Update on Digital Photography

It's been a year and a half since I updated this blog with an update. And in truth there isn't much to say. You use the camera, process and produce the images and then go out and do more to get more images. It's fairly straight-forward. But, as with almost everything else, the trick is in the doing. And the first step in the mental process, which is simple, Go, Look, See and Capture, has been the issue.

And that was due to some on-going health issues which are waning. Not gone or resolved, but enough to get out more often. My primary focus is still learning and working in large format photography, but the digital equipment always goes along, partly because I have equivalent 35mm lens for the LF lenses (focal length conversion and image comparison - it's a 3.6x factor), and I stlll use the digital gear for walk around and event photography.

What else has changed? Well, I bought a 85mm f2 lens for the times I really don't need the 85mm f1.2 lens. I really like the f1.2 lens but it's large and heavy, and after awhile of shooting events, it's tiring. The f2 lens is used for hiking, landscape and other photography. It's also an excellent lens and would recommend it first if you want that focal length.

I also bought a 17-40mm f4 zoom. This is my first zoom lens in more than a decade when I had a Minolta MD 35-70mm f4 zoom which I gave away. The choice was between the 16-35mm f2.8 zoom and the 17-40mm f4 zoom. I wanted the 40mm focal length (not a fan of 50-55mm lenses, prefering 40-45mm normal perspective lenses), so I bought the latter. It's a very light lens and produces good results (for me).

Looking back, I should have picked the 16-35mm lens for several reasons, but mostly because the focusing screen I use with the 5D is for f2.8 and faster lenses, and has problems with slower lenses getting the exposure right. I switched back to the normal focusing screen and the problem disappeared, but all my other lenses work with the other focusing screen which I prefer. So the lens was relegated to the EOS-1N and then to the lens shelf.

I still use the lens with the 1N but the lens doesn't go out much. This is partially because when I used zooms in the past I found myself using them at standard focal length where fixed focal length lenses are faster and better. If someone is interested in the lens, feel free to make me an offer. I'd like to try the 16-35mm zoom or some wide angle fixed focal length lenses.

So that's it for the time in between then (last post) and now. I've used the camera gear in local trips and events but that's about it and will be except for getting back into shooting winter events and getting back to hiking (also quit that too - damn illnesses). I still love the5D and the 1N (the 1V would be the better choice of the 1N but both are excellent cameras) and the camera bag is always ready to go.

I'll keep ypu posted on future events.