Old and new 25's and a rant about rendering.

The post on Petapixel/Yannick Khong about the 3D rendering of older lenses* got me pondering the merits of my ancient Pen lens compared to my state of the art kit level 25mm.

First up, Bokeh

Same f2.8 aperture, roughly the same shooting distance and foreground focus point (hard to be scientific when you can’t even be bothered to get out of bed). The Bokeh is obviously different with the older lens. It is looking a lot like the 17mm f1.8’s rendering, messier but more coherent of OoF details. I love how the older lens (left) treats colours with an antique touch, except the skin tones of my wife’s foot (the missing focal point) were a touch washed out. The out of frame green wall has a beautiful 70’s film look (see below).

Again, the old lens on the left. This file has had a little treatment (lightened and with de-hazing applied which it often requires at f2.8), but the bokeh was left alone. The new lens looks smoother and more settled, but possibly less interesting. The wider than 25mm true focal length of the new lens really shows out here to. The third image is the new lens at f1.8. Typically razor sharp on the point of focus, the DoF drop-of does not look to be as dramatically different to the 2.8 image as the aperture should suggest (even allowing for the slightly greater distance). This possibly helps support my theory that the drop is by design more dramatic (modern on-trend) with this lens and any wider aperture can apply it.

At these distances the older lens seems to hold up well for sharpness etc, but as with a lot of older film generation lenses, “biting” sharpness and fine detail resolution are not there, because it was simply not needed. This was true also of some well loved old Nikon, Leica and Contax/Zeiss glass I have used.

It must be burdensome to lens designers these days. They know that a lot of less measurable lens characteristics are relevant, but modern scrutiny does not allow them the freedom to express that. An current example of this trend is comparing the three Olympus 17mm lenses. The 17mm f2.8 has a pleasant three dimensional and natural look, but gets canned for it’s sharpness and CA. The 17mm f1.8 has a utility perfectly designed for street and documentary photography, but is again poorly rated for test bench performance, where the 17mm Pro is near “perfect” in it’s Bokeh rendering and sharpness, but without the character (designed acceptance of “flaws”) the older two show.

I think the Panasonic/Leica glass gets hard done by here. A lot of reviews have said the Olympus trio are technically better, but to my eye, I actually prefer the Leica lenses, even the plastic 25mm over the Oly pro.

What the new 25mm is best at, sharp plane of focus and smooth fall away. the spotted sheet is a Bokeh torture test, that it handles well enough. Remember this is a 25mm lens, not a 50mm as on a full frame, so the DoF is coming from a wide angle by FF measurements. The Olympus engineers have possibly worked to exaggerate the drop off of DoF to help smaller format users get the bigger sensor look.

*I am still on the fence about the 3D vs flat look debate. There is something in specific cases and the data is reasonable and probably provable, but i do not feel it has much effect on (my) photography as the muddy middle ground of most gear and situations. The love I have for my 17mm, which has always gone against technical measurement, is possibly explained by this phenomenon as is my “one trick pony” feeling towards my 75mm, but I do remember having similar feelings towards the 135L, (especially compared to the more powerful 200L) I used for years before, and that is rated at the other end of the scale to the 75.

Personally I do feel there I a predictable flatness about the rendering “feel” of some of my Olympus glass, but some of my favourite images have been taken with them, so on a case by case basis, I can live with it.

More 3d than most? This is the 1DsMk2 with the 135L at work in an old file, the original lost to time. The problem is, and this is the rub, you need direct comparisons to be able to tell. if that is the case, then does it just fall into the same category as the pixel peeping race and sensor filtering levels, irrelevant without head to head comparison and micro scrutiny?

The argument may also be subject to personal taste.

I know that when I show people two similar images with different Bokeh rendering, they may respond differently to the two images, but often do not pick why. If the difference is pointed out, they can often see it, but equally often could not care less.

When the same exercise was tried on some friends and family they simply did not recognise the difference in “flatness” because identical images were not shown and the difference was too subtle. I will not dispute there is a strong argument for the phenomenon existing, but I do doubt there is enough feeling of loss out there to make a difference.

The people who will know and care will know why there is a difference, but the common shooter, even pro’s will be too obsessed with sharpness, convenience, Bokeh (a term they can latch onto even if misguidedly**) and prestige to shift thinking. These people may respond to a particular lens as we once responded to Bokeh, on an instinctive level, but without any recognised terminology or awareness to apply to that instinct they will use terms like “snappy”, or “glassy” even “three dimensional”, without thinking more deeply on the subject. Like film to digital or even film to film changes, the current look of lenses it is now fashionable and accepted, so it will take a powerful and compelling new fashion to shift it.

This is exactly the point Yannick makes himself.

**I think it highly ironic, that the pervading lack of understanding of the varieties and applications of all of the many different types of Bokeh has created a hunger for “perfect” blur only. True masters of Bokeh or lens rendering “character” will use the right type for it’s best application. Flat Bokeh, begets flat rendering. The problem arose I think when the Japanese awareness of Bokeh from a purely visual sense had to become a measurable thing in the west.

It got scienced to death.

I remember reading the first articles ever on Bokeh in Photo Techniques May/June 1997. The feel and look of the example lenses and their explanations by the photographer’s using them was emotional, exciting and seemed so very logical, but the one article I could not be bothered with was the scientific explanation. Bokeh balls…phuehgh!

Imperfection or the other side of creativity

If the review-a-sphere is to be believed, a good image making machine must have many good or preferably better than good characteristics.

High dynamic range, still often not good enough, so HDR has become a softening trend, super sharpness and perfect noise control are all desirable features.

Like a lot of things, there is also a second side to this thinking.

How about a low dynamic range image with strong shadows and lots of negative space, allowing drama and graphic compositional strength? I remember seeing a series of street images by John Isaac (ex- U.N. photographer), who expertly used effectively black shadows to cut his images into positive/negative space. The early Olympus digital cameras he was using were DR limited by more modern digital standards, but he used the deepness of the black as a creative tool, not a barrier. This was also common with film, even though it had greater dynamic range than a lot of early digital sensors.

A save of a truly horrific colour file, shot through dirty and flare covered glass at Melbourne zoo.

What about grain (noise) for texture and added perceived acutance? Grain was a common acutance (edge sharpness) tool in black and white. very fine grained images were fine, but often a little introduced texture could actually look sharper, even if there was effectively no detail retained.

Nothing technically good about this image, but still a personal favourite from my first trip overseas with digital. The camera (1000D Canon, chosen for it’s light weight) struggled at ISO 1600 especially with a little under exposure and the lens (35 f1.4L chosen because it was good even if heavy) was not perfect wide open and had no stabiliser.

Lots of texture, tone and some grain.

Sometimes an image just falls short of technical adequacy, but still has something to offer.

There is a print of this image hanging in our hall. It is one of few. As much as I love printing and love sharing, I struggle with this print. This image is technically poor enough, it jangles my nerves. Same dynamic as above.

The benefit of 10 years of advancement in stabiliser, lens and camera design achieves much higher technical competency, but is it any better on viewing?

What about softness, because sharp is only one way, not all the ways an image can be good?

An ancient garden shot, so lost to history (and a computer crash), I had to download my own Deviant Art upload. It reminds me (in passing, not equivalence) of Ansel Adam’s “Caladium Leaves Honolulu 1948”. I wish I had the original file for a retry of the processing.

There are lots of rules. Break them.

E-M1X quick thoughts

Well, it seems I no longer have the top M43 camera. No real issue for me, as I recently went from no focus tracking to very capable tracking and have little use for it anyway.

The market is no doubt going to run hot for the next few months, debating the relevance of a $3k+ (U.S.) camera and there will be, as with most arguments relevant and irrelevant comments made, and lots of both.

My feeling is much as I have stated recently.

The market, currently moving past the crop/full frame sensor SLR thinking will fragment into two, more defined and clearly split markets.

