Gear
The Call: Air and Space Gift Shop — Jessica
Gear is good but vision is better. I’m paraphrasing David duChemin. And I agree. Gear is very good. The right gear and the technical know-how frees you from limits. But without a vision you are just as limited. They are complimentary, but if I could only have one, I’d take vision. Vision with a side of ingenuity — that will take you places! And that pretty much sums up the American spirit too. Happy Fourth of July and happy birthday America!
Original Lens — Cheryl
Well, this is an interesting story. I took a picture of this lens and had planned on writing something like this: I have enough camera gear, I guess. I own this 14-45mm lens (which came with my E-500), a 50mm, a 40-150mm (which also came with E-500), a 25mm (that doesn’t work and may someday get shipped off for repair), and a 70-300mm lens. When Dennis gave me the E-5 for Christmas, I suddenly noticed how entry-level this 14-45mm lens was. I did some research and decided I would save up for the Olympus flagship 14-35mm. Since it costs $2299, I knew I’d be saving a long time. I did better than I thought I could do, though, and am about $120 away (2-3 weeks?) from that $2299. Here’s the thing: For months now, I’ve been using my 50mm lens almost exclusively and love it. I started to wonder if I really need the new lens, and I’ve been waffling a bit.
Now, here’s the really interesting part of the story. About 20 minutes ago, in preparation for this post, I went to my Amazon wishlist to take another look at the lens I’ve been saving for, and when I found it in my wishlist, I got quite the surprise. The price went down to $1880.59, because there was one available from a retailer called Blinq. I checked the reviews on Blinq and found them reassuring. Then, I called Dennis to my side and asked him what I should do. He handed me his American Express card, and told me to order the lens right away. It should arrive anywhere from Monday to Wednesday. Oh, and get this: the shipping was free! Now, let’s see if I have the vision to really get my money’s worth. ; )
I love that shot of the Blackbirds (Dennis tells me that’s what they are), and I appreciate all the links you add to your posts. I’ve been learning a lot from you and photographers to whom you introduce me.