Q&A

Nikon, Pentax, Sony.

Inspiration, Q&A

Nikon, Pentax, Sony

I had an opportunity to handle a Nikon D810, a Pentax 645Z, and a Sony A7RII yesterday.

Previously, I’ve owned a D800E, a 645D, and an A7s, so I was familiar — in a general sense — with each manufacturer’s offerings.

Ultimately, I had abandoned all of those last generation models, for one reason or another.

Care to guess which one of the latest generation offerings I found the most desirable?  The least?

—Peter.

Burning a hole.

Inspiration, Q&A, Teaching point

Prosophos - Burning a Shutter Curtain Hole

Yes, I did it.

I managed to burn a hole in my M3 shutter curtain.

After all of these years… this is a first.  I had read about it but never really worried about it.

As far as I can tell, it was caused by not having the lens cap on while I was outside in intense sunlight (at the Blue Jays game).  My uncapped lens likely focused the rays of light onto a small area of the shutter cloth and — voila! — a hole was created.

This is what the hole was doing to all of my film images:

(iPhone shot of a scanned image on my computer screen)

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Prosophos - Shutter Hole

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Fortunately the curtain can be easily repaired/patched.

Now I have to reconsider my w(hole) modus operandi for shooting.  I have been using my lenses with protective hoods and filters but no lens caps.

—Peter.

Undisclosed Lens #3 (test shot on digital).

Inspiration, Leica M9(P)/M-E (CCD Lives!), Q&A, Teaching point, Undisclosed Lens #3

If you have been following along, my last few posts contain photographs created with Undisclosed Lens #3.

So far, I’ve only shot with it on film.

I decided to examine central sharpness, wide open, on the Leica M9.

Here is the original test shot:

Undisclosed Lens #3 (test shot)

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And here is the central crop of the above image, at 100%:

(focus was on the “T” of the word “Teas”)

Undisclosed Lens #3 (100% crop)

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Once again, I’m quite impressed with this lens.

—Peter.

Tidbits.

Inspiration, Q&A
  1. Leica announced today that the new generation M9(P)/M-E CCD sensors are ready.  Good news for those affected by the dreaded corrosion issue.  Good news also for those of us who are hanging on to our M9(P)/M-E cameras.
  2. By now, most of you are aware of the new Sony A7RII:Sony A7RII

For many reasons, I should be jumping on this camera.

Strangely, I’m not even remotely interested.

Am I:

  • getting old?
  • happy with what I have?
  • becoming more and more an admirer of film?
  • all of the above?

—Peter.

Courtesy of my Wife.

2015, Favourite, Inspiration, Portrait, Q&A, RHM, Sony RX100

We went to a wedding yesterday, and my wife took this image.

(It’s not often I have proof that I am a part of these wonderful kids’ lives 🙂 )

Incidentally, the camera used was a first generation Sony RX100 and after all of these years, I am still pleasantly surprised by the output of this small (and small sensor) camera.  Compared to my Leica M9 images – in this light – you’d be hard-pressed to discern the difference at web-size output, unless you were looking for differences in depth of field.  The M9 files are more robust with respect to post-processing, but that’s certainly expected.

—Peter.

Courtesy of my Wife

There is fungus among us.

Inspiration, Mamiya RZ 110mm F/2.8, Q&A, Teaching point

Mamiya RZ 110_2.8

My newly-acquired Mamiya-Sekor Z 110mm f/2.8, which was used to take these recently posted images here, here, and here, has fungus in it.

A lot of fungus.

It was described as “mint” by the seller in Japan.

To his credit, he has sent me a replacement lens.  It’s not quite as nice cosmetically, but the glass is clean (other than dust, which all of these Mamiya RZ lenses seem to attract in great quantity).

Yet, I wonder if I should keep and pay for the eukaryotic-exotic first lens?

It seems to perform spectacularly.

Myco-graphy anyone?

—Peter.