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After realizing that the Canon 1D MKIII was a little too much for my wallet to chew, a good compromise looked like a Canon 40D and some new lenses to cope with the 1.6x crop factor on the new sensor.  The Canon 35 F/2.0 was a major workhorse for me, accounting for probably 40,000 photos taken at National Racquetball events.  Through some research on Fred Miranda, I quickly noticed the 1.4′s benefits of faster USM, sharper photos, and of course an extra stop of light (extremely crucial for low-light sports – like racquetball).

I quickly sold the 2.0 to a colleague, and turned to a “WTB” ad on craigslist to find a primo copy of the 1.4 locally.  Within about 5 mintues of posting the ad, I had a reply from a local photographer wanting to sell his mint copy at the right price.  Needless to say, this lens didn’t dissapoint.  Solid metal construction, tack sharp photos, and wonderful contrast have turned this into one of my favorite Canon primes.

Here is my son learning how to compose with the Digital Rebel (taken with a Canon 1D MKI, F/1.4, 1/30, hand-held):

Every year in downtown Hillsboro, OR, a festival is held which shuts down the streets over the weekend.  The main focus in a 3 on 3 basketball tournament, with courts taped in on various streets / intersections.  Also included are booths for food, military recruitment, local artists, and a skateboard demonstration featuring athletes from a Texas-based Jesus/Skate troupe.  They had some pretty decent moves!

Big thanks to Don for my first trip on the water this season!