On a swiss hillside...

This past weekend Tara and I went to a horse show out Orangeville way. Tara and Lego were supposed to be in it, but Tara is still out of commission from her fall a couple of weeks ago.  The horse show is inconsequential except that we met up our friends from the barn, Laurie and Ian. Laurie and Ian weren't riding in the horse show either. Like us, they were there to cheer on Jeanine who is also from the barn and the only from the barn competing. But Jeanine competing is inconsequential as well. I only bring up the horse show for context.

Ian, who along with my lovely self, were the only ones from the barn at the show that don't ride. And Ian is a photo buff like me. Only he is much better at it.

While we were chatting and waiting for Jeanine to start riding, Ian offered to lend me a few lenses to try out. Nice lenses. Nicer-than-I-have lenses.  I took him up on his offer and very carefully attached them to my old camera body and took a few shots.

70-300mm. The rider was at least 150ft away (large version)

The first one he lent me was the 70-300mm 4.5-5.6 IF-ED. I took a few shots and noticed how much quicker if focused than my cheap 70-300mm G lens. It also has vibration reduction which results is much sharper photos. At less than $600, I'd consider buying this lens, if only for photos of Tara riding.

  

70-200mm. Wide open. (large version)

The second one he lent me was the 70-200mm 2.8 IF-ED. The famous 70-200mm. This lens was bigger than I thought, and I really had to be careful using it without a tripod. It handled beautifully and even wide open it was still sharp. This is a lens I would love to have, but it's currently out of my budget (at $2400, I'd need to take a lot of photos to justify it).

However, the last one he lent me stole my heart. The 85mm 1.4D. This is the lens I want. This lens made my dinky little D70s, my 6 year old camera, work like I had always envisioned cameras to work. And the image quality, well it is like butter. But not factory farm butter, more like a fine European butter, from a Burlina cow grazing on the side of a Swiss mountain. Butter that makes day-old baguettes taste divine. But don't take my word for it, take a gander at the photo below (click the link for a larger version).

My hottie and a 85mm (large version, flickr)

With the announcement of the D7000 today, the smart money is on upgrading my body from old and out-of-date to shine and new. But the wise money may be on the 85mm if I can hold off camera envy for a little bit longer....