I love playing with new glass – ok, lenses. I usually take a while to get the hang of one, and this will be no different. But right now, I feel like a teenager on his first date. Thank goodness for the IS on this lens, else my giddy hands may have blurred the focus.

Where’s the meme-generator when I need it? So much glass!

Here’s the short version. Our University owns this lens, and I have it out on loan for a while.

Tonight, it’s too dark to shoot outside and really see the beauty of this lens, but a couple of indoor shots to explore just how much bokeh it’ll generate. And yes, my first experience with an L-series lens did not disappoint.

Next time, less bokeh. I was trying to see just how much I could dial in at various focal lengths. Fun! And more to come. Next up? Probably playing with it via video. I don’t know if 70mm and a crop sensor on the Rebel we have in the office will be a good fit, but it’s certainly worth exploring.

The subject is a hand carved camel bell from Morocco – years ago. It was hanging on the wall and within range – no more imaginative thought than that went into this shot. Both shots taken with Canon 7D mounting the glorious Canon EF 70-300 f/4-5.6L IS USM. The jpegs tend to blur the bokeh more than I did…. live and learn.