curse the fuzzy earwigs!

To the creatures of the outdoors I've always been a fairly reasonable guy, for the most part. I've fed the birds for several years, and added corn cobs for the squirrels to keep them from raiding the seeds. Everybody's happy right? 

Well I'm sure not!!

A few weeks ago I noticed that the majority of our string of Christmas lights had gone out. Soon thereafter we had quite a windstorm blow through, and I noticed that a piece of the strand was lying broken on the deck. I figured that a part of our fence had fallen off the deck and the string was stretched to its breaking point. Then I remembered that part of the fence was already down so it wasn't the cause. Curious!

Then a day or two later, I saw a squirrel sitting atop a post on the deck. He was holding a rather large globe in his hands - a blue one. Yes, he had nibbled the strands off the perceived nut and was claiming it! I stode out furiously but he made off with it - perhaps I'll find it at the base of a tree soon? Part of me wishes the lights ran at a higher voltage so other squirrels would see the stunned or dead one and decide those nuts are poisonous..

I promptly stripped the remaining fragments of light from the deck, to prevent loss and to stop wasting the squirrels' valuable time eating wire and hoarding light bulbs. Damn idiot vermin.

I missed the lights though, so I moved a set of very not-bulbous LED lights to the fence. Your basic small and pointy white lights.

Yep, they're being stolen now too. Off they came!

I've re-ordered a new set of pointy white LED lights, and they will remain hooked on nails just beneath the gutter-line where the beasts cannot reach from above or below. Nice, but less personal.

And the corn-cobs are all distributed. Will I buy some more and encourage the beasts? 

Don't bet on it.

One last attempt at simplicity

Yes, and why not?..

 While seeking the best answer to the glovebox camera question, i looked at the Lumix ZS series. Strangely enough (to me at least) a used zs100 cost more than used gx85 at times - which is why the gx1 is now my glove-box kit. Even earlier zs models aren't bargains with their 1/2.3" sensors, it seems that zoom range can be as good a draw than megapixels for some people.

Just as the gx1 and I were settling down, of course a zs50 pops up at a surprising price - one I did not refuse. It will be used and marked, though the online photos did not show many serious marks.

• On the down side: tiny sensor, no tilt or touch screen, no curb appeal it seems, and replaced by newer models several times over - with the ZS100/200 adding a one-inch sensor to the line. That sensor definitely takes IQ to a better place! 
• However.. the zs50 stepped back to 12Mpx for better lowlight performance, boosted its little viewfinder resolution substantially from earlier models, has two 'control dials' and charges via usb. Full PASM modes, raw image capture, HD video - and a stabilized 24-720 mm/e zoom does tolerable work. Toss in WiFi +NFC and silly-close macro mode too. 

Well now. Maybe that's pretty useful for the glovebox after all! 

I plan to set it to small B&W jpeg + Raw and give it a whirl.

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A twinge of background-

I have owned several compact digicams before 2008. Once the dSLR /interchangeable lens bug bit they were left behind. Save one: at one point I owned a Fuji F550exr. It was enjoyable for a year or so, when I dropped it about a foot onto concrete and totalled it. I captured many good images and found that raw data recovery was amazing for such a small sensor. The shot below shows the jpeg interpretation at left and the recovered and rebalanced raw development right.

The Fuji's 15x zoom was great fun, but it did have some unwanted rainbow effects on bright lights; hopefully the Lumix version will do less of that. I'll know in a week or so.

I did What?

 So much for the grand experiment - well, the more expensive part, at least.

The gear-geeky voices in my head thought quite highly of having a Best Of.. µ43 kit, with Lumix 4k photo features and Olympus' Live features and top-notch stabilization. Also the idea of one camera sealed against most weather issues (which we have plenty of  'round here!). At the time I didn't expect to leave my part-time job and remove almost all padding from our financial plans, so that's become a factor. The pandemic and its limitations make multiple higher-end cameras less useful - plus I had a harder time deciding which to pull out for any particular event.

Added to that was a forum person seeking GX1 advice. Such a simple and talented camera, and when hacked an improved video cam (higher specs for bitrate and audio) with seamless videos of any length. Smaller, lighter, and truly PGE -yes, Plenty Good Enough. With Lumix OIS lenses even stabilized!

