tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36722943369534899252024-03-14T16:35:15.589+08:00the Coffeepott BlogSimple and serene travel photography explored across Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and the world - from WideAperture PhotographyThe Editorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00205773989835417019noreply@blogger.comBlogger28125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3672294336953489925.post-68838994417041153682018-01-22T20:42:00.001+08:002018-01-22T20:46:19.605+08:00How to add a trendy shadow fade in Lightroom (and ultimately be a poser)<div style="text-align: center;">
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<b>Let's assume the following: </b><br />
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1. You're a photographer. </div>
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2. Or at least you tell people you are, even though you probably still have to keep your day job. </div>
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3. You're on Instagram. </div>
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4. You're sick of filters, because everyone knows #nofilter is a $&@T$%* thing now. </div>
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5. You wanna add a fade to the shadows in your photos. </div>
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6. It's not because you actually like it yourself.</div>
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7. It's because you've seen that all the popular photos on Instagram these days, the ones that aren't women taking their clothes off, have a fade in the shadows.</div>
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8. You use Adobe Lightroom, but you just haven't got the right look so far. </div>
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9. And that's why you're here.</div>
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Still with me? </div>
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It's pretty easy to get the effect you're after, so I won't waste your time reading meaningless words. Starting.............. now.<br />
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<b>Step 1:</b> Open the photo you want in the Develop module in Lightroom.<br />
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<b>Step 2:</b> Find the Tone Curve adjustor, make sure the Point Curve is on Linear<br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ztTWcNiHPcY/WmXbUBl4gHI/AAAAAAAIkio/kEXqduYy1tch4kmseItTICnUcgelCtHfgCLcBGAs/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2018-01-22%2Bat%2B8.22.16%2BPM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="277" data-original-width="249" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ztTWcNiHPcY/WmXbUBl4gHI/AAAAAAAIkio/kEXqduYy1tch4kmseItTICnUcgelCtHfgCLcBGAs/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2018-01-22%2Bat%2B8.22.16%2BPM.png" /></a></div>
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<b>Step 3:</b> With the RGB channels selected, GENTLY raise the bottom selector, the part of the line stuck deep in the black curve range, until you like what you see. Keep in mind that a little fade goes a long way.<br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GDXaXzo_u4I/WmXbUOrpcNI/AAAAAAAIkig/vrYwCx5vl-IKU4PBgbr_a-cnnfVWbtQAACLcBGAs/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2018-01-22%2Bat%2B8.22.49%2BPM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="278" data-original-width="249" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GDXaXzo_u4I/WmXbUOrpcNI/AAAAAAAIkig/vrYwCx5vl-IKU4PBgbr_a-cnnfVWbtQAACLcBGAs/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2018-01-22%2Bat%2B8.22.49%2BPM.png" /></a></div>
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<b>Step 4: </b>Optionally, then select an individual color channel (in my case I played with the Blue channel) to give your fade a little tint to it.<br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FNXJZrTHewg/WmXbUKj2weI/AAAAAAAIkik/XME8cdJ2_4AAqYcFVkK-z6-5j8A0lSmewCLcBGAs/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2018-01-22%2Bat%2B8.23.21%2BPM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="279" data-original-width="246" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FNXJZrTHewg/WmXbUKj2weI/AAAAAAAIkik/XME8cdJ2_4AAqYcFVkK-z6-5j8A0lSmewCLcBGAs/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2018-01-22%2Bat%2B8.23.21%2BPM.png" /></a></div>
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<b>Step 5: </b>Make any other adjustments you need (I adjusted brightness and contrast just a bit), and then export. <b>Presto! You're a trendy IG poser!</b><br />
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<b>Before</b></h4>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JDUXzJ-rRJk/WmXbtUSe7TI/AAAAAAAIkis/PVlGTu4l-N8jXr3lfk_2rz2IuKeADdZTQCLcBGAs/s1600/L1004366.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="667" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JDUXzJ-rRJk/WmXbtUSe7TI/AAAAAAAIkis/PVlGTu4l-N8jXr3lfk_2rz2IuKeADdZTQCLcBGAs/s640/L1004366.jpg" width="425" /></a></div>
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<b>After</b></h4>
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<i>(Slight improvement! Very trendy for some reason!)</i></div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JMl1px1pGmk/WmXZ7F4BfII/AAAAAAAIkiY/owxKGveWNXQ13imfmwLBzaLLv4jOpZWrQCEwYBhgL/s1600/L1004366-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="667" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JMl1px1pGmk/WmXZ7F4BfII/AAAAAAAIkiY/owxKGveWNXQ13imfmwLBzaLLv4jOpZWrQCEwYBhgL/s640/L1004366-2.jpg" width="425" /></a></div>
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The Editorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00205773989835417019noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3672294336953489925.post-22778957609343880032017-12-31T19:02:00.000+08:002018-01-02T10:53:53.932+08:00The Good, The Bad, and The Incredible: My Zeiss Biogon 35mm f2 Review<div style="text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">One of my favorite cameras to use is the Zeiss Ikon Contaflex, a beast of an SLR produced in the 1950s and 60s. The Contaflex featured a design that was almost entirely made of metal, a non-interchangeable 50mm lens, and a firm but smooth focusing ring that I could always depend on to work hassle free. The thing is a tank, something you can lug around on your shoulder </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Skip ahead to a more modern Zeiss however, and it becomes funny to me how when, for the briefest of periods, I had access to a Zeiss Biogon 35mm f2 (MFR # 1365-659 for those who care), I found myself feeling perpetually frustrated with it. And yet now that it's gone and I haven't even touched a Zeiss in a few years, I'm left with a lingering doubt, a feeling that maybe I made a should have hung on to the more modern Zeiss. And so with that introduction out of the way, let's begin my <b>extremely</b> quick and dirty review of the Biogon T* 35mm lens from Zeiss!</span><br />
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Quick Rating:</h3>
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Value for Money 4/5</h4>
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Image Quality: 4.2/5</h4>
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Build Quality: 3/5</h4>
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Ergonomics: 3/5 </h4>
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The Positive</h3>
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Most people who shell out for a Biogon 35 do it for two reasons, the name brand, and the (relative) affordability. Zeiss is one of the most recognizable names in photography and optics, for (mostly) better and for worse, so it can feel like a safe investment. (It's important to note however that the Zeiss of 2017 is a far cry from the Zeis of 1957) But does that make the Biogon 35 any less of a value compared to, say, a Leica 35mm Summarit? Well, in my opinion, no it does not. In a war of Biogon v Summarit, it's hard to say who would come out on top. Each lens has its unique place in a photographer's bag. However in my opinion, the overall differences in optical quality are far from substantial, and either lens would be perfectly suitable for just about any situation that the other could handle. If your goal is to take quality photos, there's nothing preventing you from getting excellent shots with the Biogon 35. </div>
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The Negative</h3>
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I got annoyed at the Biogon 35 when using it pretty regularly. There were a lot of quirks which, over a short period of time, diminished my impression of the Zeiss brand. While I only tested one lens and individual lenses may differ, mine had some pretty noticeable issues with build quality. First off, to do with one of the inner elements of the lens. From day one, the one I had was somehow loosened on the inside. What this meant in real world performance was that if I pushed in one direction, I would inadvertently push the lens slightly out of focus. Thankfully though, through regular focusing and horizontal use, things didn't seem to get out of alignment on their own. But I was always worried that the problem might get worse.</div>
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Another annoyance I had was with the construction materials and size. The Biogon 35 is a surprisingly large lens, one that protrudes further on the front than the Summarit. This doesn't sound like much, but when I was packing camera bags, this lens often had an uncanny way of just fitting badly. Also, the lens is just heavy. While it wasn't so heavy as to make a neck strap unreasonable, it certainly did take away much of the fun I'd normally get from traveling around with a camera on my shoulder. </div>
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The other big issue I had was with the focus ring. I wouldn't say that it was made with cheap plastic, but the thing certainly didn't feel like high quality plastic. Focusing was slow and felt clunky, imprecise. Unlike other lenses both budget priced and high end of the price spectrum, I often felt like I was having to fight against the Biogon 35 in order to get the shot I wanted. </div>
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The Awesome</h3>
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The thing that I miss the most about the Biogon 35 is the image quality. Some people hate how this lens renders images, but for my prefered types of photography (mostly candid portraits at night), I haven't found anything quite like it. I think it's been documented that stepped down, the Biogon out performs the nearest Leica alternative in terms of resolution. But resolution aside, open wide at f2, particularly at night, is where I think the Biogon really shows its true colors. Subjects come into view with razor-sharp precision and excellent contrast, while backgrounds become psychedelic explosion of light on black. There's a mild vignetting to this lens, in my opinion that only adds to the value. </div>
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It's a little bit funny to me, a little bit sad, that while at the time I was using this lens it gave me constant frustration. But looking back, I can see it also gave me some of my favorite photographs to date. </div>
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Conclusion</h3>
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The final question really should be, would I/will I get this lens again? In a world where money grew on trees and I had my own money orchard off somewhere, sure I would! But back here in reality, the story's a bit different. As much as I miss the Zeiss Biogon 35mm, I don't think it's worth it for me. There are quite a few other excellent options in the 35mm arena, each with their own quirks and treasures. For me, a lens I hold on to has to be one that I <b>actually</b> <b>enjoy</b> holding on to. A good manual lens will work so smoothly and effortlessly that you'll forget you're the one turning the focus and adjusting the aperture. This lens, despite it's incredible sharpness and psychedelic night rendering, just isn't that type of lens. </div>
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The Editorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00205773989835417019noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3672294336953489925.post-28744803428156499912016-12-16T10:54:00.000+08:002016-12-18T11:23:30.130+08:00Photo Friday, Matcha in Kyoto, December 16, 2016<div style="text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Kyoto is the best place in the world to drink matcha</span></h2>
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TGIF, and we all know what that means - another (mostly weekly) Photo Friday. </div>
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Kyoto, once the capital of Japan, is renowned for its' ancient temples, shrines, and otherwise unparalleled scenic beauty. At the heart of that is matcha.</div>
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The careful preparation and consumption of matcha is the basis of sado, also known as tea ceremony, one of Japan's oldest and most traditional practices. This frothy form of green tea can also be enjoyed casually, with ice, on a balmy August day, as we had the pleasure of doing so in Kyoto for this photo. </div>
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Kinkakuji, the famous golden Zen Buddhist temple in Kyoto, offers a small tea garden in the woods overlooking the temple where visitors can enjoy matcha, hot or iced, any time of year. With benches draped with sheets colored the traditional bright crimson, a simple cup of matcha placed atop with its' seemingly unnatural neon green stands in stark contrast. </div>
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<a href="https://blog.japancentre.com/2014/05/02/beginners-guide-to-japanese-tea-ceremony-in-just-5-minutes/" target="_blank">Beginner's guide to Sado, Japanese Tea Ceremony</a></div>
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Kinkakuji is open from 9:00am to 5:00pm, and does not normally close on any given day. </div>
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There is a fee of 400 yen for entrance, and an additional fee for a cup of matcha (possibly about 300 yen at the time we visited in 2013, if memory serves us correctly).</div>
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<a href="http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3908.html" target="_blank">Kinkakuji Travel Website</a></div>
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<b>Kinkakuji Map</b></div>
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The Editorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00205773989835417019noreply@blogger.comGinkakujicho, Sakyo Ward, Kyoto, Kyoto Prefecture 606-8402, Japan35.0277933 135.796176835.0245428 135.7911343 35.0310438 135.8012193tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3672294336953489925.post-88136502670219072392016-12-12T04:06:00.000+08:002016-12-12T04:09:30.253+08:00How to master rangefinders coming from DSLRs<div style="text-align: center;">
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Rangefinder cameras are the pinnacle of photography for a select niche of photography enthusiasts. Are rangefinders somehow "better" than DSLRs, mirrorless and even compact cameras <a href="http://coffeepott.wideaperture.org/2016/12/leica-watch-q-titanium-more-qs-than-as.html" target="_blank">such as the Leica Q we recently wrote about</a>? As you may already suspect or be aware, the answer to that question is completely subjective and up to your own individual preference. As has been shown time and again by DRTV's popular YouTube series <a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL7ECB90D96DF59DE5" target="_blank">Pro Photographer Cheap Camera</a>,<i> </i>it really is the photographer that makes the shot special, not the camera itself. So DSLR, mirrorless, iPhone or rangefinder, there is no such thing as a "better" camera, there're just cameras with higher or lower specs that are then the responsibility of the photographer to learn to master in order to get an excellent shot.</div>
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That being said, it's undeniable that rangefinders are highly appealing to a number of people who get into photography. But the problem is that following the common progression many experience of going from a cellphone camera to compact, then on to a mirrorless or DSLR and then on to a proper rangefinder, rangefinder cameras can prove to be particularly challenging to master, even for those who already have a respectable amount of photography experience under their trousers. How does one go from shooting with a DSLR to shooting with a rangefinder without getting so frustrated they just give up on it?</div>
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We're not just being cheeky when we say this, but the rangefinder camera, we feel, is truly the thinking man's camera. (the thinking woman's camera too, no disrespect intended to all the exceptionally talented female photographers out there) Why do we say this? Well we just practically said it, now didn't we. <b>A rangefinder simply makes you think.</b> </div>
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Typical rangefinders, both film and digital, will quickly test absolutly no less than the following points in terms of how good your thinking and understanding is of them: </div>
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<li style="text-align: left;"><b>Focusing</b> - Because is there any rangefinder out there with an autofocus system? We've never seen any. Forget about how many autofocus points this camera has, because it's just one - you. </li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><b>Framing</b> - While highly accurate, rangefinders do not provide through the lens (TTL) viewing, and so when framing your picture, it's highly likely that what you see is not precisely what you will get.</li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><b>Exposure</b> - At the very least, rangefinder cameras that use the highly common Leica M mount or the older but still popular Leica thread mount system for their lenses will all force you to adjust the aperture manually. Sorry, but there's no P mode on these cameras! Additionally, depending on the camera, you may not have automatic shutter speed, auto ISO(particularly if you're shooting film, of course), or even a light meter built in if your camera is particularly old. </li>
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Regarding the first two points, focusing and framing a typical rangefinder, today we have a small amount of advice for anyone who's thinking about jumping off the DSLR ship, or perhaps has already picked up their first rangefinder and are having some trouble coming to grips with how to grip (and then operate successfully) their new camera.</div>
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Basic manual focusing isn't all that hard on a rangefinder once you get the hang of things, though getting good at it can potentially take time. Let's assume that you already know how to do basic focusing by looking through the viewport and lining up the two images so that your friend doesn't look like they have two slightly separated noses. Let's also assume that you don't make the mistake we first made over and over, where we accidentally kept putting our finger over the focusing window glass on the front, shutter-release side of the camera. </div>
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Beyond these two points, the biggest thing that slows down countless rangefinder newbies is that they have trouble quickly making the two images shown in the rangefinder focus system converge, thus putting the lens in focus. Eventually it's likely that you'll start to learn the relative position of the focus ring, and what that actually means in terms of distance. Pay attention to it, and actively work with it so you'll learn faster. But until that happens, we find it helps to simply be prepared to make a sweeping twist of the focus ring, especially if you're cold-focusing on a subject and haven't already been taking pictures of things at a similar distance. Really grip the ring, and be prepared to aggressively twist it the full amount. The reason this can help is because <b>quite a few people seem to be ready to make slooooooooooooow, precision micro-adjustments to the focus when in fact their subject is nowhere close to being in focus</b>. People are often closely looking through their lens because they have no idea when the focusing images will converge and they don't want to accidentally miss it. In our experience though, assuming you have moderate to good light, it's hard to miss that singular moment of clarity when the focusing images converge. So aggressively twist away like a DJ at a geriatric center reaching for the volume knob, and you should be able to go head to head with most autofocus systems on compacts and most mirrorless cameras. </div>
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Oh and as an extra bit of advice for once you're generally capable of quickly focusing on most stationary subjects, if you're having trouble focusing on subjects that are moving towards you, try twisting the focus out to infinity, then working on bringing the focusing back to follow the subject at the same speed. Remember, if it's coming towards you, you will only need to twist the focus ring in one direction since if you overshoot, your subject will eventually catch up with where you've focused at. </div>
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When you use a DSLR camera or a mirrorless, you're framing the picture first with your eyes, then with your brain. What you see is what you can expect your photo to look like, at least in terms of how the edges relate to the objects in your photo. You can't fully expect that from a rangefinder, though you can pretty much always get a close-enough visual approximation of how your photo will look. But that fact, knowing you aren't <i>really</i> seeing what your lens sees can cause hesitation and fear in new rangefinder users. It can slow them down, as they question each shot. But we're telling you now, through the lens systems as found in DSLRs reduce your overall capacity to visualize a shot. They do this, because they create an expectation that we <i>can</i> always have an exact visual representation. And there's security in that, knowing that we can visually confirm that our shot will look good. But the fact is, people still take millions of mediocre and bad shots with DSLRs and mirrorless cameras, despite being able to see exactly what the lens sees. So how does this ability really help us as photographers?</div>
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With a rangefinder, learn to embrace the unknown of your viewfinder. It's generally better to shoot first, and think about it later on. If you're just starting out and aren't used to just picking up a camera and taking a picture without thinking about your composition and framing, get in the habit of taking lots and lots of photos. Later on, go back and compare them all. Which ones did you like the most, which ones did you like the least? Take note, and try to repeat the winning compositions next time. </div>
