Last Bag Ever.....Seriously....Last One.....Promise.

I work two days a week at the local paper, three to five with the school, depending on my roster with the paper and then other stuff.

My kit was to be divided equally between the school and paper jobs.

Simple.

Not so simple it turns out. The paper can throw a lot at you in a day and my kit needs to be both all encompassing and surgically specialised, so for me there is no “one kit” option (not one I want to carry anyway). Added to this is the problem of where things can be left.

I cannot leave one kit in one location, because I just cannot predict what a week will bring. This means I need to lug a comprehensive kit back and forth between work places and home, including 2 laptops, all the accessories I may need, flash gear and lenses covering 16-600, both fast prime and zoom and cameras in depth. Thank heavens for M43.

There are things I have duplicates of that can stay in my locker at the paper like some small mics, flash kit, a spare rain jacket and chargers, but that is it.

On the way out the door to a job, I may only need one lens and one camera, but I cannot predict at the start of the day which ones I will need.

The other “Togs” can store their paper supplied gear in the office and have their own private gear should they need it. I can’t, so have chosen to use my own equipment, taking the load off the papers’ gear pool and simply because I prefer to use it (the idea of switching into a Nikon SLR mode for two days a week does not appeal).

So, the problem is, I need to tote a large amount of gear over about a kilometer from my car to the paper twice a week. Currently I am useing a Protactic 350 backpack, a bag I dislike, but it does have it’s uses and a Domke 802 or 804 shoulder bag, both full*. I then feed out of the backpack and carry the Domke. If I have two shifts together, I can leave some or all of it behind, but this is not a regular thing.

The solution.

When looking for the F804 at Photovideo.com.au, I noticed a Domke roller bag. These, like a lot of Domke bags have been discontinued, but at PV, there are a half dozen left at a good price. For a little over $200au, I have a medium sized rolling case that not only holds more than the Protactic (mainly because it is a lot deeper), but it also takes the F804 on the extended handle bars. I can get to work with shoulders free from aches, which will come later in the day.

This bag will be where the bulk of the papers’ kit will live, with bits plucked out as needed to expand my School and personal kits.

I expect the bag will also be useful for bigger private and school jobs where things like 7” diffusers and power chords are needed.

The front flap has room for both laptops inside or out and even a smaller bag like an F2 or F3x.

At the price, I cannot think of a better roller bag, so grab one while you can.

* 2 EM1 Mk2’s, EM1x, 8-18, 17, 25, 45, 75, 12-40, 40-150, 300, 1.4x, 2 Godox flash units and controller, Mac Air, Thinkpad (becasue I like to use one, the paper needs the other and it is sloooow) and assorted stuff and lunch.

The G9 and Leica Go On Holidays Pt3.

We left Hobart after two great days and the weather finally broke for the better.

Taken from a fast moving car. This is a typical scene from the highway between Hobart and Launceston, especially in the southern half.

An ancient gum tree in Ross. The Australian Eucalyptus is a “glowacious” tree as Brett Western would say.

The Leica is a great range for landscape work. The colour is quite different to that of the Olympus, less dense, brighter, with softer greens and blues. Swapping lenses between the systems allows for some quite nuanced colour control from warm and dense for all Olymous to fine and bright on all Lumix.

Winter details are held up to a fine degree.

Genuine landscape grade detail.

A final look at Bokeh

Background is nice, smooth enough, but with some coherent detail and has “snappy” forground edges.

Foreground blurring is also workable. This lens makes me want to use, not avoid Bokeh as a creative element.

All in all a great little mini break and a reassuring trial for he new gear.

The G9 is still a quagmire f options, especially with focussing. I stumbled across the custom AF patterns, then could not find out how to switch between them and I refuse to read the manual (I believe you should not have to), but for regular use I have its measure. It is odd that I customised the camera so quickly for video, but stills has been less easy, mostly because of focussing controls. This was thing giving me jitters for the paper, where speed and control are needed.

The G9 And Leica Go On Holidays Pt 2.

After a morning in Richmond, we travelled back to Hobart proper.

A last shot from Richmond

The Leica seems to add a snappiness.

Hobart, unlike my native Launceston has a harbour to rival most.

More snappy Leica love.

Modern art in an old setting.

This quite high contrast file was easily handled by the Leica and G9 sensor.

G9 And Leica 12-60 Go On Holidays Pt 1.

Unlike me lately, I took some holiday snaps over the last few days. The main reason was a bus drivers holiday in a way, shooting casually as an antidite to shooting seriously, but it was still relaxing and I need to get a handle on the G9’s for stills.

Stuck in traffic on a highway that always seems to be in fux. Every little blade of grass…………

Good signs early on. The view through the view finder is reassuring and pleasant, “snappy” even.

The historic town of Richmond just outside of Hobart was explored better today than previously. A polariser would have been good here to tame the cold blue glare a little, but the lens contrast and C1 managed to bring it back and to be honest, it looked like this.

More quaintness.

Only another few yards down the street,

and just around the corner. Fine detail is extreme, both from resolution and micro contrast. Happy days.

A nice Bokeh transition. It manages that Leica silky smooth and snappy sharp combination.

Bokeh again used to highlight the old head stone in the foreground, without alienating the newer ones (f4 at 40mm). A true story telling lens. Some lenses force a desire to consciously avoid Bokeh as a creative element, others, like this one, push you to use it (more on that later).

A wet day, sometimes a little frustrating, but a weather proof camera and lens was reassuring.

Big Changes In Kit Direction

With the arrival of the Leica 12-60, I have had a massive change of heart kit wise.

The first few days shooting for the paper have been slightly unsettling.

The work is fine, my processes sound enough, but I am feeling like I am still too far away from breaking through and finding my best self in this space. Total confidence in my processes at the school have turned into a slightly rudderless feeling with the paper.

I think I hit on it when writing about the G9. I have not yet fully connected with that camera for stills. For video it is ideal and streets ahead of the Olympus cameras in handling and features, but even there, I had years of familiarity and success with those cameras to compare to (credit to the G9 for standing out).

When pushed into a stills role, it had the double hit of being torn from it’s comfort zone (with me) and having to co-kit with an EM1. Too much difference, too little comfort.

