Everyone and their uncle probably knows by now that I have acquired the use of a sample Canon EOS-1D Mark IV camera with a 24mm ultrasonic lens. This camera shall, hereinafter, be called Mark IV because its full name is a mouthful.

I was so surprised to have received an email from d-pr . They found me on a rather dusty old photo blog which I share with Kim and Angel. I feel bad for neglecting my blogging duties there actually but hope to resolve that soon esp now that I am powered by WordPress.

Anyway, I picked up the camera on Sunday and promptly took it out for a spin. My husband and son play basketball every Sundays and Wednesdays and the fast-paced movements are perfect for what the PR company wanted me to shoot. Never mind that they didn’t give me the camera’s manual or that I crammed for half an hour reading up an online review on what the camera’s features are.

First impression: Dang! It’s big and it’s heavy!

It handles smoothly, albeit heavily (okay, I will stop saying the H word but keep in m ind that throughout this entire review I am thinking ‘God, this is heavy!’). The 24mm lens is a delight with the widest aperture at f/1.4 – it’s a bokeh lover’s delight!

It’s an adventure getting a hang for the feel of the camera in my hands, and the dials and knobs and advanced features. It was tricky too since lighting was patchy at the basketball court.

The PR company asked me to do motion shots so I did. It’s a lot of trial-and-error and some of what I consider my best shots of the evening are probably too weak for others.

It was a bit hazardous too since I had to position myself almost directly underneath the basket to get the good shots. And all the while moving the camera so that I can get a perfect photo as they take the shot. Bloody difficult!

A lot of the photos were deleted because their arms were covering their faces, or the ball was not in the shot, or it was just plain shaky.

I think the guys had fun though, I hope their game didn’t suffer much because the camera and I were in their face all night.

I would have gone the whole hog and laid down on the floor if I had a mat with me. I think the 24mm would have been able to take more dramatic shots esp if the subjects weren’t bloody moving all the time!

I’m pleased with this first run though. It’s a shaky start but I’m beginning to love the camera now. I just wish I didn’t have to return it so soon.

Even my kids are having fun with it! I just have to make sure I am always within an arm’s length in case they let go or drop the camera – it’s worth more than one month’s paycheck after all!

Up next, model photo shoot tonight, with studio lights and all! We’re going to stretch this baby out to its full potential! Wish me luck.