We watch our pennies. We don’t have a lot of lolly to throw around on frivolity, but we do make sure we don’t pinch on our hobbies to make life miserable. There are some things we can do without quite easily, even though we might like to have them, such as a flat panel TV, but compare that to being able to buy malt or hops or paper or a brush, we would prefer to do without the TV. Good computers are another necessity, partly for telecommuting to work (although that is provided by The Employer), but also for entertainment, information, education. Clothes are necessary, not optional, but a fantastic wardrobe is not. Good food varies in cost, but preferably is reasonably priced and fresh. Packaged food is for the quick moment when flying out the door without a lunch will spell a disastrous day in the classroom.
Lately I am becoming rather re-enamored with photography. Over the years, I have had SLRs and numerous digital cameras. I am now considering if it is worth having a DSLR. Of course, this means money. My new Lumix DMC ZS5 is a point-and-shoot with a very good lens by Leica, decent video capabilities, aperture and shutter priority, EV, other gizmos, as well as, most seductively, the ability for manual exposure. This means I can take photos with control over all factors, as far as the camera will let me. There is no f1.4 or f22, but f3.3 to f6.3. Shutter speed can be as long as a minute, and as small as 1/2000 second (I think). Not at all bad for something I can put in a cargo pocket. And for the cheapskate in me, digital images beat the cost of film and developing without a doubt!
A week ago, I went to the Descanso Gardens with a friend, and he has a Nikon D200. BIIIIIIIIIIIIG diff! And that has gotten me thinking. I don’t like big cameras, and the new 4/3 format looks interesting, but the EP1, EP2, and EPL1 have not quite gotten my attention. Sony has the NEX-5. I am only now looking at Pentax, the K-7 and the K-x. Reportedly these are small cameras, even though they are full DSLRs. Apparently – and most noteworthy to my cheapskate thinking – is that they are backward compatible for all Pentax lenses. What that means is, with over 25,000,000 lenses having been manufactured by Pentax, there should be some out there! There are also rumors of a K-5 coming out on various boards. Dangerous.
Between now and whenever and when-and-if these thoughts become realities, I’ve decided to become a bit more serious about photography – there is a lot I can do and learn about from the Lumix I have. Currently, the most fascinating thing is to be able to under-expose an image – something not do-able on most pocket-sized digital cameras – using manual exposures.
Because of this, I’ve gone ahead and reactivated my account on Flickr – and have provided a link to the right. This way, you or I or anyone can access some of my pictures in greater quantity. Below, are a couple of my more favorite ones I have done in the past month.
I won’t take credit for the hunk at the top of the page, though.
Ink, Yarn & Beer 