Why, Why, Why Do I Keep Doing This?

[cyuill2007]

After vowing I would not invest another dime in purchasing more Nikon 1 gear, I bought a used 1 Nikkor 10-30mm PD zoom lens that I spotted in the window of my go-to camera store. There was a 15%-off sale, so the final price with taxes was less than the sticker price. So I decided to buy it.

Why? My wife asked if she could borrow one of my mirrorless cameras for an indefinite period. I gave her one of my V1 bodies + 10-30mm PD zoom lens. I figured I could use another copy of the 10-30mm PD zoom for my use. (My original 10-30mm lens succumbed to the stuck-aperture issue, was improperly fixed under warranty by Nikon Canada so that half the photo was out of focus. It was then improperly fixed a second time less poorly so that it focused properly but has non-functioning VR. I chose not to send it back a third time. At least the produced photos that were sharp corner to corner (the last time I used it, a few years ago).)

Anyways, the sales rep suggested that I give the lens "a good shakedown", and that I can return the lens within one week, no questions asked. And that's what I did yesterday. Took lots of photos with the lens at various apertures. Camera - my V2.


Not totally sharp because of the slow shutter speed - but I like the way that motion was captured.


Some form of succulent flower in a sidewalk planter, with crosswalk and intersection. I took this at f/3.5 (wide open). The out-of-focus background confirms that this lens does not have the stuck-aperture issue.


Cars parked in a parkade (Canadian for "parking structure"), with nearby tall buildings in the background. Again, I tested for any hint of the stuck-aperture issue. The shutter speed was quite high, meaning the aperture was not stopped down to its minimum width, which would have happened if it had the issue.


I often think of a shopping mall at Christmas time as a place I want to escape from. (Is it just me?) These strands of lights hung from above reminded me of twinkling prison bars.


I saw these four horses in front of presents. I immediately thought of the four horsemen of the Apocalyse. Kind of a strange mashup of themes going on in my head - Christmas shopping leading to destroyed bank accounts and budgets.

Based on how "the shakedown" has been going, I think I will be keeping this lens.

 

[Paul Pasco]

It’s an illness that many of us share!

Looks like a good copy, it took me two tries to find a good one.

--
Regards, Paul
Lili's Dad
WSSA Member #450

 

[cyuill2007]

It’s an illness that many of us share!

Looks like a good copy, it took me two tries to find a good one.

That’s a shame, Paul. The 10-30mm PD zoom is supposedly the only 1 Nikkor lens made where the gear to the aperture mechanism is brass rather than breakable plastic. It’s good that you did find a good copy.

 

[DavidZihon]

After vowing I would not invest another dime in purchasing more Nikon 1 gear, I bought a used 1 Nikkor 10-30mm PD zoom lens that I spotted in the window of my go-to camera store. There was a 15%-off sale, so the final price with taxes was less than the sticker price. So I decided to buy it.

Why? My wife asked if she could borrow one of my mirrorless cameras for an indefinite period. I gave her one of my V1 bodies + 10-30mm PD zoom lens. I figured I could use another copy of the 10-30mm PD zoom for my use. (My original 10-30mm lens succumbed to the stuck-aperture issue, was improperly fixed under warranty by Nikon Canada so that half the photo was out of focus. It was then improperly fixed a second time less poorly so that it focused properly but has non-functioning VR. I chose not to send it back a third time. At least the produced photos that were sharp corner to corner (the last time I used it, a few years ago).)

Anyways, the sales rep suggested that I give the lens "a good shakedown", and that I can return the lens within one week, no questions asked. And that's what I did yesterday. Took lots of photos with the lens at various apertures. Camera - my V2.


Not totally sharp because of the slow shutter speed - but I like the way that motion was captured.

I like this one too for the same reasons. In a way it's a hilarious use of motion-blur not to be seen on a 200mph motorcycle but rather a 3mph horse-drawn tram.

Nice.

Some form of succulent flower in a sidewalk planter, with crosswalk and intersection. I took this at f/3.5 (wide open). The out-of-focus background confirms that this lens does not have the stuck-aperture issue.

Nice, I had no idea they could grow in Canada.

Cars parked in a parkade (Canadian for "parking structure"), with nearby tall buildings in the background. Again, I tested for any hint of the stuck-aperture issue. The shutter speed was quite high, meaning the aperture was not stopped down to its minimum width, which would have happened if it had the issue.

