QuangLeHuynh Photography

Nikon Nikkor 28-70 2.8 AF-S - Review + What to Know + Initial Thoughts

2012-01-25T11:45:00.000-08:00

Recently, I took a gamble on eBay and bought a Nikon Nikkor 28-70 2.8 AF-S for $800 (prices were ending around $1000) from a seller who had 0 feedbacks. I took the gamble and it definitely paid off - the lens was in mint condition - element was clean, barrel was clean, focus rings were smooth, and focus was quick (on my D90)

My initial thoughts:

-This lens lives up to it's nickname as "The Beast" - it is heavy as hell

-This lens is quite long with it's lens hood

-Autofocus was very quick on my D90 - probably quicker with D7000, D300s, D300 and the full frame bodies

-Color and contrast was good coming out of the RAW file, but what impressed me most was the sharpness when it's wide open

What I'm most afraid of, or my paranoia better put, is the lens ripping out from the body lol. It's just that heavy - I also use a Black Rapid Sport, so having a 3-4 pound lens + camera would make any photographer feel a bit uneasy.

I've read other reviews that people have issues with the weight, and it's usually left at home when going for shoots or vacations, but I personally don't mind it at this point (even though it's early). It just covers so much focal length that I need, that it's just a sacrifice I'm willing to make. I feel I'm gaining more than losing with this lens when it compares to the 50mm 1.8.

I'll follow up with another review when I actually fully shoot with it this Saturday! Thanks for reading. :)

Crazy couple of weeks...

2011-11-15T16:04:00.000-08:00

These past couple of weeks have been, simply put, crazy. From meeting many great dance crews in the greater Boston area, to photographing and hanging out with America's Best Dance Crew winners, I.aM.Me, to photographing Clara Chung and New Heights, to just meeting tons of new people.

Dancing has always been this fascination of mine that I don't think I'll ever pursue. It's in my nature to experiment and try new things at the slightest spark of interest, but dancing is just something I don't think I can do. However, I am always marveled at the sight of how people can move their bodies in such a way, but still be so synchronized.

Still on the subject of dancing, I.aM.Me. I.aM.Me is known for their victory on ABDC and also their knack for making people go, "Wtf just happened?" when they do their crazy isolations (am I using the correct terminology?). The whole team is really chill as far as I know, or at least from the ones that I talked to briefly. Hanging out in their dressing room, I can honestly conclude that they're just normal people who do normal things. They goof off (mostly Chachi), they socialize, and they're just making a living.

Clara Chung - I believe I did a photo blog about her already, but I'll write about her again. It's really cool to see how she's grown in popularity in the past year since the last time I photographed her at Takeout at Boston University. The difference between me photographing at the recent show vs. the show last year, was that I was photographing with a really bad sprain on my wrist that just keeps getting worse!

I realize that this blog is probably the longest blog I've written in quite some time. I'll conclude with this: As the leaves change color and winter knocks on our door, I can only look back at these few weeks and just SIGH. I can only expect that next semester will be the same in terms of how stressful daily living will be, but also how exciting it can be at the same time.

Did I mention that I now have a photography FaceBook page? Click here and click the LIKE button!

Post-BAASIC 2011

2011-10-23T22:43:00.000-07:00

10 People, 45 minutes of sleep, 300+ attendees, and 1 conference later, I find myself alleviated from the stress of the organization and execution of pulling off a successful conference.

Five months ago, I was introduced to a group of strangers who was assigned a task of organizing a conference known as BAASIC, the Boston Asian American Student Intercollegiate Conference. These people came from different backgrounds, all with similar resumes, all of whom were similar to me. Days, weeks, and months of ideas, planning and effort had gone into the manifestation of this one conference.

What I take away from this event:
-No matter how far ahead you plan, it is inevitable that shit happens.
-No matter how old you are, childish behavior can prevail.
-45 Minutes of sleep will not allow you to function properly.
-Don't forget the phone charger.
-No matter how hard I tried, the hints never got through (I think).
-New friendships that I hope will last.

