ABOUT ME

I live in a camper van with a West Highland Terrier for company.
My passion is creating images but it is a work in progress.
I am always willing to share what knowledge I have and can be contacted through the comments on this post or e-mail ADRIAN
ALL IMAGES WILL ENLARGE WITH A LEFT CLICK

Sunday 12 August 2012

ESCALATION. (12/08/12)

This morning I was up bright as a button and off out looking for over nighting insects. No luck I combed these old allotments come tip for an hour........Alfie found a dead mole....Molly wanted it.....I decreed that neither should have it....filthy wee beasts!

Yesterday I cooked.........
These are filleted chicken thighs filled with a sweet pepper, garlic and pork sausage mush. Wrapped in bacon with the addition of a lemon and onion toffee glaze. The bit on the right is 'Elfy. Veggy couscous and raw tomatoes. The dead slug on the top is a banana. I had some that were getting past even banana bread useable....so decided to stuff a slice on top. It was okay but not fantastic. I'll do a recipe tomorrow if anyone shows interest.

I have spent the day suffering....hay fever and aches and pains. I've also joined Wordsmith but not posted...their interface is different but I'm not convinced it's better than blogger.

The rest of the day has been consumed with my swap from Olympus to Canon. I feel after four years I've served my apprenticeship with digital. I want to spend the next four years with the best I can afford and am still baffled. The easy option would be to go for a Leica Range finder.....superb lenses but the digital side lets them down. They are also a bugger to use on moving subjects. So Canon it is.........I want three lenses a landscape lens this one is easy...I like taking landscapes. There is no rush, one can take ones time. I'll forego quality and settle for a 24-70mm zoom. that's £2k from canon. then a 150mm or 180mm 1:1 macro, this will have to be Sigma or drop down to 100mm for a perfect Canon lens.
 I study MTF charts...I'm osculating into a nerd, be kissing them next.....You would too if you were considering investing the sort of money that would buy a good second hand Aston Martin.....
......We now hit the real problem..........I've decided on full 35mm frame...a relatively low pixel count and burst rate doesn't interest me as I shoot RAW. No cameras are quick in Raw. SIx Frames a second is great. I can get the EOS 7 five hundred pounds cheaper than the EOS 5 the latter has better noise control.
 I want to be placed in photo competitions next year or the year after or the year after that....maybe that's a little ambitious.....I may not be here. I refuse to accept that I'm not good enough.

The quandary I have is over telephotos. Reach is great but a prime tele lens would buy a house. On top of that one has to have a big tripod, gimbal mount and be prepared to spend a year or so learning to drive it. It's all a minefield.
It looks as if there maybe a glut of Canon long lenses on the market after the Olympics. I suspect pro photographers get lent them.

My problem is how to carry all this stuff.....Tripod, two heads, camera body, extenders, teleconverters, filters, beer, sandwiches and drink for the dogs, not to mention spare batteries and more beer. It could easily add up to over a hundred pounds... £100....the buggers charge five hundred for a tripod and the same again for a camera mount. I'll have to go into training or employ a lass that came third or fourth in the recent pentathlon to hump it. 
Golfers have it easy, they walk on mown grass and have a lacky to carry their hitting sticks.  

For those interested in blowing myth from fact this article, nay book,  I found decipherable... BIRDING ..It's no bad for anyone thinking of camera investment at whatever level.

I look at things slightly differently in that I don't look at web photos as a genuine reflection of an image.....I sharpen mine for the web but stick a bit on for print or to be honest I'm not allowed to. The lass in charge of the printer colour corrects and sharpens but I supervise the latter. You may not be colour blind Laura but you sure as hell over sharpen.  
The web is kind to pictures...Print isn't.

This post is self indulgent....Sorry if I've been nerdy but have a good week




17 comments:

  1. Hi Adrian, The Canon is a great choice for a camera. You may want to carry a back pack with all your camera equipment. This way you will have your hands free to take photos while you walk. Otherwise you will have to haul your stuff around on a golf cart. The big thing is planning what you will do for the day and stick to your agenda. :-)
    There are a number of very light tripods around that one can use with long lenses, so as not to be to heavy to carry around. I have a very heavy and very strong tripod that was used for an Mamiya RB67 medium format camera, which I still have. I had to carry everything around with me so I got a light weight cart to be able to carry it around with me. I hope you don't have to do this as it is a real pain. Have fun and I hope you figure out what you need to carry along with you.

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  2. Hi Adrian...My goodness you are quite the cook aren't you !! It looks like something out of a cooking magazine...well...maybe not with that banana on top ; } lol!!
    Your dish makes my mouth water...I hate cooking for myself so I think you should add a recipe here and there maybe I will get inspired!! : }
    It may be a self indulgent post, but sometimes that helps make decisions writing thinks down, instead of it rumbling around in your head!!
    Good luck figuring that camera stuff out !!
    Grace

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    1. I'll start doing the occasional recipe....not this one...it was not an unqualified success but it looked good.

