Posts tagged with: Nescopeck State Park

A Really Bad Idea: Touchscreens in Cars.

Hemlocks on the Trail:(Nikon D800E, Nikkor 50mm f1.8)

For a variety of reasons, I have not been doing much writing, or for that matter photography, for about a year now. I’m not sure what happened, but I think, the absolute deluge of troubling events over the past year or three, has sort of overloaded my psyche, and suppressed my creative muse.

To break this drought, I wrote this hopefully non-controversial piece that was published in The American Thinker on March 24th. I’m not sure that I will remain so diplomatic as we go forward

One of the happy cycles in my life occurs every 3 to 4 years when I drive home in a new vehicle.
However, for me, the current car market is a challenge.

I currently own a great vehicle. It is a 2018 Audi allroad, a small but luxurious station wagon, with a sophisticated all-wheel drive system, and a powerful 2 Liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine.
I have kept it for longer than usual, but I am beginning to be concerned about maintaining this complex automobile once it is out of warranty.
So, why don’t I just buy the new 2024 model?
The problem is, that Audi, like most manufacturers these days, has “gone astray”.

In 2018 when my car was built, Audi was building cars with features controlled with a simple and intuitive driver interface. One could navigate through systems with tactile controls requiring minimal distraction from the road.

For the 2020 model year, the engineers at Ingolstadt decided that touch screens would become the new control method in Audi interiors. Many of the physical buttons were removed. Controls are now in the center screen, activated by pushing on a flat panel without any haptic feedback. In many cases, previously simple tasks are now buried behind several menus.

Recently, my car required service. I requested a similar updated model as a loaner, so I could experience the new interface. Many of the conveniences of my car had been eliminated, and I could find no safe way to quickly activate functions without focusing on the screen and not the road. There was some voice control, but it was an inadequate substitute for buttons. In short, it drove me nuts. So, for me, no new allroad.

Audi is not alone. The sister divisions of Volkswagen and Porsche which had been models of simplicity and logic, have been infected with the same nonsense. In fact, it has spread throughout the industry.

I believe that automobile companies have several motivations. First, touchscreen technology is fashionable, and no one wants to be seen to be falling behind. And I will admit that the aesthetics of these dashboards, and the access to the information, can at times be compelling… If you weren’t trying to drive.

There are also cost benefits, as one might expect. A traditional dashboard requires separate wiring for each manual control circuit. Digital dashboards and controls are configured by programming and can be much less complex to set up. New features can also be added quickly. Touchscreens will also help to facilitate the industry’s new bad idea: automotive options such as heated seats, available only by subscription with monthly payments required.

So, for the first time in my life, I find myself drawn to models that have been in circulation long enough to have traditional control layouts. This typically means cars that are reaching the end of their model run.
One other issue with touchscreen controls is the expense involved in their replacement. These screens control the core functioning of modern automobiles. If they break, the car is essentially “bricked.” I priced, for instance, the 2 screens on my allroad. The instrument cluster screen is very expensive at about $1200). The center screen, where the navigation, audio, and auto systems are controlled is an eye-watering $5500. It could be very expensive to own one of these cars if they are not under warranty. It also begs the question: Who will be able to afford to repair these vehicles in 5-10 years should this technology begin to fail?

As I age, it bothers me to sound like a Luddite, especially with computer technology, with which I am otherwise quite comfortable. I do think however that this technology has demonstrable downsides. Perhaps someday, it will go the way of the “talking cars” of the 80s which disappeared rather quickly. Perhaps voice controls will become a workaround for the crappy interfaces.

To me, touchscreen interfaces, much like the relentless promotion of electric vehicles, are part of a larger pattern in the automotive industry which seems determined to sell to us, things that we do not want. Part of this behavior is due to upcoming government regulations. Despite this, it feels as though the industry no longer has any concern for the wishes of the average consumer. Sadly, but predictably, this philosophy, combined with their rapacious pricing during the pandemic, has sent the industry into a tailspin with plummeting sales and falling prices.
Maybe it is a good time to buy after all.


I would be honored if you would share this with friends.

Viral Post September 9th, 2021: Can’t Handle the Truth?

It has been a year and 5 months since we first experienced the work product of the Wuhan Institute of Virology.  I must admit, that if you would have asked me on March 16, 2020, the date we originally locked down, I would have assumed the issue of the virus would be well and truly over by this time.  It looks like I underestimated things. 

It appears that we are expected to become overwrought with each new variant. Unfortunately, there are 24 letters in the Greek alphabet. We are only on #4. 

Given that this is the end of Summer, we are dealing with controversies regarding school openings.  School boards were in a difficult position.  They were stuck trying to placate both sides of a fierce debate.   In general, it seems logical to let individual districts, with the input of parents, decide the issue.  

 Though it is unclear to me that masks do anything in the school environment, the decision to require them should be made based on the case burden locally.  What is appropriate for a rural district in, for instance, Potter County may be very different than an urban school district in Pittsburg.   

Now, the state Department of Health has stepped in and mandated masks for all schools in the state, taking the decision out of local hands.  I am sure school boards everywhere are sighing in relief. Still, this seems like Harrisburg overreach…again. 