I have decided, thanks mainly to the confidence inspiring Leica as my new standard lens, to only use Olympus cameras for the paper, taking the 12-40 back into the fold, where their strengths (familiarity, stabiliser and AF lens responsiveness) and their weakness (1080 video) can be balanced and use the two G9’s for the school. This allows me to get a handle on the Panas in a more comfortable and far less aggressive environment and use them as backups to each other in both rolls. Other complications like battery compatibilty are also reduced.

Effectively, the EM1 trio will be tasked with nursing me into my new role at the paper, the G9’s will get me nursing them into the more comfortable and less stressful world of school photography and videography.

I will still use the “lesser” Oly cameras for the school, but they are different enough even to an EM1, that they share basically the same dynamic with the G9’s and the news paper kit will still be pressed into service for big sports events, but these are only a handfull of days each year as opposed to every Saturday and more with the paper. Horses better aligned to their courses.

Paper; 2x EM1 Mk2’s (1 gripped, 1 optional video rig), EM1x (action), 8-18*, 12-40, 40-150, 17, 25, 45, 1.4x, Godox flash kit, OSMO and “small” mics. My only point of mild concern is a dislike for the fiddly Godox X1 controller, so this may be upgraded and the “lumpy” 12-40, but I will get over this or just get it fixed.

Searching for an image, I realised, I only went into 12mm territory in the first place for my first job at a different school (this anticipated shot specifically), then I went down the 8mm track for the same reasons. In my perfect world, 14mm (28mm FF), would likely be the widest I would ever need as I generally dislike the overtly wide angle look.

School; 2x G9’s (1 video rigged), 2x EM10’s, 2x EM5’s, 8-18*, 12-60, 12-60k, 45, 75, 75-300, 40-150k, YN flash units and all the other lighting and serious studio kit and sound kit. The Oly cameras like their primes, so they will be matched up.

Bold, italicised cameras and lenses are weatherproof.

I will possibly also add an Oly 8-25 to the papers’ kit so the 8-18 can stay in the school kit exclusively and replace the 12-40 as needed. This lens has several desirable features like it’s massive range, macro versatility and raw quality as well as sharing the same filter thread as the 40-150 Pro. The 12-40 would stay on as the only “one lens needed” option, the two others would be the “full range” kit, but it could also be used in the Pana kit for video.

I have toyed with the idea of a fisheye 8mm here because for newspaper work, fisheye lenses are more “intimate” than corrected super wides, but the damn thing is nearly as dear as the 8-25 zoom. Maybe a Laowa 7.5 or the Samyang 8mm?

Ongoing, I can see the schools’ kit being relatively coddled and settled, the papers’ having additions and replacements as the need arises. Part of the reason for the change is the gorgeous look of the new Leica and near new G9’s, which I am loath to inflict a journo’s lifestyle onto. The school shoots are more predictable and controlled.

*

*The 8-18 is swapped as needed until replaced (if needed). The reality is, I need a true super wide rarely for either, so it will likely just stay in the papers’ kit, then grabbed as needed for the school. I only really bought it for very occassional use, but pressed it into service in preference to the 12-40 with it’s “lumpy” zoom.

Realities And Hopes

I bought the 12-60 kit knowing that, barring manufacturing variances, it was a great “punch above it’s weight” option. I love these, lenses and sometimes cameras that not only justify their modest cost, but often hold their own against “better” gear.

The lens was kitted for next to nothing, so cheap in act that for Australian stock, I could not find a better priced G9, with or without lens.

The Leica came from a desire to replace the 12-40 Oly lens, which is functioning fine, but has a “lump” in its zoom, which just bothers me. The kit lens has tested well and is a “safe” bet for my school kit, but it lacks speed and that certain something that excites me.

It will be used plenty and is one of my best purchases in M43, but there was room I felt for a real pro-grade standard lens.

So, how did I go?

This lens has a metric F%^#ton of goodness in its tiny body. It feels sublime (soooo smooth and tight), is perfectly sized, feeling if anything, slightly better balanced than the 12-40 and the stabiliser and focus lift I was hoping for is clearly there.

I am now as confident with the G9 as I have been with the EM1x. Thanks to a couple of the better G9 bloggers out there (and there are more than you would imaging for just one camera), I have honed my settings and feel the camera is at about its best for stills and video.

Very nice and quickly aquired file. Through the eye finder, it just felt like it would be pretty.

Sharp like my 25, maybe even my 75. It actually produces similar files to the 12-40. This is at the relatively weak 60mm focal length, so I an only guess what the supposedly superior 40mm focal length may deliver!. Worthy of mention is the 1600 ISO which I did not even notice in processing.

This file has been poked and prodded and like those from my best camera and lens combinations (EM1x with 300 and 40-150), it gave back plenty.

If I were to sum up this lens, how would I?

Confidence building. The lack of connection I have felt with the G9’s has been closed slightly.

I was literally working out an Olympus based kit for the paper, simply to get back to what I know best while I find my feet, but I am swinging back to plan “A”, which is a mixed kit. The G9 used for standard and wide lenses (the Leicas) and Oly for long lenses.

Leica Love

As a young photographer, I always had a feeling of lust, awe even for Leica glass. Later, that migrated more to a genuine preference for Carl Zeiss, who it turned out, pre-date leica as the “lustful” brand.

My second* Leica arrived today and mere minutes later I have “quick and dirty” tested it.

Hand held, 1600 wide open at 12mm. The following four are the (slightly distorted by the shooting angle) corner shots with no processing applied.

This thing looks well aligned and seriously sharp.

At 40mm, same “perfect” technique. This is apparently the focal length that blows away some test charts.

Wide open at the long end, nice Bokeh.

A crop from above, it looks sharp enough

Like a lot of high end lenses, it takes sharpening well.

A very nice feeling lens, with silent focus, inperceptible stabilising and great sharpness through the range and across the frame.

So far, my Lumix experimanet has provided me with two excellent cameras and three equally excellent matched lenses for about $4500au.

Nice.

Look Ma, Two Hands!

Sometimes necessity is the mother of invention, or even desperate adaption.

I recently shot a gala ball and plans went south almost immediately. The remit was to cover the entry hall for casual arrivals, mingle, follow the groups into the main hall, do set shots against a pre-printed background then mingle some more.

