Tim @tdaug80 gave me this challenge: Set your camera to aperture priority. Set up a scene with some near and far objects. Shoot the same scene with your largest and smallest aperture, and something in the middle. For extra credit, try it with both lenses.
Well I don't get extra credit -- that's for sure. And I was about to just give Tim a rain check, but I decided to go ahead and post the extremely unsatisfactory results of my hasty and ill-planned experiment and be done with it. Earlier this week I walked over to the park on a cold day to try it out. I felt like everything I thought I had learned while using my old camera went right out the window. despite the fact that I had read enough of the users manual to figure out how to set the camera to aperture priority (actually that's easy -- just turn the dial on the top to Av which I knew without reading) and how to adjust the aperture (that I needed the manual for) I couldn't get too much difference in appearance. You can see a small gradation in the background... I had not brought the other lens; It was cold and I didn't spend much time before heading home again.
I will plead busyness with a couple of other projects as my excuse for not trying again -- that and the fact that it was icy either the next day or the day after -- I forget. I promise I WILL learn how to use this camera. Just didn't accomplish much in that direction this week. While in the park I did accidentally get a shot I kinda liked, which I'm also posting.
@tdaugh80 I wish I could say I had given the challenge my best effort. But that wouldn't be true. I'll get around to learning how to get what I want out of this camera eventually. Hopefully sooner rather than later. Thanks for forcing the issue.
It will all make sense soon!