Back to normal

 Version 1: temperature is now above 45° and snow is down to tiny patches. A half inch of rain has fallen today so it may all be gone by sunrise. The melt plus rain was nearly 2"!

Version 2: with a week to go, January should end up at least an inch above normal (OK, 2½" above as of the 27th!). That means our water deficit since October will be a surplus.. for a little while, at least. 

a first glance at winter

Our moisture has come from the south so far this rainy season, so ski resorts and winter-focused events have not fared well. Many storms near California will do that, and el Niño often leaves its mark to our south, pushing warmer air our way to limit snowpack. It does not make us immune to winter weather though!

Today's Wx-Underground forecasts have turned toward snow about a week from now, which is surprising. Many models have made this shift, however; shown here is the well-regarded European model's view on Friday morning 1/12. This is pretty much the classic pattern for white weather down low, with cold air just onshore and marine moisture willing to be pulled in just to its south!

This could change in six hours with the next model runs, and in the course of a week's modeling the timing and location will likely revise a few more times. Still, it's notable. 

We'll be watching..

7Jan update: the forecast has twisted several times as to depth of cold air and accumulation, but the 12-13th remains white at our 750' elevation. Values have varied from 3½ to 12 inches from run to run!

7-16 recap?

Curiously enough, winter weather began abruptly on Tuesday the 9th, with over 6" on the ground on Tuesday morning. It was a strong suspicion but nothing more on Monday night as we drove back from Anacortes in downpours.

That settled down to 4" by Friday 1/12, when we topped off the crunchy old snow with 4" of fresh true powder. The arctic front dropped us to 16° at night through Monday the 15th. Today the cold air was overrun by a front coming from the SW; only a pinch of fz/rain has fallen so far, and the forecast has us above freezing by sunrise. It will take a day or two for the snow to vamish, but the wild times will return to normal in 36 hours or so.

7-17 - It was a good try, but it took until 10am to reach freezing, and 2pm to reach 35. 

Time to start shoveling the driveway!

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. 🙂

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 

 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.

Tele conundrum

So my α7r now has its 28-70mm native lens with oss and some degree of weather protection. How nice, given its 1st-generation body has no stabilization within. 

Now I'm covered to 70mm with AF and x.shake..

and then?

A telephoto lens with autofocus, wx seals, and oss by any acronym would be ideal. But where are they? Oh they are out there, but not in my price range..

• The A-mount bodies had IS Inside so didn't need stabilized lenses (in fact Sigma and Tamron removed IS from their lenses in A and PK mounts!), and nearly all were screw-drive AF that would require an ea4 adapter ($200+).
• Sony E-mount native options are few. And recent, so still expensive! The bargains are in the aps-c format (same mount for different sensor size) which isn't quite what I seek.
• Tamron and Sigma have added to the E system.. but w/o stabilization below 400mm. Not ideal, as I'd be happy at 200-250mm but few players sell in that range. Other third-party companies have brought AF primes and a couple of zooms, but no wx or OIS capabilities.
• Oddly enough, the canon EF mount has better and thrifty options for me. $100 adapters are available, and some earlier Tamrons like the SP 70-300 (with oss not vxd) have VC in canon mount. Canon's own 70-300 comes with IS and AF for less, though it zooms in the opposite direction to almost everything else I own. Actually everything I own goes the other direction.. except the Olympus 70-300 monster tele with 43-micro adapter! Coincidence?

First attempts with adapted lenses have been ..instructive. On a 36Mpx sensor, focus is really critical. Images that look all right on a tiny screen look blurry above 1:2 magnification - so AF is more important than IS and wx seals on the α7R mk.1 body. I can manage with the fast Pentax 85/2 and 135/3.5 if I'm careful, but with slower m-focus zooms I revert to focus guessing even when peaking +zoom is enabled.

I test-drove a Metabones EF adapter with the 70-300 Canon IS USD. Many rave about the EF lenses, but apparently this particular lens is older than most and is quite leisurely to AF. And after updating firmwares all over the place it generally misses focus on my test shots. It nearly locks, then shifts one last time toward infinity. Multiple AF presses do not help. That pair is going back.

70-210rs with dumb adapter, 100-300D Apo, 24-105D

So on to plan B: the EA4 adapter for A-mount. That will give me pdAF in the adapter and true aperture control in the body, but better technique will have to sub for the lack of stabilization. The best thing about this option is that I already have the Maxxum trio (photo) so plenty of range is already on hand - plus a Tokina 20-35af. I found an EA4 for less than the usual used price, so that's another plus. And it brings PDaf to the α7R, though at the price of a whiny AF motor drive. Presumably the gains will outpoint the losses on this!

Fingers crossed that this will do the job well enough. 

I'm tired of looking at reviews and specs - especially since I generally miss the one site that says "don't expect this lens and that adapter work right with your current camera body". I've learned that particular lesson more than most.

another dry-ish month. And then..

We've reached the 22nd and the forecast is for a dry week. As we sit at 79% right now, it means another sub-standard month will go in the books without a large shift in the forecast.

Since November through January are the wettest of months here, being around 80% is a decent amount, just over seven inches - but last winter all three were drier than average and that's a bad habit to get into!

El Niño is upon us, big time this year, which often means weaker storms for us as more energy dives south to California. It often strikes early in the calendar year, so more storms in December would be a very good thing. 

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Update - maybe 1/4" on the 30th, but probably closer to 0.10". And then the floodgates open - as the models seem to do quite often at the turn of a month. I'll footnote this for certain to see how close we come to it! At our location we'll call it 5" - but the neighborhood is 4-9"  and boundaries are rather vague at this scale! 

This graphic runs through 4PM on the 4th, so nearly everything here is December 1-4.

11/30 update - wx. underground 1-6 Dec. Six-ish in the forecast. Today is at .21" with a pinch more possible around midnight.