Friday, December 31, 2021

another wet spell

January 2022 will begin with a quiet day. 

Just one.

Crazy times begin immediately after: a bit of snow at dawn followed by about two inches of rain. That mix will sit atop, and drain into, about 12 inches of snow that began Christmas day and continued for the next five. It's been fun (well not the tree landing on our truck) but things will turn ugly. A flood of slush will be heading down from the hill-tops all around as the freezing level rises above 3000 feet for the week. Interesting times!

December ends with over ten inches of moisture, comfortably above both 30-year averages. The new average is lower (1991-2020) so it was well covered - and it looks like January will be off to a wet start.


oh dear: omicron

 

What can words add to this chart? Not much.


My mom left us 2 weeks short of 99 years old, and today Betty White followed just 18 days short of 100. A large TV special was planned for her 17.Jan birthday celebration; presumably the jokes will be muted and tributes will be plentiful.

So many deaths from many sources - but so much suffering worldwide from the Covid Reborn /omicron variant. 

It isn't 'reckless hate' doing the killing like Theoden's orc-quote from Tolkien, just reckless indifference to public safety  - and a claiming of 'rights' and 'freedoms' that echo from his great friend CS Lewis in The Great Divorce.

Enough. Please.


Monday, December 20, 2021

Christmas chaos

 


Weather Underground is often ..exuberant with its forecasts in extreme conditions. On the other hand, it is also ahead of other tools at times. Recall last year's extreme heat, where numbers were off the charts historically - and it played out.

It's been right a few times on snow in the past seven years too - so here we sit, and here we shall remain! Christmas will be spent on the hill-top rather than spent on potentially slick roads and increasingly Covid /omicron-riddled locations. Disappointing, but reasonable given the forecast volatility!

The number of white Christmases in my lifetime can fit comfortably on one hand. This might be one of the missing fingers (no we aren't up to the thumb yet, I'm certain of that!). The odds of consecutive snowfall days around here are also quite rare, so I truly do not expect this amount (looks like .. 16 inches less a tenth) to sit on the ground by late Wednesday. Unless the forecast makes a major u-turn though, a foot would not be a shock. 

Friday, December 17, 2021

cheap thrills: the new PRISM data is here!

 Every ten years the 30-year averages for temperature and precipitation are updated. After watching a few times this fall, I finally accessed our local (800-meter resolution) data to see how the numbers have changed.

And here they are!

The average has dropped by 5.76 inches overall. November crashed the most, losing almost two inches in that month alone. January also took a dive, so the wet season overall took a hit. In fact only September has a higher average than before - though many months dropped by a quarter-inch or less. That's hard to do in the dry season, but July dropped .19" and it was already the driest month!

I haven't looked into temperatures so have no comments on the trends on the hill-top. Our seven years have seen big snows and hot weather, as most medium-term samples will show. Our highest ever temperature was easily this past summer though, and many cedar trees have scorched tips as a result.

I've reset my data tab in Excel to record updated deviations. Oh what fun!




Sunday, December 12, 2021

life happens.

 - as does death. 

65th anniversary, 2014

After a relatively brief transition, my mom has stepped into a new and better life. She was two weeks short of 99 years old, an amazing number by any standard. We siblings stayed with her overnight in turns at the end, and I left her bedside at 10:30 that morning, when my sister arrived. Mom left us twelve hours later, joining dad and all the other elder members of our family. We siblings and cousins now assume the mantle of family elders. 
Oh my.

She and my dad moved to assisted living about eight years ago. Dad turned 95 before he passed in 2015, after 70+ years of marriage. Both of them left with sound minds but nearly deaf; we shouted to them cheerfully on our many visits, and savored our countless blessings.

So many great memories throughout my nearly 65 years with this amazing couple! And if my memories stay with me as well as theirs did, they will last me for decades more - God willing.

self-captioned, 2010
Sara and Jan wedding, 2014

Covid times, 2020


Wednesday, December 8, 2021

an equal-opportunity soaking

We've had no snow on the hill-top yet, but it's been plenty wet. The forecast is quite boring, except for Saturday's possible burst of wind! Yay for wind!! 



Saturday also promises an inch-plus soaking locally. And not just here - all of the high country along the Pacific crest (even south to the Sierra Nevada and San Gabriel ranges) plan to participate in the coming week's soaking! California can feel neglected in La niña years, but this coming week will be most helpful. This is inches of moisture so multiply by 10 more or less for snowfall. Looks like seven feet more or less for the Olympics and Sierra crest, well over three feet for coast ranges and near Los Angeles. Very helpful for backpackers who hope to fill their 'canteens' next summer.





Saturday, December 4, 2021

whiplash

 

After weeks of absurd 'heat' and plenty of tropical rainfall, a storm is sliding down the BC coastline for us late on Sunday. It's the classic alignment for low-level snow, but the heat of the past is definitely a hindrance. Current NWS forecast does manage to drop snow to 900 feet though - which is mighty close to us on the hill-top!


Today's WRF snow forecast shows the Willapa Hills catching measurable amounts - so we'll be watching the deck tomorrow night as the elements clash for dominance. It will be close, and after so many days in the mid-50s and higher it will be a change for certain.


BTW November ended at 15.74 inches, easily our wettest November since moving here. Yesterday was a pretty day with sunshine and minimal breeze, but today is a drizzle festival with amounts crawling slowly toward a half-inch.


Tuesday, November 30, 2021

a setback

 Well, it's clear now why the K|s2 body was such a bargain. It is already possessed by the defective-solenoid issue that is Aperture Block Failure.

definite underexposure..
It's the demon of the Pentax world, and has wrecked the reputation of the Pentax midrange line since the K30 and has mostly been addressed by the K70. Worse than this - it forces users to buy earlier models to steal the Japan-made solenoid which hastens the early models' demise as well. Hence the high number of 'for parts only' bodies for sale on eBay. 

The single-digit bodies starting with K-7 use a different method to push the aperture lever for proper exposures. For other models including the K|s2, a solenoid fails far too early in the camera's expected life - and the result is all shots are taken with the aperture fully closed. 

Sample: metering at f/4 is done correctly but shot is taken at f/32 = resulting image is both six stops too dark and subjected to diffraction effects at the lens' minimum aperture. If all your metering is done at f/16 you're only two stops underexposed, but diffraction still yields an image with limited resolution. 

