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20 Sep

Posted at 08:05h in Dick's Rant by

The history of military uniforms and accoutrements has seen a lot of design variation - for instance the humble cartridge box. By the time paper cartridges had come into use in the 18th century, there were any number of ways in which a soldier could carry them into battle. Some used bags slung over their shoulders, some used wooden blocks in leather cases in a similar position, and some - the Jägers and light infantry - were just as likely to have their ammunition in a wooden block/leather case strapped to their waists and worn in the front. This may have been the inspiration for the Lowepro Streetline waist pack, though it is likely that it came from many of the same style that the company has made over a period of time. Now we are in the mirror-less era, the waist pack is coming into its own. The reason for the Jägers' adoption of the design was the fact that they had to be agile and fast, prowling around the edges of a battlefield. Big cartridge pouches flapping on their flanks...

19 Sep

Posted at 07:52h in Dick's Rant by

Do you take your photography to the streets? Do you work with modern equipment? Do you want to be reasonably stylish whilst out there? Then take a look at the Lowepro Streetline range of camera bags in Camera Electronic. Right away I can hear people who have seen me on the street laughing as they read that word " stylish ". My general appearance vacillates between that of a Miami tourist in 1953 and Red Green. It could be worse - I have seen some street shooters that look like Worzel Gummidge. Many of us could stand a bit of a makeover, if only for the sake of the other people out there. We may not get it - there's a lot of old clothing in our wardrobes that needs wearing out first - but at least we can sport good camera gear. If you are working with the lighter forms of mirror-less camera, the Streetline series are designed for you. They combine a sophisticated appearance with discretion - no flashy colours and minimal leather showing. This one has a very good...

18 Sep

Posted at 08:31h in Dick's Rant by

That's a play on words, with the basis being the Think Tank bags you see here. They are referred to as " Mirrorless Movers ". They move quite well, thank you, and for a good reason - they are one of the most sensible camera cases for modern use. Camera bag design and branding are one of those topics - like camera brand loyalty - that occupy a lot of  spare space in forums and group meetings. It might sound trite or pedestrian, but there are times when pedestrians would do well to think the matter out clearly. Walking around with camera equipment is a lot of fun if you are visiting interesting places and getting great shots. Walking around with an entire armamentarium of DSLR lenses in case the great shot presents itself is also fun, but most of the enjoyment occurs when you see a bench and can sit down. Thus one of the sales features of the mirror-less cameras systems - lighter weight and smaller gear. Those of you with professional-quality full-frame mirror-less cameras and the entire armamentarium of...

13 Sep

Posted at 08:51h in Dick's Rant by

The Muraro " Heavy Compact Small Stand " looked like a pretty simple box to bring home. It was sealed and I expected to find a Manfrotto look-alike inside - Boy, was I surprised. To give you a comparison I have included my Manfrotto compact stand in some of the images today. Not trying to play one wholesaler off against another, but there are some interesting design features here. This is the two stands folded up. The Manfrotto is the smaller one, but it isn't all that much smaller. It's a great accessory for taking to dance shows - I put a Hahnel Captur receiver and a Fujifilm EF-X500 flash on it and set it out some way from myself. It sometimes gets a more central position in front of the audience than I do but is unobtrusive enough to sit out there all night. I do sandbag it as the legs are short. But look what happens when you fold out the Muraro in comparison. About 6 inches more height and a great deal wider base for the legs. That's as wide...

11 Sep

Posted at 09:31h in Dick's Rant by

At any one time, our choices in photography can be surprisingly limited. Limited by artistic convention, fashion, and commerce. Often we do not notice it until some exception to the rule comes to hand - then we feel it all the more. This is the case with today's offering - the Think Tank Retrospective Leather 5 Sandstone. Colour is not exactly new to Think Tank - They have experimented with sandstone, olive drab, and RAF blue for years, and have made some wonderful large bags. Their DSLR bags are a standard of the industry. Now in the smaller mirror-less, they have combined that distinctive cloth with 50's leather style. Of course it is far more business-featured than anything we bought back then - The iPad mini pocket on the back gives that away. Also the myriad of internal pockets and slots for pens, cards, phones, business papers, passports, etc. It would not be too much to say that this could be a complete mini-studio for the travelling pro. That impression is re-inforced in the equipment compartment. Besides the main mirror-less cradle, there are...

07 Sep

Posted at 07:21h in Dick's Rant by

What do you do if you have to cope with targets both on the ground and in the air? Leaving aside the suggestion of a Flak 88 and a set of ear plugs, we come to the answer of the fighter-bomber. An aircraft fast and agile enough to deal with a dogfight ( assuming that the pilot is incautious enough to get into one ) and big enough and heavy enough to haul bombs and drop them. On the enemy, and preferably a considerable distance from home. The aircraft has to be rugged, as the business of both aerial combat and ground pounding puts a heavy strain on the airframe. The engine has to be big enough to cope with this weight. The armament...