Andy Laub

Hey, remember when this used to be a photoblog? Back then I shot everyday with my then-newly-acquired Canon SD400.

After updating daily for six or seven months, I started to realize that I wanted this site to be something other than a daily photoblog. I’ve long been aware that I go though phases of creative output; sometimes it’s writing, sometimes it’s photography, and sometimes it’s just redesigning stuff. But as time wore on, my familiarity with the little Canon increased, as did my frustrations with its limits. I’d long since acknowledged that snapping off a few noise-free photos in less than ideal lighting was something of a pipe-dream; an acceptable sacrifice in lieu of the camera’s petite stature, but the image quality in general seems to be degrading as the camera approaches its fifth birthday.

Now What?

This left me in a sort of quandary; time for a new camera? Probably; but what to get? I’d long since had my eye on a digital SLR (also of the Canon variety) and even came close to pulling the trigger a couple of times, but could never go through with it. I had also been considering the Canon SX200/SX210, another point-n’-shoot. It was hard to argue with 14x optical zoom and HD video, but I just couldn’t bring myself to spend the money on that either. Another ELPH? None of them really got me excited like the SD400 did when I first saw it.

So I waited, and watched. And then I saw a Canon EOS 30D on Craigslist. And then I forgot about it for awhile.

Then I was driving and thinking that I really don’t have any good photos of my car, and that 30D popped back into my head. I scoured Craigslist and it was nowhere to be found. Defeated, I decided it wasn’t meant to be, and started looking at new Canons on Amazon. There were some alright deals, but I kept falling back to the same thought that has always kept me from buying an SLR: what if I don’t use it?

That’s why this 30D was so attractive to me: it was a minimal investment to dip my toes in the waters of more advanced digital photography. So imagine my excitement when it was relisted that same day. After some Twitter hemming and hawing, I decided that the extra cost of the XSi simply wasn’t worth it to me, and sealed the deal.

The Setup

Photo-nerds are probably wondering what I’m shooting with so far, so here’s the list:

• Canon EOS 30D
• Canon EF 50mm f/1.8
• Canon EF 18-55mm f/3.5 IS (soon)

It’s a short list, but a solid start. The first time I looked through the viewfinder on the 50mm, I was amazed at how narrow the viewing angle is, and it made me immensely glad to have won the 18-55mm on eBay that morning. Even so, I’m very pleased with the purchase, especially taking into account that what I’ve spent so far on everything is only slightly more than a new XSi body.

Instead of releasing the actual game, Sony instead decided we would like this trailer they made for Gran Turismo 5:

0:12 – That’s a city. It looks… okay.
0:17 – Headlights in a tunnel? Kind of neat, but not something I’d want in a racing game.
0:23 – Why do these cities always look abandoned?
0:34 – Nurburgring. Eh.
0:38 – Car commercial shot.
0:54 – From that previous comment to here, this trailer is awesome.
0:55 – And now I’m bored.
0:55 – Mercedes’ should not be red.
0:58 – That’s better.
1:06 – ACTIVE AERO.
1:12 – Is the front plate really necessary?
1:20 – Stock cars…?
1:29 – Pit crews – that’s cool!
1:36 – That damage is fantastic!
1:40 – Ferraris should be red.
1:55 – They have all these gratuitous glamour shots when really you’re either going to be seeing the back of your car or the steering wheel 100% of the time.
2:25 – Gran Turismo 5: coming… some day?

So in summary:

1. Active aero is cool.
2. Pit crews are cool.
3. More detailed / extreme damage is cool.
4. I don’t care that much about GT5.