GP MMXXIV: is it over?

The purge has ended, and kit 2024 has arrived: the last lens* arrived on the 2nd of January. The kit is very different from my December posting (at right)! A couple of shoot-outs will help me decide which lenses will stay and if any more will depart. 

Some things are clear though:

• The gold column is gone. I still own a few lenses, but they are bodiless and therefore useless to me.
• The green column is here physically but is no longer a factor in my decisions. One or two lenses may remain when it's over, but it wont be a factor in my planning. Assuming I can afford any more plans!
• I see eleven items in the μ43 column from early December. Six have changed (including both listed bodies), and an extra lens added. A few of those six may remain after the Purge - but definitely not many!

How it all came about

1. A new top body, the eM1.ii in Ex+ came first, funded by the Sony gear's departure. This would put the eM1 into the second spot and allow the A01 to find a new home. While I'm not a fan of flip screens, the many additional updates to the ii were quite persuasive.
2. After researching my ultrawide /astro options, I chose the TTArtisan 7.5/2 fisheye. It's a bit of a beast, especially compared to the 10 fisheye - but being three stops brighter was a worthwhile change to make. That made the 10/5.6 rather expendable despite its compactness, but I left that question unsettled for a bit.. like perhaps two paragraphs?
3. I then decided to grab a nicely-priced copy of the Lumix 20/1.7 to replace the TTArt 23/1.4 that I'd been using. A pinch less light and 'slow' AF, but enough benefits to take the spot and leave more space for the 30mm macro to get more use. I had considered if the Oly 17/1.8 would not have served a bit better.. but $50 less for very similar IQ and bulk helped. It may be that 10-17-23-30 is a better series than 10-20-30.. but for now I'm good.
4. OOPS! I found a Laowa 10/2 in good condition at a reseller, meaning it was affordable - but would be cheaper still if I were to let the eM1 v.1 depart. The Laowa is an excellent lens to have on hand for aurora seeking. It does force Shootout #1 between the TTArt and Laowa.. and the Br*10 for that matter: two fisheyes is one too many, as is two 10mm. It does reopen the slot for 2nd body.. for a little while. Speaking of shootouts, 
5. Whoa. A bargain Lumix 12-35/2.8 v.1 will battle the slower Lumix 12-60 as the 35-100/2.8's teammate. Sure I'd prefer the v.2 to match the 35-100, but this was in Bgn condition, therefore far less expensive than I expected for any copy of this lens! On an Oly body the Dual:IS boost of v.2 is irrelevant. Shootout #2 will be interesting as I yet again contemplate speed vs range!
6. Either way, the 14/2.5 and 23/1.4 have no real place if the 12-35 prevails. We'll see how results play out soon!
7. Um/Ah - then a GF7 appeared on eBay with little use and a reasonable price. Far more useful in my bag than the A01, it's a gx7 internally but in a simpler wrapper and with fewer bonus features. Great imaging on the inside though!

 So here's the µ43 update, with new items in red and gold. 

The only tempting change now is to swap out my Zonlai 50/1.4 with a slightly slower 42.5/45mm AF prime. That would save some weight, as the Zonlai is a dense little beast (listed at just under 200g, but the Oly45/1.8 is 115g). No hurry on this however. 

And as long as the Zonlai stays the TTArtisan 23 might also, since it's 2 stops faster than the 12-35; that could make a difference, now and then. Its resale value wouldn't be high anyway, and its focal length matches the sensor diagonal so it's the µ43 equivalent of a Fast Fifty!

I have assembled a little kit in my smallest camera bag. GF7 with Brightin* 10mm fe, 20/1.7, 30/3.5 and the Lumix 45-150. The 14mm and 12-60 are probably expendable now.. time and shootouts will tell.

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Shootout notes

12-35 v 12-60 28Dec 23

Both lenses show limited distortion when panning at 12mm, the 12-35 perhaps a bit less. Close focus is very close on both but the 12-60 wins with its longer range .. but that's at f/5.6. The 12-60 is f/5 at 32mm, so 1+2/3 stop slower than the 12-35. Focus depth does not really interfere at such distances but further off items will definitely blur out better with about two stops more light incoming. Weight of the 12-35 is a bit more, but it isn't apparent since the lens is so compact.

Result: this comes down to personal preference. Given the damaged 14-140 in hand (with minimal resale value) and >35mm coverage at f/2.8, the 12-35 makes good sense. While the 12-60 could hang out as the GF7 primary lens, the 12-35 is smaller even if heavier; a Lumix 14-42ii or 14-42X would do the job as well or better.

