Why I Carry My Nikon D80 With Me Everywhere!

by Robb Sutton

I have gotten into the habit of carrying my Nikon D80 with me everywhere. Why do I do this? Because you never know when you will stumble upon a great shot. The worst feeling is seeing the shot with no camera to capture it.

Nashville, TN Skyline and Bridge

I was driving home to Atlanta from Louisville, KY last week when I saw an amazing sight. The sun was setting behind the Nashville, TN cityscape leaving beautiful reds, blues and yellows. I pulled off the highway when I saw the bridge lit up like a Christmas tree looking for a place to capture the image. It was 28 degrees and windy outside while I was running through parking lots trying to get the right angle before the sun completely set.

The Bridge

I finally got the shot of the bridge above from another adjacent bridge. Stats as you can see on Flickr:

Camera: Nikon D80
Exposure: 8 sec (8)
Aperture: f/29
Focal Length: 40 mm
ISO Speed: 200
Exposure Bias: -1/3 EV

I used the kit lens provided with the Nikon D80 when I purchased it…Nikon DX AF-S Nikkor 18-135mm1:3.5-5.6G ED. So far…I have been incredibly happy with the shots that it takes. Granted, as a kit lens…it does have its limitations, but has you can see…it still takes some great shots with a wide enough range to make it a great multi-use lens.

The Nasville, TN City Skyline

Unfortunately, the shots I took of the sun setting behind the skyline were terrible. At that point, I could hardly feel my fingers anymore so I forgot to check the ISO setting. All of the shots had too much noise to even use. I was pretty pissed about the outcome but as a friend of mine says…if you get one out of every shoot, it is a success. Is the bridge shot perfect…no not at all…but I really like the result and that is what really matters!

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6 comments

rocknblogger December 17, 2008 - 12:08 pm

Hey Rob excellent shot, real nice, I just picked up a D60 and like you I too am starting to carry it arround with me. Keep up the good work and I would love to see some more pic’s.

Keep on blogn

rocknlnx

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sue December 17, 2008 - 7:16 pm

Hi Rob
Yes carrying a camera around with you is the only way to really get to know your camera and what you can do with it.. If it was good enough for Cartier Bresson..
I have been making photographs for 30+ years! Just worked that out.. wow.. didnt think I was that old? Anyway.. I have only just set up my blog thing.. but photography has been and remains my passion.. or as Dr Dyer puts it.. “My Bliss”.. my current interest lies in Holga photography.. dont know if you have heard of Holga’s? They are plastic lens toy cameras that take 120 film.. I will stop there.. can turn into a train spotter about photography if Im not careful!
Nice site though… x
Good Luck with it.
Sue

sue’s last blog post..Why Do We Blog?

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SS January 10, 2009 - 11:10 pm

hey focker! next time you get so close you need to make a stop in Huntsville.

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Robb January 10, 2009 - 11:12 pm

@SS

I need to come ride! I was flying home that night from Louisville. Barely had time to stop and take the shot!

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jay February 1, 2009 - 9:31 pm

I have the D80 as well, and also the kit lens. I think the same one you have, which is the less common kit (the “normal” kit, I think, is the 18-55).

I just got a new lens, and I have hardly taken it off.
http://cli.gs/9AThRJ
50mm fixed, f1.8. Man I love this thing. Only about a hundred bucks, and so fast… (esp compared to the kit lens we have). You could drop another 2 bills and get a (metal) f1.4, but this f1.8 is pretty good for not much money.

Having said that, I pretty much always have on my person a Canon SD870. Bike rides, commuting to work, etc. Always. The D80, I only take when space isn’t an issue, or I know I want to get something I know I can’t get with the SD870. ((The SD870 is an incredible go-everywhere camera, fwiw.))

jay’s last blog post..2009.01.17 & 18 MTB

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Robb February 1, 2009 - 11:00 pm

I have a 50mm f/1.8 too…absolutely love that lens.

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