On 1/21/2025 10:28 AM, Ken Norton wrote:
Continuing a trend started several years ago, I poured the earnings of
my late-night activities into some new lenses. Unfortunately, they are
not OM mount lenses. I wish they were. But there is logic behind what
is going on.
Logic? Yeah right...
Overrated ...
I've injured my arm as a result of lifting sound equipment. It's a
repetitive injury caused by my pursuit of opportunity and income. And
by not having someone at home saying "NO, YOU WILL NOT TAKE THAT GIG!"
I did 168 gigs in 2024 and that's with me tucked away on a ship in the
Aleutians for almost four weeks!
As I get packed up for my trip to Australia on Friday, I discovered
that I couldn't pick up my bigger lenses, which included a 70-200/2.8
GM. I need to heal. So I had to do something in the telephoto range
that would give me the capabilities without as much pain. So I
purchased the new Sony 70-200/4 G2 lens. I'll call it my birthday
present to myself. The new Sony 20-70/4 G lens was my Christmas
present to myself. This combination is actually REALLY GOOD and is
relatively lightweight (for full frame). As much as it pains me
(literally and figuratively) the 200-600 is staying home. In reality,
I think the 200-600 was what caused my gimpy arm in the first place.
For those in the Sony camp who are wondering about these new 20-70 and
70-200 lenses, they are legit good. And my experience with my 200-600
is that it's not just one of the sharpest super-telephoto lenses I've
ever experienced, it is the SHARPEST I've ever experienced. Of any
brand or model, fixed or zoom. That lens is unreal.
The Oly 100-400, with 1.4x TC is FF eq of 280 to 1120 mm - and, so far, I can carry it without body penalties. With
ProCap, it's amazing for wildlife, particularly birds. Good, but not super sharp at the long end, but that's what Topaz
Sharpen AI is for. 😉
Anyway, I was at a crossroads with this trip and I almost almost
almost just decided to grab my E-M1mk2 for the trip. I haven't packed
yet, so that's still a possibility, but this two lens 20-200 combo
should be what my "need for photography" vacation ordered.
Back from lengthy vacation trip to NYC, Boston, Scotland and Maine, I would personally have gone nuts with "only" 200
mm. I've fallen in love with the Oly 12-200 zoom. As the reviewers say, not the sharpest in the box at the long end, but
an amazing one lens solution. Like them, I ended up liking it, in spite of its limitations. For example, the 12-100
isn't sharp enough at the long end to be better cropped than the 12-200 at its long end, uncropped. Also, greatest mag,
closest focus is at the long end. Used with the 100-400/TC on a second body, I have 24-1120 mm at my fingertips. Awesome.
[My first Oly lens failure, the 12-200 stopped reporting FL to body. As these gadgets depend on a combo of not fully
distortion corrected glass and firmware/Raw converter correction, I've got some odd looking frames from last week.
Repair is flat rate $266 plus shipping it insured to them. Still, much less than a replacement. I bought it used and
I've taken ~9,000 frames (lots of bursts and stacks).]
I started to get sucked into the Sony FF world. I bought a used original A7 to use with my menagerie of ancient FF and
newer Alt lenses, Then an A7 II, then A7R II. Somehow, in there, 10, 16, 16-35 and 24-240 lenses crept into the house.
When I got an A7C, temporary sanity led to disposing of the other bodies and all the lenses. I love the size/form factor
of the 7C, and it's all I actually need for the purpose. Now, of course, I've discovered that the Oly 25/1.2 and 45/1.2
lenses do a fair amount of what I got the vintage lenses for - with AF, EXIF and focus bracketing.
Over the past three years, I've largely parked my photography because
of some rather dramatic life changes. As I look at 2025 possibly being
my last full year of doing this crazy young-person sh!t, my life will
circle back to outdoor pursuits again. Who knows, as long as I'm
getting more famous, I'll probably keep at it, but once I've
recognized that I've hit my peak, it's just work for the sake of work.
Nice to catch up with your life a bit! I wish you well with arm recovery.
AG (not so much anymore)
Nose studs . . .
Have a GREAT trip!
Blathering Moose
--
What if the Hokey Pokey *IS* what it's all about?
--
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