I have done this sort of thing many times before for the school and my basic process was to shoot flash on camera with a black flagging foam, then use a brolly or two in studio mode for groups and couples who will come to me.

Previous success with the black flagged technique aside, I just needed to go one more step.

Problem:

What happens when the background is so shiny, it lights up like the sun and there is no room to move the lighting off angle enough to fix it?

You pack up the stands, brollies and strobes, determined to work something out later.

*

Too pressed for time to worry then and there, I slotted a flash on to my camera and played the usual dance of (flash) head twisting and flagging foam shifting for vertial and horizontal candid shots.

Suddenly people started asking for a formal shot, so I tried something, not sure why, but something between on camera and stand mounted flash.

Armed with a single flagged flash (YN560 IV) in my left hand, an EM1 and 17mm with flash controller mounted (YN560TX), all set to manual, I tried to fire the light onto the background at a good angle to avoid flare. Turns out the right angle was to bounce it off the ceiling from the middle of the entry way stairs!

This was so freeing!

Camera angle and flash angle were now two separate entities.

A one handed camera is no issue.

This one was bounced off the red floor to give these little devils the right feel. How would you do that with a camera mounted flash?

Even distances and high ceilings can be coped with, simply by raising the ISO, flash power and most importantly, pointing the flash up to the higher ceiling from a good three feet above the camera.

You can run an EM1, even in manual, one handed with a small prime like the 17mm. The 17 only needed to be set at f2-2.8 for plenty of depth for two rows (equivalent to f5.6 in full frame) and 1/60th at ISO 800 provided nice ambient light and plenty of power for the flash unit. Zooming is done with your feet. The flash was zoomed to 42 (I think), then set to 1/2 to 1/8th depending on location and off I went.

The devils own backcrop, flare central. You can get the feeling of it’s brightness in this one, but reducing exposure in post eliminated it. As it turns out, it was too small for its purpose, so angled shots to cope with the shallow passage way would have been likely anyway. Where I am standing (middle of the enntry stairs), was not ideal for a light stand and brolly! On the other side the organisers had a row of tables with wigs to be raffled, so no shifting that.

Shot after shot, with mild adjustments made as needed (it only took a few shots to get the different ceiling heights and wall distances down pat), and no shot was unuseable out of 700+!

The light was usually lovely like this. If not, look to the photographer, who made a few bad choices. No shadows on faces or walls, nothing unnatural about the light and plenty of brilliance without “flashy” hot spots. Basically portable butterfly lighting.

Ok, all very well, but what if you have no wall or ceiling?

I am going to try this, a slightly less convenient, but still one-man-band style trick.

Flash on camera, flagged if needed and pointed at a 60cm 5-in-1 reflector hand held at the desired angle.

Portable, large face soft box.

Another option is a 33” white brolly with a small holder for the flash, but that needs more room than the average camera bag could supply.

Bags, More Bags

The F804 Domke has been good. The size is an irrelevant necessity, but loaded weight is not.

I may take a smaller bag in for my new “lite” kit*.

The Crumpler may be pressed into service, the Domke F3x even, or possibly one of my non-camera bags.

I can go out either “fully loaded” or “fast and light”. Often when I need the long lens, I actually only need the long lens and when I go out without it, but get caught, the super sharp 75 is still capable of producing “extra reach” by cropping if necessary. It is also very fast focussing and allows me to carry the EM1 with the lens mounted on it removing my other major dislike of changing lenses all the time.

There is scope for this lens to be replaced by the 35-100 f2.8 Pana**, but there are some considerations there. The difference between 75 and 100 is negligible in controlled situations (but f1.8 to 2.8 is not), AF on an Oly is less than perfect (I would then leave the EM1 behind), it is weatherproof and has a wide cross-over with the 12-60 (in fact all three zooms have massive cross-over from 12-18 and 35-60).

Looking down the track, I can see the 40-150, 75 and 35-100 all in one place at one time, just never in a bag together. It’s my job, not my hobby, so I need to buy the tools that are needed.

It troubles me going out with only one camera. It does not seem to bother the other more experienced shooters. A near new G9 is likely more reliable than a 12 year old D500 with probably close to a 1,000,000 frame count, so I could get over it! Anyway, the EM1 would be back at the office.

Maybe not a redundant purchase.

*G9, 12-60, 8-18, 45 and 75. This kit actually removes the biggest issue I had in the past, my big Oly kit of gripped Em1 camera and 40-150 Pro, opening up bag options massively.

**this lens will likely be added as it adds good options to every kit I may use. It will up my travel kit, removing the need to carry two lenses, give me a better video tele, a lighter work tele and a point of difference.

Adjusting To The G9 For Stills

I like the G9 for stills, but I am also aware I am not fully in control of it yet. Here is what I can share now about the cameras positives and negatives.

Positives

(compared mostly to the work horse EM1 Mk2’s for context).

Physical controls.

The G9 has a wheel and “nubbin” control, which are both a bonus over the EM1 Mk2.

The wheel takes me back to Canon and with ISO or exposure comp assigned to it. I love this dynamic.

The nubbin is right in line with the later Canons and the EM1x (and EM1 Mk3 if I had one). For video it controls White Balance, in stills it is assigned to the AF area control.

The extra real estate of the G9 allows for specific controls for most functions (somewhere between Nikon on the left side and Canon on the right side), but these are also very different to the Olympus style (like the Canon/Nikon tension). I need to invest some serious time into this camera and assign it to specific tasks to get my head right with it. With the new and old Leicas’s it will be my main camera for the paper, Olympus saved for sports and action.

Touch functions.

I do not tend to use touch controls for anything other than AF/shoot on the Oly’s, but that is something I find indispensable. On the G9, almost every function can and often should (occassionally can only be), controlled by touch. Ironically, the camera often duplicates the physical controls with touch options, which can be too much.

Custom functions.

This is a game changer, especially for video. The customisation of the G9 surpasses the EM1 series for stills, but crucially, all video functions are available as well and the camera allows you to differentiate. Olympus has a hole in their game here, something the OM-1 seems to have addressed partly, but there is so much more available to the Pana user. This is like the difference between brush tool in Lightroom and C1. In C1 you can use basically any processing option, with any processing option. In Lightroom you are limited to a select few.

