New camera swag.

So last week I splurged for some new camera swag. The main deal was a new 50mm prime f1.8 lens. It's primarily a portrait lens, but I was curious about what else I could do with it. Also, I picked a heavy-duty tripod that had a little tiny scratch on the leg and haggled my way into 50% off. Score.

I wasn't sure if the lens was worth keeping since a friend owns one that hardly ever gets used. I took it for a spin over the weekend.

First, it isn't a lens that lets you get away without a flash in crummy indoor light (which I'd hoped it might be). Second, it isn't super versatile and can't do macro. A half meter for a minimum focus distance isn't great given the angle. It makes it totally impossible to hold the camera at arm's length and take a self-portrait. Sigh... if only I had a better ape-index! Where it lacks in versatility it makes up for in giving really crisp images in good light with wicked-fast shutter speeds. It almost makes photographs of easily distracted dogs a possibility.

Here's are a few portraits of taken of some willing models:




...and saved the best for last


Turn's out that I'm keeping it since I lost the lens cap already.