Single In Single in January (SiJ) 2021: discussion

Did the best I could but now I’m out. Back muscles in spasm, nose still isnt done with me, I’m a bit of a wreck and just can’t get on with it. Next time, maybe.

Sending you good wishes and vibrations from the other side of the globe, Sue. I believe you will be back - and I have appreciated your postings to date, including your last one - the moody dark image of shadows and lights which I found rather magical (and impressionistic) - and which has stayed with me, in the way some really fine images do. Please keep taking care of yourself - and I hope Toby is hanging in there, too.
 
Well, you never know ... After a surprisingly productive month, I almost stumbled on the last couple of meters ... Today was very hectic, and the weather wasn't nice (April in January - wet, wetter, windy, windier, sunny, too, but only as long as I was driving); when I came home, I felt exhausted ... Just scraped through with a safety. I'll try not to walk into something similar tomorrow; the weekend *will* be easier.

Hang in there, folks - we're going to make it!

M.
 
I’ve discovered that I really miss using an ILC in a way that lives up to it’s name. It was hard this month to use 35 mme every day. If I lived in a city I’d be good but I lose a lot of subjects at tele range. Even that old X20 was easier to use for daily work because it had a nice 28-112 mme equivalent zoom. I need to exploit all my opportunities because it’s been a long run of daily shooting.
 
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Last day of the challenge that I actually have time to go out and try and get something interesting and it is 7 degrees Fahrenheit with a real feel of -2, great. What's my E-M1.2 rated for?
In my experience, *that* camera pretty much survives whatever *you* will manage, except for a real dunk and dive (not something to do in this kind of weather) ... Just try to stay warm enough for long enough, and a day like this can be really fun and quite productive.

For me, it's the other way round, really: This has been one taxing week, and it isn't even over yet - but it will be by tomorrow (early) in the afternoon, and then I'll actually be free, completely free except for a little bit of housekeeping, until Sunday evening. I don't care what the weather throws at me this weekend - I'll be out and about no matter what!

M.
 
I've shot approximately half a roll of HP5 so far, so should finish that up pretty easily on the weekend for the side quest, I'll do better than last week anyway. I had planned on experimenting more with the film stocks used, I have a couple rolls of Rollei RPX 25 I keep wanting to use, but the weather has definitely kept me to shooting 200 speed and up.

I guess I'm a little unusual in that one of the most important aspects of a digital camera is how easy it is to tweak, process and share files directly to a phone and the internet from there, skipping the desktop for all but the most complicated RAW files. Happily the KP is turning out to be fairly good at this, as long as I use a card that my card reader/phone recognizes. Some cards prompt me to reformat them when I plug them into the phone, others let me view the contents of the card with no issues. I'll need to do a little research to figure out whether it's something I can change on the cards, maybe what file system it's formatted in to begin with?
 
I've shot approximately half a roll of HP5 so far, so should finish that up pretty easily on the weekend for the side quest, I'll do better than last week anyway. I had planned on experimenting more with the film stocks used, I have a couple rolls of Rollei RPX 25 I keep wanting to use, but the weather has definitely kept me to shooting 200 speed and up.

I guess I'm a little unusual in that one of the most important aspects of a digital camera is how easy it is to tweak, process and share files directly to a phone and the internet from there, skipping the desktop for all but the most complicated RAW files. Happily the KP is turning out to be fairly good at this, as long as I use a card that my card reader/phone recognizes. Some cards prompt me to reformat them when I plug them into the phone, others let me view the contents of the card with no issues. I'll need to do a little research to figure out whether it's something I can change on the cards, maybe what file system it's formatted in to begin with?
re. the reader: What device/OS/version are we talking concerning the phone? Sorry, I know you posted an image somewhere, but I don't remember where ... And anyway, I'm not much good at recognising brand/model at a glance.

Anyhow, if it's an Android device, a lot still depends on the model/brand and Android (base) version - some won't really play ball. But I thnk we're either looking at some random compatibility problem or a flaky device here (probably the reader, maybe the phone). But maybe, just maybe an update/piece of software might fix it. USB OTG is a nightmare to trouble-shoot on portables IME ... or rather, it used to be until quite recently. I'm still amazed at the fact that all my current devices seem to work just fine with my usual readers and/or USB C accessories. My tablet could almost (but not quite) replace a laptop ...

M.
 
I think it's a matter of formatting in FAT32. 32GB cards and below seem to be formatted that way, which bears out in the 32GB card I'm using which works with Android. Larger cards are formatted differently. Now that I know that I can work around it. I had the idea that formatting a card in camera meant the card was actually being formatted, but now that I think about it, all it is really doing is erasing the card and setting up a folder system, not actually formatting like a desktop would.
 
I think it's a matter of formatting in FAT32. 32GB cards and below seem to be formatted that way, which bears out in the 32GB card I'm using which works with Android. Larger cards are formatted differently. Now that I know that I can work around it. I had the idea that formatting a card in camera meant the card was actually being formatted, but now that I think about it, all it is really doing is erasing the card and setting up a folder system, not actually formatting like a desktop would.
Good thinking. If that solves it, it's easy enough to do. However, the whole USB OTG thing is still simmering - my current (Android 11) phone is the first to read an XQD card without issue. I hope this works - it means preparing all cards once, done ...

M.
 