In the red corner will be a series of smaller sensor cameras ranging from 1” through M43 to a few APSC sized ones. These cameras will rely on innovative tech to support giant killing competitors, but the real point will be, they will not be competitors. These cameras will offer their own advantages in performance, size and design that will allow them to have a clearly defined and relevant role in the photographic future.

This user will be content with enough resolution to fill an A2+ sheet of paper, can accept the ISO trade off*** and may be video orientated and/or have genuine concerns about kit form factor. Some will be drawn be technical advancements either first seen or more easily implemented on smaller formats (apparently Olympus has broken the gyro stabiliser limit of 6.5 stops imposed on us by global physics!). Ironically, the irrelevance of ISO, common use of multi frame merging and benefits in DOF and lens design make M43 ideal for landscape shooting, where full frame dominates.

The E-M1X is as relevant as any other camera, but like the clever, nimble, short guy in the basketball team, it will have to score twice as many points to prove that. Interestingly, on paper it matches or betters it’s competition (1DX2 and D5) stat for stat except for the sensor size and mirrorless advantages. If Olympus can match or better their AF performance, then the only thing standing in their way will be ISO performance, which they have some fixes for***. Canon and Nikon already offer similar, smaller sensor cameras in the 7D2 and D500, so there is clearly a market there for sports specialists.

They will also be the enthusiast or emerging (from compact camera) market. Logically, there will always be a need for a smaller format and also an introductory format. Arguments over achievable quality will and should have already been shelved with the realisation that we have had more than enough for a while.

*

In the blue corner will be the “nothing is too much or too big” segment. Here the pixel counts will continue to grow as will sensor sizes. The two main constraints here are, as there have always been are sensor manufacture economics and the physics of lens design. This is the age of the “super” lens with all that entails (How heavy would all of the Sigma ART lenses be if stuffed into one bag?), but the reality is lens size is directly related to sensor size, not camera size.

Never before have we had so much power, but power always comes at a cost. Full frame users can carry around glass that puts some medium format film lenses to shame in mass alone. The development of these mega imaging tools will actually increase the relevance of the smaller formats for many people. In the past many smaller formats have been tried, but they always fell short due to the a lack of a clear size/weight/cost to quality benefit (APSC**** was actually one of those failed systems as was half frame which should be rightly called first frame as it came first).

1” and bigger sensors are past those concerns, or should be, already being accepted by many who bother to try them as more than adequate for professional, even fine art work. They have in effect become the modern 35mm, with full frame becoming more aligned with medium format (i.e. more quality but at a size and lens magnification “penalty”).

*

There was always room and relevance for the quality obsessed 8x10'“ or 4x5” large format photographer, along side the 35mm, 120 and smaller practitioner. There will be in the future, even if the internet needs the argument to stay fresh to keep it’s readership interested.

The main consideration is probably more to do with who we are dealing with in these format wars rather than the formats themselves.

The M43 consortium, Sony, Canon, Pentax/Ricoh and Fuji are large companies with secure foundations in development that in one way or another supports their camera divisions*. Nikon are the traditional giants in cameras with no other strong divisions so are possibly the most fragile, but the reality is, unlike the Korean giant Samsung who do everything based on their bottom line with a dominate or drop formula, no Japanese company will simply fold under the weight of failure**. It is not culturally acceptable. They may dump formats to some extent, but as long as there is support enough they will continue on. Olympus has even traded successfully out of a recent legal, moral and financial quagmire.

The best thing would be for everyone to accept the variety available as a benefit, not feel the need to nail lids on coffins of one opinion or the other.

Token image taken on an ancient camera. It prints up to 30” square beautifully.

*A Canon rep once quipped that 90% of their profile was in cameras, but 90% of their income came from other divisions such as printers and ink.

**Ricoh merging with Pentax and Sanyo selling some divisions into Panasonic are examples of Japanese business practice.

***The trade off being balanced out with smaller and cheaper fast and long lenses, with deeper depth of field at the same aperture and better implemented (due to size) stabilisers (hand holdable 800mm f2.8 equiv with 7+ stop stabiliser anyone?). The format gains effectively 2 stops of reach to speed or speed to depth of field advantage to make up for 1-4 stops of lower high ISO performance depending on the compared camera.

****It’s interesting that both APSC and Full Frame formats are named after defunct film format systems and one of those even misleadingly covers more than one digital equivalent. The term “full frame” does not even make sense. All formats are “full frame” for their format, so the assumption the 35mm film format is “the frame” to be measured against is, I guess assumed (I suppose medium format is “over” frame?). For more on this The Online Photographer has an interesting essay on the history of 35mm format. It turns out it was not even accepted as natural in it’s early days, but like the English language it rose to the top through volume of use and convenience.

what to pack for...

Another hypothetical, but what would I pack if I were going on a portrait specific shoot?

This is a favourite kit. It is my “core” both philosophically and technically. I do not get to do as much portrait work as I would like, but when I get the chance to actually share time and get to know someone, something great may come of it. Much of my favourite portrait work is of a client sensitive nature, but I have a few samples at hand, even if they are technically street images.

The Pen F and 45mm are the sweetest combination. I find it compelling enough to allow for clear decision making. It is perfect or something else is clearly better.

After the Pen and 45 comes the 17 for environmental and interactive compositions, the 25 if space is limited with the 45 and the 75, for those images that need pronounced separation or compression.

Apart from differing focal lengths, each lens has very different character and I believe the Olympus engineers have made each specifically to their role.

The 17 is natural, a little gritty and quite three dimensional. It is a story telling lens.

The 25 is literal, lush, smooth and brilliant. It has better Bokeh than the 45mm, but is a little unforgiving of focus errors.

The characteristic richness of the 25mm (and 12-40). This gave me a life line to my much missed Canon colour in the early days of the EM5.

The 45mm has a perfect balance between hard and soft sharp, with it’s widest aperture settings changing it’s look dramatically. At f1.8-2 it has a gentle sharpness that does not fight the DOF drop off. At f2.2-2.8 it becomes sharper and a little harder. At f4 it could hardly be sharper. This character is generally more appealing to me than a near perfect, predictable lens through the range.

The 75 is that perfect and predictable lens. It has a strong flattening effect that compliments it’s sharpness wide open. It is a bit of a one look lens, but that look is technically strong. It also shines as a candid portrait lens.

A spare EM5 is thrown in and a battery. The bag is the Filson Field Camera bag, but I have many other options for this clean little kit (Domke F802 if rare flash gear is needed, Filson regular field bag).

The little flash is used for the lightest fill, usually with a cheap little diffuser sock. There is a bigger diffuser/reflector in the background also. I really try to avoid artificial light, but will add to it gently if the effect is beneficial and try to make it as invisible as possible.

If not Olympus? Panasonic (G? 15, 25, 42.5 Leica’s.) or any other brand with equivalent glass, including the big three independents. This is the area I am most comfortable with M43 gear as I know it intimately, but it is also the most enticing area to shop as portrait lenses must be the best serviced type in photography. there is no brand, including Sony who are a little thin on options that does not do portrait glass well.

what to pack for....

As an extension of the Landscape bag reveal, I thought I would look at the longer expedition version of the same kit. This kit is a little more comprehensive as subject and logistical realities will be paramount and the assumption is this outfit can handle extended periods away from home.

The rugged EM1 would be in instead of the Pen F and 2 EM5’s added for versatility and depth (sh#t happens even to the best cameras). The assumption is weather will always be a factor, so the go-to lenses would be the 12-40 and 12-100 pro zooms. Both zooms can do each other’s jobs but their combined weight is less than a full frame 24-70 f2.8 zoom. The 75-300 and 25 prime would be used in any but the riskiest of circumstances (possibly the 75-300 would be replaced by a 40-150 pro and extender if funds/weight allow, possibly in exchange for the 12-100).

The usual filter, card, cleaning and battery stocks. The ability to clean a sensor and glass in the field would be wise.

A late edition is the 20,000 mh battery pack at the bottom. I have 8 batteries in total for my kit (10 if I borrow back my wife’s Pen mini), but only two for the EM1. This pack will give me about 8-12 charges.

