Memorial Day Tribute - Manassas National Battlefield

On Monday, May 28, 2012, I attended a Memorial Day tribute at the Manassas National Battlefield. The event began at the Groveton Cemetery, established in 1866 to permanently contain the remains of numerous soldiers killed in both battles at Manassas, and buried in shallow graves on the battlefield in the haste of war.
 

Groveton Cemetery, Manassas, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-G3, Lumix 14-140mm f4-5.8 at 95mm

iso 160, f5.8, 1/640 sec

 
Of the 266 confederate soldiers buried at Groveton, only two are identified.
 

Groveton Cemetery, Manassas, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-G3, Lumix 14-140mm f4-5.8 at 41mm

iso 160, f5.3, 1/600 sec

 
 

James Jerman Palmer, South Carolina

Groveton Cemetery, Manassas, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-G3, Lumix 14-140mm f4-5.8 at 54mm

iso 160, f5.3, 1/1250 sec

 
The 42nd Virginia reenactors were present to fire salute to their confederate comrades, and a wreath was presented at the memorial.
 

42nd Virginia, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-G3, Lumix 14-140mm f4-5.8 at 140mm

iso 160, f5.8, 1/320 sec

42nd Virginia, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-G3, Lumix 14-140mm f4-5.8 at 140mm

iso 160, f8, 1/250 sec
 

Wreath Laying, by Reed A George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-G3, Lumix 14-140mm f4-5.8 at 75mm

iso 400, f5.8, 1/1600 sec

Wreath at Groveton, by Reed A George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-G3, Lumix 14-140mm f4-5.8 at 32mm

iso 400, f5.6, 1/2000 sec

42nd Virginia, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-G3, Lumix 14-140mm f4-5.8 at 70mm

iso 400, f8, 1/800 sec
 

After the ceremony at the cemetery, Manassas' own resident reenactor group performed a cannon demonstration:

 

Cannon Fire, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-G3, Lumix 14-140mm f4-5.8 at 32mm

iso 400, f6.3, 1/500 sec

I love the way the camera captured the fuse line still hanging mid-air, and the cannon fire at full extension from the barrel. Lucky shot.


The rest of the event commemorated Union soldiers, who were represented by the reenactors of the 14th Brooklyn, the only outfit named after a city, rather than a state. They were also referred to as those "red-legged devils" by Stonewall Jackson and his troops.

14th Brooklyn (Composite of Two Images), by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-G3, Pana-Leica Summilux 25mm f1.4

iso 160, f4.5, 1/160 sec

 
At this point, the activities moved across the road to the 14th's monument on the battlefield.
 

14th Monument, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-G3, Lumix 14-140mm f4-5.8 at 140mm

iso 200, f6.3, 1/1000 sec

14th Brooklyn Soldier, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-G3, Pana-Leica Summilux 25mm f1.4

iso 160, f5.6, 1/160 sec

 
 

14th Brooklyn Soldier, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-G3, Pana-Leica Summilux 25mm f1.4

iso 160, f5.6, 1/160 sec

14th Brooklyn Soldier, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-G3, Lumix 14-140mm f4-5.8 at 140mm

iso 200, f6.3, 1/200 sec

A final volley was fired by the 14th to commemorate all of the fallen veterans.

14th Brooklyn Salute, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-G3, Lumix 14-140mm f4-5.8 at 140mm

iso 200, f6.3, 1/200 sec

Marching to Destiny, the 14th Brooklyn, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-G3, Lumix 14-140mm f4-5.8 at 78mm

iso 200, f6.3, 1/800 sec

 

As this event was held in 90 degree weather at noon, it is hard to imagine worse lighting conditions. Okay, I can imagine worse, but the contrast was pretty high, and the shadows were not very complementary to my subjects.

 
You will see that I attempted to use fill flash on the shots taken with the Summilux 25mm f1.4. I did this with my Nissin Di466 flash set on manual, which allowed me to control the flash level better than TTL would have. I have found that even at minimum power, the Di466 can overpower the ambient light. In order to help out in this situation, I used a 3-stop Lumix neutral density filter on the Summilux. This allowed me to find an f-stop where the flash at minimum power was not overpowering, then select a shutter speed to balance the ambient light as well as possible. These are all manual settings, and since the flash power varies as a square to the distance from the subject, it is very hard to find one setting that works for multiple shots. In both of the Summilux portraits shown here, I think I underexposed the ambient, and allowed too much flash power to come through. This is a learning process for me, but at least I'm making some progress.
 