The CDC has recently announced guidelines that support masking children in schools. They are citing an observational, retrospective study they sponsored, using data from multiple school districts in Georgia. 

The study was conducted on data from November and December 2020, prior to vaccine availability. It showed that improving ventilation in schools and the masking of teachers and staff (i.e.: adults, who are more susceptible to infection) resulted in a decreased incidence of infection. Improved ventilation as it turned out was statistically the much more effective intervention. It was a sloppy study with a lot of inconsistencies which reduces the power of the data. 

 Here is a paragraph from the article’s conclusion:  

 In the current study, the lower incidence in schools requiring mask use among teachers and staff members is consistent with research on mask effectiveness (6), and investigations that have identified school staff members as important contributors to school-based SARS-CoV-2 transmission (7). The 21% lower incidence in schools that required mask use among students was not statistically significant compared with schools where mask use was optional.  

Now, with teachers likely vaccinated, I’m not sure this data is valid. As evidence, this seems like a very “thin gruel” to require masks for entire student populations. 

Let’s turn now to a curious set of facts surrounding the FDA approval of the Pfizer vaccine.  It turns out that the current product, the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid vaccine, is not legally the FDA-approved product.  That vaccine is the Pfizer “Comirnaty” vaccine.  The original vaccine is still under “emergency use authorization”.  Interestingly, very little of the new product has been manufactured, but there is plenty of stock of the Pfizer/BioNTech product, which will continue to be given.   

Why would this be, you ask?  Well, remember that these vaccines have had a significant number of adverse events according to the VAERS data. The older product under EUA is immune from legal action, whereas Comirnaty recipients can sue Pfizer for any complications. 

I’m not trying to discourage vaccine use.  Again, let me say that I believe each person, with the input of their physician, should make this decision based on their particular risk-benefit ratio. 

Pfizer is obviously manipulating the situation, which doesn’t surprise me. I do find it very disturbing that the FDA seems to be cooperating with its efforts.  Pfizer clearly benefits from the P.R. generated by the approval without giving up its legal immunity. 

This manipulation also works for those in government that seek to mandate vaccinations.  Meanwhile unknowingly, we will still receive a product that is still experimental.  

Interestingly, two of the most senior people in the FDA involved with vaccine approval just suddenly resigned. Apparently, they were very unhappy with the rushed vaccine approval. 

 More to come on that, I suspect. 

Finally, I once again return to the matter of natural immunity.  2 articles caught my eye recently.  The first is an immunologic study from Cell Reports Medicine. This looked at the immune responsiveness over time (8 months) to Covid in 254 subjects who had contracted the disease early in the pandemic.  They studied serial blood samples, measuring antibodies and other immunological markers. They conclude that: Taken together, these results suggest that broad and effective immunity may persist long-term in recovered COVID-19 patients. 

Then there is a very large study in preprint from a group in Israel. They studied data from 700,000(!) patients. The study looked at recent infections with the delta variant. It compared those with natural immunity without vaccination, natural immunity with a subsequent dose of vaccine, versus Covid-naïve patients who have been vaccinated. All the previous Covid infections or vaccinations were in the January/February 2021 timeframe. 

  They came to several conclusions.  #1.  Vaccinated Covid-naive patients were 13 times more likely to have a breakthrough infection with the delta variant, than those with natural immunity. They were 27 times more likely to get significant symptoms.  Those results were among patients who had been infected in January–February 2021.  They then looked at a broader group of previously infected subjects whose illnesses go back as far as March 2020.  Those patients were still at an advantage with 5.7 times more infections in the vaccinated group.  They did find that a single dose of vaccine (Pfizer) seemed to have a slightly positive effect on those with previous infections but the data did not reach statistical significance.  

Still, with more and more data reinforcing the strong immunity of recovered patients, the CDC and the NIH ignore the issue and want to mandate “the jab” for the recovered. It is important to remember that the incidence of side effects of these vaccines is much higher in those previously infected. Those of us who are in that situation clearly have no ethical obligation to be vaccinated and are rightfully wary to do so. 

By the way, very quietly in the last week or so, the CDC changed its definition of vaccination. Here’s what things look like in late August:

Immunity: Protection from an infectious disease. If you are immune to a disease, you can be exposed to it without becoming infected.

Vaccine: A product that stimulates a person’s immune system to produce immunity to a specific disease, protecting the person from that disease. Vaccines are usually administered through needle injections, but can also be administered by mouth or sprayed into the nose.

Here’s what it looks like now:

Immunity: Protection from an infectious disease. If you are immune to a disease, you can be exposed to it without becoming infected.

Vaccine: A preparation that is used to stimulate the body’s immune response against diseases. Vaccines are usually administered through needle injections, but some can be administered by mouth or sprayed into the nose.

Lowered expectations?

One last topic. It is become fashionable among my vaccine-obsessed friends to use the term” horse wormer” to describe ivermectin. I believe this was pioneered by Rachel Maddow to mock its use. Ivermectin is a WHO essential medication, given to literally millions of people for treatment of parasitic infections. It is very inexpensive and very safe. Obviously, it is also used in veterinary circles.  