One of the advantages of a modern, non full frame mirrorless kit is the ability to carry backup gear without breaking the process. The fast prime is a must for occasional low light portraits.

Knowing myself reasonably well, I know I would be drawn to short to medium telephoto compositions more often than not, so the 12-100 would be the first lens mounted, then the 12-40 as a lower light or less cumbersome option. I can also mount polarising and ND filters onto one permanently and not the other, making me much more responsive to changing situations.

The limit of a 12mm (24e) lens is reduced by two factors; I do not like overly wide perspective (that is for others to do well) and I can stitch a 2-3 frame panoramic as needed. If this changes, the little Laowa 7-5 would probably be added, but the reality is, only one image on this post was shot with a lens wider than a standard focal length (the ferns). The one directly below was taken using the full frame equivalent of a 200mm.

Assuming that what ever can go wrong will, a roll of cloth tape and a Gerber Suspension would be included as well as the usual trekking gear.

The tripod set up is semi modular and pretty basic. A medium weight head and legs with a light weight, backup head and legs with the ability to swap as needed. I am long over being precious about tripods. They need to be steady enough for a light M43 rig using electronic shutter and tall enough to reach my chest (41/2 feet). After that I really do not care.

The bag is a little trickier. The Pro tactic 350 Lowepro is the logical choice if I am working from a mobile/static base and for getting gear stowed safely, but if I am hiking in/out, the Inverse 100 (modified, see review) and a regular expedition back pack would be used. The extra kit would be in a padded bag at the top of my pack or in the smaller zip-on pack on the back. I could also carry a set of external bags and pouches and the removable waist belt from the Pro tactic for more options.

What would I use if not this? Again the Panasonic range would offer a logical alternative (G9, 12-60, 50-200 and 15 f1.7 Leica’s) as would Fuji (XT3, XH-1, 14, 18-55, 100-400, 90 macro), otherwise I would right now turn to SLR’s. Canon (7DII with 70-200 f4LII and 6DII with 24-70f4 IS, 1.4 extender and 50 f2.5 macro/portrait-love that old lens or 40mm pancake), Pentax (K-1 FF/CF cross-over kit as above), or Nikon (probably a D7500 for speed & D7200 for back up and added resolution, with a 16-85, 70-200 F4, extender and 50 f1.4 G). I would prefer mirrorless, but if I had to choose right now from Canon, Nikon and Pentax, SLR’s would be my choice.

Printing and satisfaction

What do you take photo’s for?

I take them to share me artistic vision, my personal take, on the things that “ring my bell” and how I chooses to interpret them. This must be formed from an elements of ego, curiosity and a need for acceptance, as these are the only driving forces in play (protection of those close to me and survival being effectively irrelevant in this context).

My first and most critical (and easiest to deceive) viewer is myself and I hope that that stays that way, because I dread the day I do not care or I think I have done it all.

Next are friends and family who are supportive by nature, so they are more easily impressed and finally the broader public, who can be inspiring or tough, but usually honest.

Posting on this site gives me some satisfaction. It can potentially reach anyone, anywhere in the world allowing my singular take on the places I go be interpreted, appreciated or ignored as desired by viewers who have their own, different perspective of the world. This can be exciting, but, from my end purely speculative.

True satisfaction, for me, comes from printing.

A print is permanent, tactile, resilient, beautiful in it’s own right, subtle and powerful. A print is a celebration of an image. No social media has the ability to just “be” for extended periods of time, allowing the viewer (even the maker) to discover, or re-discover it at different times and in different light. I personally find screen saver images annoying as their importance is at odds with their inconvenience as the thing blocking your entry into the device.

The print can come into your life periodically by chance rather than by choice. It can be there when your guard is down, filling a space on a wall patiently until needed. It can be inspiring, even triggering fond memories or just bolstering your confidence, reassuring you that you can achieve, even if you did not realise you did need it to.

Which prints you create is key. If you get too carried away with the process and start hanging anything that prints reasonably or takes your fancy in the short term, you run the risk of loosing interest, even reducing the whole process to a shadow of it’s potential.

The last thing you want to do is treat printing like social media, short term and disposable.

A cheaply printed lab image in a store bought frame, but the perfect reminder of our lost friend Jack. The placement of the print (in our bedroom in a quiet corner) allows me to re-discover him often, regardless of my mood.

For a print to soar, it must be relevant, technically sound (the level of technical accomplishment and presentation is of enormous importance, only trumped by relevance), properly sized and placed well.

This may sound like a pretty strict shopping list of needs, but the reality is, the process is where the satisfaction lies.

Posting an image to social media or a web page is relatively easy. The site will be tweaked for best presentation (hopefully), it will be viewed on a variety of back lit devices and it’s staying power, even if insanely popular only needs to be sustained in very short hits each viewing.

I know as well as any other, that my own standards drop when posting. The images are down sized, often chosen to show a point or as fillers for articles. The processing is aimed at punch and to eye catching as the viewer will or will not pay into it almost immediately and most importantly, it is going out to an anonymous world anonymously. ironically, I feel an image, even a sacrificial one, is needed to make a post noticeable.

Choosing a print can be harder and at the same time easier than posting to a site. If you ask your self the simple question “Is this worth the time, expense and emotional investment to print?” the answer usually comes pretty quickly.

The photo above of Jack’s framed image took a grand total of 3 minutes from idea to uploaded image. I actually like the tones and composition enough to think “printable?” on a basic level, but I am immediately aware of the image’s technical short-comings. This heightened awareness of follow through to a displayable product is one of the key reasons to print.

It makes you a better photographer. You do not cut corners at the beginning of the process, because you know it undermines any further investment.

It makes you a better processor. Processing to print teaches you a lot about image making (see point 1).

It makes you a better editor of your own work. Self editing is tough, but editing to printable standard helps remove the chaff. It allows you one clear and realistic question, “print or no print?”.

It allows you to define yourself as an artist, even leading to full series of prints and a clarity of vision.

It makes/helps you share and gain critique passively or more actively (great personalised gift). Hanging a print takes some courage. The print can then hang until noticed (or not), but does not require anonymous “likes” to instantly accumulate.

It is another hobby in itself, maybe even being your off season process for image making. I find summer can be less fulfilling as a photographer, so the hottest months will be reserved for printing.

It gives your images more presence, lifting them (and you) to the next level**. There is simply no higher form of display for a photographic image. Even a seemingly underwhelming image can lift if seen from the perspective of a print.

It gives your favourite images a physically stable, often archival, backup (really important!)***. The realistic life span of a single digital file is 5-15 years if you are careful (backing up and regularly transferring to upgraded devices not withstanding). Pigment dye prints have a 100 year+ storage life and are not format dependant.

It makes the whole process real, adding relevance and satisfaction to your expensive hobby. If you ask yourself “what is ultimately the most satisfying destination for my work?” this may be the answer.

Last but not least, Printing does not worship the computer screen gods of 100% detail resolution, freeing the printer up to enjoy other characteristics of lenses and subject. Print resolution is tied to pixel counts and other quality needs, but not to the same insane standards computer screens give us access to.

One of my favourite landscape images from a few years ago (especially the mono that I seem to have lost). This image was taken with plenty of pixels and lens quality but external forces were at play (pounding surf lost in the image to the long exposure) and is not sharp.

*With printing, less is more. Too many prints reduce the power of the whole, which is a lesson to remember when posting bucket loads of images to social media. The process itself can help prohibit over saturation, but there is still an element of tough self editing discipline involved.

**Printing and framing almost always empowers an image. When printing is genuinely in the offing, I find I look at my images differently. Even the one of Jack above had little presence when viewed as a basic 6x8 lab print. I sometimes “see” an image that will grow another foot when in a frame, one that would otherwise sit in the so-so category.

