Crap, looks like I need to quote the entire page.
Is ƒ/1.4 to ƒ/1.8 a full ƒ-stop? (yes, I like typing "ƒ"; it ƒeels ƒunky
) I tried to do the math and didn't have much luck. 1/(1.8) = 0.556 (or so) and 1/(1.4) = 0.714; wouldn't a full stop double the value? Looks like that's more along the lines of half a stop.
Sounds like that Quantaray's similar to the Sigma. Does it have a switch to go macro only between 200mm and 300mm? If so, it sounds nearly identical. Wonder if it's the APO version? IS would be nice, and Sigma does now have a single IS lens, but I didn't want to spend the extra on what I figure will not be my most-used lens. I like the results I'm getting with it, though, so that could change... The AF motor on the Sigma I've got isn't particularly smooth or quiet, and it'll hunt a little in tough situations. By comparison, the USM on my 10-22mm Canon's like buttah. Mmmmm, buuuuttahhhh....
DigitalGrin looks like a *really* great forum. Will I get ostracized for only having a Flickr account? They seem to be pretty heavy into SmugMug.
I went to Calumet in Cambridge, I think, and was pretty unimpressed. Not much in the way of selection. Hunt's had much more on the floor, and the guy who helped me really earned his commission. They've got a good selection of Crumpler bags, too, as I recall. Cameraland here in Nashua also has Crumpler bags. Maybe I was looking in the wrong places in Indianapolis, but I had to order my bags from Canada and Ohio! Did we already mention B&H? I've bought quite a bit from them recently. I'm dealing with my first return, now, so we'll see how that goes. They seem to be pretty orthodox Jewish there, so they're closed for the first week of April and every Saturday. It's kind of funny, but I respect them for that. More places should shut down for family and religious observance. Probably helps that they make a killing, too, I'm sure.
Josh, not sure why my video's pixelated; you're talking about the bigger ones hosted at fastmail.fm, right? Not the itty-bitty one I posted to my blog the other day? Must be something I'm doing wrong exporting from iMovie, as they're both the same and from different cameras. They look more like they need to be deinterlaced or something to me.
Annette, please give me a heads up the next time we all get together. I want to take cover before you go off on Josh!
K1000 == Pentax, right? I think I used one of those in high school. It's probably still around, too!
I've got two (well, three) Crumpler bags: a 4 Million Home, Moderate Embarrassment, and a Considerable Embarrassment (I think; the embarrassments are laptop bags and the smaller one's for sale!). I've outgrown the $4M Home, but I'll use it when I can manage to pack light (ha!). Honestly, it's a little fussy at times because of the way the trimmed opening will catch on the hotshoe, but that could just be how I've got the bag configured. It's really well built and looks sharp and I'm planning on buying a backpack (laptop/camera combo for traveling this summer) and larger camera bag from them this year.
I've read about people who really love the 85mm lens for portraits and the like, even on the crop bodies, but I just don't see how! The 50mm is too long most of the time for me, and the 70mm zoom at its shortest is even worse. I'd probably find myself standing outside most of the time with the 85mm just to get the subject in the frame!