Yuk! 😱

Here are consecutive shots, one in normal shooting and one in live view. These are at f/9 with auto ISO - note the underexposed is iso5000, the live-view is 51200. I'm not sure how I got to that number as I thought autoISO was set to top at 8000. Clearly I need to lock down a few other parameters and try again. Not also this is with firmware 1.0; perhaps changing that will yield different results, but perhaps not.

Here's another shot that is overexposed and ISO is pinned at 8000 - so perhaps between these shots is when I adjusted ISOmax. Still not helpful since I have no similar shot in normal mode.


I fully intended to return the camera - but life has intervened and I won't be able to do that in time to meet the seller's deadline. I therefore have two options: 

  • send in for repair (doubling the camera's price, and likely getting an improved but still inferior K70-era solenoid) or 
  • find a donor body and do the work myself. With no spare time right now that could take a while - but I have a K7 in hand so am not desperate for a perfect K|s2 in a hurry.

I've gone with option two, and have picked up a functioning K100d body +18-55mm lens for under $100. Most K100d bodies have two fully-useable solenoids, one on the flash circuit and one for the aperture. In that case I can steal from the flash and still have a working K100d to keep or pass along w/an external flash! Many Pentaxians have done this surgery and posted all the instructions, so if I take my time it should be fairly straightforward.

This brings the K|s2 price to about $360 plus labor, which is a decent price for the feature-set. A 20Mpix stabilized sensor, weather-sealed body with bonus features (pentaprism, flip screen, many famous Pentax features) and one that uses my current set of lenses as they were intended. 

I looked at other options, but this seems the best solution right now. Jumping to other brands could bring me most of these features other than autofocus, but under the budget and circumstances I'm happy with this decision.



Sunday, November 21, 2021

bonus time

Although we're over an inch above normal for November (12½" in total), we seem destined to add about three more inches before December finds us. An atmospheric creek, or worse, hits Thanksgiving day (as of today's models). Another decent dump joins in the fun over the weekend, most likely Saturday. Rough times continue in Vancouver, where every eastbound highway is badly damaged from the last set of deep storms.

November is typically the wettest month of the year, with December averaging nearly 1½ inch less. The last three Decembers were over 10 inches wet, and each of them was higher than the November of that year.

We shall see how it plays out to end 2021.


Wednesday, November 17, 2021

More creatures, great and small

 Unexpected deals overtake me, again - so the kit mutates.



> The µ43 kit is going small: gx850, 12-32 +primes (8fe, 17, 30 and adapted) and a 14-140.ii(a) that has some ..issues.  4k/8Mpx imaging is back in play!

> The Pentax kit will be the K-7, an old but decent Σ18-50 f/2.8, 50-200wr, Σ100-300 + native primes (21Ltd, 28, 50, 85, 135). The Ks2 will arrive next week to compete for the top spot.. and will probably win. Specs aren't everything - neither are they meaningless.

These new items are not free but definitely cheap, so some savings accrue. The PayPal balance rises, but proceeds from selling the eM1 and Olympus 14-150 v.II go to our checking account where we can make use of it. I lose the Live features, but Pentax has wr ibIS and composite shooting so that'll do pig.. that'll do.* 

God help us, every one.


*Wow, and I haven't watched Babe in ages!




Sunday, November 14, 2021

ooooooops.

 I won a K-7 auction. Gently used, less than 7500 clicks. And a Sigma 18-50/2.8 from the same seller.

That changes a few things!

The K-7 brings me a tougher body design than the K-s2, a less versatile sensor but controls I know well. It's definitely not a K-5ii-level system - but it came to me at a surprisingly low price. Since I also have a spare Li90 battery sitting around, it immediately has a spare battery (total of three). It also has the curious 3:2 video mode that I envy compared to every modern camera's 16:9 ratio (I hear instagram has made 1:1 a popular video format; I wouldn't know).

The 18-50 definitely changes my need for f/2.8 primes; even the 50/2 has less interest! It won't be quite as sharp as a prime with so much glass in play, but it does do 1:3 closeups - that's nice! Since the longer lens can do the WR times, the 18-50 has a nice speed advantage over the 20-40 Ltd and the 18-50wr. 

It looks like the basic system is here for now:

  • K-7 or K|s2
  • Σ18-50 + 50-200wr DA|L
  • DA21 Ltd
  • 85 and 135 smc-M
  • bonus items: Σ100-300 slowpoke AF, Rikenon 70-150/4 MF
No doubt more will accrue at some point. For now this is it.

After some contemplation, I expect that I'll allow the K|s2 to arrive and give it a shot to win me over. I still really like what it offers, and if I sell the K-7 and smc-A 28+50 it's nearly a draw.


Sunday, November 7, 2021

average days

 This is the time of dampness. In order to hit the 11" average for November, each day should average .35 inches! So a graphic like this one says we're in a week of typical November weather. 

Well OK this is a touch high - but of course one dry day can make a difference! Our home on the hill-top is in the 3-5" band, but quite near to 2.5 and to 5". Another atm-river (atmospheric river not cash flow!) will hit late in the week, so it could be a fine line between 2 and 5 inches somewhere in the region.

Snowpack is impressive for early season, but that too will reset to zero if the at|River comes with its 8000' freezing levels. Local ski areas hope to be running at low capacity for Thanksgiving weekend, so none of this is surprising. 

It's November.


Sunday, October 31, 2021

farewell October

 And so October 21 exits, with a few sunny days! That ends tonight (yes true, that happens every night) as November storms are lined up to get us through the wettest month of the year.


Interesting to see that three of our last four Octobers have been very similar in total rainfall. Note that November has generally been below the 30-year average (purple column at left) so calling it our wettest month has an asterisk. In fact January has been consistently above average over the last six years, so its average observed of 10.2" is our wettest month, with February close behind; Novembers have been the driest of the Oct-Feb period! Note that 20" October in 2017 though - the wettest of Any month here on the hill-top!

This should be sorted out soon, perhaps. The new 30-year averages will be out, and we'll see how adding 2010-20 (and dropping 1981-90) skews the averages. Sounds like I'll need to make a new tab in my Excel sheet!

The new PRISM data should be available in the next few months.


