Early Fathers Day... Again

Last year along about this time... give or take a couple of weeks... I put up a post about my early Fathers Day gift from me to me. This year history repeats itself. Herewith, this year's Fathers Day gift from me to me:

Explanation... the lens on the left... detached from the camera body... has been the source of the only complaints I've had with my XTi. And about which I said:

I'm still not completely satisfied with this lens' performance, given the images aren't as sharp as one would expect... or perhaps demand... from a camera in this price range. I understand that telephoto lenses generally have a "softer" focus than a "normal" lens. So... it's with that knowledge in mind that I see a new lens in my future... more than likely a "standard" 50mm fixed-focal length lens.

And so it's come to pass. The FedEx guy dropped off my new Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM lens about a half hour ago. Here's the first test shot, in two flavors:

The first pic is a 40% re-size, the second is a full-resolution crop. You can't really tell the difference in quality (i.e., this lens vs. the "old" telephoto zoom) from photos posted on the web, but my initial impressions are that I will be satisfied with this lens. I'll play with this lens a little more in the coming days... after my lens hood and filter arrive from Amazon. I don't like to walk around with a "bare" lens, which is to say without a filter on it to protect the lens glass from dust and such. But you just KNOW, Gentle Reader, that we had to go out for a quick test drive!

I'm actually pleased and surprised that the lens arrived before the other stuff... given as how the lens was purchased from an Amazon partner (OneCall, in Spokane, WA) and the accessories from Amazon themselves. I'm pleased with both the price AND the responsive, rapid service I received from OneCall. Good On 'Em, and all that.