I can assign a set of video only, very specific settings to any function button, save it (up to 5 of them), then set the camera up for stills very differently. My 2 G9’s settled in very quickly to their video role and it was handy to duplicte these settings (by simply down loading them onto a card and transferring them!), then concentrate on a very different setup for stills. The video-centric one has been left at defaults for stills, the dual role one is an on-going journey.

Handling.

The camera feels more complete without a grip. I could add one, but do not feel the need. To be honest, I fell in love with this camera first time I held it a few years ago, but had mixed feelings about the view finder and full compatibility with Olympus lenses.

Video.

Stands to reason a camera bought for video would be good at it, but I am impressed by just how good it is. I also like the EM1’s 4k in FLAT profile, but the 1080p from the Pana, and the options this opens up (time lapse, slo-mo, dynamic cropping, 180 fps etc), are more than enough for my needs.

Image Quality.

The combination of the G9 and 75mm f1.8 has a nice image balance and extreme quality.

I will rate the IQ as closer to the EM1x/Pen F than the EM1 Mk2’s. The colour is neutral and mixes well with the slightly warmer Oly lenses. It seems to have the same super clear sharpness the Pen F displays, crisper than the EM1 Mk2, and with better noise control than either, possibly because, like the Pen F, it does not share the sensor with phase detection pixels.

I have had good luck with the electronic shutter at high ISO settings and the skin tones are stunning. White Balance can seem off in some RAW files (very yellow under indoor lights), but cleans up very well. Unlike the EM1 Mk2’s I find White Balance fixes are clean and logical.

Information.

The eye detect is clear, the AF point indicators also. The camera has a mountain of display options and is customisable.

*

Things I am not sure about yet.

Controls, touch screen, customisaton, information etc.

Just so much to learn, understand and set correctly. Sometimes this camera does my head in and I have needed to Google several functions. I cannot remember ever having to do that with Olympus.

I feel less “connected” to the G9 (at the moment). It is very capable, but I do not (yet) feel the immediacy I feel with the Oly cameras. It seem to me the EM’s are more workman like, the Panas are more amateur “tech over simplicity” oriented and much busier, almost like over grown compact cameras. I have on occassion just trusted the camera and generally that has been ok, but more than a bit unsettling none the less.

I changed it for stills shooting after one night of familiarity for the big portrait job and that was in hindsight both a great and equally, perilous move.

Power.

Battery life is a hair less than the EM1 Mk2, but batteries are cheap enough. The only two times this is really an issue are video and sporting events. It does not do the latter.

AF and stabilisation.

I do not trust the stabiliser or touch AF for video as much as I do the EM!x, or even the EM1 Mk2’s really, but with the Leica 12-60 coming, I hope this will get sorted. The 12-40 Pro Oly has performed very well on the G9, but not completely faultlessly, like with the EM1x. With later firmware and the Leica lens, most of the bugs seem to be ironed out.

The view finder.

Nothing really to complain about and it is better than the EM1 Mk2 on paper, but still adjusting.

To nutshell it;

The G9 is in many ways the superior camera both on paper and in use. It’s potential is greater with a feature range for a hybrid shooter that is unmatched by the equivalent Olympus or indeed many other cameras (and certainly nothing for the price).

The EM1’s generally (the “X” is special), are the better choice for “rubber meets the road” sports and action AF and are generally less complicated, so they are more intuitive than the Panas, although I am comparing years of Oly use to short months of Pana use. Shortfalls in video, a tiny lag in high ISO performance and a muddier/greener look from the Mk2 sensor are balanced with small size, familiar menues and their raw AF performance.

Somehow, I have muddled my way through to a decent split kit using two, mosty compatible brands, sharing one format, but handing it very differently.

The G9 (8-18, 12-60, 45, 75) will handle all close and indoor work with video and I will get on top of flash.

The EM1 (40-150) will be the sport and action/long lens camera.

These can work exclusively or be combined.

Lots Of Football

I have had a busy week.

New job and a tripple game football carnival on the weekend, which meant six straight hours on my feet, toteing lenses and cameras, then hours of processing (goodby Sunday).

High skill levels and plenty of passion.

Sometimes called “Aerial Ping Pong”, Australian rules has plenty of this.

How To Do A "Quick And Dirty" Lens Test

I have the new kit 12-60 panasonic lens, bought as a filler for my school work (mostly as a wide angle) and the Leica 12-60 is on the way. I bought this lens based on a previous test conducted at the shop I worked for, comparing several lenses with a wide element (15 Leica, 12-60, 14-140 and 12-35 Lumix, 12-100 and 12-40 Oly) and the 12-60 surprised. Only the 12-100/40’s and 15mm clearly beat the pack, the 12-35 was dissapointing for the money.

So, how do you calm the jitters and check that you have a good copy of a lens?

With zoom lenses, the reality is most have some slight optical inconsistency, but modern glass is seldom off kilter enough to be a real issue. For more on this the http://lensrentals.com blog has some great, but scary articles.

My tests, done “in the field” are simple checks to make sure the two most likely issues (three for SLR shooters*) are picked up quickly so you can either exchange the lens or more likely, just be aware of them.

De-centering.

When up to 20 elements of glass are layed down in the barrel of a new lens, there is a slim chance that they will have one or two not perfectly aligned. Designers take this into account and modern manufacturing tends to mean most of a batch are nearly idential, but batches may vary slightly, especially when a line is new.

My tests (EM5 Mk1, 12-60 kit) are done hand held, shifting the focus point onto the corner subject (the pillow on the empty chair).

Corner aligment at 12mm wide open (no post applied apart from C1 import and cropping).

Apart from colour shifts due to my non-scientific process, there seems little difference. If any corner is different at all, the lower left maybe slightly less controlled, but still falls within perfectly acceptible levels. If this was the best the lens could manage it would be fine. The fact some corners seem maybe even better is a win.

Now 60mm wide open

Again, no science applied here, but good and even performance.

Bokeh? Not really a big selling point for a slow M43 zoom lens, but the relality is, most photos have an element of Bokeh (it’s in the definition), and some of my favourite results have come from my slowest glass.

Background Bokeh at the long end is very pleasant. In reality, semi focussed Bokeh is possibly more imporrtant than “full blurr” Bokeh. With maximum blurring, post can easily be applied. When the background is included in an even semi coherent form, poor Bokeh behaviour is less fixable.