DMC-365.blogspot.com
 
 
 

Can You Guess Where Lake Texoma Is?

Every year in the month of May, my Dad and a couple of friends and I converge on Kingston, Oklahoma to fish for striped bass in Lake Texoma. As the name implies, Texoma is on the border of Texas and Oklahoma. As you can see below, it's striper paradise...

Striper Paradise, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS3, iso 100, f3.3, 1/250 sec

 
My new Lumix TS3 waterproof camera worked well for me on this trip. It is nice to have a decent, unobtrusive, waterproof camera to take out on the boat, without having to worry about a waterproof case.
 
We have been fishing Texoma together for about eight years now. Since then, my Dad has upgraded boats to a wonderful 17' Boston Whaler Montauk, we've changed accommodations, and the lake has seen several ups and downs. In fact, last year, the previous winter's freeze decimated both the shad (main food source for the stripers) and the striper populations. We fished in 40 degree temperatures with 40 mile per hour winds, and our catch was meager compared to previous years. At this point, the lake has recovered fully, the shad are thick, and the big stripers are back.
 
One thing we never change about the trip is that we spend our mornings with Terry Scarberry, the best darned fishing guide on the lake. You'll see why in a minute. And yes, I'll share his contact information at the end of this post.
 
Fishing with Terry means getting up early. We try to be at the dock by no later than 5:30 AM. Of course, at that point, he's already been out catching live shad for our bait, and is ready to go.
 

Daylight Run, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS3, iso 400, f3.3, 1/25 sec

This year, one of our regular fishing group, Kevin Reinhart, couldn't make the trip. Something about the horrors of having to go to Fiji for "work." Yeah, whatever.

The "other Kevin," Kevin Potts, another regular, did make it. Here's Potts on our first morning, ready to catch the first striper of the trip.

Potts, Ready to Go At Sunrise, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS3, iso 160, f4.2, 1/60 sec

 
Once Terry got us situated, lines baited and in the water, he showed me what the depth finder indicated. For the uninitiated, the right panel shows a depth for 78.7 feet. More importantly, the red cloud in the middle of the screen indicates a school of fish. They came in so densely packed that it occasionally caused the finder to think the water was only 20 feet deep!
 
 

Hang On, Boys, Here They Come! by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS3, iso 125, f3.3, 1/60 sec

And come they did. Our boat and the boat next to us were so busy catching fish, there literally was no time for photography. Now, I'm sure you recognize what a conflict that represents for me - fishing, photography, fishing, photography, what to do? Listen to the guide and fish!

 
 

The Beginning of the Run, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS3, iso 100, f3.3, 1/320 sec

Texoma's striped bass are actually the same species found in saltwater (also known as rockfish on the East Coast). They were introduced into Texoma, and it's one of the few places where they spawn naturally in fresh water. In fact, they were on their way back from the trip upstream into the Washita River for the annual spawn. They don't reach the same size as in the ocean, but fish in the twenty to thirty pound range do show up from time to time.

Below is an example of these beautiful, healthy fish, and what they do to the live shad we use to catch them.

Caught, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS3, iso 100, f3.3, 1/125 sec

 
This year, Dad caught the biggest striper we've ever gotten on one of these trips. Fifteen pounds.
 

Dad Brings In The Big One, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS3, iso 100, f3.3, 1/250 sec

Here's what Dad's fish looked like at the dock. The length scale on the cooler goes up to 28 inches.

Longer Than The Cooler, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS3, iso 125, f3.3, 1/125 sec

 
Our morning was over quite early, as we caught our limit within a couple of hours. Here's our first day's catch.
 
 

First Day's Catch, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS3, iso 100, f3.3, 1/100 sec

 
We spend our afternoons at the lake fishing from Dad's boat (the catch rate is significantly lower than when we're with Terry), eating fresh fried fish and breaded okra, and sharing a beer and an old story or two. In fact, this is the only time I drink beer, and I usually limit it to one. I don't limit the stories.
 
Potts and I have been friends since the 1970s (or "the nineteen somethings" as my 11 year old daughter likes to say). My Dad has memories of bailing us out of our teenage craziness. It's always a blast to get together.
 
 

Afternoon Sunshine, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS3, iso 100, f16, 1/200 sec

Cruising around the lake in the evenings is both relaxing and beautiful. The weather this year was perfect, as you can see in the sunset picture below.

Texoma Sunset, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS3, iso 160, f3.3, 1/250 sec

We always have such a relaxing time. We missed having Kevin "Rhino" Reinhart with us this year, and expect him back next year. We are all looking forward to it already.

