Well, I finally pulled the trigger and bought a lens I've been looking at for quite some time. After tons of deliberation and waiting for our financial situation at home to cooperate, I've gone ahead and ordered what will be the largest and most expensive lens in my collection.

I'm talking about the Sigma 150-500mm f/5-6.3 DG APO OS (Optical Stabilizer) HSM AF Lens. I purchased it from Adorama Camera (they've quickly become my new favorite camera store) since they had a package deal that included a UV filter, lens cap leash (which probably won't get used), and lens cleaning kit (which will be the second one of those I'll have from them).

Anyway, back to the new toy I'm anxiously awaiting the delivery of... Let's take a moment to talk about why I selected this lens, and some of its features. The main reason for this lens was the extra reach that a 500mm lens will provide me. My main interests in photography is outdoor/nature photography and wildlife photography. The extra reach will help make a lot more shots possible.

The other major factor was price. Let's face it - at this point in time (and probably for quite a while) lenses like Sigma's $8000 "Sigmonster" are going to be way out of my price range. Canon's nearest lens is a 100-400mm lens, but still runs over $600 more. Maybe some day, but right now I have to work within my means (and even this is pushing the boundaries). Don't get me wrong, I'm sure this is still a fantastic lens worth every penny.

Once the lens comes in and I get a chance to play around with it a bit (perhaps with a trip to a zoo), I'll try and provide a bit of a review of it. Can't wait! For now, let's look at a photo from my current favorite telephoto zoom lens...

Technical Data: Canon EOS 7D, Tamron 70-300mm f/4-5.6 Di LD Macro1:2 at 300mm plus Kenko Teleplus PRO 300 "DG" AF 2x Teleconverter (I think), 1/390 sec at f/5.7, ISO Auto. No post production. Cedar Creek Park, Westmoreland County, PA.

Why This Photo: I happened upon this blue heron while wandering around Cedar Creek Park. Actually, he startled me the first time I saw him because he took flight as I hadn't noticed him and wandered fairly close to where he was, and so had to track him for a bit and sneak up on him to get close enough for this photo. I practiced approaching low and quiet and eventually managed to get to about maybe 20-25 feet from him (across a semi-frozen stream). After I was close enough, he actually allowed me to reposition fairly easily - I don't know if he was trusting me, was scared stiff, or if it was the cold that had him frozen in place.

What Works: The slow and stealthy approach coupled with a fairly long reach (600mm equivalent with the 2x teleconverter) allowed for a nice tight crop of the bird's head and shoulders. The relatively large aperture at f/5.6 provided a nicely blurred background. Focus is acceptable for the focal length and only being able to use a monopod.

What Doesn't Work: The snowy background is a bit blinding and actually produces a slightly distracting background. The exposure of the shot is a little over done and some loss of detail results - with all of the snow in the area reflecting every bit of light, I should have compensated a bit better for this by reviewing the histogram and retaking the shot. And though the focus is acceptable, it isn't perfect - the heron's eye is in focus and is fairly crisp, but looking at the feathers there is definitely some motion blur involved.

But did I mention that I ordered a new lens? And that new lens has Optical Stabilizer (Sigma's term for Image Stabilization)? I wonder just how much a feature like that might have helped this shot - though that really is no excuse for me not having my tripod with me and getting a properly focused shot.

Now... where is the UPS guy with my new lens?

- Bill