news years day walk up Brecon Beacon

                     hope everyone has had a great christmas and happy new year to you all :)
           
                     i went up for a walk to see the waterfalls in the Brecon Beacons and till
                    this day i dont know how i managed it being as i was so hung over haha
                    but!!! still managed to focus and compose photographs just like this one,

 I followed the river as far as i possible could until i found this cave opening which was swallowing              the river down in one large gulp.
i wonder if i could take a raft into the cave and if i will come out at a different point of the Brecon      Beacons?!

                              "Nikon 14-24mm f/2.8G ED"

So here's my first review ever..... :O fingers crossed!! hehe

so im going to do a little brief review on the Nikon 14-24mm f/2.8G ED wide angle lens..

so where do we start??.....

The Nikon 14-24mm is an ultra wide angle lens ( its not a fish eye) and is intended to be used on a Nikon FX format ( FULL FRAME ) camera such as the D3, D3s, D3x, D700, D800 and the new D600. The Nikon 14-24mm lens set the standard within the wide angle lens market. It was, and still is, believed to be the best wide angle lens by far on the planet. 

Nikon also produces the 16-35mm VR lens which many believe produces equal, if not better, optical quality. 

Lens flare and ghosting dont seem to cause the lens to much issue and is well controlled, and having all most no fall off with this lens makes even more of those worries using ultra wide angle not so much a worry anymore!! :D

SPECS

Nikon calls this the AF-S Nikkor 14-24mm f/2.8G ED.

    AFS: Quiet focusing SWM (silent wave motor) with instant manual focus override.

      G: No aperture ring. Useless on manual focus cameras. Only works on AF cameras newer than about 1992, depending on camera. Works great on the 1988Nikon F4 in P and S modes.

    ED: Magic glass for sharper images.

It also has IF: Internal Focusing.

All this and more explained in greater depth on my Nikon Lens Technology page.

Focal Length

14-24 mm. This lens is intended for use on film and full frame cameras, on which it is obviously a 14-24mm equivalent..

Used on a DX digital SLR, which is stupid because the 12-24mm DX costs less, weighs less, takes regular filters and goes wider on a DX camera, it gives angles of view similar to what a 21-36mm lens would give on a 35mm film or FX camera. Calculated in reverse, you would need a 9.2-16mm lens on a DX camera to replicate the angles of view that this 14-24mm lens gives on FX and film cameras. See alsoCrop Factor.

Diagonal Angle of View

114° - 84° on film and FX.

90° - 61° on DX cameras.

Maximum Aperture: f/2.8.

Optics

14 elements in 11 groups. Two of these are ED glass, which helps reduce color fringing. Three are glass-molded aspherical. The inside of the front element (only) has Nikon's special Nano Crystal anti-reflection coating. That's the big N logo on the lens.

Diaphragm

Wonderful 9 blade rounded, stopping down to f/22.

Filter Size

NONE.

No front filters, and no rear gels.

Close focus

From 18-24 mm: 0.9' (0.28 m) from the image plane (the back of the camera), marked. Unspecified at shorter than 18mm. (14mm fixed lens has an 0.67' (0.2m) close focus distance)

Maximum Reproduction Ratio

1:6.7.

Infrared Focus Index?

NO.

Mechanics

Dust and moisture resistant

Metal zoom ring has engraved markings.

Size

3.9" diameter x 5.2" extension from lens mount (98 x 131.5mm).

Weight

35.3 oz. (1kg)!

Hood

No hood.

Like fisheyes and ultra-ultra wides, the petals on the front of the lens are to protect the lens when you carry it around or put it down on a table face-first. You can look at the 14-24mm from outside of the picture angle and still see glass,

PRO'S & CON'S

Pros

- price is reasonable for such a package (compared to primes or lower quality lenses)
- incredible sharpness at all apertures even in the corners
- real extreme zoom on a full frame camera (film or FX)
- build quality is excellent
- fast AF-S focus
- short MFD (minimal focus distance)
- comes with carrying bag, and specific lens cap
- integrated sun hood

Cons

- huge and heavy !
- does not accept any filter
- front lens not protected (fisheye-like)
- relatively expensive

My personal opinion on this lens due to me owning one and it being my work horse for 95% of my images is that, the Nikon 14-24mm f/2.8G ED is a smashing lens and performs fantastic out in the field, either wind nor rain or beautiful sunsets this lens will never let you down!!

I use this lens on my D700 and im still amazed what i can fit in my frame :D!!