*** The projected life span of a digital image is apparently 5 years if device based, although cloud storage does offer potentially longer if you are lucky. Formats change, devices die, hard drives crash and things get lost/deleted. It happens. Meanwhile the box of old prints under the spare bed sits patiently until needed. Even pro level ink-jet printers can make prints that have archival storage lives of 50+ years.

Your do not need to go out and buy a printer, but if you are inspired to, be aware that the journey to good printing is not necessarily quick or easy, but even if you rely on a good lab, please print, frame and share.

It will do you as much good as it does those you share with.

Why I Do It

I had a great chat with a customer today about the merits of various mirrorless brands from the perspective of a landscape and/or travel-street shooter. This is the stuff I turn up to work for.

Keen on seeing if the Sony range suited (no real lens size relief), as he was a full frame user, then the Fuji range, then to both of our surprise, looking at the M43 range (interested).

Using a Pentax K-1, he is well serviced in the full frame arena with a camera/brand that is a bit of a sleeper in Australia, but well love in other parts of the world, but weight is a consideration when traveling (his kit maxes out the carry on limit) and for hikes to out of the way places when the elements are against him . Like many of us he is not a full time photographer, so has to make the most of his precious time.

I gave him a few sites to look at to reduce his jump off jitters (been there) and included my own site to their more esteemed company.

So, Hi Scott from Ulverstone if you are reading, here is a crop from a recent shoot from a purely qualitative perspective. The cameras and techniques were (unless otherwise stated), the EM1 or Pen F, with the 12-100 f4 hand held, with normal resolution Raw to jpeg Lightroom, minor processing, mostly a gentle pre-set and a little brush work on the centre. No doubt a better Photoshop exponent could do more.

The “A3” size crop

The “maxed out” crop.

And another of my muse Miss Daisy.

original 12-100 and EM-1

Crop from the standard res version.

Crop from the high res 50mp jpeg version.

Hope this helps.

Fickle winds of change (or make up your mind!)

Looks like the 60mm macro is going back. It is still in the 14 day exchange window we have at work and it is just not winning me over.

As a portrait lens it is good, though redundant, but as a macro, I actually prefer (for my needs) the two handy zooms and 25mm prime. The 12-40 has nicer and more consistent Bokeh, the 12-100 a longer working distance and 1:3 is ample. I cannot help thinking that a little extension tube on my 25mm would probably do if I ever need anything closer.

I tried to justify it’s existence as a filler between the 12-40 and 75-300, but that is at odds with the 12-100’s role as landscape paragon.

Likes;

• small, lighter than the 75 and longer than the 45.

• weather proof (as are the two zooms)

• true macro.

Dislikes;

• bland rendering with no “X” factor

• iffy Bokeh (quite geometric in shape)

• annoying design (focus range lock)

• one lens too many in an already over crowded space.

Speaking of one lens too many, based on my last couple of posts, I am looking to possibly get the 25 f1.4 Leica again. This lens, although repeating a focal length for the 4th time has a couple of features I like.

Even though the 20mm is a little more consistent and has nicer Bokeh, and the Olympus 25 (2x?) is mechanically better, optically more consistent and smaller, there is a certain something that I really miss about that Panasonic/Leica look. This is the lens I often site as the one I miss the most when I culled miscellaneous brands*. The Pen and EM-1 have added that more delicate look back into my kit with lenses like the 45mm, so maybe the subtle difference would be redundant and we are talking about a portrait specific application, which I seldom do. I am not sure I am paying into the 3D/flatness thing, yet (although ironically that may be the macro’s issue). I am not a denier, but I am not sure it bothers me that much. I get that some lenses do have a flat and lifeless look, but within reason, the lenses I have are solid and likeable, and I am not using the super fast-over corrected type Yannick Khong has talked about, even by his own measure. I even find the Oly 45 has a similar in feel to the 85mm Canon that he rates much higher.

Also in the mix is the 7.5mm Laowa. Not a huge user of wide angles, let alone super wides, this may open some creative doors for me with landscapes. It is funny that a super wide angle appeals to me more than a regular wide. The tiny little lens has a filter thread, which most super wides do not, it is very good by all accounts when stopped down, but sharp enough in the centre wide open, so some weird street could be possible and it is corrected, not fisheye. This feels a bit forced. If I have no need now, would this be much the same as the macro, a filler or “just in case” lens outside of my comfortable work flow.

Option three is the Pana/Leica 15, which I have always lusted after. This lens could make my much loved 17mm redundant, but i think they are so different I could find a use for them (the 17 is a little heavy handed in flat light, the 15 a little washed out in bright light?). It is small enough to be added to the kit as needed and has genuine edge to edge sharpness for landscapes, but so do both of my zooms!

Option four. A new printer, which seems like the boring, practical but most logical option. Mono files printed on archival matt paper are the weakness of my current printer, which could be easily fixed with a Pro 10s Canon or even the monster Pro 1000. The 1000 would also allow me to print bigger. Ed. I went with this, ordering the Pro 10s.

The fifth option is to hold on to the money and wait to see what the long lens landscape coughs up.

*There are images I have taken with the lens, especially with the harder sensor and processor of the EM5 that had a delicacy and deepness that I lost when I sold it. Sure it had an annoying chinking sound as the aperture blades shifted on an Olympus camera. It was a little big and the hood was huge, but there is a hard to define presence to the lens that, rather than a pedestrian macro, will add something to my kit and my frame of mind.

I do not think I will be chasing those illusive legacy lenses with all of their potential magic, but I will be looking to expand my range of rendering options within reasonable bounds.

My edge.

Looking into a new year, free of (much missed) complications like our ailing dog Jack, I have resolved to become more focussed (!) on landscape photography.

Tasmania is as much over serviced by landscape shooters as it is over blessed with visual stimuli. Within 40 minutes of where I am sitting, there are genuine mountains, coast with all variety of beaches and rocky out crops and several native forrest areas ranging from temperate rain forrest or genuine bush. Add to this some attractive rural landscape and there is eye candy aplenty. Drive for an hour and a half and you can be in the midst of some of the wildest country in Australia.

So, the question is, how do you make your mark amidst all of this.

Firstly, don’t give up and do not loose faith that effort, preparedness, skill and an open mind will reap rewards.

Secondly, look at the state of play, looking for an area I am interested in that has relevance, is enjoyable and is not over saturated.

Start, experiment, modify, continue.

The other option (and possibly the best) is to just do it for myself and ignore all outside influences.

The thing I have noticed in the local photographic landscape currently is a lack of fine art black and white imaging, from the top end of town anyway. There is a lot of colour in our landscape, from the beautiful gums, to rich, lush rain forest, but little attempt to capture it in mono. I also feel that with the demise of film, black and white has been in a state of confusion. Well known truisms have become mystical arts, simple procedures are often seen as lost secrets.

When film was either colour or black and white, things were simpler. We all wanted the best quality we could get and the medium gave us boundaries. Remove those boundaries and analysis paralysis sets in. What is right? How will the world judge my choices? Should I use one of those film pre-sets or explore the limits of purely digital black and white?

I must confess to doing a lot of mono film work, but seldom getting what I waned out of it. Wastage, smelly darkrooms, lack of personal vision and far too much experimentation made me a minor walking catalogue of facts and figures but a poor practitioner. Ironically, I find digital black and white a great release from the criminal wastage of curiosity and indecision in the darkroom.

Semi abstract, black and white landscapes will be my core.

1. This offers flexibility with light/weather, where colour is more demanding (I am often time poor). This may not stand up in the field.

2. It uses textures and small, mundane subjects and can stand detail shots without falling into cliched leaf study work. Semi abstract or detail work has always drawn me, whether I am in the Tarkine or my back garden.

3. Mono is less restricted in colour fidelity (obviously) and pure quality. It relies on texture, tone and composition and an tolerate some creative interpretation.

4. It is timeless and reasonably free from the funk of fashion and gimmickry.

5. Processing can be fairly aggressive within traditionally accepted bounds.

6. Colour images may come from it relatively easily and naturally in the deep, muted, mysterious style I favour, meaning i generally get better colour results when shooting for mono than mono from colour, but the mono work would be consistent regardless.