On a completely different subject, after spending most of this month looking at a number of wonderful looking images - all produced with the relatively diminutive Lumix GX9 - and after reading Matt's lengthy and occasionally philosophical analyses of some of the many irritations which he has experienced with his GX9 - I decided to throw caution to the winds and have just purchased a lightly-used GX9. So... when the honeymoon is over, I'm going to blame you, Matt! ;)

Though I've been an enthusiastic and generally happy user of the GX8 for the past few years, I still missed the smaller (and to my way of thinking, almost perfect) dimensions - or form factor, if you will - of the earlier GX7, one of my all-time favorite cameras. The GX9 is really nothing more than an updated GX7 for most intents and purposes; the GX7 had, I thought, a nicer (feeling) and larger built-in grip - but my new GX9 came with the optional factory grip which actually makes the camera feel much nicer in hand. My other big hesitation was sacrificing the quite wonderful, large and detailed EVF of the GX8 for something smaller (and using lesser technology, alas) - but weirdly enough, so far at least, I am finding the GX9's EVF to be surprisingly nice. Viewfinders are highly subjective (he said) but I'm finding this one superior to the GX7's - and usable to the point where I find myself already lifting the camera, frequently, to frame and compose eye-level --- and my biggest fear had been that it (the EVF) would just plain suck. It doesn't. (Or maybe I've become slightly less demanding... or maybe my eyes just don't work as well these days... who knows?)

Moral of the story: a Single-in Challenge can be dangerous to one's wallet, pocketbook, or purse. (Although, in my case, selling my now-departed GX8 almost covered the cost of the lightly-used GX9 + grip, so I can't complain too much.)
 
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It's been good to do the single in this month. I needed the push to get carrying the camera every day and the discipline of the single lens was good for getting to really know that 45/2.8 AI-P lens. Hopefully a couple of the shots have been worth everyone's time.

That said, I think next month I want to get out my small selection of AF primes (20/2.8, 28/2.8, 35/1.8, 50/1.8) on my DX body. I tend to use my manual focus lenses and forget that I have these lenses. I need to use them some more so that I can understand when a given lens is better than another for a task.

I'll keep looking though. There's always so much good photography here.
 
On a completely different subject, after spending most of this month looking at a number of wonderful looking images - all produced with the relatively diminutive Lumix GX9 - and after reading Matt's lengthy and occasionally philosophical analyses of some of the many irritations which he has experienced with his GX9 - I decided to throw caution to the winds and have just purchased a lightly-used GX9. So... when the honeymoon is over, I'm going to blame you, Matt! ;)

Though I've been an enthusiastic and generally happy user of the GX8 for the past few years, I still missed the smaller (and to my way of thinking, almost perfect) dimensions - or form factor, if you will - of the earlier GX7, one of my all-time favorite cameras. The GX9 is really nothing more than an updated GX7 for most intents and purposes; the GX7 had, I thought, a nicer (feeling) and larger built-in grip - but my new GX9 came with the optional factory grip which actually makes the camera feel much nicer in hand. My other big hesitation was sacrificing the quite wonderful, large and detailed EVF of the GX8 for something smaller (and using lesser technology, alas) - but weirdly enough, so far at least, I am finding the GX9's EVF to be surprisingly nice. Viewfinders are highly subjective (he said) but I'm finding this one superior to the GX7's - and usable to the point where I find myself already lifting the camera, frequently, to frame and compose eye-level --- and my biggest fear had been that it (the EVF) would just plain suck. It doesn't. (Or maybe I've become slightly less demanding... or maybe my eyes just don't work as well these days... who knows?)

Moral of the story: a Single-in Challenge can be dangerous to one's wallet, pocketbook, or purse. (Although, in my case, selling my now-departed GX8 almost covered the cost of the lightly-used GX9 + grip, so I can't complain too much.)
You know, Miguel, something about this is profoundly funny to me that I'll explain in a minute - but I *actually* have something to add to my prior mumblings about the camera, and now that you detail your impressions, I think I dare to share it: Over the last couple of weeks, I tried to find anything, just about anything in the entire market that could replace it, and - there's virtually nothing, maybe except the Pen-F, but I find that camera pretty expensive for what it is (after all, it doesn't offer any decisive advantages over something like a E-M10 IV by now), and as you say, the GX9 works fantastically well with the 15mm. Not even Fuji does anything superior - and that's been made clear by the arrival of the X-E4. All in all, apart from sort of cross-grading by picking up a E-M10 IV instead, there's nothing I could do. And that wouldn't tick the rangefinder style box ... So, my search ended with nothing to show. I *could* go for a Sony A6100, but nah ... for all its virtues, it'd feel like a downgrade (I still own the A6000, I know that type of camera).

However, now for the more interesting - if somewhat predicatable - part: Another thing a SiJ does is make you very familiar with your chosen kit - this has been one of the key purposes of the format for a while now, and one many of us have exploited.

The funny thing is: Now that the challenge is drawing to a close, I'm mostly comfortable with the GX9 (again?) - the struggles and all the fighting with what the camera is were definitely worth it. Yes, the niggles remain, but they're just that: niggles.

That said, I'm not sure it'll stay with me long term - but since there's currently nothing to replace it with in a meaningful manner, I'll keep it for the foreseeable future.

The bottom line: We all know, but seldom consider, that comparison is the death of appreciation. If you just use the GX9, it's a very competent, well built camera with a great set of features, period. And, as many of you have pointed out so accurately, of course(!) it can be enjoyed, and also tailored to one's tastes.

Enjoy the camera - I fully agree with what Andrew said in the "GAS" thread: This is the best value in :mu43: right now, at least if you buy new.

M.
 
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