                ""sample images taken using the Nikon 14-24mm f/2.8G ED""

                           * The great St Paul's cathedral *

St Paul's Cathedral, London, is a Church of England cathedral and seat of the Bishop of London. Its dedication to Paul the Apostle dates back to the original church on this site, founded in AD 604. St Paul's sits at the top of Ludgate Hill, the highest point in the City of London, and is the mother church of the Diocese of London. The present church dating from the late 17th century was built to an English Baroque design of Sir Christopher Wren, as part of a major rebuilding program which took place in the city after the Great Fire of London, and was completed within his lifetime.
The cathedral is one of the most famous and most recognisable sights of London, with its dome, framed by the spires of Wren's City churches, dominating the skyline for 300 years. At 365 feet (111 m) high, it was the tallest building in London from 1710 to 1962, and its dome is also among the highest in the world. In terms of area, St Paul's is the second largest church building in theUnited Kingdom after Liverpool Cathedral.
St Paul's Cathedral occupies a significant place in the national identity of the English population. It is the central subject of much promotional material, as well as postcard images of the dome standing tall, surrounded by the smoke and fire of the Blitz. Important services held at St Paul's include the funerals of Lord Nelson, the Duke of Wellington and Sir Winston Churchill; Jubilee celebrations for Queen Victoria; peace services marking the end of the First and Second World Wars; the wedding of Charles, Prince of Wales, and Lady Diana Spencer, the launch of the Festival of Britain and the thanksgiving services for the Golden Jubilee, the 80th Birthday and the Diamond Jubilee of Elizabeth II. St Paul's Cathedral is a busy working church, with hourly prayer and daily services.The cathedral survived despite being targeted during the Blitz — it was struck by bombs on 10 October 1940 and 17 April 1941. On 12 September 1940 a time-delayed bomb that had struck the cathedral was successfully defused and removed by a bomb disposal detachment of Royal Engineers under the command of Temporary Lieutenant Robert Davies. Had this bomb detonated, it would have totally destroyed the cathedral, as it left a 100-foot (30 m) crater when later remotely detonated in a secure location. As a result of this action, Davies and Sapper George Cameron Wylie were both awarded the George Cross. Davies's George Cross and other medals are on display at the Imperial War Museum, London.
One of the most iconic images of London during the war was a photograph of St Paul's taken the same day by photographer Herbert Mason, from the roof of the Daily Mail in Tudor Street showing the cathedral shrouded in smoke. Lisa Jardine of Queen Mary, University of Londonhas writtenOn 29 December 1940, the cathedral had another close call when an incendiary bomb became lodged in the lead shell of the dome but fell outwards onto the Stone Gallery and was put out before it could ignite the dome timbers. Many fire watchers served shifts on the dome: these included Major Cyril Raikes.

                         * Saint Pancras emptied *

St Pancras railway station, also known as London St Pancras and since 2007 as St Pancras International, is a railway station terminus celebrated for its Victorian architecture. The Grade I listed building stands on Euston Road in St Pancras, London Borough of Camden, between the British Library, King's Cross station and the Regent's Canal. It was opened in 1868 by the Midland Railway as the southern terminus of its main line, which connected London with the East Midlands and Yorkshire. When it opened, the arched Barlow train shed was the largest single-span roof in the world.
After escaping planned demolition in the 1960s, the complex was renovated and expanded during the 2000s at a cost of £800 million with a ceremony attended by the Queen and extensive publicity introducing it as a public space. A security-sealed terminal area was constructed for Eurostar services to Continental Europe via High Speed 1 and the Channel Tunnel, with platforms for domestic trains to the north and south-east of England. The restored station has 15 platforms, a shopping centre and a bus station, and is served byLondon Underground's King's Cross St Pancras tube station. St Pancras is owned by London and Continental Railways, along with the adjacent urban regeneration area known as King's Cross Central, and is one of 18 British stations managed by Network Rail.The redeveloped terminus has been described by the travel writer Simon Calder as "the world's most wonderful railway station".

The station is the terminus for East Midlands Trains services from London to Derby,Leicester, Nottingham, Sheffield, and smaller towns in between, and for Eurostar's high-speed trains to Paris, Brussels and Lille. First Capital Connect trains on the cross-London Thameslink route call at platforms beneath the main station, south to Gatwick Airport and Brighton and north to Luton Airport Parkway for Luton Airport and Bedford. High-speed domestic services to Kent, run by Southeastern, began in December 2009.St Pancras is often termed the 'cathedral of the railways', and includes two of the most celebrated structures built in Britain in the Victorian era. The train shed, completed in 1868 by the engineer William Henry Barlow, was the largest single-span structure built up to that time. The frontage of the station is formed by the former Midland Grand Hotel, designed by George Gilbert Scott, an impressive example of Victorian Gothic architecture, now occupied by the five-star Renaissance London Hotel and apartments.

