Winter Came Back

It's mid April but we got a few centimeters of snow today, and the temperature has dipped below zero again, after some enjoyable warm weather.  This winter is like an overstaying and annoying guest that won't want to leave.

Giorno - Olympus E-M5 & Minolta Rokkor-X RF 250mm f5.6. Click for larger.

Snow Covered - Olympus E-M5 & Minolta Rokkor-X RF 250mm f5.6

Heavy, Wet Snow Aplenty

I was overjoyed this morning that the temperature will be in the positive territory, and I did have fun shooting with the Minolta Rokkor-X 250mm f5.6 mirror lens. Just right before heading home, heavy and web snow started to come down, seemingly with a vengeance. It did, however, provided some interesting opportunities for photography. I stopped a couple times and shot a few frames. In a very short time, the lens, camera and myself were all wet. I was afraid the camera/lens might be damaged by moisture but everything turned out fine.

Man at work - Minolta Rokkor-X 250mm f5.6 Mirror Lens & NEX-6. Click for larger.

My Bike - Minolta Rokkor-X 250mm f5.6 Mirror Lens & NEX-6. Click for larger.

Fellow Cyclist - Minolta Rokkor-X 250mm f5.6 Mirror Lens & NEX-6.

Where Are You, Canon?

As a long time Canon user, I was attracted to its products that were innovative and features that were a cut above its competitors. The original 3.2 MP G1, with its fast f2.0 lens, swivel screen and "low noise", got me into the realm of digital photography, despite the $1200CAD price tag. Then came the 6 MP digital Rebel 300, that got me into the DSLR "hell". For more than 10 years, I stuck with Canon, and accumulated many of its finest L lenses, and went through a variety of camera bodies from Rebels to 1D series. At the current count, I still have a 20D (IR), 5D II, and a 1D III.

When the competition overtook Canon in image quality, low noise, and other areas (hello Nikon D700), I believed Canon would be back with competing and affordable products. But no, we have seen the same 18MP crap [that's not a spelling error] sensor iterating itself over and over again for years, with poor dynamic range, poor high ISO and generally poor image quality compared to the competition. The 1Dx and 5D III is better, but most cannot afford.

Ducks - NEX-6 & Jupiter-3 5cm f1.5

The recent product introduction is even more telling. All the underdogs, Fuji, Olympus, Panasonic, Sony, and even Sigma, are introducing innovative products. What did Canon bring us? Rehashed G1x as the G1x II and Rebel T2i in the form of T5. Compared that to the sexy Fuji X-T1, 4K Panasonic GH4, highly praised OM-D E-M1, mouth watering Alpha A7/A7r, and even the Sigma DPx Quattro with its unique Foveon sensor, it's not hard to see that the competitors are not sleeping at the helm, as Canon seems to be.

I guess Canon is no longer interested in making cameras for the photo enthusiasts like me; someone who likes better image quality, smaller body, with features that depart from the ho-hum. Luckily for us, there are so many other choices.

Lone Walker - NEX-6 & Helios-103 53mm f1.8

Deep Freeze Continues

The temperature in the Toronto area continues to drop. The forecast for tomorrow morning is -21 Celsius, or around -35c with wind chill. If you are crazy like me, who still bikes in this temperature, please take precaution and dress very warm, with a face mask and warm gloves. If you ride on bike paths, please do not ride if it's icy. I fell twice on my way home today and am still aching. It might be better to take the main roads as they are plowed and salted much quicker than bike paths. Be safe.

Snow, snow everywhere - Canon FD 35mm f2 S.S.C & NEX-6. 

Sony E-Mount 50mm f1.8 OSS - Some Observations

The Sony E-mount 50mm f1.8 OSS lens has been one of my most wanted lens for my NEX camera system ever since it was announced.  As far as I know, it's the first with a lens-based stabilization 50mm lens in the world, and at a reasonable price. Finally, shortly after I got my NEX-6, I bought 50mm f1.8 OSS, and have been using it on occasions.

In a word, this is a fantastic lens, in terms of its optical properties. Extremely sharp lens even wide open. I use this lens at f1.8 most of the time and find that the only reason to stop it down is for more depth of field, or lower the shutter speed. I haven't shot any brick walls with it to check corner sharpness or distortion; only have used it as I normally would and it has not disappointed me, optically. It's a far departure from the serviceable, but mediocre 16mm f2.8 pancake.

The optical stabilization system works very well, in still photo or video. In fact, this is one of the best features besides the excellent optics. Very effective and easily gives two to three stops of usefulness. Despite my wish to have in-body stabilization on cameras, I still prefer in-lens stabilization system. It's far more effective as the system is tailored and optimized to the specific lens.

In terms of build, it's quite acceptable. The lens is surprisingly light weight despite the use of metal for the mount and outer lens barrel. It's no Leica in build quality, but few lenses are. For that, you will have to fork out a lot of cash, but I think it's a good compromise between cost, weight, and build quality.

The only gripe I have is the auto focus speed. It's painful if you are used to DSLRs or the later Olympus/Panasonic models. To be fair, the slow speed is probably not totally the fault of the lens, but the current NEX system as a whole. It's worse on wake-up from power save mode when you have to rack the focus from closes to infinity. If you need to shoot something quickly, and the camera is in sleep mode, by the time the camera wakes up and sets the lens in focus, the opportunity is often gone. I think this is the biggest problem for the NEX system at the moment. I am so used the quickness of my 1D III when I need auto focus, the NEX-5/5N/6 just drives me crazy. The only thing that saves my insanity is the fact that I shoot more manual focus lenses on the NEX-6 than AF lenses.

The Piano - Sony NEX-6 & 50mm f1.8 OSS @ f1.8. Click for larger

Walking the dog - Sony NEX-6 & 50mm f1.8 OSS @ f2. Click for larger.

Tree - Sony NEX-6 & 50mm f1.8 OSS @ f1.8.

Snow, Snow, Snow Everywhere

Yesterday we had the largest snow fall of the year in Toronto with almost 30cm. This created a temporary driving havoc and many schools were closed. The snow and salt truck operators have been very efficient with most streets plowed and cleared and salted within hours. Of course, kids love the snow!

Megan - NEX-6 & Soligor C/D 80-200mm f3.5. Click for larger.

William - NEX-6 & Soligor C/D 80-200mm f3.5. Click for larger.

Carl Zeiss Jena Biotar 5.8cm f2 Sample

I wrote about this "castrated" Carl Zeiss Jena Biotar 5.8cm f2 lens some time ago, before mirrorless cameras were on the market.  I thought the lens was history, but it is rescued by the mirrorless cameras, especially the NEX-6. I have it remounted on the Yeenon helicoid and the focusing feels a lot better. There is a benefit for mounting the lens on the helicoid: the lens could be used almost like a macro lens.

Carl Zeiss Jena Biotar 5.8cm f2 on Yeenon Helicoid. Click for larger.

Winter in the city - NEX-6 & Carl Zeiss Jena Biotar 5.8cm f2 @ f8. Click for larger.

 

Happy Holidays!

I would like to wish all my readers a safe and very happy holiday season.  May little elves make whatever you have wished for, and Santa will deliver them to you. Don't forget to take lots of pictures in this joyous season. You will treasure them later, guaranteed.

Megan & William in snow - Canon 5D & EF 85mm f1.2L