I'm not sure if I journalized about this when it happened, but early this year my setup got stolen at school. Things that went missing: Nikon D50, Nikkor 12-24mm f/4, Nikkor 50mm f/1.4D, Canon Powershot SD800, 3x 4GB SD cards, and the stand for my SB600. It had taken a little more than a year to acquire my gear, and in a single night it vanished. Any college student with a passion for anything that requires money can imagine the anger that followed the next morning.
My dream has always been to own a Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8G. Right around the time when my gear was taken, I was about to sell my D50, 50mm, 12-24mm, and my sneaker collection for a D200, a 17-55mm f/2.8, and a brand new computer since my current one is having a hard time when working with big files in CS3. I made it a point to get this lens by the end of 2008.
Fast forward to the present. My current setup is a D2H and a 50mm f/1.8. Basically all of my work is done under 50mm, so you can imagine the frustration when using a 50mm prime on a DX frame that acts as a 75mm... ARGH haha. Don't be mistaken, the IQ is fantastic with this little lens, but I like stepping INTO the action, not away from it! With a trip to China coming up this Christmas break, I knew I needed to make a choice. Do I make do with the 50, or go big.
I really hope the USPS mailman delivers the lens safely!