It has been known for some time to have antiviral properties.  There is now a significant amount of data to suggest that it is useful in the treatment and prophylaxis of Covid 19. I’ve been easily able to acquire the tablet form at my local pharmacy. The problem is medical boards that are suppressing its use, in concert with the NIH and Pharma. Remember, if Ivermectin works, there’s no EUA for any vaccines, per CDC policy.  

Interestingly, I understand Pfizer and Merck are coming out with a ”Covid treatment pill”. This will be on-patent, and likely fairly pricey. I wonder if they’ll call it Newvermectin.

It’s just a thought. 

If there is an overriding theme to this post, and to my previous posts, it is that this very real pandemic, has resulted in the unmasking of the players: public health authorities, and big Pharma who are not working for our welfare but for their own. They manipulate facts, ignore others, and create rules meant to increase their power and wealth, often at our expense. They deny us early treatment despite the data supporting it. Their partners in the media assist in their subterfuge. As a physician, this has caused me to question almost everything I have happily gone along with in the past. The scales have fallen off my eyes. 

I believe our best bet is to study closely the real data, to utilize vaccines, and medications when they will be efficacious, and remain very skeptical of the “facts” as presented, by government health agencies, and the pharmaceutical industry. 

Quite honestly, we’re on our own. 

As always, I’d be honored if you’d share this post.

Header image: Monarch Feeding (Fujifilm XE4, XF 55-200 f3.5-4.8)

More Photography with the Samsung G20.

Smartphone fine art photography? After two months with my Samsung Galaxy S 20, I have to admit it appears to be a real option. Though I am not sure, that all of my work qualifies as “fine art” I would say that in 2021, a state-of-the-art phone camera module is no longer severely limiting.

I’m writing this follow-up article to demonstrate what I’ve been able to capture with my new phone.

First, let me say that these images are not all intended to be jaw-droppers. Some of them were shot rather specifically to reveal the sensor’s abilities/limitations. Others were shot with somewhat higher aspirations Hopefully, they are somewhat pleasing.

Suna nd Snow Shower ( Samsung Galaxy S20 EW 5G)

In 2015, Samsung introduced a brand-new line of cameras called the NX series. It was Samsung’s first foray into a mirror list interchangeable lens camera, and it hit the market with a splash. It was beautifully constructed, extremely well-featured, and came with very fine newly designed lenses.

Most interestingly, it also featured a Samsung-manufactured, very high-quality 28-megapixel sensor. This was shockingly competitive with sensors made by the dominant manufacturer’s Sony and Canon. It was for a time, highly promoted. Samsung hired a number of very well-known photographers for this purpose. I shot with a loaner camera at a photo expo in Seattle and was very impressed.

Then suddenly, the Samsung NX series was no more. Apparently, Samsung decided that cameras “weren’t their bag” and they dropped the product line rather abruptly. It’s actually a shame because there was clear potential for this product.

Bridge ( Samsung Galaxy S20 EW 5G)

Apparently, they didn’t forget how to make sensors. As you saw perhaps in the last article I wrote about the S20 weeks ago, despite the diminutive size and tiny pixels, it can produce very high-quality files. Given this, I decided to keep it in service.

Sign in at Ampersand ( Samsung Galaxy S20 EW 5G)

For the most part, I shot it entirely in raw which is available in “pro” mode. Shot this way the camera produces a .dng file in a 4/3 format and a wide format JPEG. The latter is processed by the phone’s software. Very typically the results of the processing are fairly pleasing and pleasant to look at on the small screen. Details in the JPEG files are definitely smoothed out by the processing and don’t appear useful for anything beyond digital display.

In early March my wife and I spent a week in the Adirondacks. I brought my typical travel kit including my Fujifilm X100V and my XE3 with a variety of lenses. I never got them out of their bags. When skiing or snowshoeing, I would merely take my small Manfrotto tripod and the smartphone mount, and shot with the Samsung exclusively. I have been doing that ever since, in part with this article in mind.

Chairs at the Pub ( Samsung Galaxy S20 EW 5G)

I have to say that I didn’t really miss my Fujis. Part of this, however, is that I’ve been photographing the high peaks region in early March for so many years, it’s hard to find novel scenery. This was thus an interesting new challenge.

Once home, I continued with the exercise playing with the bleak, early spring scenery as our snow finally melted away.

The last Bit of Snow ( Samsung Galaxy S20 EW 5G)

This is a really good sensor. Many of these images you will note, were shot into the sun with prominent shadows. Better digital sensors have several qualities. One of them is dynamic range, which in part feeds into their true resolution.

Dynamic range describes the ability of the sensor to capture very bright scenes, and deep shadows, but still retain detail when the images are edited. Small pixel phone sensors have traditionally been terrible at this. This sensor handles it brilliantly, certainly as good as for instance my 2009 vintage Panasonic GH1, a much larger sensor interchangeable lens camera (also 12 megapixels).

March Barrens Morning ( Samsung Galaxy S20 EW 5G)

Another attribute of a good sensor is tonality. This describes the subtle gradations shades of gray, and of color. Earlier technology recorded shades in discrete steps makes the image look more like a painting than a photograph, especially when viewed in detail. More sophisticated sensors have much more subtle gradations. I would say this Samsung sensor does surprisingly well in this regard.