7. It is less common locally,

8. It is more generalised rather than being location specific.

9. It is, apart from what I have said above, out of my comfort zone, forcing clarity of vision and growth.

Struggling with the colour this image naturally revealed, I eventually settled on the mono as the printable file.

“Chasing the money” is not my intent, nor is chasing fame (is that was the case I would do a lot more reviews). I simply want to find a comfortable place to work that is also capable of making my work worthy of others notice. My fear is becoming just another colour landscape shooter in a place where (some times) everyone you meet claims to be one.

The only genuine issue I have is my printer, that is not ideal for mono printing (it is an earlier model Canon with only one black/grey ink, using coloured inks for bulk), but this can be addressed as the need arises.

Imperfect perfection

A; I got a new lens the other day. It is an old one a friend had from their film camera.

B; Is it any good?

A; What do you mean?

B; Is it sharp wide open corner to corner, free of distortion, vignetting and “CA”?

A; Ah…don’t know, but I like the photos it takes!

B; Probably not worth bothering with. Best get your self an ART series Sigma or the like.

A; Will they make my photos better?

B; Sure they will. They are state of the art designs. None of the old stuff is any good for digital.

A Oh..ok, I will bin this one then. Shame. I really liked the images.

Common thinking, although thankfully, there is a little glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel.

Perfection is as perfection does. If all was perfect, all would be ordinary and perfection would offer no variety, character or choice.

Cars, modern camera lenses and computers are all going this way, but people are not (Gattaca anyone?). People come in all shapes and sizes. We vary greatly in capabilities, some excelling at some things and not at others, many just being ok at a lot of things, but the important thing is, we are all different.

Imperfection is the basis for variety. Once perfecting something is possible and full control of it’s creation process is gained, then we loose the desire for imperfection, but loose so much in the process. Even gross imperfection has it’s charm and occasional uses (penicillin came from poor cleanliness).

When selecting lenses we all tend to use the same criteria.;

a recommendation from a trusted source,

duplicating the results of another who uses said lens (or one like it),

a need to fill a range or capability short fall, sometimes limited by the options available,

convenience.

fashion (seriously).

Sharpness and other objective characteristics are the measure used, usually to allow us to move on happy that we have made a sound choice.

Bokeh has become a popular characteristic of lenses in the last twenty or so years, even though it is sometimes miss understood and hard to measure. This is probably the first time in modern history that a character type has been singled out as a qualitative measure.

From early on, I was drawn to M43 for the quality of the lenses. They are sharp thanks to the design freedom the makers have and the sharp (especially for their time) sensors. When the new, no or low AA filter sensors emerged around 2012, they came as a revelation in a in a period where the major makers were applying ever stronger filtering on their cameras to combat the pixel count they felt compelled to increase. I remember running a budget 1000D Canon on a multi thousand dollar Tilt and shift lens (for multi stitched images) because the puny 10mp sensor had very light filtering compared to the 15-18mp models they were doing at the time.

In hindsight, I was very quick to jump on to the band wagon of sharp over all else. For the next couple of years, especially before I got on top of the EM5 sensor, the struggle was to get back some of the smooth, lushness that I had lost moving from Canon.

(Miss tagged originally as an image taken on an old Zeiss 50mm), this was actually taken using the Canon 85mm on a full frame, but the point remains. This depth and smoothness was what I missed.

And with a little processing finness, I found it.

Very early on, I was more satisfied with my camera choice as my lens arsenal included a clutch of ancient Zeiss glass from Contax, a couple of modern Panasonic Leica lenses, a couple of Sigma’s and some old (to very old) Nikon Ai/Ai-S glass. They added both distraction and fixes.

What I had was variety, warts and all.

Then came the clean out. I sold the Zeiss to a friend for his Fuji, the Panasonic lenses went for a variety of reasons (mostly not thought through, minor Oly/Pana niggles) and the other bits and pieces all found homes. I remember a feeling of unease as the Leica 25mm went. A feeling I had “lost a foot”.

What I gained was a clean and logical kit, with matching, consistent rendering. What I lost was choice. I lost character outside of the one character type I had chosen. Don’t get me wrong, I like my brand of choice for the most part, but no one brand is perfect at everything.

Terribly over processed as a reaction to the lenses lower native contrast and my tastes at the time (the original is lost to the great crash of 2012), but taken on a Canon with a legacy 70’s era 200mm Nikon lens.

The future of photography, I believe, is going to be less about pure quality and more about subjective “qualities”. The lens adapter will become common place as serious shooters look for any difference, a way of standing out from the pack. I strongly feel that the modern shooter will be as loyal to a camera brand as needs allow, but will be lens brand agnostic.

Adapters will rule!

No longer the ugly necessity, adapters will become the smart shooters magic bullet. Why limit your self to one brand or even one generation of glass? I have a feeling, the value of older glass is about to go up as these ancient jewels start to show their value as the difference to trend, not the conforming same.

A blast from the 60’s. This is my only legacy lens now, an original Pen 25mm. Love that five bladed aperture.

Might look up that friend with the Zeiss lenses.

Lens Character and the hidden 20mm.

I have been thinking a lot about character of lenses and cameras lately.

The reality is, perfection is easy, character hard. Yannick Khong, on his blog has been (in his words) recently obsessed with the 3D vs flattening effect of some lenses and more recently the fickle dynamic of “work capable” or fully corrected lenses and character filled or “X” factor lenses. Many lenses are “perfect”, but lack that dark side where beauty hides, while the more exciting lenses can often lack “safe” or predictable enough characteristics to be trusted for pro work.

I thought, as a little exercise to try out 4 lenses in the same (!?) focal length*, settings (all f4) and light. All lenses were focussed manually with magnification on the robot’s body as the glass might fool the AF.

First lens, 25mm G. Zuiko for the 1960-70’s Pen cameras on a Fotodiox adapter.

Second lens, 25mm M Zuiko f1.8

Third lens, M Zuiko 12-100 Pro

Fourth Lens, M Zuiko 12-40 Pro

There is a subtle difference in rendering

Same order left to right as above.

Not much of a difference in the real world, but maybe plays out to my instinctive reaction to the lenses.

The old 25 exposes about a half stop darker, so I lightened it up for better comparison, then it showed lower contrast and less vibrant colour. It is also hazy (though sharp) at f2.8. At f4 it is almost in the same sharpness class as these lenses. It possibly (as Yannick’s blog theorises) has more 3D snap, but this is (as he also often found) at the expense of less smooth Bokeh and other optical compromises.

It is also obvious to me that the two 25’s are for different reasons the slightly flatter and less exciting images of the four. The 12-40 looks nicest to my eye.

The newer 25 (21!) and the 12-40 are similar in rendering and contrast, which fits with the less micro contrasty, modern portrait Bokeh “feel” I get from them. The green ipad speaker blobs are a little less coherent in the new 25/12-40 images, but the book text is slightly smoother also. This makes them ideal for portraiture.

The old 25 and 12-100 seem to have more in common here. Their rendering of the blob is slightly more coherent**, but equally the text edges are a little less smooth. It is hair splitting between the two zooms, but the two primes are quite different in character.

Just for fun, a little more post to the old 25’s image. Not bad for a lens older than most of us and this was not one of the stand out lenses of the range! That Bokeh is a little nervous looking, but the subtly 3D and old school look of the lens adds another arrow to my quiver.

What have I learned?

1. The lenses as assigned in my head are best suited to their purposes or it makes little real difference in practice.

2. This micro analysis only proves out known facts and in this case they are minor considerations (the lenses are more alike than they are different).

3. Olympus has made three premium lenses with very similar performance (at these focussing distances anyway), but could manage a good lens over 50 years ago, so that should come as no surprise.

4. I have a secret 20mm, or at least a wider than 50mm equivalent.

5. The old lens may have a use in the future.

6. I need to be a little more careful when doing these tests (see * and **).

I really need to compare the two zooms at longer distances, to make sure i am on the right track for landscapes. When I tested the 12-100 at about 50m, it left all challengers in it’s dust, but there was not a 12-40 available at the time to compare.