Our new 'lawn' has been challenged by the late-month deluge. We received over five inches of rain from the 20th through the 29th, and of course the sun angle has lessened substantially. Guess I need some gro-lights (or SAD lights?) for that dark corner of our yard! It is a sun-and-shade seed mix, but a pinch of daylight has become precious. Hopefully it will hang out and spring will rekindle its enthusiasm!

Why a ks|2? What changed?

 The K-5.ii series was my ideal camera at the time. At that time dSLRs ruled, it was the adolescent years for µ43, Sony renamed the NEX system as αlphα thereby abusing its own A-mount users, and Fujifilm was introducing the X system. Not to mention. . . . -Oops: start again-

The K-5.ii /.iiS was my ideal camera at the time. The K-5 was quite amazing, but the II series added an AF system with accuracy to EV-3 and 'stickiness' to AF point selection in continuous AF. The gapless screen on the back really improved the view. The AstroTracer on the K-5 bodies was also quite cool! And for what it's worth, the dXo score of 82 is the highest Pentax aps/c mark yet (though the K3/3 will probably claim that crown soon).

Future developments brought the K-3: it was a bit larger, annoyed purists with the "RICOH" logo on the back, and bumped up resolution.  A few cool features dropped in like composite modes (and later PixelShift in the 3.ii model). The AF switch became a switch and button, but no massive changes to its workings.

Developments also brought the K-S1: it was tiny, with a 'tweener 20Mpx chip - and dropped most everything Pentax dSLRs were known for (weather seals, two control dials.. even auto image rotation!). I bought one (OK maybe two) but could not manage the differences. I sure wanted to like it though, as the 20Mpx sensor impressed me and the new multi-WB feature sounded intriguing.

The K-3 series continues to this day, but the KS series made one more move (the KS|2) before restoring Pentax numerical tradition with the K70 (rendering the KS bodies as K∙60 stand-ins). Pentax referred to the S series as special/experimental/tech demo - so consider the K70 as the fruit of the KS labors.

Now - what makes the K70 a bump from the K62 -er KS|2? It got the 24Mpx sensor, more memory for image buffer and fps boost, and added a couple of features like the red night-view screen & an extra (unuseable but available) stop to iso 102400. Ah, it has 14-bit raw* instead of mere 12-bit depth on the K62.. important but not a deal-break for such as me. AF, VF, battery and battery life - all the same.

So is the K62 a loser? 

Not at all - it's the only NFC-enabled Pentax, for one. And the only 20Mpx with wx seals - claimed as the smallest and lightest sealed dSLR, though the K70 isn't behind by much there. And the earliest K-body with clarity adjustment in-camera!

In other words: it's the full* K-5iis imaging feature-set plus newer-tech composites and components. and a flip screen. It uses the smaller Li-109 battery not the Li90 so a second battery will be needed. Sounds good enough for me.


If it can be tarred with any brush, that would be for the cheap capacitor used for aperture actuation. Since failure of that part has been an issue with every K# body from 30 to 70 it's the biggest stain in Pentax' collection and shared by many. When the time comes, my soldering iron will be ready.

Thursday, October 28, 2021

take a deep breath..

 now let it out.. slowly..

OK all better. Let's review!

Fuji has great possibilities, all of which can come once the budget is not what it is now. While I love the 15-45mm lens in theory, I am not convinced in practice except at 15mm. That's too bad, as it leaves too much space before the 35mm TTArtisan and then the Pentax trio of 50/85/135 come into play. Looking at optical benchmark sites I see a serious trend in the mirrorless game: a whole bunch of uncorrected lenses are achieving greatness through in-camera reprocessing for distortion. All of the Fuji mid-wide to mid-tele 'kit' lenses have 5% distortion at the wide end, often more. Processing for that much leaves marks, and opticallimits calls them out. Vignetting also, and occasionally chromatism. Really primes are the way to go - and while Fuji handles that space very well, it comes at a massive and currently unobtainable cost.

So for now Fuji is out, but on the futures watchlist.

I have the excellent eM1 and a couple of very nice lenses, so I'm OK with it.

But I'm left with a taste of APS-c goodness, and a sour taste for mirrorless. After all many of the µ43 'kit' lenses are massively corrected in-camera as well. I've always disliked that about the mirrorless game, but other cool features have kept me in place.

Really, where else could I go? Two answers: Nikon or ..Pentax. Again! 

  • F mount: 17/50/85/90mm primes and 55-200 +100-300
  • K mount: 50/85/135 trio plus a couple of zooms
Both of those have gaps galore, but Pentax can be filled with 16-45 or a WR 18-50 (among others). A futures option would be the 20-40 Limited zoom, or the 16-85 or ..who knows.

After a couple of years away, it seems the Pentax leftover lenses kept a grip on me after all!

So today I swung a deal (with a dealer, of all people): xT100 and 15-45 for a K-S2 body plus cash back. That cash can buy me an 18-50 if I choose that route.  Or maybe I'll go with a couple more primes and that's what the Pentax kit will be?



Saturday, October 23, 2021

never before, never again?

8AM sunday, lowest central pressure
 No storm has been recorded on this side of the pacific ocean with such low pressure. Whether it's a complete one-off event, time will tell - but we already had one of those this year, with the July superheatwave! How many firsts can we manage?

Models are still struggling with such power to determine where the flow will take it. Generally they swerve more to the north before reaching the coast as they fill and weaken, but ensemble variations are high with this much energy seeking a path. Models are doing amazing work already, forecasting both this storm and the previous 953hPa low earlier in the week. Hard to complain, but residents would like as much warning before their trees and roofs take flight. 

estimated position Monday morning
Yikes!

Not actually as bad as that, since it's heading a bit north and weakening - but still a potent threat especially with this being one of many possible results.

Leaves are leaping from our maples under the hard rain and blustery weather from the passing fronts. Our hill protects us from S/SE storm winds if they do occur - at least until the trees atop the hill wear out from the pounding..

And by the way - forecast for the upcoming seven days is still at 3" or more, so the damp days we've just passed are being replaced by equally-damp ones at the end of October. No surprise, and it means that once again our monthly rainfall will be above average. Every single October of our seven years on the hill-top has been above average (though we'll admit one was by 0.01") so the streak continues. We're still almost two inches short as of the 23rd - but feeling pretty confident it will happen.

Update 10/27 - we reached 100% of the 30-yr average this evening!