Melt out at Lake Flower ( Samsung Galaxy S20 EW 5G)

I’ll offer one more thought. No one really talks about the lenses in these tiny camera modules, but in the case of this Samsung S20, there is little to criticize. There is some lens flare, and given the lack of any lens shading, but it is pretty well controlled. And if there other lens distortions that can be measured, they are well hidden in normal usage

April First on the Pocono Plateau ( Samsung Galaxy S20 EW 5G)

At any rate, I think I’m done with this experiment. I’m going back to my more serious gear as the Spring season presents more photographic opportunities.

But it’s nice to know I’ll have the Samsung just in case.

As always, I’d Be honored if you’de share.

Header image: Wind and Snow( Samsung Galaxy S20 EW 5G)

Eight months with the Fujifilm X100V

Daffodil in Snow
Daffodil in Snow (Fujifilm X100V)

Once upon a time, this used to be a photography site. The site’s camera-related content, particularly related to Fujifilm gear, continues to be the most viewed content over time. Since March, however, I have been distracted by this trivial little virus problem which the articles on the site reflect.  I have now recovered from my own bout of COVID 19. It’s a good time to return to the site’s origins…

 In this case, to discuss my eight-month experience with the Fujifilm X100 V.

Spring Evening at Lake Francis (Fujifilm X100V)

As I wrote at the time, I acquired the camera in March, too late for the last dwindling period of normalcy before the restrictions ruined St. Patrick’s Day, as well as other public and private events I love to cover. Spring blended into a summer, similarly shorn of celebrations. Given this, I have tended to use the camera mainly for landscape photography. Thankfully, this is a discipline where its new features are particularly useful.

Side Fall At bear Creek
Side Fall at Bear Creek (Fujifilm X100V, TCL X100 II)

First and foremost is the new lens. My somewhat crude studio testing against the previous “F” model back in March did suggest that close up and wide open the lens is markedly superior to its predecessor. I captured a lot of close-up, open aperture images mindful that I might need examples for such an article. I love the sharpness and bokeh of the optics though I was hardly offended by the previous version.

Spring in the Nescopeck Plain
Spring in the Nescopeck Plain (Fujifilm X 100V TCL X100 II)

The “V” model addition of weather sealing too is obviously useful in outdoor photography. Though I never worried too much about moisture affecting the previous versions, on a rainy day I would reach for my X Pro 2 with one of the weather-sealed primes. Now either with a UV filter or a lens converter (I use the TCL X100 all the time), I no longer have to worry for instance, about the spray from a waterfall when the camera is mounted to a tripod.

In the Sun (Fujifilm X100V, TLC X100 II)

Speaking of tripods, the flip-out screen has turned out to be very useful. I do have to occasionally remind myself that it’s available given the clean look of the camera, but for low-level tripod work, it is proven to be invaluable. I know that I will enjoy it when I go back to shooting on “the street” but for now is still very helpful.

Mid August Stream
Mid August Stream ( Fujifilm X100V)

I honestly have little negative to report in my months of usage. There is this odd effect I noticed when the cameras turned on and I take off the lens cap. In the viewfinder, the view is entirely washed out and takes time apparently for the camera metering to throttle back on the sensitivity/aperture. This happens consistently with this camera, but I have not noted on earlier Fujifilm products. I’m not sure what it means but it’s a minimal problem once the sensor adapts.

Late Fall Water Colors (Fujifilm X100V)

Another useful feature has been the Bluetooth connection between the camera and my phone. This is much less fussy in my use than the Wi-Fi connection, and give you a quick way to remotely release the camera and avoid camera shake. It appears to use very little battery life.

It’s a measure of my enjoyment of the camera that I have used it almost exclusively throughout the year. I store my raw images on two external hard drives using the function in Adobe Bridge to clear my memory cards. They are stored in the main folder for the year, and then subfolders for each camera and date span. I was actually downloading some files from another camera when I noted that almost all of the subfolders for the year are those from the X 100 V. There are none for the X Pro 2. Perhaps it’s time for a sale?

Last Bit of Autumn ( Fujifilm X100V)

In summary, the X 100 V has proven to be an excellent update of this wonderful camera line, one which I continue to use with great enthusiasm and I think with excellent results. Having a hard time imagining what the next version might bring to the table. I suspect image stabilization could be on the menu as Fujifilm seems to be packaging this feature into smaller and smaller bodies.

That would be wonderful… but I’m in no hurry

As always , I’d be honored if you would share this post.

Unexpected

Old Oak (Fujifilm XE-3, XF 18-55mm f2.8-4)

When you live in an area long enough, you eventually will run out of novel places to photograph. Though I strive to find new settings to explore, my daily exercise “hikes” tend to center around a limited number of trails that are close to my home whether in Pennsylvania or the Adirondacks.

Now I agree that every season brings its own peculiar “touch” to the landscape, but after 30+ years, I’ve seen most of the variations. For this reason, on a familiar trail, it’s tempting to either forgo bringing a camera at all (relying on my cell phone for any photography) or bring lighter kit, like my small Sony RX 100 pocket camera. Though the latter is capable of good imaging, I get nowhere near the quality for instance, of one of my larger sensored Fujifilm X cameras.

