Something black is something new

Thanks to a visit by friend Gavin last night the digital camera bug has bit and it's venom took effect today. After doing a little research, my sister will be happy to know, I bought a new digital camera today. The Canon Eos Rebel XT now calls our house and my shoulder bag home. After scouting around the web for camera and lens prices Sarah and I paid a visit to the fine people at the local audio/video/camera shop Abolins. The gentleman who helped us before they closed was someone we'd met previously at the Tacoma Camera Shop when we bought our telescope. We remembered because he has a daughter Sarah new a little from PLU music and whom Sarah's former roomie Amanda surely knew from orchestra. Anyway, he let me play with a couple cameras and was very helpful in choosing lenses and getting a protective filter. Although I'm a proponent when it comes to buying merchandise online, they made for a great point-of-sale and the price, ever after tax, was little over what I priced out online. With that I felt confident in my purchase and can now move into the realm of digital SLR goodness... Just in time for our trip to New York! Complete coincidence, I promise. ;)

Anyway, I played a bit tonight just here around the house and snapped shots with both lenses before it got dark (which, by the way, is far too early now). The shots are coming up but I also want to stress how cool this will be for any future astrophotography I plan to do. I can effectively couple the camera body directly to our telescope turning it into an 8" diameter lens. Should make for some interesting views into the cosmos. Now to learn how to stay up late enough to take pics of the sky...

So, here's a sample of what I snagged tonight. They may not be works of art but I've got to practice before snapping photos while in the Big Apple.