Message from Gordon W
To Purchase Photo Rights - Click here.
___________________________________________________________
Find me here on Facebook.
___________________________________________________________
My love of photography began in 1950 at age 4, when my photographer father started me shooting and developing photos before I could read or write. In retirement, having tired of cities and the rat race, I enjoy most of all photographing the beauty and tranquility of nature, although I'll photograph anything that catches my eye.
For my camera history, click here.
For a brief personal biography, click here.
___________________________________________________________
For why I don’t post larger images, click here.
Tip - for a larger view of my images use the Zoom In and Out commands of your browser.
This won’t, of course, increase resolution but will make the photos easier to see.
___________________________________________________________
Guest Comments - I highly value comments from guests to PBase, however, regrettably I have to periodically disable guest commenting due to high volumes of spam. Spammers have once again ruined a good thing.
___________________________________________________________
Current Gear
Primary DSLR - 32.5MP Canon EOS 90D
Secondary DSLR - 18MP Canon EOS 60D
Convenience camera - 16MP Nikon Coolpix P1000 Superzoom
Secondary convenience camera - 20MP Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ1000
Backup convenience camera -18MP Panasonic Lumix DC-FZ80 Superzoom
Pocket camera - 18MP Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS40 (Lumix DMC-TZ60)
Drone - 12MP DJI Mavic Mini
Smartphone (Cell, Mobile) - 12MP Apple iPhone 14
Canon EF-S 10-18mm f/4.5-5.6 IS STM Lens
Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 L IS USM lens
Tamron 18-400mm F/3.5-6.3 Di II VC HLD lens (resides more or less permanently on the 90D)
Canon 250-D 58mm dual-element close-up lens (used on the FZ80 for macro)
Canon 500-D 58mm dual-element close-up lens (used on the FZ80 for macro)
Canon 500-D 72mm dual-element close-up lens (used on the P1000 for macro)
Tamron-F AF Tele-converter 1.4X C-AF1 MC4 (works only with the T1i/100-400mm camera/lens combo)
The Canon EOS 90D is used for low light situations (night, blue hour, and golden hour) or when I need the best image quality and dynamic range
The Nikon Coolpix P1000 Superzoom is used for wildlife and general daytime shooting
The Panasonic FZ80 is used when a small and light superzoom is the deciding factor
The Panasonic ZS40 permanently resides in the car for those times when I leave home without a camera and encounter a photo op that needs more capability than the smartphone
___________________________________________________________
Assorted Thoughts - I shoot only RAW format (and only with zoom lenses), except for the Mavic Mini which has other redeeming qualities. Otherwise, I will never buy another camera that doesn’t shoot RAW. My experience with JPEGs is they are too limited for my processing practices.
Because I’ve gotten older and thus dislike carrying around bulky, heavy, or limited camera gear, beginning in 2013 I started shooting a lot with superzooms (by my definition, 1,000mm or longer), which have become quite good and for most daylight uses eliminate the necessity of carrying around DSLRs and their lenses. Current advances in denoise software have taken imagery from these small sensors cameras to the next level.
But since I dislike swapping lenses on the DSLRs because it causes missed shots and allows dust to get on DSLR sensors, I rarely swap lenses, especially in uncontrolled environments, preferring instead to now shoot with the Tamron 18-400. At full reach its image quality is a bit less than I get with the Canon 100-400 EF lens, but is still acceptable to me.
I never leave home without a camera, especially since getting a smartphone (although my use of its camera is limited due to it having no telephoto reach). For those times when I go out not expecting to shoot photography and not wanting to bother with one of the larger cameras but not be without reasonable telephoto reach, the ZS40 is always available in the car because you just never know when a photo op will present itself and a less than optimum photo of that opportunity is better than no photo.
I have no brand loyalty, buying whatever meets my requirements at the time regardless of who made it.
And finally, I really don’t understand the apparent resurgence of film photography. After being limited to it for almost fifty years, there is absolutely nothing about it that I miss. I can see a nostalgic appeal to people (especially the young) who never experienced it, but if I had to go back to shooting with film I’d find something else to occupy my time.
(Updated 19 June 2024)
|
|
