Early Christmas

I’m playing a little bit of hooky to upload some test photos. These are brought to you by my new Nikon D700 that arrived this evening, just as the light was beginning to disappear. Perfect for testing out the ISO performance right out of the gate!

I signed for package, ripped it open, put in a freshly charged battery, attached my 50mm f/1.4 lens, applied the menu settings to my usual liking. Love how the controls are pretty much the same as the D300! No need to flip through manuals. Not that I did that anyway with the D300 when I first got it, heh. With that done, all that was left was to snatch myself a Bunny Rabbikins to be my first subject.

50mm, f/1.4, 1/250 sec, ISO 3200

Oops. Forgot to turn off the AF assist light. It made Bunny all squinty, and you can see it reflecting off his left eye. Dan says he looks like he just crash landed on this planet, and I caught him as he’s crawling out of his smoldering space craft. Ha ha!

50mm, f/1.4, 1/250 sec, ISO 3200

I’ve had the 50mm for 3 years now, the first lens I ever purchased, and on a full-frame camera it’s like I bought whole new lens! For free! I’ve always felt it was a little too long for indoor shots, but on the D700 I was able to get these shots of Bunny comfortably. No having to crush myself against a wall.

After a couple indoor shots with Bunny, I went up on the roof deck to do some dusky city shots. As luck would have it, our neighbor’s cat Bella emerged from her rooftop hatch just as I was ready to shoot. She comes and goes as she pleases, and glimpses of her are few and far between. She usually scurries off when she sees me. If I could chase her and make her be my friend, believe me I would. But I’m too scared I’d like, plummet to my death in the process. Luckily today, she decided to grace me with her fluffy presence for longer than usual, and sat close enough for me to get some really pretty photos of her enjoying the sights and sounds of Boston at dusk. I feel really lucky to have gotten these!

Also taken at f/1.4, 1/250 sec, ISO 3200. Noise? What noise?
PS I kind of wish we could let our boys hang outdoors like this. But they don’t have Bella’s rooftop smarts.

I’m so looking forward to shooting with the D300+17-55mm and D700+50mm at a wedding in October! Hopefully I won’t be telling myself afterwards that I need another lens. The credit card needs a major breather.  I do think I can make these pairings work, so woot woot! I’m a full-framed gal!