Sunday, October 17, 2021

late October, no surprise

 It's time for the Pacific to discard its name and start flinging moisture at us. The NWS is in full agreement, looking at the upcoming seven days. This includes two dry days!

The map also looks nice for the Sierra Nevada, which is entering another moisture-unfavorable La Nina season; a good early start would be most helpful. Can't say it does much for the lower Colorado basin.

Our little patch of new grass is sprouting decently, but it's a good thing the mix is for shade and sun; the low sun angle is only catching a small bit of the area, and only in the mornings. A decent outflow channel has developed near our steps leading into the area, so I had better add an improved drainage option before the first inch or two of this pattern finds us - otherwise a decent amount of that grass will be growing at the lowest part of our property, where only the frogs will see it!


Update - well, the dry days have passed and a few new wet ones have entered the end of the period in their place. Big numbers abound.


Sunday, October 10, 2021

Fuji|X update - any future in it for me?

After nearly a month with the x-T100 I've got it set up to my satisfaction. Well, almost. Seldom does one settle in that quickly with an entirely new system! 

Images look nice with this camera and the 15-45xc lens, sharp and appropriately colorful. Focus speed is decent, not amazing but not much speed difference between this and the em1 Classic. It would be nice to check with telephoto, but nothing exists in my budget other than adapted PK lenses. No IS inside for adapted lenses, so blur is a risk. 

The µ43 system is not showing me an upgrade path. The only tilt-screen µ43 camera with weather seals is what I own now: the 8-year-old e-M1v1. Both OM-D and Lumix cameras will do IS, and weather seals are fairly common - but at the price of a flipout screen, which I've learned that I don't enjoy in the least. So for IS within and weather protection, µ43wins - but the Fuji aps.C sensor will outperform Oly (though not by a huge margin), gets decent battery life, and can be charged in-body while retaining (and improving upon!) the tip screen that I prefer. 

I'm not enthusiastic about xTrans color array, nor for retro looks that do not align with the operational memory that comes with 12 years of dSLR use. Weather seals are hard to find below a high-mid body type and definitely not for low-range lenses. The path is slightly better than µ43 though, with xT3±1 body holding to the dual-tilt screen in a modified form. The xH1 also does so, and adds internal IS. So that's a plus.

+Oly: affordable ibis, wx seals, live imaging tricks, 4:3 format plus 1:1 3:2 hd. 
+Fuji: sensor (size and resolution), screen double-tilt, battery life, 4k>8Mpx still images a la Lumix. 
+both: compact, tilt screens, interesting lenses. 
- both: moving to flipout screens and high-end items. Lumix is doing this too.


Rumor has it that 3rd-party lenses are soon to arrive for Fuji, as they made their lens-contact protocols public. That would really help with the Fuji budget and telephoto options .. some day. Sigma plans are important for me to stay in this format since Fuji has no telephoto options in my price range. OK Tamron &c could also play a role; we'll know soon what these lens suppliers have in store for the fX mount.


Friday, October 8, 2021

Attack of the -itis

 My left leg below the knee took a post-cider hit, wrecking plans for a beach trip and putting life in low gear. No major events did the damage; maybe a bit too much squatting in the mash process, perhaps too much twist when spreading peat moss on the newly-planted grass. In any case bursitis struck my pes anserine sac, and tendonitis along the outside of my lower leg felt like a perma-cramp for a few days. 

It's been frustrating to stop and let things heal, especially since a family campout formed spontaneously for the recent week. First we hoped for two nights, shrank it to one night then a day trip.. and didn't manage that either. It should Not have been so difficult!


Wednesday, September 29, 2021

first batch!

When celiac disease wrecked my ale-brewing hobby in early 2005, I wasn't sure what to drink, much less what drink to invent. I actually went from the doctor visit that confirmed my diagnosis directly to the brew-shop, where I bottled an ale I wouldn't get to drink. That sucked!

I figured I'd become a wine snob. I liked a few German whites like Müller-Thurgau and Gewürztraminer - but pretending to swish and sniff didn't create a nasal impression that I could casually toss to a crowd. Also, I got wine headaches pretty readily, and don't ask how my wine-tasting night ended in 2008. So wine never took.

Recently I discovered cider. Yummy and versatile, generally with an apple base and lots of room for other fruity improv in the mix. My limit seems to be around 1½ glasses so I'm just an alcohol wimp (well 1½ whiskeys I might manage.. no skip that). In general the process is similar to beer making: get a 5 gallon container, make a large mess around it, then walk away for a week or two before siphoning, then come back later for bottling. Hey I can do this!

Nearly every sibling had a stash of beer gear that they weren't putting to full use, so my brother Larry gifted me a couple of carboys and other items as an early birthday event. His son had created a fine pear-apple mashup (literally!) from the back yard, and the fruit waits for no man - of any gender. So today it was time!

Larry rented us a fine cider-maker, with a power shredder to pulverise the fruit and a screw-down tamper to squeeze the remnants and release the juicy goodness. An hour or more of that, plus a similar time gathering the ingredients, and we had two 5g buckets of must! "Must" in that sentence being a technical term, and "5g" in my case being about three gallons - my wife wouldn't be aiding in the consumption, so I needed to exercise restraint. Yay, I exercised today!

So on to the next steps. I dropped in some sulfites this evening to purge any mutant yeasts hiding in Larry's back yard, and in a few days it's yeast-awakening time. Then after a couple of weeks watching it burp through the air-lock we'll see about bottles. Gosh I used to have so many fifteen years ago; where does the time go? And escpecially, the bottles?

This being the first batch of cider, I had no feel for the process and accepted that pear and apple would be the two fruits in play. Once we see how this develops perhaps more improvisation will come to mind.

And speaking of improv: it needs a name (Mu'ad-dib? nah)! I was really good at that in the past with my ales (e.g. 'Limping' Bitter in 2000 when my L5|S1 disc ruptured), but when dating an elf and Second Foundationer most of my names became of Middle Earth. So whither then? I cannot say.

Praps mirúvor? Hm that's more likely mead than cider, so that should be saved for another adventure. 

Hm, hom. More contemplation needed. Thank goodness this stuff takes its time becoming itself!



Thursday, September 16, 2021

kit Twists & Turns


 Stop me if you've heard this one before.. No wait: this is a new one! I'm certain of that!

