Underperformance

The wet season came right on time, as all the extended models had converged on 10/21. As to details though.. our wet spell has been rather dry. 

The first week was going to bring four inches in a hurry, but it was almost two instead. Last night's storm stalled north of us and wore out before moving, so 0.7" was less than 0.2" - and so it has gone. Forecasts for the next 7 days keep looking like this one, but note how we are near the south edge of the Big Numbers.

One of these systems will eventually stall over us, but October will probably end before that happens - so it will end dry but with a wet setup for November.

In the meantime, we're about to get 1½ inches to close out the month. If we get anything close to that, we'll at least be halfway to normal for October. Yet again: we'll see.

the 'new' thing

The gx85 triggered a kit avalanche: a small-lens μ43 kit has revealed itself, and the E-M1 and its super kit lens became less valuable relative to other possibilities. After some browsing (an ever-present danger for me), the eM1, 14-150, 30mm macro and a fine 55-300 Pentax left the building. 

In exchange, a Sony 'alpha' A7 mk.ii and 28-75mm OSS lens have  arrived! The pair has settled into a case and been fitted for a shoulder strap. The A7's relatively low grade brought the price within trading distance, and its features are winners for what I do: in-body IS, tilt screen (not touch enabled), a large sensor without massive pixel count, HD video without cropping from sensor field of view, many customizing options and USB charging. I didn't know how many clicks had been put on the shutter, but sub-28k is a nice low number. It also means that companies like TTArtisan, Sigma and Tamron make lenses for the system - unlike Pentax K, sadly. My K-s2 days might be numbered.. but my K-mount lenses definitely remain in play!

This gives me two µ-USB-chargeable cameras (yay for power banks!), and three distinctly different feature sets and sensor sizes! 

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A few optical dominoes fell rather swiftly, once I found an la-EA3 Sony/E to Minolta/A adapter. 

For compactness I went with the bargain from my new friends, a TTArtisan 50mm f/2, which will arrive by slow boat across the wide Pacific. Hopefully TTA will offer a few more f/2 bargains soon!*

Another boat will carry an A-mount copy of the Tamron SP A005 70-300mm with its EA3 compatible USD focus motor. I'd already ordered a Maxxum 100-300 Apo + Maxxum 70-210/3.5-4.5 (2nd-gen 'lite beercan'), but the EA3 can't autofocus with them. We'll pick at least one winner from my three fine choices.

And for close shots, 10+16mm extension tubes (bright blue ones!) are on the way.

My plan for now is to get 20 and 35mm Tamrons at some point*, and have a kit of 20-35-50 primes (plus 85-135 Pentax), and the two zooms.  

I have no proof of more need than these: not now, at least.

* if the TTArtisan 21mm doesn't persuade me!