So off goes the GX85 (and several lenses that other buyers wouldn't take), in comes a silver GX1 and funds that will make January easier. An easier decision on feature-set for most events, less money sunk into a hobby that needs time not cash, and an older but ergonomically-ideal camera for my uses. I can also use my wifi SD card with it, that adds a new twist to the old camera.

Winner!

Part II

The GX1 story is soooo last Friday. Today it's an inexpensive lens acquisition! This was the result of a curious team effort across the World Wide Web, and lots of searching same.

I was thinking about the gap that was filled by the Pentax 40mm pancake. Recent research suggests the Yongnuo 42.5 does not 'do' autofocus with eldercams (like perhaps the GX1). With that in mind I looked into other 35-45mm primes - and found a Dutch shooter's (tomscameras) test of the TTArtisan 35/1.4 lens. It's a distinctive design with a tapered nose and the optical design engraved on the barrel. Beyond the positive review was a curious comment: the optical arrangement is a near match to the Takumar 50/1.4..?! More study online yielded this - takumar on the left, TTA engraving right:

These are different in the front element but very similar, and of course designing for 35mm instead of 50 should make some difference in the optical design!

So given the good reviews and near-Pentax heritage, I ordered one. Tests have been quite good in all respects. I think the DA40 can find better places to be!

on to 2021

 Weather in December was a very average rainfall month, and zero actual snow fell. I did have some interesting patterns splattering on my windshield once, but that was it. We ended 2020 with a bit over 80 inches of rainfall, so no rain-forest designation again. Pretty close though!

In the viral battles.. we're still losing. So many travelers for Thanksgiving and then Christmas caused levels to spike as parties spread new, more virulent mutations all over the world. LA county is straining mightily and ambulances wait to offload for hours as ICU beds are pretty much filled. So very sad and frustrating. Two vaccines were approved and many batches shipped, but optimistic targets were missed all over the world. The USA goal of 20-million arms was closer to 2 than 3 mil. Hopefully another vaccine variant or two will be approved, and more people trained to inject them so the healthcare system doesn't shatter. Given the priority customers (health care workers, aged folk, essential workers of all sorts¹) it could be several months before we can all gather and hug - gently though, due to our sore arms.

 Politics have been difficult to watch as well. Other than to mention today's atrocities, I'll go no further. Yes, today the Capital was invaded and congressional spaces occupied. Ugly and decidedly undemocratic responses to mere political fortune. It's more than that - though it shouldn't be.

 Christmas was a pleasant respite from the mad times. We both got some nice gifts and relaxed at home, sad not to see family but nice to be unencumbered with obligations. Plenty of holiday movies, Nutcracker listening and cozy times on the hill-top. And pumpkin pie!

 The camera kit has now been slimmed down to about what it was four months ago. Actually it's become what I intended four months ago², but stranger things have happened during my ten years of perpetual change. Now to find a way to lock down that kit so nothing moves... wish me luck. ³

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¹ I'm no longer on that list; I departed the Home Depot freight team at the end of  '20. A few tighter months will ensue, living off holiday checks, a bit of economic stimulus and new spending habits. Also from a few photo-gear offloads to finalize the kit reconstruction.

² my September big-camera choice was an EM1.ii or EM5.iii - but they were both out of my $reach. I decided to switch my big-little brands and hit some rather better deals. Two months later the price on used EM1.ii bodies had fallen by over $200, and I stumbled into a bargain GX85 to boot. Winner!

³ too late. Even 24 hours was too much to ask! After assisting a GX1 user on a forum site and praising the camera, I recognized that it has everything I need in a small backup. While I like the tip screen, internal charging and other GX85 features, .. the GX1 is just a great fit for me. So I found a deal at KEH and will send off several non-µ43 lenses and the '85 for a silver GX1. Now to find that key and throw it away, so the system truly locks!

goodbye November

So we move on to December. 