I've gone rogue and purchased a Fujifilm X camera. Not entirely rogue, (that would be too big an ask) but an A-series body with Bayer color array not x-trans - and not with a "retro" pile of dials on the top plate. I do get the film simulations, but just one of the three Fuji marketing plays still resulted in putting a Fuji in my bag.

Update (what already?!?) I found another deal on an xT100 and swapped for that. Adjusted raves follow..


So what brought this about? A few things.

  • Cost: an x-T100 for about $280 is a nice deal, and the curious new 15-45mm kit lens (that's 22-68mm/e) was available for $120 more. The Lumix S5 with its 20-60mm lens just lost its death grip on my imagination and its $2k hold on my mythical wallet!
  • Features: a small body holding an aps.C 24Mpx sensor with 4k focus-stacking and image-extraction? 430-shot battery life and in-cam charging? Tip-not-flip touchscreen? One-touch square format? My kind of stuff, I confess.. and it reduces the incentive to add a 4k Lumix 𝛍43 or S-type body (hey I like Lumix stuff! A lot! But ..see the preceding point: $400 will not get me a 4k Lumix plus a lens like the 15-45mm).
  • Perceived health: unlike 𝛍43 and Pentax, the X system is young and energetic, and owners don't live in fear of its imminent demise. Such fears do not haunt me, but lens developers pay attention to such trends! Being mirrorless and popular means small lens makers like TTArtisan are making X mount lenses - plus adapters for PK lenses like my 70-150mm f/4 Rikenon are available. 

So I'll be trying something truly new to me. We'll see how that goes.

I read about the x-/A5/T100 downsides in several places: a bit sluggish, no VF nor ibIS nor wx seals. Just excellent images in a package made with many features I truly use and don't merely covet. And a chance to learn how useful 4k still images might be!

Sounds about right.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

First xA5 tests went decently well. AF speed is similar to my other cameras so no big deal,Just one little problem: the viewfinder. Or lack thereof.

It was a bright and storm-free day The camera and 15-45mm zoom seemed to be taking decent photos - BUT pictures were nearly impossible to frame or review. The reflection of my dark-grey patterned shirt was overpowering the screen, and brightness adjustments weren't the answer. 

Guess I need to.. er, what exactly? 
Get an xT100 (x∙TC in Roman), apparently. The same camera with a viewfinder - not quite true, but most reviewers figured that generalization was close enough.

The next issue was entirely Fuji-induced: I ordered a grip for the x-T100, which they confirmed in my order. They then sent me the shipping announcement for my grip - for the X100F camera. Note the missing 'T' and the bonus "F". Yes they made X100 X100S X100T X100F X100V and XT100 models. I'm going rogue/Roman and it shall be called an x-TC. And I might be getting a grip soon.. or praps not.


Wednesday, September 15, 2021

storm number one

 The first storm of the new season arrives in two days, and it will impress.

The latest numbers are lower than previous forecasts, yet still massive in many places. The weekend total was closer to three inches at Kelso, now 1.24" is shown. Friday night's official forecast is for 1-2 inches on the hill-top, so this evening was spent scraping off the rooftop moss from last year's fine crop. I'll blow out the gutters tomorrow since they captured most of it.

I also swept the woodstove chimney. It shouldn't be needed as this moist storm will keep temperatures in the mid-fifties Friday night when the greatest moisture dumps upon us. Thunderstorms are reasonable on Saturday.

This deep moisture means it's time to get the grass seed in place soon. No time to get it in place before the storm, and one this powerful would just was the seed into puddles - so gentler storms or strategic sprinklering is planned for next week. 


update/reality: at 10pm Friday we had 0.02" of light rain. An hour later we had 1/3", and nine hours later we had 1¼". Now for the thunder and random heavy showers, which are expected through Sunday.


Monday, August 23, 2021

big (and little) deals!

 After a time of relative quiet, some big changes are coming to the kit!

from dpreview forums
Big Zoom: I recently picked up a 14-140 Lumix and it serves me well. Problem is, it's not sealed against splash/dust unlike the version IIb (mine is f/3.5-5.6 so it's a IIa). The 12-60 is sealed but cannot do much in the tele department.

I'd really like a 25-125mm lens (50-250 equiv) but nobody's doing that with the popularity of wider abilities on the 14-1x0 design.

So I looked into swapping for either a IIb Lumix or the sealed Olympus equivalent, the 14-150∙II f/4-5.6, and found a forum seller with the m.Zuiko. Dumping the freed-up zooms to a dealer was worth about that asking price, so I initiated a swap. Image at right shows m.Zuiko 14-150 (ver. 1 w/no seals) and Lumix 14-140 (ver. IIb with seals).

I also offered a couple of primes to lower my purchase price - and things got interesting!

I've been dealing with the 30/35mm 'problem' (owning one of each) so offering the excellent TTArtisans 35/1.4 was sad but would not have a big impact on the kit. I also own their 7.5mm and 17mm so I have plenty of other TTArt fun in hand! 

My other 'problem' is forgetting that I own the Samyang 12mm f/2 - every time I list lenses I forget that and need to add it later, so I offered that as well. Yes, we should all have such lens-surplus problems.. oh right, we almost all in fact do have that problem!

So it turned out the seller likes new primes, and offered the 14-150 for two of my TTAs (7.5 + 35) and the Samyang 12. 

Straight up - wow.

Six lenses depart tomorrow (including the 45-150 Lumix), one will arrive soon.

Time again for a different kit! 

  1. The 14-150 will be different in use, as it has no IS inside and zooms in reverse to my expectations. However, its direction will match my old 75-300 ZD lens, so both zooms will match! The seals will be nice, and more recent Lumix bodies have IS inside just like Olympus - so no 'problem' here.
  2. Primes will still have good spacing, but less curb appeal: pixco 8/3.8, TTA 17/1.4, Oly 30/3.5 macro, Zonlai 50/1.4 and adapted telephoto primes. I'll miss the 2½ stops the 35/1.4 provided over the macro, and some day I'll find the right wide prime - perhaps that nice Laowa 10mm?
  3. .. and cash to pay earlier deals and other debts.

Little zoom - I won a low-bid offer for a m.Zuiko 9-18mm zoom. That was a surprise! This replaces the 7.5 and 12mm lenses, though it doesn't replace f/2 as an aperture setting :√( oh well. Most of the time this will be an excellent option for trips where wide is important; it definitely allows the 14-150 to do well with no regrets. Some day the laowa 10/2 will go here instead, but this was a bargain and that's what I need.