(Click Here) for the contact information for Terry Scarberry's guide service. If you get a chance to go out with him, you won't be disappointed.

 
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First Shot (More To Come) From Memorial Day at Manassas National Battlefield

 

Civil War Cannon, Manassas, Virginia, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-G3, Lumix 14-140mm f4-5.8 Zoom

Yesterday, I attended a Memorial Day event at Manassas National Battlefield in Virginia. Reenactors presented wreaths and musket salutes to both Confederate and Union memorials at the battlefield.

This is just the first image that I've worked with from the shoot. Even though it was held in 90 degree weather at noon, with the help of a little fill flash from the Nissin Di466, I did okay. I met several nice people, which also makes the effort worthwhile.

More to come.

DMC-365.blogspot.com

 

Chapter 3 of My eBook on the G3 Is Now Available For Free Download!

Panasonic Lumix DMC-G3

with Nikon Nikkor 28mm f2.8 Manual Focus Lens

If you've been following the development of my eBook, you may be interested to know that Chapter 3 is now available for free download. Chapter 3 takes on the subject of focusing - both the extensive autofocus (AF) technologies and the superb manual focusing tools resident in the DMC-G3.

(Click Here) to download Chapter 3 - Focusing

As a reminder, here are the links to the posts for the first two chapters:
 
(Click Here) for Chapter 1 - Introduction and External Controls
 
(Click Here) for Chapter 2 - Menu Settings
 
Writing this chapter helped me to work through some questions I had with AF settings. Probably the most important thing I learned is how cool Pinpoint Focus can be when used in conjunction with the Touch Screen. As a regular user of the Electronic View Finder (EVF), I don't use the Touch Screen often. However, after trying out Pinpoint Focus, I now have it in mind should the opportunity present itself.
 
I hope you're enjoying the eBook! Please comment, drop me a line, or even purchase something on Amazon by clicking through the link below. It doesn't cost you anything extra.
 
Enjoy!
 
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Specialty Blogs Are Cool - Check Out Micromotorsport

 

Classic Corvette Interior, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1, Leica Summarit 50mm f1.5 (LTM)

iso 100, 1/800sec

When I started this blog, specifically focused on Panasonic Lumix cameras and my uses of them, I was concerned about it being focused on too small of a subject. However, what I read about blogging indicated that it was better to focus tightly, so I gave it a try. While I do write about things other than purely Lumix topics, there is always a connection to my photography interests, which all include Panasonic in some way, or at some time or another.

Anyway, I found this very focused blog, centered on the use of Micro 4/3 cameras to photograph automobiles and automotive events:

http://micromotorsport.wordpress.com/about/

(Click Here) to check it out.

This intersection of Micro 4/3 gear and automobile interests is clearly focused, but I'm sure still draws quite a number of followers. There are excellent examples of car images throughout, a shooting guide, and interesting writing about techniques and equipment. Bravo!

I love to attend car shows, and used to be seen pretty regularly at the Laguna Seca Antique races in Monterey, California, when I lived near there.

(Click Here) for the Laguna Seca website.

Black Cat, by Reed A. George

I hope those of you who are car and Micro 4/3 enthusiasts will enjoy this site. If cars aren't your bag, you may still want to read the shooting guide's information on motion panning - it works for anything in motion.

DMC-365.blogspot.com

 
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A Fun Triptych (Series of Three Pictures)

Just thought I would share this little triptych from a quick venture into Washington, DC this morning:

Triptych, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-G3, Carl Zeiss 25mm f2.8 Biogon

I shot this at about f8. I like how you can see the seconds count down in the crossing signal: 20, 19, 18...

DMC-365.blogspot.com

 

Small Town America, El Reno, Oklahoma

I recently got a weekend away to visit my parents in Oklahoma. Here's a little photographic story of my visit.
 

Family, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-G3, Pana-Leica 25mm f1.4 Summilux

iso 160, f5.6, 1/15 sec, bounced fill flash (Nissin Di466)

 
My mom and stepfather live in El Reno, Oklahoma, just West of Oklahoma City, along historic Route 66, and modern Interstate 40, which rendered it a sidenote, as far as the commuters are concerned. My parents home is a beautiful, relaxing place, thanks to all they've done to bring it up to date.
 
Mom's garden is a major attraction. I spent a little time photographing it while I was there.
 

