Take a break

Took a break from updating my blog and didn't shoot as often as I normally do. It was a refreshing break. Like everything else in life, a hobby needs a good break sometimes, and when you come back to it, its all new and fresh again, and you might even shoot differently than you did before. Anyways, the break wasn't long before the itch comes back again.

Also got myself a GRD IV to play with, not thinking too much about technicalities of the shots like depth of field (you wont get much), metering and so on (it has excellent metering), just concentrated on capturing what I see, basically a real point and shoot. The fixed lens makes things even simpler, and 28mm field of view is growing on me :). Its an excellent break from shooting more serious cameras.

 

 

 

 

Mood and Photography

What see comes from your mind, how you interprate what you see is dependant on how you are feeling at the time. Have being going through some unhappy and lonely time recently, I have been seeing and taking images a bit different to what I usually see and photograph. I tried to go out and shoot to take my mind off things, but in the end, that shitty feeling still creeps into it.

Now I realise that a passion or a hobby (like photography) can really help one during tough times, it won't make the pain go away but it sure hleps take your mind off it. I was going to sell all my gear to help me through this, but in the end, I found I need it do what makes me happy, and thats whats important.

Eyes for The Night: Cosina Voigtlander 25mm f0.95

I was lucky enough to find a Voigtlander 25mm f0.95 locally in Melbourne, and bought it instantly. Shot it around the town at night, and found it to work like a dream on the OM-D E-M5. The lens was easy to focus using the EVF and even on the LCD worked pretty well, did not need to magnify the view at all, and composing before focusing is possible as there are no focusing aid (like a RF patch or AF spot). Focus throw was a bit on the long side for fast street shooting, but estimating the distance and pre-focus always helps. The lens was heavy for the OM-D, so the olympus grip is a must have for this, other wise it handled beautifully. The focus was smooth, the aperture was firm and clicked nicely, it is one of the best build for a lens I have seen, and I would say its better built than some of the Leica lenses (Yes I am looking at you Mr 50mm Summlux pre-asph with shitty aperture ring).

Because of the nature of this lens, I found myself wanting to take shots that utilises the large aperture and shallow depth of field. The shots I have been taken with this lens are mostly done at f0.95, focusing on a single subject, although the 50mm equivalent focal length is very versitle, you will probably end up taking alot of bokehlicious shots. (Yes its an official word now.....coutesy of Kai from Digital Rev).

At f0.95 to f1.4, the depth of field is carboard papre thin (not as thin as paper like a proper full frame 50mm f0.95.), and gives creamy, melting, make you horny type of bokeh, and the in focused bits are sharp, not super sharp, but sharp enough for you to know its the in-focus bit. Colors at the max aperture is also good, not too much different from stopping down. However, this lens does have "characteristics" when shooting wide open, firstly theres the purple fringe, its there, its noticible when you have it, but you only get it if you have very high contrasting things like a window reflecing off sunlight or chrome fitting on a car, and of course you can get rid of it in Lightroom. Secondly, theres the "glow" as some people might call it, where you get abbration around the edges, its there, you can see it when you zoom right in and stick you nose up the screen, but who cares, it doesn't ruin the picture, and some people like it. Some reviews say theres some distortion from this lens since its not corrected, I didn't notice any in the photos.

I can't say much about the lens when its stopped down to below f1.4,  becuase I havent shot it below that aperture :)

I highly recommand this lens, its feels like a weapon in the hand (and can be one too if throw it), it gives you beautiful bokeh, and very usable f0.95 for shooting in the night, in dark places and where ever your imagination takes you. I love this lens on the OM-D, but its a shame I had to sell both the OM-D and this lens for personal reasons :( If anyone is interested in Melbourne, go to Camera Lane in Little Bourke street, they have a copy.

Sigma 30mm f2.8 Micro 4/3 Lens on Olympus OM-D E-M5

The Sigma 30mm f2.8 Micro 4/3 lens was wonderful on my EP-2, I thought it was a joy to use, its autofocus was fast, it was light to carry and the image quality is very good. The same applies to the E-M5, the autofocus seems to be the same, but its already very fast. The image quality is improved, with more detail, and just as sharp as on the EP-2, which is probably due to the new sensor rather than the lens it self, but its good to know that the lens is capable of keeping up with the new sensor.