*OK I messed up the focal lengths. It turns out that the two 25’s are not in agreement. I was a bit sloppy with matching the first and second images, but I adjusted the third image to match (roughly) the coverage of the second one and the lens showed 21mm in Lightroom (no way to tell on the barrel except to say it was backwards of 25mm). I then adjusted the fourth shot to match these as close as I could be bothered and again got 21mm! It looks like I have a 20mm after all.

**It appears I made a slight focussing error with the 12-100. The finger prints on the front of the glass are sharp (not on the others), where the robot is a little less so. This makes the slightly more coherent background blob even a more interesting.

Next trip

All booked and ready (very ready….oh the waiting) for our next trip to Japan.

We have been before and will undoubtedly go again, so this trip a little experimenting with kit.

Usually the kit comprises of;

2 EM5 bodies (one in the left hand and one on a long strap,

17, 45 and either 75-300 or 75mm long lenses with the 25mm thrown in just in case.

This allows me speed and range as well as being low profile for street shooting.

The kit more or less for the last few years.

Technique is usually Aperture priority with the ISO set to what ever is reasonable for the light or automatic, with the range limited to 1600. MF set on the 17mm for zone shooting and single point centre focus for the 45mm or longer lenses.

This usually goes into either the Tokyo Porter sling bag or Filson Camera Field bag.

This time;

EM1 with the 12-40 mounted in the left hand fired by left thumb or right hand as needed,

EM5 with the 75-300 or 75 (not sure yet),

17 or 25 as back-up for night shooting.

Technique will change to Shutter priority, auto ISO. AF set on both cameras, with the EM1 using face detect and wide area centre biased focus area. This combo has proven to be almost impossibly fast and seems to choose the right target more often than not. The likely back up plan is to use zone focus like the 17mm or even the 17mm if I take it.

Another option is the 12-40, 60 macro and 75-300.

The bag this time is the Think Tank Turnstyle 10 (review coming). I have been looking for a more comfortable way of carrying gear for a while. My wife and I are walkers. It suits us and I think we see more interesting, simpler things when travelling this way, rather than jumping from one tourist hot spot to the next.

The Turnstyle range and sling style bags in general have always intrigued me, but the foot dropped when the new V2 version in charcoal arrived in store. Love at first sight.

They really are deceptive in their capacity. The Peak Designs Everyday Sling is similar and genuinely weather proof without a separate cover, but I like the straight-drop down tear-drop shape rather than the more top-strap messenger design of the PD. After a moment of indecision between the 10L and 20L (a 15 would have been perfect!), I went with the smaller, as the point is to keep the kit and bag profile down.

The probable kit.

I am sure this will change a little over the next couple of months, but the thinking I like and the bag will accommodate.

What makes a professional.

What makes a photographer a professional?

I work in a camera shop. I am lucky to be in an environment where the bulk of my customers are long term locals and many confess to being semi or fully professional.

I often wonder what the real or honest definition of professional is.

• Is a professional someone who has a lot of gear and is obsessed by stats and performance figures?

• Is a professional someone who carries more gear than they need everywhere “just in case”?

• Is a professional someone who is an expert in one field, but unaware of all others?

• Is a professional a refined crafts person, who goes unnoticed and earns nothing from their photography?

• Is a professional an expert self promoter, maybe even paying more attention to their business model than their skill?

• Is a professional simply someone who turns up to a job with more than one camera?

I suspect the best fall somewhere in the best parts of all of these.

To me the mark of a professional photographer (in the more philosophical sense) is someone who takes the results they produce more seriously than lesser considerations like branding, image or format. Unfortunately, these photographers are often poor self marketers. They go undiscovered or completely unnoticed by all but their closest friends or relatives, lost in their time, sometimes forever. One of the most professional photographers I have even met was a one time professional with all of the excesses and vices that came with, but later in life became a true master craftsman, working in semi retirement on commissions, custom modifying cameras and dark room equipment or teaching. To me he was a true professional. His care, attention to detail and desire to better his own work constantly, set a bar of excellence that all photographers should take note of.

Some of our customers regularly come in to the shop asking for tips and tricks to help them improve. They will profess to not being professional, but to me, their desires and attitudes are more professional than some who do make a living from the industry valuing trends, self promotion and self image over self awareness and growth.

The above images were taken by a fried on holiday with her compact camera. Her eye, intention to capture “better” images and desire to experiment netted her these and many more like them. She would never claim to be a professional, but I think she has the right eye, attitude and desire to be called one.

Are you a professional? Are you basing your answer only on your lack of photographic earnings or lack of a business name?

Why the past is important

I sometimes feel that I could be perceived to be stuck in the past.

I know that the current technology has freed me up to do the sort of photography that I love and to share that love with others, but my roots are in last century. It is historical fact, not an attitude or perception, just fact.

The reality is, I have still shot film for more than twice as long as I have been using digital (I will be about 60 at the tipping point). I saw the dawn of AF, then digital and may even see the end of photography as we know it.

References to the past are inevitable. All memories, even fresh ones are drawn from your own history, just sometimes very recent history and all stories, old or new are connected directly.

Teaching relies on the past in the hope of a creative and more aware future, basically catching the new generation up with truism known to previous ones and even the photo industry is aware that the easiest way to a customer’s heart is through comfortable familiarity.

Being up to date is important, but so is being aware of what has come before. Fashions and techniques tend to go through cycles (ever faster it seems), often created by necessity or imposed limitations, then come back in homage to their “retro” look and feel.

The reality is, little i photography is truly original. Also true is that no image ever taken is identical in subject, circumstance or relevance to any other. So if nothing is original, equally everything is original. This gives us the opportunity to visit the work of others and apply their principles (in principle) to our own work, without fear of directly plagiarising, but still relevantly.

Most other art forms are dependant of more tactile factors, making even a single brush stroke or sculpting mark original and singular in it’s own right. Maybe the master painter uses the same gear as the student, but that is where the similarity ends. In photography, many tools will produce identical results in the same circumstances, but the personal vision of the photographer, the reason for their efforts, their why is going to be different.

An image made specifically with “retro” 70’s film colours and contrast in mind.

Where is this going?

If the future of photography is to be strong and open to change and most importantly free from technological controls, it must stay aware of the past.

We as a race always make the most of what is at hand, ingeniously coming up with solutions to every obstacle. It seems to me we are at or best when we have the most against us. Where do we go when most of the limitations are removed? Ansel Adams once had to use a hole in his roof as a contact print enlarger. Anyone in the modern world with a mobile phone has more power than that to process their images, so why are there not tens of thousands of Adam’s out there? Was he only relevant because he was one of the first, or would he still float to the top of the pile now, just differently?

Many of the images taken before have effectively “done” a subject, so awareness of what has been achieved is needed to do it better, differently or at least with humility and honesty.

Personally I have the same struggle most have I am sure. Doubts about anything being original or relevant, fear of repetition and bad conceptual/perceptual habits, lethargy and lack of inspiration.

What I do to try to keep the ball rolling;

• keep shooting,

• change style/subject/technique (more or less),

• do a series or project, preferably out of my comfort zone,

• travel,

• talk to others,

• peruse my all too big book connection,

• think on it,

and finally, if none of these work, walk away for a little while until inspiration strikes (I have other hobbies).

The reality is I am a professional only by intent and attitude, not to make a living, so I can cut myself some slack as needed.

All of these techniques owe some small part of their effectiveness to my memories and experiences, i.e. the past.

Micro Four Thirds Depth of Field

One of the common criticisms of M43 is the formats in ability to produce really shallow and dreamy Bokeh or the common interpretation of what shallow depth of field (DOF) is.

If the designers of photographic gear were to start from scratch (as the consortium responsible for Four Thirds and then M43 basically did), ignoring their legacy of 35mm film format (itself a format born of convenience only), then their choices are many. None are perfect, all have strengths and weaknesses.