Looks like two photos joined together.

I often think of a shopping mall at Christmas time as a place I want to escape from. (Is it just me?) These strands of lights hung from above reminded me of twinkling prison bars.

Beautiful.

I saw these four horses in front of presents. I immediately thought of the four horsemen of the Apocalyse. Kind of a strange mashup of themes going on in my head - Christmas shopping leading to destroyed bank accounts and budgets.

That's beautiful. It looks surreal.

"Apocolypse" [apo+collapse] actually means 'Away from Collapse' in ancient language.

So, an 'apocollapse' might not actually mean what the western world traditionally has thought that it actually means. It might be a good thing.

I hear in the Financial circles that Trump and Musk are planning to do very serious upgrades to global Financial systems with their "Department of Government Efficiency" and the changeover to Blockchain currencies.

Maybe they are the heads of the new Financial Empires about to present themselves.

Based on how "the shakedown" has been going, I think I will be keeping this lens.

[ATTACH alt="Nikons "New" Z30 with 12-28 PD VR lens"]3591674[/ATTACH]
Nikons "New" Z30 with 12-28 PD VR lens

I'm not sure that it's that different than what Nikon are selling now with their 12-28mm PD VR lens.

It's pretty easy with their CAD systems to change a few mm here and there.

Their new updated lens appears to be more durable and you can easily attach a filter and hood.

Oh look, same button setup as a J5. They've also replaced the flash with a hot-shoe and they've kept the same 20.8Mp sensor.

hmm.

If the Nikon1 one works well, keep it and use it - lol

Nikon are jokesters.

 

[cyuill2007]

The Z-system cameras lenses are definitely better built overall than the Nikon 1 equivalents. The Z30 is the Z-system equivalent of the J5. But it is a much bigger camera - which is okay by me since I find the J5 to be a little too small and fiddly. I have shot with both the Z7II and Z50, and thought both were very fine cameras. But I do think it’s a shame that Nikon discontinued the Nikon 1 system.

 

[CX Bob]

Nice shots! I particularly like the horses and carriage because of what I saw as a 3D quality.

The newer 10-30 has always been tempting, in spite of the absolutely required filter-thread modification project. There's just no way around the fact that it's the smallest of the three standard-range zooms that have been available, and managed to be that while still including vibration reduction. Still, I've always been particularly fond of the 11-27.5, with its impressive corner to corner sharpness, although having one of those at this point would definitely require a trip to Mr. Huang, and you'd still wind up with no VR, which could theoretically make a difference if you're in a 'cutting it close' situation. And the original 10-30 is a nice lens if you get a good copy. Its appeal is that it's good to go as far as filters and hood, and includes VR, although it's bigger and heavier than the others. Another plus is that you're avoiding the 'power-drive' and 'lens cover' aspect of the newer one, in case that's a turn-off for you like it is for me. But it's also a Mr. Huang lens, to the best of my knowledge, since the official recall/repair in my case didn't ultimately prevent gear failure.

So all these lenses have their pros and cons. Sometimes I think Nikon does this sort of thing on-purpose, to try to get us to buy multiple versions of similar things.

 

[CX Bob]

Thanks for that one, Paul! I hadn't heard it said before that the new 10-30 has that same thing as the old one, where you need to find a good copy if you're going to be happy in the long run. Still don't know which way I'm going to go at such point that I decide to get a new 'standard' zoom. I've really been enjoying the speed of the 18.5, and certainly appreciate the 'use your legs, not the zoom!' concept, but can't hide from the fact that I miss that extra bit of versatility you get from being able to go from slightly wide to slightly tele.

 

[DavidZihon]

The Z-system cameras lenses are definitely better built overall than the Nikon 1 equivalents. The Z30 is the Z-system equivalent of the J5. But it is a much bigger camera - which is okay by me since I find the J5 to be a little too small and fiddly. I have shot with both the Z7II and Z50, and thought both were very fine cameras. But I do think it’s a shame that Nikon discontinued the Nikon 1 system.

I agree.


$499 for the new Z 12-28mm VR PD

On price, I got my aperture failed 10-30mm VR PD for ~¥5000. Repaired the aperture and added all the extra functionality of filter and hood via thermoplastic for $5 and some screwdriver therapy time.