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We like to think that by getting in the mindset that what you see isn't always what you get, photographers can quickly learn to mind the broader elements of the photograph that will make it a quality shot. Things like, oh we don't know, maybe the subject. Is the subject even interesting? Is there action? People commonly seem to ignore that thought when shooting with a DSLR, or so it seems from our perspective. With a rangefinder, you'll be better served if you focus simply on getting the interesting elements you want to photograph into your frame rather than worrying precisely how they line up to the edges and borders. Just remember, you can worry about precision cropping when you're looking at everything on your computer. </div>
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Rangefinders are enjoyably iconic, perfect for people who love photography for the "art of photography", but they don't have the easiest of learning curves despite generally having fewer functions than a DSLR. But what they do provide are a chance to learn. A chance to learn about the origins of history's most remarkable photographs, and a chance to learn new techniques that will change how new users think about their photographs, perhaps how they think about other things as well. Anyone can master a rangefinder, but considering the ease and simplicity of DSLRs, iPhones and mirrorless cameras, should they? We say, if you just want to record and document your life and don't care about how things look, it's a safe bet to say you should stick to your iPhone. But do you want to make something special? Do you want to think about your surroundings, think about how you interact with them, think about how you portray them in your photos? Do you do that already with a DSLR but find yourself wanting more room to grow? Then perhaps a rangefinder might be the next step of your progression as a photographer. </div>
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Good luck, and happy snapping. </div>
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The Editorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00205773989835417019noreply@blogger.comStockholm, Sweden59.329323499999987 18.06858080000006359.07010549999999 17.423133800000063 59.588541499999984 18.714027800000064tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3672294336953489925.post-23909314999422469112016-12-08T14:39:00.000+08:002016-12-08T16:50:33.713+08:00Leica Watch: the Q Titanium, More Qs than As<div style="text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Let’s talk about the Leica Q Titanium.</span></h2>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>I remember earlier this year</b> when Leica announced their at the time new, full frame pocket camera, the Leica Q. The big selling point at the time was that this was a “hand crafted camera” for your intimate, fun, personal moments, manufactured in Germany. No more of this joint-venturing with Panasonic that's been going on. No more reliance on the efficient, digital-experienced corporations from the far east. I've nothing against Japanese cameras or Japanese manufacturing (it’s some of the best in the world and I’ll buy Japanese whenever I can), but when you buy a Leica, it should be made in <b>GERMANY</b>, right? (or maybe Canada or Portugal?) You don’t buy a Leica because you want to own something manufactured in Japan or, <a href="https://www.cnet.com/products/huawei-p9/" target="_blank">heaven forbid, China</a>. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Leica, having invented the entire world of both street and candid photography <a href="https://en.leica-camera.com/World-of-Leica/100-Years-of-Leica-Photography/Leica-100-years/Legendary-Leicas" target="_blank">according to their PR and marketing people</a>, has built much of their reputation on crafting cameras that are discreet, simple, incredibly sturdy, accurate, and unobtrusive. Oh and don’t forget the meticulously engineered lenses and, I can imagine, unrealistically high standards of quality control they probably adhere to. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Basically what they’re known to do is build, many would say, the perfect tool for the street photographer and perhaps also the most balanced tool for most travel photographers. It’s tough to not get excited at the prospect of that level of quality, design, engineering and precision being condensed into a full frame digital compact camera, i.e. the Leica Q. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">The Leica Q looked, on paper at least, like it had EVERYTHING the casual photography aficionado, the backpack-travel photographer or maybe even the digital street photographer could want in 2016.</span><br />
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24MP CMOS sensor, FULL FRAME?<br /><b>YES</b>.</span></h4>
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Metal body? <br /><b>YES</b>.</span></h4>
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28mm, wide aperture f1.7 ASPH lens? <br /><b>YES</b>.</span></h4>
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ISO 100-50,000? <br /><b>No problem, YES</b>.</span></h4>
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10fps continuous shooting? <br /><b>Of course, YES</b>!</span></h4>
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High resolution 3 inch touch screen? <br /><b>YES</b>.</span></h4>
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Four and a quarter-grand price? <br /><b>YES. <br /><span style="color: red;">WAIT, WHAT???</span></b></span></h4>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Yes, like many, I had been happily salivating over the details of this new addition to the Leica family. Knowing Leica’s tendency to appeal to both the luxury market segment while simultaneously targeting the “serious” photographer segment, of course I had expected that the Leica Q would not come cheap. But at $4,250 US, even I was surprised. And <i>now</i> the Leica Q Titanium now comes in at $4,495 US. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">I can imagine that a marketing guru in Germany had a field day over this, delighting in being able to say “It’s not even $4,500 US!” in ad copy.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">What does a consumer get for their extra 245 bucks? </span>To quote a Leica promotional email which I received the other week,</div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">"New look: the enormously versatile Leica Q is now also available in a titanium lacquer finish and comes complete with a matching carrying strap made from durable climbing rope. The Q is Leica’s first full-frame compact with a fixed, high-speed prime lens with fast and precise autofocus. Its handling: simple and intuitive. The pictures: simply brilliant."</span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: small;">That’s it? Correct me if I’m wrong, but $245 dollars apparently buys you a new <i>strap</i> made from climbing rope? Plus you get <b>titanium-<i>colored</i> paint?</b> Not to be mistaken with actual titanium, the metal?(which incidentally is not a precious metal, as is falsely stated in Leica's full press release) </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">To quote Bill Gates when he was asked about Steve Jobs’ innovative approach to design, <u>“If you want black, I’ll get you a can of paint.”</u> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">I’ve been to the mountaineering store - for 245 dollars I’ll happily craft you or anyone a very nice camera strap made from “climbing rope”. (I’ll even let you select the color, a la carte!) </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">The paint, I’ll throw in for free.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Leica Q, now with titanium colored paint!</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: small;">For me, it can be extremely disheartening to see Leica release products which, let’s be honest, are not particularly better than the competition or are in some ways <u>significantly below the standards that competitors are setting</u>, yet still cost an outrageous sum that, while a decent enough number of us <i>could</i> technically afford, only the very rich or the very insane could actually <i>justify</i> purchasing.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Leica has, for all practical purposes, done quite well at transitioning from a company that produces expensive, high quality cameras, to a luxury brand that produces desirable goods of different sorts, many of them high quality, and some of them just happening to be cameras.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Friends, family, colleagues, business partners and others in my circles know that I have an affinity for Leica cameras and lenses, particularly well maintained antique lenses. These are timeless artifacts out of history, and if one ever has the chance to use them, it’s like stepping back in time and then literally gazing through the lens into a future world.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">And I regularly get asked by people I come into contact with <b>if they should consider buying a Leica</b>. In every case, I’ve responded with a firm “No”, and I stand by this anti-reccomendation. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">The reasons I cite are first and foremost the price, then the relatively poor cost performance compared to alternatives, and then I usually mention the fact that flagship Leica Ms are in fact not especially easy for most people to use let alone get a clear picture out of, and that cheaper digital “pocket” Leicas all suffer from moderate to extreme UX and functionality issues of which the closest Canon, Nikon or Sony counterparts excel at with gusto. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: small;">However on more than one occasion, my strong advice to avoid Leica goes unheeded. I guess there’s just something about the Leica prestige that drives people to make questionable decisions. The Leica Q Titanium, a beautiful camera by any measure, is in my opinion an extreme form of this senseless pursuit of status. And in my opinion, Leica’s management must think we're all fools if they actually have significant sales goals in mind for the Leica Q or Q Titanium.</span></div>
<div class="p2" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="p2" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="p1" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;">All of that being said, what do I <i><b>actually</b></i> think about the Leica Q Titanium, just looking at it from afar?</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;">I think it looks like a beautiful camera, and I would love to see it in person in the Leica store without being told <i>“Sir, we’d like you to leave.”</i> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;">It also looks as though it takes perfectly fine photos, too. Having never seen it person and knowing nobody personally who has, I know of no technical or design flaw with it that would prevent it from being highly versatile. For all I know, they may have actually even designed it with a functional UX on the software side of things. </span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5ED1DB8t7m4/WEj9Qj0DblI/AAAAAAAEY-0/gc3noDpDEN8vn9WzvLwoFkblL3oUR2h9wCLcB/s1600/Leica%252BQ%252BTitanium%252Bgray_front.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="216" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5ED1DB8t7m4/WEj9Qj0DblI/AAAAAAAEY-0/gc3noDpDEN8vn9WzvLwoFkblL3oUR2h9wCLcB/s320/Leica%252BQ%252BTitanium%252Bgray_front.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Meet the Leica Q Titanium. It might be a great camera.<br />
Who knows? It's not like photographers can afford it.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="p2" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="p2" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="p1" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Back to that one little issue though. </span><br />
The price. </div>
<div class="p1" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;">A quick look through the list of competing cameras (not competing luxury brands) yields some interesting options from Sony, and also Canon at the time of this writing.</span></div>
<div class="p1" style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<ul>
<li style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">Leica Q - Made in Germany - $<b>4,250</b></span></li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">Leica Q Titanium - Made in Germany - $<b>4,495</b></span></li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">Canon EOS M5 - Made in Japan - $<b>979</b></span></li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">Sony Alpha A7R II - Made in Thailand(??) - $<b>3,198</b></span></li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">Sony RX1R II - Made in …??? - $<b>3,898</b></span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<div class="p2" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="p2" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="p1" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;">The Sonys are interesting because, while not as expensive as Leica’s offerings, they come the closest in terms of price. But what do you get for your money? Not to get into the fine details here(Google it if you really care), but you basically get in each case considerably more bang for your buck than you do with the Leica Q. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Almost the only thing you don’t get is the Made in Germany, the prestige, or the little red logo which everyone seems to want. The Canon, being the clear winner in terms of price, continues to give you incredible value for your money. About the only thing you don’t get is a lens(Canon has excellent, affordable lenses though) or a full frame sensor. The camera’s even made in Japan which, in 2016, is becoming something of a rarity! But again, you still don’t get the BRAND of Leica. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: small;">Just how much is a brand worth to <i>you</i>?</span></div>
<div class="p2" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="p2" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div>
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<div class="p1" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;">It’s hard to imagine that the public interest in Leica will die off in my lifetime or even in yours, but it’s increasingly hard to justify the steady encroachment of luxury into the Leica product line if your aim is to have a camera you use, as opposed to a camera that you keep on a shelf behind glass. But, maybe you say, you <i><b>still</b></i> want to own a Leica, no matter what. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: small;">Should you consider a Leica Q Titanium? </span></div>
<div class="p1" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="p1" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;">My advice is to stop thinking of the Q as a camera. Seriously, knock it off.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: small;">It’s really more of a status symbol. An expensive, beautiful status symbol that, oh by the way, can also take nice little pictures. </span>And if you ARE looking for status and can afford the Q, then by all means knock yourself out. But if what you really love about Leica is the <i>history</i>, the cultural significance, you appreciate how they were instrumental in enabling many of history’s defining photographers? Then I say this: </div>
<div class="p1" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="p1" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Buy a used, antique Leica lens. If it’s maintained well enough, it will be just as good today as it was when it was new in terms of the picture you get out of it. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: small;">And furthermore if you take care of it, it could potentially appreciate in value as opposed to inevitably depreciate the way a new camera drops in value as soon as you take it out of the box for the first time. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: small;">With just a Leica lens, you can do anything you want. Just about any mirrorless camera with removable lenses will allow you to get an adaptor to use Leica M mount lenses. If that’s however not what you want and you’re going for the <i>full</i> experience, save a little more and buy a used Leica film body such as the all mechanical M6 (or 5, 4, 3 or 2). You'll <b>LOVE</b> it. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: small;">It’s not hard to find used Leica film bodies in shockingly good condition going for less than the price of even the Canon EOS M5. Film is still readily available, and it’s easier than ever to have it scanned at the lab so you can integrate it into your digital world, as most of us want to do. </span></div>
<div class="p1" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-s4332GMfLNM/WEj8IXFiZaI/AAAAAAAEY-g/D-_88V38LcQpx0R21TiHa9GOzjXuUEnrgCLcB/s1600/LEICA%252BM6TTL%252Bblack.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="186" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-s4332GMfLNM/WEj8IXFiZaI/AAAAAAAEY-g/D-_88V38LcQpx0R21TiHa9GOzjXuUEnrgCLcB/s320/LEICA%252BM6TTL%252Bblack.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Leica M6. A camera for photography, not for status.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="p1" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;">The world of Leica is still a thing of beauty. But it doesn’t have to be about status and luxury, like with the Leica Q or the Leica Q Titanium. If you’re so inspired, Leica can still mean photography in 2016, and out beyond into the future. It just might not be something you can find by visiting a Leica boutique.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
Happy snapping, photographers. Thanks for reading.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
The Editorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00205773989835417019noreply@blogger.comStuttgart, Germany48.7758459 9.182932100000016448.6084304 8.860208600000016 48.9432614 9.5056556000000167tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3672294336953489925.post-20122005863366628902016-12-07T20:34:00.001+08:002016-12-08T02:38:33.379+08:00Travel Photography Hong Kong - Soho & Central<h2 style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Wruds6dHw-w/WERVaebBNzI/AAAAAAAEYxE/d9KmQPRh1b8Y-6sT5Uied3cYOf3pXPxEwCPcB/s1600/L1006041.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Wruds6dHw-w/WERVaebBNzI/AAAAAAAEYxE/d9KmQPRh1b8Y-6sT5Uied3cYOf3pXPxEwCPcB/s640/L1006041.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large;">"Who knew that a place as small as Hong Kong could feel so big."</span></h2>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; text-align: justify;">
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Earlier this year, shortly after the Lunar New
Year holiday, (something which prompts a considerable part of east Asia to take
off from work for a week to eat food, see family, sit around at home and watch
TV) we experienced our first face to face with the streets of Hong Kong.</span>
<br />
<a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; text-align: justify;">
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; text-align: justify;">
</span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Some short amount of time after the budget
flights, the budget hotels, budget transport and budget travel items were all
settled on, our plane touched down at an unmemorable hour in the late afternoon
on a Friday in the second half of February. Airport customs, counters with Octopus
cards, SIM card shops and train rides later, we were in a district called Central, the financial
and (as the name directly says) central district of Hong Kong. On breaking free
from the constraints of buildings, trains and plans, and on stepping out onto the
streets of Central, the only words that could be found passing through our mind
were that “These buildings are </span><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><i>really</i></b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; text-align: justify;"> big”.</span>
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<b><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">"I wish I'd brought a 28mm lens. <a href="http://coffeepott.wideaperture.org/2016/12/28mm-perfect-prime-for-taiwans-night.html" target="_blank">That would have been better.</a> 35 doesn't seem to get enough of this."</span></b>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Who knew that a place as small as Hong Kong
could feel so big. In our youth, we walked amongst the giant redwoods of Northern
California. Our teenage years saw us wandering below the financial towers in
Portland. And in our twenties, we were carelessly gallivanting in and out of
the office towers of Shinjuku, Shibuya and Meguro. But Hong Kong? These were genuine </span><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: justify;">skyscrapers</b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; text-align: justify;">, the kind you see in the movies and on TV. These were the epitome of “big”. </span>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Hong Kong is a decidedly special place. Not
quite Chinese and also not quite British, it’s a fascinating mix of east meets
west, modernity meets tradition, and vertical vertical (and even more) vertical. Central has the ability to make you feel incredibly small and insignificant, like a flea staring up from the ground at towering cement blades of grass. And can you guess what? It has the capacity to instill in you a sense perspective which can comes across as deeply significant when and if it happens. It's not every day that a person has the opportunity to feel as though they're the smallest thing on Earth.</span>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; text-align: justify;">While making a person feel deeply insignificant, Central is perhaps most fascinating for the way in which the modern is literally stacked atop the old. You can see this manifested all around you, from how you can be walking on the worn and uneven steps of the historical Pottinger Street, gazing up at the next mega structure being built, to how, perhaps in the absence of horizontal space, you'll often find yourself surrounded by stacks and stacks of this-thats and doo-dads piling</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; text-align: justify;"> up in every alley.</span>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A zone within the zone known as Central, Soho left us with a feeling of awe and excitement on discovering it's features. An area that became popular with expats on account of the once relatively cheaper rent and close proximity to the financial districts, Soho can tempt you to question if you're still in Asia or not. With it's pastel primes and light hues of eggshell yolk neatly forming the angular vertical lines jutting out from the ground below, the color pallette might best be described as out of this world, particularly on a sunny, dry day.</span>
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The streets of Soho feel immaculately clean, especially when viewed from above. This perception may be deceptively false, but in so far as the feeling exists, it is genuine. People from every corner of the globe walk the streets of Soho. An international meet and greet, Soho has the unique distinction of featuring what was once the world's longest escalators. Those of physical strength and ambition can ascend Soho without the aid of such machinery, but on a warm day it may be less than advisable.
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The streets of central put you as an ant trapped between dense spires of wealth. The feeling is unique, and in our opinion inspiring and worthy of capture on photograph. Soho on the other hand, thanks largely in part to the escalator system, keeps you as an ant, but sends you climbing, just ever so slightly, into the heavens. Soho still inspires you to look to the heavens. But at the same time, it fills you with the need to look out, to look ahead. Hong Kong, in our opinion, is travel photography at its finest.</span><span style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
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The Editorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00205773989835417019noreply@blogger.comCentral, Hong Kong22.2799907 114.1587982999999422.265297699999998 114.13862829999995 22.2946837 114.17896829999994tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3672294336953489925.post-11935371634124697502016-12-05T03:30:00.003+08:002016-12-08T14:45:58.921+08:0028mm, the perfect prime for Taiwan's night markets<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<span style="font-size: large;">Ask a photographer</span> what the perfect lens for street photography is and you're likely to hear any number of responses. There's a good chance you'll get an answer ranging between something of a soliloquy bordering on the maniacal, arguing that if a shot can't be achieved in 50mm than it's impossible with anything else, to perhaps something more diplomatic yet equally dissatisfying, an answer that carefully takes into account such things as personal preference in subject, style, and the broader possibilities, limitations and overall challenges with different focal lengths, but then doesn't ultimately give the questioner any real concrete suggestions about what they were seeking in the first place. I want to talk about this just a little bit. What <b><i>is</i></b> the perfect lens for street photography? I'm throwing in my two cents of opinion and preference to say that <b>if you're traveling to the night markets of Taiwan, walking through the dense alleyways of Hong Kong, or taking a stroll through the Shinbashi business district of Tokyo</b>, then the 28mm focal length will probably turn out to be your very best friend. And I'm going to try to explain why, hopefully all without running the risk of seeming like an advance-stage rabies patient.<br />
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Henri Cartier-Bresson is famous for his unwavering devotion to the 50mm lens, and looking at his body of work, he clearly shows the rest of us that there's indeed something to be said for focusing on mastering only one lens throughout your career. But did Bresson and the other 50mm contemporaries of his time ever grab their 50mm primes and walk through the densest of the dense, the highest packed of the massively packed districts spanning Asia's urban and metropolitan zones?<br />
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<b>Yes, most likely. </b><br />
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Okay, <b>BUT</b> did people like Bresson ever find themselves pushing their way through Taipei's densely packed Raohe Street night market sporting a 50mm, or face off against a kilometer-long line of swift-marching blank-face, white-shirt, dark suit wearing Japanese businessmen and women in Shinjuku at 8:30am on a Monday workday morning?<br />
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<b>It's highly possible.</b><br />
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Okay. But, yes, well, granting all of that.</div>
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I <i>still</i> maintain that the sheer amount of human-dense zones that travelers are confronted with when traversing the more popular regions of Asia essentially MANDATES that you at least strongly consider the 28mm prime, if not simply outright<i> swear by the ghost of Ernst Leitz</i> not to leave your hotel without it. But just why do I say this? Well, I have a few reasons in mind, and they all tie into one factor:<br />
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</b> <span style="font-size: large;"><b>Personal space.</b> There is none.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>No personal space when crossing the street</b><br />
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In many of Asia's seemingly endless dense cities, you practically have no personal space at all when you're moving through the popular and the more highly coveted travel destinations. Shinjuku is dense. Shibuya is DENSER. Hong Kong's Central, Mong Kok, Stanley and Kowloon are ALL PAINFULLY <b>DENSE</b>. Travel to Taiwan and go to Shilin, Raohe, Luodong, Jingmei or just about any other popular night market or day market, and you'll be hard pressed to even find a place where you can stretch your arms without hitting someone else in the face. And that's precisely why 28mm will be your best friend if you journey to any of these destinations, or other similarly dense areas.<br />
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<b>Here's how and why a 28mm prime will help you in your travels over say a 50mm or even a 35.</b></div>
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<h3>
The Perfect Focal Length - WYSIWYG</h3>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
It can be intimidating to get close to your subject but, for example in the crowded night markets and day markets of Taiwan (which are similarly crowded to numerous other travel destinations across Asia), you generally won't have the option of being at a "comfortable" distance from your subject. You'll find this to typically be an uncontrollable constant, the distance magnification, and unless your aim is to get extreme closeups of things like a person's hands, face, their tools, or whatever they're working on, a 50mm or 35mm will not be ideal. To get a typical composition you're forced to step back with the 35 and 50, and this raises the increased challenging of having to deal with people walking through your shot, plus you'll frequently just be a public nuisance to others who are passing by and want nothing to do with what you're involved in. 50mm users usually just end up looking like assholes at night markets. I should know - I used to be one of them!</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
To get a great photo with a 28mm lens, you generally have to be uncomfortably close to your subject. And the denser parts of Asia can put you VERY uncomfortably close to your subject, like it or not, all the time.</div>
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It's like 28mm and night markets are a match made in heaven. </div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
Where the 35 and 50 force you into public disorderly conduct, the 28mm prime will let you walk in and out of shops, markets and alleys, photographing the world to your heart's content without getting in the way of anyone, without running the risk of having passers-by jump in front of your shot at the decisive moment. If you're shy and fear rejection, you'll have to get over it. That or you'll have to figure out <a href="http://coffeepott.wideaperture.org/2016/11/how-to-do-candid-street-photography.html" target="_blank">how to do street photography like Erich Salomon</a>, the master of modern photojournalism. 28mm on 35mm film or a full frame sensor is remarkably close to the angle of view for one single eye - close one eye and what you see through the open one is, for the most part, what you get with 28mm. It's the definition of simplicity. </div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-n6mkUacWQDw/WDWtjbwdA2I/AAAAAAAEXw4/5ew4gLmMNOEw8yWmpfC7NRk2O-ArjIVXACPcB/s1600/L1001630.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-n6mkUacWQDw/WDWtjbwdA2I/AAAAAAAEXw4/5ew4gLmMNOEw8yWmpfC7NRk2O-ArjIVXACPcB/s640/L1001630.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>28mm - </b><a href="http://taiwanexplorer.blogspot.tw/2011/03/jingmei-night-market-taipei.html" style="font-size: 12.8px;" target="_blank">Jingmei Night Market</a><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">, Taipei</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<h3>
</h3>
<h3>
A Depth of Field for the masses ... of people in front of your lens</h3>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
When things aren't constantly in motion and you have a little bit of time to think out your shot, shallow depth of field doesn't typically present an issue when taking any given photograph. However crowded night markets and day markets, or just any area with a high pedestrian count, can introduce a challenge in this regard. Add to that the extreme shadows that tend to pop up in urban day markets or, well, any night market, and it's not always reasonable to expect that you can maximize your DOF with a narrower aperture.</div>
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As a photographer in crowded market areas, you want to be quick, you want to be discreet, you want to be respectful, and you need to be accurate if you don't want the shot to be lost. Manual focusing, if used properly, will be consistently faster and more accurate than relying on an autofocus system at a crowded market in Taiwan, for example.</div>
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These factors, the extremely chaotic human environment coupled with extreme shifts in lighting plus the overall improved speed of manual focusing, create a scenario where the shallower depth of field typically found in 35 and 50mm lenses can make taking a clear photograph incredibly difficult. Especially shooting in night markets, where you'll often need to be shooting with the aperture relatively wide. This is where the 28mm lens excels in my opinion. Even at wider apertures, the depth of field of a 28mm prime will typically be far more usable than the alternatives.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b>And this all leads to....</b></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hs8ZTwNVGVQ/WDWtjamOAMI/AAAAAAAEXw4/upPq9VN_ryYFKn8NSqjt7Xyx0D22GT_qQCPcB/s1600/L1001634.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hs8ZTwNVGVQ/WDWtjamOAMI/AAAAAAAEXw4/upPq9VN_ryYFKn8NSqjt7Xyx0D22GT_qQCPcB/s640/L1001634.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>28mm - </b>Jingmei Night Market, Taipei</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br />
<h3>
Zone Focusing</h3>
<div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
While perhaps not a technique that appeals much to the beginning or even the intermediate level photographer, <a href="http://digital-photography-school.com/ultimate-guide-to-zone-focusing-for-candid-street-photography/" target="_blank">zone focusing isn't just a good idea for street photography</a>, it's almost essential. And in the context of a night or day market, I'd say there is no "almost" in that previous sentence. </div>
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28mm primes, with their longer-than-35-and-50 depth of field vision, excel at zone focusing because for the same distance, you simply get a bigger zone at any given aperture. And in environments like night markets where aperture can be restricted and distance can also be equally out of your control, it's the 28mm that just makes sense. It's the most reasonable lens that will give you the freedom you need to do your thing and to do it well. One could make the argument for wider lenses like the 24, the 20 and beyond, but for myself at least, I have to spend too much time composing the shot. Wider means more work, and for me 28mm is just about at the extent of "easy" in terms of composing. </div>
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When zone focusing, wider lenses like the 28 have a huge benefit over 35s and 50s in that even if your subject is out of the zone of focus, there's still a good chance they'll be in focus "enough" for the picture to work. While dramatic bokeh can be achieved with a 28, it's rarely by accident, unlike the 50mm and to a lesser extent the 35mm. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-14FYh4a7BGs/WDWtjYz5dSI/AAAAAAAEXw4/LVa5P8oTIZQ93-hCP5yiVUOoUIGJKBS0gCPcB/s1600/L1001686.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-14FYh4a7BGs/WDWtjYz5dSI/AAAAAAAEXw4/LVa5P8oTIZQ93-hCP5yiVUOoUIGJKBS0gCPcB/s640/L1001686.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>28mm - </b>Old Street, Bitan</td></tr>
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<h3>
Final Thoughts</h3>
<div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
So that's my argument for using the 28mm in Taiwan's night markets, and as I said, just many of the denser areas of Asia. The 28mm lens may typically be something people turn to when they want to capture the broad view of things, or when they're doing something indoors. I've simply found it to be the tool that, surprisingly to me initially, gets the job done in these very specific circumstances. It makes sense though. With a subject you're well acquainted with, you have to get intimately close with the 28mm. And in night markets, day markets, Shinjuku, Shibuya and much of Hong Kong, you could certainly be forgiven for thinking it feels like everyone's just about the partner you'd never met. </div>
</div>
The Editorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00205773989835417019noreply@blogger.comRaohe St, Songshan District, Taipei City, Taiwan 10525.0504073 121.5746733999999425.0468108 121.56963089999994 25.0540038 121.57971589999994tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3672294336953489925.post-81562757357816454282016-12-02T09:33:00.000+08:002016-12-08T02:09:08.232+08:00Photo Friday, Mt Fuji Ascent at Night, December 3 2016<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5I4CTQVmxg0/Tji1_ARk-iI/AAAAAAAACMc/T2QrA_23TsIxaaEamoAiEUc0iBoXBty1ACPcB/s1600/Mt%2BFuji%2B%252845%2Bof%2B82%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5I4CTQVmxg0/Tji1_ARk-iI/AAAAAAAACMc/T2QrA_23TsIxaaEamoAiEUc0iBoXBty1ACPcB/s640/Mt%2BFuji%2B%252845%2Bof%2B82%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Australian traveler Michael breaths from an oxygen canister during his night ascent of Mt Fuji.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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It's another Friday, and thus another travel photo! Meet Michael, a traveler from Australia, on his way to the top of Mt Fuji in Japan. Named a world heritage site in 2013, Mt Fuji attracts thousands of hikers and outdoor enthusiasts during its short July to September climbing period. <br />
<a name='more'></a>While many choose to climb during the day, it's popular to make the ascent at night so as to view the rising sun over Japan. As the air gets thinner and thinner, the need for oxygen from unconventional means, as pictured, can become increasingly necessary.<br />
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<b>Japan-Guide Mt Fuji Climbing Guide:</b><br />
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<a href="http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e6901.html" target="_blank">www.japan-guide.com/e/e6901.html</a></div>
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<b>Map of the Mt Fuji 5th Station: </b><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="300" src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed?pb=!1m18!1m12!1m3!1d2081.117996499777!2d138.73146606588404!3d35.39414504034823!2m3!1f0!2f0!3f0!3m2!1i1024!2i768!4f13.1!3m3!1m2!1s0x601962133e300001%3A0x3fb8f6e3e00700ea!2sMount+Fuji+5th+Station!5e0!3m2!1sen!2s!4v1479869399479" style="border: 0;" width="400"></iframe><br /></div>
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<br />The Editorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00205773989835417019noreply@blogger.comMount Fuji, Kitayama, Fujinomiya, Shizuoka Prefecture 418-0112, Japan35.3605555 138.727777699999936.8742574999999952 97.419183699999934 63.846853499999995 -179.9636283000001tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3672294336953489925.post-51042990339547423582016-11-25T08:00:00.000+08:002016-12-08T02:31:20.429+08:00Photo Friday, Longshan Temple, November 25 2016<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-l-1CKqPKAwc/Vc9EENidjgI/AAAAAAAEKVw/9envkqQAHskO-a2wlbG9qo8UHJAO3So8gCPcB/s1600/_MG_6531.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="358" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-l-1CKqPKAwc/Vc9EENidjgI/AAAAAAAEKVw/9envkqQAHskO-a2wlbG9qo8UHJAO3So8gCPcB/s640/_MG_6531.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tubular glazed roof tiles, a popular design choice among important buildings in Chinese culture<br />
<b>Longshan Temple</b>, Wanhua, Taipei</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Another Friday, and today we're at a very special location in Taiwan, Longshan Temple.<br />
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Longshan temple is a Buddhist temple in the Wanhua district of Taipei. It's design is emblematic of classic Chinese architecture, and thousands visit it daily for spiritual needs and also for tourism. Originally built in 1738, the current structure was rebuilt from 1919 to 1924.<br />
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<a name='more'></a>Unfortunately the originally constructed building from 1738 no longer exists. Yet having been rebuilt and repaired after earthquake, fire and war, the bright colors and eye catching intricate designs on the traditional glazed tubular roof tiles are a feast for the eyes, and provide endless photographic opportunities for the travel photographer who happens by.<br />
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Admission is free, and hours are from 6:00am to 10:00pm. It's easily accessed from the Longshan Temple MRT subway station.<br />
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<b>Website</b>: <a href="http://www.lungshan.org.tw/" target="_blank">www.lungshan.org.tw</a><br />
<b>Map</b>:<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="300" src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed?pb=!1m18!1m12!1m3!1d2384.954700088427!2d121.49870837192731!3d25.036947173092894!2m3!1f0!2f0!3f0!3m2!1i1024!2i768!4f13.1!3m3!1m2!1s0x0%3A0xf8e8335e58c41c8a!2sLungshan+Temple!5e0!3m2!1sen!2s!4v1479794212984" style="border: 0;" width="400"></iframe><br />
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The Editorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00205773989835417019noreply@blogger.comLongshan Temple Station, Wanhua District, Taipei City, Taiwan 10825.035279 121.4998259999999825.0343785 121.49856549999998 25.0361795 121.50108649999999tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3672294336953489925.post-28948282137532047732016-11-22T02:20:00.001+08:002016-12-08T02:33:35.420+08:00Photographing Waterfalls - Gear to be Prepared for the Perfect Picture<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/--HTjYFvx9II/WC5nJwq8tUI/AAAAAAAEXE0/cvwfoQsUn74oMBcwySluxglVvD5NmSEyACLcB/s1600/_MG_3642.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="263" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/--HTjYFvx9II/WC5nJwq8tUI/AAAAAAAEXE0/cvwfoQsUn74oMBcwySluxglVvD5NmSEyACLcB/s400/_MG_3642.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;"> I hate carrying a bunch of gear when I'm doing landscape photography</span></h2>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><br />
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But sometimes it feels like it can be necessary, particularly if my aim is to capture waterfalls. The last time that I lived in Japan, I spent some amount of time not insignificant traversing the countryside of Saitama prefecture. What I was searching for in all of that time was the perfect waterfall to photograph.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-S4g6AVSJwH8/WC0d2ccAuDI/AAAAAAAEXC0/J1q_-owO0b0ZbBFNyPuUaOIu3aFsr-q4ACLcB/s1600/last-waterfall-japan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-S4g6AVSJwH8/WC0d2ccAuDI/AAAAAAAEXC0/J1q_-owO0b0ZbBFNyPuUaOIu3aFsr-q4ACLcB/s640/last-waterfall-japan.jpg" width="484" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Small waterfall on the way to Marugami falls<br />
Saitama Japan<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/2cZV4RFLnFE/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/2cZV4RFLnFE?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></td></tr>
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The biggest difficulty in waterfall photography is, in my opinion, simply finding a good location, and then getting there at a time when lighting and weather conditions will be good for photographing. If this involves traveling a decent amount as it often can, you don't want to be bogged down carrying excessive gear. And in terms of gear, here's a look at some of the things that I've found have worked well for me.<br />
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<h3 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;">A tripod. Of course!</span></h3>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZRB32cz0TN8/WC5pjLrsGWI/AAAAAAAEXFU/hQpLmExTTPgSmbTAeoZcIivT_SCnQhdhwCLcB/s1600/marugami%2Bwaterfall%2B2%2B%25281%2Bof%2B1%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZRB32cz0TN8/WC5pjLrsGWI/AAAAAAAEXFU/hQpLmExTTPgSmbTAeoZcIivT_SCnQhdhwCLcB/s320/marugami%2Bwaterfall%2B2%2B%25281%2Bof%2B1%2529.jpg" width="248" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Marugami falls<br />
Saitama Japan</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
It's cliche and it's overdone, but I still really like waterfall photos with a 1 to 2 second exposure. The dreamy cloud-like quality that moving water takes on at this exposure length can be very appealing, despite the fact that everyone and their mother has already taken a thousand photos in this style. If done well though, photos of this nature can still absolutely be worth looking at. Afterall, there's <a href="http://www.sainokuni-kanko.jp/eng/sightseeingspot/010.html" target="_blank">so many mediocre fast-exposure waterfall photos</a> online that producing a well captured long exposure wins out any day of the week. Naturally, it helps to use a tripod if this is your desired look. But what kind of tripod should you use?</div>
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<b>Cheap, bargain-bin tripods from third-rate camera stores are basically what will ruin your shot, and potentially your camera</b>. As long as you aren't trying to use one of these, you're probably already ahead of the game! My thinking has generally been that if a tripod is lightweight, it should be immediately suspect. If all the cranks, levers and locking parts are anything but the most solid build quality, you're just asking for a blurry shot if you're going to do a long exposure. Or even worse, the thing might just end up tipping over and you loose your precious gear, heaven forbid.</div>
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Advertisement:</div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
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The pros like to use massive tripods costing hundreds of dollars if not more, and if a tripod company wanted to give me one of these to write a positive review about, I'd be happy to use one too. But for people with regular amounts of income, tripods like these are probably not an option. Furthermore if travel photography is your aim, they're hardly practical for traveling with! If you're just a regular person with a day job and you like photography, aim for something mid-level, or potentially something entry-level from an exceptional brand. Look for locks made of metal, not plastic. Look for cheap aluminium and AVOID it - go for something more substantial. Avoid anything that you can flex, even if just a little bit. If you're attaching a DSLR plus lens for a long exposure, this will translate into image blur and, potentially, the very real possibility of a damaged camera. Nobody wants to be that guy or gal who's tripod and camera falls off the cliff overlooking the ocean. It's a real thing. It happens. Manfrotto, while in my opinion not being particularly cheap overall, is a brand that does offer a decent enough range of not-too-insanely-priced tripods that tend to be well built and sturdy. I also once owned an exceptional(for the price) monopod by Canon, though that clearly wouldn't help much for a 2-second exposure. </div>
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Finally on tripods, if you're aim is to be chasing waterfalls, make sure that you use one which will do well around and possibly in water. Getting the perfect perspective may very well mean getting your feet, and your tripod feet, wet. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<i>Oh and don't go lugging anything around without a proper meal. BTW, rural Saitama is a great place for both food and waterfalls </i><i>(<b>see below</b>).</i></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FuEmonohavk/WC5piMSMLmI/AAAAAAAEXFM/zdW7eXvFgWEAKhNQYqDVOzxnu9Dng4w4wCLcB/s1600/_MG_3643.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FuEmonohavk/WC5piMSMLmI/AAAAAAAEXFM/zdW7eXvFgWEAKhNQYqDVOzxnu9Dng4w4wCLcB/s400/_MG_3643.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eating teishoku in Ogose, Saitama, Japan,<br />
on the way to Kuroyama Santaki<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kuroyama Santaki, literally Black Mountain Three Waterfalls<br />
(only one waterfall pictured)</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Polarizing Filter. Just screw it.</span></h3>
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It's easy to forget, but by all means do NOT forget to bring a filter or two. When I go out, this is usually the first thing I'll grab after the camera. Bringing a Neutral Density filter will allow you to keep your highlights from going insane, which can be a problem if you're shooting in bright areas or just when the light is causing a particularly high amount of contrast. I like to shoot with a polarizing filter because, in addition to having a darkening quality similar to an ND filter, I've always found that it makes water look more pristine in the dark areas, and it also has the added benefit of making plantlife and other colors look far more vivid. Filters are small, useful, and easy to carry around. Just screw one on, and forget about it.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Br0WqFkuiiQ/WC5pjOPgSaI/AAAAAAAEXFc/524T6UjHiA43NrZIWvfXiMV3LkZ5BagQQCLcB/s1600/wulai.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Br0WqFkuiiQ/WC5pjOPgSaI/AAAAAAAEXFc/524T6UjHiA43NrZIWvfXiMV3LkZ5BagQQCLcB/s320/wulai.jpg" width="272" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px; padding-top: 4px; text-align: center;">Wulai, Taiwan<br />
3 stitched photos from a tilt-shift lens </td></tr>
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<h3 style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Tripod (Plus) Tilt-Shift Lens</span></h3>
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Tilt-shift lenses can be exceptionally useful for landscape photography, and even more useful in my opinion for capturing breathtaking shots of waterfalls. How can they help do this? The benefit mostly lies in the shift ability of the lens. </div>
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What a tilt-shift lens does when shifting is allows you to adjust your view without ruining the perspective lines. Essentially, a tilt-shift lens is like having a SUPER-wide lens, one that's too wide for the camera's sensor or film. You can move the relative area of the glass around as it relates to the sensor area, thus allowing you to capture different parts of this super-view contained on the internal glass. Can't get up high enough to get the perspective you want? Maybe this lens can help. Want to get super low? Again, this lens may be able to help. In my opinion though, the real benefit for shooting waterfalls comes from stitching three separate photos together, all taken with a tilt shift lens. </div>
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It doesn't matter how many megapixels your camera is. A tilt-shift lens can help you more than double the resolution of your photos. And if you're at an incredible, pristine photospot, <i><b>you want</b></i> to record every detail that you can! For portrait shots, what you do is take one photo with the lens set at it's highest vertical setting. Take another photo with the lens at it's center position. Of course you'll need to doing all of your settings on manual, and you may want to be shooting in RAW as well. Finally, take the final shot at the lens in its lowest vertical position. You'll of course have to then process them on your computer and then stitch them together by hand. But it's not that hard, and the resolution boost you get is worth it. Everything should line up just about perfectly if you kept your tripod still, and there should be no distortion making stitching from one photo to the next difficult. </div>
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Another added benefit is that since you're essentially shooting with an extremely wide view, it can allow you to capture shots close up that may not otherwise be possible if space is limited in the area you're at. THIS is where you may end up getting your feet and your tripod wet. But you were already prepared for that, right? Right.<br />
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As an unpaid sidenote endoresmeent, I think it's worth mentioning that lens rental services such as <a href="https://www.borrowlenses.com/AdvancedSearch.do?searchString=tilt-shift" target="_blank">Borrow Lenses are probably the smartest way to get your hands on a tilt-shift lens</a>. For most people, buying a tilt-shift lens used or new doesn't make sense. It's a fairly niche player. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Gojou Waterfall<br />
Saitama, Japan<br />
3 stitched photos from a tilt-shift lens<br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XWJV_LIJdeA/WDMovw2729I/AAAAAAAEXSQ/gLurazWQwaMAv2HIW1elbMcq3mBWqAHmgCLcB/s1600/marugami%2Bwaterfall%2B4%2B%25281%2Bof%2B1%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XWJV_LIJdeA/WDMovw2729I/AAAAAAAEXSQ/gLurazWQwaMAv2HIW1elbMcq3mBWqAHmgCLcB/s640/marugami%2Bwaterfall%2B4%2B%25281%2Bof%2B1%2529.jpg" width="492" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption"><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">Saitama, Japan</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12.8px;">3 stitched photos from a tilt-shift lens</span><br />
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<h3>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-riJEX0sQa3g/WC5rHXHpQ6I/AAAAAAAEXFs/fkkLuQKncIojBmEPP0BSelVCEpmHZIuHwCLcB/s1600/_MG_6013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-riJEX0sQa3g/WC5rHXHpQ6I/AAAAAAAEXFs/fkkLuQKncIojBmEPP0BSelVCEpmHZIuHwCLcB/s320/_MG_6013.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gojou Waterfall <br />
Saitama, Japan</td></tr>
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<h3 style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Simplicity in gear leads to creativity in photographs</span></h3>
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If you can't keep your gear on hand simple enough for you to quickly manage, you're going to miss photo opportunities. You can't be fumbling with excessive filters, lenses, timers, etc etc etc and expect to walk away with many shots that you're satisfied with in the end. It's not always possible, but I like to go into photo situations, waterfalls in particular, with the smallest camera possible and the smallest amount of gear for whatever the task is I want to achieve. In photography though, this can generally be a challenging concept for many, myself included. </div>
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Much of the appeal of travel photography is discovering the unknown and photographing it. And you can never know what unknowns will present themselves until after they've already made themselves known, of course. But that doesn't mean that you should travel with as much gear as possible so that you can meet every potential scenario that might arise. Rather, I find it's good to set concrete limits. I say to myself, "I expect there to be X, so I will bring Y and Z. It would not be unreasonable for me to bring A as well, but any more than that would be a burden." </div>
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Limits like this are good. </div>
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Having the ideal tool for every scenario doesn't cause a person to think creatively. And if your aim is to create memorable photographs, creativity is perhaps the most essential ingredient. </div>
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So, fight the urge. </div>
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Keep your gear simple. </div>
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(The waterfalls will never judge you)</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WkWIDQz5R0I/WC5rHOHHTbI/AAAAAAAEXFo/7AkEZde65LIgmArp-j0GZ6D6o06jg255wCLcB/s1600/Waterfall%2B04%2B-%2B2032013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WkWIDQz5R0I/WC5rHOHHTbI/AAAAAAAEXFo/7AkEZde65LIgmArp-j0GZ6D6o06jg255wCLcB/s640/Waterfall%2B04%2B-%2B2032013.jpg" width="512" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Saitama, Japan</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1IvcjtpRcdc/WC5picVCyqI/AAAAAAAEXFI/NHoRwZf53DAOoL9Aok19_6CKrX6rShBQwCLcB/s1600/New-Years-2011-Flora%2B%252833%2Bof%2B42%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1IvcjtpRcdc/WC5picVCyqI/AAAAAAAEXFI/NHoRwZf53DAOoL9Aok19_6CKrX6rShBQwCLcB/s640/New-Years-2011-Flora%2B%252833%2Bof%2B42%2529.jpg" width="424" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Multnomah Falls,<br />
Oregon, USA<br />
No tripod used</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Multnomah Falls,<br />
Oregon, USA</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Datun Falls<br />
Taipei, Taiwan</td></tr>
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The Editorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00205773989835417019noreply@blogger.comOgose, Iruma District, Saitama Prefecture, Japan35.9644777 139.2941989999999435.861653700000005 139.13283749999994 36.0673017 139.45556049999993tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3672294336953489925.post-51087996108320424942016-11-18T12:36:00.000+08:002016-12-08T02:34:41.864+08:00Photo Friday, Datun Waterfall, November 14 2016<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">TGIF! This Friday we're looking at a black and white digital photograph from Taiwan. Even though right now much of the rest of the northern hemisphere is buttoning up their coats, getting ready for the crisp winter air, Taiwan remains a pleasant temperature. It's perfect for exploring the great outdoors. And in today's photo, we're doing so near Datun Waterfall in Northern Taiwan. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2KKkQbnFzT8/WCdJTyVYfjI/AAAAAAAEWk4/5yNvp74HVdE8JcoxMFFsUHqDgg52HNeWwCKgB/s1600/L1001573.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2KKkQbnFzT8/WCdJTyVYfjI/AAAAAAAEWk4/5yNvp74HVdE8JcoxMFFsUHqDgg52HNeWwCKgB/s640/L1001573.jpg" width="425" /></a></div><br />
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Captured just as the sun was going down, the surrounding forest was beginning to darken. However sitting in a single channel of light coming through, in our photo we see a girl staring out in wonder across the dark water in front of her, enjoying the last rays of light. Darkness may be overrunning the forest, but she'll have none of it.<br />
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Datun Falls can be found at the following GPS coordinates.:<br />
<h1 jstcache="609" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; font-family: Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; overflow: visible; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: white;">25°09'42.3"N 121°32'10.6"E</span></h1><div><span style="background-color: white;"><br />
</span></div><div>Thanks to <a href="http://taiwanswaterfalls.com/" target="_blank">Waterfalls in Taiwan</a> for providing information about this great photo spot. </div><div><br />
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</div>The Editorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00205773989835417019noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3672294336953489925.post-12525955833068775992016-11-13T02:03:00.002+08:002016-11-13T02:09:25.550+08:0050mm Quick Comparison - Leica v. Canon v. Leica<h2 style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Quick comparison - Battle of the 50s</h2>
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We like to carry our camera around at night, so naturally shooting with the aperture wide open just comes naturally. So, we were curious about something. How would a classic lens from Canon, the beautiful 50mm f/1.8 Serenar from the early 1950s, perform against it's late 50s (1959-1961) Leica counterpart, the 50mm Summilux-M Version 1, when shooting wide open in evening ambient light? And then just for perspective we thought, what would both of these 50mm lenses look like compared to something more modern? So we grabbed our camera, stopped by our local antique shop, and got our hands on these two 50+ year old lenses. The results were a little bit surprising. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Canon 50mm Serenar at f/1.8<br />
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<span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Canon 50mm Serenar at f/1.8</span></span></h3>
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We tried our best to focus, switch lenses and maintain composition between shots. The examples, all shot in raw with identical B&W profiles applied in Adobe Lightroom, are each remarkably simmilar, yet several key defining factors of each lens can clearly be observed, even in our quick and dirty comparison. The Canon Serenar, when shot at f/1.8, was able to render the out of focus bokeh areas in a surprisingly pleasing way to our subjective eye. Comparing this to several other Voigtlander lenses, or even other Canon lenses from later eras, the bokeh appears to be vastly superior. The overall fidelity of the image, despite being at f/1.8, is curiously crisp in the in-focus areas. There's exceptional contrast, and in-focus objects have great definition. Having used this lens in daylight scenarios, we can say that there is noticeable falloff. But in literally every case, we've found it to be pleasing. In the above shot, it's not so noticeable however.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Leica 50mm Summarit-M at f/2.5<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Leica 50mm Summarit-M at f/2.5</span></h3>
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<span style="font-size: small;">The 50mm Leica Summarit-M, our choice of "modern" lenses, not surprisingly provides the clearest, sharpest image of the three. While the bokeh is clearly not as extreme as the Canon Serenar, it's still has a transcendent quality to it, one which can be highly valuable in dramatic shots. In-focus objects are exceptionally well defined, with clear, dare we say "perfect" contrast. The juxtaposition of the exceptionally-defined foreground along with the smooth, out of focus background is, in our opinion, what Leica aficionados are seeing when they talk about the often described "3-D" effect that Leica lenses are apparently famous for rendering. If technical precision is your key criteria, this lens is a 10 out of 10. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-I8k9Kjs_6eo/WCdCWrwp2tI/AAAAAAAEWj4/K3qvVga6xUcAZ-iQ205D-m-ZmuI4o3-IgCLcB/s1600/L1001606.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-I8k9Kjs_6eo/WCdCWrwp2tI/AAAAAAAEWj4/K3qvVga6xUcAZ-iQ205D-m-ZmuI4o3-IgCLcB/s640/L1001606.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Leica 50mm Summilux (Version 1) at f/1.4</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: justify;"><tbody>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><h3 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></h3>
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Leica 50mm Summilux (Version 1) at f/1.4</span></h3>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;">The Summilux, not surprisingly as it can reach f/1.4, has the strongest bokeh. But as you can see in the example above, the bokeh effect isn't just technically strong, it's <i><b>visually</b></i> strong in that it's beautifully, smoothly rendered (yes, technically a subjective criterion, but go ahead and disagree and see who backs you up other than Carl Zeiss employees). Where this lens often gets criticized however is clearly visible - the in-focus areas lack the exceptional definition of the Summicron, and still fall far short of the definition of the Canon Serenar. Contrast is a bit more muted on the Summilux compared to both the Serenar and the Summicron, and there is <b><i>strong</i></b> vignetting at f/1.4 (although we still think it's beautiful and don't want to get rid of it). As we like to think of it, the Summilux Version 1 is simply designed to make a greater artistic interpretation of reality than the other lenses. Georges Seurat just put little blobs of paint on a canvas, and we celebrate his pointillistic work as genius. Can't we afford the Summilux Version 1 the same standing? One other small, but interesting point about the Summilux is that it's not actually 50mm. Rather, it's probably about 51 to 52mm in length, maybe longer. This is a well documented fact about the Summilux range, insofar that many (but not all lenses) have a "secret code" on them, indicating the real length. The lens we shot with did not have a code, so we have no idea what the real length of it was. But you can clearly see a slight zoom from it compared to the Serenar and the the Summicron. While in this case we were shooting hand-held(so there's going to be variation), the variation will still be apparent when, for example, using a tripod and taking landscape shots. This lens, unlike the Summicron, feels highly un-technical. And that's part of the appeal.</span></div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<h3>
Conclusion</h3>
<div>
In this case, we don't think there's such a thing as a "winner" of the lenses, at least not in terms of image rendering. If you're on a budget, the Serenar will be by far the cheapest lens. It has without a doubt the best price performance of the three. If you're criteria is build quality, it's hard to say. Each lens, even the Canon, feels exceptionally well crafted, and with regular care, could easily function for 500 years or more in our opinion. That's impressive. </div>
<div>
Overall, each lens seems to have have it's niche, though any of these lenses can overlap quite easily. The Summilux, in our opinion, is exceptionally well suited for portraits and other beauty shots, if you're going to be shooting at f/1.4. This is mostly due in part to the superior bokeh, however the strong vignetting enhances this function, and the slightly soft look tends to make many people happy when they see themselves rendered this way. </div>
<div>
The Serenar, we think, is just exceptionally well suited for any and every scenario where you're relying on ambient light. It generally has a superior image to the Summilux, and despite it's narrower f/1.8 aperture, we would still prefer to do any night shots with it, simply for the higher overall image quality. </div>
<div>
And then, stepping into the world of today, the Summarit is just a regular, go-to lens. For anything daytime based that isn't dependant on intense bokeh, this lens hands down takes the cake. It's not as well suited for ambient light night photography or portraits with incredible bokeh, but it's still not difficult at all to accomplish either of these with it, if you have no other options. As the "budget" lens for today's Leica lineup too, it's not too hard to find used copies online that are similarly priced to the Summilux Version 1(which are both still considerably more expensive than the Canon Serenar).</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<h2>
<br />Extra Comparison Shots :</h2>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1w5yTcmbEs0/WCdCZeNBkpI/AAAAAAAEWkE/1CAthct5qQQjvt1MoaMFasgruDDcoE7MgCLcB/s1600/L1001609.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1w5yTcmbEs0/WCdCZeNBkpI/AAAAAAAEWkE/1CAthct5qQQjvt1MoaMFasgruDDcoE7MgCLcB/s640/L1001609.jpg" width="425" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">Canon 50mm Serenar at f/1.8</span><br />
<br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0XgPDVbJDUI/WCdCaan_a4I/AAAAAAAEWkM/aO2vQzwSNUcDtQzuty0cJxO_X5U608xhQCLcB/s640/L1001610.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="425" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Leica 50mm Summarit-M at f/2.5</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-f9-QF0E8PPw/WCdCaUOSPNI/AAAAAAAEWkI/AQ7aQFwpL7Ejx9KGdUrp0IpNM87fkmRQgCLcB/s1600/L1001611.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-f9-QF0E8PPw/WCdCaUOSPNI/AAAAAAAEWkI/AQ7aQFwpL7Ejx9KGdUrp0IpNM87fkmRQgCLcB/s640/L1001611.jpg" width="425" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Leica 50mm Summilux (Version 1) at f/1.4</td></tr>
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The Editorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00205773989835417019noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3672294336953489925.post-72362693393438619892016-11-11T00:00:00.000+08:002016-11-11T00:19:17.917+08:00Photo Friday, Japanese Gardens. November 11 2016<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sKYR1e6lx7A/T-xsjEny4XI/AAAAAAAA5M0/Gv292J8kIOUrOARjbsoD1QUOvZQOwptBgCPcB/s1600/_MG_3962.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sKYR1e6lx7A/T-xsjEny4XI/AAAAAAAA5M0/Gv292J8kIOUrOARjbsoD1QUOvZQOwptBgCPcB/s640/_MG_3962.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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The city of Tokyo can be crushingly dense, a thick jungle of concrete all the way from Ikebukuro to Odaiba. But nestled between the office towers, the highways, the izakayas and the subway stations, wanderers can find immaculately manicured, traditional Japanese gardens such as the one we're in today. Taken on a hot summer's day in infrared, we're somewhere in Minato ward exiting a small lake tea house, one that<br />
<a name='more'></a>serves cold matcha served over ice. As is common in this season, the sky is filled with haze, some combination of humidity and pollution blowing across the sea from China. Unlike infrared photos taken when the atmosphere is clear where the result is then a pitch-black sky, now the sky glows a bright reddish orange, like the sun that envelops all.<br />
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<br />The Editorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00205773989835417019noreply@blogger.comMinato, Tokyo, Japan35.6580681 139.751599235.5548486 139.5902377 35.7612876 139.91296069999999tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3672294336953489925.post-24087262556964316732016-11-10T12:22:00.000+08:002016-12-08T02:19:19.049+08:00Dirt-cheap Film: Fujicolor C200 & Kodak ColorPlus 200<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">GLORIOUS FILM. </span></b></h2>
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KyRjcr7GnnM/WCGNZw44ADI/AAAAAAAEWV0/c4EV6qSFeh8N3CMJgG7-PFDo8X-eGwqEQCKgB/s1600/IMG_1113.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="230" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KyRjcr7GnnM/WCGNZw44ADI/AAAAAAAEWV0/c4EV6qSFeh8N3CMJgG7-PFDo8X-eGwqEQCKgB/s400/IMG_1113.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<div>
<b>Yes, film.</b></div>
<br />
<br />
That analog counterpart to our increasingly digital image worlds.<br />
<br />
It's back. (Did it ever really go away?)<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
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Film is the stuff youth was made of. Those were the days, sneaking around in high school darkrooms, trying to get an extra roll or two from the oblivious photography teacher, setting black and white negatives with that goth girl in the class.<br />
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Yep, those were the film days for us.<br />
<br />
And so then today, in 2016, we thought it would be fun to look at the two absolute cheapest ISO 200 color film stocks that we could easily find in the local stores. Because hey, it's still fun to shoot film! And let's be honest - digital photographers who are accustomed to the freedom to shoot off as many shots as they want until the get the "perfect" shot <i style="font-weight: bold;">do</i> indeed care about economics of photography.<br />
<b>So we're setting out to answer: What can budget-priced film offer (mostly) digital photographers who are not experts and also not professionals? </b><br />
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<h3>
</h3>
<h2>
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Kodak ColorPlus 200 - An American Classic. But an American Classic What?</span></h2>
<div>
The Kodak brand is an instant eye-grabber when you're on the market for film. As the literal inventors of <b><i>practically every film format in use</i></b>, we owe quite a bit to Kodak's efforts over the past hundred years or so. So let me be the first to say, thank you Kodak for all the cool film! Glad you recently got your bankruptcy sorted out. </div>
<div>
Now then, that being said, we have to say, we were left with mixed feelings after using Kodak Colorplus 200. It had some strengths, but not everything about it was sunshine and lollypops.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
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<br /></div>
<h4>
Price:</h4>
<div>
$150 NTD (about $4.75 US)</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<h4>
Exposures:</h4>
<div>
36 rated, in actuality 40 from our camera. Four free shots! Woohoo!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<h4>
Claimed Features:</h4>
<div>
Color Plus 200 is supposed to be a general purpose film, one that produces "pleasing" skin tones, and is ideally suited for daytime shooting considering the ISO rating, although is supposed to work well under various lighting scenarios. It's said to have a fine grain, and "is good for making large prints". It's further supposed to have a wide exposure latitude.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<h4>
Our Impression:</h4>
<div>
Yeah, for the price it's worth what you get. The color in overcast mid-day shots was somewhat disappointing, and images were not surprisingly almost too contrasty to work with. Mid-day shots on clear days however were, surprisingly, filled with vibrant, pleasing colors. In some shots, the dynamic range looks fantastic, and positively impressed upon us the benefits of film over digital. And then in some others, particularly scenes with the widest range from dark bright, everything just looks like crap. The really shocking thing however was the amount of grain that showed up in literally every shot. We can't say if this is a fault of the film, a fault of the processing, a fault of the scanning or if it's something else, but if this is "fine" grain, zoomed in to a 1:1 ratio, the film grain looks like round blobs compared to a 24 megapixel CMOS digital sensor that lacks an AA filter. We found however that by using Lightroom's ability to filter out color noise, we could make the grain look for more pleasing than the scans we received. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<h4>
The Verdict:</h4>
If you want to shoot film and are on a budget, sure, give it a go. You can get some good shots out of it in most conditions, and it's cheap. But you might not want to trust it if you're tasked with getting key, defining shots for an important event or person. The overall color rendering seemed like a range from boring and accurate to occasionally pleasant and unexpected. We also felt that overall, the results were nowhere near as high as what we could easily achieve with a modest digital camera. Once scanned, it did prove easy enough to reduce some of the excessive grain (though at the cost of fidelity), and give anything else that needed fixing at least a mild adjustment. Shots that were just a bit too far off from ideal could not be brought to perfection using typical digital editing techniques. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<h3 style="text-align: center;">
Test Shots using Kodak Color Plus 200:</h3>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pqUSIaFtmX8/WCCugeMrGaI/AAAAAAAEWRA/GczLLw_4v-sksGLZnXnj6s46gLF0nEmxACLcB/s1600/84680013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pqUSIaFtmX8/WCCugeMrGaI/AAAAAAAEWRA/GczLLw_4v-sksGLZnXnj6s46gLF0nEmxACLcB/s640/84680013.jpg" width="424" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Street Food in Taipei<br />
<span style="font-size: 12.8px;">Kodak ColorPlus Film</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-E7Y0kilR_OA/WCCugqQkzdI/AAAAAAAEWQ8/covyV1rJgZcuBTP397DEW0wLbXvFM3y_gCLcB/s1600/84680018.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-E7Y0kilR_OA/WCCugqQkzdI/AAAAAAAEWQ8/covyV1rJgZcuBTP397DEW0wLbXvFM3y_gCLcB/s640/84680018.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Construction Site Art<br />
<span style="font-size: 12.8px;">Kodak ColorPlus Film</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-k0ve6vOj_Gg/WCCugqD3-vI/AAAAAAAEWQ4/qvhK8ginYskK5y6LHLiWyFDJ0nK5GFaGwCLcB/s1600/84680031.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-k0ve6vOj_Gg/WCCugqD3-vI/AAAAAAAEWQ4/qvhK8ginYskK5y6LHLiWyFDJ0nK5GFaGwCLcB/s640/84680031.jpg" width="424" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chatting while waiting for the bus<br />
<span style="font-size: 12.8px;">Kodak ColorPlus Film</span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lWSZa5ChszI/WCCuhtP1A_I/AAAAAAAEWRE/4UtkGmnYJv0XqTxg-lKeem96bXAV6KwRgCLcB/s1600/84680034.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lWSZa5ChszI/WCCuhtP1A_I/AAAAAAAEWRE/4UtkGmnYJv0XqTxg-lKeem96bXAV6KwRgCLcB/s640/84680034.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Taking the elevator down<br />
<span style="font-size: 12.8px;">Kodak ColorPlus Film</span></td></tr>
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<h2>
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Fujifilm Fujicolor C200 - From the Land of the Rising ... Film Industry? <i>In 2016</i>? Really?</span></h2>
Is Fujicolor C200 the same as Fujicolor CA135? That was on the canister we had. I was just looking at that. But oh, right, yes, anyway. Fujifilm. Film. The '90s. Japan! 103 years after the advent of 35mm film, we're talking about it. And who could forget that analog titan from the far east in Akasaka Tokyo, Fujifilm. As sensible as a Honda Civic, and as exotic as a Sony Discman. As misunderstood as Bridgestone tires (look it up), and as sexy as a pair of Uniqlo socks.<br />
<br />
Just like in the '90s, we still know practically nothing about FujiFilm, other than that they make some great film, they also make some I guess great digital cameras, and that like practically a quarter of the businesses in Japan, the word "Fuji" is in their name. So let's talk shot about Fujicolor C200 film.<br />
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<h4>
Price:</h4>
<div>
$150 NTD (also about $4.75 US)</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<h4>
Exposures:</h4>
<div>
36 rated, in actuality 39 from our camera. Three free shots! Great!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<h4>
Claimed Features:</h4>
<div>
Said to be balanced for daylight with fine grain and sharpness. It's further claimed to have a wide exposure latitude and "vivid and accurate" color reproduction. Aside from all of the claims about being suited for daylight and having "balanced", accurate color, it seems like some pretty vanilla film. </div>
<h4>
</h4>
<h4>
Our Impression:</h4>
<div>
We didn't realize that the Color Plus was supposed to be ideal for all lighting scenarios and the C200 suitable for daylight. If we'd known that, we would have made a greater effort to get more shots in the daylight with the Color Plus, and would have at least tried out the C200 a little bit at night. As it turns out, just through sheer chance we ended up shooting our roll of C200 exclusively in the daytime. The colors, surprisingly, did actually look pretty accurate overall.<br />
Nothing seemed particularly impressive, but pretty much every shot was accurate enough, pleasant enough to look at. For what was fairly low-contrast light, it seemed that the C200 had a bit more contrast than we would have normally expected or wanted. Overall, we can't say that the C200 excels at landscapes and nature, but we can say that it does a pretty good job at them. It's got that going for it. Again though, like the Color Plus, all of our shots had a shockingly high amount of grain for ISO 200 film. And just like the Color Plus, we have no idea if this is inherent to the film, the scanning, the processing, or something else.<br />
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<div>
<h4>
The Verdict:</h4>
</div>
<div>
This film is unquestionably worth using if you're on a budget, can't find anything better, and don't want any surprises (pleasant or unpleasant). There's no way that it will add anything unique to your photos(other than maybe a little bit of saturation in the greens and blues) without extra processing or other techniques, but that can certainly be useful depending on your goals. The honest truth is though that there is absolutly nothing inherent to this film that especially compells us to shoot less with digital cameras, and more with this film. Other than just being film, which today is still something of a novelty, there's just no "wow" factor here to make someone holding a camera want to come back to it.</div>
<h3 style="text-align: center;">
Test Shots using FujiFilm Fujicolor C200:</h3>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KJwDeVpRfms/WCCxy79jJrI/AAAAAAAEWRw/yAJ2Mfp6FXg9rTtO_Eg-BhQMTXRaEJqBQCLcB/s1600/84690006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KJwDeVpRfms/WCCxy79jJrI/AAAAAAAEWRw/yAJ2Mfp6FXg9rTtO_Eg-BhQMTXRaEJqBQCLcB/s640/84690006.jpg" width="424" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mountainous tree-growth in Taiwan<br />
Fujicolor C200 Film</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kfObNpg_2_k/WCCxyukCJDI/AAAAAAAEWRo/jSFv71sH_W8O2m3SLQ0__4Vm-XOB2sCIQCLcB/s1600/84690008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kfObNpg_2_k/WCCxyukCJDI/AAAAAAAEWRo/jSFv71sH_W8O2m3SLQ0__4Vm-XOB2sCIQCLcB/s640/84690008.jpg" width="424" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At the start of the mountain trail<br />
<span style="font-size: 12.8px;">Fujicolor C200 Film</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-B_FU99qI_YY/WCCxyhE0nZI/AAAAAAAEWRs/StuEt6iD2nA0GVY2tPZeqKtR3wbOzYPBACLcB/s1600/84690022.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-B_FU99qI_YY/WCCxyhE0nZI/AAAAAAAEWRs/StuEt6iD2nA0GVY2tPZeqKtR3wbOzYPBACLcB/s640/84690022.jpg" width="424" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking down on Datun Falls<br />
<span style="font-size: 12.8px;">Fujicolor C200 Film</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Gac-ZE0-x4o/WCCxzgudPRI/AAAAAAAEWR4/e0oIEnm9zKY07T3xsCm-qFJSUfFi6ScSgCLcB/s1600/84690023.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Gac-ZE0-x4o/WCCxzgudPRI/AAAAAAAEWR4/e0oIEnm9zKY07T3xsCm-qFJSUfFi6ScSgCLcB/s640/84690023.jpg" width="424" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mountainside spirituality<br />
<span style="font-size: 12.8px;">Fujicolor C200 Film</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BvvkIaq31UY/WCCxz4tSXgI/AAAAAAAEWR8/8SXwLVcwsfUvjSsB84VCuBBnAeYzMQpSgCLcB/s1600/84690028.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BvvkIaq31UY/WCCxz4tSXgI/AAAAAAAEWR8/8SXwLVcwsfUvjSsB84VCuBBnAeYzMQpSgCLcB/s640/84690028.jpg" width="424" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The shallow water of the falls<br />
<span style="font-size: 12.8px;">Fujicolor C200 Film</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The Editorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00205773989835417019noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3672294336953489925.post-53589491829012071032016-11-04T00:45:00.000+08:002016-12-07T20:54:57.602+08:00Photo Friday, Taipei Skyline, November 4 2016It's true what they say, the best light for photography is right around dawn, and then once more right around dusk.<br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6b0c7-Krw1o/WAj0431pHbI/AAAAAAAEUiM/BJ8ZuQKSIAwsizomEK0FdTwJ7Sd1m3MKwCLcB/s1600/L1007004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6b0c7-Krw1o/WAj0431pHbI/AAAAAAAEUiM/BJ8ZuQKSIAwsizomEK0FdTwJ7Sd1m3MKwCLcB/s640/L1007004.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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For today's Photo Friday, we have a photo of the Taipei skyline looking north towards Taipei 101, just as the evening lights were starting to come on. <br />
<a name='more'></a>The slight amount of atmospheric haze in conjunction with the overcast sky helps accentuate the atmospheric distance perspective on far off buildings. Not every evening has conditions that are this good. I feel quite lucky for capturing this view at this time on this exact day.<br />
<br />The Editorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00205773989835417019noreply@blogger.comTaipei City, Taiwan25.0329636 121.5654268000000724.8028691 121.24270330000007 25.2630581 121.88815030000006tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3672294336953489925.post-30081962692800878992016-10-28T14:02:00.000+08:002016-10-28T14:02:27.019+08:00Photo Friday : October 28 2016<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LMCbBECc9IU/V_pacbsoh3I/AAAAAAAEUTE/i4bXexNCemEI59lX3Bw1OQ-McwK8pQj4ACPcB/s1600/L1001426.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LMCbBECc9IU/V_pacbsoh3I/AAAAAAAEUTE/i4bXexNCemEI59lX3Bw1OQ-McwK8pQj4ACPcB/s640/L1001426.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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It's Friday again, and that means it's time for another Photo Friday. Today we're at Blue Note in Taipei. That name may sound familiar to some of you, but <br />
<a name='more'></a>it's important to note that Blue Note in Taipei has no affiliation with the MUCH bigger international Blue Note of which most people are acquainted with. Blue Note in Taipei is actually older than the other Blue Note, believe it or not, having been founded in 1974. Here we're looking at the house band playing on a Saturday night, and we're seeing them through an antique version 1 Summilux 50mm f/1.4 that dates back to the 1950s. Originally billed as a way to make ambient light night photography a reality, this little 50 from the '50s doesn't fail to impress, even in 2016.<br />
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As a bonus, here's video from the set. Enjoy!<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i9.ytimg.com/vi/oNP5cq3YypM/default.jpg?sqp=CPyGmcAF&rs=AOn4CLC-ObeLOGOwQNmqTqUwFanOgulYtA" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/oNP5cq3YypM?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
<br />The Editorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00205773989835417019noreply@blogger.comTaipei City, Taiwan25.0329636 121.5654268000000724.8028691 121.24270330000007 25.2630581 121.88815030000006tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3672294336953489925.post-9203124790509667202016-10-21T14:09:00.001+08:002016-11-12T18:53:12.188+08:00The Canon IVsb rangefinder - German design in 1950s Japan<div style="text-align: justify;">
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One thing that on a personal level I'm <i><b>especially</b></i> partial to is antique film cameras. For me, the attraction has much to do with the antique lenses, these historical alignments of glass, more than anything else. But since in the majority of situations it's either impossible or just completely impractical to make antique lenses work on digital bodies, sometimes I compromise and shoot a roll or two of film. Afterall, film can still be fun. And that's part of what led me to the Canon IVsb, the most interesting 1950s copy of the Leica IIIc from Japan that I've seen.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hGrbAnKtuYU/WAjksHOn2gI/AAAAAAAEUhc/ld4lltO3kCQfEfD3zKwf4dcGFqsIIVq9QCLcB/s1600/Cameras-sort-3432.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hGrbAnKtuYU/WAjksHOn2gI/AAAAAAAEUhc/ld4lltO3kCQfEfD3zKwf4dcGFqsIIVq9QCLcB/s400/Cameras-sort-3432.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Say hello to your new* friend from Japan, the Canon IVsb.<br />
(new appx 60+ years ago)<br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="more"></a></td></tr>
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<a name='more'></a>I'll never forget the moment that I first laid eyes on this particular camera. It was around ten years ago. A bit of a gamble at the time, but a potential bargain that I had found on a poorly photographed ebay listing, I didn't quite know what I would receive when I woke up one morning to find the shipping box at my doorstep. In fact, as I'd later discover, Canon produced a dizzying assortment of rangefinder cameras around this time, all unblemished by model numbers. The only way to differentiate one from the next was by the careful inspection of tiny internal labels and features, like checking if the speed dial is in thirds or halves, if the maximum speed is 1/500 or 1/1000, etc etc. I wasn't fully confident about exactly what camera I had until a week or two later, after carefully combing through a swath of online resources. But eventually I figured out that I held in my hands a IVsb rangefinder complete with unlabeled 50mm Canon Serenar f1.8 lens. I couldn't have been happier.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HP97GqtxI8M/WAjnOpECYEI/AAAAAAAEUho/4HYXyDoWh4M9NysosMCZiQHriYd1hr-OACLcB/s1600/Cameras-sort-3447.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HP97GqtxI8M/WAjnOpECYEI/AAAAAAAEUho/4HYXyDoWh4M9NysosMCZiQHriYd1hr-OACLcB/s400/Cameras-sort-3447.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">50mm f/1.8 Canon Serenar lens circa mid 1950s.</td></tr>
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<h2>
Deutschland's finest comes to Japan</h2>
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Picking up this exquisite piece of Leica-forgery, this literal piece of the history that helped make Canon the juggernaut that it is today, was a moment that helped change my impression of antique cameras forever. This was like no camera I'd held before in my life, film or digital. Gone was the cheap plastic that defined the 70s, 80s and 90s cameras I grew up surrounded by. In it's place was a solid piece of brass, cold and rigid, a well defined weight that seemed to yell out to me that "this is a REAL camera."</div>
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It was love at the first cold, metallic touch.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DZHXH1WyvqU/WAjpj2BhOfI/AAAAAAAEUhw/9fHOg09AAGISrGMWJdhfFychNyuwG8nCQCLcB/s1600/Cameras-sort-3439.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DZHXH1WyvqU/WAjpj2BhOfI/AAAAAAAEUhw/9fHOg09AAGISrGMWJdhfFychNyuwG8nCQCLcB/s400/Cameras-sort-3439.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The red EP diamond stamp shows that this camera was <br />
sold in Japan during the American occupation, and that it <br />
was for sale specifically to American GIs, not the<br />
domestic market. </td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ulRNpUyLQC0/WAmAcSzTqyI/AAAAAAAEUkE/e7xKVQaCsEQHzV1l6sJ9F8DohfVXimJRgCLcB/s1600/AAAAA.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ulRNpUyLQC0/WAmAcSzTqyI/AAAAAAAEUkE/e7xKVQaCsEQHzV1l6sJ9F8DohfVXimJRgCLcB/s320/AAAAA.jpeg" width="232" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Leica schematics, the genesis for Canon's<br />
rangefinders of the 30s, 40s and 50s.</td></tr>
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The story goes that Canon got their start when one of the founders, having saved up an eye-watering sum of cash, used it to buy a Leica rangefinder camera. However rather than using his new purchase for photography, he apparently disassembled it, seeking answers as to how it was engineered. Was the thing build with rare metals, advanced, futuristic technology? Could there even be a hint of <i>magic</i> inside? Of course not. And on discovering that his Leica was made of nothing more than ordinary, simple brass parts, the story then goes to say that he had his inspiration, realizing that engineers in his home country of Japan could also produce a camera of this quality, but at a much lower price.</div>
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I have no idea if this is all true or not, but if it is, I think it's a great story. </div>
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Even if it's not 100% true, I still like the story.</div>
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<h2>
Built to last more than half a century</h2>
For the weeks and months after I received my new antique, I began to learn about what it had to offer- solid construction, smooth manual focus, satisfyingly firm click of the aperture ring, a relatively silent shutter that was essentially functional and accurate. And all the other quirks, the good and the bad.</div>
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Rangefinder shooters say this all the time, but one of the things I love about the IVsb is it's size. The camera body is not much thicker than a canister's width of 35mm film, just as it should be. It stands with a low profile, and even with a 50mm lens jutting out from the front center, there's nothing about the size that prevents it from being easily packed or carried just about anywhere. An almost identical copy of the Leica IIIc, all the dials and controls are as subdued and carefully laid out, just as they should be. No film advance lever here. This baby's nothing but knob.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gcQ6zv1UObs/WAjtZsHFgrI/AAAAAAAEUh4/7hZDY5_vPxYST42WPNNof3lA0yHGRV7mwCLcB/s1600/Cameras-sort-3441.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gcQ6zv1UObs/WAjtZsHFgrI/AAAAAAAEUh4/7hZDY5_vPxYST42WPNNof3lA0yHGRV7mwCLcB/s400/Cameras-sort-3441.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(From left to right)<br />
Shutter speed, shutter release, film advance + frame counter + film speed dial.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Whilst almost a perfect copy of a Leica(to the point that some parts are compatible), Canon took the opportunity to make several small but highly useful improvements over Leica's original design. The first improvement was with the internal film take-up spool. When fully assembled, the take-up spool is a bit recessed in the Leica III, and can be a bit hard to pull out when loading film. Canon added a spring-driven extension, one that could be locked in place for minimal profile, and fully extended with just a quick twist at the top with one finger for easy removal. Another feature was the addition of a 3-distance frame window on the Canon, with distances listed as F, 1x and 1.5x. In addition to improving the framing with zoom lenses, this could also be used as a simple focusing aid on wider lenses. </div>
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Canon made one other change, perhaps the most important, and it makes precision focusing considerably faster than on a Leica III. Canon merged the viewfinder window and the framing window. No more split eyepieces, no need to go back and forth from focusing to framing. It seems like such an obvious engineering decision today, but I suppose that when Leica was designing everything back in the 1920s and 1930s, they were figuring it out, paving the way for everyone who would come later. And of course in later cameras, Leica went with this approach as well. But Canon did it first. Thank you for that, Canon. Job well done. </div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HIYezbPYJuk/WAl1OsvtGgI/AAAAAAAEUjo/uM6D4BpLMp0lsHqXojF0VK1_TT8PjDxnACLcB/s1600/Cameras-sort-3437.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HIYezbPYJuk/WAl1OsvtGgI/AAAAAAAEUjo/uM6D4BpLMp0lsHqXojF0VK1_TT8PjDxnACLcB/s400/Cameras-sort-3437.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Like a Leica, but with a framing view<br />
containing an integrated focusing mechanism.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<h2>
Some design choices don't age well</h2>
<br />
As much as I love using the IVsb, the camera's design is not without several serious oversights which can get in the way at times. The first of these such flaws that I encountered had to do with film loading.</div>
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While Canon did make a cool little improvement in the take-up spool, they neglected to improve any of the other film loading characteristics. When you load in a new roll of film, the leading edge needs to be cut out a bit longer, up to an extra inch or two, if you want to be able to load film so that it will neither get caught going in, or slip off the take off spool. As I was still figuring out how to handle this, I recall that I once thought I had gone 15 shots into a roll of film before I realized that my film had never once advanced an inch. You can pre-cut your film to compensate for this, you can try to make <b>extra</b> sure that your film is advancing when you load it, but it really is annoying to have to deal with this. And miss a few shots, maybe even a whole roll of film to this problem, and you'll never again feel safe about having properly loaded the damn thing. </div>
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Another issue can be with slow shutter speeds. For shutter speeds of 1/25th of a second and below, the speed adjustor is a small dial on the front of the camera. Not such a big deal overall, BUT I found out the hard way that it's not difficult to forget to turn the top speed dial into the appropriate position that activates the front, slow-shutter speed dial. If everything could be integrated at the top, this wouldn't be an issue. But it's not, so beware if you ever use this camera or one of its many variants. </div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-du0FbOtMP2k/WAmoPXTOrDI/AAAAAAAEUk8/pyWUlMNguccUZMmqtj3bOx3Tg3qKkEvUQCLcB/s1600/Cameras-sort-3442.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-du0FbOtMP2k/WAmoPXTOrDI/AAAAAAAEUk8/pyWUlMNguccUZMmqtj3bOx3Tg3qKkEvUQCLcB/s400/Cameras-sort-3442.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Slow shutter speeds are adjusted with the small dial on the front.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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For me, the most concerning design flaw has to do with the viewfinder. I can forgive that it's tiny. I can even accept that it's so small and dim that focusing it in low light becomes nearly impossible. What can become seriously problematic is trying to use the viewfinder when wearing glasses.<br />
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The problem is that the back of the optical viewport is made of metal. It's finely made texture is beautifully made, but if you press it against the plastic lenses in most glasses today, you're almost certainly going to end up with a series of scratches in the lenses of your glasses. Trying to avoid this by holding the camera a bit farther off from your glasses is basically impossible since the viewport is far too small to see through at any distance. Through trial and error, I learned the hard way to never use this camera unless wearing contact lenses. Clearly this problem will only affect those who don't wear glasses, but for those of us who do, this is an important point to consider before doing any photo work.<br />
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<h2>
All signs point to 'Yes'</h2>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wrCViA7iuXY/WAsRkfooQ2I/AAAAAAAEUls/bgLDvh3fvS8fJvvbudijmi7D8aMfXkO1wCLcB/s1600/Cameras-sort-3454.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wrCViA7iuXY/WAsRkfooQ2I/AAAAAAAEUls/bgLDvh3fvS8fJvvbudijmi7D8aMfXkO1wCLcB/s320/Cameras-sort-3454.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">60 years and counting with the<br />
IVsb rangefinder from Canon.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
It's been a number of years since I first laid fingers on the Canon IVsb's diminutive body, but I still enjoy picking it up. Even just looking at it makes me happy. And the body does its job in that if I control it as I should be, it will give me sharp, well rendered photos. I don't use it as much as I'd like to, however. While some of this can be chalked up to the fact that film is really niche at this point, only for people who feel a deep passion for the medium, there is the simple fact that even when compared to other antique rangefinders but with decades-newer designs like the Leica M3, it can be challenging to get the photos that you really want out of the Canon IVsb. Each roll of film is kind of like a lottery. Sometimes you win, and sometimes you lose everything. I'm not usually inclined to gambling, and that probably has something to do with the infrequency that I shoot with this camera anymore. But that's just me. Others who love great pieces of camera history, people who can also take the high possibility of some unexpected rolls of film, will adore this camera. Honestly if I had to choose only one camera to use for the rest of my life, film or digital, I'd probably choose this one. It's weathered the last sixty years phenomenally. I've no doubt it can easily stand up to another sixty.<br />
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<b>[November 12, 2016]</b> I intended to post sample shots, but I discovered that the IVsb I had access to has a rangefinder that's out of horizontal alignment. Once this has been adjusted, I'll try again.<br />
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The Editorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00205773989835417019noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3672294336953489925.post-23046576104861223072016-10-21T10:38:00.000+08:002016-12-07T20:55:26.895+08:00Photo Friday, Hong Kong Street Photography, October 21 2016<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RbUUy8vFBUA/VtnO5OPBDSI/AAAAAAAEBBE/TGbFQMnaykMV_-fHfNzVp9zPsRqP_WvsgCPcB/s1600/HK-Life-2016%2B%25281%2Bof%2B1%2529-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RbUUy8vFBUA/VtnO5OPBDSI/AAAAAAAEBBE/TGbFQMnaykMV_-fHfNzVp9zPsRqP_WvsgCPcB/s640/HK-Life-2016%2B%25281%2Bof%2B1%2529-4.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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For today's photo, we're in Hong Kong, and our photo is of one of the many magazine vendors that dot the streets of Central. <br />
<a name='more'></a>We shot this photo on our first trip to Hong Kong. Exploring the city for the first time, everything felt novel and interesting, and this photo nearly got away as we were constantly distracted by one thing after another. Shot on a 35mm prime lens, we were power walking to the station to get to the airport when this one old woman and her magazine stand caught our eye. Here in Hong Kong, we learned that sometimes in photography, you do indeed have to rely on instinct -you can't always stop to think or to compose. Of course it helps to have your camera pre-focused, and to be constantly monitoring lighting. The histogram is your best friend!The Editorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00205773989835417019noreply@blogger.comCentral, Hong Kong22.2799907 114.1587982999999422.265297699999998 114.13862829999995 22.2946837 114.17896829999994tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3672294336953489925.post-65970858039831328542016-10-16T23:53:00.000+08:002016-10-18T22:29:57.486+08:00How to fix a broken GoPro Hero4 Session (IN PICTURES)<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mGEnUFR2Okg/WABBzi9_QdI/AAAAAAAETVk/GfCkKByEPuo9U9_wBD251RODbfcGtgBdgCKgB/s1600/IMG_20161001_170923.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mGEnUFR2Okg/WABBzi9_QdI/AAAAAAAETVk/GfCkKByEPuo9U9_wBD251RODbfcGtgBdgCKgB/s320/IMG_20161001_170923.jpg" title="Broken GoPro Hero 4 Session" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A GoPro Hero 4 Session that was ground into the street. <br />
Amazingly only the glass was broken.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Who doesn't love GoPro, the action-camera brand that attracts <a href="https://youtu.be/tpKEmBQieVo" target="_blank">equal parts thrill seekers</a>, equal parts <a href="https://youtu.be/nh0GG4t7IXM" target="_blank">cubicle-dwellers</a>. GoPro's made a name for themselves by carving out the niche action camera market, and whether it's base jumping and scuba diving, or BMXing and laying down some riffs on a guitar, GoPro has certainly helped people capture their incredible, highly personal photos and video. With generally superior engineering, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gVd1q-e8P5A&ab_channel=DigitalRevTV" target="_blank">GoPro tends to blow away most of the competition</a>, and the cameras are just damn near indestructible. But sometimes, <b><i>damn near</i></b> can fall a bit short. Accidents happen. And short of buying new gear, how does one recover when misfortune strikes?<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Watch us repair the glass on our GoPro Hero4 Session.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div>
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<h3 style="text-align: center;">
</h3>
<h3 style="text-align: center;">
IT'S ALL ABOUT THE GLASS, STUPID</h3>
Lenses. Or more specifically, the safety glass cover that protects the real lens on a GoPro. If we're talking about, for example, the GoPro Hero4 or Hero5 Session, this protective glass is the biggest weak area, usually the first point of failure. And that's by design. I mean, of course, this just assumes that you don't try to go diving with your Session while neglecting to close the battery cover before you hit the water. But that's (I hope) obvious. So whether it's a kick-flip gone wrong, or something somewhat more mundane like, for example, when your toddler tries to recreate an episode of <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/Blendtec/" target="_blank">Will It Blend</a>, accidents do indeed happen, and in most scenarios it will be the glass that breaks first on a GoPro. GoPro knows this, and now you know it too. [Or maybe you already knew that, and are just exploring repair options by reading this]<br />
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<h3 style="text-align: center;">
LETS FIX IT</h3>
The good thing is that it's easy to find replacement parts. GoPro sells a small replacement kit that pretty much includes everything you need -glass, rubber seal, even the tiny screwdriver. It's also possible to find 3rd party replacement parts, or even genuine replacement parts from people who are selling a used GoPro for parts. If you're like me though, you should be extra careful when you order anything. You wouldn't want to accidentally get replacement glass for a Hero3 when you're trying to fix your Hero5 Black.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mVMjqxU2mTk/WADgOetczwI/AAAAAAAETiY/xfzsDYTppg03Ix07E_EtH21FeIN3PdYhwCKgB/s1600/DSC_0559.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mVMjqxU2mTk/WADgOetczwI/AAAAAAAETiY/xfzsDYTppg03Ix07E_EtH21FeIN3PdYhwCKgB/s640/DSC_0559.JPG" width="360" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lens replacement kit for the GoPro Hero4 Session.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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The specific parts you'll need will differ from camera model to camera model. If for example you're trying to fix a Hero5 Black, you don't need any tools at all. All you need is a simple part which <a href="http://shop.gopro.com/International/accessories-2/protective-lens-replacement-hero5-black/AACOV-001.html" target="_blank">GoPro sells on their website</a>. Cameras like the Session come with <a href="http://shop.gopro.com/accessories-2/lens-replacement-kit-hero-session/ARLRK-001.html" target="_blank">a few more parts</a>, and that's what we're covering here.<br />
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<h4>
The parts and tools required are:</h4>
<ul>
<li>Your GoPro camera with broken glass</li>
<li>Replacement glass</li>
<li>Replacement screws(optional depending on camera model)</li>
<li>Replacement rubber seals (optional depending on camera model) </li>
<li>A tiny screwdriver (optional depending on camera model) </li>
<li>Air blower/air canister (optional) </li>
</ul>
<h4>
Today we're replacing the glass on a broken GoPro Hero4 Session and we'll be using the replacement glass kit available from GoPro. </h4>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KV9ILv9MizU/WADgcmp5VlI/AAAAAAAETic/vQyN-XHUG1w6sxFb4ThVBr815odpg4TewCKgB/s1600/DSC_0560.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KV9ILv9MizU/WADgcmp5VlI/AAAAAAAETic/vQyN-XHUG1w6sxFb4ThVBr815odpg4TewCKgB/s640/DSC_0560.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Broken GoPro Hero4 Session.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<h4 style="text-align: center;">
</h4>
<h4 style="text-align: center;">
FIRST REMOVE THE BROKEN GLASS AND WATERPROOF SEAL</h4>
<div>
Removing the glass from a Hero4 Session isn't too hard. Using the screwdriver provided in the replacement kit(or your own if you have one), gently <b>rotate each of the 8 screws on the front counter-clockwise (to the left) until the fall out</b>. <span style="background-color: #fff2cc;">Don't lose them!!</span> Also, be extra careful about shards of broken glass and sharp edges at this stage. Depending on severely damaged your camera is, you could potentially cut yourself at this stage.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oJ4sTT-BUEc/WADgkjksV9I/AAAAAAAETig/8dXcIx4C5rQoGkJDAM3hGmhceQCN8JxWwCKgB/s1600/DSC_0562.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oJ4sTT-BUEc/WADgkjksV9I/AAAAAAAETig/8dXcIx4C5rQoGkJDAM3hGmhceQCN8JxWwCKgB/s640/DSC_0562.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Taking the tiny screws out of the front.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
From here, gently pull off the now unscrewed front glass from your GoPro. Underneath you'll see the rubber gasket which keeps everything water tight. If there's any damage to the rubber seal, you can optionally remove it as well. If everything is clean and in working order though, there's little need to remove the original gasket. Make sure that you don't touch the lens on your GoPro which is now exposed, otherwise you run the risk of having fingerprints and smudges on all of your future photos and videos.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lzKmyDmTY2k/WADg8hdyiwI/AAAAAAAETiw/qahfEEL8VuIbp6xAovAxMfxdHt-mEV5CACKgB/s1600/DSC_0563.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lzKmyDmTY2k/WADg8hdyiwI/AAAAAAAETiw/qahfEEL8VuIbp6xAovAxMfxdHt-mEV5CACKgB/s640/DSC_0563.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">GoPro with glass front off, original seal still in place.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Depending on how severe the original damage was, you may want to use an air blower to dust off any dirt, dust or micro fragments of glass from the inner lens of your GoPro. A good technique is to hold your GoPro so the lens is facing down, and then blow air on it from the bottom facing up. This will allow any dust to harmlessly fall away from the lens, and not potentially be blown upward, only to then fall back down upon the lens.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zAHobIniRnY/WADgue1JyZI/AAAAAAAETio/mUisLAuFLqsRdCN4U3r1rSl3DkDZMjQGQCKgB/s1600/DSC_0564.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zAHobIniRnY/WADgue1JyZI/AAAAAAAETio/mUisLAuFLqsRdCN4U3r1rSl3DkDZMjQGQCKgB/s640/DSC_0564.JPG" width="360" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blowing any dust or glass shards off the GoPro.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div>
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<h4 style="text-align: center;">
</h4>
<h4 style="text-align: center;">
ATTACH THE NEW WATERPROOF SEAL AND GLASS</h4>
<div>
Once everything has been dusted off and is clean, it's time to put it back together. If you removed the original gasket, carefully line up a replacement gasket around the lens, in the position that the original gasket was in. Make sure your hands are clean.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-an_ZCwrGflE/WADg38G-7fI/AAAAAAAETis/SjZIhvXDK9IMLK24G631xMHha_WTLLm3QCKgB/s1600/DSC_0565.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-an_ZCwrGflE/WADg38G-7fI/AAAAAAAETis/SjZIhvXDK9IMLK24G631xMHha_WTLLm3QCKgB/s640/DSC_0565.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A clean GoPro, waterproof seal in place.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Once the gasket is in place, carefully take the replacement front glass, and note where the microphone holes are in relation to where the actual microphone is on the front of the GoPro. You'll need to align the two when you attach the replacement glass. If you bought your replacement from GoPro, there will most likely be a protective piece of plastic on the back of the glass. Carefully peel it off, making sure not to touch the glass underneath. Once you have removed the protective plastic, gently push the replacement glass onto the front of your GoPro, making sure that the gasket is in place, and that the microphone is aligned to the microphone holes on the front cover glass.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-o9OO1q3-ge4/WADhFTkJddI/AAAAAAAETi0/mLOHKQ2JxWUa3aUkUgfm7bos129Iy2q7QCKgB/s1600/DSC_0566.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-o9OO1q3-ge4/WADhFTkJddI/AAAAAAAETi0/mLOHKQ2JxWUa3aUkUgfm7bos129Iy2q7QCKgB/s640/DSC_0566.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Reattaching the front glass to the GoPro. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
After you have this is in place, carefully screw in either the original or any replacement screws that you have. Be careful not to force any of the screws - if they won't go in easily at first, take them out rather than force them, make sure the holes are aligned and that the screw is lined up appropriately, and try again. You don't want to force any of the screws at this point, otherwise it could ruin the thread, which might make your GoPro less watertight. When you've finished this part, congratulations, you're done!</div>
<div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aYVzdx6ZwbY/WADhLldkGkI/AAAAAAAETi4/gPuM_8eCJuMkOJ_KQ8691C39m8TBNHPJQCKgB/s1600/DSC_0567.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aYVzdx6ZwbY/WADhLldkGkI/AAAAAAAETi4/gPuM_8eCJuMkOJ_KQ8691C39m8TBNHPJQCKgB/s640/DSC_0567.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One repaired GoPro. As good as new?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: #fff2cc;"></span></div>
<h3 style="text-align: center;">
</h3>
<h3 style="text-align: center;">
DON'T FORGET TO TEST</h3>
<div>
This last part is fully optional, but it's a smart idea to stress test your GoPro now that you've hopefully fixed everything. This ought to help prevent potential equipment failure down the road when you might be relying on your GoPro and nothing else. Ways that you can do this include running water under it in the sink, putting it in a cup of water, or just taking it in the shower to make sure water doesn't leak in.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LVq3fjhZM1U/WAD3iVRZd6I/AAAAAAAETkQ/QwF1kcs_qxIosUCS_Cv-QCXg07kenCCnQCKgB/s1600/IMG_20161014_213210_551.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LVq3fjhZM1U/WAD3iVRZd6I/AAAAAAAETkQ/QwF1kcs_qxIosUCS_Cv-QCXg07kenCCnQCKgB/s320/IMG_20161014_213210_551.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Testing the GoPro under running water.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
For our testing, we decided to go one step further and freeze our GoPro in ice! Watch our timelapse video of ice forming over the lens.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gdQZHU-YfWo/WAD3iboexKI/AAAAAAAETkQ/S3CSD33Ht_41xFR1uwD1Dd8q3-oMOW_UwCKgB/s1600/IMG_20161014_213159_760.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gdQZHU-YfWo/WAD3iboexKI/AAAAAAAETkQ/S3CSD33Ht_41xFR1uwD1Dd8q3-oMOW_UwCKgB/s320/IMG_20161014_213159_760.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Preparing to freeze the GoPro in ice.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="background-color: #fff2cc;"><br /></span>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FaUhWTE5ICA/WAD3iRhriaI/AAAAAAAETkQ/y3dvA9n_Gr0OHxed6RzyNAHVTN4VJ6wBACKgB/s1600/DSC_0569.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FaUhWTE5ICA/WAD3iRhriaI/AAAAAAAETkQ/y3dvA9n_Gr0OHxed6RzyNAHVTN4VJ6wBACKgB/s320/DSC_0569.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A GoPro frozen in ice. Will it still work?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
Success! Our GoPro is watertight, ice-resistant, and it works great now. </div>
<div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0b7_0C4Wouw/WAD3iULPN4I/AAAAAAAETkQ/yPPryRJ3_Zsv_ivCXq1YtJOjR8bSpN9AQCKgB/s1600/DSC_0571.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="358" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0b7_0C4Wouw/WAD3iULPN4I/AAAAAAAETkQ/yPPryRJ3_Zsv_ivCXq1YtJOjR8bSpN9AQCKgB/s640/DSC_0571.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After thawing, the GoPro still works!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
The Editorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00205773989835417019noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3672294336953489925.post-13793916436523838552016-09-28T13:52:00.002+08:002016-10-17T16:41:23.945+08:00The Day After Typhoon Megi [In Photos]Yesterday Taiwan was pummeled by the big bad typhoon Megi. I think that quite a few people, myself included, were surprised at the intensity and sheer power that Megi brought down upon Taipei. When people from non-typhoon areas hear about any typhoon here, a typical reaction I get is that I should be careful, hunker down, possibly consider getting to the airport to leave the country before it hits.<br />
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And the truth is, most typhoon that hit are insignificantly felt in Taipei in terms of wind destruction and rainfall. <br />
<a name='more'></a>That's not to say they don't cause significant damage and problems in other areas, but Taipei seems to be fairly well sheltered. The buildings are pretty strong, the roads and bridges are often surprisingly well reinforced, and the subways never flood ... well, except for that one time. But yesterday was a pretty big hit for Taipei, as you can see in this short video I shot.<br />
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For all we see of storms at their peak, what do we really see of what things are like the next day? I went out today around noon to see what was going on. I live by a river, and it's a fairly popular local spot for people to go. As such, there were quite a few families out going for a walk, weaving between paddle boats that had been pulled ashore so as not to wash away. Like myself, quite a few seemed to be curious of just what the typhoon had done to the area.<br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5ZPA8CJ8Kak/V-tXAeQyGeI/AAAAAAAESng/A-eViNIniqUHWeddrJcMsPr-j1K7InZYQCLcB/s1600/L1001336.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5ZPA8CJ8Kak/V-tXAeQyGeI/AAAAAAAESng/A-eViNIniqUHWeddrJcMsPr-j1K7InZYQCLcB/s1600/L1001336.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5ZPA8CJ8Kak/V-tXAeQyGeI/AAAAAAAESng/A-eViNIniqUHWeddrJcMsPr-j1K7InZYQCLcB/s400/L1001336.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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There was also quite a bit of activity at the river itself. City cleanup crews were working to push back the mud and sediment that had been washed over the promenade. But then, there were a surprising number of opportunistic locals who were taking advantage of the conditions to go net fishing. </div>
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Just up from the banks of the river, many businesses were open, though quite a few were also closed. On the whole, very little seemed to be seriously damaged in these areas, but there were some exceptions. </div>
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With every significant typhoon that hits Taipei, there is at least one predictable sight - countless scooters, -those pesky machines that people here drive on the sidewalks, the wrong way down one-way streets, and in endlessly dangerous ways- knocked all over the street like bowling pins. </div>
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So, that's Taipei the day after the typhoon. It's still here. Things are a little bit shaken up, but people are already fixing it. It seems to happen at least once every year or so, and I imagine that's not going to change any time soon. </div>
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uOTCYiBeAMI/V-tXAtRo4AI/AAAAAAAESnk/2y42g9WzE7A9rByxMU3pBa-VO6VSbQ1-gCLcB/s1600/L1001343.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uOTCYiBeAMI/V-tXAtRo4AI/AAAAAAAESnk/2y42g9WzE7A9rByxMU3pBa-VO6VSbQ1-gCLcB/s1600/L1001343.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uOTCYiBeAMI/V-tXAtRo4AI/AAAAAAAESnk/2y42g9WzE7A9rByxMU3pBa-VO6VSbQ1-gCLcB/s1600/L1001343.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uOTCYiBeAMI/V-tXAtRo4AI/AAAAAAAESnk/2y42g9WzE7A9rByxMU3pBa-VO6VSbQ1-gCLcB/s1600/L1001343.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uOTCYiBeAMI/V-tXAtRo4AI/AAAAAAAESnk/2y42g9WzE7A9rByxMU3pBa-VO6VSbQ1-gCLcB/s1600/L1001343.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uOTCYiBeAMI/V-tXAtRo4AI/AAAAAAAESnk/2y42g9WzE7A9rByxMU3pBa-VO6VSbQ1-gCLcB/s1600/L1001343.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uOTCYiBeAMI/V-tXAtRo4AI/AAAAAAAESnk/2y42g9WzE7A9rByxMU3pBa-VO6VSbQ1-gCLcB/s1600/L1001343.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uOTCYiBeAMI/V-tXAtRo4AI/AAAAAAAESnk/2y42g9WzE7A9rByxMU3pBa-VO6VSbQ1-gCLcB/s1600/L1001343.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uOTCYiBeAMI/V-tXAtRo4AI/AAAAAAAESnk/2y42g9WzE7A9rByxMU3pBa-VO6VSbQ1-gCLcB/s1600/L1001343.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uOTCYiBeAMI/V-tXAtRo4AI/AAAAAAAESnk/2y42g9WzE7A9rByxMU3pBa-VO6VSbQ1-gCLcB/s1600/L1001343.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uOTCYiBeAMI/V-tXAtRo4AI/AAAAAAAESnk/2y42g9WzE7A9rByxMU3pBa-VO6VSbQ1-gCLcB/s1600/L1001343.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a>The Editorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00205773989835417019noreply@blogger.comTaipei City, Taiwan25.0329636 121.5654268000000724.8028691 121.24270330000007 25.2630581 121.88815030000006tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3672294336953489925.post-61515142949691498762016-06-27T03:04:00.003+08:002016-12-19T00:20:22.586+08:00(Haikyo) Deer Spring Lodge Chichibu(鹿の湯山荘): Another One Bites The Dust <h3>
DEER SPRING LODGE - 2012 AND 2016</h3>
Have you ever wondered how a building goes from being abandoned, to becoming nothing more than a barely protruding cement or rock foundation outline, embedded in the hard dirt? I'd previously never thought about it, I'd simply observed the before and the after. But recently in Chichibu, I had the amazement of being able to witness one way in which the transformation can unfold.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: center;">Arriving at the train station near Deer Spring Lodge.</td></tr>
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Avid haikyo explorers in Tokyo's Kanto region are probably familiar with Deer Spring Lodge(鹿の湯山荘), <a href="http://www.haikyo.org/deer-spring-lodge/" target="_blank">a well documented site</a> in Chichibu, Saitama that's fairly easy for people to access, even without the use of a car. Just don't expect to have cellphone service when you get to the actual lodge, so relying on something like Google Maps might not work as expected, as I discovered back in 2012.<br />
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<a name='more'></a>VISITING IN 2012</h3>
While not a very active urban explorer myself, the topic has fascinated me endlessly for years, and every so often I've made some attempts to cautiously and respectfully do a bit of exploration of my own. Deer Spring Lodge in Chichibu was one such location that I gleefully tracked down for the first time in 2012 using the coordinates provided courtesy of Haikyo.org.<br />
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Thanks to blogs and websites such as the previously mentioned site and as well as the numerous Japanese blogs <a href="http://blog.livedoor.jp/kurobee_ruins/archives/2414023.html" target="_blank">documenting both the interior and exterior of the lodge in 2010</a>, we're able to get a clear picture of what the original configurations of rooms and structures were like, have a close look at quite a few of the remaining artifacts at the site, as well as just walk around and experience the sensation of exploring something old and amazing. From every website I'd seen, Deer Spring Lodge was rapidly deteriorating and absolutely a hazard to explorers, but still essentially intact.<br />
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When I arrived, I could immediately see that things had rapidly gone downhill.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Approaching from the main road, original signpost visible, though missing the sign.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Viewing the buildings and creek</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking inside the first building, the smallest, closest to the road, now collapsed. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The bathhouse.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yzcHFJfEL1M/Vslasn8c2TI/AAAAAAADZss/FzkGD3cwpms2Pl59csLnP0bVqg6rwV0mQCKgB/s1600/_MG_3268.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yzcHFJfEL1M/Vslasn8c2TI/AAAAAAADZss/FzkGD3cwpms2Pl59csLnP0bVqg6rwV0mQCKgB/s640/_MG_3268.jpg" width="425" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another side of the bathhouse.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pI6-4tH_-24/VslaspI-3UI/AAAAAAADZss/Wq5euObFsas7HVUyZg9QIQZAtA4_ieEuACKgB/s1600/_MG_3271.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pI6-4tH_-24/VslaspI-3UI/AAAAAAADZss/Wq5euObFsas7HVUyZg9QIQZAtA4_ieEuACKgB/s640/_MG_3271.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The building across the creek, still somewhat intact!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-m-CwQDxznZE/VslasuZ12dI/AAAAAAADZss/IXJl11GTIcEihhqVlB2xOHfni1y8egBPQCKgB/s1600/_MG_3274.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-m-CwQDxznZE/VslasuZ12dI/AAAAAAADZss/IXJl11GTIcEihhqVlB2xOHfni1y8egBPQCKgB/s640/_MG_3274.jpg" width="425" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The main lodge - too dangerous to approach, slanting at a sharp angle. </td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SDMJvMfH_vk/VslasoG-0mI/AAAAAAADZss/yjbM1ng5yH4pG87O5umcAgzzoaMRpYkxQCKgB/s1600/_MG_3277.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SDMJvMfH_vk/VslasoG-0mI/AAAAAAADZss/yjbM1ng5yH4pG87O5umcAgzzoaMRpYkxQCKgB/s640/_MG_3277.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The bathhouse and a nasty message. </td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zrBwbD0Q8ks/VslasqruCTI/AAAAAAADZss/JVAwCsS0s6oW1ioRSSz3MMtPiLqw5AVQgCKgB/s1600/_MG_3280.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zrBwbD0Q8ks/VslasqruCTI/AAAAAAADZss/JVAwCsS0s6oW1ioRSSz3MMtPiLqw5AVQgCKgB/s640/_MG_3280.jpg" width="425" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The front building of the main lodge.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ea9b04yKTew/VslasvHYFzI/AAAAAAADZss/y-p4cgGz1bcLevS7RjlrMQbMCt5SIXUEQCKgB/s1600/_MG_3284.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ea9b04yKTew/VslasvHYFzI/AAAAAAADZss/y-p4cgGz1bcLevS7RjlrMQbMCt5SIXUEQCKgB/s640/_MG_3284.jpg" width="425" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Metal pipe reaching out towards me from the bathhouse. </td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-F61eV2r3YVo/VslastEbG_I/AAAAAAADZss/7bJFbJFuHEo_5HzW5eNBdp9Q9qBfKzDvQCKgB/s1600/_MG_3286.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-F61eV2r3YVo/VslastEbG_I/AAAAAAADZss/7bJFbJFuHEo_5HzW5eNBdp9Q9qBfKzDvQCKgB/s640/_MG_3286.jpg" width="425" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A nasty message left by someone on the bathhouse.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LCJNAl07-qs/Vslasj3UO-I/AAAAAAADZss/GNIh2CSOhHsyPM0q0CjAx2_WtfO-UYbcwCKgB/s1600/_MG_3289.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LCJNAl07-qs/Vslasj3UO-I/AAAAAAADZss/GNIh2CSOhHsyPM0q0CjAx2_WtfO-UYbcwCKgB/s640/_MG_3289.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The inside of a bathhouse, exposed to the outside nature.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Vdhr4svFhn4/VslasmjqtrI/AAAAAAADZss/s0r2Erj1h58gWFPeFMeyqNlmRGmmUCRYACKgB/s1600/_MG_3291.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Vdhr4svFhn4/VslasmjqtrI/AAAAAAADZss/s0r2Erj1h58gWFPeFMeyqNlmRGmmUCRYACKgB/s640/_MG_3291.jpg" width="425" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Building debris falling down the slope, filling the creek.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GwdqPCXDks0/VslasvDWoZI/AAAAAAADZss/HWFRMSmas38o31ZA7R23f9kbj0hRMZvhgCKgB/s1600/_MG_3296.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GwdqPCXDks0/VslasvDWoZI/AAAAAAADZss/HWFRMSmas38o31ZA7R23f9kbj0hRMZvhgCKgB/s640/_MG_3296.jpg" width="425" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Did someone stack this siding/roofing?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6C5LL_8o7qQ/VslaskGzAhI/AAAAAAADZss/sxn8ukFoKiIeBwcyBm_jYxH35HzVgZyKgCKgB/s1600/_MG_3298.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6C5LL_8o7qQ/VslaskGzAhI/AAAAAAADZss/sxn8ukFoKiIeBwcyBm_jYxH35HzVgZyKgCKgB/s640/_MG_3298.jpg" width="425" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The remains of the old sign by the road. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br />
<br />
Sifting through the comments left on some of the Japanese sites, I saw people mentioning that their dad, grandparents, or their parents used to go there for every whatever particular occasion was special to that family. Apparently the lodge closed somewhere around the early to mid 1990s.<br />
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<h3>
</h3>
<h3>
VISITING IN 2016</h3>
When I went back in February of 2016, things had gone from bad to worse. It was intensely cold, snow still clinging to the ground, the sun was fading by the time I had arrived, but there was just enough light left over for me to record what was left of Deer Spring Lodge.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BC_Zv0PyQD8/V3AUB-Ls-rI/AAAAAAAD_mU/YvKeMNK6JjwExLPL1bZ9EmwcJPPYWyn8QCKgB/s1600/L1005239.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BC_Zv0PyQD8/V3AUB-Ls-rI/AAAAAAAD_mU/YvKeMNK6JjwExLPL1bZ9EmwcJPPYWyn8QCKgB/s640/L1005239.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Driving in Chichibu, destination Deer Spring Lodge</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3J-pyZwJvoQ/VslbRBs9yKI/AAAAAAAD_ls/XvSTl3--qlQARIcd67JrKr2HKJBRCe0lwCKgB/s1600/L1005258.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3J-pyZwJvoQ/VslbRBs9yKI/AAAAAAAD_ls/XvSTl3--qlQARIcd67JrKr2HKJBRCe0lwCKgB/s640/L1005258.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An icy bridge on the main road to the lodge. My driver got a bit irate with me for insisting we press on.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LOS569z-p3E/VslbRJyyZII/AAAAAAADZs4/ugFMn7M7ClEnXbq-wjXb4Ka_KZQ-NAmiQCKgB/s1600/L1005241.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LOS569z-p3E/VslbRJyyZII/AAAAAAADZs4/ugFMn7M7ClEnXbq-wjXb4Ka_KZQ-NAmiQCKgB/s640/L1005241.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Walking up from the main road, on the lodge driveway, the buildings now in sight. The original sign was gone.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KHWtkTjcAJ0/VslbREv6rRI/AAAAAAADZs4/Y-kI2NixUx0Mt4HA4GCecxl-4ps32MgOQCKgB/s1600/L1005243.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KHWtkTjcAJ0/VslbREv6rRI/AAAAAAADZs4/Y-kI2NixUx0Mt4HA4GCecxl-4ps32MgOQCKgB/s640/L1005243.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(left) Bathhouse (collapsed), main lodge (fully collapsed), (bottom center) creek with debris falling in, (upper right) structure (fully collapsed)</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PVbLl2tSBug/VslbRHTIq1I/AAAAAAADZs4/vBUJS3T8WbAMzSWVz_ES7k96CT1m4X-6gCKgB/s1600/L1005253.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PVbLl2tSBug/VslbRHTIq1I/AAAAAAADZs4/vBUJS3T8WbAMzSWVz_ES7k96CT1m4X-6gCKgB/s640/L1005253.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The bathhouse, now FULLY collapsed, a change from when I visited 4 years prior.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Z2qDYZDEGoc/VslbRJLoqkI/AAAAAAADZs4/chKcwJ7LJ34vLR4OTEg-PbW9hM2jXHFDACKgB/s1600/L1005255.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Z2qDYZDEGoc/VslbRJLoqkI/AAAAAAADZs4/chKcwJ7LJ34vLR4OTEg-PbW9hM2jXHFDACKgB/s640/L1005255.JPG" width="425" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The main lodge, sliding into the creek, metal bridge sucked down with it. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-S2Bxns8VHsk/VslbRAknXYI/AAAAAAAD_l4/ZFjJQPC8TMQqo-u4-y9HGLoNuto_Na6aACKgB/s1600/L1005256.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-S2Bxns8VHsk/VslbRAknXYI/AAAAAAAD_l4/ZFjJQPC8TMQqo-u4-y9HGLoNuto_Na6aACKgB/s640/L1005256.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Part of one of the main lodge building is still not in the creek, behind to the now collapsed bathhouse. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xDtL6q6AmXk/VslbRKM4PvI/AAAAAAADZs4/MiWInMeMnjsNVra_OhArpXyu_79le5NFQCKgB/s1600/L1005252.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xDtL6q6AmXk/VslbRKM4PvI/AAAAAAADZs4/MiWInMeMnjsNVra_OhArpXyu_79le5NFQCKgB/s640/L1005252.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Old piece of piping. For what? Septic? Water? Heat? Something else?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ULxZirng0nM/VslbRGHrOGI/AAAAAAADZs4/dqLObVaTRUgOYCc3R9ZweM554AVgJVejgCKgB/s1600/L1005251.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ULxZirng0nM/VslbRGHrOGI/AAAAAAADZs4/dqLObVaTRUgOYCc3R9ZweM554AVgJVejgCKgB/s640/L1005251.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking down at the creek, debris and everything just sitting at the bottom. </td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cWIKqxaR_bQ/VslbRAcIbPI/AAAAAAADZs4/2oNI2x9E7lMn_kxsYWMM-XWxDIHvKlOsgCKgB/s1600/L1005250.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cWIKqxaR_bQ/VslbRAcIbPI/AAAAAAADZs4/2oNI2x9E7lMn_kxsYWMM-XWxDIHvKlOsgCKgB/s640/L1005250.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More of the creek. </td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-N0XTbCCtDOQ/VslbRPJOV1I/AAAAAAADZs4/KbVN5AaeE-MAT4Bk6vlLJZRhgOTH_uoiQCKgB/s1600/L1005247.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-N0XTbCCtDOQ/VslbRPJOV1I/AAAAAAADZs4/KbVN5AaeE-MAT4Bk6vlLJZRhgOTH_uoiQCKgB/s640/L1005247.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bathhouse and lodge building now appear to be one, as they've more or less fallen on top of one another. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-oOVOpusYn2w/VslbRGc50TI/AAAAAAADZs4/IS48ioo6IK8Dfqnxvz7jHPPzMYRfOFV1wCKgB/s1600/L1005249.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-oOVOpusYn2w/VslbRGc50TI/AAAAAAADZs4/IS48ioo6IK8Dfqnxvz7jHPPzMYRfOFV1wCKgB/s640/L1005249.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking closer at the bathhouse foundation. That part might last a long time. </td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UmTu625VXp4/VslbRCM2ZTI/AAAAAAAD_l4/5we1kI_4MEAgZMBdvU3S7h2zMp13yrXSACKgB/s1600/L1005246.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UmTu625VXp4/VslbRCM2ZTI/AAAAAAAD_l4/5we1kI_4MEAgZMBdvU3S7h2zMp13yrXSACKgB/s640/L1005246.JPG" width="425" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The building on the other side of the creek, now a pancake. </td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DIi39g0NFCk/VslbRFTkMSI/AAAAAAADZs4/bFYLsoyJw4U9yge_Z8zY8Jojp6pSDw03ACKgB/s1600/L1005245.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DIi39g0NFCk/VslbRFTkMSI/AAAAAAADZs4/bFYLsoyJw4U9yge_Z8zY8Jojp6pSDw03ACKgB/s640/L1005245.JPG" width="425" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Deer Spring Lodge is now literally sitting in the basin of the creek that runs through the grounds. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-f52MlcCUmPk/VslbRN_x81I/AAAAAAADZs4/_gxkue6CDvEtkIzrBF1vqzxsiA8dzqwpACKgB/s1600/L1005242.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-f52MlcCUmPk/VslbRN_x81I/AAAAAAADZs4/_gxkue6CDvEtkIzrBF1vqzxsiA8dzqwpACKgB/s640/L1005242.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My final goodbye to Deer Spring Lodge. Will anything be left at all if I go back?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I had an impatient driver waiting for me to, so I couldn't explore for more than just a few minutes. Despite having a GoPro with me, I neglected to use it (big mistake). Honestly though, it was just creepy, a bit sad seeing the lodge in this state, even more than it was seeing it in 2012. High up in the fresh mountain air, not a human sound to be heard, it's hard to imagine that this could have once been a place for human fun and relaxation. The silence was absolutely deafening. But the signs of life once experienced to the fullest are all there, laid bare amongst the trees, under the snow, beneath the dried leaves. Even these signs will probably soon be gone. But listen close, and you can still hear the voices calling of those who were once connected to Deer Spring Lodge. And I guess that now, in some ever so small, miniscule way, I'm one of them too.The Editorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00205773989835417019noreply@blogger.comChichibu, Saitama Prefecture, Japan35.9920551 139.0848168999999635.580890600000004 138.43936989999997 36.4032196 139.73026389999995tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3672294336953489925.post-88155932481554596942015-06-19T14:48:00.000+08:002016-10-18T22:32:18.796+08:00Photo Friday : June 19 2015<div style="text-align: justify;">
Living in Taiwan gives you great access to spectacular visions of nature, so long as you're willing to step outside and seek them out. I went to the over-260-foot-high <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wulai_Waterfall" target="_blank">Wulai Falls</a> during the winter season and caught this vision of the falls themselves. The light was such that it cast the foreground trees in a particular wiry brilliance that I find pleasant to look at. </div>
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<br />The Editorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00205773989835417019noreply@blogger.comWulai Bridge, Wulai District, New Taipei City, Taiwan 23324.8646181 121.5518689000000424.8641656 121.55123590000005 24.865070600000003 121.55250190000004tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3672294336953489925.post-15771660508684684662015-06-13T20:42:00.002+08:002015-06-14T01:34:47.508+08:00Surf Clowns, a new thing for when the waves are small<div style="text-align: justify;">
So I went with my friends to the beach in Yilan, Taiwan the other day. This was a great chance to take my camera and get some surfing photos. But the only problem was that the waves were tiny, only about a foot high. So I asked them to do some backflips and kicks off of their surfboards. I recorded the results and made three little videos, a few cool photos, and put a little webpage with a logo together to display it at <a href="http://wideaperture.org/surfclowns">wideaperture.org/surfclowns</a>. </div>
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<b>I love weekends.</b><br />
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Check out the video playlist below:<br />
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The Editorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00205773989835417019noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3672294336953489925.post-53116894276055732602015-06-12T14:30:00.001+08:002015-06-12T14:30:57.454+08:00Photo Friday<div style="text-align: justify;">
It's Photo Friday! This week's photo was taken in Taipei, in the Ximending district. Not far from the metro station is a small Buddhist temple. This one, although being renovated at the time I walked by, was still open and heavily visited, even though it was night. I managed to catch a picture of an old man shuffling out past the person selling flowers. I particularly like how the lights at these Chinese style temples look at night. The quite vibrant and interesting, much more so than when you visit in the daytime. </div>
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The Editorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00205773989835417019noreply@blogger.comXimen Street, Banqiao District, New Taipei City, Taiwan 22025.0101242 121.4540521000000125.0065267 121.44900960000001 25.0137217 121.45909460000001tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3672294336953489925.post-7860501992019913002015-06-07T00:40:00.000+08:002016-10-17T16:46:23.817+08:00Use Google to geotag your DSLR photos in Lightroom<div style="text-align: justify;">
Since Adobe came out with version 4 of their non-destructive Lightroom photo editing/organizing software, users such as myself have had the ability to add or manage geotag information in their photos. Hallelujah! This isn't a feature that appeals to everyone, but for those who like to take their cameras on the road, it's a great way to keep track of all of the great places you've been to. Companies such as Canon have tried to help photographers scratch their geotagging itch by releasing <a href="http://www.usa.canon.com/cusa/consumer/products/cameras/gps_receivers" target="_blank">a couple of overpriced GPS units that plug into Canon cameras</a> (or any camera with a hotshoe, really) and record GPS data into the image files of a few (very few) camera models. Great in theory, but since none of Canon's GPS units work with popular models such as the EOS 5D Mark II, most users are required to set the GPS device to record a tracklog, later on download the data to a computer, and then using a proprietary Canon utility, embed the GPS data into their photos. Not a horrible solution, in theory. But then some wise photographers who hate long workflows thought "Hey, why don't I bypass the slow, obnoxious Canon utility and import my tracklogs directly into Photoshop 4, 5, 6 or later?" This is where problems arose.</div>
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<a name='more'></a>The tracklog format that Canon uses in the GP-E2 is sadly not an industry standard and cannot be read by Lightroom. This certainly does beg the question of why Canon would even release such a useless GPS device in the first place. But no matter, because this is where Google can save the day by solving a pesky format incompatibility, potentially lighten your load for things you carry, and probably even simplify your workflow. Say hello to <a href="https://maps.google.com/locationhistory" target="_blank">Google Location History</a>, the service that conspiracy theorists fear, employers love, and travel photographers should embrace starting yesterday. </div>
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The basis behind much of Google and most that they aspire to do for the end user relies heavily on tracking where you are for the purpose of giving you the best local results. They record this data, if you let them, by using your Android smart phone or the Google search app on iOS. As a photographer, it becomes incredibly simple to download your location data from Google, convert it to a format that Lightroom can read, and then load it into Lightroom.<br />
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<b>Step 1 - Enable Location Reporting:</b> If you don't already have it enabled, the first step is to enable location history reporting from your Android phone or iOS device. <a href="https://support.google.com/websearch/answer/172165?rd=1" target="_blank">Here are instructions</a> on how to do this in Android and iOS. <br />
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<b>Step 2 - Take Pictures:</b> Make sure you bring your phone with you next time you go out with your camera. Your phone and Google will do the rest.<br />
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<b>Step 3 - Download Everything:</b> Once you've gone out, shot what you wanted to shoot, captured what you wanted to see, you need to get your photos loaded into Lightroom, and you need to download your location history for the day of your shoot. Navigate to <a href="http://maps.google.com/locationhistory/">maps.google.com/locationhistory/</a> and select the date you want from the calendar in the upper left hand corner of the screen. Once you've done this, click on the "Export to KML" link below the calendar. This will download your tracklog for the day you've selected in the data format that Google Earth uses.<br />
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<b>Step 4 - Convert the KML file to GPX:</b> Unfortunately KML files cannot be used directly with Lightroom at the time of this writing (hint hint to anyone working at Adobe.) But the great thing is that there are countless free utilities, both downloadable and online, which will convert KML to GPX for you. Go find one, load your KML file and turn it into a GPX file. I always use the online converted at <a href="http://gpx2kml.com/">gpx2kml.com</a> but by all means use whatever you find works best for you.<br />
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<b>Step 5 - Load the GPX file in Lightroom and auto-tag photos:</b> The final step is pretty straight forward. Once you have your tracklog in GPX format, load it into Lightroom under the Maps module. To do that, switch the Maps module.<br />
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Then load your track log by clicking on the bottom drop-down menu with an icon shaped like a sideways lightning bolt. Click on "Load tracklog" and select your GPX file.<br />
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If everything went right, you should now see your tracklog in Lightroom.<br />
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Next, select all the photos that you want to geotag. Once you've done this, go back to the sideways lightning icon drop-down menu and select "Auto-Tag Selected Photos" to match up your photos to your tracklog. <i>An important thing to note here is that Lightroom assumes that the time and date of your camera is correct. If you haven't accurately set the clock on your camera, your photos might not be accurately geotagged. </i><br />
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Give lightroom some time to do it's thing, and before you know it all of your photos should be geotagged. Great!<br />
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So there you go, a simple way to geotag your photos shot with a dSLR or other proper digital camera that doesn't have a GPS handy. I've used this with my Android phone and also my iPad - the results have been accurate, which is all I can really ask for. The only thing left to do is to see if someone will buy my Canon GP-E2...</div>
The Editorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00205773989835417019noreply@blogger.comTaipei, Taiwan25.0329694 121.5654177000000124.5725269 120.91997070000001 25.493411899999998 122.21086470000002