What I lost:
-Weight from not eating for 15 hours.

There was a lot more that I wanted to say, but the feeling of sappiness would ooze out of this blog.

Mid-Autumn Festival

2011-09-10T20:56:00.000-07:00

So this year, I was granted the position of being the chair person of the annual Mid-Autumn Festival in Dorchester, MA. It's been awhile since I've been to events held by the Vietnamese community, and I must say, this event made me very happy. Making this event successful was great, but what made me smile the most was seeing all the joyous families that came out today. Most of the time, I see miserable parents dragging their kids out to these events, but there were genuine smiles all around from both the parents and kids. Which concludes my quick blog: Happy people makes me happy.

Post-July 4th and my ankle hurts

2011-07-05T09:30:00.000-07:00

So I haven't gone out to Boston in years to watch the fireworks and last night was a reminder of why my parents probably haven't brought me out there since I was a child. 1. It was crowded as hell. 2. The people I was standing next to smelt like ginger. 3. MBTA system was crowded as hell. 4. Too many complaining people complaining about how their kids can't see.

Alright, understandable, it is the 4th, and Boston is well-known for their celebration. But to me, the 3 1/2 hour wait didn't make me feel in awh when the fireworks started sparkling. The only thing that I was in awh of, was when the Boston Pops played "Bohemian Rhapsody" by Queen. Other than that, to me, hurt ankles and 13 Slim Jims down the drain wasn't worth the wait to see the fireworks. In addition, it's so commercialized now, that each commercial was a grueling 1-2 minute wait. And they tease us with bits of fireworks and country songs from artists I never heard of.

Lesson learned: Watch fireworks on TV or go to Dorchester (?) !

So it's been a "minute"..

2011-06-07T21:18:00.000-07:00

Hm, haven't posted anything up in awhile. Last couple of weeks have been a non-stop venture to finding a job, exercising, and socializing; a good blend nonetheless. However, there are some occurrences that has confused me... SAFETYSUIT-SOMETHING I SAID!

But this is one of my more recent work with my good friend. :) Find her here: http://www.facebook.com/RinnieRiot

Empire State of Mind

2011-05-24T20:27:00.000-07:00

So I was in New York for the first time since I was a kid, and boy, it was nothing like what I remembered as a kid. I guess the main difference from before and now, is that I am more consciously aware of things going on, for example, the psycho-road-rage drivers in New York. Why I like New York? For the most part, it seems like it's never boring. You see many tourists from all over, enjoying the fast paced life of the Big Apple. Food was good in the restaurants we ate and it didn't feel like I was eating shrimp with dirt on it. Why I dislike New York? Every time I was in a cab or walking across the street, I feel my % of death increases immensely. There's just so many people in New York, that as enjoyable as it may be, more people = more cars and people on the street = people getting hit. :X

I actually like this photo a lot - it was taken at the Rockefella Center in Manhattan, and there was this big ass glass chandelier thing hanging from the ceiling.

Sugar sugar how you get so fly...

2011-05-14T19:52:00.000-07:00

First off, go on my band page, SWAN STREET , and click the "LIKE" button! So okay, I've been on a sugar deprivation... which is great. All this talk about "beach bod" is a motivation for me to lose this weight and become better, faster, and stronger. Why? Well, I guess you can answer that.. But nevertheless, those red velvet cupcakes above looked mad tasty, but I compelled myself to not eat them!

Boston, MA

2011-05-08T12:55:00.000-07:00

Summer is here, and that means...

2011-05-04T16:13:00.000-07:00

Portrait time! Anyone need them done? :)

Kaba Modern

2011-04-19T19:46:00.000-07:00

So Kaba Modern performed for the young minds of MIT and Boston this past Friday night. So when I first walked in, these dancers did not look like the individuals on America's Best Dance Crew. I know at first, a lot of people were disappointed, but once they hopped on the dance floor, it was a wrap. They were amazingly good, and it makes definitely want to try to book them for a possible event that I'm trying to manifest in my head. But anyways, kudos to MIT's AAA for throwing such a bomb show.

