It seems like a couple things converged to get me back into this blog. I got a new lens and a major PixelPost upgrade just came out. I updated everything late this afternoon. One new feature that I am seriously excited about is the beefed up spam protection. Pixelpost now includes Akismet, which works wonderfully on my WordPress blogs. I had actually considered dumping Pixelpost over its vulnerability to spam comments alone. I was getting some nasty ones.

A lot has happened in the little more than a year since I wrote this post about choosing a walk around lens. For one, I ended up spending the money I was accumulating for a lens on other hobbies. Secondly, I sort of got busy and distracted and dropped the daily photo blogging. My last photo was posted in October of 2006 (and July before that). In spite of this, I have learned a lot more about photography and equipment.

I am still searching for a good walk around lens, especially since my daughter recently broke the Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 II lens that came with my Rebel XT. Dropped from the previous list is everything except for the two L series lenses (the 24-70 and the 24-105). Added are the following: Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 EX DG, Tamron 17-50mm f/2.8 XR Di II, Canon 17-40mm f/4.0 L USM, Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM and the Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8 L II USM. It is highly unlikely that I will be buying from the end of the list (they are ordered ascending in price), but I am seriously considering the Tamron f/2.8 and the Canon f/4.

Also, while I really am in search of the perfect short to medium range zoom lens for my budget, I am also dying to get a 70-200mm zoom lens to take photos of my kids playing sports. My oldest son is currently playing T-ball and his first game is this Saturday. I need something fast, so the Sigma and Canon f/2.8’s are both on my short list.

In the meantime, I just recently purchased a Sigma EX 30mm f/1.4 DC HSM lens used off of Ebay. It is in excellent condition and feels great on my Rebel XT. I have been shooting around with it some this evening, but have not looked at the images on my PC yet. I will try to post one on the photo blog after I finish this post.

Canon has followed suit with Nikon by announcing that it is exiting the film SLR business. Credit the rise in popularity of digital photography. I may have to pick up an Elan or something before prices on used bodies start skyrocketing.

UPDATE - See comments…the original story appears to have gone overboard.

Most people agree that the Canon EOS 350D Digital Rebel XT boasts excellent image quality, especially for its price point. However, the jury is still out on its small size. You either love it or you hate it. One of the criticisms that I share focuses not on the smallness of the grip, but on the hard (make that very hard) rubber that covers the grip handle.

The problem with the grip surface is that it is slippery. If Canon had just coated the handle with the softer faux leather rubber found on the XT’s cousins (the 20d and 30d), then I think there would be fewer complaints about size.

I have the Canon Battery Grip BG-E3. The weight, dimensions and nice rubber surface of the battery grip make the XT a lot easier to handle (especially with larger lenses). However, I still wish that Canon would upgrade the body’s grip material. If not, then I hope that an aftermarket accessory company comes up with a replacement grip handle. There is always egrips, but who wants something sticky on their camera?

I am in the market for a new walk around lens. Right now I have a prime 28mm lens and the 18-55mm kit lens that came with my Rebel XT. I like the size, weight and wide angle of the kit lens, but I want to reach a little further out on the other end. Below are the lenses that I am considering.

Obviously, there is a huge price difference between the top and the bottom. About the only way I could possibly swing the Canon “L” glass is to sell both of my current lenses, as well as my Konica manual and Konica Hexanon lenses. I do not use them very much at all, plus I also have a Minolta manual for times I want to go retro.

After much research my thoughts on each lens are as follows (please comment if you have any advice).

(more…)

Panasonic has introduced a digital SLR based on the Olympus Evolt E-330 (press release). There are a couple improvements over the Olympus, most notably a better lens with Panasonic’s image stabilization. I cannot decide if I like the retro looks or not. There is definitely no holding this camera with one hand (unless you have a very short lens).

I got the following email today via the contact form.

I am president of a local non-profit organization of building managers. I would like permission to use the picture of the hunter and glass bridge in a brochure that would only be distributed at a conference.

My wife actually talked to this person, then called me at work and then called her back giving permission. I have never tried to sell my photos, so I was flattered when the assumption was made that it was okay if I said no (i.e., if I made my living from my photos…as they could not afford to pay a royalty for it).

This is the shot in question (posted even before I started sharpening my shots). So, the question is should I hang a shingle (on the side)? It’d be nice to sell a shot here or there just to help pay for the hosting, but I really do not see myself ever going pro.

I use an IBM T41 for work and a desktop PC at home. Up until recently my cubicle set-up was the laptop and a full sized keyboard. However, after months of stooping and squinting due to the distance and eye level of the screen in relation to my head, I decided to break down and request a full sized monitor.

The 17″ CRT that the tech guy delivered to me is fine in terms of size and height. It really is true, though, that a 15″ LCD has as much usable space as a 17″ CRT (I am staring at one right now and I swear it is no smaller). That, however, is not my disappointment. The problem is how dull and boring my photos look on that monitor! Besides that, the header color of the template is all wrong.

I tried to adjust the settings, but the low-end monitor is not sophisticated enough to allow for adjustmetns to the RGB balance. I am planning on switching to an iMac later this year. When that happens I may just have to take my little Samsung LCD monitor to work.

Do you feel�like you are missing something when you click through your digital photo archives?� Are you nostalgic for�the�film era?� Check out this new product that adds instant age to your files (courtesy of The Onion).

According to a recent press release, Canon has surpassed the thirty million mark for EF lens production. I am glad that I bought my camera from a company with such a strong lineage. Thanks to Matt for highlighting this on his blog.