Update - the 14-150 is quite nice, but not quite paid for, as the 14-140 was rejected by the buyer. Its front element isn't.. ideal. Once it reaches me I'll decide the best way forward. The optical results from the Lumix were fine by me, but they weren't scrutinized all that much. The 9-18 also has some perfection issues with its front element, but images don't suffer much to my eye. The joy of low prices accrue to those who don't demand perfection!



Saturday, August 21, 2021

practicing for the equinox

 The weather has taken a rather cool turn! I'd say showery too, but really just drizzle with a few heavier droplets. We've had a third of an inch this month, and some fell up in Anacortes during our visit. 


The forecast is for sub-80° weather for the next week, so outdoor work is possible. Sadly it won't be happening: a sag has appeared in our bathroom floor, and something is dripping in the area beneath that part of the house. I'm still trying to determine the best approach to the area - from beneath a layer of thick fabric hides the pipes, from the side I'm staring at a metal beam, and approaching from above may be the only sane choice. The water is tepid at best, so it's not hot water being wasted. In the meantime the water is turned off except for brief uses, and a large container holds enough to scoop out for a warm or cold drink.

I guess once it's done it will be time to redecorate the (master) bathroom with new flooring and some nice tile. This place needs work in more than one area, and it's sad to spend much on fixing small items. We do as we must.




Thursday, August 19, 2021

geeky things recently learned!

We took two separate-yet-same trips north this past week, and we learned a few things. 

1) EV data

Our new Niro EV is a great driving computer. That's the best way I can describe it: a computer that rolls and behaves like a car. We're still getting accustomed to the new way of doing car things, but it's going pretty well. It claims 235 miles per charge by EPA standards, but when 100% charged the reading is generally above 280 miles. Coming down from our hill-top home it tries to add power with the brakes but we generally get the too-full-to-regenerate message every time.

The trip north to Anacortes is about 215 miles via I∙5, and we made it up on trip #1 with no recharge. The in-laws' home only has 110v so recharging is slow - but the local Safeway has higher-amperage charger (with 2-hr parking limit) so that helped to get us ready to come home. That trip was notorious in its huge delays in both directions; a 4-hour trip was about six each way that time. Thank goodness we weren't burning fuel while stopped, and regenerated a good amount with all the braking..

The night before heading north again we visited my mom in Portland, and we did not quite have a full "tank" going north. We still made it up on trip #2 in one charge - but only about 40 miles was available upon arrival! The mileage numbers on ev-odometers is definitely not a given fact, more like "guidelines". Going uphill and downhill, turning on climate controls and lights.. pretty much any given hour of driving will give a different result. We returned on a partial refill and stopped in Olympia for a boost at a high-kWh charger, and stopped at 125 miles for the 75 mile drive home. 

We almost didn't make it! With lights on the whole time and both stereo and climate in nearly full use, we hit Kelso with about 15 miles on the meter. With the last miles uphill, I turned off the headlights and fan and went the last mile or so with running lights. We reached home with 4% battery life and six miles of available range.

What we learned: the Niro EV range is accurate and is dependable nearly to 0% charge. Knowing this is good, but I don't ever wish to drive like that again!! Assuming about half the maximum range will be a new practice as darkness and cold descend on us. We've found faster chargers on US30 at the PUD south of Deer Island and in Rainier, plus some at Three Rivers Mall off I∙5. Costs vary quite a bit (the Deer Island site is a clear winner there!) but it's still pretty inexpensive compared to our former Fiat, which would need a full tank on that trip (at least $25-30, and more as gas prices rise). 

p.s. Charging at home gives us about 5kW at 220v, Safeway was close to 7kW, and the two CCS chargers in Olympia and Deer Island were about 70kW. The in-laws have 110v outside and it conflicts with the waffle iron! They are contemplating options that could give us a stronger option, while we consider how to repay them :^)


2) portable 'power station'

We recently picked up a 300W power station for remote camping or star-gazing. It can run our cpap device without an adapter (though it needed a cable adapter to work directly) plus AC converter, cig-lighter adapter and multiple USB plugs. It can charge from 110v, car battery or solar panels (definitely Not Included).

I brought it up on the trips to evaluate; the first time I did not have the cable adapter so it wasn't used, but I had what was needed the second time! The cpap came along too, but not the heater/humidifier - just the pump, which is definitely the lower power draw of the two.

The first night started with 100% screen readout. I had left a small cig-lighter flashlight on in the tent to find it more easily at bedtime, but it died before I went to bed. I also drained the phone while driving and it needed about 70% of charge. I plugged in the back of the flashlight and turned on the DC controller (far-right black button), plugged my phone into one USB port and my old CPAP used the 12v DC output port (lower right). I slept for 9-ish hours with the cpap and awoke with fully charged phone and flashlight - and it took 20% off the station. Yay! Night two was just the cpap and the next morning we were about 70% of original charge. 

What we learned: Apparently one cpap machine could work for 4 days or more with a phone charge or two thrown in - and with solar panels or other form of recharging it could go for longer! It won't be going backpacking, but a good night's rest is generally a good thing. It's a fine substitute for our kind of camping; we recently cashed in our RV/trailer and won't miss it much.  We were getting very little use from it since 2014, and paying a good amount for the privilege of parking it in our driveway..

We bought this particular model because it has both 12v and 24v DC inputs, so if my next cpap takes the higher voltage it should still provide a couple of good nights' rest. Some day we'll add the solar panels.


3) driving by Puget Sound

We found a new way to avoid the misery that trip #1 inflicted on us. For those of us who have no plans to stop in the Olympia-Everett metro corridor (other than the single rest area) driving through the area via I∙5 (with or without 405 'bypass') makes Zero sense. I've always preferred the Port Townsend to Whidbey Island ferry, but for several years now that route has had limitations and strongly-advised reservations needed. For trip #1 no ferries were available except the last one, and the system knew this several days in advance! That's no way to run a dependable ferry, so it had forced me to take I∙5 - although now and then we've taken the Mukilteo ferry, by then the damage of high-stakes driving has taken its toll.