The right amount of DOF is subjective. Many modern portraitists are interested in very shallow DOF as a modern fashion and strong creative tool.

Like a lot of fashions, this is in direct opposition to past techniques in the same field. Many early photographers, right up to the 2000’s regularly cursed shallow DOF limitations forced on them by slow films, cumbersome lighting rigs, mediocre fast lens performance and far too finicky focussing requirements (and sometimes the needs of even larger formats). Many top portraitist would call f8 dangerously shallow DOF!

Personally, I more often than not struggle to get the required DOF in many of my images, even with the perceived benefit of extra DOF when using M43. What I do appreciate, is the usability of all of the apertures available to me. Even with M43, I prefer f2.8 to a wider aperture.

All images EM5 mk1.

Taken from fairly close distance of a 12” figure with the 45mm at f2.5 (f5.6 or so on a full frame). For me this is the ideal amount of DOF in this image. The subject is separated from it’s background, all of the subject is sharp, against solid but still coherent blur. There is enough information to tell the story. Even though I had to open the lens up to combat the poor lighting, it did not force me to go into a compromisingly shallow DOF zone.

The same lens again at about f2.2 (f4.5 ish on FF). If the DOF was shallower, the subject would be beautifully separated from a more strongly blurred background, but the important situational details would be completely lost (although the distracting tonal merge of the lamp may be reduced, Doh!).

The new Olympus (and older Panasonic Leica) f1.2 lenses offer comparable DOF to f1.8 lenses in the same effective full frame focal lengths, so are still usable for more than semi-gimmicky super shallow “Bokeh monster” ff 1.2 lens and can therefore be used at their maximum apertures on a more regular basis. Olympus has even gone to great lengths to make the background even more cohesive and inclusive by furthering their practical application of “feathered” Bokeh.

My longest, strongest Bokeh machine without resorting to close focus, the 75mm f1.8 at f2. The duality of the composition is retained, but two clear planes of focus fully established. Would more blurring benefit the image, or maybe less?

The 45mm again at f2, telling a story in layers, not just the planes of in/out of focus.

Even using a wide angle lens on the format you can come unstuck. This is the 17mm at f2.8. Due to the relatively close distance, it is impossible to get all of the main subject sharp even with the wide lens and format bonus, but possibly more beneficially the full scene is still conveyed.

The 17mm at f2.8 again. Notice the lamp is not fully sharp.

Shooting with the 17mm wide open at f1.8 in low light. The transition is natural and forgiving. The full frame benefit of better high ISO performance allowing for a smaller aperture would make the difference irrelevant, but the temptation of a wider aperture may ruin the naturalness of the image, making the process more obvious.

On the flip-side, even the M43 advantage can sometimes not help enough. My 300mm f6.7 slow zoom regularly surprises me with how little error room I have.

This is my 75-300 at 300mm “wide open” at f6.7 (that is almost f16 on a full frame!). I still missed perfect focus of the eye for heaven sake.

Would I like the DOF of a full frame again after using m43?

No, not really. Actually, no thanks.

For portraits, I prefer a more gentle transition than the fashionable fast drop off look. personally, I find smoother and slower transition far less distracting and limiting than faster DOF drop off. It seems that most of the portrait images I grew up appreciating had more DOF than I realised. We associate f1.8 on a portrait focal length with good portrait technique, when many working pro’s would seldom use a wider aperture than f4.

The wide aperture style also tends to create flatter looking images and to further increase Bokeh, subject to background distances are often increased, reducing environmental connection. Often the most moving images of people I have witnessed included more than a little situational context. Lack of context equals lack of story, equals a subject without support or connection. Far too many portraits (for my tastes anyway) have become head shots with pleasantly blurred but irrelevant back drops.

For landscapes, there is no practical difference in the field. My f11 is the full framers f22, but that allows me shorter shutter speeds at identical ISO settings.

I can even resist the lure of super fast lenses, although I would like a little more speed at longer focal lengths (a 200 f2.8 maybe?) and I do miss my 40-150 Pro a little bit sometimes.

In low light, I have no fear of using the widest apertures available to me. This gives me a 2 stop (shutter speed/ISO) DOF advantage over the full frame user (who has other high ISO advantages), often evening out the equation, except a M43 lens is effectively twice as long.

Add to the above, the accuracy of mirrorless focus and the seemingly effortless wide open quality of M43 lenses and the DOF advantage of full frame cameras can seem less enticing.

Getting there

A little better than the previous attempts, but I feel lacking the abstraction I am looking for.

EM5 mk1 60mm macro.

Previously I touched on some of the things that can effect Bokeh. This image totally changed Bokeh character when saturation was increased, with the green and blue out of focus areas ballooning slightly.

what to pack for....

Ok. The street bag was fun and easy.

Now to this years projected primary bag.

“What if I were a day tripping Landscape photographer, what would I pack?”

Landscape photography has a few advantages over other types of imaging. Lens quality is important, even more important than in less scrutinised forms, but you have access to the best settings a lens has to offer, often evening out performance. The super fast, sharp when wide open prime is usually a pointless waste of money and weight if used at f8+. Some are even poor performers stopped down due to all the corrections being weighted to the more open apertures.

Although I am a fan of prime lenses for most of my work, zooms also really come into their own for tripod work, offering a minimal or no crop work flow. Get it right in the field and there is no wastage of precious pixels in processing.

Occasionally a lens comes along that offers the same quality as a premium prime with zoom versatility.

The Olympus 12-100 f4 has revolutionised my thinking for landscapes.

I remember all too recently shooting with a Canon full frame, top end “L” primes and resolving to do some serious landscape work. Heavy bag (very), shutter vibration reducing monster tripod (that still failed to tame my 200mm even with precise and unforgiving technique) and lots of wasteful cropping, made for a very uncomfortable, expensive and frustrating process.

Skip on a few years and I can now match that set-up pixel for pixel with an electronic shutter (read; no noise-no vibration), edge to edge sharp, all-in-one super zoom that also has the benefit of amazing stabilisation if a tripod is out of the question and the cropping factor DOF advantage (f5.6 = roughly f11 on a full frame allowing a 2 shutter speed/ISO buffer).

The lens covers 24-200 full frame equivalent, which is all I need as I am more of a tight abstract, rather than big sky style shooter. It is also a decent semi macro for my artistic close-up needs.

The camera is a Pen F, which I find well suited to tripod work. Ironic really as it is designed for street and travel shooting, but the mechanical cable release connection, Arca style tripod optional grip and general operation all point me towards tripod rather than hand held use. I can, though rarely, use the high res mode as I find a “perfect” 20mp is actually more than enough for big prints and processing/storage are lighter.

I still remember the first time I tried out this set-up. I was hopeful, even confidently fatalistic about the results, but still surprised at the ease of getting that quality out of the camera regardless of the lens and with (by my standards) sloppy technique. The images below were taken within seconds of conception and my then make-shift tripod set-up was clumsy to say the least. It almost felt like cheating.

Pen with the 40-150 pro. Much the same quality is possible through the whole Pro range (and many of the non Pro lenses as well).

Crop from above. The sort of quality I could have dreamed of in the film era (top end medium format maybe?) and so easily printed. This lens was really too big and heavy for landscape, so the added range of the 12-100 is kit changing. The 75-300 is nearly indistinguishable from the 40-150 at middle apertures over the same range with the added bonus of more reach when needed.

The Pen also seems to have a very slightly cleaner/sharper sensor at lower ISO’s than the EM1 mk2 (not scientific fact, just my observations).

The only down side is the lack of camera body weather proofing. If this is really a consideration, I switch out the Pen for the EM1 or carry a back-up EM5 mk1.

More than enough for my fine art printing needs.

For filters, I use a polariser and a 10 stop ND that is enough to create silky water in daylight. I do not find weaker ND filters of much value.

The 75-300 makes into the bag for the occasional wildlife or extreme distance shot (only made possible by the gentle camera), also with matching filters.

