Photography News | Issue 34 | absolutephoto.com
33
Review
Nikon user: JeremyWalker
An ambassador for Nikon, Jeremy Walker specialises in location and landscape photography. Although mainly known for his landscapes and panoramas, he also shoots architecture and portraits. What is it about Nikon lenses that appeals to you? Nikon lenses appeal to me because of their quality, both the optical quality and also the build quality. Nikon lenses feel right and are nicely balanced when you hand-hold them. The longer telephotos are perfectly balanced when on a tripod thanks to the built-in tripod collar. Nikon’s lens technology such as the Nano Crystal Coating, the use of ED glass, the fluorine coat that helps repel dust andwaterdroplets, and the introduction of the Phase Fresnel (PF) lens, make Nikon world leaders when it comes to lens technology, which as a pro is what I need and demand. Which lenses do you always have and what do you use them for? I have quite a range of Nikon lenses and I should emphasise that I do not carry them all with me at the same time. I will select the right lenses for the job in hand. My widest lens is the 14-24mm f/2.8, which is simply stunning and gets used for interiors and the big landscapes such as the Northern Lights. I also have the 24-70mm f/2.8, 70-200mm f/2.8 and the 200-400mm f/4 – all of them get used for landscape work. Of the more specialised lenses I have a 16mm fisheye, a 105mm micro and a 45mm tilt-shift lens. I also have a 50mm f/1.4, which I use if I want to travel light and wander around a city shooting hand-held. I will usually carry the 24-70mm and 70-200mm as a default kitbag setting, as I think you can achieve most things with these lenses. Which is your favourite? Currently it’s the 45mm PC-E Tilt Shift because of its versatility. The unique design of the tilt-shift lensmakes it indispensable for architectural work with its rise and fall movement, and for landscape work the tilt mechanism allows for increased depth-of-field while still at large apertures – check out the Scheimpflug principle! The 45mm tilt-shift also works as a macro lens with a 1:2 reproduction ratio, which is really useful for nature details and close-ups, think frosted leaves and frozen puddles! If I was limited to carrying just one lens it would be the 24-70mm f/2.8 zoom for its all-round performance and incredibly versatile zoom range. What lens would you like to see introduced by Nikon in the future? If I could have a wish list I would like to see Nikon introduce a wider tilt- shift than its current 24mmoffering. Somewhere in the region of 17mm to 19mm would be ideal for architecture, interiors and landscapes. I would also like them to bring out a rangefinder body based on the old S series of cameras, made to an incredibly high spec with its own range of Nikkor lenses… I can but dream.
jeremywalker.co.uk
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