Overall, about 1/10th of the price of the updated version. So happy

From the specifications, it looks like they've improved the optical quality, which is good.

Anyway, nice photos.

 

[Genome58]

Aha! I was wondering who bought that lens from Kerrisdale.

 

[cyuill2007]

Aha! I was wondering who bought that lens from Kerrisdale.

Mea culpa.

It had been there a while. I hope you didn’t intend to get this one. I actually got my first 10-30mm PD lens a few years ago from KEH, to go with my newly-acquired J5 body, which did not include a lens. Online retailers like KEH will eventually be the only source of used Nikon 1 gear. Kerrisdale used to regularly sell used Nikon 1 gear, but haven’t done that in quite some time.

 

[Paul Pasco]

[ATTACH alt="Nikons "New" Z30 with 12-28 PD VR lens"]3591674[/ATTACH]
Nikons "New" Z30 with 12-28 PD VR lens

I'm not sure that it's that different than what Nikon are selling now with their 12-28mm PD VR lens.

It's totally different, the 12-28 is a DX lens, made for a much larger sensor, so its angle of view is very different than that of the 10-30 PD.

It's pretty easy with their CAD systems to change a few mm here and there.

Their new updated lens appears to be more durable and you can easily attach a filter and hood.

This is not an update of the 10-30 PD, it's an entirely different lens for an entirely different format. The 10-30 PD is the 35mm equivalent of a 27-81mm lens while the 12-28 PD is the 35mm equivalent of a 18-42mm lens.

Oh look, same button setup as a J5. They've also replaced the flash with a hot-shoe and they've kept the same 20.8Mp sensor.

It is not the same sensor at all, one is CX and the other is DX. They may have the same pixel count but the DX pixels are much larger than those of the CX sensor.

hmm.

If the Nikon1 one works well, keep it and use it - lol

Nikon are jokesters.

I think you need to look up the differences between CX, DX, and FX so that you stop making baseless assumptions.



--
Regards, Paul
Lili's Dad
WSSA Member #450

 

[Paul Pasco]

Thanks for that one, Paul! I hadn't heard it said before that the new 10-30 has that same thing as the old one, where you need to find a good copy if you're going to be happy in the long run. Still don't know which way I'm going to go at such point that I decide to get a new 'standard' zoom. I've really been enjoying the speed of the 18.5, and certainly appreciate the 'use your legs, not the zoom!' concept, but can't hide from the fact that I miss that extra bit of versatility you get from being able to go from slightly wide to slightly tele.

I attribute this more to the fact that I am buying used and don't know what a given copy may have been through.

 

[Paul Pasco]

Nice shots! I particularly like the horses and carriage because of what I saw as a 3D quality.

The newer 10-30 has always been tempting, in spite of the absolutely required filter-thread modification project. There's just no way around the fact that it's the smallest of the three standard-range zooms that have been available, and managed to be that while still including vibration reduction. Still, I've always been particularly fond of the 11-27.5, with its impressive corner to corner sharpness, although having one of those at this point would definitely require a trip to Mr. Huang, and you'd still wind up with no VR, which could theoretically make a difference if you're in a 'cutting it close' situation. And the original 10-30 is a nice lens if you get a good copy. Its appeal is that it's good to go as far as filters and hood, and includes VR, although it's bigger and heavier than the others. Another plus is that you're avoiding the 'power-drive' and 'lens cover' aspect of the newer one, in case that's a turn-off for you like it is for me. But it's also a Mr. Huang lens, to the best of my knowledge, since the official recall/repair in my case didn't ultimately prevent gear failure.

So all these lenses have their pros and cons. Sometimes I think Nikon does this sort of thing on-purpose, to try to get us to buy multiple versions of similar things.

I am very fond of my little khaki (green) S1 and its matching 11-27.5, despite it's lack of VR. It seems to be quite sharp. I am not overly fond of the 10-30 PD other than it's a good match for the J5 and is my "desk camera", always at hand and the J5 has superior IQ at higher ISO than the rest of the line for this jpeg guy.

 

[DavidZihon]

[ATTACH alt="Nikons "New" Z30 with 12-28 PD VR lens"]3591674[/ATTACH]
Nikons "New" Z30 with 12-28 PD VR lens

I'm not sure that it's that different than what Nikon are selling now with their 12-28mm PD VR lens.

