timsdd aka Tim's Digital Darkroom

Moving on to the big gun, my Canon EF 70-200 mm F4L USM lens. They make a version that has IS (Image Stabilization) but anytime a lens has that feature tack on an additional $500 @ least.

Of course the coveted lenses are the 70-200/2.8 but those are twice as expensive and truly, I do not use this focal length often enough to warrant the additional expenditure. However, the 2.8 would be far more helpful to those that shoot sports for instance, of which I rarely do.

The lens is fast, great images and the most economical L lens that Canon offers TMK (To My Knowledge). Plus it looks impressive too :-)

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Ok, this one definitely falls under the category of being “my precious”

This is my Canon EF 24-105mm f/4 L IS USM Lens. It is far and away my most versatile and therefore most used lens. Not only does it go from wide angle to a decent mid zoom but it’s also F4, a L lens, AND it has IS (Image Stabilization)….win/win/win/win. Not surprisingly it is also my most expensive lens or maybe a close 2nd to my Tilt/Shift.

In any case, I use this about 88.4% of the time, unless of course I’m doing macro shots. The only ‘drawback’ that I see with it is that it’s not 2.8. So while it does have IS (making it possible to achieve slower shutter speeds akin to a 2.8 lens), the DOF does not drop off as fast as a 2.8 lens would. While that may not seem like much, it can make a difference in a shot in my experience.

My Dad sent me this today, thought it was perfect timing!

May your stuffing be tasty
May your turkey plump,
May your potatoes and gravy
Have never a lump.
May your yams be delicious
And your pies take the prize,
And may your Thanksgiving dinner
Stay off your thighs!

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

This is a lens accessory (and not a very good one :p)

I bought it mostly for shooting the moon I think.

It is a Kenko(Tokina) 3x tele converter. Both of the OEM ones (that being Canon) are only 1.4 and 2x converters. This makes them have less reach but also they have better optical quality.

The kicker is that my Canon 70-200mm/4 does not work with the 3X with my 40D. It worked perfectly with my XTi but for some reason the 40D does not communicate through it. Someone mentioned that I might have to tape some contacts in order for it to work (I almost forgot that!).

So it’s more of a fun/novelty piece than a full fledged ‘must have’ sort of thing.

Kenko 3x Tele-Converter:

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These are my Kenko extension tubes. There are 3 separate pieces, a 12mm, a 20mm, and a 36mm. They can be used separately or in any combination of the 3.

Extension tubes allow you to get even close to your subject by making the lens further away from the sensor…sorta like when you put a magnifying glass closer to an object. (How very not scientific of an explanation of me!)

The great thing about then is that they do not degrade the image quality since there is no glass.

They make an ordinary lens almost like a macro lens in terms of magnification and they make my macro lens A ‘super’ macro.

Here are some with macro + tubes (most of them anyway)