 

Garden Path In, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-G3, Nikkor 28mm f2.8 AIS Manual Focus with Adapter

iso 160, f-stop not recorded, 1/40 sec

I made it a point to bring along a legacy lens with me, in this case my trusty Nikon Nikkor 28mm f2.8 AIS lens and adapter. With an equivalent field of view of a 56mm on full-frame 35mm format, it makes quite a nice normal lens. I still love the feel of manual focus. It makes me feel more involved in making the image.

Bonjour, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-G3, Nikkor 28mm f2.8 AIS Manual Focus with Adapter

iso 160, f2.8, 1/125 sec

Summer Bloom, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-G3, Pana-Leica 45mm f2.8 Macro-Elmarit

iso 160, f5.6, 1/13 sec

Relax, Angel, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-G3, Pana-Leica 45mm f2.8 Macro-Elmarit

iso 160, f5.6, 1/20 sec

The Path Out, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-G3, Nikkor 28mm f2.8 AIS Manual Focus with Adapter

iso 160, f-stop not recorded, 1/500 sec

After exploring the garden, I took the short walk up town with my Nikkor attached. As I mentioned, El Reno is situated on historic Route 66. I always find the signs here interesting; they give a clue to what life is like in a small town.

Signs, Signs, Everywhere Are Signs, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-G3, Nikkor 28mm f2.8 AIS Manual Focus with Adapter

iso 160, f-stop not recorded, 1/1250 sec

El Reno Bricks, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-G3, Nikkor 28mm f2.8 AIS Manual Focus with Adapter

iso 160, f-stop not recorded, 1/250 sec

150 Years of History With The Railroad, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-G3, Nikkor 28mm f2.8 AIS Manual Focus with Adapter

iso 160, f-stop not recorded, 1/1200 sec

The most sublime moment on my walk was when these pigeons approached from overhead. I can almost hear them when I look at this:

The Flock Approaches, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-G3, Nikkor 28mm f2.8 AIS Manual Focus with Adapter

iso 160, f-stop not recorded, 1/500 sec

 

 
Back at home, my parents had one more photographic assignment for me - they had dressed the dogs ("Two" and "Squirt") for a different family portrait.

Two and Squirt, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-G3, Pana-Leica 25mm f1.4 Summilux

iso 160, f2, 1/60 sec, bounced flash (Nissin Di466)

I know they look relaxed, like they sit that way all the time. It's a good thing I'm a still photographer. They were not totally cooperative, with Two trying to eat Squirt's necklace, and so on. Moving the promised treats behind the photographer helped to focus them in my direction.

Sometimes it's nice to just kick back and relax. I normally like to keep myself very busy, but time with family like this is therapeutic. I hope that my images helped to communicate the peace and quiet of a small town weekend.

Note: since my computer is in rehab from a virus attack, all of the images above are direct from the camera, with no additional adjustments, sharpening, etc.

DMC-365.blogspot.com

 

James McKearney's New Lumix 14mm Lens

My photographer buddy, James McKearney, has just gotten a Lumix 14mm lens of his own to go with his twin Lumix DMC-G1s. In line with my earlier post today, I present a couple of his first shots with this little jewel of a lens:
 

Charles River, by James McKearney

Image Source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jamesmck38/7274118146/

Fenway Park, by James McKearney

Image Source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jamesmck38/7222183634/in/photostream/

By the way, James ordered this lens new on ebay for a pittance - less than $200! That is a great deal for this lens. The 14mm f2.5 literally makes the Lumix 20mm f1.7 lens look big (and it certainly isn't!), and is a regular go-to lens for me.

DMC-365.blogspot.com

 
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New Lumix 14mm User's Results

 

Image Source: http://www.mu-43.com/f38/pana-14-reasons-cheerful-25723/

Poster kevinparis on mu-43.com posted some results of a walk in Venice Beach, California with his new Lumix 14mm f2.5 lens. It seems that Kevin shoots a Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH2 body.

(Click Here) to read the original post. Be sure to click through to the flickr set. It's got 17 more images to see.

He comments that he wasn't sure how this lens would work out for him. I can see that he's going to have some fun with this lens.

I really like the little 14mm f2.5. It is so small, carrying it along is basically like putting an extra filter or two in your bag. I thnk f2.5 is fast enough to be very useful, even for those tight interior space shots. It's a great companion to the 20mm f1.7 for an incredibly small 2-lens kit (especially with a DMC-GF1 or GX1 body). Unfortunately, since I always like a little more reach in my bag, I usually can't get by with just those two lenses. I carry the Pana-Leica 45mm f2.8 Macro-Elmarit, but if I really wanted to slim down my 3-lens kit, I would get the highly-celebrated Olympus 45mm f1.8. Those three lenses (Lumix 14, Lumix 20, and Olympus 45) would make quite the tiny, useful setup.

