Sony Diaries #1038: Boredom Killer: Clouds

The Covid-19 times we find ourselves in has seen my freelance work dissolve to nothing, at least for the months from April-June. July and onwards looks bleak . Photographers have it in their DNA to produce/create images. There is a compulsion to shoot. For pay and/or for fun. Anything and everything. 

So today, I am posting 3 photos taken on the same afternoon, with a common thread: Clouds. This theme was only apparent after I had enhanced the otherwise overcast sky. This idea must have been dwelling in my subconscious because why else would I take a photo of the laneway protector (the concrete green-and-yellow post) juxtaposed with the movie poster "Light Heavy Light". 

Boredom Killer: B&W macros

There's nothing like exploring the interplay of light and shadows to brighten up an otherwise dull day.

Nikon 5100 shoots

Photos from a 15-min break from work.

Essentials for keeping the virus away

Hand washing macros

water tap,

the hand soap dispenser if your palm could see it,

 paper towel.

Sony Diaries #1037: The amazing Beercan!

The Minolta 70-210F4, aka The Beercan, is an amazing lens, arguably the best value telephoto zoom. It can still be found on Kijiji or Craigslist for $80-125. It seems  the production majority were good copies. I've had 3 copies but I have only kept the best one. This review by Kurt Munger reaches the same conclusion as other reviewers: great optics, great value. The Beercan was launched in 1985 and is compatible with the Sony Alpha line (I use this lens on an A77II) and with the A7 series using an LA EA4 Adaptor. Actually, it seems to me that the Beercan looks sharper on the A7III than it does on the A77II, but this observation is not based on any scientific testing.

Below are two versions of the same shot, uncropped and cropped. There is chromatic aberration (the purplish fringing around high contrast areas) such as around the wings but for the subject matter, I can live with it.

1/500 F4.5 ISO1000, shot at FL  200 (300mm)