Nikon 16-85mm f/3.5-5.6

Technically it is called the AF-S DX NIKKOR 16-85mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR. What it means is that Nikon is introducing a DX format lens that is similar to its 24-120mm lens on a full frame camera. The Nikkor 18-200mm doesn't go wide enough for me to qualify it as a one-lens solution. The new 16-85mm lens appears to be a good landscape to portrait lens. I can use this if I need a super lightweight, one-lens solution. Pair it with the new Nikon D60, and we've got a lightweight, back-packable DSLR. Woohoo!

I don't need one right now, but I'll be keeping a close eye on the reviews for this baby.

Compact Adventure Camera: Final Words

These are my closing remarks on my review of the Sea and Sea 1G camera. This is the same camera as the Ricoh GX100, and it comes bundled with the Sea & Sea DX-1G housing.

It’s invigorating to be able to wander along the beach with a camera in my pocket, and then being able to dive with that same compact camera after putting it in an underwater housing.

Sure, there are a lot of compact cameras that can do that, but I wanted the wide-angle (24mm equivalent) lens of the 1G/GX100. I never stopped wishing that I had my DSLR with me though, because the 1G/GX100 does have some shortcomings.

Shutter lag is fast for a compact, but not DSLR fast, and still not fast enough. Dynamic range seems poor, and the meter shows a willingness to burn out highlights. Metering in Manual Mode is best, if I have the time. If not, I set the meter to underexpose by -2/3 stop. And I still shoot RAW, despite the almost crippling 5-second wait for the file to be written between shots. The default brightness for the LCD is too dim, especially in bright sunlight, and I have mine cranked up to the max. Images are very noisy above ISO100, so it is basically an ISO100 camera.

Underwater, with the DX-1G housing, the camera is very versatile. I have the option to remove the 16mm Ultra-Wide conversion lens, zoom out to 72mm and use Macro Mode. This is a big plus underwater, because I can do all that without surfacing to change lenses. This means I can shoot the big stuff, like mantas and whale sharks, and shoot the small macro stuff, all on the same dive. I think that the camera’s built in image stabilization is also a great help.

Would I buy this again? My answer is a cautious ‘yes’ in two parts:

For underwater shooting, I enjoy the versatility of the 1G and I like the fact that I got the whole package (camera, housing, underwater strobe, 16mm wide-angle conversion lens) for less than the price of a housing for my Nikon D300. Plus, if the housing floods, it is far less costly to replace a compact than a DSLR. For budding underwater photographers like me, I think this is the way to go. But once I gain more experience and confidence working underwater, I think I’ll upgrade to a housing for my D300.

Above water, the camera is the same as the Ricoh GX100. If you don’t need more than ISO100, the camera can perform if you are careful with the highlights. The ergonomics are the best of any compact that I’ve handled. Manual Mode works very well. Competing compacts all have very nice features, but none match the 1G/GX100’s wide 24mm lens. If I didn’t need the 24mm wide-angle, I give the Olympus 790SW a good look. Again, a cautious ‘yes’ to buying the Ricoh GX100… but I’d keep a close eye on the market and the upcoming Sigma DP1.

Update 6 March:
Olympus has an updated model, the 1030SW, an even tougher camera with 10MP and a 28-102mm lens.

Photos:
Top: Tidal Pool Sunset. ISO100, 24mm equiv, 1/250, f4.1, fill flash, in Manual mode.
Bottom: Underwater Videographer. ISO100, 16mm equiv with DX-1G housing and conversion lens, 1/160, f2.9, flash, -2/3EV.

Let’s Have Some Fun!

Two images of a sunset, a rock, and some kids playing around it. They were shot within a few minutes of each other near Patong Beach, Phuket, Thailand.

My Ricoh GX100/Sea&Sea 1G doesn't have a great telephoto range, so for the top picture, I got as close as I could get, and then cropped to get the image I wanted (ISO 100, 72mm equivalent, 1/200, f7.1). It looks ok on the web, but it won’t stand up to a large print.

Then I went around the rock and saw this one kid looking wishfully at the other kids having a good time. I climbed to the top and got the bottom picture, which is shot of their belongings and the one kid (ISO 100, 24mm equivalent, 1/250, f4.3, fill flash).

Both images taken with a Sea&Sea 1G/Ricoh GX100 in Manual Mode, and cropped to 1:1 format.

I Am Not Invincible

Repeat after me: “I am not invincible”.

It is the morning after the accident. The aches and pains that I hoped would be gone after waking are still there. The pins and needles down my right arm are still there, and so I’ve got to go see a specialist doctor today.

I’ve also gathered my hospital bills and the invoice for my bike to make an insurance claim against the truck driver.

I look back and wonder what I could have differently. I suppose could have gone slower. The thing is, as athletes, we are always pushing our limits. Going slow just doesn’t cut it. The risk is ours to take, and the choice is always ours to make. I think I’ll probably stay off the roads for a while… at least until I get a new bike.

Update 30 Jan: Added a photo of the truck that hit me. Anybody want to buy 4D?

When Right Of Way Isn’t Always Right

I just got out of the hospital. I got hit by a truck this morning while riding my road bike. I was doing the usual loop on Changi Coastal Road and was headed back towards East Coast Park when the accident happened at the junction of Tanah Merah Coastal Road.

The details are coming back to me. The light was red, so I was slowing down, ready to come to a stop. The truck was on the opposite side of the road, also stopped due to the light. 20m to the junction, the light turned green, so I began accelerating. The truck inched out, as they sometimes do, like he was getting ready to go behind me. Only the truck didn’t stop. He continued his right turn into the middle of the traffic junction. I braked hard, but at 30kmph, there just wasn’t enough time. My right of way, but it didn’t matter. When flesh meets steel, steel is always right.

My bike is totaled and I left the hospital with a deep cut on my chin that required 4 stitches on the outside and 2 on the inside to close. I’ve also got pins and needles all the way down my right arm that I hope will go away in a few days. The doctor says it’s due to a compressed nerve.

My thanks to a taxi and its occupants who stopped to help me, and also a fellow biker who was at the junction and witnessed it all. My thanks also to the ambulance crew, doctor and nurse at Changi General Hospital.

By the way, anybody know a good lawyer?

Update:
I've just gotten a call from the Police to inform me that the truck driver is at fault. Wow! It's just 8 hours after the accident. That's efficient!