when everyone is shooting flowers in spring, I am starting my logistics for another summer in the Sierra Nevada... and that means mega snow for 2017 Flowers in the valleys, huge snow fields at the higher elevations.
This year, I'll be heading out on the July 9 weekend, hike begins about July 11, we'll be back out 3 weeks later. As usual, it's a "what lens do I bring" period for me, although this year things are complicated by the addition of snow and ice gear. Crampons and ice axes, warmer clothes and sleeping bags mean less camera gear, or heavier packs.
I haven't decided how heavy my photo gear should be this time around, but I am seriously considering to bring the regular tripod again, which adds 2 pounds right there. The little plate for hiking poles I carried last time was so tedious to use, I only put it up once for a starry night shot. Everything else was handheld or camera on a rock.
I know I won't be taking the 75-150mm Series E again (if I could find one that doesn't go out of kilter when you move the zoom collar, it would be a great backpacking zoom), but I do want something longer than 85mm. 150 was good, 200 better...
Of my MF lens arsenal, nothing really stands out above 85mm, so I may go and shopping again. Open to suggestions. in that range The 70-200mm f/4.5 square rear opening maybe. Have to spend some time on ebay. I don't really want to by a zoom in this class, though, because I really want to get one of those incredible new Tamron 70-200 f/2.8 G2 lenses, except those are too heavy for the hike. and it's AF and not even Nikon, so why would you care?
But to the photo below - re-processed that one a few days ago in anticipation of this year's hike. This location will be Day 3 of this summer's hike. We plan to cross Parker Pass in Yosemite again, because the incredible views to Mono Lake. It simply is dramatically more rewarding than what the official John Muir Trail offers in the next valley to the west.
The photo below was taken in 2014, a year that for this millennium has been a pretty "normal" 50% snow year. 2017 is a 175% snow year. I expect the below scene to be nothing but a huge ski slope in July.
16mm f/3.5 AI on D600 For scale reference - the cut in the snow bank that has melted to the bottom is about 4 feet deep.
pburke wrote:
when everyone is shooting flowers in spring, I am starting my logistics for another summer in the Sierra Nevada... and that means mega snow for 2017 Flowers in the valleys, huge snow fields at the higher elevations.
This year, I'll be heading out on the July 9 weekend, hike begins about July 11, we'll be back out 3 weeks later. As usual, it's a "what lens do I bring" period for me, although this year things are complicated by the addition of snow and ice gear. Crampons and ice axes, warmer clothes and sleeping bags mean less camera gear, or heavier packs.
I haven't decided how heavy my photo gear should be this time around, but I am seriously considering to bring the regular tripod again, which adds 2 pounds right there. The little plate for hiking poles I carried last time was so tedious to use, I only put it up once for a starry night shot. Everything else was handheld or camera on a rock.
I know I won't be taking the 75-150mm Series E again (if I could find one that doesn't go out of kilter when you move the zoom collar, it would be a great backpacking zoom), but I do want something longer than 85mm. 150 was good, 200 better...
Of my MF lens arsenal, nothing really stands out above 85mm, so I may go and shopping again. Open to suggestions. in that range The 70-200mm f/4.5 square rear opening maybe. Have to spend some time on ebay. I don't really want to by a zoom in this class, though, because I really want to get one of those incredible new Tamron 70-200 f/2.8 G2 lenses, except those are too heavy for the hike. and it's AF and not even Nikon, so why would you care?
But to the photo below - re-processed that one a few days ago in anticipation of this year's hike. This location will be Day 3 of this summer's hike. We plan to cross Parker Pass in Yosemite again, because the incredible views to Mono Lake. It simply is dramatically more rewarding than what the official John Muir Trail offers in the next valley to the west.
The photo below was taken in 2014, a year that for this millennium has been a pretty "normal" 50% snow year. 2017 is a 175% snow year. I expect the below scene to be nothing but a huge ski slope in July.
16mm f/3.5 AI on D600 For scale reference - the cut in the snow bank that has melted to the bottom is about 4 feet deep.
Personally, for telephoto I love the 180/2.8 ED AIS.
Sounds like a great trip for you!