Foreground at the wide end is nicely smooth in rendering, making wide open use easier. Focus was on Daisys’ face at f3.5. “Invisible” transitions are ideal here, something the 17mm Oly is good at.

The best thing about the Bokeh is, when I tested the lens it went pretty much unnoticed.

*

Sharpness. I am used to even the cheapest M43 lenses being sharp enough for most tasks, but this lens has shown in my own previous tests and those done by many others, to be very close to the Leica in base sharpness. The question is, what “type” of sharpness is it**?

So, who decides to do a sharpness test at ISO 1600, hand held at 1/15th with a 13 year old camera? Apparently I do. The base image. The flat colour is down to the environment, the camera and ISO, but partly the lens with its “mild” colour rendering.

On the focus point (hair in front of the eye), sharpness is more than enough for publication even at big sizes. No post applied. Bokeh smoothness again shows up here.

Pushed a little with globally added Clarity and Sharpening. This is similar to my 40-150 kit. There is good micro contrast, decent base sharpness and control of other clarity reducing elements. Like the 40-150, it does not need much extra post applied. In Lightroom, I found some lenses struggled with the noise to sharpness balance, but C1 hits a decent level in both. The EM5 Mk1 has a “simple-sharp” sensor, an honest, pleasantly film-like look, but not as delicate as later models, so it may be the camera (especially at ISO 1600).

Other things?

As I tested, I looked for chromatic aberration, flare and glare and other obvious issues and found statlingly few. I was aware the Lumix lens is possibly even better than the Leica at handling flare and would believe it.

From my first day with it, when the sun was shining. Most of my lenses struggle with this one, a good excuse to avoid cleaning the window…... . For context, this was uncomfortable to my eye.

If I look at this lens in relation to it’s intended role, it will be better than fine.

As a wide angle filler, a good light “one lens” and studio/travel work horse, it has all the right characteristics. Would I use it for formal group shots of the school body, to cover jobs like my Telstra portrait shoot, street and travel portfolio work? Absolutely, but I have specialist options for each circumstance. If pushed it would be more than adequate. This lens has reminded me to use my “lesser” enses more. No-one but me knows the difference.

Why the Leica? Build, aperture choice (especially for video), slightly superior mechanics (again for video), the ability to cover the ranges in two kits. Basically that is it. This lens was the smart buy, something I am always happy to do. the Leica is the sensible buy, but always a higher risk to reward ratio.

*

Lens speed, the elephant in the room is always a consideration. Not much is enticing about employing it for low light action (this is when the full frame users start to pull ahead), but aside from that, it has few real weaknesses. At the wide end, it is fast enough and for the uses it will be put to and if used in the studio, speed is irrelevant.

Importantly, it works efficiently within the envelope of what it offers. There is nothing more frustrating than an already conservative lens that has to have special considerations applied. If it only offers f5.6, then f5.6 needs to be useful, otherwise it is actually an f8 lens. I have come across this before and it is a fail mark***.

Would I spend $600au on it? No, I would spring for a little more and get one of the many other standard lenses available like the Oly 12-45 f4, but for $100 in a kit, it is a steal. It’s even weather proof and dual stabilised.

*Calibration of lens to camera focal plane was a common concern with SLR cameras, something I struggled with regularly, but off the sensor focussing in mirrorless cameras has removed this as a consideration.

**To me sharpness comes in several forms based on sensor and lens, from simple/honest to complicted/delicate and results in lenses that do or do not like sharpening, contrast or clarity of different sorts applied. This is subjective, personal even, but a real observation from seeing many lenses and cameras.

***My Canon 17-40 f4L especially on a full frame camera had several “exceptons” including a performance dip in the mid range, effectively zero resolution in the corners wide open at the wide end some CA etc. This did not stop being one of the most popular lenses in the Canon range, but it needed to be used intelligently.

Base Line Quality

My ”high stress” portrait shoot the other week went as well as I could hope. Proving that word of mouth can trump any form of online promotion, I skipped the cue and scored the gig for the Telstra Australia CEO and board headshot and group photos for their annual general meeting and other uses. I am still not sure who recommended me, but it was a school contact, so many thanks who ever you were.

Something that came out of it, not totally unexpected, but reassuring none the less, was the inherent quality of the M43 system at its best.

At normal size, quality is pretty much a given with almost any system, especially with controlled and plentiful light. This is a “straight” shot, not “softened” like the submitted ones.

In close, the true quality is revealed. Big enough, even without software applied for large reproduction.

Fluke?

Nope.

The camera was a G9, chosen on a whim the night before (only used for video up till then), based on the skin tones and extra brilliance it produced under these lights. The lens, the Olympus 75mm at f2.8 is to be fair one of the systems best, but the reality is, I have a half dozen lenses that get very close and there are at least a dozen more available in this landscape.

Yes processing was applied, but it was within very basic parameters. No special programmes or techniques were used, only some mild touching up and increasing of basic sliders, all well within C1’s remit. No sharpeing was added past the import base. I find C1 does sharpening and noise just about right.

One of thousands taken over a six hour football carnival. Out of 3000, 2000 were worth keeping (I do not shoot bursts, so each is not the best of several), of which 500 were submitted, spread over six teams.

Again, plenty of quality to burn.

So, both extremes of the genre, from random fast action to controlled, no excuses studio work are within the systems comfort range, as they are for most modern systems.

One of the things I really appreciate about C1 is sharpening and noise reduction, my two bugbears from Adobe where they were always in conflict. They are now not even a consideration most of the time. If noise is a real issue (underexposed 6400+), or sharpening is to be added to something that is actually soft due to depth of field or movement (C1 can fix this), then I will use the brush tool with Clarity and Sharpening or No Noise as needed.

In the real world, people do not react to the theoretical potential of your gear, only the end product and I am more confident than ever that M43 gives me and anyone on my field more than enough tools to do the many roles it is pressed into.

First Week In, Perceptions Shifted

After a week (2 days) of shooting for the paper I have mixed feeling as to how I have done.

My photography was secondary early on, simply because of the other factors I needed to be aware of. New systems (a Google landscape) and old (Lightroom again!), changing photo styles and processes.

