The Right Lens for the Job

by Kelly

I have a confession to make...this is not the post I thought I was going to be writing today.

I guess I should back up.

So this past week I was chatting with my friend and FOL sister, Dotti, about gear. She reached out to me wanting to know what I thought about my new Canon EF 50mm f/1.2L lens that I had received from Santa this past Christmas. So I gave her my two cents worth which was, for the most part, very high praise due to its large aperture and overall sharpness.

In addition to my conversation with Dotti, I also had the chance recently to visit with another photog friend who happened to make a point of asking my about my gear - she had spotted another "red stripe girl" and wanted to know what I thought of my "L" glass. To which I gave the same high praise I had given to Dotti.

At any rate, it got me to thinking about gear and my new lens - my third 50mm lens (I literally wore out my f/2.8 compact macro) - and it made me wonder how my fancy new lens actually compares to all of my other lenses. So I decided to do a little experiment on the dahlias that have started blooming in my garden.

For the purpose of this comparison, I shot the same basic scene with the following lenses:

• Tamron SP 24-70mm f/2.8 
• Canon EF 50mm f/1.8
• Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 macro
• Canon EF 50mm f/1.2L

To try to reduce the variability as much as possible, I shot in manual mode with an aperture setting of f/2.8, 400 ISO, and 1/640 shutter speed. I tried, as best as possible, to stand in the exact same location (except with the 100mm macro) and focus on the upper portion of the large, open bloom near the center.

Here are my individual shots.

At first glance there isn't a remarkable difference between my shots, however after a little closer inspection there are some subtle differences, mostly in the size and shape of the background bokeh.

1. Notice the shape of the bokeh in the first 50mm ("Nifty-Fifty") - do you see how the background bokeh has sort of a rough, pentagonal shape? It's a function of having fewer blades in the lens - a tradeoff which is, in part, what makes the Nifty-Fifty so affordable. 
2. With the 100mm macro lens, I had to step back a few feet in order to get about the same framing as the others. But what I love is how smooth and dreamy the bokeh is. I actually purchased this lens a couple of years ago from Terri and I am always happy with the quality of photos this lens produces.
3. In my shot taken with the 50mm L series lens, you might notice a deeper teal outline around some of the individual 'bubbles'.  This is what is known as chromatic aberration and it is my only minor complaint about my new lens.

OK. So we've established now that all of these lenses produce good photos, but what I really wanted to know is how they compare in sharpness. Because that's what L glass is known for - impeccably sharp images. So to test for sharpness, I cropped each of my shots in tight around the main flower that I focused on. 

Here they are side-by-side.

I betcha can't tell which one is which.

This is what I meant when I said this wasn't the post I had planned. 

I really expected the 50mm L image to jump off the screen in terms of sharpness and it just didn't. So what I learned from this experiment is that being mindful and intentional with exposure and having a sufficiently steady hand (or something steady to lean against) is the key to producing nice, sharp images.

That being said, however, I do believe that each of these lenses serves a unique function (outside of producing sharp images). I love my 24-70mm lens for giving me a wider focal length and a little more breathing room in my shots. And I love my 100mm macro for being able to get up-close and personal to my subjects. I also love my new 50mm lens because (like Dotti) I love the framing of 50mm as it most closely matches our natural view with our eyes. Plus having the option to shoot with a super wide aperture allows me to capture scenes with lower light.

So I guess the moral to this story is to decide how and what you love to capture, and choose the lens that best serves the function and your wallet. Then let your heart, your head, and your hands do the rest.

Until next time,

Kelly

The Camera in my Back Pocket

by Kelly

Life is your art. An open, aware heart is your camera. A oneness with your world is your film. Your bright eyes and easy smile is your museum. ~Ansel Adams

Ice chest, clean clothes, my new Southern Living magazine...as I packed up all of the things we would need for our weekend at the lake, the one thing I didn't remember to add to my list was my the charger for my camera battery.

By Saturday afternoon, my camera battery was dead.

At first I was upset, but then I remembered that I almost always have a camera right in my back pocket.

It might sound funny to some that my iPhone isn't my go-to camera.  But the truth is that my 'real' camera is the one I most often to go to take 'real' pictures.  And by that I mean anything that isn't a coffee mug, sunset, selfie, or cocktail. I'm so used to taking my Canon with me everywhere, it's almost as if it's an extension of mind's eye.

I wasn't going to let not having a camera keep me from taking pictures.  And even though it took a minute to get into the groove with my iPhone, I found that I could capture the same kinds of magical moments that I was used to capturing with my Canon.

