So I was lucky enough to end up in Christchruch for work last week. I took an orchestra over to play with there city orchestra and managed a little sigh seeing for my trouble. (Christchurch NZ, had a massive quake in 2011, bits of the CBD are still ruined, but it's getting a lot better slowly.)
I was excited to take my new to me DA 16-50. I confess I packed the trusty M50 f2 + M135 f3.5 because.. well, I couldn't not take them. The real surprise on this trip was how little I used the new fancy DA, turns outs 450g is heavy, and I had much more fun walking around with a 50 & 135mm prime. I should have called it before I left honestly..
Couple of things;
1) Ergonomically it's a different enough in operation to have to "get used" to it all over again. Buttons you need control of are in slightly different positions (apparently my camera has a meter lock and compensation button) and it just slowed everything down. Just something to get used to really
2) Distance scale. I really missed it! That I though was funny. But hay. Just what you are used to really. I tried to like squinting in a dark finder to look at the details, but boring.
3) Heavy. You kinda need the battery pack on the bottom of the small K5 to balance it out, and although I had it with me, it just became to big and boring.
So there you go. remind me when I go travelling again that all I need is probably a 35mm f2, and a 135/150, maybe just a 200mm f4, and that f3.5 was fast enough for a smaller telephoto lens. If I ever go see a riot, or find myself in a dark music video, I'll take the DA with me because the luxury of the zoom will be enjoyed, but I certainly didn't need it on holiday.
Anyway, standing on a hill (Sign of the Takahe) with the Pentax M 135mm shooting into the mist and fog, down over Christchurch. They really did built this city in a swamp...
Click for swamp
When the quake hit, 40,000odd homes were wrecked. A few recent postcodes that were built on reclaimed swampland in the later 90's 80's, well they pretty disappeared. The land is now what they call "code red" meaning no plumbing, elec, roads, will ever be built there as it's all just to unstable. Looks like Christchurch will get some massive natural parks / it will return to swamp land after all. But yes the view from that hill really enforced just how close to the water's edge the city is.
Parts of the CBD are still broken with a few tall buildings yet to be removed. These are clearly identified by the swabs of graffiti left in unnatural places. (M 50 f2 if you are interested)
Click for TOGO
Speaking of graffiti. After the dust settled, council set about commissioning giant murals all over the place, these are for a few car parks in the CBD
Click for car park Click for another car park
There are a bunch I didn't get too, and these are the smaller ones.. but it gives you an idea at how cool the city is with the sponsorship of this kinda stuff everywhere.
Getting over to the South of the city we crossed a hill and ended up in Akorora. Hit the water and turn right to find Antarctica, straight ahead and you will hit Chile. This place reminded me of the sea cliffs on the east side of New Caledonia actually.. Huge expansions upwards and impressive colouring in the cliffs. The tops are still farmed and some crazy fence builders managed some magic in some instances. Why not share it I thought to myself but whatever, I'm not a farmer.
Click for cliffs Click for crazy sheep Click for space for a decent size boat Click for where I'd happily live Click for I'd also live here Click for where the birds live
NZ is really a crazy pretty places. These snap shots don't do it justice. GO THERE!
But only take a 50 and a 135mm because really... You are on work/holidays :P