Interesting developments

A while back I set a challenge for Nikon 1 system owners. That challenge was to photograph a dark scene. One person chose a night landscape and somebody else chose the night sky. Both complained that they could not actually see using the LCD focussing screen. That, of course, was the whole point - to be able to take a decent photo without being able to use the screen. The results were mixed. The night sky photo was crisp and good looking. The landscape was a bit rough. The experiment was a complete success. With a suitable viewfinder clipped onto the hotshoe mount, it should be possible to aim the camera and then to turn the focus ring manually in order to focus. There are no insurmountable issues. The interesting thing was how difficult both people claimed it was as they had clearly never had manual focus only cameras that took film. It seems that modern technology is reducing people's skill set.

In other news, Nikon released their DF camera. It's the camera I would have wanted back in 2006 when I bought my Canon XT. It takes manual focus lenses, it works with manual focus lenses. It even has a PC socket. The only questions are whether it has a decent split-screen fresnel ring focussing screen and whether the PC socket is safe for older flashes. This seems to be the camera that would be perfect for me as it would revive my old AIS Nikkor lenses (if they're still any good after a decade of not being used). The old lenses were all primes which don't seem to be a forte of digital systems.

Zeiss markets lenses for digital cameras totally devoid of autofocus and with purely the standard bayonet mounts and manual focussing. There is no doubt that Zeiss lenses like Leica lenses are the best in the world. Most Zeiss lenses are over $1,200 whereas the AF equivalent made my Canon are maybe $200. That tells you that either Zeiss is that good or they think their name is. I would opt for the former.

So, where now? Well, I looked at the weather map and see it's around the time to photograph autumn leaves. I'm hoping that all the leaves have not fallen. If they have then I shall be sad. If not then I shall have a glorious time photographing them. Needless to say I probably have a bit of a road trip ahead of me. I don't want to go too far though. I don't want to have to spend a night in some little hotel somewhere. I think the last time I did that was probably about 18 months ago. Hotels are OK but I prefer my own bed. If I had a van then I could set up a bed in the back and use it as a camper for trips like this. I don't though. I almost went for a panel van but couldn't find one that I really liked and thus ended up with my SUV. I have a friend that goes everywhere in a Ford Transit - he uses it for hauling stuff around, for camping in and for just about everything. I have no doubt that my SUV is more stylish and more comfortable. I do wonder if I would have been better with a van though.

Having had a car though, in the past, I definitely would never buy a car again. I much prefer the higher driving position of my SUV. But since I haven't put a photo in for a few posts, here's one of a clone of the General Lee. I gather in the Dukes of Hazzard, there was not just one General Lee but a multitude.

This was taken at the Irmo Okra Strut a few years ago. That was notable for there being a rather unpleasant stallkeeper that yelled at me for walking around with a camera. Thinking about it, it would have been good to ask her why she was being so ugly. Some people are just weird and neither her nor her stall were of enough merit to even bother photographing. The Okra Strut was interesting but so mildly that it was not worth bothering visiting again. It had no soul.