I mentioned in previous post that the slow start up of the lens on EP-2 might improve with E-M5, well, thats a big fat lie, it seems to be just as slow, so this is something to watch out for if you are a street photographer, need to anticipate the shot, and wake your camera up early, or turn the auto off feature off. Anyway, here are few shots.

 The focal length of 60mm (equiv) is a pretty natural perspective to use, it might feel a bit tight at first, but once you get use to it, its easy to visualise the shot. It does crop slightly tight at the normal street shot distance, but that depends on how one normally shoot, its great for shots where one would concentrate on the subject alone, rather than trying to show the environment, a bit like 75mm, but not as tight or strict in composition, and of course it doesn't have the same compression in photos as a real short tele.

Olympus OM-D EM-5 review

I would start off by getting this off my chest: Olympus OM-D EM5 is my dream camera design come true. I always dreamed of a digital FM-2 or OM, rugged, compact  with manual controls, and flexibility of taking wide angle to telephoto lenses. Leica M9 fit the first 3 criteria, but looses out on the flexibility, not to mention cost half a car.

I bought this camera after  some very positive experience with the EP-2, I found micro 4/3 system to have the right balance between image quality and size, the images out of EP-2 were very different full frame sensor images, they had a charm of their own, they were flatter, sharp and had more of a film look to me.

I did not expect much of a jump in image quality for the EM-5 over the EP-2 to be honest, after all it was more pixels in the same sensor area, however, I was suprised that image out of EM-5 is a huge step above EP-2. The images had more detail, had much better dynamic range, however still retained that film look.

The noise performance is also very good, better than M9 again, I could shoot ISO1600 comfortably, and it will match the performance for ISO800 out of the M9 comfortably. The colors from the camera is also very accurate and pleasing, not too warm like Canon, nor washed out.

Comparing to the M9, I would say the image is different, the obvious edge for M9 is that the tonal change is more gradual and has higher resoultion, making the images look "finer". But the E-M5 has better colors (my personal view), better dynamic range, performs better at high ISO, and it is more "film" like.

The Olympus OM-D E-M5 is a camera that can be complex or simple, it has many features, like video, art filters, multiple mode of exposure, etc, which can be dauntingat at first. However, it can be a real simple camera too, which is how I am using it, using only center focus point, center weighted exposure and single focus, everything becomes simple and very accessible, I found I was right at home with this camera within half an hour of using it.

The most satisfying aspect of the E-M5 is that it is quick and accurate. The exposure is very accurate, the focus is instant, and the white balance is great too. The back of the camera layout is simpler than the EP-2, and the 2 function buttons make accessing important functions like ISO and White balance change much faster, the only gripe I had with it is that FN1 button is a bit small.

One more thing I just have to mention about this camera, the EVF. Its something really special, it was like looking through an optical viewfinder, high res, no lag, and no ugly noise in low light, its even better than the Olympus VF-2. I turned off all info on the EVF to reduce clutter, and never felt I was looking at a tiny video screen. The advantage of EVF is also apparent, when lighting is difficult or quickly changing, the EVF is great for getting the right exposure.



So what do I think of the OM-D? I think its THE perfect camera, its fast, accurate, no fuss. Its rugged and weather proof. Its images are very very nice, different to full frame cameras, but has beautiful colors and film like quality. Best of all, it has a very nice set of prime lenses to support it (except for a nice 35mm equiv). I will be shooting it more in the coming weeks, will give more feed back soon :).

Olympus OM-D EM-5

A few shots last week from the new Olympus EM-5, a camera that proves micro 4/3rd can be as good as APS-C. Have been using EM-5 for a week or so, haven't had much time to shoot anything these days, but it has already proved it self to be a very usable, hassel free camera. A few first imperssion from someone who has been using EP-2: fast and accurate focus speed, very well built (feels like a tank, feels better than the Leica X1, but half the price), AWESOME (F*** AWESOME) EVF, and shitty FN2 button placement. Here are 3 shots taken this week. Love the image quality so far.

I am currently using the Leica 35mm Summicron asph f2.0 as my standard lens for M9, I gotta say I am a little bit dissapointed at the lens, not because I m not happy with its performance (its nearly perfect), but the price between the Summicron and Summarit does not justify the difference between the two. Once again, proves that better (more expensive) equipment does NOT make the photographs better, I am at the stage where I am comtemplating to myself that if Leica is worth its pricing at all, and if I really need a Leica to enjoy my photography......many of yous would already have the answer to that question, but as a Leica fanboy, thinking about this is like blasephemy. Anyways, I would do a 35mm Summicron asph f2.0 review when I get more aquented with it.