As I was preparing this post, I went looking for a photography quote.  And you know what??  Not one of them mentioned anything about gear.

The truth of the matter is that the 'camera' is the least important element of photography. My eyes and my heart will always be the lens through which I see the world.

Until next time,

Kelly

A Joy and A Curse

by Carol

After a recent day out shooting my lower back and shoulders were killing me! I felt like an old lady! I carry a full frame Canon and 3 lenses - two of which are significant zooms. They are in a well padded camera bag with my filters, batteries, etc, etc, etc. I often have a purse and a tripod hanging off my shoulders too. And this is nothing compared to what I travel with!

Now you must understand, I love my 5D Mark II. After initially starting my journey with a Sony Alpha, I made the difficult decision to change my kit because, at that time, used Sony lenses were rare and I wanted to be able to search eBay and amazon for well priced lenses as my skills and interests expanded. I was also sold on the idea of a full frame camera to gather every pixel.  I scrimped and saved and finally bought the Canon, thinking it would be the last camera I would ever buy. Over the years I added lenses - a long zoom, a wide angle, a portrait lens - until I thought I had gathered all the basics I could need. 

I should have known better. Working in a technological field, I knew that electronic progress marches forward unrelentingly. But I also realized that it is so unrelenting that you can't possibly keep up with it all. At some point, you just have to decide what features are important to you and stick with them. 

What I did not anticipate was my own aging and its effects on my attitude as well as my muscles. What did me in was my last trip to Europe two years ago. I lugged so much equipment up and down cobblestone streets and the steps of quaint inns that I began to feel ridiculous. Everything I did involved a maze of planning. Did I need every lens every day? Would carrying a backpack mean that every time I wanted a lens I had to kneel down and remove my backpack, dig in for what I need and restrap it on? If I stuck in a purse for evening, would I miss a shot at dinner because my camera wouldn't fit in, or would I end up wearing a heavy camera around my neck all night and never use it? Did I end up bringing my 50 mm because it was the lens I needed or because I was tired of carrying the others? At some point would the money I spend on equipment mean that I could spend less for travel? I know, I know - all of this is part of the fun of photography! I love seeing what different lenses can do. But the truth is, that I have a limited budget and I have my favorite lenses that I use most of the time, so why am I carrying all this stuff half way around the world? I was becoming lazy and settling for a zoom, wasting the equipment I worked so hard to buy. I was jealous of the easy mobility of those with less gear.

Of course, other baby boomers were having these same thoughts, which is why I thought this post might interest some of our readers. I began to pay a lot of attention to David duChemin talking about his new mirrorless Fuji. (here) I asked a lot of questions of some of my acquaintances who had already made the move. Last summer I began renting mirrorless cameras to feel them out. Eventually I decided to make  a kind of trial run. While I was still not convinced that I would ditch my beloved full frame, I did see the writing on the wall. I narrowed down my choices.

I explored the Sony Alpha A7 R2, the Olympus OM-D 10 and the Fuji X-T10 that convinced duChemin to make the move. The Sony, which offered a full frame in a mirrorless camera, seemed like it had the most technology in a more traditional package, but frankly, with the lenses I would use the most often it was almost as heavy as my current camera. I did fall in love with the Fuji which has a CMOS sensor.  but it's lenses are around $1000+ a piece and I am not yet sure whether I want to make the move in that big a way. If I eventually become convinced that this is my path, I will sell my current gear and choose it. I was worried about the Olympus being a 4/3 sensor, but that worry abated when I read that technology had advanced so much that the Olympus actually could do much of what my Canon did in a 4/3 format. The light weight, affordable lenses and great stabilization (yes, old people shake more too...) convinced me. I purchased the OM-D10 at a Labor Day sale where it came with two tiny zoom lenses. The camera and both lenses fit in a regular purse (that I picked up at Marshall's and padded a bit) with my wallet and phone and sunglasses and keys.  In our recent Rhode Island trip it was with me and accessible everywhere we went. It was a joy to walk around with only a purse!

Certainly, there are major adjustments to be made. The menu is very different than that of the Canon and there are buttons that can be assigned varying functions. I haven't played with the WiFi yet, and I still feel very awkward with it. I wasn't happy with my first day's shots in R.I., but after playing with the settings the second day's were dramatically better. I have lots of homework to do. I want to make comparison shots, and to try different lighting situations. My goal is to know it backwards and forwards by my planned trip to Italy in fall 2017in the hope that maybe it will be all I need to bring.  I'll let you know how it goes.....

Are any of you mirrorless users? I'd be interested in your experiences. And,by the way, don't forget the wise words of Maxine: