Sony RX100 VII

Sony RX100m7 - Marin County  2024

So, my Canon G5XII went missing during one of my recent Los Angeles trips (under suspicious circumstances). One of the contributing problems was that I was mainly using my iPhone for photos during the trip, so I didn't notice when the Canon went missing. (An earlier version of the Canon also went missing, that time in Vancouver.)

Alas, Canon no longer makes the G5XII. Not only that, used models are now selling at a premium, far above what I had paid for the camera new.

I've since replaced it with a Sony RX100 VII (seen above and hereafter known as the RX100m7, or maybe just RX100). I tried an earlier RX100 model in 2015, but preferred a Canon G5X at the time. Since the above photo was taken I've installed an add-on grip, which seems to help in the ergonomic department.

Below, the missing Canon at a coffee shop in Monterey County.

Coffee, Morning Bun, Canon G5XII - Monterey County  2024

Rocks, Leaves

Rocks, Leaves, Trees - Yosemite  2020

Rocks, Leaves - Yosemite  2020

I was using two cameras, one with a regular telephoto lens (top shot) and one with a wide-angle telephoto lens (bottom).

California's Finest / Date Palm

California's Finest - Los Angeles  2019

Date Palm - Los Angeles  2019

So, most of the L.A. photos were taken with a Canon G5X. After my first G5X went missing in Vancouver I bought another used one on Amazon. So far it's been doing fine! At one point I was afraid that Canon would "update" it and I, of course, would have to spring for the new model.

But no. It's starting to seem likely that the camera is going to be a one of a kind model. Fine.

Trees, Cameras

Trees, Rock Wall - El Portal  2019

After taking a short walk taking photos near the El Portal campsites I returned to my motel in Mariposa, arriving in the late afternoon. Once there I set up my cameras and used an iPhone to take the photo shown below.

From left to right: an iPhone held by myself, an Olympus E-M1II and an E-PL7, then a Canon G5X. Note the obligatory A. Adams poster.

Cameras - Mariposa County  2019

Mamiya 645

Mike, Mamiya 645 on Tripod - Death Valley  2004

Mamiya 645, Epson Scanner - Marin County  2019

While scanning some "last film" 35mm negatives I noticed a self-portrait on one of the film strips: a timed photo of myself with what looked to be a medium-format camera mounted on a light-weight tripod. First a moment of confusion, then I remembered.

I had purchased a Mamiya 645 in 2003 as a kind of alternative to an expensive digital camera. Back then, even expensive digital cameras were no match for the quality that could be gotten using film. So, my theory was that I would use positive 120 roll film that could be viewed and selected on a light box and then scanned. Not a bad idea! But as it turned out, I only used the camera for about a year and a half, taking just a few rolls of film. In February, 2005 I purchased an Olympus C-8080 digital camera, and started using it full-time.

So, I still have the Mamiya! Found it by poking around the darkroom, finally spotting it way up on one of the shelves. (We still call it the darkroom.) I think I tried to sell it once, but at the time there weren't any takers. The photo above shows it sitting on the Epson scanner that I use.

By the way, the photo of the pink kimono in back of the Mamiya has never been posted on the blog for some reason (taken with a Canon G9). Now remedied:

Pink Kimono, Rain (Kyoto) - Japan  2008

Cameras

Cameras - Nevada  2018

A photo taken in my Nevada motel room of the cameras I used during my March trip.

At the top, a small Canon GX5. Bottom row, left to right: an Olympus E-PL7, an Olympus E-M10 and an Olympus E-M1II. I won't bother to list the lenses.

Left unseen: the camera taking the photo: an iPhone 7 Plus.

Olympus E-M1 II - Pros and Cons

Olympus E-M1 II - Marin County  2018

Pros:

20 mp sensor - Latest in the m43 line. One does like to think that images are made using top of the line stuff. (Of course, Sony, Nikon etc have sensors that capture way more information.) So now we have better high ISO images and more cropping leeway.

Ergonomics - substantial grip, dials and buttons fairly easy to use. Downside is that it weighs more. In fact, it weighs several ounces more than my first DSLR, an Olympus E-510.

Image stabilization - makes hand-holding doable at extremely slow shutter speeds. However I’ve noticed that the camera’s P mode will want to increase ISO speed as opposed to decreasing shutter speed. Issue resolved using . . .

Custom Modes - There are 3 that can be set. So I’ve set mode #1 to take advantage of the image stabilization feature: aperture priority f5.6, ISO range 200-400. So the shutter speed will vary according to the scene, but in the woods it might be pretty slow. I’ve set mode #3 as a tripod mode, for use in the camera’s high-res / HDR features.

High Res - OK, so I don’t know if this really represents added value. But it might.

Cons:

Flip-out LCD screen - Not nearly as useful as the flip-up screen found on my C-8080 and my E-M10. Have not used it even once for a hand-held shot. Used it for my tripod high-res experiments, however. What’s annoying is that some reviewers consider a flip-out screen as somehow an absolutely necessary thing and their reviews reflect this. Ah well: at least my E-PL7 has a flip-up screen.

Added weight and bulk - So, it doesn’t really weigh that much. However, carried around one’s neck it’s pretty noticible. What’s interesting is that, as smartphones have become cameras of choice for most people, regular cameras, even small ones, are much more likely to stand out and become objects of interest.

Neither here nor there:

Focus speed - Supposed to be really good. Never had that much of an issue with my older cameras, though.

Menu system - Complicated, yes, but others have gone to the trouble of figuring it out and writing it up. Once the initial setup has been completed, that should be it, basically.

Lever - for me, a never-used feature, so it’s nice to see that the lever position has been reversed: much less likely to be accidentally flipped (as in the original E-M1.)

Full reviews can be found at:

Imaging Resource

Thom Hogan

DPReview

Cameras in Chicago

Olympus Cameras - Chicago  2017

So these were the two cameras that I used in Chicago, also, of course, an iPhone 7 Plus (that I used for this photo).

On the left, an Olympus OMD EM10 with a 14-150mm zoom lens. On the right, an Olympus E-PL7 with a 25mm lens (rubber lens hood attached.)

Not shown: a Panasonic 12-60mm zoom lens.

Various cameras that I've used in the past as shown on the blog, here. (Scroll down.)

Bryce Canyon Hike - 2

Trail #1 (Bryce Canyon NP) - Utah  2016

Trail #2 (Bryce Canyon NP) - Utah  2016

Mike was juggling all three cameras (plus an iPhone) during the hike. Above photos taken with an Olympus E-PL5 with a 9-18mm wide-angle zoom lens.

Cameras in Utah

Cameras (Bryce) - Utah  2016

Cameras used on my Utah trip, from front to back: Olympus EM-10 with 14-150mm zoom lens, Olympus E-PL5 with 9-18mm zoom lens, and a Canon G5X.

The EM-10 /14-150mm was my main camera/lens combo, with the older E-PL5 being used with a 9-18mm zoom and a 25mm prime lens.

The Canon is a relatively recent purchase and is providing really nice image quality. Quibbles: one's thumb can easily push one of the (very) small buttons on the right hand side in the back, changing the settings inadvertently, and the range (24-100mm equiv) is less than I'd like.

Campground Sightems

BBQ - El Portal  2015

Kindle, iPhone, Bluetooth Keyboard, Olympus Cameras - El Portal  2015

BBQ getting ready for a ribeye.

Olympus cameras: E-M10 (top), E-PL5 (bottom). Note the viewfinder sitting atop the E-PL5: somehow it got detached during some rough weather and is now missing. I like this particular camera combo because they both take the same size battery and are relatively minimalist.

Cameras in Japan (2014)

Olympus Cameras (Kyoto): E-PL5 (left) and OMD EM-1 (right) - Japan  2014

For our 2014 Japan trip I took two Olympus cameras, an E-PL5 and an OMD EM-1. (Last trip, in 2008, I used an Olympus E-510 DSLR.)

The E-PL5 doesn't have as many controls as the larger (and heavier) EM-1; I used it mainly in family situations and at restaurants with a 14-42mm (28-84 equiv.) Panasonic kit lens attached (as in these okonomiyaki photos.) Also attached: an auxiliary eye-level viewfinder that really didn't get used that often. At one point I was going to sell (or give away) the E-PL5, but now I'm glad I didn't.

I brought the EM-1 and an Olympus 14-150mm (28-300 equiv.) zoom lens along when I was mainly interested in photo possibilities, as for example on our Karuizawa hike. Rounding out the m43 equipment was a 20mm Panasonic prime (non-zoom) lens, which was something else that really didn't see any action.

Final piece of photo equipment: an Apple iPhone 5s which I used for the above picture and the occasional video.

By the way, Olympus had a high advertising profile at Tokyo's Shinjuku Station (below).

[UPDATE: (As of March, 2015) I finally ended up selling the E-M1 back to B&H and keeping the E-PL5! The E-M1 was larger and heavier and certainly didn't take better pictures, its main advantage was the ability to more directly control exposure. But it was way "overteched" in my view. Right now I'm using the "beginner" OMD camera, the E-M10 which I've been liking so far: it seems to suit my minimalist style much better. And yes, I still have the E-PL5.]

Olympus Ads (Tokyo) - Japan  2014

Olympus E-M1

Olympus E-M1 - Marin County  2014

. . . new camera (with the Panasonic 20mm lens mounted.) Very nice ergonomically! Small and light weight. And, it's been named "Camera of the Year" by a number of respected reviewers.

The best overview of the camera I've found so far is at Wroniak's site. He has some fairly reasonable criticisms of the camera:

The feature I dislike most is how the lever to the right of the eyepiece works. This can be set in five (!) different ways, four of which don't actually change the camera settings, but affect the way the other controls change them. This is interface modality at its worst, you just wake up at night and scream.

Well, I haven't yet woken up screaming, but I must say that I find the camera to be way "overteched." The physical body seems to be quite substantial, but I'm concerned about potential software issues down the road. (One of my earlier cameras, an Olympus DSLR E-510, ended up having an unfixable mode dial issue.)

Of course, the issue of "too much technology" isn't something that's particularly unique to Olympus, or even cameras in general. It's everywhere.

I could go on. And on.

[UPDATE: (As of March, 2015) I finally ended up selling the E-M1 back to B&H and keeping the E-PL5! The E-M1 was larger and heavier and certainly didn't take better pictures, its main advantage was the ability to more directly control exposure. But it was way "overteched" in my view. Right now I'm using the "beginner" OMD camera, the E-M10 which I've been liking so far: it seems to suit my minimalist style much better. And yes, I still have the E-PL5.]

Nikon F

Nikon F

Most of my earlier photos were taken using a Nikon F loaded with Kodak's Panatomic-X film. I purchased the camera at the PX in Okinawa in 1965 or thereabouts.

A combination of design elements made the Nikon F successful. It had interchangeable prisms and focusing screens; the camera had a depth-of-field preview button; the mirror had lock-up capability; it had a large bayonet mount and a large lens release button; a single-stroke ratcheted film advance lever; a titanium-foil focal plane shutter; various types of flash synchronization; a rapid rewind lever; a fully removable back. It was well-made, durable, and adhered closely to the successful design scheme of the Nikon rangefinder cameras.  (Wikipedia.)

As for the film: Panatomic-X had an ASA value of 32 . . . not really that light-sensitive and usable only in broad daylight. (For comparison, my current Olympus E-PL5's starting value is 200.) However, the film was extremely fine-grained with quite subtle tonalities.

After our house in Los Angeles was burglarized in the late 1970's I found that Nikon's prices were too high for me to buy another Nikon as a replacement. I ended up getting an Olympus OM-1, very lightweight and well-made.

Olympus OM-1

The Nikon may be long gone, but I still have the instruction manual tacked to my darkroom wall.

Nikon F Manual - Marin County 2013

Yosemite Photographers

Photographers - Yosemite  2013

Photographers - Yosemite  1991

The sound of rain on the tent has always seemed quite restful. At Mike's campsite near El Portal it rained during the night but stopped by morning. He got up around 5:15 AM, made coffee, performed his ablutions and set off in the truck, driving from El Portal to the famous Tunnel View. As he expected, the view point was already populated with photographers with their large Canon and Nikon DSLRs screwed tightly onto tripods, tweaking and retweaking their camera settings.

Much the same as Mike found it in 1991! Only then the cameras of choice were medium-format and 4x5 view cameras.

A Year With The Olympus E-PL1

E-PL1 - Point Reyes  2013

Two Prints - Marin County  2013

Actually it's now been a little over a year. The E-PL1 has been to Zion and Bryce Canyon National Parks, to the top of Tchicoma Peak in the Jemez Mountains of New Mexico and up and down Melrose Avenue. And let's not forget my pioneering Lembert Dome descent.

I bought the camera on sale from Costco with the idea of trying out the "micro four-thirds" (m4/3) format. At the time I was wondering if I could achieve the same photo quality with a m4/3's camera as with my much larger Nikon D90. What's interesting is that the answer is "yes," which calls into question the need for the much larger and heavier Nikon and Canon DSLRs.