It's totally different, the 12-28 is a DX lens, made for a much larger sensor, so its angle of view is very different than that of the 10-30 PD.

Obviously, the levels of refraction are slightly different.

It's pretty easy with their CAD systems to change a few mm here and there.

Their new updated lens appears to be more durable and you can easily attach a filter and hood.

This is not an update of the 10-30 PD, it's an entirely different lens for an entirely different format. The 10-30 PD is the 35mm equivalent of a 27-81mm lens while the 12-28 PD is the 35mm equivalent of a 18-42mm lens.

I disagree.

The word "equivalent" is imaginary. It's merely a mathematical matrix calculation constant.

Oh look, same button setup as a J5. They've also replaced the flash with a hot-shoe and they've kept the same 20.8Mp sensor.

It is not the same sensor at all, one is CX and the other is DX. They may have the same pixel count but the DX pixels are much larger than those of the CX sensor.

Yes, the photo-diodes are more sparsely spread.

hmm.

If the Nikon1 one works well, keep it and use it - lol

Nikon are jokesters.

I think you need to look up the differences between CX, DX, and FX so that you stop making baseless assumptions.

And I think you need to upgrade your understanding of Photodiode technology and Lithographic circuit density in relation to the manufacture of camera sensors.

The sensors in the entry-level Nikon cameras are not at the limits of sensor technology.

They're not being stretched by the Nikon1 lenses at all.

If you think that the entry-level Nikon Z's or Nikon-1's are stretching sensor density limits to the maximum then I just think you are very wrong.

I looked up the mathematics and found this:

Ray transfer matrix analysis - Wikipedia


All the Mathematics for a hefty lens discussion.

Have a nice day.

 

[RichDitch]

I was going to respond to your post on the same topics but Paul beart me to it.

[ATTACH alt="Nikons "New" Z30 with 12-28 PD VR lens"]3591674[/ATTACH]
Nikons "New" Z30 with 12-28 PD VR lens

I'm not sure that it's that different than what Nikon are selling now with their 12-28mm PD VR lens.

It's totally different, the 12-28 is a DX lens, made for a much larger sensor, so its angle of view is very different than that of the 10-30 PD.

Obviously, the levels of refraction are slightly different.

Irrelevant. Look at what Paul wrote and address his points rather than introduce your usual diversion.

It's pretty easy with their CAD systems to change a few mm here and there.

Their new updated lens appears to be more durable and you can easily attach a filter and hood.

This is not an update of the 10-30 PD, it's an entirely different lens for an entirely different format. The 10-30 PD is the 35mm equivalent of a 27-81mm lens while the 12-28 PD is the 35mm equivalent of a 18-42mm lens.

I disagree.

And I disagree with you.

CX and DX are very different formats. Lenses for DX need to cover a much larger sensor, making them physically larger. If you want to claim that the Z lens is somehow based on or descended from the CX lens then you ought to look at the optical formula for each lens. The Z lens has 12 elements in 11 groups, one element is aspherical. The CX lens has 9 elements in 7 groups, with one ED (extra low dispersion) element and 4 aspherical elements. Thats a very large difference. Nikon has ben designing and making lenses since at least the 1950’s so they have a tremendous pool of knowledge, experience, and former designs to work from. There’s no reason to assume that simply tinkered with a CAD design to knock off a few millimeters on each end of the range.

The word "equivalent" is imaginary. It's merely a mathematical matrix calculation constant.

Oh look, same button setup as a J5. They've also replaced the flash with a hot-shoe and they've kept the same 20.8Mp sensor.

It is not the same sensor at all, one is CX and the other is DX. They may have the same pixel count but the DX pixels are much larger than those of the CX sensor.

Yes, the photo-diodes are more sparsely spread.

Huh?

You say “they’ve kept the same 20.8Mp Sensor.” Obviously not as the 20.8MP sensor in the CX J5 measures 13.2 x 8.8 mm while a Nikon DX sensor measures 23.5 x 15.6 mm. Just because the CX and DX sensors have the same MP value does not mean they are the same sensor as you claim. How could they be when the size is so different?

hmm.

If the Nikon1 one works well, keep it and use it - lol

Nikon are jokesters.

I think you need to look up the differences between CX, DX, and FX so that you stop making baseless assumptions.

