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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):

All of the internet gossip has been confirmed, as Canon finally drops official word on its newest offering, the Canon 40D. I’ve been stashing my pennies away for the 1D MKIII, but I think a small dose of reality is starting to set it. By in large, I don’t get paid much for any of my work. I think it’s time to reality check dropping $4500 on a camera. The Canon 40D has a list of IMPRESSIVE features, and will probably hold its own on 90% of the work I do.

My name has just been added to wait list for one of these bad boys at Pro Photo Supply, in Portland, OR!

Canon EOS 40D, previewed

As anticipated Canon has today announced the successor to the hugely popular EOS 30D digital SLR. Enter the EOS 40D, headline improvements are a more robust build with weather-proofing, ten megapixel CMOS sensor, DIGIC III and 1D style menus, 6.5 fps continuous shooting, three custom user modes on mode dial, 3.0″ LCD monitor, Live View with optional mirror-drop auto-focus, larger brighter viewfinder with interchangeable focusing screens, much shorter viewfinder blackout and a quieter mirror mechanism, a all new AF system with all nine points cross-type with F5.6 or faster lens and a new optional combo vertical / WiFi grip. UPDATED: Detailed preview posted.

Holy Schnikies! I was reading on DPReview this morning about a new Sigma lens – the APO 200-500 F2.8. This seems to be somewhat of a follow-on to Sigma’s 100-300 F/2.8 (which got good reviews), but this time the focal range extends to an AMANZING 500mm at F/2.8. All I can say is WOW. The article mentions that price and weight have not been announced, but that thing is absolutely GINORMOUS. I’d guess price in the $5,000 range, but I’ll guess we’ll have to see ..

Sigma APO 200 – 500 mm F2.8 lens

PMA 2007: Sigma has today announced one massive beast of a lens; the APO 200 – 500 mm F2.8 EX DG. This lens is stated by Sigma as being the worlds first Ultra-Telephoto Zoom Lens that offers an impressively fast F2.8 maximum aperture through its range. The lens also features and LCD panel with a readout of focal length and subject distance. If 500 mm isn’t enough reach a dedicated 2x Tele Converter is supplied with the lens as standard and changes it into a 400 – 1000 mm F5.6. Combine that with a typical APS-size 1.5x FOV crop on a digital SLR and you’ve got either 300 – 750 mm F2.8 or a 600 – 1500 mm F5.6 (better have a good tripod). No news on price, availability or weight yet.