Lensing Up

Yesterday was technically a day off because we worked on the national holiday. However, I didn’t want to waste a rainy day doing nothing at home. I went into the BOE and worked anyway, if you can even call that work. I did some minor organization of old teaching materials. I would like to go through everything and sort even more but it’s a tad overwhelming. No wonder nobody in the past years has really sorted much of it. There is probably some worthwhile material lurking in the stacks of papers and folders. Do I really want to delve into all? Not really.

After feeling overwhelmed by the aging English teaching materials, I contemplated elementary lessons for a short while longer. That soon gave way to doing research on camera lenses. I had been thinking of buying a new lens from the time I got my camera but I didn’t have the funds to buy at that time. After a few paychecks I had planned to buy. That obviously didn’t happen. Just like those teaching materials the choices were overwhelming. I’m pretty sure it’s easier to throw away paper though. I probably shouldn’t compare the two ideas. You get the point anyway.

At first I thought the great 15-85mm EF-S was a perfect option for a beginner as me. Then I saw other reviews of the 17-55mm EF-S which said it was very good as well. That pretty much stopped my interest to buy a lens because I wasn’t sure what to consider. After a year though and learning some more it has become a bit easier to discern. The 17-55mm is a very fast lens and can shoot well in low light. Also has great optics. The 15-85mm is slower but is more ideal for being outside anyway. It has the extra zoom range and is all around a great piece of glass. I thought for awhile that the 10-22mm super wide angle would be good for me instead because I could do big landscape shots. I would have a nice wide angle but still have my generic kit lens for multipurpose use. I didn’t want to go down that route until I had a better everyday lens.

I finally came back to consider the two mentioned before. Seemed the extra zoom and a newer lens specifically made for my type of camera was a better choice. The 15-85mm will be a great high quality lens to take anywhere I go. That is more important right now. I don’t think I will regret my purchase too much. There is always some doubt in purchasing even after lengthy research. It will be just fine I think.

So today I finally dropped my money down and got the 15-85mm EF-S lens that I had been thinking of getting all along.