Mom is visiting. I knew she'd want to get us each at least a few things. I knew that I'd want a lens - and I'd been thinking on it. I went back and forth on my final choice. A zoom with that much of a range is just a compromise, and I knew it. I read a lot. I looked at sample photos. I waffled on whether I wanted a shorter range that overlapped the kit lens. I finally decided I'm an opportunist in a lot of my photos, and I'm frequently in the middle of things that just require being able to swing between those extremes (eg, the airshows - someone taking off, someone flying the last of their session, someone taxiing out next to me).

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The toy

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The range, in a situation that drives the kit lens crazy. Hard light, bright ground. I'd read that this lens was slow to focus, and when it hunted, I found that to be true. But this is a situation where the kit lens will hunt if I've lost track of a plane, and has trouble refocusing.

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Couldn't resist. It looks like photos I've seen of a gear collapse on real Spitfires.

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The transmitter.