Now this was my second go-round with the Nikon D90; actually shooting shots with a shutter speed of about 200-300. Boy, when I got home, I was pissed as fuck. The shots I took were soft and was not as sharp as my Nikon D3100. I was real disappointed, so I went online and see what was wrong with my camera. Turns out, that I didn't set the picture controls correctly, and even as sharp as the Nikon 50mm 1.8 AF, shots were still a bit fuzzy, rather than tack sharp. To clarify, I mostly had my aperture set at around 2.8. I thankfully was able to salvage some images thanks to Photoshop.

The other issue I see with the Nikon D90, is that it's ISO performance is a bit worse than the D3100. I shot with the D3100 with pretty poor light with a 35mm 1.8, and I was still able to get super sharp images with an okay amount of noise. Whereas, the D90 had tons of noise, even at 2500 ISO. :(

Spring is basically here!

2011-04-14T17:35:00.000-07:00

... That is until it snows again.

Juh-juh-juh-juh- Just dance.

2011-04-02T15:51:00.000-07:00

So lately, I've been attending a lot of shows involving dances and what not. I find it very interesting how people can move their bodies like that. I feel as though I can perhaps try, but I'm just so timid with just getting involved in the whole dance scene. I was watching Northeastern University's Vietnamese Student Association danced to modern music a couple of months back, and I would have never imagined them doing so well! It makes me want to just pull a MJ crotch grab, but I'm just pretty shy when it comes to dancing.

The photo above is Suffolk University's dance crew. I forgot their dance crew name however.

Swan Street

2011-03-21T08:32:00.000-07:00

I'm in a band yo'. I can honestly say, that doing this project with my band mates (Kelsey and Ralph) is one of those things that I can do, where I can forget about the miseries of life. Haha

Swan Street is the name. I'm going to assume, anyone out of Everett, MA would say that we got our name through the movie Black Swan. However, contrary to popular belief, that is not the case. After 3-4 hours of delegation, we came up with this name due to a huge time constraint and it just stuck with us. Swan Street comes a street in our hometown of Everett, MA, and it's the site of one of the more popular parks in Everett. Why is it popular? Tons of kids head down there to play, and a lot of shady shit goes down there. Haha We don't take pride in that whatsoever, don't get us wrong. I find it a nice name, however, there seems to be a lot of groups that has "________ Street" or "_______ Avenue", but oh well I guess.

"Like" us on our FaceBook, and subscribe to our channel on YouTube! :)

Swan Street FaceBook

Swan Street Music YouTube Channel

Super Moon

2011-03-20T16:48:00.000-07:00

It's been awhile since I last blogged about just junk in general. There was a big ass moon this past weekend, and I was coming home from Boston College and saw the broken up clouds covering the sky. Looked interesting, and with a bit of contrast, exposure knocked back a stop, came up with this really cool sciency image.

Another day in Boston

2011-03-12T15:03:00.000-08:00

Shamel Bryant y'all -

http://invaderisthesound.com/
Follow Shamel Bryant on Twitter - @shamelbryant

Janice Yan

2011-03-09T18:56:00.000-08:00

So I had the opportunity to photograph Janice Yan and a whole bunch of YouTube stars at Boston University last Friday. I regret to say this, but I didn't know who Janice Yan was prior to the show! Quite unfortunate, because I could have asked for an autograph in the VIP room because everyone was mainly throwing themselves at David Choi and Joseph Vincent. When it was her time to sing, I was quite impressed of her resume, as well as her vocal range. Pretty damn good if I might add. It's too bad her portion was cut short due to time constraints. :(

Like her, down below:

Janice Yan's FaceBook Page

Boston University CSU Takeout Event

2011-03-05T22:55:00.000-08:00

So Friday night, I shot a super-lineup of YouTube stars, including Clara Chung, Janice Yang, Joseph Vincent, David Choi, Magnetic North, and more. I had the honor of photographing the event with a few other photographers, and was apart of the 1300+ audience that was in attendance that night. I thought the event was very well ran (thumbs up to the e-board of the BU CSA), and it was pretty darn organized.

