Coaster photos

^ I'm now just coming into this thread, but I would have to agree. What are you really paying for?

Whatever you do, don't do this with your camera.

http://www.rcdb.com/ig875.htm?picture=13

I asked Jeff a while back what I should look for when buying a new piece for my camera, and quite frankly, it's a big investment that should be nothing but the best. That's just me.

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Charles Nungester said:
You want a cookie? Or a Credit?

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Preferably, the cookie. :)

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mulfdog said:
Gonch, do you use a tripod when you shoot?

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Very, very rarely. I don't really have the patience to drag one around. On the off chance that I want a shot I can't handhold, I improvise with whatever's around.

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Jeff said:
Dude... that is so not even remotely true. I have the 70-200mm f/4 L (under $600), and the sharpness is several orders of magnitude better than it is on a cheap lens. You aren't just buying an extra stop, you're buying better glass.

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Yeah, I know. I was referring to the image stabilization thing.

You can take good photos with a $300 point-and-shoot digital camera. It depends entirely on what it is you intend to do with the images. For me, I'm a nerd, and I grew up with really nice (and manual) Nikon glass. I just have higher expectations for the results.

Jeff's right on the money here.

If you want good, sharp images, you're going to have to step up to at LEAST f/4.0. In my line of work, I refuse to purchase any lense that is not at least F/2.8 - But if you're not a working professional, don't bother spending those kind of dollars - Just get a f/4 and you'll be fine.

Mulfdog - If you're not worried about how fast your shutter will fire and how crisp your images are, just buy a Sigma 28-300 F/3.5-6.3. It's ~$450, and you'll never have to worry about changing your lense again.