New View (Fujifilm XE-3, XF 18-55mm f2.8-4)

A couple of Saturdays ago, I visited a local state game lands. One attraction is the “Pear farm” a historic orchard that in the 1920s occupied a ridge overlooking the Nescopeck creek valley.  By the sheerest of coincidences, it also overlooked a dense woodland shrouding an illegal still.

I walk this frequently and have obtained some good photography there over the years. I have never found any sign of the still, which said to have been destroyed by “revenuers” before prohibition ended.

Winter Trail, Pear Farm (Fujifilm XE-3, XF 18-55mm f2.8-4)

 The Pennsylvania Game Commission maintains the property by mowing the field and planting grasses that are apparently a rich food source for a variety of wildlife. But on this particular day, the sky was gray, and there was only a light coating of snow. There had also been some timbering done which I was eager to see. I did not anticipate much in the way of photographic opportunities. Nonetheless, the only camera bag in the car was one containing my Fujifilm X 100F and X E3. More to add weight and thus burn calories, rather than with any hope of photographic opportunity, I shouldered the bag, grabbed a monopod and began the hike up the mountain.

Timbered (Fujifilm XE-3, XF 18-55mm f2.8-4)

The timbering, as it turned out, was extensive. To my eye, what looked like several hundred acres had been cleared, with only a few spindly seed trees left to repopulate the land. I know from conversations with game commission foresters, that such timbering is done for habitat restoration, In this case, the goal was reestablishing a mixed oak forest, albeit one I will never see. In the meantime, forest succession will provide a variety of habitats for game animals.

It early in the year, the sun angle was low, and in the late afternoon with clearing to the west, there were already red highlights in the gray sky. The clouds, far from a uniform white, were more complex and foreboding. The timbered landscape created a stark, slightly disturbing scene. As it was on a weekend, the timber crew was off and the machines idle which opened up my options for access.

Skidder (Fujifilm X100F)

Most intriguingly, the rather aggressive timbering had actually opened up a pleasant view scape down the Nescopeck Valley to the distant farmland of Butler Township.

From my point of view, what I assumed would be a rather mundane walk for exercise, turned out to have enough visual interest to stimulate my photography gene.

Every once in a while something will change a familiar landscape into something delightful. It may be a new angle to the light, strange atmospheric conditions, or in this case a physical change to the land. Nonetheless as a photographer, one probably ought to consider packing sufficient quality gear that you don’t miss out on opportunities when they present.

Why would I Upgrade?

Fall Fields ( Fujifilm X100T)

I haven’t posted in a while. This is mainly because WordPress decided that they would completely change the functioning of the blog editor, and it took my rapidly aging brain some time to figure it out. Well, in the immortal words of Jack Torrance: “I’m Baaaaaaaaaack…”

I don’t know whether it’s the crappy photography conditions we’ve had, or my general satisfaction with the capabilities of my current equipment. It is even remotely possible, that finally, maturity and fiscal responsibility has settled on me perhaps 30 years late. For whatever reason I no longer yearn for the newest and best.

I no longer scour the pages of Dpreview for the latest equipment reviews.  I’ve stopped visiting the various Fujifilm forums. I dropped my subscriptions to Reid Reviews and the Luminous Landscape (though in the case of the latter site, it’s not really the same since Michael Reichmann died).

Nonetheless, new Fujifilm gear is likely in the pipeline, and probably not far from introduction. I’m not talking about The XT or XH lines, which have obviously been updated more recently. I’m talking about the cameras that I prefer to shoot, namely the X100 and X Pro lines. Both I think will be due soon for an update. What really bothers me, is that I’m not sure that I care.

What is happening???????

Dave Chappell and Band (Fujifilm X100F)

I currently shoot an X100F and an X Pro 2. In the case of the X100 series, I have owned all of the various versions starting with the original X100. It seemed to me that each time a new model came out, there was a fairly compelling reason to update the camera. This was also true of the X Pro 1 to X Pro 2 evolution. I am truly satisfied with my current equipment which has benefited from the constant evolution and improvement not only in the new models, but with subsequent firmware upgrades.

So what new features/ capabilities would an X100 “G” or an X Pro 3 need to offer in order to move up once again. I think part of the problem, is that I’m not a particularly demanding shooter. I’m not generally shooting sports, or wildlife. Most of the landscape I do is fairly deliberate. so what new features/ capabilities would cause me to upgrade? I suspect the next camera up will be the X100 series, so this will be where I focus in this article.

So, what might Fujifilm do to entice X100F owners to upgrade?

Well, there is the new sensor introduced in the XT3. At 28 megapixels there is slightly more resolution than the X100F’s 24 megapixels. High ISO performance is said to be the same or slightly worse than the previous sensor, with perhaps a gain in dynamic range, partly from the new lower base ISO. The latter feature would be useful, to slow shutter speeds for moving water, but overall, to me,the new sensor is not a huge draw.

Sunset in Jakey Hollow (Fujifilm X100F)

How about weatherproofing? In a fixed lens camera, one would think this is easier to accomplish than in an interchangeable lens body. My sense is that it wouldn’t add much in the way of weight or bulk, and would be a nice addition to a camera used extensively for street photography. On the other hand, I use my cameras all the time in wet weather. Exercising some caution, I’ve never really had a problem with the X100 series.

