| I
recently bought a new lens, Canon's 70-200/2.8 with image
stabilizer. This is an extreme lens! It let's you take
pictures that other lenses can't take anymore. Why? not only
is it pretty fast for a 200mm lens. But the real kicker is the image
stabilizer, which (I didn't believe it at first) allows exposures three
steps longer than otherwise possible. This means, it is possible to
handhold a shot of 1/30s and still achieve decent results. In
other words, this lens is as fast as a 200mm/1.0, but with the depth of
field of a 2.8. Hence it allows you to shoot pictures handheld that
were never before possible.
This lens is not the only one that
opens up new possibilities. Similarly, Leica's Noctilux with
50mm/F1.0 enables picture taking that just seems impossible with other
lenses.
BUT, it doesn't require lots of
money to achieve the impossible. Take for instance the Fuji 800
film. It is awesome in its fine grain and high speed, AND, it can be
pushed easily 1 or 2 stops. In other words, you shoot it as if it is
a 1600 ASA or 3200 ASA, and then just tell your Lab to push it during
development. Now, load this film into a camera which has a fairly
fast lens (e.g., 2.0 or faster), and you have a kit with which you can
take pictures in "available darkness".
Of course, once you have one of
those kits, you MUST use it at its extreme end. The "only
way" to shoot a good fast lens is wide open! Because that's
where it can perform its magic.
|
Person walking along a
corridor. No flash (of course!), aperture 2.8, about 1/60s, EOS 5
AF, Kodak Gold 400ASA. |
|
Buy
one of these little Canonets used (about $50) in good condition,
load it with your super fast film, and enjoy razor sharp pictures that
others wish they could take. The Canonet has an aperture of 1.7 on its
40mm lens, and the lens is really sharp. I had one and was utterly
impressed. Note that the Canonet, like many older cameras, does not
accept a 800, 1600 or 3200 ASA settings. You will need to use the
manual setting in this case and expose all shots with a separate meter or by
your best judgment. |