I do a lot of available light photography, that is photographin my subjects without the use of external lighs such as flash or strobe lighting. Lighing conditions for available light photography can be unpredictable so when doing this type of work, you need a fast lens. This is why I bought myself a Nikon AF 85mm prime lens to add to my Nikon film and digital set up.
I needed a lens that was fast, the aperure goes to Nikon AF 85mm 1.8, thus letting in as much light as possible in potential dingy light situations. This lens allows me to photograph hand held at slower speeds. It has a great range for portraits, especially when used on my D200. The size of the sensors on digital cameras mean that effectively you have more not less range.
New Nikon Lens
Used Nikon Lens
I was motoring along quite micely with this lens and had produced some nice test shots with it. I took it to the US with me, when on a commission to shoot a wedding there, when I was horrified to see on arrival at my destination, it had been badly packed in the back of the van and landed with a bump on the floor when the trunk was opened.
Upon opening my kit bag, and examining the items to see whether there was any damage, I found that the elements in my 85mm prime lens had come apart from each other. It was an unfortunate accident, which has taught me a few lessons about packing my own gear in the car, regardless of how much others want to assist. about insuring the gear whilst travelling, trvel insurance may not be enough, and about not using soft padded bags for transport. I am now investing in some flight cases which have better padding and added strength to ensure that this type of thing does not happen again.