Ferns in the Glen (fujifilm X100F)

A new lens might be interesting. The current 23mm f2.0 lens has been unchanged since the X100 introduction in 2011. It is a lovely optic, but it is known to be soft wide-open particularly close up. I would be interested, and an upgrade with a new lens, perhaps F1.8.  A deal breaker however, would a lack of compatability with the two lens converters Fuji currently offers ( for which  I spent good money on and use all the time).

They could improve the video performance, but I suspect, most X100 series users wouldn’t really care. Unless there have been big strides in technology, I don’t think there is adequate heat dissipation capacity in the small X100 frame for 4K (It’s borderline in the larger X Pro 2). You can always buy an XT3 if you want to shoot “Movin’ pitchures”.

Lens stabilization is always a welcome feature in a camera body. Given the size constraints with this line, I suspect it’s not possible to add it without increasing bulk. Ditto dual Card slots, or a separate memory card door like the X Pro 2

Two Gravestones at Hickory Run (Fujifilm X100F)

Better autofocus which is always claimed for upgraded cameras would also be useful, but I am relatively happy with the current performance of the “F”.

In short, because we’ve already had a look at the new sensor, the prospects for the upgraded X100/X Pro series aren’t very compelling from my limited viewpoint. The improvements that were so lauded in the XT3
(video and tracking autofocus) are not really that germane to these two camera series (at least in my hands).

I guess time will tell.

How Fall Turned Out

White Branches (Fujifilm X100F, TCL X100II

I’m writing this on December 5. I’m sitting at my desk, at about 7:40 AM, the sun has just risen in the east-southeast, as it does at this time of year when the sun’s arc is short. A straight shaft of sunlight pierces the window to my left and gently warms me on this cold winter morning. It is a welcome sensation that I have missed over the past 4 or 5 months given the abysmal weather we have been experiencing.

For the first time it seems since the early summer, meteorologists are predicting a prolonged period of dry, clear, if cold weather. For people prone to the “winter blues”, this is a welcome development.

When I last wrote back in early October, we had not really experienced any real autumn color. As it turned out, it was a long time coming. Usually, so-called “peak leaves” occurs around October 15, with the foliage largely off the trees by the end of the month. This year, the days around Halloween were probably the most colorful.

A Walk in the Barrens (X100F, TCL X100 II)

If only the weather cooperated. It seems like every day I was off and available to shoot, it was pouring rain. This was true through most of the weekends in the last several months, which initially got very discouraging. I got about when I could. I found myself relying on the X Pro 2 when shooting between raindrops given that it is relatively weatherproof.

Perhaps the only weekend in the fall that I remember there being favorable weather was in early November. At that time, my wife and I traveled to New York City to support a good friend who was running in the New York Marathon. Both Saturday and Sunday were clear, with mild temperatures.

New York Public Library (X100F, TCL X100 II)

We walked the city extensively and were quite surprised by the level to which New Yorker’s turned out for the event, and the extraordinary organization involved.

Behind the Band (X100F)

My wife and I watched the race in the upper east side, from a neighborhood pub which is frequented by a good friend of mine. It was a welcome respite from the rain and fog of the Pocono plateau.

The Owner of the Spotted Dog (X100F)

Alas, on Monday morning when I woke to take a last photographic sojourn around Manhattan, it was raining again. Drat. I didn’t even get to make my usual walk to B+H photo.

Times Square in the Rain (X100F)

 Back at home, whatever was left of the fall visuals, was pretty much eradicated on the 13th of November when a rogue, early season nor’easter dumped snow over the region. At the altitude where I reside, we got about 13 inches of very dense snow that was quite challenging to remove, particularly given that I had not yet converted my equipment over to winter mode.

Corn Rows in Snow (X Pro 2, XF18-55mm f2,8-4)

The snow hung around for several weeks, but then, a long period of warm rainy/foggy weather finally has returned us to our late fall landscape.

Creek at Flood Stage (X Pro 2, XF18-55mm f2,8-4)

So now we are looking at a prolonged dry spell, and hopefully, the end to this weather pattern which has plagued us since at least June.

We’ll see…

Do Stop the Rain

Mushroom (Fujifilm X100 F, TCL, X100 mark II)

If it’s gonna be a rainy day
There’s nothing we can do to make it change
We can pray for sunny weather
But that won’t stop the rain.

   – Jim Morrison

 

I live in an old resort community, on the edge of the Pocono plateau in Pennsylvania. This is an old settlement, founded in the 1880’s on either side of a what was then the main road between towns. In the center of the community, there is a creek that runs below a 70-80-year-old masonry culvert.

Over the years, the road, still owned by the township, services only a few properties beyond our community. It is no longer a main thoroughfare.

The creek at this point is perhaps 200 yards from its inception in an artesian spring, one of many that bubble up in the surrounding woodlands. Being so close to the source, there is little watershed to feed the creek. Typically, by late July, the creek bed under the road is dry. In the 30 years I have lived there, this has always been the case.

