall (no tripod, just rested on the railing)
I hardly used the 85mm F1.4 great lens though it is.
So to conclude, A900 great, Zeiss 24-70mm also great but proved a tad fragile and now needa repair, Sigma 12-24mm also very good, useful and light too.
Now I just need to find the time to process more of the images...
Quentin