What we learned: This time we turned left at Olympia and right at Shelton, which isn't a fast road* but leads to the Kingston-Edmonds ferry. That route is well populated with two ferries, and needs no reservations - well not at the moment. The total mileage is within 20 miles of the I∙5 route and brings only Everett into the high-density freeway driving. We went up and back this way, and it was far more dependable than the Interstate System. 

That's how I spell RELIEF.

* trip #1 had dead stops or sub-15 mph driving in Centralia, Tacoma and near Seattle northbound, and north of Everett plus many points from Seattle through the Fort Lewis area southbound.

Tuesday, August 10, 2021

the Delta effect

 Times are not ideal in the world as the Delta COVID19 variant fills in the gaps between formerly safe spaces. Even here in western Washington state: Cowlitz county shows a steep rise in mid-age and younger cases. The worst cases for over-65 came just after Christmas 2020, after which the vaccines were introduced. The most recent week of reports were the highest counts for under 35 and for 35-65 age groups (and the 65+ cases are rising too). Bad news all around, and time to continue keeping masks handy.

weekly case reports for Cowlitz county, March 2020-late July 2021

At last report Pfizer vaccines are still about 80% effective, Moderna closer to 90%. Considering that early vaccine estimates were hoped to approach 70% effectiveness, that's still a tidy margin. We'll see how long they protect as time goes on, and the virus sadly uses the unvaccinated as mutation factories in every corner of the USA and the world. 

The game isn't up yet, not by a distressingly large margin.


cnn community-transmission graphic


Friday, August 6, 2021

next wave

 It appears that we're about to get our second strong heat wave of the summer. We had a brief warm spell between the two but this time we're seeing 3-digit forecasts. Not as hot as the unprecedented first wave, but more than the moderately warm second. We'll drive from NW Washington and its marine air directly to this; the transition will make it a bit more of a shock.

Before the heat arrives, a few showers dropped in for a visit.  The moisture felt good and smelled nice outside last night, so hopefully a week from now we can try it again. A few more showers put us to ¼ inch; Monday will be a pleasant transition day.. and then the heat.



Most recent update shows minimal change on the edges of the heat.
That quarter-inch of moisture = Eight Times the July total of 0.03!


Thursday, August 5, 2021

the Smokey Times - 2021 edition


The dry spring and absurdly hot week in late June jump-started the 2021 fire season. We have had decent local sky clarity until now, but an approaching storm from the SW has pulled an amber blanket over us. It's fairly thin and up high so no smell of smoke, but not a pretty sight. Thunderstorms will no doubt accompany the welcome rain this weekend, so we must wait and see the costs and benefits of the storm. Looks like Roseburg is finding out right as this image was taken!

It's clearly worse on the east side of Oregon, as the Dixie fire in northern Cal has just swallowed a small town* and found other adjacent fuels for a major flare-up. The Bootleg fire down by Paisley is still the country's largest but it is getting under better control.

Among other summer casualties, the 2021 Oregon Star Party had its permit pulled by the Ochoco NF - just too risky this year to gather a bunch of people in such a flammable environment. That's happening more frequently over the years, and whatever the human climate impacts may be it's becoming clearer that August isn't ideal for scheduling large gatherings on public land. Either the location or the timing will need to be seriously examined for the 2022 event, it seems.




* a map of the area, showing Greenville (mostly destroyed yesterday) and its proximity to Paradise (destroyed in the 2018 Camp fire).




Monday, July 26, 2021

the e∙M1 is mine at last!

 


Yes, I've owned it for a month or more. No one threatened to take it from me, no credit agency repossessed it. But I finally found the secret to AF button programming as I wanted it, and had deemed lost by regressing from the mark-II body. 

Hooray!

Each camera change comes with new adjustments, whether a new brand or just a 'small' change in a same-brand same-model camera. The eM1.ii had several incredible features but included the flipout screen that I am .. not thrilled with. Other features I liked quite a bit, and a few others sounded promising. When the chance came to give an eM1.Classic a tryout I decided to let other expensive experiments go - and that included the mark-ii and two recently-acquired Four Thirds lenses.

With the 1.Classic I gained the tip screen that I prefer, lost a few Mpix off the sensor and the ability to  select manual lenses quickly from a personalized list. Beyond that I lost very little that mattered and gained more flexibility in the family budget. However, I also lost the ability to use a front-side button for autofocus. First encountered on the D600 and GX8, I found that location ideal for focus on demand - after all my fingers are already resting on the buttons, no groping across the upper-right side of the body for the AFL button (which is too far left on the 1.Classic for my pointer finger to reach easily). 

After shopping among other new bodies for that button assignment (which would again force a flipout screen on me) I decided to sit down and force the issue. At times I've found that some Olympus button assignments preclude assigning functions to other buttons, and it deserved my best efforts. I reset pretty nearly every function button to Custom-WB Set, then turned to the front two. 

And sure enough, I could now set AEL/AFL to a front button!

Once that was set up (I chose the lower front), it was time to reassign the other buttons. The assignments aren't quite as flexible as the mark.ii (especially the Multi-Function list) so I'll be revisiting the setup at some point. I like having some pairs of options (e.g. raw/jpeg and aspect ratio, peaking and magnify) handy and adjacent, but the superCP can take care of some of those items. Trial and adjustment is in order. 

Curiously enough, even with a front button set to AEL/AFL that function is still available to some rear buttons - and I'd swear that doesn't happen in reverse!!

I cannot bring myself to complain at this point. The one assignment that I once had and lost has been found again!



Thursday, June 24, 2021

to record highs, and beyond!

 Dry season is one thing, but heat season is another beast entirely. And fear fire foes, it is upon us - several weeks sooner than usual!

As stated succinctly at Cliff Mass' blogsite, the forecast is consistently forecasting that high-temp records will break throughout the region. Even more bizarre, the expected changes that weather models make when a big event is closer to starting - well, the models have become even more certain of major heat! Usually when 110° shows up on the west side of the Cascades, a subsequent model shift removes it - but this event could be the exception.

Only the immediate coast is safe, as the thermal trough will sit atop the Willamette valley and allow the coast to remain at a mere 80° plus or minus. The valley itself will bake, and the Cowlitz and Puget areas are in on it as well. Monday was supposed to bring a reprieve, but models are even relenting on much of it; a low will dent the high but not remove it entirely. 

