birds at the feeder

taken with a Sony RX10

Mushroom, taken with a Sony RX10Mk1

The Sony RX10 is the type of camera only Sony would produce in typical fashion: cram whatever current technology exists into a camera, price it affordably, and to hell with saving some of that technology for higher-priced variants. And when Sony does add new technology to the succeeding model, Sony doesn't discontinue the previous model. Thus, the customer isn't forced to purchase the newer model, if the previous model is still sufficient. So it came to be thatThe Sony RX10Mk1, Sony RX10Mk2, Sony RX10Mk3, and Sony RX10Mk4, could be found sharing space on camera-store shelves.

My Sony RX10Mk1 still takes beautiful images after all these years. There is no need for me to take photos with the Sony RX10Mk2; it is as new as the day it was purchased.

Mushrooms were found growing on composted wood chips used in the garden.

Sony Diaries #1064: Saturday morning shadows

 
shadows on snow on deck on a brisk, sunlit Saturday morning

Sony Diaries #1058: Crows

 It took a while to get here but these crows, 3, then 4, are now used to the near-daily ritual of feeding on a platter of peanuts and a fried egg, rain or shine, snow or ice.

Sony RX10

Sony Diaries #1057: Red Cardinal

 At the feeder on a snowy day in December, 2020

Sony RX10

Sony Diaries #1053: Comet Neowise: A tail of 3 days

Thursday, July 23, 2020.
Made a last-minute decision to go out into the night to capture this comet. I only had the Sony RX10 with its 1" sensor.

Resolved to go out the next night, Friday, with the full frame sensor of the Sony A7III.

Friday, July 24, 2020

A disappointing night with clouds moving all over the sky. Just managed to get this moon shot.

Saturday, July 25, 2020

The day started out cloudy but cleared up by nightfall. This night would be the last night the comet is visible: since mid-July, it had been moving away from Earth, never to be seen again for the next 6000 years.

Sony Diaries #1022: Scenes out of the water at a Swim Meet

 cheering on your clubmates

 wishing each other good luck

 waiting your turns on the starters' blocks

 pre-meet warm-up

 killing time waiting waiting for a specific event

 warm-down pool

 catching up on social media

 finding a spot to relax between events

 passing snacks to race officials

 post-race consult with your coach

tense moments

Sony Diaries #1002: What's in my bag?

I strive to capture spontaneity and candid moments in my wedding photos and it is essential to be  nimble on my feet. Traveling light is important for easy movement and the good health of my back. 

For a typical wedding/event shoot, I take 2 bags (main and backup gear), a monopod, and a light stand. I use the monopod for reception shots with the Tamron 70-200f2.8 and the night stand is for when I use my backup flash as an off-camera flash.

My main gear consists of a Sony a99, Tamron 28-75f2.8, Tamron 70-200f2.8, Konica-Minolta 17-35f2.8-4, Sigma 24f1.8macro, Godox TT685S, 3 spare batteries, 12 rechargeable AA's.

My backup gear starts with a Sony a77II , Minolta 24-85f3.5-4.5, Tamron 70-200f2.8, Sigma 10-20f3.5, Godox TT685S, 2 spare batteries, 8 rechargeable AA's.

The two sets are notable for it's low acquisition cost. The Tamron's are the lowest-priced in their  category but can compete with the OEM in image quality. The Minoltas are the best-kept secret in the full-frame world. Sony Alpha cameras are descended from Minolta and still use the Minolta mount. Minolta lenses are world-renowned for their optical and build quality. Minolta stopped producing lenses 20 over  years ago but these lenses are equal to, if not better, than current lenses. And there's plenty of them still available on Kijiji and Craigslist. The Sigma 24f1.8macro is an anomaly: a fast wide that is also a macro lens. And it's less than $600 new. The Sigma 10-20f3.5 is a crop-sensor lens but it is cheap at $500 and very sharp at f5.6. 

In a pinch, I also have the Sony RX10 as a very capable 2nd backup: a very sharp 24-200f2.8, built-in flash.

                                                                                           

Sony Diaries #996: Details

the Big Picture

And the Details

April 2nd