Vroom-vroom!

Well, here it is.....

....my first real image with my new rig.

Yes, it is a Black-capped Chickadee. Yes, you have seen pictures on this blog before of this species.  Yes, this picture basically sucks. The background is busy, the lighting is boring and it basically lacks pizzazz. 

But, hey, this is a better than botched Red-tailed Hawks, Sandhill Crane silhouettes, and random leaves in the woods (I was testing exposures).  

In short, my Rebel was on its last legs. I was not budgeting for this purchase but it needed to be done.  Repair costs and battery replacements would have cost more than the camera is worth (cameras, like computers and other tech items, become dinosaurs very quickly.)   What is the point of doing that? Plus, I was eligibile for the Canon Loyalty Program.  Leave the old rig with them and they give you money towards an upgrade.  

Upgrade I did.  The  Canon 7D is superior to my old XTi in ways I cannot even begin to explain here.  Sensor size has essentially doubled (10 megapixels to almost 19 megapixels), 8 frames per second (from 3 per second) and incredible ISO capabilities.  I'm really looking forward to working more with this camera.

But, I have alot to learn with my 7D. There are more damned buttons and options on this thing than I would expect to find in a nuclear power plant (okay, not that many).  If one setting is off, I could be so hosed.  Switching back and forth between various settings (needed for various shooting circumstances) is a very "Okay, think this situation out, Paul..." sort of thing. Buttons are in different places and the whole feel is just....different.  With my old camera, it all was second nature.  I really have to have my head in the game in the coming weeks or I could find myself getting frustrated pretty quickly. Patience, I guess...

Anyhow, cameras might be likened to cars. After you get one, you take it out and really see what it can do.  

Vroom vroom!