new lense :-)

i posted just after xmas that i bought a new lense. I got a new nikon af 80-200 f2.8dn. It is supposed to be a great lense but it wasn't so i took it back and got a different one. I ended up with a sigma 70-200 APO EX DG HSM MACRO (i love these long names). I love this lense and can't get it of my camera. I haven't really been anywhere since getting it to really test it out but i can't wait to get back to australia to try it out on some motocross and surfing. anyway here's a few pics showing what it can do. CLICK ON THE PICTURE TO VIEW LARGE SIZE.

the grand opening and yes cathy that's the michelin
man beanie.

the first shot with the lense. mika is holding one of our
souveniers from Hokkaido last summer

a seagull near our house.

and another one. I'd never tried to take photos of birds in flight
before and it's a lot more difficult than i thought. I was pretty
happy with the few keepers i got.

shinkansen (bullet train) at sunset between osaka and kyoto.

some type of bird in the park near our house.

in the park again. I really like how the lense renders
the OOF areas. It has much better bokeh than some would
lead you to believe.

same park. just playing around with the RAW abilities, shadows
highlights etc.

Mika near our house on a cold winter morning. i was a bit excited
to try out my new lense the next morning, so up early on sunday, no
time for hotcakes. I was told this lense is warmer than the nikon but
i've found quite the opposite and the contrast is just as good if not better
than the 80-200.