In the last 3 years the culvert has been deteriorating to a point where it needed replacement. it’s an expensive proposition, and the Township has been struggling to find the money.

A state grant was obtained, and the job bid out. This spring we were told, that the “culvert” would finally be replaced in the late summer when the creek ran dry.

Unfortunately, however  the summer of 2018, about the wettest summer in my memory. As of early October, the stream is running as vigorously as though it was late March.

Fall Flow (X100 F, TCL X100 mark II)

As it turns out my memory is fairly good.  According to NOAA, this is been a record here for rainfall in my region.

Now I want to recognize devastating effects caused by hurricanes, that have already occurred and will apparently occur again in the southern US.  The fact is however, we’ve had more rainfall as compared to normal than anywhere in the U.S.

The wet summer has had a variety of consequences. Fall foliage is clearly delayed by at least a week or maybe two, and many trees apparently affected by the super-saturated soils have already lost their leaves prior to any change in color. I understand that this is particularly true of apple trees. Sometime in the summer, both of my apple trees dropped their foliage, and then feebly tried to push out a second crop of sparse greenery.

Drowned Apple (Samsung Galaxy S8)

It is a great year for mycology. In both the forests, and the lawns, I have never seen a greater variety of mushrooms springing up in places they are not generally seen.

Weird Fungi (Samsung Galaxy S8)

It has been a constant battle to fix the washouts of the gravel driveway that leads to up to my barn. My house painter, who works on part of my house every year, is so delayed that I doubt he will get to me.

As I alluded to in an early article, on any warm day biting insects remain a significant problem even at this late date due to the persistence of vernal pools.

Pool on the Red Rock Trail (Fujifilm X100F, TCL X100 Mark II)

 

As I write this (October 9) we have just enjoyed a 3 day weekend of fog, mist and intermittent downpours.  It was so humid, in the outdoors, that my X100F autofocus started to act strangely, only to return to normal in my dry studio.

At our location and altitude, normal peak foliage time is around 15 October, yet at this point, with less than a week to go , most of the foliage is still green. It will be interesting to see the effect of all of this rain on the quality of the colors when they finally occur. 

I’m afraid I am not optimistic.

 

 

 

 

 

A Drenching Summer

 

Another Wet Day (Samsung Galaxy S8)

It has been an unusual summer for the Pocono region of Pennsylvania, if not for most of the mid-Atlantic region.  Brief periods of muggy partially sunny weather have offered inadequate solace for the long periods of days of gloomy skies with intermittent downpours that flooded our basements as well as our creeks and rivers.  Unusual for August, the Susquehanna River came near the top of its banks, and flooded many low-lying areas.

Despite this, summer goes on.

I am of an age, where the children of my contemporaries are now getting married.  I had 2 such ceremonies this year where I could be the guest, and not the photographer.

Callie and Scott (Fujifilm X100F, TCL X100II)

 Weather-wise the first wedding came off without a hitch, occurring during a rare appearance of pleasant sunny weather. The second wedding, which was held in a gorgeous lakeside lodge in Bucks County, was thoroughly rained out.  It was kind of sad to look out at the teeming rain, and see the archway, and the white chairs still forlornly waiting to be occupied.  Nonetheless it was a lovely ceremony, even held indoors.

Annie and Cliff (Fujifilm X100F)

The weather this year has certainly affected my photographic output.  Often the rainy periods occurred over weekends when I have time to shoot. Even when it wasn’t raining, the warm muggy air seemed to egg on the biting flies and particularly the mosquitoes.  The latter are breeding profusely given the persistence of vernal ponds and other areas of standing water.

Old Growth (Fujifilm X100F)

This weekend, given the extravagant run off, I thought it would be interesting to photograph moving water.  How naïve.  I grabbed my X100f and a tripod, and gamely hiked out into the nearby State Forest intending to visit a hidden glen I know well.

It took about 5 minutes to figure out, that this wasn’t the day for unhurried tripod work.

I was almost instantly set upon by hordes of mosquitoes who would likely exsanguinate me, if I stopped long enough to set up a tripod.  They certainly provided me the incentive for a brisk walking pace.

The Fountain at Fountain Lake (Samsung Galaxy S8)

I have another wedding to attend, this time for my niece Alex, in Jersey City this weekend.  The weather it is said, will have turned by then, providing bright blue skies, cool temperatures and low humidity.  I will probably shoot a few images, and try hard, as always not to get in the way of the hired gun.

 I am happy that she will not have to come up with a plan B.  And I am hopeful that this weather change portends a more hospitable late summer and fall.

 And hopefully, less mosquitoes.

Learning to Work Ultra Wide: the Laowa 9mm f2.8 Lens.

 

Susquehanna from the Dike (Fujifilm XT-10, Laowa 9mm f2.8)

Every once in a while, it is stimulating to leave what is familiar and comfortable, and venture into a place where we are challenged to adapt and extend our abilities.

In pursuit of this, some people travel to novel destinations, or take on a new physical challenge.  In photography, this can mean trying a new form of photography or working with new equipment. Recently, my exercise has been to shoot in a very unfamiliar format with the Laowa 9 mm f2.8 ultra wide lens.

