Saturday, February 19, 2011

Winter has returned Nikon D-700


Yes it has with wind and more cold. This shots tells it all. Shot with the Nikkor 50mm F1.8.
BTW, HAPPY SUNDAY
BUONA DOMENICA

Friday, February 18, 2011

Camelias Nikon / D-700




Shot at our annual visit to the Camellia house at the Planting Fields Arboretum on Long Island. The lens was the Nikkor 50mm F1.8.

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Honesdale, PA / Olympus E-20


This was the birth of American rail roading and there's only a small museum. Yet there's an interesting train lot and a series of interesting train rides. The lens on the E-20 was amazing and so was the 5 mega pixel sensor.

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Monday, February 14, 2011

Che bei colori / Olympus E-300


A view of Castewllammare del Golfo, the place I was born and always miss no matter how frequently I return. The lens was the Olympus 14-45 F3.5-5.6. The colors are spectacular.

Sunday, February 13, 2011

Two views of Manhattan / Panasonic LX-3



Manhattan from queens on a summer evening a few years ago. Shot with the incomparable LX-3, a little gem of a camera.

Brand loyalty

I was on DPreview.com, a great blog about digital photography and replied to a post that dealt with the ubiquitous question of Canon Vs Nikon. These type of posts are too frequent for my taste as they have nothing to do with the art of photography but only show one's love for equipment above all else. Below is my reply:

Yes, who cares? I shoot both and do not consider myself in one "sand lot" or another as one of the respondents has stated. Silly reply at best and even sillier is all this talk about trolling. Who cares anyway. As for my personal view, I do not care what anyone else uses or how many use one platform or another. It's like the MAC Vs PC argument. I have done this for a very long time, a look at my blog will testify to what I say. During these many years tastes have changed and one camera brand would come up as the "one." Yet during those times many great photographers used what one would call lesser brands in terms of popularity. I remember some who used Topcons and Alpas and the occasional Zeiss-Ikon. So what. They did not feel humiliated or insecure. I used the Nikon F up to the F-4 and F-100 for a long period and saw Nikon's dominance slowly fade as Canon EOS began to take over for a while. Now Nikon is back and this situation will go back and forth. But as I have stated who cares. Why should I consider myself loyal to any brand? I also love and have Leicas, so what, does this make me a better person or photographer. NO and NO.
We spend too much times fretting over whose camera is better or whose brand is more popular or used more. We really never learn to use what we have to their fullest potential because, in the digital era, we are always worried about obsolescence and feel that we must always buy newer equipment. What a waste.
I will say one thing. I have always loved the fact that Nikon never changed it's mount thus allowing for the use of older but truly great lenses. Also, the ergonomics appear, to me, to be better in the Nikon and the quality of their lenses both in built and optics are better; one would have to use Canon L lenses to match them. As to the flash system, Nikon rules. So why do I have a 5D, a 5DII and a 1DIII together with a D-300 and a D-700 [I have had all other previous D models]. Perhaps I am nuts. But I will no longer trade one for the other as I did before. I really wasted too much money. If I need fast focusing I get the 1DIII and if I need low light performance I take the D 700. For landscapes it's the 5D II or the 5D. The D-300 backs up the D-700 and so it goes. Life is good, not because I have all these tools but because I have reached the point where I am content with them and see no reason to upgrade. Any upgrade will not make me a better photographer. It would give me bigger files and more computer hassles. So who cares as to which brand rules the field at any given time?

The glory of Florence / Canon 5D


Shot in the spring of 2008 with the 24-85 F3.5-4.5 EF Canon lens. A great travel lens.

Fall splendor