Now, when I say that the E-PL1 can produce the same quality photographs as larger cameras my criteria are: photos on the web (for the mikereport), and prints made on an Epson 3880 (paper size 17x22 inches.)  That is to say, the end results of the process. 

Web: Of course, photos posted on the web don't require large DSLRs: iPhone pix look great, as do photos taken with every digital camera I’ve owned. Prints: I actually don't produce that many large size prints, but I’ve made large prints of agaves taken at the Santa Barbara Mission and my favorite Yosemite juniper (above). Actually, very nice! Yes, yes, they have soft corners and some distortion. But you know what? I've never had a visitor to the booth hold up a print and say, "Hm, too bad. If it weren't for the excessive noise in the shadow areas I'd buy it."

I now have two lenses that I use on a regular basis: an Olympus 14-150mm zoom (28-300mm equiv.) (which will need a separate post) and the Panasonic 20mm prime (40mm equiv.).

I use the eye-level viewfinder almost–almost–exclusively. But it comes in handy now and then to be able to compose using the rear LCD screen, especially when using a tripod. The viewfinder has a "flip-up" feature that might be useful, I guess, but I've had a problem with my glasses accidentally pushing the viewfinder to an unwanted position. Problem solved with a rubber band holding it down. Alas, a fall from the truck onto the road has left a crack in the viewing lens, but the device is still fully functional.

Handling is fine. The controls and interface are a little fiddly, but since I've used Olympus cameras in the past, not much of an issue.

Basically the tryout has been successful: size, weight, handling and image quality are all fine. Of course, it would be nice to have an integrated viewfinder and a flip-up LCD screen (like I had on my C-8080). So I suspect that there's going to be an OM-D in my future. Or the rumored yet-to-be-announced E-P5.

Links:

Bryce Canyon
Tchicoma Peak
Melrose Avenue
Lembert Dome
E-PL1 Purchase
Agaves, Santa Barbara Mission
Flip-Up Screen

The Information Age / Desert Rest Stop

Rest Stop - San Bernardino County  2012

Rest Stop & Self Portrait - San Bernardino County  2012

Mike took three cameras with him on his trip, his m43 tryout camera the Olympus E-PL1, his older, but trusty, Canon G12, and his iPhone 4.

The interesting thing was that he deliberately tried to make use of the iPhone, because the photos that it takes can be immediately emailed. In order to email pix from the other cameras you would have to download the files to a computer, resize, and then mail. Both the above photos of a typically barren California desert rest stop taken with the iPhone.

Gimnastics

Gimnastics - Mazatlan  2002

After the 1970s Mike didn't get to take any Mexico pix for quite awhile. In fact, his next trip didn't occur until 2002 with a visit to Mazatlan. The cameras used in the earlier 1970s Ensenada photos followed Mike's usual big camera/small camera routine: a Nikon F using Panatomic-X film (small camera) and a Mamiya medium-format camera (big camera).

In Mazatlan Mike again brought two cameras with him: a Minolta 7000i 35mm SLR with a zoom lens (big camera), and a Leica Minilux 35mm fixed lens (small) camera. He used Kodacolor film in the Minolta and Ilford chromogenic (black and white) film in the Leica; both films could be commercially processed.

[Update: final day of the Olympics!]

Olympus E-PL1: Results Matter

Olympus E-PL1 & Nikon D90 - Marin County  2012

Recently there’s been a whole range of options for photographers interested in smaller, lower-weight cameras; I’ve been wanting to try one of them for some time now.

I noticed some time in late December that Costco was selling the Olympus E-PL1 as part of a package deal: body, kit zoom lens and a basic telephoto zoom for a very reasonable price. But that was last year and I wasn't interested . . . then. But when the Costco item showed up again just recently, I went ahead and ordered it.

Now I know that this is an "obsolete" camera: there have been two upgrades since it was introduced. But as I said, I've been wanting to try one of the newer "mirrorless" cameras and this looked like a good opportunity to test drive a “micro four-thirds” (Olympus/Panasonic sensor size description) sample.

I've often thought that the approach that Olympus and Pansonic are taking with these types of cameras is the correct one, that is, a semi-large, reasonably sized sensor with a small body and a small lens. This contrasts with Sony's efforts which pair a tiny body with a relatively large lens. I just don't like the looks of it (I had ergonomic problems with an earlier Sony design, the R1.) Nikon has also introduced cameras in this category that, while the basic concept looks promising, the models shown so far are too rudimentary and simplistic.

Shown above is a photo taken with the Canon G12 contrasting, for amusement’s sake, the new Olympus and my Nikon D90. The Nikon is by far the more capable camera, of course, but it’ll be interesting to see what kind of results I get with the E-PL1. Results matter.

Nikon Redux: D90 Pros and Cons

Warning: camera gearhead talk.

My first Nikon purchase occurred in 1964: I bought a Nikon F SLR at the Okinawa PX for a little over $100.00. When it got stolen in the late 70’s I replaced it with an Olympus OM-1: by that time Nikon prices had severely escalated.

The next Nikon purchase was my last film camera, the F-100 SLR, replacing a series of Minolta autofocus 35mm SLRs.

In the digital era, I went with a succession of Olympus cameras, starting with a point-and-shoot, then progressing to various models, the last being an E-620 DSLR. However, I was always paying significant attention to the latest Nikon models as they were being brought out. So it was with great interest that I read the reviews of the Nikon D90 upon its release. (It got great reviews.)

As I’ve explained, I was gradually growing disenchanted with the E-620. And so, when a unexpectedly generous Christmas gift from Marge arrived, the wheels started spinning. I first got the standard package from Costco: D90 body plus two lenses (18-105mm standard zoom and 70-300mm telephoto zoom.) But after using the camera for two weeks I decided that, although I really liked the camera itself, the lens combo didn’t really work for me. (I’m really not into switching lenses back and forth, to be honest.) So: the kit was returned to Costco, and an order then placed with B&H: a D90 body plus the (newish) 16-85mm zoom lens. This is what I am using now. (Of course, a D90 replacement is due fairly shortly from Nikon.)

So, in no particular order, some first impressions (cons first).

Cons:

—Sensor aspect ratio: Using the Olympus DSLRs and the Canon G9 I’ve been used to a 4:3 aspect ratio. However, Nikon uses a 3:2 aspect ratio, the same as was used in 35mm photography. The Olympus cameras took "squarish" photos, the Nikon takes more "widescreen-looking" photos. Some photos need an elongated space, but it’s turning out that I’m doing a lot of cropping of the Nikon images to bring them back to a 4:3 ratio.

—No "My Mode" or "Custom Reset Setting." I just couldn’t find this feature. After going back and forth perusing the Nikon D90 manual, and Thom Hogan’s guide with no success I finally posted a query on the dpreview D90 forum. One of the forum members responded that:

Mike, you aren't missing anything—it's not there. Nikon reserve that functionality for the D300 & up. And on those pro cameras, they give you huge amounts of control over it - separate banks of shooting settings and banks of custom settings. So you can pre-program settings for common scenes and for multiple photographers sharing the same camera.

So, not the worst thing in the world, but still . . . if my two small Olympus cameras can have this feature, you would think that Nikon could offer it as well. By the way, the D300 mentioned above is much heavier. Which brings me to

—weight: Well, it could be worse. Much worse. As it is, the combined weight of camera plus lens is only a few ounces heavier than my E-510 / 12-60 lens combo. But it is rather heavy! Not something I’d want to take backpacking. Eventually I’ll have to look into one of Nikon’s low weight plastic zooms.

—Mode dial with "scenes." Like "landscape," or "portrait." Very hokey.

Pros:

—Ergonomics: Nice hand grip. Also, power switch much easier to access than on the Olympus models.

—High ISO Capability: The D90 can take low-light photos that would have been impossible using any of my Olympus cameras.

—Auto ISO feature: You can set a personalized range of ISO values together with the slowest shutter speed you can hand-hold: the camera automatically adjusts the ISO up or down depending on the available light. Very handy.

—Viewfinder: Very large and bright. I must say, though, that the (much smaller) Olympus viewfinders never really bothered me.

—Image Quality: Hard to measure, but appears to be excellent.

—Lens: I opted to spend some more money and get the 16-85mm lens (35mm equivalent would be 24-135mm.) Will possibly require a separate blog post.

We will see. As you might note (photo above) I am not utilizing the wonderful Nikon yellow-letter strap. Also, I have switched-out the Nikon lens cap for a generic one (the Nikon lens cap wasn’t really working for me.)

References:

D90 reviews: Here & here.

E-620 discussion.
Aspect ratio discussion.
Blog post showing an 4:3 photo (top) taken with an Olympus camera, and a 3:2 Nikon photo (bottom): Oak (Glen Drive).
My Mode thread at dpreview.
High ISO shots: Church Interior & Votive Candles shot at ISO 1600.

Photo: Nikon D90—Marin County, 2010