Family, Photography and other misc news
Today Nikon announced some updates to their exotic telephoto’s. Both the 500mm f/4 and the 600mm f/4 received updates.
The main thing is updated elements containing the new fluorite lens coating which corrects chromatic aberration and allows lighter glass.
When the Leica X Vario was announced it was marketed as a Mini M. With its excelent build quality and image quality, Leica though they had a hit on their hands. Unfortunately coupled with a slow zoom lens, and the marketing hype, it just could not live up to the expectation.
Today we have a new compact announced, this time the Leica Q. Think Sony RX1 crossed with the best bits of a Leica X, add a viewfinder and you have the Leica Q.
A very simple fixed lens compact, with the excellent and innovative focusing of the Leica X (Type 113) but with a Leica full frame sensor and finally a EVF.
One could really call this a mini M. I have read a couple of reviews and finally we have a Leica where the electronics don’t get in the way or slow down the photographer.
You can check out the reviews at most popular photography sites:
http://www.stevehuffphoto.com/2015/06/10/the-leica-q-real-world-camera-review-by-steve-huff/
http://www.slack.co.uk/2015/Hemingway.html
http://blog.mingthein.com/2015/06/10/review-2015-leica-q-typ-116/#more-11294
Its Apple’s World Wide Developers Conference this week. While hardware was not featured we did see the next update to iOS and to OS X.
Nothing spectacular but the multitasking updates for iOS for the latest iPads and the graphics and windowing improvements to OS X are nice additions. If the performance updates for Adobe are real then a new Mac and the new OS may make things really fly!
If you don’t like motorcycles or motorcyclists then once again, this weekend was not the time to be in Lincoln. This weekend was the Lincoln Bike Fest, and annual event where hundreds of bikers turn up and park up on the Brayford Wharf. Its worth a visit to see the sites and there are some nice restaurants and bars also on the Wharf so plenty to do.
I am still working on my scanning technique but here is one from a test last week. 
The lovely Lincoln Cathedral, one of the oldest Gothic buildings in Europe.
Got the chance to look at the new 12 inch MacBook from Apple. Its a fantastic little laptop, not suitable for real power work, but if all you need is Office apps, email and internet its a fantastic little road warriors laptop.
For me, I have it down to either a new 15 inch MacBook Pro or the desktop MacPro if I can get one from the refurb store at a good discount.
One good thing about living near Lincoln is that there always seems to be something going. Whether the Santa Run or Lincoln Christmas Market in the winter to cycle races and Steam Punk events.
Last weekend was Lincoln’s 1940’s weekend and unfortunately I could not make it but from looking at the photographs people have been post on the Internet it looks like it was a fun filled weekend with lots of photographic opportunities.
I cannot believe its June already. Where is the year going? For us its being a very quiet/busy May; I know that sounds conflicting but we have just not had time to get anything really done.
Caroline’s father has been in hospital having a new knee, so things have been focussed round him, which is why we have been busy. So on the house and garden front its been very quiet.
I can say that the Peas, Beans, Leaks, Lettuce and Potatoes are going great. The cabbages though are not surviving, someone is eating them big time and stripping all the leaves off.
Hopefully June will see us back in the garden and also finally laying the new floor in the music/library/studio room which apart from the floor and some furniture is finished. I cannot wait to have my first studio shoot in there.