                        * Bringing the modern to the old *

The cathedral, built as the abbey church, consists of a Norman nucleus (Walter de Lacy is buried there), with additions in every style of Gothic architecture. It is 420 feet (130 m) long, and 144 feet (44 m) wide, with a fine central tower of the 15th century rising to the height of 225 ft (69 m) and topped by four delicate pinnacles, a famous landmark. The nave is massive Norman with an Early English roof; the crypt, under the choir, aisles and chapels, is Norman, as is the chapter house. The crypt is one of the four apsidal cathedral crypts in England, the others being at Worcester, Winchester and Canterbury.
The south porch is in the Perpendicular style, with a fan-vaulted roof, as also is the north transept, the south being transitionalDecorated Gothic. The choir has Perpendicular tracery over Norman work, with an apsidal chapel on each side: the choir vaulting is particularly rich. The late Decorated east window is partly filled with surviving medieval stained glass. Between the apsidal chapels is a cross Lady chapel, and north of the nave are the cloisters, the carrels or stalls for the monks' study and writing lying to the south. The cloisters at Gloucester are the earliest surviving fan vaults, having been designed between 1351 and 1377 by Thomas de Cambridge.
The most notable monument is the canopied shrine of King Edward II of England who was murdered at nearby Berkeley Castle. The building and sanctuary were enriched by the visits of pilgrims to this shrine. In a side-chapel is a monument in coloured bog oak of Robert Curthose, eldest son of William the Conqueror and a great benefactor of the abbey, who was interred there. Monuments of Bishop Warburton and Dr Edward Jenner are also worthy of note.
Between 1873 and 1890, and in 1897, the cathedral was extensively restored by Sir George Gilbert Scott.
The foundations of the present church were laid by Abbot Serlo (1072–1104). Walter Gloucester (d. 1412) the abbey's historian, became its first mitred abbot in 1381. Until 1541, Gloucester lay in the see of Worcester, but the separate see was then constituted, with John Wakeman, last abbot of Tewkesbury, as its first bishop. The diocese covers the greater part ofGloucestershire, with small parts of Herefordshire and Wiltshire. The cathedral has a stained glass window containing the earliest images of golf. This dates from 1350, over 300 years earlier than the earliest image of golf from Scotland.^[1] There is also a carved image of people playing a ball game, believed by some to be one of the earliest images of medieval football.

              * Tonight sunset from Tysley *

Tyseley railway station serves the district of Tyseley in Birmingham, West Midlands, England. It is situated at the junction of the lines from Birmingham towards Leamington Spa and Stratford-upon-Avon, and is adjacent to a large railway depot andTyseley Locomotive Works.

Pre-nationalisation a GWR station on their main line from London (Paddington) to Birkenhead (Woodside) the station is now served by London Midland (who manage the station) and also by Chiltern Railways (in the late evening only). The main station building sits on a bridge over the tracks. 

                        * St Philip's at night time*

St Philip's Church was planned when the nearby medieval church of St Martin in the Bull Ringbecame insufficient to house its congregation because of the growing population of Birmingham. The land, previously named The Barley Close, was donated by Robert Philips in 1710. It is one of the highest points in the district and is said to be at the same level as the cross on St Paul's Cathedral in London. Following an Act of Parliament, construction commenced in 1711, to the design of Thomas Archer, and was ready for consecration in 1715, when it was dedicated to the Apostle Philip as a tribute to the benefactor Robert Philips. It appears to have been Archer's first church, apart from a rebuilt chancel at Chicheley attributed to him. Construction was estimated to cost £20,000, however, the final figure was only £5,012. (£660,000 as of 2012),^[5] This was because many of the materials were donated and transported to the site at no cost. St Philip's served as a Parish church from 1715 to 1905.The church contained St. Philip's Parish Library which was bequeathed to the church by the Revd William Higgs. In 1792, a library room was constructed next to the parsonage house by the Revd Spencer Madan and was named the Parochial Library.St Philip's was designed by Thomas Archer and constructed between 1711 and 1715. The tower was complete by 1725, and the urns on the parapet were added in 1756. Archer had visited Rome and his design, in the Baroque style, is influence by the churches of Borromini, being rather more Italianate than churches by Christopher Wren. The rectangular hall church interior has aisles separated from the nave by fluted pillars of classical form with Tuscan capitals supporting an arcade surmounted by a heavily projecting cornice. Wooden galleries are stretched between the pillars in a manner typical of English Baroque churches.Externally, the tall windows are interspaced by pilasters in low relief, supporting a balustrade at roof level with an urn rising above each pilaster. The western end is marked by a single tower which rises in stages and is surmounted by a lead-covered dome and a delicate lantern. The building is of brick and is faced with stone quarried on Archer's estate at Umberslade.The original shallow eastern apse was extended in 1884-8 by J. A. Chatwin into a much larger chancel, articulated by strongly projectingCorinthian columns. This bold design is made richer by the marbled surfaces of the columns and pilasters, the gilding of capitals and cornice and the ornately coffered ceiling. Chatwin also refaced the exterior of the building because the stone from the original quarry was very soft. The tower was refaced in 1958-9.Edward Burne-Jones, who was born in nearby Bennett's Hill and baptized in the church, added to the enhancement of St Philips by the donation of several windows, of which three are at the eastern end. The west window, also by Burne-Jones, was dedicated in memory of Bishop Bowlby in 1897