padam

A few cameras to avoid for those who hate hoarding equipment, they could become impossible to get rid of, especially after mounting unicorn lenses: Fujifilm S5 Pro (+ 28/1.4E) unique filmic colour, CCD rules D700 (+28/1.4E) still my favourite sub-300$ all-round stills camera My only gripe is that this amazing lens would be a bit odd on mirrorless (Z-mount needs a 28/1.4 asap). Also saw the last remaining new silver Leica SL2 on sale, while still having some shiny old rangefinder glass - predictable result: first and last new Leica I've ever bought (hopefully...), another round with a camera that is incredible and infuriating at the same time. (75/1.4 Lux) Had to sell the R6 Mark II + RF 28-70/2, but in all honesty, that (or an R5 with this lens) was the most sensible all-round package. R8 works as a substitute for now, very nice compact carry around, especially with a superb RF 28 pancake.

2025 Chevy Corvette ZR1 is the most powerful gas-powered American production car ever

Styling is just Ok for me, but a V16 hybrid without turbos, sounds so much better this way.

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1ol8lUMPigsDow7JJKE9NR0FnBjheBc89?usp=sharing Once you import this DNG into Lightroom, it should already contain the changes I've made embedded into the file. You can still edit further in PS, but this looks good to me. There is no scientific way to use the content-aware remove healing tool, just a lot of trial and error with the sizing and positioning.

Now that I have some in-house comparisons, I can see the D700 greatness even more. (Sorry about colors, not made with it...) The NIB one on the right might just rest in its box or in a display cabinet until the end of time out of respect. Rest will probably have to go, but a user D700 is always good to have, just can't name any camera with a better out for that kind of money. Older cameras are still fun, but it must have felt like a quantum leap with regards to AF, handling and responsiveness from any previous model. And they've made various changes to later ones, which weren't really improvements overall, while also loosing the 'picturesque magic'. Keen to re-visit the 5D Classic, less weight will be welcome, but AF, metering, sensor performance etc. will be a big step back. Also got the Canon R8, one of the best compact photo/video travel cameras out there around the 1000$ mark. Some may find it a bit minimalistic compared to a R6 (II), but all the gripes I had with the RX1RII are not a problem with this. I just wish that beautiful Zeiss lens could be carried over somehow, and I need to use ES mode for silent operation.

Normally they make a track-focused special, so maybe one more exclusive derivative, that would be the most desirable unobtainable collectible one, although I wonder if any extra aero is going to ruin the looks. https://autozine.org/Archive/Ferrari/new/F12.html#812 I would be very surprised it if hasn't improved a bit further from the previous gen, which was already a 5-star driving car, the 'electronic' driving experience has started a long time ago, and people got used to it. I would assume they've sorted out the handling, but still an extra 90 hp on top of that... So the 'natural feel' at speed when stepping on the loud pedal is probably scary. Even with all the driving aids, in less-than-ideal conditions, this much power can overwhelm the rear, so we will eventually see premiership footballers crashing it. Another notable thing is that they also had to clamp down on the outside noise due to some stupid regulations and use the interior to amplify it on the inside. Aftermarket exhaust makers will have a field day with this one.

"But one thing is inevitable: price hike. At an estimated €400K / £400K / $420K, it will be a whopping 60 percent more expensive than the 812 Superfast went on sale 7 years ago." Design analysis:

https://www.motorauthority.com/news/1143062_ferrari-12-cilindri-revealed Just have to comment on this, so rare to see a modern car, where they nailed the design when there are so safety many regulations, that need to be met, needs to have powerful aero, etc. Even before I read the press release, I was thinking of the Top Gear Daytona video. The classic proportions are great, but with modern details that also look stunning, like the bulges on the bonnet and real wheel arches. And at least still fully powered by a combustion engine. Interestingly, some comments on YT videos (where I think the design can't be showcased the same way, because it is a closed secret location before the embargo) say it is ugly, and previous models look better. I can't even...

"Our goal is to develop something even better than the SR-X9000" - quite sure that is achievable... But nevertheless, my eyebrows are lifting up Had he said a different model though, I would have spilled my drink for sure.

Eating my words quite quickly, it does look cheaper than the vintage models... it is what it is.

OG is best. Everyone will tell you differently, just ignore them 😉 (Nova Signature is good, too. I am sceptical about the L500mk2 but it seems to get decent reviews)

Now this is something unexpected. Darth nut, one of the biggest advocates for the SR-007 Mk1, weighs in on the SR-X9000 (disguised as "Omega4") https://www.head-fi.org/threads/stax-omega4-compared-to-omega1-omega2-omega3.971637/

Build looks good, metal headband, which was pretty indestructible on vintage sets, so "They don't make them like they used to" might not apply here. Looks most similar to the later undamped Gamma Pro minus cost saving restrains, circular shape like the SR-X, but without treble and staging limitations of the damping (though this also has certain advantages). I already preferred the SR-X Mk3 Pro to most Lambdas, and if this is anything similar... sounds a bit too good to be true, and I've already been bitten by preliminary expectations, technical advancements with their own negative side-effects and so on, but I remain enthusiastic, let's see... I definitely give two thumbs up that they are wiling to delve deeper into their past.

