Happy Lunar New Year!

Sony RX1.  Yes it's a Christmas picture but it's red so it works too :)

Just a quick post to say Happy Lunar New Year!  January 31st marks the beginning of the Year of the Horse, an auspicious year associated with health and prosperity (except for those who were themselves born in the Year of the Horse -- yeah it's counterintuitive).  Gong Xi Fa Cai!

Are You Thinking About Getting the Olympus 14-42 Pancake?

One of the hottest news in mirrorless (besides the imminent announcement for the Fuji X-T1) is the Olympus E-M10 with its 14-42 pancake lens.  But you can actually get the benefits of that 14-42 lens now, sort of -- in the form of the Olympus XZ-2.

Next Topic Is Flash

Just wanted to tell you I am working on reviewing my Yongnuo flashes & triggers, and it's taking me a long time to prepare. Stay tuned.

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Sony RX1 Review Part 2: Application and Usage

In Part 1 of our Sony RX1 Review, I discussed the camera and its operation.  In this Part 2 of our review, I will discuss how the RX1 performs in the real world, particularly for candid photography.  I will also discuss the RX1's special features, including its suitability for flash photography.  I will also discuss some accessories.

Sample Photos: PanaLeica Nocticron 42.5mm f/1.2

 

I got a surprising call from Panasonic to test out their much lusted-over new uber lens, the 42.5mm f/1.2 beast, for a couple of days. In this quick post I will show a few of my favorite pictures taken with this lens. I won't be reviewing it in detail until later, but in short, the lens is extremely sharp, and I didn't come across any weird bokeh issues as mentioned by some sites. All photos shown here are shot wide open at f/1.2, look at those smooth backgrounds!

One Room. One Subject. One Flash.

In one of the comments on my Quick Light Setup post, a fellow blogger Dave asked me to post about a small photography game I played with my friend and my brother. This will be the topic of this post.

One Evening (Sony RX1 photoessay)

Still working on Part 2 of the Sony RX1 review (Part 1 here), which should be done in a few days.  Meanwhile here is a brief photoessay.  But first, a little warning: if you love smooth bokeh, you should avert your eyes now.  Or else you will need to find a way to explain to your spouse the cost of this "point-and-shoot". :)

Update: Part 2 is now posted.

My Choice Of A Tablet

In today's post, I will go bit off-topic, but not too far. I bought an iPad Air a couple of months ago, and I would like to tell you about why I chose one.

Sony RX100 $399 for the next 30 minutes

Link:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Sony-Cyber-shot-DSC-RX100-Digital-Camera-Black-/231037323449?pt=Digital_Cameras&hash=item35cae5c8b9

Sensor Size Battles: Lenses as Equalizers

Camera makers used to fight using megapixels.  Then high ISO.  Now they tout the size of their sensor as a feature.  For example, among compacts, cameras with 1/1.7" sensors are deemed better than those with 1/2.5" sensors, and the RX100 and RX100 II are the kings of the hill among compacts, with their 1-inch sensors.  However, the available lenses for a camera can often make up for a smaller sensor.

The purpose of this post is to show how to calculate the equivalent full frame sensor size and depth of field that you can expect from a camera and lens combination.  Ultimately, I hope it helps you compare systems (including those with fixed lenses) and narrows your choice of ideal camera system.

CORRECTION: I made a mistake calculating the effective aperture of the RX100! Sorry!

Sony RX1 Review (Part 1)

I've been shooting with the Sony RX1 for a little less two weeks.  Following up on my first impressions, here is my review from the point of an amateur user who shoots primarily candid and family photos (as opposed to professional event shooter or an equipment tester).  I will be discussing the following:

PART 1 (About the Camera)

• Introduction.
• Body.  Size, construction, etc.
• Handling.  
• Shooting. The controls and how well they work.
• Menus.
• Shooting Experience and Performance.  LCD vs. viewfinder, metering, autofocus, manual focus, lag, battery life.
• Lens Image Quality.  Sharpness, distortion, vignetting, aberration, etc.
• Sensor Image Quality.  Noise, color, postprocessing.

PART 2 (Application and Usage)

• Candid Photography.  How well the RX1 performs for street and candid photos.
• Lighting and Special Features.
• Accessories.

As a preliminary note, I have been shooting mostly with Nikon DSLRs and my compact camera has been the LX5, so most of my observations will be made from that perspective, though I will try to be as objective as possible.  Along those lines, I'm not committed to any particular brand.  Except as otherwise noted, my observations will be based on the camera as-is, and not take into account the cost of the camera, and I'll be as frank as possible.

All sample images here are by me, and are from raw, converted in Lightroom 5.3, with what I consider simple adjustments, unless otherwise noted.  The product shots are from either the LX5 or iPhone 4.  I upload the shots to Picasa.  Unfortunately the shots become slightly bluish and less saturated when published.

1/10/14 edit: revised the section on Autofocus speed.  Sometimes the RX1 focuses fast.  I'm still investigating this.

Making Up My Mind

 

In a couple of days, my EM-5 will have been in my posession for exactly one year. This is the longest I kept any camera body since I started photography more than 5 years ago. Every camera, starting with the G11, 550D, 60D each spent 10 months serving me, while the 5D MkII and the 5D MkIII spent way less than that, despite giving me better images compared to their younger brothers. So why did the EM-5 stay with me for this long?

Well, this is today's topic. In light of the recent camera releases, this will be a spontaneous post where I pour all the mingled thoughts and desires in my mind, and try to make a sensible decision (as if buying more gear is in any way a sensinble thing).