A Quick Test Drive...

snowbear · May 8, 2013

Lovely. Especially fond of the cardinal & the mocker.

sm4him · May 8, 2013

Wow, thanks all! I appreciate the comments. I definitely think I'm gonna love this lens and I can't wait to get some more time in with it.

cgipson1 said:
Looks like it might be a good copy!

It seemed like it to me, but I'm definitely glad to hear some of you confirm it! Thanks Charlie. :hug::

MSnowy said:
Nice set. They look pretty sharp to me. I find mine sharpest at f8.

I think MOST of these were at either 8 or 9. I didn't mess with the settings TOO much since I had a pretty limited amount of time. When I get more time, I'll see how it does a little more wide open and a little more stopped down, but f/8 seems like a reasonable guess for best sharpness.

coastalconn said:
Sharon, congrats! I'm only on my phone but these look like a marked improvement in sharpness! Is the Thrasher on flickr with the new lens also? UPS is bringing me something on Friday so I will be having a test run myself very soon can't wait to see these on my computer!

Thanks, Kris! No, the Thrasher was with the 70-300; it was just one of those shots where you get lucky. That thrasher had been flitting about in the bushes, as they tend to do, and suddenly decided to perch and pose practically right in front of me, and in one of the few spots left at that point of the day where there was still really good lighting. I was pretty pleased with that one.

Can't wait to see what YOUR special delivery is!!

SCraig · May 8, 2013

sm4him said:
I think MOST of these were at either 8 or 9. I didn't mess with the settings TOO much since I had a pretty limited amount of time. When I get more time, I'll see how it does a little more wide open and a little more stopped down, but f/8 seems like a reasonable guess for best sharpness.

It suffers a little bit at either end of the aperture range, however I do frequently shoot with mine wide open to try and keep a decent shutter speed. It does a good job wide open, just not quite as sharp as it is around f/8 where I prefer it.

sm4him · May 8, 2013

Aloicious said:
Nice! looks like a good copy indeed! great shots, looking forward to seeing some more too!

BTW, which monopod did you get?

I can't wait to find time to TAKE some more! Just what I needed to pull out of the photography "funk" I've been in recently!

The monopod is a Bogen 685B. Really nice monopod, but it was used, and I think B&H just didn't bother to check it out. They couldn't POSSIBLY have extended it, because then they would have to have retracted it to get it back in the box, and you just about need a hammer to get the middle section to retract.
Today, I discovered some gift money from Amazon that I'd forgotten about, so I think I'm just gonna buy a new one from them. Between the gift cards and the $45 mail-in rebate offered right now, I can buy a new one for about $15 more than I paid for the used one.