Portland's 107° and Kelso's 108° all-time records are at risk (see bottom of post), while June records could be set wherever airports actually keep records from Tacoma to Medford - and east side as well! Late June records in Portland are barely over 100° so the perfect (heat)storm has hit at a good time to leave its mark in the record books.


Thursday's WUnderground forecast for the hill-top. WU forecasts are often near the extremes - but it could happen this time!

So - this year's plan for planting a spring lawn is officially over. The one spot that I had plowed did not sprout (old grass seed) and the rain disappeared before the new seed was spread. Dry weather March-May, a week of drenching rain and now parching heat means it's going to be an autumn effort this year. Ah well.. the last big storm did allow for (exactly!) 100% of average rainfall for June. On to July!

In other news, that drenching rain filled a few containers outside that were not intended as such.  I was set to overturn one to keep the mosquito larvae from hatching out.. but the wriggling forms did not act in the appropriate way for proto-skeeters. 

That's because they are Tadpoles! 
Now to watch their new 'pond' and keep them cool through the hot spell.


- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

Update - Thursday evening forecast is a pinch cooler each day. Many new records will still be in the making at the lower temps, so trifling differences overall.


- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 


Friday AM update: cooler end of period - but a bit warmer on Monday!

Also, an updated post at Cliff Mass' site.


Truth: Portland broke its all-time high record three times with 108, 112 then 116° Sat-Mon. Ugh! Kelso and Longview set new records at 109°, and also had three-day streaks of 100 or more (as did Seattle!). 

Here on the hill-top we hit 99.5 102.4 and finally 105.6° by 3PM Monday - then the west winds took over and we dropped to 61° at midnight. That evening low erased the morning minimum temp of 78.6 on Monday morning. When I was a child a low of 60 was awful. We hit mid-60s lows soon before leaving Portland. Now this one. 

Dreadful.


Friday, June 18, 2021

into the dry season

After a few last showers early this week, dry and warmer is the forecast, with a touch of cooling after Monday. Those last showers took us to 2.55", which is exactly the average for June! Last weekend was quite wet with a one-inch Saturday, so on to July and its mere 0.92-inch average.

The Swainson's Thrush really began to sing as the rain came back - we hadn't made that association before, but the song was really sparse in the previous few weeks. Now they are singing in many locations, and my wife's favorite tune can be heard on many local stations. I'm also now acquainted with the Towhee's fast call so I can better notice their prevalence; the black-headed Grosbeak I already knew and that also is common.

Phase one of the re-lawning did not go well due to very old grass seed. We now have fresh seed, so I'll return the soil in that plot and expand it a bit before seeding and watering. It would have been best in the showery days before this, but it was worth trying the old seed which we had in abundance. Ah well, we do as we must.


Saturday, May 29, 2021

spiral songs at last!

The Swainson's Thrush arrived at their usual time, May 18-19. Alert hweep!s and relaxed hwips were abundant the past ten days - but no attract-a-mate up-spiraling calls? Those usually begin within a few days, but perhaps the females arrived a bit later this year. No point in showing off one's best singing with no attractive audience to hear it!

I should probably stop hwip∙ping at them when they announce their presence; I might be canceling an appropriate alert before it's prudent, or telling them 'this spot is taken' and driving them away from us to sing up a new family!

pay no attention to the towhee at left, but instead his sneaky Swainson's shadow on the right!

Lórien is feeling quite cheerful now that her favorite bird call is in the neighborhood. Cheerful is good.


from allaboutbirds.org - Swainson's Thrush



Thursday, May 27, 2021

a dry spring

 Three dry months have taken their toll. We've received just over 50% of our typical moisture for March-May, a heat spell removed most of Oregon's snowpack, and 2/3" today is helping but will only do so much. More dry weather is forecast for the upcoming week. This is our wettest day since 3/24, so not many noteworthy storms have rolled through this spring. Aside from being wet, today's winds were pretty strong too - but only the highest trees, as the SW winds could not find us on the north side of the hill-top.

My dad's old roto-tiller actually started last weekend, which I found quite surprising; it's probably been a decade since it started last! I managed to plow under a segment of our yard and toss down some old lawn seed, then sprinkled it yesterday before rainfall took over. Hopefully in the next week we'll see some sprouting, if not then another bag of fresh seed is in order. The yard is substantially dandelion with a smattering of daisies and moss, so even bad grass seed will be a better look overall.

It is also Portland's driest March-May on record, by a comfortable margin. Assuming they don't get 1.8" tomorrow..


Friday, May 7, 2021

thoughts on eM1/eM5ii


The eM1 Classic and eM5ii arrived the same day. After all the research and readjustment of my swap (eM1ii for Nikon –er em5ii –errr Ni .. nope em5ii) the original M1 is getting most of the attention. It was a tremendous bargain and most likely does all that I reasonably ‘need’ for this hobby. As long as both are here though, let’s find out for sure!

Differences are interesting, in part due to the lack of them. The sensors are different, yet DxO tests show them to be nearly identical in their particular tests. Neither sensor keeps up with the eM1ii, both are a pinch better than the GX7. Both eM bodies have 'better' IS within, a single memory slot, weather seals and no AA filter. 

With that out of the way, what do I have to choose from on the Oly side?

  1. Phase detect AF (eM1) though not for every AF situation

  2. Tilt screen (eM1) is my preference by a decent margin
  3. Battery life is better on eM5ii thanks to its specific quick-nap mode
  4. Grip is superior on eM1 without supplemental aids
  5. eM1 is a bit larger/heavier.. but the better grip is a part of that
  6. Video specs are substantially more versatile on eM5ii
  7. eM5ii is silver.. OK I’m reaching now
  8. In my particular case the eM1 is over $250 cheaper!

So of these first-blush points, what matters to me? 

Numbers 2 and 4 are big. My 70-300mm 4Thirds zoom might appreciate #1, though it’s cdaf-friendly by design. I’ve fallen for video specs before and shot no videos to speak of - so #6 isn’t as relevant as I pretend it is. Both cameras feel fine as to bulk, so #5 is a draw. With three batteries for the eM1, item #3 isn’t a big deal, and I can fine-tune some time-out settings too.

So items 2, 4 and especially 8 provide my answer. Therefore, unless I am disappointed in shooting with the eM1, it’s the better of the two for me. And if it's not a great fit, it's hard to imagine the 5ii being the right answer either - but it can give me its best attempt and possibly win out.