" Whaddaya got that's new or unusual or cheap or expensive that I can write about? " That's my standard question for Camera Electronic staff in the three shops when I arrive with my portable product set and Fujifilm camera bag. I want new and lots of it...
All the time, getting better...
Some of the first messages we try to convey to our parents are done with simple means. A pointed finger - a cry to " look ". Often these are before we can really form a sentence to explain what we want them to see. We've seen something and they must see it. And to be fair, that's what we do a lot as parents when we want to the children to see something - but we most often explain what it is they are meant to see. In today's charged world this would probably be complained of as " parentsplaining ", but I'll leave you to fight with the social engineers yourself. I'm just glad they aren't equipped with Bailey bridges...
When planning and packing for an outdoor adventure, most of us grab our trusty DSLR or mirrorless camera. Add to this some suitable lenses for landscape or wildlife along with fresh batteries and memory cards. But have you ever considered that you might be missing out on something? A handy addition to any wildlife or landscape photography kit is a pair of binoculars. Binoculars have come a long way since the models our grandparents handed down to us. Bulky, heavy and optically imperfect antiques have retired. These have given way to modern binoculars with the same level of build and optics quality as a modern camera lens. It is also astounding just how many styles and variants of binoculars there are. What’s more, brands such as Nikon, Canon, Olympus and even Leica develop precision binoculars. They all have a long history of making precision optics for more than just camera gear. There’s a lot to be gained from packing a pair of quality binoculars on your next outdoor adventure. For wildlife photographers, it provides a means to quickly scan a location and...
What's In A Name? It seems that the photography world is divided over the importance of brand names - especially when it comes to choosing a camera. Of course, there are die-hard fans that would fall on a sword for their beloved Canon, Nikon, Sony and Fujifilm. Some couldn't care less about being brand-loyal. They want the best camera with the right features regardless of what badge sits at the front. And then, there are the Leica groupies - and the debate to establish if Leica is more than just a name. One side of the fence has shot with Leica for a very long time. The other, don't see the value in spending five times what a non-Leica camera costs for the same performance. First a little history. Ernst Leitz founded the Leica company in 1869 in Wetzlar, Germany - it was formally known as Ernst Leitz Optische Company. The very first Leica, and the first successful 35mm camera ever developed, was invented by Oskar Barnack. Barnack was an engineer and a passionate travel photographer - this passion resulted in the...
No, I'm wrong. Leica call this shade Olive Green and attach the word Safari to it. I should have said Olive Drab...
Leica users have had a rough time of it in the past - they have always had access to the best of optical performance in most fields - but they may not have known it was available. The traditional Leica presentation of street photography in Germany or field photography in Africa has mostly revolved around the use of rangefinder cameras used with stand-off lenses. Unless one was using the 35mm SLR cameras, one was going to have to do a lot of hard work to get macro and close-up shots. Well, not any more. The digital revolution and the availability of live view and the LCD screen has changed all that. The Leica shooter can go in as close as people using other systems. It just needs the lenses and determination. The Leica Macro Elmar M 90mm f:4 is one way to go. 1:2 close-up ratio and incredible resolution. You need to stack the Macro Adapter M in between the lens and the body to do it...
A recent post regarding the Fujifilm X-100F camera drew a critical response from a reader - as much for my style of writing, I suspect, as for the content of the column. Well, to paraphrase President Lincoln, you can please some of the people all the time and all of the people some of the time, but...
I was delighted with the Tamron Tap-in Console when I opened the box in the studio. I don't own a DSLR or a Tamron SP lens, but the look of this accessory is reward enough - it's like having an electronic hockey puck with a USB interface, eh? For the people who use the higher end Nikon or Canon DSLR bodies and want to pair them with compatible Tamron lenses, this "hockey puck" acts as an interface to do a number of things: Put in firmware updates that may be issued by Tamron. Put in correction factors for individual lenses in regard to auto focusing at three separate distances. You have to determine the best correction numbers by separate test but once achieved you can lock them in via Tamron website commands. Put in auto-focus limiting modifications if you want to change the range of this. Decide whether you'll need MF and optimise the focus ring operation. Optimise how the stabilisation system of the lens acts according to your own needs. These are valuable things to control - but you'll have to...
Unless it's someone at the beer garden who wants you to clear the table and bring them another, this sort of call is more trouble than it's worth. It's generally said in a semi-agressive way - whether the speaker is known to you or not. It demands that you are impressed and appreciative of whoever has just shouted it out based upon the fact that they are worth seeing. It's also often based upon that first pitcher of beer. Failure to comply can be dangerous, but shooting the picture can be trouble too. In the old days the shouter would generally forget all about you once they had posed and grinned or made a rude sign or whatever - now they demand to see the screen on the back of the camera to see how great they look. If they are not pleased they demand another and another. The real horror is when they demand the images be sent to their mobile phone account so they can plaster them onto social media. unfortunately camera makers are making this all too possible these...