[4/365] 35mm lens, my love

I love my Canon EF 35mm f/1.4 L USM lens. When you first pick up the lens, you can tell it's a quality lens. It's smooth black exterior with that sexy red ring has got me all caught up. It's my first brand new L series lens (I got my Canon 100mm f/2.8 L IS USM macro used). I know people call the 50mm's the "nifty fifty" but I'm sure they really only mean that if they have a full frame camera. The focal length of the lens on my crop camera is perfect when I'm out with friends and want to snap a photo of someone across the table. I don't have to back up a whole lot (if any, really) with the 35mm compared to the 50mm. Next, the awesome aperture makes for great low light photography. My other best friend in low light photography is my Canon Speedlite 270EX, but let's not take the spotlight away from the 35mm. Apart from that, the creamy bokeh gives me a warm fuzzy feeling inside. Look at it wide open (above), I mean, just look at it. There are no words for it.

My default lens used to be my Canon 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS so I was used to having the luxury of zoom (with a not so great aperture sadly) and I thought that shooting exclusively with a prime lens would be a difficult adjustment. I was proven wrong! I don't even carry my zoom lens with me anymore. Just my 35mm and 100mm. I haven't gone on a photowalk to see if I'll eat my words, but so far, over the holidays, my prime babies have served me well.

When Oat and I first went to try this lens, we hummed and hawed at purchasing the most expensive lens we had yet to spoil ourselves with... but deep down, I knew we were meant to be... We even tried to fill that empty spot inside with the 35mm f/2.0. We just weren't feeling it.

It's been less than two weeks, but I think the 35mm is definitely a keeper!