Sigma 30mm f2.8 micro 4/3 lens impressions (short review)

Shot with the Sigma 30mm f2.8 for micro 4/3 mount on my EP-2 yesterday, I didnt shoot for long, but the lens had already impressed me. The auto focus was fast, slightly faster than the 17mm Zuiko in good light, although I havent had the chance to test in low light yet, I haven't had any auto focus misses either.

The lens felt really good on the camera, well balanced, light, yet still feels solid (not the Leica or Canon L solid, but as good as any Olympus lens). I did try manual focus with this lens, its not bad at all, the focus ring is large and well damped, and the focus travel seemed to be shorter than the 17mm (I could be wrong though, since I haven't used 17mm manual focus side by side). I don't see my self using it in manual focus alot since the auto focus is so good.

The images looks nice and sharp, I shot mostly in ISO100 and f2.8, theres lots of good micro contrast too, and I haven't come across any purple fringe yet. The colours are not as saturated out of the camera as the 17mm though, but still accurate. At f2.8, the depth of field is not super shallow, but you get much more out of focus area than the 17mm f2.8.

The only slight problem I found with this lens was the starting up speed and wake up speed when mounted on the EP-2, it took twice as long as with a 17mm Zuiko, so you really gotta anticipate when you are about to take the next shot, and wake it up before the shot comes along, either that or you can turn the auto power off mode off, but this will eat up your battery faster. I tried the lens in store with a EM-5, and the power up time seems to be much faster, not instant, but still pretty fast. I think this may have to do with EP-2 rather than the lens it self, hopefully Sigma will release a firmware for the lens. Even with this little problem, I still love this lens.

I was looking forward to this lens, as it is cheap, compact and has the right focal length for me. Overall the first shot with it looks positive. Ever since I have been shooting with EP-2 + 17mm Zuiko and now this lens more, I m starting to wonder why Leica is charging so much, I mean sure you can tell the difference when you zoom up to 100% on your monitor, but I love the shots from my little Pen as much as from the M9, and the difference in quality is definitly not worth thousands of dollars difference. Just proves to you again, photography is not about gear (I need to keep telling my self that too). Anyways, I will write more about it in near future. For now, if you want a lens in 50-75mm focal length, and don't really care about super large apertures, then this cheap little gem wont dissappoint. Here are some photos.

Got the Sigma 30mm f2.8 for micro 4/3 today, will give it a spin sometimes this weekend, start to really love the micro 4/3 cameras and lenses, so much quality in such a tiny package, love the flatter look of the image quality too. The versatility and compactness of the system really makes photography easy and fun.

Olympus EP-2 + VF2 viewfinder

Bought an Olympus VF-2 viewfinder the otherday for my EP-2, due to the inability to see the LCD screen in sunlight. I was totally "wowed" by the VF-2, maybe because I haven't looked through an EVF since Fujifilm S100fs, it was super clear in good light, when I was out shooting on saturday, I switched off all infomation on the display, and I forgot that I was shooting with an EVF, it felt like using an OVF, there was no noticible lag (I don't pan around too much though), the pictures are as clear as they come, and colors were pretty accurate too. The 90 degree tilt of the EVF is also a very nice touch, I found myself using it more than I expected, great for low angle shots, and no one notices you because you are staring down at your camera.

There is only two minor negative points that I have noticed, one is that the dynamic range of the EVF is limited, when pointing at high contrast scene, the highlights will be clipped. The other is when you shooting in low light, there will be some noticible noise, but the EVF will light up the scene, which will help the framing a little.

Anyways, if you own a EP-2, and found the LCD screen impossible to use in the sun, I highly recommend this accessory. I haven't taken it off since I put it on, and works great in street shooting. Trust me, you will love this EVF. Here are some shots I took on saturday with the 17mm f2.8 Zuiko, love this pancake lens, as sharp as anything even at f2.8, its no 35mm summarit m, but getting there.

 

Leica 75mm Summarit M f2.5 Review

It has been a while since I got my 75mm f2.5 Summarit M, I have been using it more regularly now, and here is my short review on it. I won't dwell too much on the background of this lens, since if you are interested to buy one, its most likely that you will know it well.

