springy!

 We'll take it!

This is an ideal start to June - morning clouds, afternoon sunshine, max temps in the mid-70s. Since I cannot lift heavy objects yet post-surgery, the air conditioner can wait another 10 days. Tomorrow is the warmest in the forecast, so just one day of discomfort.

Nice.

Update - the Wx Underground forecast graphic is for valley-floor locations, which is always ~4 degrees off from our hill-top site. It's generally warmer in summer with thicker atmosphere, but colder in winter thanks to cold-air seepage. We reached 80° Friday up here, and NWS temperatures near 750' show mid-upper 60s next week. 

Nearly as nice!

Zomething New

I've tried to steer my big kit back toward Lumix S .. but the S9 refuses to drop into my price range, the S1 is hovering just out of reach (both price and kilograms!) and the s5 .. well it didn't quite suit me. The Lumix II bodies are most excellent, and substantially beyond my budget.

Other trends are intent on shifting me to Nikon Z!

In the Z world, the z5 is priced right but feels.. wrong. Not a bad camera, just too similar to the S5 and with more video limitations. The next step up is the z6, which .. really feels like a fair match. A tilting touchscreen that is almost to Lumix level of interaction, decently 4k capable, and a viewfinder better than most (above S5, below S1) for using manual-focus lenses. It has fewer aspect ratios that impress me in the Lumix bodies, but it does include 1:1 which allows many dx/aps-c lenses to play nicely. I gratefully accept! Sadly the 'open gate' (video on full 3:2 sensor) video option is Lumix-only in my price range :^(

Mirrorless systems did not play nice with my Minolta A- or Sigma SA- mount lenses. Both SA-L & A-E adapter setups came with many limitations. The FTZ solution apparently does not have those problems; also, nikon-G slr lenses* are both talented and available at good prices.

---

How to decide?

At some point one must choose from two decent options. Here's my z6 logic:

• 

  apotelyt table screen-shot

  Bsi sensor: z6 (though no dxo-rated difference)
• aa filter: s1 has none
• Screen: both excellent but s1 better
• Tilt screen: nice on both, again s1 better
• Hdmi: neither is micro = good
• autofocus: z6, though will vary by type of shooting
• Battery life: z6 test results are curiously low?
• Weight: z6 in a landslide :^0

Many features are pretty much a draw, but both options are preferable for me over Sonys or the s5. Low weight, phaseAF and improved sensor vs. massive with very good build and more aspect ratios for both stills And video. 

I wasted plenty of time & energy attempting to adapt SA>L and A>E -with very limited success (despite each one dealing with a single company - sigma is SA and an L member, Sony owns A and E). It seems that Nikon took this more seriously with its FTZ protocol so I can use nikon G* with very few constraints! Farewell to lost causes..

* though no af drive for D lenses :-/

Timely migrants

The first call of a swainsons' thrush was heard on 5/18, right on schedule! Our first grosbeaks (black headed) were seen and heard five days later. We love both songs and it's nice to see and hear them.

We also had a deer family drop by, a mom and two small ones from last year. They camped out for most of two hours! 

My surgery in early May was followed by damp weather, which has allowed the grass to grow tall. This coming weekend should be dry, so it should be several inches lower soon. 

downtime

 

nice weather for it!

I'm heading in for prostate removal on 5/5. Other than lawn mowing, it looks pretty nice for sitting in the outdoor swing and sipping fruity drinks! Spouse and ma-in-law can fight over the riding mower, assuming the battery is decently charged. Hopefully I'll be nearly mended by the 10th, though weight-lifting and twisting limits will remain for a few weeks.