Maple Leaves and Nikon Lenses

I've been shooting a lot with my Nikon 16-35mm f/4G.  It's a lovely lens.  Sharp and contrasty, but heavy.  When you are shooting with it, the extra bulk and weight is not really noticeable.  The lens handles really well, balances nicely and focuses fast and surprisingly close on my Nikon D700.

However, this setup is too large to fit into my Kata KT DW-495 Digital Waist-Pack.  So if I am heading on a walk around the city with the camera and lens in the waist-pack, I usually have my Nikon 50mm f/1.4G or my Nikon 85mm f1.4 AI-S mounted with 16-35mm f/4 in a side pouch.  When I feel that I am going to get the most use out of it I'll switch to the bulky wide zoom.  The Kata waist pack makes it easy to access my camera and switch lenses when needed.

This past weekend, I was out with the family at Yoyogi Park.  I decided to pack light and mounted the Nikon 20mm f/2.8D AFinstead of the 16-35mm f4.  This prime can take amazing photos, but it has several limitations that will keep the 16-35mm f/4 on my camera most of time.

When the wife and kids took off on rented bikes, I took this photo of a maple with fresh spring leaves. The flare is little distracting, but the contrast and sharpeness are really good at f/5.6.  The 16-35mm would have handled the flare better and given me the option of a tighter shot.