The 75mm Summarit M is one of the 4 lenses in Leica's "Budget" Summarit line for M mount. First of all, it doesn't look like your typical Leica lens, as the most prominent feature of this lens is the large rubber grip focus ring. Many Leica purist didn't like anything thats not metal, but the rubber grip is actually very comfortable to use and gives a good grip. The only slight downside is that focusing ring on my copy is a bit firm, should become smooth as I use it more. The build of the lens is typical Leica, doesn't feel any cheaper than other lines of Leica lenses at all. The diameter of the lens is 46mm, and its only slightly longer than the 50mm summilux pre-asph, the slenderness ratio and the weight makes it just right to hold with one hand on the camera and one hand on the focus ring when mounted on the camera. The focus throw is on the short side, but enough to focus accurately, Im not complaining as I like short focus throw.

The image come from this lens is one of the sharpest I have seen, its sharp corner to corner. In terms of sharpness, I would say this is sharper wide open at f2.5 than 50mm Summilux pre-asph at f2. Microcontrast is pretty good too, so you will get a lot of details in your shots.

Look at the detail on the Lantern, this is at f2.5

The colors from this lens is nice and rich, slightly on the cool side, but definitely not subdued. It is also more contrasty than older lenses, but not as much as asph lenses. Overall the colors are correct, and contrast well balanced.

Colors are Nice and Rich

There are no visible distortion from the shot I have taken so far, no visible purple fringes that I have noticed either.

Now the important part for people who love Bokeh (and we all do). The bokeh from this lens can be smooth. creamy when you focusing on close subjects. But could be slightly harsh when your subject is at medium distances. Overall, its not too bad, If you shoot a lot of portraits and still subjects, the bokeh would be very nice. If you shoot mainly street, then you can occasionally end up with slightly harsh bokeh.

Smooth Bokeh

Slightly Harsh Bokeh?

75mm focal length is a bit hard to use at first (at least for me), the reason been its so close to the 50mm frame lines (Leica M9 shows 50mm and 75mm frame lines together), one would mistaken 50mm frame lines for it in a hurry. Although its frame lines are close to 50mm, it gives a lot more compression to the photos than 50mm, so the overall look from it will be different than the 50mm. I have found it to best capture individual subjects, or a cutout of the detail if you are shooting landscape or architecture. Trying to capture the scene or surrounding environment by stepping back don't really work, as theres more compression than 50mm and 35mm. As I use it more and more, I found it more enjoyable to use, it is very different to 35mm which I use the most, unlike 50mm feels like a slight crop of the 35mm shots. After using this lens for a while, I think I have found my perfect pairing, 35mm and 75mm, there are enough difference between them yet they are not too far away from the "normal" perspective, and with both of them, one can cover both wide angle to portrait formal length.

Overall 75mm Summarit M is a great lens, great sharpness, colors, contrast, and good bokeh if you are careful. The build is excellent and I personally find the handling perfect. For a 75mm focal length, you will not regret getting this one. I know theres the more expensive and more perfect 75mm Summicron and Summilux out there, but this is close to half the price of the Summicron, unless you need perfection, I think this lens won't disappoint you.

Long Weekend of March

Last weekend March 10-13th was a long weekend in Victoria with Moomba festivities. Went out to shoot both Super Saturday horse racing at Flemmington and Moomba festival on Monday.

Horse racing wasn't my cup of tea, a bit boring especially when you don't like to gamble, you wait for hours to see horses run for a few minutes. Good place for photos though, lots of glamorous ladies and gents, cross dressing people (yep, thats right), jockeys and their horses, and of course, a few very sweaty punters. So a nice variety of people for you to snap away.

Moomba festival on the other hand is awesome, great deep fried food, stomach churning rides and great water sports on the Yarra river. A lot of screaming kids and adults on the rides, great fun to watch, I never understood why you need to scream on those rides, holding on tighter is understandable, screaming just hurts the ear of the person next to you.

Here are some shots taken with Olympus EP-2 + 17mm Zuiko and Leica M9 + 35mm Summarit. Couldn't see a damn thing on the EP-2 LCD during under the glaring sun + wearing sun glasses, but the large depth of field allowed me to shoot without framing and focusing at f5.6.

Mario and Luigi?