**********************
I'm ramping up for a trip to Washington State and was checking this lens today wide open to see if it will make the cut. It makes it! Here are some test shots wide open, Sony a7R2 body with "dumb" adapter, PP in LRCC. Absolutely great to have IBIS!
This one is at f/5.6, cropped from top and bottom.
Gunzorro wrote:
Personally, for telephoto I love the 180/2.8 ED AIS.
I'm ramping up for a trip to Washington State and was checking this lens today wide open to see if it will make the cut. It makes it! Here are some test shots wide open, Sony a7R2 body with "dumb" adapter, PP in LRCC. Absolutely great to have IBIS!
well, the 180 ED is probably my favorite MF Nikkor I never bought. For several years now it has been on the shortlist of what to get next. And there's always been some other bigger purchase that pushed it back. Weight is still tolerable, not much more than my 135mm F/2.8 Nikkor-Q, the closest thing I have to that lens at the moment.
Maybe I will pull a Reagan this summer and buy it, use it on the hike and try it at one or two race events. Then sell it again...
I have a minty 180mm ED I want to sell. If you end up wanting one PM me. I am not in a rush so if you do remember in the future let me know.
pburke wrote:
well, the 180 ED is probably my favorite MF Nikkor I never bought. For several years now it has been on the shortlist of what to get next. And there's always been some other bigger purchase that pushed it back. Weight is still tolerable, not much more than my 135mm F/2.8 Nikkor-Q, the closest thing I have to that lens at the moment.
Maybe I will pull a Reagan this summer and buy it, use it on the hike and try it at one or two race events. Then sell it again...
mysh wrote:
I have a minty 180mm ED I want to sell. If you end up wanting one PM me. I am not in a rush so if you do remember in the future let me know.
thanks for letting me know. Not sure if I would want anything "minty" to take out into a place where minty turns to ugly user very quickly. I have a few weeks to decide.
Maybe I'll begin by disassembling that 75-150mm E series - perhaps I can fix the loose barrel. Got nothing to lose. It's just not the lens you find a lot of DIY background info for.
pburke wrote:
thanks for letting me know. Not sure if I would want anything "minty" to take out into a place where minty turns to ugly user very quickly. I have a few weeks to decide.
Maybe I'll begin by disassembling that 75-150mm E series - perhaps I can fix the loose barrel. Got nothing to lose. It's just not the lens you find a lot of DIY background info for.
I have a full disassembly walk through for this lens.
I'll tell you what. I just spent last week in Mammoth and have NEVER seen that much snow. EVER! And this is late April. Right now there is at 11,054 ft there is 330", 180" at 9000 ft. You may spend a lot of your hike needing snowshoes. ❄️ pburke wrote:
ah, there's some of that 175% of normal snow pack...
they will still be skiing on Mammoth Mountain when we hike past it. I saw some announcement that they plan to stay open deep into July.
In that area, snow is higher than in other areas (reason for the resort being located there), but anywhere above 10,500 and north facing we expect a lot of snow, 11k and above mostly solid until we get to Sequoia, but there we will be up to 13 and 14k. We have done hikes like that before and in July you walk on the snow, It becomes "Sierra Corn" and only in late afternoon does it get soft in some places to become a real problem. Snow shoes would not work on suncups anyway. hard enough to walk around them with crampons.
RicHammond wrote:
I'll tell you what. I just spent last week in Mammoth and have NEVER seen that much snow. EVER! And this is late April. Right now there is at 11,054 ft there is 330", 180" at 9000 ft. You may spend a lot of your hike needing snowshoes. ❄️
I had bought Alan's beater, and when I got a nicer copy, sold mine off to Scott, who then sold it off to someone else (I've lost track) Maybe find a BGN copy with good glass, for your trip?
pburke wrote:
well, the 180 ED is probably my favorite MF Nikkor I never bought. For several years now it has been on the shortlist of what to get next. And there's always been some other bigger purchase that pushed it back. Weight is still tolerable, not much more than my 135mm F/2.8 Nikkor-Q, the closest thing I have to that lens at the moment.
Maybe I will pull a Reagan this summer and buy it, use it on the hike and try it at one or two race events. Then sell it again...
KEH is listing one for $159 - can't beat that. Extremely ugly body, glass looks alright, but photos are too poor to know for sure. The description is generic, so impossible to know what the glass is really like.