And I think you need to upgrade your understanding of Photodiode technology and Lithographic circuit density in relation to the manufacture of camera sensors.

This is completely irrelevant to the discussion. Please stick to conversation and stop trying to divert it.

The sensors in the entry-level Nikon cameras are not at the limits of sensor technology.

Irrelevant. This is not a discussion about “sensors in entry-level Nikon cameras."

They're not being stretched by the Nikon1 lenses at all.

Huh? Irrelevant.

If you think that the entry-level Nikon Z's or Nikon-1's are stretching sensor density limits to the maximum then I just think you are very wrong.

Huh? Irrelevant, Nobody is talking about “stretching sensor density limits."

I looked up the mathematics and found this:

Ray transfer matrix analysis - Wikipedia

Irrelevant. Nobody here is doing ray tracing.

All the Mathematics for a hefty lens discussion.

Have a nice day.

--
You can see a lot just by looking.
And you can learn a lot by reading the manual.
WSSA #449

 

[RichDitch]

Nice set of photos, and it looks like you have a good lens. I have many 10-30’s for my many N1 cameras - 7 PD and 5 non PD. That happens when a used camera is sold with a lens. I prefer the PD version and keep a couple mounted on bodies in different rooms, but I’ve also got a non PD on a V2 with SB-N5 attached as one of the setups at hand by the computer.

As to your question of why do any of us keep doing this, for me it comes down to knowing I probably don’t have that many years remaining to play with cameras and that N1 gear in top condition is a dwindling resource so why not get more of it while I can.

 

[DavidZihon]

Irrelevant. Look at what Paul wrote and address his points rather than introduce your usual diversion.

I already did.

It's pretty easy with their CAD systems to change a few mm here and there.

Their new updated lens appears to be more durable and you can easily attach a filter and hood.

This is not an update of the 10-30 PD, it's an entirely different lens for an entirely different format. The 10-30 PD is the 35mm equivalent of a 27-81mm lens while the 12-28 PD is the 35mm equivalent of a 18-42mm lens.

I disagree.

And I disagree with you.

CX and DX are very different formats. Lenses for DX need to cover a much larger sensor, making them physically larger. If you want to claim that the Z lens is somehow based on or descended from the CX lens then you ought to look at the optical formula for each lens. The Z lens has 12 elements in 11 groups, one element is aspherical. The CX lens has 9 elements in 7 groups, with one ED (extra low dispersion) element and 4 aspherical elements. Thats a very large difference.

It's actually a very minor difference.

Nikon has ben designing and making lenses since at least the 1950’s so they have a tremendous pool of knowledge, experience, and former designs to work from.

Yeah, and now the Engineers sit there and play with CAD and Raytracing software to fine tune all the designs.

How do I know? We can check the Job Descriptions in the Optical Design Department using the internet from anywhere in the world.

There’s no reason to assume that simply tinkered with a CAD design to knock off a few millimeters on each end of the range.

That's their job.


Nikon Careers Website, Jobs open 9-dec-2024

You say “they’ve kept the same 20.8Mp Sensor.” Obviously not as the 20.8MP sensor in the CX J5 measures 13.2 x 8.8 mm while a Nikon DX sensor measures 23.5 x 15.6 mm. Just because the CX and DX sensors have the same MP value does not mean they are the same sensor as you claim. How could they be when the size is so different?

It's done by changing the Matrix Transform parameters in the Ray Tracing calculations.


Job Descriptions specify that they are looking for Employees with experience with Ray Tracing Software.

And I think you need to upgrade your understanding of Photodiode technology and Lithographic circuit density in relation to the manufacture of camera sensors.

This is completely irrelevant to the discussion. Please stick to conversation and stop trying to divert it.

I am. I'm talking about the 10-30mm VR PD and what I think is it's current successor.

It's really hard to come up with a substantially different lens design. The changes have been very incremental in the last 15 years.

There only seems to be about a dozen or less fundamentally different designs to choose from in a commercial lens.

The sensors in the entry-level Nikon cameras are not at the limits of sensor technology.

Irrelevant. This is not a discussion about “sensors in entry-level Nikon cameras."

We aren't talking about their high-end cameras like the Z8/Z9.

So it is relevant.

They're not being stretched by the Nikon1 lenses at all.

Huh? Irrelevant.

The 10-30mm VR PD is ok, but it's not great. I notice that you don't choose to shoot with it much.