We all have our comfort level.  In terms of focal lengths, I tend to work within a range of 35 mm to about 150mm (full frame equivalent).  These days I favor my Fujifilm equipment. So the X100 series 23mm f2 fixed lens( 35 mm field of view), the TCL-100 adapter(50 mm field of view) and the XF 56mm f1.2(roughly 85 mm field of view) get the bulk of my use, with the XF 55-200mm zoom available when required.

Long way to the Outhouse (Fujifilm XT-10, Laowa 9mm f2.8)

A 9 mm lens (13.5 mm field of view) is radically more wide angle than anything I typically shoot.  But I was intrigued by some images I saw online, shot with this Chinese-sourced lens. Curious,  I purchased one from the company website.

Image by Laowa

This is a small lens, smaller than anything I currently have for the Fuji lens mount.  It looks old-fashioned, it is made of metal with a metal lens cap and seems quite sturdy. There is a handy depth of field scale on the aperture ring. It interfaces securely with the Fuji X lens mount.

XT-10 plus Laowa 9mm (Samsunng Galaxy S8)

Setting the aperture and focus are  done manually  as there are no electrical contacts on the mount.  The body must be set to “shoot without a lens” in the menus to allow the set up to work.  One simply sets the shutter speed on “A”, and the light meter will set appropriate exposures on whatever aperture is selected. For the most part, this seems to work pretty well.  Exposure compensation also seems to be usable.

Ultra wide-angle lenses require specific framing if you are to obtain an interesting image.  I had very little experience with their use, so I went online and watched a variety of tutorials.  Pretty much everybody says the same thing:  first, you need to set the aperture fairly tight to maximize your depth the field.  On the lens this wide, at roughly f11, everything from about 1 feet and infinity is in reasonable focus. You need to pick a subject in the foreground and then get extremely, almost uncomfortably close to it. Then need to pay close attention to the background, as this focal length is very inclusive.  If your composition is right, then this should result in an interesting, fairly three-dimensional image.

Rhododendrons in my Yard (Fujifilm XT-10, Laowa 9mm f2.8)

With focal lengths this short, sometimes you have to get very low to the ground or shoot at unusual angles to frame a compelling image, or to exclude something unpleasant-looking.  A tripod is helpful, especially since any small movement of such a wide lens tends to alter significantly perspectives and angles of the seen.

I quickly found that if I could not get sufficiently close to an interesting subject, the resultant image would usually be completely uninteresting and flat. Every once in a while though, you can break the rules, and still end up with an interesting photograph. 

Mike and Dog at Moosic Lake (Fujifilm XT-10, Laowa 9mm f2.8)

This was my first experience with a Chinese made lens.  Both the aperture ring and the focus ring rotated smoothly, and the former had click detents at 2 stop increments. The front element has a hydrophobic coating said to resist water droplets and mist.  The lens however, is not billed as weather-sealed. From the standpoint of built quality  it certainly felt like pretty good value.

Owl at Berger’s (Fujifilm XT-10, Laowa 9mm f2.8)

Image quality was interesting.  This is not a fisheye lens and is designed to be rectilinear.I rarely found the need to set the aperture wider than perhaps f5.6 and found that from there to perhaps f11 the lens is not only very sharp in the center, but acceptably so in the corners. I have very little expectation that a modestly priced, ultra wide lens would be sharp edge to edge.

Scaffolding (Fujifilm XT-10, Laowa 9mm f2.8)

What was surprising was the light fall-off.  There is considerable corner shading even at tighter apertures, though obviously this can be easily corrected in post. I think this is particularly noticeable, because unlike my Fujifilm lenses, the camera has no lens information to use to correct optical aberrations “in camera”. 

I tended to shoot this lens on my XT 10, as the articulating screen of that camera was useful to frame images in some of the unusual angles required for wide angle photography.  I found the best way to deal with focus, was  use the focus peaking feature of the camera, but most of the time to bunch the sparkly bits towards the foreground, to prioritize sharpness there.

I did not shoot people with this lens. An optic this wide tends to do unflattering things to faces, particularly if you are close enough to fill the frame.  And most casual subjects will be uncomfortable with the proximity that the lens requires. Stay tuned, though.

Boat and Chain, Lily Lake (Fujifilm XT-10, Laowa 9mm f2.8)

This brings up what for me at least,  is  a major disadvantage of shooting at this focal length.  In situations where I am not shooting professionally, I am particularly wary of invading of peoples privacy and their property,procedure this for the sake of what is essentially my hobby. 

Particularly in rural areas, when armed with an ultra wide lens, you simply cannot take advantage of every scene.  In a cityscape though, where more interesting subjects are more freely accessible, things get somewhat easier.  Sometimes however, no matter where you are, it may just be impossible physically to get close to a subject or location to the degree the focal length requires.

Foggy Spring Morning, Fountain Lake (Fujifilm XT-10, Laowa 9mm f2.8)

I have been shooting the lens for several weeks.  I’m starting to develop a better sense of what will work with an ultra wide and what will not; my percent of “keepers” is going up.   Now, when I’m opening up a card in Photoshop, I am seeing images that often intrigue me, but don’t look like my previous work.

Which I’m pretty sure was the goal of this exercise.