I went in with the kit I felt would be ideal;

EM1x with 40-150 Pro, 1.4x TC and 45 f1.8, which provided sublime long lens speed,

G9 with 8-18 and 25mm f1.8, for wide and video,

Godox 860 flash.

My feeling was, I would shoot either wide or long with the 25mm in the middle and that was the way it has gone to a point, becasue it was what I had. This came with plans to replace the 40-150 with a 35-100 f2.8 II Pana simply to reduce weight.

What I did not realise was the majority of shots could be taken with a 12-60 range lens and often, the extremes forced time wasting mucking around as swapped cameras or lenses.

Compression is nice, so is a bit of extra coverage, but 90% of the time, the needs of these images are within a range you would call “expanded normal”. More important is the “PICS” dynamic (Person, Interaction, Composition, Shoot), which is easier in the “normal” shooting range as communication and compositional imperatives like watching the subjects hands, interactions etc count for more.

Taken with the 40-150, but either the 75mm or the 12-60 could have done it as well and with the 75mm, depth of field could be shallower, or with the 12-60, I could move in to do the next, wider shot without disturbing the scene.

Longer lenses are needed for many distance shots and wider for tight spaces, but these can usually be predicted and a 24-120 equivalent is a decent range for most.

The other advantages of a smooth par-focal zoom lens, with the same 62mm filter thread as my 12-40 Oly filter kit, Leica contrast, build quality and sharpness, weather sealing, DFD focussing and dual IS matched to the camera, will raise my G9’s to another level and there is even enough lens there for indoor sports. The 8-18 is great, really great, but lacks stabilising and is a specialist lens.

If I add the 75mm Oly, I have a much cleaner and smaller kit than the twin extreme zoom kit which still needs supporting primes as f2.8 is not a total soluton. The big 40-150 is the best in class, but I do not need to either replace it nor carry it every time. I can also use just one camera, a G9, using the standard lens the bulk of the time and using the EM1’s with longer lenses only. This increases the life span of my kit as the two G9’s are basically new.

So from;

2 bodies with 8-18 and 40-150 Pro lenses and a couple of fast primes,

To;

1 Body with 12-60, 45 and 75 for the bulk of my jobs. This kit weighs half as much. Even if I add the 8-18, it will still be a light weight kit.

A second consideration is, it offers a massive 24-120 and 65-325mm range for 1080p video, with all the above extras.

Another Nice One Of Meg And Some Thoughts On Portrait Simplicity

My C1 catalogue has been cleaned up. I have a few files I will leave there because they have nowhere else to go. Neither job needs them, but also I have no relevant non-work location at the moment. My workflow has a dead spot and it has some images I like.

Amazing the difference a subtle background change makes.

Portraiture to me has simplified greatly. From my early fears it could not be, I have worked it through, eliminating the overkill options, refining the cleaner and more basic ones.

Best mods; 40 something soft white shoot through/reflected brollies (only outdoors in the wind are these an issue, but that will be the case with most mods). I have settled on a shoot through as main, 45 degrees to the side/45 above (roughly), and a nearly face on reflected as fill. Generally about 1/8 power, ISO 200, f2.8 works as a starting point.

The shoot through adds some brilliance and is efficient, the reversed fills softly, gently, but tends to lack the enough punch as a key light. Both flash units are set the same as the reversed is about two stops less efficient, ideal for fill.

If a separation/rim/hair light is used, almost anything will work. A small LED, another brolly, a small, more focussed 7” reflector or 26” soft box if I have time. This is usually set about the same as the fill and I watch out for obvious “hot” light from these (not a fan), i.e. it should be, but not be obvious.

If large groups are the subject, these can be used together as is. Really big groups could be handled by my set of 4 very efficient silver 4’ brollies (soft boxes with no diffusers), but I have to work on this.

All I need is a couple of YN560 flash units, medium stands and brollies and I feel capable of most looks I want. I have added a black backed brolly recently which allows me to flag light better, but other than that, it is all good.

If I am outside and there may be wind, becasue umbrellas are sensitive to even a slight breeze, I will switch to a pair of soft boxes, large or small by situation.

Events are even more straight forward.

A flash in my left hand, flagged, a camera and controller in the other (often with the 17mm if I am shooting pairs and groups) just works. This means I can employ the flash as I want, pointing it at ceilings, walls, the floor even and the same with the camera. Previously changing shooting orientation and/or flash angle was a real pain in the $%S.

I had to re-orient the flash head, then spin the flagging foam around. The Godox units are very tight to turn, so I used the manual YN’s, which introduced other issues.

The lens thanks to format and Bokeh style can be used safely at f2-2.8 even for two deep groups, increasing flash efficiency (ISO 800 at 1/4 power produces about 1000 pops). Even 1.8 is useable. I use a zoom is the group size may vary a lot, but the 17mm fits most situations.

The beauty of the hand held option is that I can use the TTL Godox, or manual YN’s hand held at consistent distances from reflecting surfaces rather than always from the camera*. This reduces variation from several stops, to one or two and the angle of both flash and camera can be micro managed. I can also switch out flash units etc without having to change anything over on camera (literally drop one in the bag, pull one out). If I put a small tripod on the flash, I can even just sit it somewhere and fire it remotely without issue.

Even using a manual camera to balance ambient light and a manual flash, I shot a huge number of images recently and not one fell out of useable parameters, which goes to show, manual flash can be as intuitive as people say, especially if you are shooting at consistent distances. Generally you quickly learn to judge the ceiling distances after one try.

Two and a bit years ago, I hated using flash. It now feels like the safe and creative option to shooting in natural light.

*I usually set the camera at ISO 800, the lens to F2.8 and the flash to 50 zoom and 1/4 power. M43 makes 2.8 effectively 5.6 in FF terms and the Bokeh of the 17mm is very tolerant of slight misses. If the ceiling is catherdral like (well “like”), I can push the aperture to f1.8 (still a tolerant 35mm f2.8 in FF), the ISO to 1600 and the flash to 1/1, which is 5 more stops of power.

You Be You

Having two jobs, jobs that are similar, but different, I have to be true to myself. If I am not, I have too many forces pulling on me.

My first job is very free and creatively open, but it did not start out that way or to be honest have any real “shape” at all. Originally, I took too many images, too many images that were person specific not generic or contextural enough and spent much of my time trying to “perfect” my images to a level beyond what was needed. I was trying to take images I felt people would like, based on my past successes.