I don't need a high-end Z8 or Z9 as far as I know.

If you think that the entry-level Nikon Z's or Nikon-1's are stretching sensor density limits to the maximum then I just think you are very wrong.

Huh? Irrelevant, Nobody is talking about “stretching sensor density limits."

But that is an option that Nikon currently sell. And the 12-28mm VR PZ zoom that I was mentioning does work on those high-end cameras, such as the Z8/Z9.

I looked up the mathematics and found this:

Ray transfer matrix analysis - Wikipedia

Irrelevant. Nobody here is doing ray tracing.

Except the Solar System, the Galaxy and the Cosmos. Which all depend on the tuning of light for everything to exist.

And every Nikon lens, of every single year they were ever manufactured. They all depend on the Gravity and Ray-Tracing.

But finally, I do understand that your interests are purely for hobby.

My circumstances are different.

I'm here for experimentation and playing with the Nikon system for the first time. I'm enjoying learning about all the different facets of what the Nikon system can offer.

You might have found your two favorite Nikkor lens. I have not.

 

[Brian Chichester]

As to your question of why do any of us keep doing this, for me it comes down to knowing I probably don’t have that many years remaining to play with cameras and that N1 gear in top condition is a dwindling resource so why not get more of it while I can.

This comment really struck a chord with me. I suspect that many of us on the Nikon 1 forum are in the "growing old gracefully" phase of life and we do actually consider sometimes that we have limited time ahead of us to indulge our little pleasures.

And as you say, we are buying up a dwindling resource, so it's probably not a good idea to say "maybe next year".

 

[Paul Pasco]

• DavidZihon wrote:

[ATTACH alt="Nikons "New" Z30 with 12-28 PD VR lens"]3591674[/ATTACH]
Nikons "New" Z30 with 12-28 PD VR lens

I'm not sure that it's that different than what Nikon are selling now with their 12-28mm PD VR lens.

It's totally different, the 12-28 is a DX lens, made for a much larger sensor, so its angle of view is very different than that of the 10-30 PD.

Obviously, the levels of refraction are slightly different.

It's pretty easy with their CAD systems to change a few mm here and there.

Their new updated lens appears to be more durable and you can easily attach a filter and hood.

This is not an update of the 10-30 PD, it's an entirely different lens for an entirely different format. The 10-30 PD is the 35mm equivalent of a 27-81mm lens while the 12-28 PD is the 35mm equivalent of a 18-42mm lens.

I disagree

Disagree all you want, the fact is that the CX lens is a moderate wide angle to short telephoto lens and the DX lens is a very wide angle to slightly wide “normal” lens in universally accepted photographic terms.

The word "equivalent" is imaginary. It's merely a mathematical matrix calculation constant.

Oh look, same button setup as a J5. They've also replaced the flash with a hot-shoe and they've kept the same 20.8Mp sensor.

It is not the same sensor at all, one is CX and the other is DX. They may have the same pixel count but the DX pixels are much larger than those of the CX sensor.

Yes, the photo-diodes are more sparsely spread.

Wrong again, the photo diodes are larger, not “more sparsely spread”. The sensors are different sizes as are the photo diodes.

hmm.

If the Nikon1 one works well, keep it and use it - lol

Nikon are jokesters.

I think you need to look up the differences between CX, DX, and FX so that you stop making baseless assumptions.

And I think you need to upgrade your understanding of Photodiode technology and Lithographic circuit density in relation to the manufacture of camera sensors.

It is you that doesn’t seem to understand this very well.

The sensors in the entry-level Nikon cameras are not at the limits of sensor technology.

I’ll agree with that but it’s irrelevant to anything discussed.

They're not being stretched by the Nikon1 lenses at all.

Again, irrelevant.

If you think that the entry-level Nikon Z's or Nikon-1's are stretching sensor density limits to the maximum then I just think you are very wrong.

I never said that, implied it nor do I believe it. Stop changing the subject.

I looked up the mathematics and found this:

Ray transfer matrix analysis - Wikipedia


All the Mathematics for a hefty lens discussion.

More senseless distraction. This will be my last response to you.

Have a nice day.

--
Regards, Paul
Lili's Dad
WSSA Member #450

 

[Tord S Eriksson]

A Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, I hope we will have a better year, next year!

Nice shots!