Dream Tomorrow, Live Today, Cherish Yesterday

Off The Fence

Leica M9, 50mm F/2.0, f/8, 1/125, iso 1250

Kind of a major announcement today. I have moved into a new camera system, the Leica M9. This has been years in the making, ever since I read this article at Luminous-Landscape. I had been thinking along the same lines as Michael, that travel photography could be much more enjoyable if I didn't feel like a pack mule.

As you'll recall I got the Panasonic GH2 kit, last January, for this purpose. But after spending six months with it I came to the conclusion that it really wasn't working for me. I know I can (and have) made some nice images with it. A camera is a tool to make images, and this tool just isn't that enjoyable for me. (So if you are in the market for a GH2 and some gently used lenses let me know!)

I have been following numerous websites featuring the M9 for a couple of years. Especially since it is THE camera for street shooting, and I now live nearby Seattle. But the cost has always thrown me off. Following this system for this period however, I have found that the lenses have actually gone UP in value. Used M9 bodies take a small hit. In other words, although it's a large chunk to lay out, unlike almost anything else I can think of, it holds its value well and there is a ready market. So the true cost to own it over time is not great.

And, money sitting in the bank isn't taking any nice pictures, is it?

The fact that I have three overseas trips scheduled over the next nine months really got me off the fence. And I have a good friend with this camera and like all the people I have read about, he's in love with the camera and the files it creates.

I'm very excited about this new gear. It's completely unlike the experience of shooting a DSLR. This is a photographer's camera.  Let's see if I can live up to its potential?

Happy New Year and A Step Forward

Panasonic GH2, 14-42mm F/3.5-5.6, f/4.5, 1/800, iso 320

Happy New Year everyone. I hope 2011 will be good to all of us. Family-wise, business-wise and photographically as well.

Did you look at the camera spec line, above, in italics? Has there ever been a picture on this blog not taken by a Canon DSLR? Other than a few "friends on friday" posts, the answer is no.

I'm changing that for 2011. Click on the continue link for exciting photographic news here at the Dream Tomorrow Blog.

Topaz Tuesday - View Camera Twofer

Canon 5D Mark II, 85mm F/1.2, f/2.2, 1/4th, iso 200

At the Gladding-McBeane pottery factory shoot I featured last month, several people were using medium and large format cameras, featuring (egads!) film!

I chatted with a very nice view camera photographer that setting up for a shot. These cameras are pretty fascinating. His camera (that big wooden thing with the fabric bellows attached), an Ebony, is sort of the Mercedes Benz of view cameras. Made by a small company in Japan. No mass production here though. Handmade out of the finest materials. Most of the metal is titanium. It was a joy to see such craftsmanship.

At one end, you pop on your lens of choice. His newest one was 20 years old. Look at the window reflections in the front element! A work of art. At the other end is the "ground glass" where you see what the lens is seeing. The "scene" the lens is seeing is presented on this lens upside down and backward.

[He said that was one of his difficulties using a digital camera, the image is presented in a strange way, just the way you see it. I think high end digital cameras should have a switch to turn the LCD image upside down and backwards to help these guys out.]

In the image above, I was about to take a shot of the camera, when he began positioning the camera. I liked the resulting image, it is sort of ironic, that the hands are moving so quickly, because nothing is quick with these beastly devices!

Much of the focusing/moving is done looking a the ground grass, with a shroud over your head. There are numerous adjustments on the camera and tripod, and you have to know them all by touch. Once he got it all set, I asked to take a look "under the hood."  It was like sticking my head into a jar of vaseline. I could not make out anything of the scene.

He then loads in his film, yes, 8 inches by 10 inches (what would that be in megapixels, like 800 or so?) and exposes the film with the shutter release.  On a good day, he is able to manage about 8 images.  I can accomplish this in 1.5 seconds, holding the shutter down, but evidently his method is much more satisfying.

He loves this style of shooting, and the images he gets. It's really a different world. Very interesting to watch and speak with him. He remarked "we are a dying breed." Maybe so, but I'm glad he is able to enjoy it.

My topaz processing was pretty straightforward - just hit it with Spicify, then some saturation. On the continue link, you can see the original, and we have a bonus twofer image today as well!

What the Heck Organic Abstract

Canon 1D Mark III, Lensbaby II

So the story here is actually pretty funny. You may have gathered by now that I use Lightroom to troll through images I have taken over the years, for my daily postings. In this case, I happen to be looking at images from last Spring, taken over on our Pt Reyes shoot.

So I'm looking at these images and I'm just saying WHAT IN THE HECK. Most are overexposed. It looks like the wind is blowing, yet the shutter speed is like 1/320th.  And where is the rest of the EXIF info? There's no f-stop.  I'm seriously befuddled. There are like 20 pictures in a row like this.  It looks like I had one too many beers and I'm just rolling around on the ground firing indiscriminately.   What could I have done to lose the EXIF info anyway?

Then somehow it dawns on my that the only explanation is that I was using my Lensbaby.  This is a strange little lens that allows you to change the angle of the lens to the camera body - "bending" it is called.  It has been off my radar all year because I just didn't think I could make any decent images with it, and I'm not willing to go through the learning curve to understand how to use it.

Well, that's why it's good to have a program that easily allows you to peruse your images, isn't it?  I now think this is pretty cool. I like the motion, the blurriness, and the organic shapes of the leaves. (Calla lily btw.)

So maybe I need to dust off the Lensbaby and try it again.  Come to think of it, I should have one beer too many, roll around on the ground AND fire indiscriminately with the Lensbaby mounted.   

The Amazing 5D Mark II

High Hand Conservatory

Canon 5D Mark II, 14mm F/2.8, f/8, 1/6th, iso 400

Back when I got my first digital SLR, the Canon D30, I took a few shots that amazed me. We had our Christmas tree in the living room.  I turned all the lights off except those on the tree, put the camera on a tripod, probably set it at f/5.6, and then let it take a picture. I recall the exposure being like 20 seconds. And I was amazed that I could get such a neat picture in the dark.  In those days, I barely understood what "noise" was - and I didn't really care, it was a nice picture.

Noise is what happens when the camera sensor is exposed to dark areas for long periods of time, or using high ISO (sensitivity). What the manufacturers do is improve this greatly with each generation of camera body.  Typically, with bodies being rev'd on say a 24 month schedule, they will improve 2 or 3 times. Meaning if you could shoot a mostly noiseless shot at iso 800, now with your newer body you can shoot at 1600 or 3200. 

Well, that's about the limit of my engineering explanation capability. Let's get back to this particular body and these images. Readers will recall that back in the late summer I thought I was going on a fall color trip to Colorado. Although I love my Canon 1D Mark III, for a trip with this potential I thought I should get another body, one really suited to landscapes.  I found a good deal on a slightly used 5D Mark II and so I jumped on it.  I ended up going to Oregon instead, and you have seen lots of pics I took with the 5D2.

At our company Christmas party this past weekend, before the festivities began I took a few shots outside. (Finally coming around to why I told you about the Christmas tree shot) I have to say I'm just amazed at the images produced by this camera in this setting.  When I look at the above image at full size, I'm blown away with how clear it is, noiseless basically, and amazing clarity.

Here is a 100% crop of part of the first image. Look how you can read the words on this 12" high poster! And even the words on the poster inside the building at left. What's my aperture? f/8! It wasn't like I was trying for insane DOF or anything.

Now before I go any further, I have to point out that the camera was looking through a very fine, and very expensive hunk of glass.  This 14mm lens is definitely upscale. I bought it really to do architectural work.

But I'm still amazed with these images. If you'd like to see more, click on the continue link.