Guess what happenned.

The school started to adopt and accept my files, often using the ones I would not have thought were subject specific enough. basically, we met in the middle. If I supplied what was needed, then I could also supply what I wanted and the school would use them as they wanted, often as fillers or mood setters for publication, sometimes the image even made a place for itself simply by being.

This was not a normal dynamic.

My style has developed from my street shooting days. I do not set up many shots, almost always relying on fly-on-the-wall candids and everyone has started to adjust to that. “Just do what you do” was my mantra and now it seems it is theirs. If a set image is needed, it is taken, but generally speaking, they are seldomly needed if I get what I am chasing.

I had to be true to myself and to them. I had to supply the images in good faith, meaning I had to take the best shots I could without hubris, without ulterior motive and without expectation. I have to give of myself freely, otherwise the whole thing would fall apart.

Not your usual “badminton at a school image”, a file of which would usually comprise of a team shot, some groups preparing then a handful of action shots, but not a deep enough delve to show the tension and effort, but also the camaraderie and enjoyment.

If, in the example above, you have to go the next level and attempt to get genuinely tense sports images, the rewards can be great or little, but they will have an effect over time. The next level is then open to add in humanity. The shot above is of the the two team captains, in a final and losing (overall), but still able to share a moment of humour with the opposition as the shuttle clips the net and shoots straight up on a critical point. Getting “just what was asked for” would have resulted in me leaving half an hour before.

Trust begets trust.

Mutual trust allows a freedom of creativity.

This happens in sport, drama, events, the list goes on.

*

In my new job, I need to find my balance point. The expectation is for a more creative set shot, a better standard of image from the get-go taken from fewer overall. There will be expectations from journalists and editors for a choice, but not a flood and candids, if taken, need to genuinely replace set shots in relevance and content.

Basically I need to do the above, but more deliberately.

Take what is needed, take it well and deliberatley. Then as time allows, take some more, but maybe experiment a little as I go and find my balance.

Nobody can bring you to what you do, so there is little pointtrying to be someone else. If you do not fit, adapt, but never let your inner talent be silenced. You got here using it, so do not abandon your true self, or you may one day find you do not know who you are anymore.

Getting A Handle On It (Or Not)

My video rigs have been used for a while now, long enough to be over what works for me and what does not.

Olympus.

My EM1x and Mk2’s to a lesser extent have very smooth and workable stabilisers. If used in full digital and in body mode for movement (this gets rid of corner artefacts), there is little more you could ask for short of a real gimbal, which comes with the “invisible” motion look (see OSMO below). I love the slightly more “hand held” feel, which to my eye, now attuned to looking for tell tale signs, is seeing the “pro hand held” look. This is not totally smooth, but “big, heavy camera” smooth.

If shooting static hand held, I switch to the in-body only mode which is cleaner.

Believe it or not, this is do-able. The extra weight of the lens is a benefit for stability and I have had success up to 100mm hand held. I can replace the cameras’ handle using the Smallrig gimbal handle below.

They work well with their own handles and a second smaller one on the cage. I use the little mini handle from Smallrig, simply as a stabiliser for my left (focussing) hand when using touch screen focus. Without the handle, that hand tends to feel a little lost and it also provides a “bumper bar” for the screen. I have plans to replace this with a new UURig wooden handle, which also has a cold shoe.

The little side handle, which is actually a mini top handle.

I have tried a handle on top, a big Smallrig rubberised one, but even with weights added to the cage, it is not as stable as the cameras’ own grip. It is likely me, but I just do not feel as confident with a top handle using the “gravity” hold, nowhere near as confident as I am with side holds.

For panning, I find my arms tucked low into my body and turning my body from the hips works way better than a top handle.

The top handle for me is only really a benefit for following a subject from a low angle, something the OSMO does so much better anyway.

The OSMO.

This is designed to work as is, but I definitely get smoother walking footage with an extension pole added. A 1’ carbon fibre extension from a bigger gimbal is all you need, set at the desired angle.

This camera also works well with a long boom arm, becoming a semi-drone option.

Panasonic.

The “hold” steady shot mode of the G9 is right up there with the EM1x, so static shooting is much the same dynamic.

Again, I find the dual or single side hold is best. This is a lighter rig than the Oly, so a handle on top is rarely heavy enough to give me the down force I need for smooth follow focus.

This is one of the gimbal exension handles Smallrig makes. On a hunch I grabbed one (arrived today), and it is a great way to put a handle on a camera, without the need for a cage of any sort. It also has a cold shoe and can be mounted at any angle and either side. I will put this in my newspaper bag, as a simple, cageless fix for stability and accessories and weighs nothing.

The reality is, Mark Bone has a point with handles, but he also points out that the heavier the camera, the better the results. I can weigh the Oly rig down and with its extra mass, the whole thing starts to get there, but the light weight removable handle on the G9’s rig is often useful only for the extra 3 coldshoes it adds.

The side handle has become a staple, the top handle is removable and to be honest, that is handy. When the UURig handle arrives, I can have up to four cold shoes available without it, so I may even switch it’s cold show adapter to the bigger rig and shelve the bolt on handle (which is one of their cheapest, so no great waste).

Everyone has different needs and I am no different. I think that for me, using mirriorless cmaeras for over ten years has led to good processes using the rear screen and they do not include handles, so coming late to top handles has not been a seamless fit, but side handles have.

New Bag Excitement

There are some of you who will totally get this, many will not.

I have a new bag coming and I am excited. There is something very therapeutic for me when planning a new camera bags’ filling. It makes you feel organised and right about things, abe to handle anything, determine how you are prepared, but only as long as you remember to fill it correctly, comprehensively.

The “monster” Domke F804, will have a dual role. It will be a roomier camera bag than the F802, but also it will be my commuting and day bag. The insert I have for it (Tenba standard messenger), will not fill it to the edges like the F802, so there is room to think outside of the box (or insert).

The EM1x with 40-150 will fill the insert, but not now stretch the bag. The G9 and 8-18 can go next to it without being cramped and the two primes will go into one of the front pockets in little padded bags. The other pocket can handle the OSMO and Godox flash (more on these below).

