Recent content by bastibe

I have an X-T5 and a Ricoh GR III as my main cameras. That's quite reasonable, I feel. Well, and a Nikon 1 J3 for when I'm running, and my kid's Fuji X-A5. And of course my webcam, a Sony a5100 (I mostly work from home).

There recently was an amazing retrospective on the Diablo franchise posted by Noah Gervais on YouTube. Contrary to my plans, I promptly had to start another session of Diablo II Resurrected after watching that mighty video. This time as a summoner necromancer. Even twenty years later, it's...

I am thinking of acquiring a Nikon 1 camera and 30-110 lens, specifically for running. The primary function of this camera is to be light and cheap and long. For wide shots, I have my phone. But I know from experience I can run comfortably with a light item in my hand (gripped by the lens...

I'm currently reading After Life by Simon Funk. A brain scan is taken with the intent of uploading that brain into a computer. It accidentally kills the scannee, and sparks a global controversy. The book begins with the protagonist waking up in a simulation. Part science fiction about mind...

Sometimes I wish I had just stayed with my stereo set. But two decades ago, I bought a nice surround speaker set, and indeed a nice surround amplifier/receiver. Alas, the world has moved on from five-channel RCA connectors, and on to HDMI. Most of my current media players (Playstation...

That's actually how it works for me. Why, I can't tell you. But it's true. If I buy something mediocre, I can't stop myself from playing the what-if game of a better alternative. But once I reach a satisfactory level, I stop looking. That, above all else, is what drives my GAS these days...

I'm thinking about buying an end-game lens, the Fuji XF 23 f/1.4 R LM WR, to replace my Fuji XF 23mm f/1.4 R. For the slightly smoother bokeh and WR. But mostly for being the highest end Fuji lens available for my desired focal length, and therefore the end of GAS in this regard. Then again...

For this reason, I deactivated the YouTube app, and watch in the browser. Ad blocking is not optional.

Originally, I planned to be playing Expeditions (the Mudrunner game) right now. But then I read that Ghosts of Tsushima is finally coming to PC! So now I'm waiting for that instead. Writing this, however, I realize that the release date is in May, not March, so perhaps I should reconsider this.

Recently, I read "Pines", by Blake Crouch. It felt eerily like Twin Peaks fan fiction, in terms of setting and tone (not in terms of being amateur writing. It's well-written). Which was a pleasant surprise, since I'd recently watched that show for the first time, and loved it dearly. The...

In my experience, GAS does have a top end. In the beginning, I wanted to try all the things. And did, in fact, do so over a period of some five years. I tried small cameras, big cameras, super zooms, primes, compact lenses, professional lenses. With each purchase, I crossed off that category...

Last week I bought a brand new X-T5 to replace my X-T3. Probably just because I could afford it, and there was a rather good sale. The obvious new features are IBIS, 40 MP, better autofocus. As it turns out, and somewhat to my surprise, I have not found IBIS particularly useful so far. My...

I upgraded my X-T3 to a brand-new X-T5. So far, I didn't notice any weight or size difference, even though many a reviewer seemed impressed by that. But the new autofocus is very impressive. The new grip is cool, too, and it'll be interesting to see if/how IBIS and the higher resolution impact...

And just ten days later, I finished Sanabi. This game is, without a doubt, one of my top ten games of all time. Somehow they managed to cram a complex, emotional story into a 2D pixel art sidescroller, while delivering some of the most kinetic game-play I have ever seen. To say nothing of the...

And just one day later I tried Sanabi for a few minutes. You know, the kind of few minutes where you just completely lose yourself in the movement, and the soundtrack rocks way too hard to be reasonable, and you somehow played for several hours instead. What a tremendous game!