new glass

I did it.

I went out and spent way too much money on a new lens. Everyone, please welcome my new Nikon AF-S 50mm 1.4G:


It took one pivotal shot in the store where I managed to quickly focus on the corner of the counter and it came out crisp and sharp and oh so very bright! I quickly fell in love. It could be that the light tonight was fantastic and the weather was warm enough that I could walk home while enjoying taking pictures or maybe it's just that this lens is brilliant!

And so here we go:
My first shot (outside of my testing the lens in store)



I quickly realized that taking pictures at 1.4 is insanely bright!


Again, another bright shot... the bokeh isn't bad here. I'll have to try more bokeh specific shots at some point.

(actually about the above shot - the shot previous to this was similar except taken horizontally and with someone else walking through the frame. I didn't realize the other person until I got home and started editing the pictures. I immediately recognized her - it was one of Ryan's old co-workers that I'd once met - weird!)

And some random shot - just kind of showing the sharpness...



It was a sad moment tonight as the guy at Henry's took my old 50mm lens off my camera. We both looked at it - he commented that he knew this lens and that the optics on it were fantastic... oh yes they are... unfortunately I've become reliant on my autofocus and have an insatiable hunger for more available light. (I'm still trying to figure out when exactly that lens was manufactured.) I almost felt guilty as I took pictures tonight because I fell in love so quickly with this new lens - I was so quick to turn on my old reliable, wonderful lens.

I have a feeling that this new lens will not be taken off my camera for a while.

I'll probably head out for some real photography tomorrow night after work.