Month: March 2015

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The new 12 inch Mac – For Road warriors not photographer

MacBook12

There is a lot to like about the new Mac, its screen, low power, all day battery life.  The down side is connectivity.  There is just the single USB-C port which Apple had a large hand in designing.

This port has to handle everything, charging, video and data.

Once appropriate hubs and docking stations are available it will be great but until then there are issues for those of us who connect a lot of external devices.

Typically when importing my photographs, i’ll have the card reader, a backup hard drive that gets a copy of the photographs and a main data drive plugged in.  Often with the power and an external monitor.

For photographers then this machine is currently a little disappointing.  One has to remember that not every machine is aimed at the same market.  For a user who needs all day battery life, uses the web, email and office applications; this machine is ideal.

For the rest of use, then maybe the MacBook Pro is still the best option.

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iOS 8.2 not just about the Apple Watch

iPhone 6So have we all upgraded our iPads and iPhones to iOS 8.2?

No?  Well you should, its not just the Apple watch that this update supports, there are a lot of bug fixes and security fixes included, so I would advise you to update.

Security Update2

Its not just the iOS range that has been updated, the Mac got a security update, as did Windows and Android, or at least if your on Kitkat or above.  One of the downsides of Android is that if your not on a recent version you will not get the security updates.

If you can update now.

 

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The Photography Show 2015 Intro

http://www.photographyshow.com

Joe McNally

 

We are now less then two weeks away from the NEC Photography Show 2015.  On the main stage the person I would be most interested to see is Don McCullin but unfortunately I will not be able to make it that day, so it will just be the main stands i’ll be visiting.

If you get the chance to listen to a top photographer, its often well worthwhile.  Last year it was Joe McNally and he was a great speaker.

At the show this year I’ll again be interested in the Epson products; last year I purchase a Epson wide carriage printer and came close to purchasing a Fuji X100s in black.  The Fuji would make a great compact but I am still not completely sold on the X-Trans sensor.

This year I am after a Epson scanner, I still have a lot of slides to scan and still shoot the odd film, 35mm in my Leica M4, 120 in my Hasselblad when I am not using my PhaseOne digital back, and of course 4 x 5 inch large format.

The cost of the scanner will soon be recouped as the cost of even basic scanning means, a considerable expense.

One the camera front there are a number of things I want to look at.  The latest Fuji X100T with its new in picture optical viewfinder is one.  I’ll also be looking at the Panasonic LX100, and as Leica will be there, their version of this camera.

It will also be good to try the Lecia X and the Leica T.  Neither of these cameras have a built in viewfinder but an optional evf instead which means they have a lot going against them in my view but the X could make a good travel camera and the T would work with all my existing Leica M lens so there is much positive as well.

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Apple’s Spring Forward Event

MacBook12

 

The Apple event has now passed, two things impressed me and neither were the watch, which I do like by the way.

The first was the announcement of ResearchKit, with it being open source I hope other phone manufacturers get in on this, it could have a major impact on human health.  This is possibly of the most important Apple releases of recent years.

The new twelve inch Apple MacBook was also impressive, but I cannot decided if its for me.  The rumours were true and it only has one USB-C, which means if I was to use it in office I would need additional dongles or a docking station to provide power, connect to my monitor, external storage and card readers.  For a machine to use out in the field its ideal.

So what about the big announcement, the watch!  Well I have to admit, I want one, being an iPhone 6Plus user, the watch is a useful addition when you want to check notifications or message someone quickly.

Unfortunately the price for anything other then the iPhone Sport is a little high.  I have to think about it a little longer.

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Updates now and to come

Macbook Air -topThere seem to have a flurry of computer updates so far this month, several Adobe flash updates an Apple Camera Raw OS update but it’s what’s coming that has me excited.

Apple have been testing iOS 8.2 in the wild now for some time so with the Apple press conference next Monday I expect to see this launched.

I hope to see the new Apple MacBook Air that has been rumoured. A twelve inch retina would make a great mobile photography platform.

There are a few rumours that it will lack the common ports like Thunderport which I doubt but that is true it might be a no go for me, at least for now.

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Photography Lull

Leica M8 & 50mm Summilux ASPH
Leica M8 & 50mm Summilux ASPH

Its been a very quiet year so far on the photography front so far this year.

Normally I work on my Lincoln Bailgate project at least once a month but not this year so far.

For me it’s been a combination of stuck at home and on the odd day I have been out, stopped by bad light.

So, if your having a bit of a drop in the amount of good photography you do?

Well indoor still life or macro is a good place to start. It can be a good lighting challenge and you can learn a lot.

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Nikon, Where is the D300 replacement

This week Nikon announced the D7200, a nice upgrade but where is the D300 replacement.

For quite a while Canon was top of tree for DSLR’s.  Then Nikon got aggressive and released the D200, from then on they had hit after hit with the stunning D3 series and bettering the D200 with the D300 and D300s, fast responsive and with its crop factor great for sport and wildlife.

Since the full frame D4 and D800 people have been waiting for the D300 replacement but it has not arrived.

The D7000 series has been a great series of cameras and can be well recommended but they are not D300 replacements.

If you want to know more check out Chris’s blog and the usual review sites.

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First seeds sown

SeedsThe end of February saw us setting the first seeds of the year.  Whilst the onion sets are already planted and the potatoes are out to chit, this weekend was the first weekend of sowing seeds. Cabbage and Leeks, sowed direct into seed trays then out into the cold frame.

Last year we had great success with the leeks but the cabbage white catapillar decimated the cauliflowers, lets hope this year we have better success.