Nikon Zf
Nikkor Z 50mm f/1.2 S
50mm, 1/200 Sec at f/11, ISO100
Post Processed in Adobe Lightroom Classic V15.2.1
Photo of the Month – March
Photo of the Month – February
Leica M10
Leica Sumlux-M 50mm f/1.4 ASPH
50mm, 1/125 Sec at f/5.6, ISO500
Post Processed in Adobe Lightroom Classic V15.2
Photo of the Month – January
Nikon Zf
Leica Elmar-M 24mm f/3.8
Voigtländer M to Z Adapter
24mm, 1/15 Sec at f/1.8, ISO400
Post Processed in Adobe Lightroom Classic V15.1.1
Ripping Music
Do you still buy music CD’s. The last few years I have really gotten into buying them again, using services like Tidal to find music as well as recommendations from YouTube and friends.
I like having my music with me, on my laptop and my portable music player so I still rip my CDs. Back in the early days I used iTunes but now I use a dedicated ripping tool called dBPoweramp, it has tools for ripping and batch converting files from one format to another, this is useful as I rip to FLAC and then create copies in an Apple format for my old iPod. Yes I still have an iPod classic going strong.
Once ripped, I copy them to my NAS and from there to the devices that need them, such as my Roon Core Server, my travel laptop and music players.
This week as I was in town I bought two classic Fleetwood Mac albums as well as one my Dire Straits. All for a typical months stream fee.
I also buy and play vinyl but my record player like my CD player is in need of replacing, but I still spin a disk occasionally, either vinyl or CD.
Wanting a new camera again – Olympus; Micro Four Thirds
I was in Lincoln again this week visiting a couple of data centres to resolve hardware faults. As always I had a camera with me and in my lunch break went for a walk through the centre of town.
I grabbed a few shots before heading into an independent coffee shop for a coffee and sandwich.
With my transport needs met by several different modes, the main one for work being a motorcycle to cut through traffic quickly, I again started down the rabbit hole of what small camera would fill a particular every day carry niche when my Leica or Nikon ZF were a little to big.
As always my heart leads me towards a Ricoh GR or Fuji X100. The Fuji is not really any smaller and the Ricoh is expensive for a compact. For that money one can get something a little more flexible and fun. So I have been looking at the Olympus Pen line up. I came close to pulling the trigger on the original micro four thirds Pen when it was first released and it’s still a fun little camera. I started to look around and one can pick one up for about £80 in the local camera store.
Lens choice would be tough. The 17mm would be a start but would also like something a little wider.
Whisky glasses
I love food, good beer, robust red wine and good whisky.
I currently have over forty bottles of whisky plus lots of tasting samples in small 50ml bottles. The majority is Scottish single malt, but some blends including a few independent blends of grain whisky, as well as some Irish, French and American Single Malt as well as some good old bourbon.
One thing that I do not think is given enough thought is about the glass you drink from. There is now scientific evidence too prove that glassware affects the taste experience.
In general I’ll use a Glencairn, but for some of my more expensive single malts I use a stemmed tasting glass to really appreciate the smell and flavour.
Choosing a mouse
As I was redoing my desk, I wanted a new mouse. For light editing on the laptop, the touchpad is fine, but for more detailed editing then I reach for a mouse on the desktop. If its going to be a long detailed editing session then nothing beats a pen and tablet, so I also have my trust Wacom.
For a mouse, comfort, a few extra buttons one can configure for extra functionality in Lightroom and Photoshop, and a way of customising the scroll wheel. MAC OS still has not implemented a way of setting different scrolling preferences between touch pad and mouse, so it set the track pad how I want it in the OS settings and set the scroll wheel how I want it in the Logitech software.
Desk Re-organise and sourcing cables
A change of monitors means a change around on the desk. I am still working on the best places for everything but I have taken the opportunity to change the cabling. One additional thing I will be doing is upgrading my work mouse, I want something better then this old Dell mouse that I can configure for ‘no natural scrolling’ while still having the touch pad set to natural. You would think Apple would allow you to set them independently in the OS but no.
The sound source is also changing for my music and this bit has proven the most difficult. Finding a high quality USB-B to USB-C cable. Its proving harder then you expect unless you want a cheap £2.00 printer cable from Amazon.
Free five year extended warranty on new Nikkor Z Lenes
Under EU law warranty is generally two years. For other locations it can be a little as six months.
Now Nikon have announced an extended five year warranty on new Nikkor lens, for a number of locations. Check the Nikon website and see if your area is covered.
Spring Fair
Now that spring is here events are shall we say springing up all over.
Last Saturday one of the local villages had a spring fair.
Selections of local craft, a raffle and all the usual village events.
I was travelling light with a Leica M10 body and a 35mm ASPH f/2 Summicon. All that was needed for a few snaps like these.
Spring is finally here
Spring is finally here in the Northern hemisphere. Lots of local events starting this weekend, so I’ll be grabbing the camera and seeing what I can find. At least one local village is having a spring fair so hopefully there will be something to photograph.
Winters End
Another walk through a local village. This was a late winters morning and I was walking Ted the Greyhound while carrying my Nikon Zf with a Z 35mm S f/1.8 lens attached.
We are now just a day away the from start of spring but we are still having the old cold day to remind us its still winter here in the northern hemisphere.
Here in the UK there is a bit of confusion as to when spring starts.
In order to compare one year with the next the Met office (Meteorological Office) use statical spring, this runs from the 1st of March year, this allows them to compare one year to the next and say if the climate is getting warmer, but the actual start of spring is defined as when the polar axis starts to point towards the sun.
Dr Becky explains it here very well.