Single In Single in July (SiJy) 2022 - discussion

Since this started, I’ve been contemplating why I even keep the 14mm prime lens.... then Sunday and today happened. I seem to be getting reacquainted with its traits....
I tend to back and forth between the P14 and P12-32. Currently I have the P12-32. At some point I might actually hang on to both at the same time. Underrated by many, but not me. And paired with a GM series? A great combo.
Nearly half way there. It's the first serious use for my G80 and I am very taken with it. It has a much more substantial feel than either the G7, or to my mind at least, my E-M1. The deep grip and rubberised coating make it feel very secure too. The EVF is really very cool. I'm still in two minds about the Sigma 30 though. It is very sharp, and does render very nicely, but it's just not a focal length that I'm comfortable with, and the minimum focus distance is just a bit too long. So it might not be ideal for my usage. I shall persevere for the rest of the month - maybe I'll change my opinion!
Never rally been a fan of 50mme - 70/80mme, I tend to prefer 40mme and under or over 90/100mme. Only reason I really have the P42.5 is for the closer focusing than the O45 and pairing it with the E-P7. Actually tempted to try and trade the 4.25 for an O30 Macro since it seems that's what I find myself trying to use the P42.5 for most often.
 
Really enjoying learning more features on the z5 and finding the 40mm F2 to be really a super fun lens. Actually the first 40mm prime I have every owned, not counting the Pan 20mm on the Olympus Pens.
I only wish work and travel weren’t so demanding this month. I have just been carrying the camera in the computer bag and grabbing a few image a day when a moment frees up.
 
Just a little heads-up: I'll be out of town for a spell; I think I should be able to post as normal - but should Sunday's and Monday's threads be missing, the first of you to post can step in and start one, I'll fix whatever needs fixing as soon as I'm back.

I really don't want to have to churn out six new threads (three for SiJy, three for "Today") in one go this time around ...

EDIT: Seven if you count the one for the outtakes due tomorrow ... nah, I'll risk it.

M.
 
I had a “glitch” with the GM 1 last night. I was trying to take a pic and it wouldn’t focus. I figured it was too dark, I was too close, or something along those lines.... but it did the same this morning. After some looking at menus and physical buttons, it turns out that the top dial had been inadvertently switched to manual focus.... oops.
 
Sixteen days in and I’ve learned something very important. I really don’t like 2:3 frame ratio. I pretty much already knew that, but with daily shooting it’s become very annoying. I’ve shot micro 4/3 and 4/3 before that for a long time and find that ratio very easy to work with. In January I put together a relatively inexpensive "full frame" system based around a Sony A7ii. I wanted to see if larger files with more bit depth would make a difference for me. It does, but I crop everything to 4:3 or 5:4. It’s just the way I see.
 
Sixteen days in and I’ve learned something very important. I really don’t like 2:3 frame ratio. I pretty much already knew that, but with daily shooting it’s become very annoying. I’ve shot micro 4/3 and 4/3 before that for a long time and find that ratio very easy to work with. In January I put together a relatively inexpensive "full frame" system based around a Sony A7ii. I wanted to see if larger files with more bit depth would make a difference for me. It does, but I crop everything to 4:3 or 5:4. It’s just the way I see.

Nothing wrong with that IMHO. I tend to crop 4:3, 5:4 quite a bit, and 1:1 on occasion. I'll use 3:2, or crop to 16:9, 2:1 or 3:1 when I want to emphasize width. I probably use 4:3 most, especially portrait orientation shots.
 
Sixteen days in and I’ve learned something very important. I really don’t like 2:3 frame ratio. I pretty much already knew that, but with daily shooting it’s become very annoying. I’ve shot micro 4/3 and 4/3 before that for a long time and find that ratio very easy to work with. In January I put together a relatively inexpensive "full frame" system based around a Sony A7ii. I wanted to see if larger files with more bit depth would make a difference for me. It does, but I crop everything to 4:3 or 5:4. It’s just the way I see.
Funny how aspect ratio speaks to people differently. I definitely prefer 3:2 over 4:3, despite shooting M4/3 for years and years. I might even like 16:9 more than 3:2, but not so much in practice. I feel the longer, narrower frame is more cinematic, and have never been able to shoot 5:4 or 1:1. I've seen lots of wonderful images in those aspect ratios, but it's a language I don't speak.
 
@Iron I have to ask - what is this? I don't think I've seen it before (or just don't remember...).
Here's the younger form of the NIkau Palm berries. Pigeons love the berries when they are somewhat ripe.
IMGP0091_01.jpg
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For reference, the trees look like such in a larger scale, although these ones are younger versions.
IMGP0135_01.jpg
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The one in the center is a Koru/Silver Fern and the one on the left-hand side is a Nikau Palm, where the berries have all dried up. however, the bulge/heart above them will soon sprout new ones. When they sprout, they look like what's shown by the first photo of this post.
IMGP0116_01.jpg
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These are more mature ones with new berries and erupted bulges/hearts.
IMGP1862.jpg
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Here's the younger form of the NIkau Palm berries. Pigeons love the berries when they are somewhat ripe.
View attachment 324367
For reference, the trees look like such in a larger scale, although these ones are younger versions.
View attachment 324368
The one in the center is a Koru/Silver Fern and the one on the left-hand side is a Nikau Palm, where the berries have all dried up. however, the bulge/heart above them will soon sprout new ones. When they sprout, they look like what's shown by the first photo of this post.
View attachment 324370