There will be room for my laptop, which the F802 can take, if not over packed like it is at the moment.

I will also have a small rain jacket and a scarf for added bottom padding and un-foreseen weather events (Tasmania is known for these, anytime of the year and I only live an hour from mountains or the coast). The added height of the bag to the rescue here.

Once the camera kit and general bits are accommodated, I need to think “creative field fixes”.

Sound.

There is not a whole lot of pressure here. Most of the papers’ sound bites are simple voice-overs, to accompany video, most likley to avoid sound issues wit the content. The photog I went out with on my trial day, used the mic from a D500 Nikon over my video, so anything I take will be a bonus.

I think my “small mic” kit, a bunch of stuff that has been relegated to the “nicely packed, but probably never used” shelf may have a use after all. The Zoom H1n as pre amp-field recorder-LAV interface, some small ear phones, the Movo mini shotgun (original), Movo LAV and the Neewer mini shotgun make a good fix-all kit. I can split two 3.5 mics into the H1n, run a small mic straight to the G9 and the zoom off camera, boom or clamp a mic close. All sorts of things are possible. I will also take a bunch of cables, rechargeable batts, wind covers etc, so the little XCD* case will be filled to the brim.

Video.

Sound fixed, means video needs to be looked at closely. The G9, EM1x and OSMO are my “A” team for video. The G9 matched to a Pana lens are the core, the OSMO handles odd angles, movement, run and gun problem solving and the EM1x can do long lens or semi stabilised hand held. I would use the EM1x more except it needs 4k recording down sized to 1080 to do its best work. The G9 and OSMO also do out of camera effects like slo-mo, time lapse and panning.

All I need really is another XCD case full of OSMO accessories. This adds the under water housing, mic connector and some brackets. I will also add a 1’ carbon fibre rod for better angles for it and the cables to connect it to my phone.

So video and sound, both fixed by adding if needed a pair of small XCD cases that will fit in the bag with the insert.

Flash.

I have a dual off camera Godox TTL set that again, like the OSMO and small mics has been falling into disuse lately as other things have taken over. It looks like my new job will help me achieve my goal of “nothing wasted”.

Another XCD case and I have the TTL controller, second Godox (685) and a small Olympus flash to expand the one flash (860) base kit. I will add in a 60cm 5-in-1 for diffusion/eflection etc. and the “black foamy thing”. One flash, the foamy and a reflector gives me a studio in the hand flash.

So, flash, video, sound, tech and stills covered. Unlike the Crumpler Muli, which has not fixed anything, I can actually plan for this bag, because Domke bags are a known thing. All I really needed was a bag a little bigger than the F802 and I know the F804 is basically double the depth and an inch taller for a start.

There is also room for a small drone.

*The little semi-hard XCD cases, have been super problem solvers. They always seem to be “just right” being the ideal length of a Zoom H5, Godox flash etc. True to their accommodating nature, they should slip into the bag between the insert and front panel, stabilising the lot.

Nothing I throw at these cases seems to phase them. Sometimes I think a couple of these hold more than my Pro Tactic 350 AW, which seems to have the opposite dynamic and annoyingly does not take these well either. Another good fit is a 200 LED panel with a couple of NP batts.

Some Experiments Worth Sharing

Testing (stressing) my big shoot last week I did a little testing. During testing of course noth.ing was good enough. :Where is the briliance, where is the magic?” could be heard echoing from the hills!

I did discover the lovely colour neutrality of the G9 especially for skin tones, which helped make my decision to use one for stills and also effectively doubled my image making options

This is to me a near ideal semi-formal portrait. The ability to take the colour to the subject really helps.

Flipping it can have benefits as well. The warm-cool contrast works here, adding power and seriousness.

Channelling a bit of the Rory Lewis or Leibovitz “painterly” look.

The double-sided background (black/grey) allows me to determine the base depth of colour I want, i.e how light or dark, then some light and often rough brush work allows me to change the tint to anything within normal hues.

New Lens Thoughts

The second G9 arrived with its 12-60 kit lens.

The kit lens is designed to support the excellent 12-40 Olympus, which is suffering from a “lumpy” zoom mechanism, so has been consigned to life on my video rig (I draw the line at zooming while shooting).

First image. Wide settings, wide open, low shutter speed and a fine result. Even with this math applied, there is some smooth fall-off. Just goes to show, Bokeh is always relevant even for slower M43 lenses at longer distances.

Nice colour and contrast. This gentle look is another tool to use. Long end wide open.

Nice off centre sharpness wide open at 60mm.

Again nice centre quality. Not a scientific test, just hand held, medium ISO, EM10 Mk2, slow-ish shutter speed.

On an EM10 Mk2 it is sometimes a little hesitant with focus, but so is the Leica 8-18. The Leica is quicker on an EM1 and G9, so it is an EM10 thing.

I had read that flare was better controlled on this than the Leica 12-60 and to be honest, I had to search for any at all. I recently pointed my 17mm at this scene and it blew out like the sun!

Contrast and Bokeh seems nice. This had some shadow raising and highlight smoothing, but without issue. The colour tint of the lens looks to compliment the warm EM10 sensor nicely, something I noticed on the 8-18. The wall colour is spot on to reality.

A little gentle work added. It is similar to the 40-150 kit. Micro-contrast sharp, medium global contrast and saturation, controlled Bokeh.

Wide shot controlling distortions well and no vignetting.

It feels nice and tight, has no rattle or wobbles and is a good fit for an EM10. In Australia they retail on their own for $599.00, which I do not find at all appealing. For basically $80-100 in a kit, it is a real bargain.

Different brands they may be, but this and the 75-300 Olympus are a good pair, almost covering the full range from 24-600. As a landscape kit, this is ideal. Stopped down a stop or two, both lenses are as good as you need.

Both punch above their weight, both fit easily in a bag and take the same filters, both seem to handle strong light well and they are slow, so a couple of small, fast primes compliment them without contradiction. All in a small and light package.

I know from testing one of these with a bunch of other lenses when I worked at the shop, that they are potentially better than many dearer lenses (this and the Pana 14-140 both surprised, only the 12-100 Pro and 15mm Leica cleanly beat it).

Mine does not seem to be de-centred, the most likely indicator of a zoom fault, so I am happy.