Archive for the ‘wish list’ Category
8December2009
Wishlist: The Canon EF 135mm f/2.8SF Lens
Posted by Rob_Nunn under: wish list.
Glass Addict Rob (GAR): “Jeez, take a look at this lens. What a beauty. 135mm of lovely Canon glass, I could take fantastic, unusual photographs with this piece of kit!”
Reality Rob (RR): “Ha! You’re joking, right? How much does it cost!!!”
GAR: “Well, if I bought it I’d actually be saving over £750.”
RR: “What are you talking about? How can you save money by buying a Lens?”
GAR: “Simple. The f/2 L 135mm Canon lens is £1300. This is much cheaper.”
RR: “Cheaper?? £490 is a hell of a lot of money!”
GAR: “Ah, you’re missing the point. A 135mm lens is perfect for portraits, unusual landscapes and brings a different perspective to your photography. The Canon EF 135mm f/2.8SF has a fast aperture, and has a variable Soft Focus Ring, so you can take photographs that are in focus, yet soft. How cool is that?”
RR: “You’ve already got a 135mm lens, that Helios one you use with a M42 adapter, and that only cost you a few quid from that car-boot sale a couple of months ago. What wrong with that?”
GAR: “Er… It’s manual focus, is prone to flare and not that sharp.”
RR: “So use a lens hood, set up your tripod and why not actually try wiping the front and rear elements once in a while?”
GAR: “You don’t understand. This one says CANON on the front. It will take better photographs!!!”
RR: “No. The lens won’t take better photographs. You will, with your existing kit, if you just practice more, use a tripod and take your time, instead of rushing around and trying to fix things in post.”
GAR: “That’s it. I’m not discussing this with you any more. I’m going to drool over this lens while you go and take some photos with those old M42 lenses, and wonder why you’ve gone blind squinting through that viewfinder trying to get things sharp.”
(Sound of slamming doors, PC’s firing up, and lenses being screwed on).
Take a look at a Flickr slideshow tagged Canon 135mm 2.8
Canons official page on the 135mm f/2.8SF Lens.
Cheers, Rob.
29July2009
Wishlist: Canon EF 28mm f/2.8 Wide Angle Lens
Posted by Rob_Nunn under: wish list.
Alright, alright, I know I was warned about this when I bought a dSLR, and I admit it, I’ve got Lens envy.
As you’re probably aware, I’m using an old Pentacon 29mm F2.8 M42 manual lens on my Canon EOS 350d / Rebel XT at the mo’, as my wide-angle lens, and there’s nothing really wrong with it. What I have found however is that squinting through the 350d’s small viewfinder while trying to focus manually is a bit of a pain, and when I want to change to my 50mm F1.8 Canon lens I’ve got to go through the hassle of changing the adapter ring that lets my Canon take the old M42 lenses.
The Canon 50mm F1.8 is a great lens, the auto-focus is fast, it’s sharp, and the huge aperture leads to great boka and low-light capability, but it is a little long. When composing landscapes the 50mm throws me into the scene a little too much, and sometimes I can’t back up enough to get the framing I want.
This is where the Canon 28mm f2.8 comes in. More like a 50mm on a crop-sensor camera like my 350d / Rebel XT, the 28mm gives that little extra angle of view that I crave.
The 28mm is a prime lens – that is, it’s a fixed focal length, no zooming here, but that’s what enables it to be so fast (a big hole to let lots of light in), at a relatively affordable (around £200 in the UK – a lot cheaper in the US) price.
So there we go. I can’t afford it at the moment, but this lens seems to be my next logical choice – and then perhaps the Canon EF 135mm f/2.8SF? 
Cheers, Rob.
26November2008
Wishlist: Canon EOS 450D / Digital Rebel XSi
Posted by Rob_Nunn under: wish list.
Ah yes, the Canon EOS 450D / Digital Rebel XSi. Seemingly caught between the entry level dSLR’s and the more expensive semi-pro options, this is probably going to end up being the best-selling camera of 2009. Why? Image quality.
Let’s take a look.
12November2008
Wish List: Creative Compacts, Canon G10 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX3
Posted by Rob_Nunn under: wish list.
Er, wait a minute, isn’t our preferred camera format the dSLR? Why am I taking a look at some cameras that are smaller than my S5700? Well, these two are special – high-end compacts, that can shoot RAW, video, have great image quality and will fit into your pocket. Superb.
27October2008
Sony’s dSLR’s – Continuing The Konica / Minolta Legacy
Posted by Rob_Nunn under: wish list.
When Konica / Minolta went bust in 2006, Sony took over their dSLR division – so when you see a Sony dSLR don’t be fooled into thinking that these are the new kids on the block – Sony is continuing a proud legacy of cameras that’s been around for over 100 years.
Let’s take a look at the current Sony range, which now includes entry level models, right up to a full-frame pro spec model with industry leading resolution. So if you’ve got some auto-focus Minolta Lenses hanging around, or fancy a look at some of the best value for money SLR’s out there, Sony are definitely worth a consideration.
