Category Archives: Nikon D700

Many of you know that I’m a Nikon and Fuji X-100 photographer. In fact I just took advantage of the generational changes to buy a new D700 at a reduced price as most of the community looks to the D800 and the D4. I love the D700 and now have a new 24-70 to go with it. Definitely positioned myself to take advantage of the FX qualities of Nikon optics. Yesterday, I shot a local golf tournament for our local Air Force Association. We raised a ton of money for cadet scholarships, just a great day and had a great time taking shots of guys hitting off the tee, chipping to and putting on the greens. Golf is a tough sport to shoot. First you don’t want to start clicking before the shot has been completed in case you upset someone’s concentration. I didn’t want any “Tiger Woods” moments while I was shooting  on the golf course.  

As I was toting my gear around the course I had time to consider all my equipment and the sheer mass of it all. I was riding in a cart so it wasn’t like I had to schlepp all the stuff around on my shoulders all day. But I still considered everything I had with me…it’s lot of stuff.

My everyday camera is a Fuji X100. It’s the camera I always have with me when I’m not out with my Nikon stuff. Of course, the X100 would never do for a sports venue like golf. The fixed 23mm lens would be great for the golf course landscapes but there are times when the zoom is called for and the Fuji just is not the best camera for those close-in shots.

I started listing to a great new podcast this weekend that refocused my thinking on camera gear.  The “Rangefinder Moment” podcast is presented by Victor Cajiao. Victor just sold all his Nikon kit to move to a Leica M9. A bold move to say the least. I’m not ready to mimic his move to a Leica yet but I started to wonder what I might have been able to capture at my tournament yesterday with a Leica and some lenses. I’m not sure yet, but the possibilities have me wondering.  Definitely would have been great to have a rangefinder for the pre and post golf activities.  Victor’s podcast series covering Rangefinders contains only a few episodes so now is a great time to get in on it if you’re a rangefinder aficionado. I looked at the Fuji X-Pro1 a little harder today too. The lens options are as good as the Leica and may give me some more options.

I haven’t made any final decisions but the wheels are stirring in my mind. I have a lot to consider and will have to do plenty of research before I make any moves. This would be a huge decision for me. Tomorrow I’m going to the San Diego Padres baseball game for Military Appreciation day. I’m taking my X-100 and am really looking forward to taking some street photos of the crowd and the bustle around the stadium. I’m going to leave shots of the game plays to somebody else and focus on the stories around the concourse areas. Should be fun! I’ll keep you posted on my rangefinder journey. I may be well on the way already with my X-100 love affair.

Thanks for reading!