These are more mature ones with new berries and erupted bulges/hearts.
View attachment 324369

Very cool - thanks. I love learning new things. :)
 
Even though I'm going through rougher times than I'd like (bad things have happened - not to me, but I'll have to attend a funeral on Friday), I really couldn't be happier with my gear choice. I love the rendering the combo delivers, and both the body and the lens have grown on me considerably - the M 262 has me thinking, really: I'm beginning to suspect that had I gone for this camera first, I might never have felt the need to get an M10; yes, the latter's the clearly better camera, but the M 262 does everything I want from a Leica (though not things other cameras can do - including the M10 with its LiveView and faster pace). The little Canon lens has loads of assets: pretty sharp wide open, interesting bokeh, very compelling performance stopped down, just a little extra distortion and vignetting (the former is easy to correct, the latter's adding to the character). What's not to like?

As the lore has it: a small, simple, handy camera with *big* image quality. It's not a myth at all ...

M.
 
I tend to back and forth between the P14 and P12-32. Currently I have the P12-32. At some point I might actually hang on to both at the same time. Underrated by many, but not me. And paired with a GM series? A great combo.

Never rally been a fan of 50mme - 70/80mme, I tend to prefer 40mme and under or over 90/100mme. Only reason I really have the P42.5 is for the closer focusing than the O45 and pairing it with the E-P7. Actually tempted to try and trade the 4.25 for an O30 Macro since it seems that's what I find myself trying to use the P42.5 for most often.
There was a period when the E-PM1 with the 14 was my favorite museum camera, especially the Smithsonian Air and Space museum and Annex.
 
Just one observation about something I think I already knew about the little Fujifilm X30 I am using for this SiJ - how much I appreciate its small-but-very-usable EVF viewfinder. Though it (the viewfinder) is on the smallish side, its quality and usability continues to surprise me. I like being able to really see what's in focus and what's not - and this camera lets me do it.
 
Nearly half way there. It's the first serious use for my G80 and I am very taken with it. It has a much more substantial feel than either the G7, or to my mind at least, my E-M1. The deep grip and rubberised coating make it feel very secure too. The EVF is really very cool. I'm still in two minds about the Sigma 30 though. It is very sharp, and does render very nicely, but it's just not a focal length that I'm comfortable with, and the minimum focus distance is just a bit too long. So it might not be ideal for my usage. I shall persevere for the rest of the month - maybe I'll change my opinion!

I can appreciate and relate to your comments about the Sigma 30mm lens, Martin. When I owned a copy of it, some years ago, it took me some time to get used to the rendering and the field of view. Eventually, after much trial and error, I came to first value it more - and later, to love it. It's not the fastest lens in the world, but it seemed to often have a hard-to-explain way of making me 'see' some subjects better. I think it is a truly underrated lens. I never really noticed the minimum focus distance - but I also think that was probably a function of how I tended to use the lens. I personally liked its sharpness - as opposed to some other lenses, notably the cool Samyang fisheye I used to have, which at times had an almost too-clinical feel to it.

And, from the perspective of someone just looking at someone else's work... I like what you've been doing with it.
 
Was that the 8mm, @MiguelATF ?
I have that lens under the Rokinon label (which I'm led to believe is the same lens?) but after an initial burst, I very seldom use it now
I think it was more likely the 7.5mm f/3.5 ... I still love that lens, but it has been superseded by the Laowa 7mm f/2 rectilinear that's just so much more useful.

However, I can imagine the "clinical" aspect Miguel mentions: The Samyang is very sharp and shows little by the way of "specialities" - it's just very reliable, but somehow not too engaging. That said, you can get spectacular images - but that takes some work and experimentation. What's not to like about 180 degrees? ;)

M.
 
Just one observation about something I think I already knew about the little Fujifilm X30 I am using for this SiJ - how much I appreciate its small-but-very-usable EVF viewfinder. Though it (the viewfinder) is on the smallish side, its quality and usability continues to surprise me. I like being able to really see what's in focus and what's not - and this camera lets me do it.
Same way I felt about the GM5 and GX85. They may have been small and what some consider useless, but I think they still can be useful.
 
Was that the 8mm, @MiguelATF ?
I have that lens under the Rokinon label (which I'm led to believe is the same lens?) but after an initial burst, I very seldom use it now

If my memory serves me correctly, the micro four-thirds version of the fisheye lens was 7.5mm - but (for reasons I never understood) I believe the nearly identical APS-C fisheye had a focal length of 8mm. Incidentally, my copy was Rokinon-branded too. And I don't mean to disparage the lens by 'accusing' it of over-clinical sharpness, simply noting that it truly could produce astoundingly sharp images - which could always subsequently be softened or otherwise adjusted in post.
 
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