Ferrari certainly doesn't: share prices are at an all-time high - even before he is actually there... If they end up nailing the 2026 regulations, it could be a smart move. Also triggers a lot of other driver moves, which is fun to speculate and internal tensions at the two teams, which is fun to watch. At least something is happening (besides the disappointing news on the Andretti bid, but it is still far from over), as further aero developments might mean that the dirty air effect may become stronger again, making following and overtaking more difficult in 2024 (and 2025).

Couple of 800/11 + R5 except the cat was taken with the R6 All JPEGs, maybe I won't never get to editing these. (probably have some better shots, I just don't know where they are...) I would say f/11 is least of the worries. (With the AI noise reduction I probably wouldn't need to be nearly as careful with that anymore.) A lot of standing still and waiting involved in this (with occasional silent cursing). As it is either not the most interesting species to photograph, or the background is busy (not a fan of organising a scene but that's what professionals tend to do), or the lighting is not there (you can see, same bird getting close because the nest was in the shed I was photographing from, few days apart yet completely different lighting), the animal is far too intelligent to spot me from far away, subject is hard to find as the FOV is so tight, etc. But worst is when I do get lucky by getting close but I hit the minimum focusing distance of 6m (19.7 feet) and can't take a shot, zooms don't have this issue. Nevertheless, it is fun to use with animal eye-tracking, although limited AF area, had it twice, might buy it again for around 600$ used it is hard to ignore. Very good for video, too (preferably on a stable tripod, which I don't really have...) The 200-800/6.3-9 will push more of these on the used market, the 100-500/4.5-7.1 as well which is even more versatile for close-ups and landscapes (sold that as well). R8 with its more advanced AF with a bigger area and even lighter weight is actually better match for it than the R5 (and the Black Friday price of 1300$ for this body seems very attractive, I know I will try one eventually).

Well I saw R5 R6 JPEG comparisons, seemed similar, but RAW files seem to behave differently. Tried C1, DXO. Canon's DPP which does the best job but very slow and clunky to use. So staying with LR, it is what it is and the files or certain cameras (mostly older ones) seem to work better than others as far as skin tones are concerned but I guess with enough skill it is possible to overcome it, it just would be much nicer if the journey there wouldn't be unpleasant... I did try some hacked profiles like 1DX / 5D Mk3 Standard/Neutral for the EOS R, sometimes they work. Sometimes.. As a stills-only camera I don't have a lot of requirements, actually. The biggest problem with manual focus is that there likely won't be any pictures of me in the collection... a) Should be FF to match my lenses (or in case of a Fuji GFX, some FF lenses still cover it) b) I do appreciate if it is nimble to shoot with c) RAWs that are nice to edit in LR would be the icing on the cake d) Modern day conveniences like USB-C charging are neat, tilt screen, etc. So even a Leica M9 should be mostly sufficient for with a replaced sensor, but pricey for what it is, other things to note, too, other electronics may fail, over time the rangefinder goes out of whack etc. etc, with the Leica SL2 i give up point b) even if I put small lenses on it, which is inconvenient. As far as a hybrid camera is concerned, it's R5 all the way, with a 24-105/4 combined IBIS+IS it can be considered as a modern-day camcorder equivalent. No matter if the lens is new or vintage, 8k downscaled 4k HQ in-camera looks incredible (polar opposite of phone footage, masses of detail but zero sharpening, colors and contrast just pop without over-emphasis), and it is nice to have 4K 120p as well. R6II also great but not quite the same level (and not the same to handle either), afterwards with an R6 rolling shutter gets too high, etc. Biggest idiosyncrasy is that there is no way to lock AWB (camera does a really good job, just drifts over time), and with the non-calibrated screen and EVF, it is slow and difficult to eyeball it manually.

Just a few shots from August with friends. Looking at statistics, almost all the time I just used the respective base ISOs, very few were above 800. All the qualities modern sensors have - they just aren't necessary to have especially with fast optics and I haven"t even applied AI noise reduction. Used the EF 24/1.4 II which I find quite hard to frame with (28-35-40 might be my sweet spot) and one of the most ridiculous vintage portrait lenses. Quite heavy, slow and hard to focus, optically the softest I own, loads of aberrations, flaring, all sorts of things. But it is imposing, especially with the recently acquired hood, and it does produce some pleasing shots with distinctive colours and soft background blur. (but so do many others) The R6 Mark II might have improved colours over the R6, but I am still not completely happy with it. Strangely, this does not apply to video, where I get 'full Canon colours', so it is still those LR Profiles not working well, otherwise this it is strong money in all aspects, but an EOS R, R6 or R8 might be even better value (R5 is best overall). In contrast, D700 just looks really good to me. I might retract the 'film-like look', simply has consistently good colours, providing a great base for faster editing (used the Nikon DX2 profile this time). I have some gripes with the AF and weight (especially if I find a 28/1.4 which will add more). But less than 300$ with 50/1.8G seems hard to beat, I will probably dump all of my gear that is cheaper. With the Zf, Df seems to be getting cheap, seen not so pretty ones for as low as 600$ body only. Not sure about the grip, but otherwise it might provide an even better sensor in a smaller, lighter body with a bit better AF (just one pointer where my GAS is heading...)