And, I never buy clean lenses, unless I cannot find that BGN with clean glass.
NightOwl Cat wrote:
I had bought Alan's beater, and when I got a nicer copy, sold mine off to Scott, who then sold it off to someone else (I've lost track) Maybe find a BGN copy with good glass, for your trip?
Squaw Valley is going to remain open all year. I'm planning on skiing on the 4th of July, well maybe the on the Sat. and Sun. before. That pesky work thing gets in the way.
pburke wrote:
they will still be skiing on Mammoth Mountain when we hike past it. I saw some announcement that they plan to stay open deep into July.
In that area, snow is higher than in other areas (reason for the resort being located there), but anywhere above 10,500 and north facing we expect a lot of snow, 11k and above mostly solid until we get to Sequoia, but there we will be up to 13 and 14k. We have done hikes like that before and in July you walk on the snow, It becomes "Sierra Corn" and only in late afternoon does it get soft in some places to become a real problem. Snow shoes would not work on suncups anyway. hard enough to walk around them with crampons.
pburke wrote:
KEH is listing one for $159 - can't beat that. Extremely ugly body, glass looks alright, but photos are too poor to know for sure. The description is generic, so impossible to know what the glass is really like.
And, I never buy clean lenses, unless I cannot find that BGN with clean glass.
Mine is a beater also -- even came with a couple scrape/gouges on the front element from the "ears" of some other AIS lens bouncing around against it in a previous owner's bag! The exterior paint is chewed up too. I got it for $150, blacked-in the gouges, and good to go! Focus ring is great, apertures are perfect, hood works and I'll never have to worry about it. And the those gouges never show up in the images at all, only rarely seen in the bokeh bubbles wide open as little marks in smooth bokeh.
Plus, if there is anything wrong where it doesn't perform, KEH will even take back UGLY lenses in my experience. It's a no-lose situation for you!
You convinced me. I like lenses with character. and yes, there is a 14 day money back. Heck, the lens is cheaper than the satellite airtime I need to buy for July, something I will probably not even use before it expires.
I also heard back from Richard Haw in his repair blog that my 75-150mm has to have a loose element somewhere, so much more difficult repair. I'll try it, but I really want to bring something longer this year. The 180mm has use for me as a detail car lens, panning lens, etc - so it will not be pushed to the back of the shelf, even if I magically can fix the zoom.
I was very happy with the 16mm f/3.5 AI I got from KEH - it was rated far below actual condition. So I am off to order the 180mm now - glass looks quite clean, the rest looks like it has been in a war (time fro another DIY lens coat). Actually a pretty late serial number. My first MF prime between 135mm and 300mm. Now which lens to dump from the 10 presets?...
Gunzorro wrote:
Mine is a beater also -- even came with a couple scrape/gouges on the front element from the "ears" of some other AIS lens bouncing around against it in a previous owner's bag! The exterior paint is chewed up too. I got it for $150, blacked-in the gouges, and good to go! Focus ring is great, apertures are perfect, hood works and I'll never have to worry about it. And the those gouges never show up in the images at all, only rarely seen in the bokeh bubbles wide open as little marks in smooth bokeh.
Plus, if there is anything wrong where it doesn't perform, KEH will even take back UGLY lenses in my experience. It's a no-lose situation for you! ...Show more →
pburke wrote:
You convinced me. I like lenses with character. and yes, there is a 14 day money back. Heck, the lens is cheaper than the satellite airtime I need to buy for July, something I will probably not even use before it expires.
I also heard back from Richard Haw in his repair blog that my 75-150mm has to have a loose element somewhere, so much more difficult repair. I'll try it, but I really want to bring something longer this year. The 180mm has use for me as a detail car lens, panning lens, etc - so it will not be pushed to the back of the shelf, even if I magically can fix the zoom.
I was very happy with the 16mm f/3.5 AI I got from KEH - it was rated far below actual condition. So I am off to order the 180mm now - glass looks quite clean, the rest looks like it has been in a war (time fro another DIY lens coat). Actually a pretty late serial number. My first MF prime between 135mm and 300mm. Now which lens to dump from the 10 presets?...
Flowers in the valleys, huge snow fields at the higher elevations. 
