The title of this post may attract googlers with a passing interest in photography. It is also a warning to the more regular readership that this is not the usual banter, and the photos contained here do not include any pit babes, although there are some pussies.
Within ten minutes of arrival my eBay purchase was joined to a camera and test shots taken. At F2, where the depth of field is minimal, the shots were blurred where they should have been sharp, and I was sad when I should have been happy. Luckily, the Canon 1D includes a facility to dial in compensation, and after a couple of hours of taking shots of a test chart, I had adjusted the focus and all was well. But it’s annoying that Canon’s QC does not ensure that every “professional” lens that leaves the factory is perfectly calibrated.
In time-honoured photographic tradition, any new lens or camera is first tested by taking photos of cats. These were all taken at F2, with focus on the eyes.
Went out yesterday to take some test shots and the overall impression is one of excellent contrast, bokeh, colours and sharpness. There is very little degradation shooting at F2, and at this focal length, F2 is great for separating subjects from background. Here, I can separate out the face from the circular background:
And using F2 with this shot blurs out the adjacent statues very nicely:
Whereas, here is the same shot at F6.3 where everything becomes a little muddled:
Tried some portraits. Will need some work to discover what settings give me the best depth of field, but looks like it will be a good portrait lens.
This lens has a reputation as being a “must have”. After a day of ownership, I already feel I would not want to be without it.