The bag is a modified Lowe Pro Inverse 100 (review posted). The modification is cutting out the bum bag “wings”. This allows the bag to be used as either shoulder bag with the supplied strap or to be threaded onto the front of a real* back pack’s waist belt using the massive, padded “wing storage” rear loop.

It holds a surprising amount of gear and acts as a handy work bench in the field.

The camera’s gentle operation also allows me to carry a small to medium tripod. My current one is a basic Manfrotto 190 that I have had for ages and a new Pro Master ball head or I can chance a light weight Velbon Sherpa and mini Gitzo ball head I picked up a few years ago. For expeditions I can even carry both easily in case of mis-hap, chopping and changing heads as desired.

Again, lots of batteries, spare cards and snacks etc.

What would I use if not this? I guess, if just for landscape work, I would look at full frame, probably a FF mirrorless Nikon (Z7 and 24-70/70-200 f4 rig as available or Canon (R? 24-105 and up coming tele or adapted 70-200 f4). I could not come at an SLR rig at this late stage unless I was prolific enough to justify the expense and/or would be happy with adapted lenses in the future. If pressed for time and cash, the D7200 Nikon (still a resolution demon, matching the D750 pixel for pixel) with the 16-85 and the new 70-300 “P”. As much as I am happy with the Olympus outfit, I would probably fail to resist the siren call of more pixels and greater dynamic range even though I know it will not greatly effect the quality of my images or work flow.

*lets be honest. If you are going any real distance, a photo style back pack is pointless. The camera component of your rig needs to be accommodated alongside a real trekking pack, not in place of it (otherwise you will not sleep/eat/survive etc.).

Still fun to do, more on the way.

What to pack for.....

This is a fun and totally self indulgent set of posts, basically about me thinking out aloud about different applications for my embarrassingly over sized kit. There is nothing scientific or even that useful about these posts, but they take me back years to when I perused magazines looking for any little insight into the lives of the photographers I followed (in the buy the book, read the magazine sense, before the internet).

First up;

“If I were a street photographer, what would I pack?”

This is an easy one, because I already do this.

Now a pure street kit s a little different to a light travel kit because you are probably nearer your base of operations and you are also very target specific. The trick with street shoot (I have found), is to keep it simple and comfortable. I would rather two primes mounted on cameras set up best for each lens than a zoom, simply because it keeps the focus on specific, known view points, not a larger range of more confusing compositional options. The be a little clearer, I would rather have to compose within the limits of a lens’s single coverage choice and perspective than add in the slower and more particular option of “perfect” composition. There is simply not much more time often the see/recognise potential- raise/compose and shoot. Adding zooming for best fit would rob you of precious seconds in the process.

I suppose this is still possible with a zoom (and I will probably try it next trip to Japan), but there will need to be some self imposed restrictions on zooming to a known focal length before, not during the shot.

See-point-shoot. All done is a split second. Adhering to the “life in motion/invisible observer” school of street photography, stopping, zooming and framing are simply impossible. Ideally i go completely unnoticed, or at worst the subject(s) may be aware of my presence, but are not offended by my intent and most importantly, I get to see the “unguarded moment”.

The simplest of kits.

2 OMD EM5’s as much out of operational comfort as loyalty to their efforts over the years. The flip up screen is vastly more useful than the flip and rotate type when shooting from lower angles and the AF is still top notch. They also owe me nothing, so risk is minimised.

Camera “A” would be on a 60” Gordie strap and hanging cross-body to my right hip (I am right handed), ready to be grabbed and used at any height. It would be set to Manual focus and about 2m, Shutter priority (1/250 or higher as light allows) and limited auto ISO (400-1600), with the 17mm attached.

This lens has a known Bokeh benefit, rendering better/longer transition for street grabs, making it useful even at f1.8 in low light using “guestimation” focus or it’s lightning fast AF. This is as wide as I like to go with street lenses. It allows for good coverage without too much distortion, especially when shooting from lower angles.

I am very comfortable with this lens in every way and can now usually get the angles and coverage right by judgement.

I have experimented with the 25mm in this role and some of my favourite images have come from using it, but the tighter coverage more often than not cuts something out and the Bokeh is very in/out or short transition in the modern way, so it punishes focussing mistakes. It is small, light and sharp, so it usually ends up in a bag just in case, but for street it has become an emergency lens only.

Two rare occasions where the slightly tighter and more compressed 25mm worked well, on Osaka’s wide main streets.

*

The “B” body, with a 45mm mounted is in the left hand, with a left hand wrist strap, leaving the right hand at the ready. It is set for centre point/face detection AF. I can literally raise it and shoot in one action (yep they are that quick). It’s perspective and magnification are very natural to the eye, so you get what you expect. I even find it excels at wrist-flick grab shots.

If distances are greater, or respect for privacy is more crucial, I switch the 45 out for the 75mm. Although a little long for street, this lens never ceases to surprise. The extra separation is a double edged sword (the 45mm is gentler with it’s transitions as well as naturally less aggressive in it’s perspective), but as a candid portrait lens it has few equals.

The bag* , needs to be comfortable, low profile, easy access (no zips or velcro) weather resistant and understated. The bag is really only important for getting from a to b, as gear readiness is at a premium when doing street photography, but if the need arises for packing up and moving fast on or a quick gear change, there is no time to fiddle.

*usually an olive rugged-ware Domke F3x at home* or a Filson Field Camera bag or Tokyo Porter sling bag as the occasion/gear requires and there is a Think Tank Turnstyle 10 on the horizon.

Lots of batteries, a note pad, spare cards, a snack bar and water if warm, then all is done.

That was fun. I love looking through other photographers bags and hearing their techniques and hard learned pointers, so sharing mine I hope helps someone else.

What would I use if not this kit? This is a tough one. With access to most cameras at the shot, I would, if pressed, probably just go with the Panasonic equivalent (2x GX#, 15, 42.5 cheap, 35-100). The other option would be Fuji (2x XT100 because the sensor plays nice with Adobe and I think from memory the screen flips back, not out., 23 f2, 45 f2, 90 macro).

More to come.

Forgotten techniques

When testing my two zooms for their macro capability, I forgot one of the basic principals of macro shooting.

Manual focus removes one of the many variables and it also guarantees the minimum focus distance is adhered to.

Tooling around in my in-laws garden last evening, I re-discovered this technique. Low light and a slight breeze required reduction of one of the afore mentioned variables (subject movement/own movement/AF jumping).

All images EM1 mk2 hand held at 1/30-90th (ISO 400-800) with the 12-40mm at 40mm and manually set minimum focus. A tripod would have offered better DOF, but I am still pleased with the high keeper rate.

Not a healthy bee. He was out too late and not moving well.

The point of focus is perhaps 2-3mm deep at f2.8

What value is a specialist macro lens?

60mm macro used much as above. This was about 2 inches across. This is not as close as the lens can focus, but it is as close as I could get hand held.

Bokeh Explorations

Bokeh, or it’s perceived quality, is dependant on a lot of factors.

The viewer and their tastes (up to you).

The lens selected and it’s magnification on the chosen format (Oly 60mm M43 acting as a 120mm FF lens).

The aperture selected (f2.8).

The distance to the subject (roughly 10cm).

The subject (Agapanthus buds- a favourite).

The distance to the background/foreground (1/2 meter).

The background (and foreground) form (mixed leaf and stem background).

The light (shaded on the subject, mixed on the background).

Processing (Basic very mild EM1 pre set with a touch of contrast and clarity added)

Miscellaneous such as the interplay of tones and colours, atmosphere or flare (as you see).

Some interesting, but possibly too distracting Bokeh “balls” in the background. This reminds me of the Canon 200mm f2.8 prime, which had interesting hexagonal shaped highlights, but gorgeous lush colour.

A different feel in colour.

There is little that is right or wrong when talking about Bokeh, it just is, like the weather.

It is (almost always) present in some form, no matter how mild as long as there is any small amount of the image that is not fully in full focus.