Farewell November, we won't miss you much - a contentious election filled with mob-inciting rhetoric and false claims, and gruesome tallies worldwide as Covid-19 tightens its grip. Promising vaccines and a more open government hold promise for the future, but the present realities are harsh. A lot of people traveled for the Thanksgiving holiday, and we'll pay for that soon - especially with many regions reaching nearing hospital capacity for cases of any sort. Many speak of field hospitals to ease overcrowding, but that does not magically produce healthcare workers to staff those tents.

The chart here shows the Washington state Dept. of Health weekly numbers for our county; circles show the under-40 case count and the green dash is for age 40+. Yes the trend is down today, but next week could easily rebound since the most recent numbers likely are partly due to holiday recordkeeping. My mom is back in the protective cocoon of assisted-living lockdown, yet they had an active Covid case last week even so. Our holiday gathering was brought to us by internet conference, nice to have but a poor alternative to the typical Thanksgiving.

As to weather, we nearly had a normal November. It's the wettest month using our 30-year average but the last two were quite dry, and needed large doses later in the season to catch up. This time we received over 10 inches and hit 94% of average, so the half-inch deficit is nearly painless. December begins with a dry week though, and as our second-wettest month that could hurt. The la Nina conditions in the Pacific often show up closer to mid-winter with cool and wet conditions, so no alarm bells just yet. Hard to ring 'jingle bells' either this year though.

At least two vaccines may begin distribution in December, signaling a change in circumstance. Fingers crossed, and foreheads too, as we seek to pull out from these darkest days of Covid as well as approach the solstice. Hang in there, everyone.

flipping out

Kit mutation alert!

As I had planned but failed to execute three months ago, the 2021 kit will be big Oly/small Lumi. I ordered a used E∙M1b with 12k clicks a flash and 3 batteries, and a GX7b with its original accoutrements. The GX8 and ePL8 will now be going to more appreciative folks, and boxes of 'b's or 'ii's are coming soon :^)

Somehow, somewhere, this all makes sense. Sure it does.

What did I gain with this flip??  -  Good question! Let me see if it can be described in more detail.

In either case I have one small body with (my preferred) tilt touchscreen, and one high-end 20Mpx body with more capabilities, more inch³ for buttons and switches, and moisture seals. Going with the GX7.ii /gx85 I gain faster autofocus with DFD compared to the ePL8, I get the 4k features that allows the GX8 to depart, and I get charging via USB. This last has become a priority with both gx8 and epl8 dying at bad times recently; the gx7.ii has a short battery life but is absurdly easy to charge in the car, at home, or with the solar power-bank that I recently acquired. That will help - or at least it should, time will truly tell. On the down-ish side I lose the dedicated EV± from the GX8 (which I didn't like) and the AF/MF switch (which I will have to spend a precious button to replace).

superimposed, from camerasize.com

With the eM1.ii I get similar features to the GX8 - most of which I like, though the flipout screen is on both :^(. The 4k-photo features now descend to the smaller gx7.ii, and the eM1.ii takes over from the ePL8 with Oly's live time / composite features. Beyond that is a huge set of new features: top-notch sensor stabilization with stills and video, multi-shot hi resolution images, a different set of 4k video options, custom autofocus limiter (in body not lens!), and 400+ images per battery charge plus sleep modes and a possibility to add a battery grip.

Given the recent eM1.ii price drops on the used side, it's less of a reach than it was - but that assumes I can sell the two departing cameras at decent prices. Just before posting them, two others posted GX8 bodies to the virtual market, so I'll be dangling my bait in a different pond until at least one of those is gone. Inevitably this will (had better) make sense!

November begins

 Time change, Halloween and a Blue Moon all fell this weekend, with Election Day immediately after. And then - the storms!

The jet stream that favored us with a few nice days has brought cool sunshine to us. At election time it goes zonal, bringing storms straight into our area. Looks like three inches in seven days, and given that the first two are dry that's pretty impressive. Not much snow from zonal flow in November, but it's a rare year when Thanksgiving finds any ski areas open so this counts as normal.

November has been a curious month around here for precipitation. The 30-year average has this as the wettest month, twice the amount of October and a bit more than December - yet we've had several dry ones. Last year was exceptionally dry at 25% of average, and the year before was also dry. This looks like the right start for a normal November, but things can turn quickly here. 

Time will tell its tale at the usual pace..