Went to Duke Gardens at Duke University last weekend. I had my bag full of lenses, but at the last minute I was suddenly inspired to challenge myself. I decided to just use one lens the entire afternoon, the Minolta MD Tele Rokkor 135mm f2.8. A lovely lens that doesn't get used often. Yes the FL is quite long, but I discovered it's wonderful for candid portraits of the many visitors at the garden. I can get up close without getting... up close! I ended up with some great shots and had an awesome time shooting. I know a lot of people get stuck on a focal length that they feel comfortable with, but once in a while we should all get out of that comfort zone. You might learn something and have fun doing it! p.s. the shots of Laura are obviously posed. <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/vftsai/7397773046/" title="P1320393-1 by Vincent-F-Tsai (Spatulaboy), on Flickr"> {} "800" height="600" alt="P1320393-1"></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/vftsai/7397812052/" title="P1320432-2 by Vincent-F-Tsai (Spatulaboy), on Flickr"> {} "800" height="600" alt="P1320432-2"></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/vftsai/7397807142/" title="P1320470-1 by Vincent-F-Tsai (Spatulaboy), on Flickr"> {} "800" height="600" alt="P1320470-1"></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/vftsai/7397804508/" title="P1320483-1 by Vincent-F-Tsai (Spatulaboy), on Flickr"> {} "800" height="600" alt="P1320483-1"></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/vftsai/7397802146/" title="P1320519-1 by Vincent-F-Tsai (Spatulaboy), on Flickr"> {} "800" height="600" alt="P1320519-1"></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/vftsai/7397799192/" title="Picnic time by Vincent-F-Tsai (Spatulaboy), on Flickr"> {} "800" height="600" alt="Picnic time"></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/vftsai/7397794906/" title="Wow by Vincent-F-Tsai (Spatulaboy), on Flickr"> {} "800" height="600" alt="Wow"></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/vftsai/7397791748/" title="Laura by Vincent-F-Tsai (Spatulaboy), on Flickr"> {} "800" height="600" alt="Laura"></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/vftsai/7397785808/" title="Laura by Vincent-F-Tsai (Spatulaboy), on Flickr"> {} "600" height="800" alt="Laura"></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/vftsai/7397779452/" title="Laura by Vincent-F-Tsai (Spatulaboy), on Flickr"> {} "800" height="600" alt="Laura"></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/vftsai/7397776500/" title="Laura by Vincent-F-Tsai (Spatulaboy), on Flickr"> {} "600" height="800" alt="Laura"></a>
That's a nice set of images and a good reminder to step outside our comfort zone. I've always found my 135mm to be a very strange sort of in-between focal length on :43: - not wide enough for most subjects and not really as long as I'd like for those things I really want to shoot with a tele. I may have to give it another shot after seeing your results.
Very nice shots Vin. I think I may have to get something of a longer FL...my longest at the moment is the O45 and I am waiting patiently for the 35-100 ....but a long prime like this Minolta of yours looks like real fun and would be quite different for me.
Thanks guys. Like I said, it's not something I would shoot on a regular basis, but every time I do I always end up enjoying the lens. It's good to switch things up a bit and make your shooting experience fresh and new again. I think I'm one of the few that's actually looking forward to the Oly 75mm.
