The Blog of Matt Witmer

Archive for the ‘Purchases’ Category


Posted on June 20, 2008 - by Matt

New Glass, Once again

Self-Portrait, originally uploaded by mattwitmer.

A few days ago, I purchased another piece of glass to add to my photographic arsenal. Some say that this piece, the Nikkor 50mm f/1.8, is the best piece of glass Nikon has ever made and I must agree.

Because of it’s f/1.8 aperture, it functions incredibly well in low light. This will be very useful in my bag, because I absolutely hate using a flash. Another plus of the f/1.8 is it’s short depth of field, which looks good in any type of photo.

In the photo above, I used the mirror in my bathroom and all existing light to produce a stunning self-portrait. This is something I have attempted to complete in the past but my other lenses just don’t fare well in those lighting conditions, nor do they produce the depth of field that truly makes this image pop.

So, if you are on the market for an affordable lens that produces crisp, clean images be sure to check out the Nikkor 50mm f/1.8.


Posted on May 27, 2008 - by Matt

My new baby! And no, it is not the dog.

Dale, taken with my new 70-200mm f/2.8I finally recieved a package which I have had on order since April 28.

The package came in perfect condition and included the ultra-fast, Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8, a 77mm UV filter for the lens, and a Bogen 681B Monopod as well as a Bogen 3229 Head for the monopod.

Now, I have had waited for a month for this awesome peice of glass because it was on backorder at literally every reseller whether online or not. My guess is because Nikon makes their lenses in batches and they had not made it in a while.

That being said, I am so glad I waited this eternity. The 70-200mm could not be any faster when it comes to focusing and it’s sharpness blows my previous 70-300mm out of the water.

Above is a photo that I shot with the new lens handheld and the Vibration Reduction makes this very easy to do.

Now that I have it in hand, I just need to buy my own body because my parents aren’t letting me take our D70s to college. Currently I am thinking the D80 but if my salary allows over the summer, I would love to get the D300. If you have any suggestions, leave a comment (obviously it must be a Nikon).