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  3. Everyone is allowed to be nerdy occasionally if they keep it as interesting as yours...

    And you are right to refuse to think yoiu asren't good enough - you are! A number of your photos over the last couple of years have been absolutely fantastic.

    I think you're cruel not letting them have mole sandwiches when you're obviously gourmandising yourself!

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    1. Thanks.....Mole and maggot sandwiches we be more precise.

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  4. Interesting Adrian.
    7D is my current camera, and very pleased with it too. (the 100-400 zoom sits on this)
    Sigma 105mm 1:1 macro is what I use on the 50D; a cracking lens. Haven't used the ones you mention, so I can't comment on those.
    I don't use a bag to carry stuff, preferring an OpTech double harness, and a waistcoat with many pockets. I feel like a pack horse at times, but it keeps my hands free. Trevor uses a rucksack. Ask him about his; he seems to get loads of stuff in it. A bit like a Tardis over his shoulder.

    Your post has given me an idea for a future one. What gear and equipment we use.

    It's a bloody minefield trying to choose the best gear to suit. Good luck with that.

    An interesting link you posted too.

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    1. Your results are fine and the camera is has a fantastic spec. I am hoping that the full frame on the 5D will allow me to crop and compensate for the lack of multiplier. The 500mm would be great but have you seen the size of it. I am pretty sure that there are going to be some for sale second hand. They are too big for every day but will put the fear of god up the anoraks that frequent hides.

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  5. Great post, Adrian, wonderfully nerdy.
    I also have the Canon 7d and love it to pieces. I have 4 Canon lenses that cover the scope of my photography interests. I use a backpack most of the time and carry as little as I can possibly get away with.
    I'm glad you're back with us.. I missed your postings.

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    1. Thanks....at least with Canon I will have a vast choice of third party bits.....Olympus, even release cables have to be purchased as branded items.

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  6. I still have a mostly point and shoot (Nikon P90), so a lot of this baffles me. Hope you are able to resolve these issues, sorry I am of no help.

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    1. They can be resolved. I wish I liked using P&S. I love having control at the time of shooting and digital is the best I now have control over processing.

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  7. As usual an amusing post and I enjoy nerdy when it's this amusing so carry on so far as I'm concerned. Was Wordsmith actual or were you being your usual abstruse self and were you referring to Wordpress. I ask 'cos I couldn't find Wordsmith as a blog host. I dipped my toe in the Wordpress water but my blog is too big and stopped loading at about 800 posts. Given that my photos are limited in size to 800px (ie usually less than 100kb) that rather surprised me. I like Blogger anyway it's not given me many problems over the years. I know - I shouldn't have tempted fate.

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    1. I did mean Wordpress...Ta...That's why I can't find my account today!!

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  8. I am a life-long Canon fan. It's probably not in the realm of what you're looking at but here is what I shoot with:

    http://www.amazon.com/Canon-T1i-Digital-18-55mm-3-5-5-6/dp/B001XURPQS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1344879242&sr=8-1&keywords=canon+rebel+t1i I have that 18-55 lens that comes with this kit and it works great.

    Also I have:
    http://www.amazon.com/Canon-55-250mm-4-5-6-Stabilizer-Telephoto/dp/B000V9D5LG/ref=sr_1_2?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1344879294&sr=1-2&keywords=canon+55-250

    and also:
    http://www.amazon.com/Tamron-70-300mm-4-0-5-6-Digital-Cameras/dp/B000EXOXVA/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1344879332&sr=1-1&keywords=tamron+macro+70-300
    which is OK. Not the greatest, no stabilizer so you have to either hold your breath or have a good tripod.

    All fun and games. Canon glass is among the best as far as I am concerned, and I'd buy only Canon lenses if I could but as you know... they are pretty costly!

    Have fun!

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  9. Ah sorry I see the links didn't get formatted. Email me if you like and I can send you the works that you can just click on. :)

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    1. Hi Honey, I don't know why links will format in e-mails and not in comments....a mystery to me...I'm used to mystery in this world. So much of it baffles me.
      I've never used Tamron...seen them...they look a bit flimsy for me. Even pro spec lenses I can trash...they fall in the sea, get dropped, get rained on. I just send em back and someone fixes them. usually for pennies. The only thing I protect is the front element...they know how to charge for those.

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  10. I like your camera story here. It's the one most of us have. The camera questions vs. field practice are interesting. Tripod? Occassional use for night shots and always in my the back of my car trunk for that emergency moon exposure. Depending on the purpose of my trip will determine the long or short lens. Birding/wildlife=long lens. Short lens=macros of bugs, flowers, gardens/landscapes. When it's difficult to decide, both lens come with me. But usually I keep it to one. I use the Canon Rebel for my pics. Have fun. I think a great camera is worth the investment. And you dinner again looks delish:)

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