Picture Perfect, Part 4

Here are some photos taken with our fast prime lens.

Nikon AF-S DX Nikkor 35mm f1.8G
Why buy a fast prime? Because, number one, the shutter speed is a bit faster with this lens, and number two, this one has a large aperture which means it admits more light and can therefore take better photos in low light settings. Because food is often served in lower light settings (at least in some home and restaurants), we wanted this lens.

Balancing low and bright light in a tunnel outside of Glenwood Springs, Colorado.

Taken from the car window on our way to Arches National Park, just west of Grand Junction, Colorado.

A curious greeter at the Arches National Park visitor center outside of Moab, Utah. The blurred background effect produced by prime lenses is called bokeh.

Taken during a photo-shoot of our friend's workshop. Mark Muniz is an artist and designer of the macabre. I'll be interviewing him soon. Again, notice the pleasant bokeh effect.

Obviously we still need to unlock the capabilities of this lens. I think there will be more opportunities in the days ahead.

See the other posts in this series:

Part 1 – Camera Research

Part 2 – Camera Purchase

Part 3 – Zoom Lens

Part 5 – Macro Lens

Picture Perfect, Part 3

Ok, here is a sampling of photos taken with our new camera.The photos are organized by lens used. We ended up purchasing 3 lenses for our camera: a zoom lens, a fast prime, and a macro lens.

This first post shows photos taken during a trip to the Argo Gold Mine just west of Denver, CO, followed by a stop at a playground nearby. We used the zoom lens exclusively.

Zoom Lens: 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 G VR II
This lens was purchased as part of our camera kit. Of course, you can buy the same camera body solo or with other kit lens. However, this kit lens had very good reviews online. This is a good everyday lens with quality, if not extreme capabilities.

And here are a couple of pics taken with it:

See the other posts in this series:

Part 1 – Camera Research

Part 2 – Camera Purchase

Part 4 – Fast Prime Lens

Part 5 – Macro Lens

Take a look at the other lens we purchased: fast prime and Macro.

Tricking out the Subaru

Ok, so we're not really tricking out our Subaru, per se, but we are making some improvements and upgrades to make our travels in Chile more comfortable and safe.

Why bother, you ask?
Because we love our Subaru (yes, just like those commercials promise) and we only owe 5K; that with the combined cost of shipping it to Chile is STILL LESS than buying a new one in Chile. So that's why we're bringing it along. Due to the nature of our project, traveling north to south and documenting the family food traditions and meals, we need mobility and flexibility. Our beloved Subaru will give us that. However, there are some things that have reached the 100K-mile marker and need replacement. For instance, the suspension.

Camping outside of Steamboat Springs, August 2015

Replace suspension
The bounce had gone out of our Subaru months ago but with this trip looming as a possibility, we waited. When our project was set in motion, we could finally do this. (By "we," I really mean "Mark.") Replacing the suspension on a car isn't like changing a tire. Replacing the suspension involves several different moving pieces - struts, springs, top mount, spacers - and involves a lot of grunting from underneath the car (so far as I can tell).

 Our Subaru in the midst of the repairs in my parent's garage.

The most complicated repairs occurred at the front suspension. Mark knew the drive shaft on the right side was damaged but if he were to replace only one, the other one might give out at some point so he bought two. When taking the car apart, he discovered the problem. The axle was broken.

And as usually happens when doing work on a car, he found some other things needing repair as well. When replacing the drive shift, he needed to replace the oil seals for new ones. After that he discovered that the sway bar links needed to be replaced on both ends; the tie rod ends also needed to be replaced. The biggest surprise was the front control arm bushings were degrading and cracked - therefore we were faced with two options: (1) to buy a complete control arm that would cost around $270 each or (2) to buy the bushings but that implied that he needed to press the old ones out of the control arm and then put the new bushings back on (requiring equipment we didn't have but much less expensive). Needless to say we went with option 2. With the help of Dan Chase, a good friend of ours, who let Mark use his press, we were able to accomplish the less expensive repair.

So in the end, the repairs entailed replacing all of the following: new struts, springs, top mount, spacers, tie rod end, sway bar link, sway bar bushings, bushings for control arm, and complete ball join.

But were we done? (And by "we," remember I mean Mark.)
Nope.

Picture Perfect, Part 2

And the winner is...

Not so fast. First you need to read about how I came to that decision.

So, armed with a list of needs and wants, I managed to come up with a list of 12 camera models. I returned to Jax Outdoors (in Fort Collins this time) and spoke with the tech at length. I handled the cameras they had on hand from my list - about half and ended up ruling out all but three.

Here were the finalists:

• Nikon D5500
• Fujifilm X-T1*
• Canon Rebel T6i

* They didn't have the X-T1 but they did have the X-T10. This camera was really nice and had the best images of the three, however the grip wasn't very comfortable for me and the camera was a little on the small side. The tech suggested we look into the X-T1 as it was a little bigger with the same perks as the X-T10.

Back home, I returned to the internet and searched for specific articles on the three finalists. I also read CNET reviews and did some price checking. All three had the features and specs I wanted. In reviews, each of these cameras did well; specifically the Fujifilm rated top and the Canon rated bottom (of the three). Price-wise, they rated in the same order with Fujifilm being the most expensive and Canon the least.

In the end, I chose the Nikon D5500 over the others. The kit lens I purchased was a Nikkor AF XS 18-55mmVR II.

Described as a top-line enthusiast camera, it was affordable and allowed me to keep within budget (which was set for $1500). Purchasing the Nikon allowed me to get some extras (via a package kit) and enabled me to spend some money on a nice macro lens for our food photography. I'm currently vacillating between a Tamron 90mm f2.8 and a Tokina 100mm f2.8 for a compatible macro lens. More on that once I've made up my mind.

See the other posts in this series:

Part 1 – Camera Research

Part 3 – Zoom Lens

Part 4 – Fast Prime Lens

Part 5 – Macro Lens