[dugarner]

I watched the instructor in my photography class demonstrate the Nikkor variable plane (?) lens last week, and thought . . . wow, I'd NEVER need a lens that does THAT! (Besides, it's $2000, marked down to $1000. If I had that money, I'd be upgrading my body . . . my camera body, that is!)

So I go to the zoo today and I'm standing at the prairie dog exhibit. A cardinal flies down and lands right behind a dog who was munching on his lunch. The cardinal fluffed out his crest and glared at the prairie dog, who had a look on his face like "He's right behind me, isn't he?"

I got the shot, but there was no way in any direction I was going to get both the dog and the bird in focus. Very overcast, dark day, they were too far away for my fill flash to make it. I tried every setting I could think of; high ISO (it was already on 800), longer shutter (can't handhold the 75-300 lower than 1/320), the only choice was to open up the aperture. At f/5.6, the bird was just behind the dog enough that one or the other would be OOF. I made the choice to let go of the bird. If only I had had that stinkin' $2000 lens, I could have brought the bird onto the same focal plane as the dog!

Wish list. Wish list. A friend in St. Louis told me once I bought a dSLR, I'd constantly want the more expensive toys.

I said no I won't! I'll be happy with what I've got . . .

Crow doesn't taste good without barbeque sauce.