Well, it seems that the D700 + 50/1.8G shows no signs of slowing down, here are some edits. For a 15-year-old sub-400$ camera, it's superb. And it's only the second time I've used it. AF can get confused (you can see how it missed the eyes on the vertical shot, it generally wants to focus on the closest thing), might try messing with settings. RAW files require far less time, providing a denser, richer, more colourful image with more of a filmic, timeless quality to them (imho). All embedded LR profiles work great. At first, I didn't even notice that there are also DX2 Profiles to mimic Nikon's software. I wish modern cameras would work similarly, not making me curse while editing... The only thing that I will pay attention to is occasionally dialling in a bit of negative expo compensation to protect highlights on faces. Dynamic range is of course not quite as much as a modern camera but it's fine, more malleable than the 5D Mk1 (same regarding the AF system). And of course, wouldn't it be nice to have a 28/1.4E to complement the nifty fifty - maybe one day... Here's one with the R6 for comparison, colours feel quite different to my eyes (cooler, less saturated). There was a huge discount on the R6 Mark II so the R6 is already gone. Haven't tested it, some said colour science has been improved. Demand on DSLR cameras have plummeted, so I might still get a 6D or a 5D III just to see if I can find that perfect happy medium between old vs new, basic vs complex, cheap vs expensive. Right now, what the D700 does to my eyes reminds me of what the SR-Lambda NB does to my ears.

If (raw) colour science was only a myth, then for instance ARRI cinema cameras would not be used so extensively, this is something that they've worked on for decades. I see plenty of people trying to replicate that look with colour matching LUTs and they just don't seem to get that close to that. Of course Top Gun Maverick was shot on Sony Venice and looks great, but I guess they had plenty of people to work on those. I just need a camera that is enjoyable easy to work with post production resulting in an image that is pleasing to my eyes. This last part is what I struggle with the most and it almost ruins the experience of actually willing to take out the camera as it makes me think about the 10,000+ pictures (and slowly increasing) I still need to process taken with various things and all the hassle. I am talking specifically about images with people in them. The colour regarding other things bother me less (there are others who think it matters just as much there). Of course I'll still take the R6 for the next outing because it has eye-tracking IBIS, video, fully silent mode etc. but I am not looking forward to struggling with them afterwards - and therefore they might just get added to the growing cue again but at least I enjoyed taking them and eventually they will get dug out some time later and we'll think about it as "Yes, these were some fun times." Summarised well here:

Yeah D850 seems to have the same problem and I see no improvement in the Z8 in that regards. No one was paying attention to colour when it was 'normal' and somehow with these new mirrorless technology it somehow got lost and accepted. I don't see values going up much, because at the end of the day it is impractical to have a big and heavy camera like this with old batteries and cards, adapters, etc. Shutter is obnoxiously loud, too, kids love it though. Might as well get a battery grip to make them hear it at 8fps haha. The other camera that I borrowed some time ago that was really good is the 1DX (or 1DC) and this guy seems to confirm that and it's even more impractical than the D700... Why can't I have a modern, convenient (USB-C charging) FF camera with great colour and viewfinder that is not so big and heavy... I still miss the M Type 240 that was basically the most portable camera I had with great colour (and the SL2 was the best amongst cameras also shooting video). And the unanimous verdict seems to be that an M9 renders even better, so I might end up with one despite so many red flags about it.

Finally, my first working Nikon camera (or cameras to be specific). A pair of D700s with dead batteries. One with 40k on the shutter, the other almost NOS. What can I say, first it was unwieldy: tall, bulky, heavy (still is, feels good but not the right camera for many situations, even a Canon 6D would be a whopping 30% lighter). But even after the very first short outing (with a 2GB card that I forgot to empty so I could only store 30 images at a time) the hype seems justified with this one. I can only nod in agreement to the content of this video (complete playlist in the description) That natural, yet deep colour palette just seems to be so pleasing, at least with in-camera JPEGs (Adobe messes up somewhat as usual, maybe I will figure it out eventually but there are also other methods, the sensor is great for sure). I almost don't want to look at my Canon R6 pics anymore, looks underwhelming in comparison (even some side-by-side comparisons on YT show how modern Nikons with Sony sensors don't render like this anymore) I'm also hardly seeing a mirrorless camera without that little red dot and its attributed status that can render light and colour anywhere this good by default - to my eyes anyway. (Same thing with regards to audio, they just make a whole bunch of new stuff which is arguably not as pleasing of a sound as it was many many years ago.) And all this coupled to a pleasant DSLR experience, nice viewfinder, snappy AF, separate dials for everything, not much to complain about the 100$ 50/1.8G and so on. It might very well fit in that personal favourite category, that is involving both from the operation side, but also regarding its output (most cameras fail one way or the other, and there are plenty of spec-chasing models that reviewers seem to love, but in real life they actually not that great on either fronts).

I was wrong. Beyers are actually useful for something.