NIKON Z 8 (24mm, f/5.6, 1/250 sec, ISO400)
Just a couple of steps from the Nanzen-Ji temple is the entrance of its garden. Of course we had to visit.
The gardens in Japan are just beautiful. They are supposed to mimic nature but I think they are even better than the real thing. We are in the middle of November but the leaves just started to turn colour. Recently I saw a video of the very same garden taken on the 6th of December and it seems that this was just past peak colour and leaves started to fall. Of course seasons are not always the same but it seems that the best time to experience autumn is end of November to early December. One month later than in Austria.
NIKON Z 8 (24mm, f/8, 1/50 sec, ISO100)
NIKON Z 8 (24mm, f/8, 1/50 sec, ISO720)
NIKON Z 8 (24mm, f/5.6, 1/50 sec, ISO140)
The gardens are really something special. They are miniature landscapes including little streams and lakes and beautiful bridges to cross them. It looks all natural but it is obvious that it takes a lot of work to make it look like that. We have seen gardeners in other parts of the property cleaning the moss from weed and fallen leaves.
It was overcast and rather dark underneath the trees. Almost like walking in a forest. But the colours of the foliage are much stronger when it’s cloudy.
When I left the temple I switched to the Z 24-120/4 S, the perfect lens to cover the scenery. With this lens you can focus on photography and you can cover everything from wide to tele to close up. I love this flexibility. I’m aware that the Z 24-70/2.8 S is the better lens but I really appreciate the versatility of the 24-120. When you travel this lens is hard to beat.
NIKON Z 8 (24mm, f/8, 1/50 sec, ISO720)
NIKON Z 8 (91mm, f/8, 1/50 sec, ISO110)
NIKON Z 8 (34mm, f/8, 1/50 sec, ISO125)
NIKON Z 8 (24mm, f/8, 1/50 sec, ISO280)
NIKON Z 8 (50mm, f/4, 1/60 sec, ISO64)
Those images look very peaceful but they are not the complete truth. I had to wait in line to take the images above of the red maple leaves and the small pond. And when I took the picture of the koi below from a small bridge I had to be quick in order to avoid that the people had to wait behind me. It wasn’t that bad at all but be aware that you won’t be on your own in this garden during peak season.
One more reason for the 24-120: It’s much quicker to just zoom compared to swap lenses. And there is practically no penalty when it comes to image quality. the 24-120 is sharp at all focal lengths and apertures.
Where prime lenses are still shine is either with their fast apertures or because they are small and light. Usually you can’t have both. If you don’t care about fast apertures and if you don’t mind the size and weight the 24-120 is a great and versatile lens.
NIKON Z 8 (120mm, f/4, 1/500 sec, ISO200)
NIKON Z 8 (120mm, f/8, 1/250 sec, ISO320)
NIKON Z 8 (44mm, f/8, 1/250 sec, ISO1400)
I had to check the EXIF data of my images to find out how much time we spent in on the temple grounds, inside the temple and in the garden. In total it was just two hours from just before 9am to 11am. It was about time to get a coffee. Luckily there is a very nice coffee house conveniently located on the street that lead back into Kyoto. We walked in and had fantastic cappuccinos and a scone. The coffee was so good that we both had two.
While we had our second coffee we got interviewed by young students. What a nice and funny experience. The two young student were in company of a young adult who was the “project leader”. One student asked the questions while the second was supposed to take notes. Not so sure about the notes but it was great fun. At least they learned that we are from Austria, that Japan is a great country with very nice people and excellent food. I really stressed how nice the Japanese are compared to Austrians. It might be just a mask but maybe we should also wear a mask from time to time.
It doesn’t hurt to be nice.
NIKON Z 8 (24mm, f/8, 1/250 sec, ISO2800)