The only thing that bothered me, as well as the other photographers, were the lighting! One moment you're getting red, blue, purple, white, which isn't bad by any means. However, it totally fucks up the metering, and there are ways to bypass that.. But I just prefer to have a solid white light with a couple of colored ones. :\

Nevertheless, show was great! I had the honor of having small talk with Clara Chung. Haha I was so intimidated when I saw her, and I am never intimidated! She was just sitting there with her phone texting and I asked her, "You're not going to the meet and greet down stairs?" And replies with a really sick, raspy voice. I'm amazed at how she executed her part on stage, even feeling ill. I did however offered her medicine. :)

Nikon D3100 vs. Nikon D90

2011-03-02T22:18:00.000-08:00

Before I began doing the whole DSLR thing, I was stuck between two choices: Nikon D90 and the Nikon D3100. Both had it's pros, and both had it's cons, and now, even though I have the D3100, I'm still stuck if whether or not I should sell that puppy and get a D90 with a 50mm 1.8. What's important to me, is High ISO performance. I've heard mixed reviews of high performance vs each other; one states that this camera has a better High ISO than the other and so forth... I guess instead of rambling a big ass paragraph, I'll make a chart to hopefully convince myself to sway one side.

Nikon D3100
Pros:
-New sensor
-Wicked light
-User friendly
-Pretty damn good at ISO 3200
-Portable
-1080p HD Video is bombbbbbb
Cons:
-No dual screen
-AF-S lens only = GAY ******
-Less features
-Low Res. LCD screen

Nikon D90
Pros:
-Can use any lens ****
-Super LCD screen
-More functions
-Dual screen
-Bulkier, more comfortable
Cons:
-??????

Okay, I guess you can say I convinced myself to sell the D3100 for the D90. But this schpeel isn't 100% reliable considering the fact that I have never used a D90 for more than 10 minutes. It just seems Nikon D90 is more practical for a photographer, due to the fact that it can Auto Focus with any lens vs D3100. That's huge, because the Nikon 50mm 1.8 is <3 and I can't use it because it won't autofocus. -.- Also, with the high quality screen, you can now tell if your photos are tack sharp or not....

Eh, I guess I might as well keep the D3100 for now, and save to get a D7000. When I get that baby, it'll make all my problems disappear. :)

Culture Shows - Boston College

2011-02-27T12:19:00.000-08:00

So lately, I've been participating and attending culture shows around the Boston area. From Suffolk, to Northeastern, to Boston College, I am incredibly impressed with how a show unifies everyone and the success that it brings. Looking forward to future events!

Lion Dancing

2011-02-23T19:22:00.000-08:00

This was at Suffolk University's Culture Show. The Lion Dancers are called "The Boston Freemasons." It's ironic -- a few years ago when I was Lion Dancing with my Temple's youth group, these guys were pretty much our competition. We would always fuss about how better we were than they are, but quite frankly, these guys are real good. The conviction in their movement was very fluid, and what impressed me the most was their ensemble. They legit had two designated guys on opposite ends of the stage with spears, and they just stood their for show. When you have men that are that dispensable, in my mind it shows that they are very well organized.

These guys are great, and remind me of the tiredness that comes along with lion dancing. People may perceive it as something super easily, but that's quite the contrary. First time I lion danced was at Dorchester Day, and it was a grueling few mile treck down Dorchester Avenue. Being under their for a good 10-15 minutes can really born, both for the head and the tail.

Shamel Bryant

2011-02-20T11:18:00.000-08:00

Shamel Bryant is a local Boston rapper doing big things. Check him out:

http://invaderisthesound.com/

Tim Be Told

2011-02-15T15:15:00.000-08:00

This band was definitely not what I expected. They turned out to be amazing! They were at Northeastern University for Valentine's Day and blew me away for sure. Find them on FaceBook and support them!