New Glass

I have a new lens, just got it this past Monday. We staffers at the Telegraph provided the bulk of our photo equipment for years. With the coming of the digital age, the newspaper began providing our equipment.
I have been using a Nikkor 300f2.8 and a 70-200f2.8 provided by the paper, both sweet lenses. My wide of choice for my daily work has been a Sigma 15-30mmf3.5/4.5. My personal lens. The Sigma has been a good lens, no complaints on sharpness, and it was used 99.9 % of the time on 15mm. I love wide.

For years shooting film my "normal" lens was a Nikkor 20f4. I carried two cameras, one with the 20, and the other with a 180f2.8, later replaced by an 80-200f2.8. Then we went digital. My 20 became about a 30mm or so due to the 1.5 magnification factor with the DSLR's. So I went to the 15mm.

The lens was not bad, but when you looked at images shot with it compared to the 300 and the 70-200, you could see a difference. Now I am using this new one, a Nikkor 17-55f2.8. It is sweet. Sharp, oh so sharp. And the contrast is kicking. The color is really saturated, too. Just some uptown glass.

Nikon seldom makes bad glass. Back in the old days they came out with a 43-86 zoom that was a real dog. Flat and fuzzy ain't good for a lens. The 35-70 is not one of my favorites either. But this new one sings. The 17 to 55 focal length is pretty handy. I have not shot with anything close to 50mm in a long time, but after this track Tuesday, looks like that will change.

So, let me take a minute to say Thank You to our Photo Director Woody Marshall and our Editor Sherrie Marshall for putting this one in my hands. It is gonna get some heavy use.