I think part of this was because of my lens line up. I only had 3 lenses and all were prime. There is nothing wrong with shooting primes(super fast/sharpest available/less quality compromise), it's just much more difficult out in the elements to be changing lenses/filters to get the shot.
Back when I was shooting Pentax primarily, I had multiple zoom lenses that made shooting fun and easy. It's also significantly less expensive to shoot a camera with an APS-C(crop) sensor.
Now that I have a full frame sensor I have found purchasing lenses to be difficult, to say the least. I read reviews left and right, compare different lenses to different applications, and it seems that there is always a compromise. And when you are on a budget and want the best you can afford, compromise is a must(even though it isn't super fun).
I ended up purchasing a 17-40mm f4 L from a store called Lee Hartman and Sons, in Roanoke. It's the best compromise for me, I think. It's sharp, weather sealed, much wider than my previous lens, and uses a standard 77mm filter. The compromise, or downside to the lens is the f4 aperture(static stars need not apply), and the vignetting.
Today was the first day with my new lens. I had an awesome time crawling about and wading in the creek today. Having the ability to zoom was something I had taken for granted for sure! I love how wide the perspective is, how sharp the images are, and just overall I find this lens to be a great fit for me.
Now I know why the 17-40mm f4 L is such a common lens among nature photographers.
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| I used two images to capture more depth in this scene. |
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| Leaves were falling like crazy today! |
