Say Hello To My Little Friend

As promised, I will be doing a little review of my new camera and lens today.

First let me say, I am very happy with this camera and lens setup, but it takes more than a notion to learn how to use it to it's full capacity. I am finding there is a learning curve going from a point and shoot back to an SLR after so long.

I used to really be into photography years ago before the point and shoot revolution.  I would never shoot with film over a 100 speed, usually opting for slide film either 64 or even sometimes 25 and then converting to prints or image transfers. I especially loved to shoot with black and white and infrared and would develop them myself.

All of the pictures that follow were shot in auto mode, that will be changing I can tell you, and they were various scenes from around the lake we just bought on.  I am amazed how differently the camera would configure one shot from the next with the triangle of F stop, ISO speed and shutter speed.  Some of which I would never have chosen in manual mode.  I also need to learn the little idiosyncrysies of this camera itself. Like see that little switch on the side of the lens, the VR one? Yeah, well it seems that is for Vibration Reduction, helps you steady the image with the large lens, however, like on a computer, I found out ( after i shot all the pix) that you need to switch that ON after the camera is on and it has to be switched OFF before the camera gets turned off or it says the lens may rattle. No worries, just unmount the lens and remount it to correct. Problem is, I didn't read that until I got home and uploaded the pix!  Lesson One learned. 

Don't you just love that Cheshire Cat smile of a moon? This was taken hand held, no tripod with me.

F 5.6   1/60  Iso 800.   Love the way the 300mm lens can capture such an elusive shot though.

F5.6  1/160  ISO 800. This was taken from the bench on the dock and I was facing east. Sitting on the bench and turning to face west i shot the sunset below.

F 5  1/250  ISO 100 Isn't it incredible the difference in film speed from one direction to the other? I think it has mostly to do with the lens length, the sunset was wide , the moon telephoto, less light into the lens.

These cattle live on the opposite side of our lake, you can see the water tower in the distance, we are located to the right of it.  F 5   1/100  ISO 400

F 5.3  1/60  ISO 450   And that's no bull

Isn't this cashmere cow beautiful? As cows go that is.  F 5.3   1/60   ISO 450

As we were leaving the dock, this Lesser Blue Heron was making his way through the marshy edges looking for a little snack.  F 5.6   1/125  ISO 800

F 5.6    1/125  ISO 900

These are the trees right outside our bedroom windows.  F 7.1   1/200 ISO 200

With a lens this long it may be impossible to go really low in ISO without compromising too much in image quality from the speed and depth of field. But that's where this comes in. I have signed up to take an online class in going manual at Big Picture Classes as a refresher course and to learn the nuances of a DSLR. It's called Mastering Manual Mode with Elisha Snow. It begins Feb 3rd and runs for 8 weeks. Signups close on Feb 9th.  Hope to see you in class with me!