10/5.6fe vs 7.5/2fe v 10/2 still awaiting Laowa as of 30Dec*

All are now available, but the test hasn't happened yet - but one of these days.. !!

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* The Laowa 10/2 decided to spend an extra day exploring Shelby MT rather than reaching me on the 29th along with the 12-35/2.8.

GP MMXXIV preview

The one advantage of trying every d@#n camera in existence (and actually recalling that you've done so!) is that you inevitably learn what's important, and what is less so. 

Since 2009 and my Sony α200 I've tried nearly every Pentax dSLR (yes, the K-01 and Q too!), three Fujis, several Sonys (both mounts, both sensor sizes), a Nikon or three, Samsung NX and countless µ43 (all three brands!). Several of these were tried more than once, in various colors and/or Special Editions too! 

I refuse to count them as it will bring too much unneeded grief to this appalling process. I'm  really exhausted and frustrated by bouts of research on cameras I can't afford to equip, or will not use enough to justify even the shelf space to keep in sight or reach.. and so,

 we begin the Great Purge of 2024! 

My goals for the coming year:

• assemble a solid, affordable µ43 kit
• repair the K-s2 and let go of Pentax
• let go of Sony/Minolta
• organize digital photos
• scan non-digital ones from old media
• and take new photos. Better ones!

Step 1. µ43

Only one camera has brought me a hint of entertainment since the e-M1 original - and that is its immediate successor. That includes brief attempts to use the eM5.iii and the G9 - though not the eM1.iii which has not dropped to an accessible price for me. 

The eM1-ß's lone annoyances are the flipout screen & the menus, which are a touch more insane for its expanded capabilities. In return though, it gains in every spec that matters to me: battery life, processing power, improved sensor and additional features that I might actually use. Even 4k video, perhaps.. ?  It also uses a common USB connector for file transfers; too bad it won't charge that way, but USB chargers (even USBc options!) are ubiquitous now.

That sensor update not only improves resolution by a bit - it also increases its specs to my typical aps-c levels, which makes the K-s2 sensor a draw by dXo standards. I don't swear by the dXo data, but it does allow me to check gear in hand against each other; after all it's a competitive world where results at the modern end of the sensor scale could be biased, with or without intent.

*Late Surprise* a new small body for my kit, to replace the Air A01 and its randomly problematic phone interface. Since the eM1 had departed, the backup role was definitely available!

On the lens front, few changes are needed. A few primes will be reworked for better spacing, but the 12-60, 35-100/2.8 and ZD 70-300 zooms do very good work in typical lighting. Our plans to visit an auroral sweet spot next autumn will be a factor in the changes though!

Step 2: Pentax

I like so many things about Pentax - but it's been years since anything in my price range has been offered, and the mirrorless /live experience is better for what I do. I love its ability to crop to 4:3 and square in camera, and its post-capture raw save - but the eM1 can do the former and I can live without the latter. Once the solenoid has been fixed and demonstrated to be functioning properly, I'll offer up the camera and most of the lenses.

Step 3: Sony

And again, farewell. Love the tilt screens, miss the touch capability and other nice features that Sony has reserved for the latest = most expensive models, I don't get enough benefit from the 36x24 sensor, and their aps-c performance is similar enough to the eM1-ß. Despite my fondness for the Maxxum lenses that I have in hand (24-300mm range) it's time to accept that it isn't a realistic dream to unite them to a more modern body.

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

As to organization and slide/neg scanning, those have been needed for years. My hiking web shots have corroded by jpeg duplication almost beyond recognition. The eM1 (either one) and the Oly 30 macro, plus a decent light box which I can improvise, will do most of the work other than attempting to balance the contrast and color issues that might arise.

I recently read about others who used some bracketing and/or hi res shooting to capture better digital reproductions with good results. It will be interesting to see better captures of my numerous old memories!!

And then - more shooting!

That sounds nice. 🙂

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 So.. is it over?? 

yet another storm.. then some peace?

 

We've had three or four atmospheric rivers in the first week of December, putting us at 2/3 of normal monthly rainfall already. A quiet day today, then another punch coming for Saturday. 

Hints of a few days of quieter weather are showing on the models. Not entirely dry perhaps, but fewer 2-inch hits of tropical temperatures and rainfall. We'll see how it pans out. The forecast for the first week of December was 5-6 inches, and it was correct at this location - 5.65" for Dec 1-6, plus 1/2" on the 7th and 1/3" on Nov 30th.