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fixed lens fever

So I broke down and bought a decent digital SLR from a guy on Craig's List for a great price - body only. Since I could pick any lens I want and already had an old Nikon mount 35mm-80mm lens in a closet somewhere ( as a backup because it squeeks and whirrs and complains every time it has to pull focus on something ) I decided to have some fun and get a "prime" or fixed lens. I forgot how much fun and inconvenient they are. Faster f-stop means more light through the lens, lower ISO, faster shutter speed and shorter depth of field. Supposedly you get sharper images as well. Fun fun fun. It also means less glass because you've only got one fixed distance from your subject matter. No zooming or pulling out, at least not with the lens, you have to physically move closer or farther away to frame up the shot.



I didn't think this would be an issue and if I wasn't lazy - it wouldn't be. I just have to get used to it. Either way I'm delighted. I've tried using point and shoots exclusively and then jacking stuff up in photoshop but there's some times when you want a better quality picture. Pictures of driving a bike in the snow, cell phone camera is nice and happens to be with you anyway. Pictures of beach and vacation, wish I had something better than a tiny point and shoot. I was sucked in by the "8 megapixels" on the case of the Olympus I had which compressed images so much they didn't look sharp when viewed pixel for pixel.

Now I'm back in balance with light catching options which I took advantage of over lunch when I met with Jane. Jane's a friend of mine ( and my wife's bosses significant other ) who owns an art gallery in lovely Hammond, Wisconsin. I'm doing a website for her so we met over Thai food in St. Paul and discussed branding, imaging, form and function.

Here's a quirky little video I stole from my friend Marty's myspace page. It has people eating their brains towards the end so if that kind of thing creeps you out then prepare to eject at any moment.

posted by wes @ 3:03 PM