I have a love hate relationship with my f/1.8 50mm lens. Because I have an entry level Nikon DSLR, I have to manually focus the lens. I use Live Mode a lot when using this lens because it makes the image larger. In Live Mode instead of using the viewfinder to frame the shot you use the rear LCD the same way you do on a digital point and shoot camera. I have trouble using the viewfinder because its so small. Things look in focus when shooting and then when reviewing later they are not. My father always says "its not the arrow, its the indian", so it can't be the camera's fault. Maybe its my eyes? I was at the opthalmologist a few weeks ago for an issue with some blurred vision. I knew I was going to be walking out with a new pair of glasses. Up to this point my eyes had never let me down. I was the guy that could read the sign 200 yards away other people could barely read at 100 yards. I was proud of the fact I didn't need contacts or glasses. I'm a very visual person, so I depend on my eyes to notice things most people miss. My perfect vision days were over. The exam was over and I waited for the news...... "I see nothing wrong with your eyes," the doctor told me. HORRAY! She asked me to explain the blurred vision I experienced the day before. My initial response was "well, it was blurry". Words ain't really my thing. Fortunately, she didn't settle for that answer and asked me to be a bit more descriptive. I thought about and proceeded to tell her there was a blurry swirl in the center of my sight. "That's what I was looking for", she said. The Dr. went on to tell me that I was having an ocular migraine. Turns out my eyes are perfect, but my mind is on the fritz! BOOO!
Grilled zucchini from my father-in law's garden.
Lemon Garlic Chicken
the final product tossed with some penne and Parmesan
Dinner was great. Darius, my son, had 2 bowls. He hasn't been eating much lately, so I was very pleased that he was enjoying my cooking so much. I went to take a picture of him shoveling in dinner, but I still had the 50 mm lens on the camera. Usually, I would switch to one of my other lenses that auto focuses. That would have meant getting up from the table and possibly missing him doing something worth capturing. I could shoot at a smaller aperture and increase the depth of field, but then I would risk a slow shutter speed and might get a blurry shot because he moves so fast. I decided to go with it the way it was. Figured if I took enough pictures while focusing manually, I could catch one just right. All the books and web sites I've read say that the critical focus needs to be on the eyes when photographing people. The eyes are the window to the soul, a cliche photographers live by because its true. Pictures don't look right if the eyes aren't in focus. Out of the 6 shots I took, I got one that was decent.
Darius and Penne
This lens is great. I love the ability to shoot with a shallow depth of field which gives me nice blurred backgrounds. It gives the photos depth that I couldn't get with a point and shoot. To me, the ability to change the depth of field is the main benefit to having a DSLR. When I get the focus right, the photos are better with this lens than any others I have. The only problem is getting it right. 1 out of 6 is not very good and is extremely frustrating. Sometimes I don't even get the 1. His right hand is more in focus than his eyes are. Did you notice?
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