D7200 vs. D500
This week was very exciting for me because I finally had the means to upgrade my camera. By no means was my D7200 a bad camera (as all of my photos to this point have been taken with that camera) but for nature and action the Nikon D500 is possibly the best available on the market. With the ability to take 200 shots in succession at 10 frames per second means that I can capture fast moving birds, cars, or any other action you could think of. Furthermore, it has one of the best auto focus systems in any Nikon camera, which can lock focus in milliseconds. I couldn’t pass up the deal I got on this used D500 as it also came with the genuine Nikon battery grip which adds hours of shooting and balances the camera out nicely when using bigger lenses.
While I was on my way home from work to unbox the new camera, my wife called to let me know we had a big unidentified bug in the yard. It looked like a spider with 8 legs, but only had 2 eyes. Come to find out it is called a Jerusalem Cricket, which funny enough is not a cricket, nor a true bug, nor is it from Jerusalem. But it was a perfect specimen to test out the cameras upgraded focus system. Using my Nikkor 105mm f/2.8 macro lens let me get up close and personal with this little creature. That was just the start to the weekend.
My wonderful nephews both had soccer games so I wanted to capture some of the action. While youth soccer is not an extremely fast-paced sport, it is a blast to watch and see the expressions the kids’ faces while playing. The high frame rate allowed me to nail the action shots and it never missed focus, while also producing some great portraits.
With fall really starting to set in here in Utah, the colors of the trees have been changing over the last few weeks and I don’t know how much longer they will be holding their leaves with the cold, frosty mornings we have everyday now. Because of this, Chelsea and I decided to take a drive up one of my favorite local roads in the Wasatch, East Canyon Road which leads to Emigration Canyon. Getting to the top of the road, the view is breathtaking while looking south down the road with the numerous shades of yellows, oranges, reds, and greens so vibrant.
Emigration Canyon, UT
Finally, we managed to get a nice early start to our day on Sunday at 6am and head up to hike Ben Lomond Peak, one of the highest points in the Wasatch Front with an elevation of 9,711 ft. After nice 1.5 hr drive we got to the trailhead. It was a brisk 28 degrees, which meant perfect hiking weather. Then, 2 hours and 3.5 miles later we made it to the peak. It really puts things into perspective of how small we are when you step back and look. It’s also crazy to see how much beauty there is if you are willing to put in a little time and effort to go and experience it.
Ben Lomond Peak, 9711 ft
Just below Willard Peak
Overall, first impressions of the new camera are great, and I look forward to getting out soon to do some more birding to see how it handles birds in flight and anything else I can throw at it.