Anyway, my close friend James has just ordered his 14mm f2.5. I can't wait to see his results!

DMC-365.blogspot.com

 

It's A Good Week For New Micro 4/3 Lens Announcements - If You Can Afford Them

 

Image Source: http://www.mu-43.com/

 
In addition to announcement of the Panasonic Lumix 12-35mm f2.8, which I have been anxiously awaiting (priced at $1,299), this week also brings us pricing on another long-awaited Micro 4/3 lens, the Olympus 75mm f1.8 telephoto. According to dpreview, the Olympus lens will retail for $899.
 
(Click Here) to read about the Olympus 75mm f1.8 lens on dpreview.
 
Each of these lenses has a lot of appeal to me. I have tried the Olympus 45mm f1.8, read the reviews, and seen many great example images. It is a great lens. This new 75mm from Olympus give you significantly more reach, with the equivalent field of view of a 150mm full-frame 35mm format lens, and maintains the super fast f-stop of 1.8. That would be a killer combination for my concert photography.
 
As I've already written, the Lumix 12-35 also offers a lot for the travel photograper.
 
Well, I've been saving up, waiting for both of these lenses. Writing this blog has focused me on my existing Lumix equipment, and I haven't really bought a new lens or body since it started. I did buy the Nissin Di466 flash, but nothing else of consequence has made its way into my bag since January. I did have the brief temptation of (and cancelled order for) the Lumix fisheye converter. I'm glad I held off.
 
I think Olympus is better at actually getting new products to the US market soon after announcement. So, my guess is the 75mm will be available before the 12-35mm Lumix.
 
Exciting days for the expanding native lens set for our Micro 4/3 cameras!
 
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Pro Photographer Giulio Sciorio Writes About Professional Use of Micro 4/3 Equipment

 

Image Source: http://blog.giuliosciorio.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/fear.jpg

 
 
Professional photographer Giulio Sciorio has posted a piece on his blog about the barriers (both real and psychological) to other professionals adopting Micro 4/3 camera gear for their pro work. I will review his main points below.
 
 
(Click Here) to read Giulio's full post.
 
 
Giulio outlines the following five barriers to professional adoption of Micro 4/3 equipment:
 
 

1. It's not "professional" gear.
2. There aren't enough megapixels.
3. The noise levels are too high.
4. It's not full-frame!
5. Worries about what your professional colleagues will think.

First, Giulio identifies the concern over your clients not being impressed by the appearance of your gear, because it's not big, heavy, and expensive looking, as a real concern. He explains how he did two things to overcome this. First, he shot a series of street portraits with his Olympus Pen, and showed them to others before explaining what equipment they were made with. Second, he carried his Pen with his "professional" Canon gear, and impressed clients with shots made with the Micro 4/3 gear. For me, this is not a concern. That's because I don't really have clients. If anyone is interested in my photographs, it's because of the photographs, not the equipment. I'm not hired to cover any specific events, in general. If I were, I may try Giulio's "bring it along with the Pro gear" approach. Second, "there aren't enough megapixels." Giulio explains that even large format magazines need only around 9 Mp for a full page image. As for me, I would argue that there are too many megapixels in some cases. More megapixels = more noise (see "Third..." below). And, since megapixels are the universal language of camera marketers, having too few will never be an issue. Third, noise. Giulio handles this one through the simple statement that while his Micro 4/3 images do have more noise than full 24x36mm sensor cameras, he has never had a complaint from a client. He considers it part of the rendering style of the gear. For me, the noise concern has some truth to it. Back to megapixels, if my Lumix DMC-G3 could achieve the same noise performance as my Nikon D700 24x36mm sensor camera, I'd happily give up any extra megapixels. From my point of view, the noise issue improves with every iteration of Micro 4/3 sensor design, and is now well under control for most print sizes, and certainly for images on the computer screen. Now that the technology has gotten to this point, I see this concern as the same one that photographers used to have to make regarding 35mm versus medium or large format film. The Micro 4/3 kit has become my 35mm film equivalent, and is every bit as capable, in my opinion, with lots of advantages. The Nikon D700 is my medium format equivalent. If I'm worried about making super large prints or approaching perfection, I can decide to carry the big, heavy Nikon.

The fourth concern is "it's not full-frame!" Giulio makes a great case on this one. Of course it's full-frame. Full-frame is all relative. If you really want to argue, 24x36mm (35mm "full-frame") is not full-frame to a medium format film photographer. It's the image quality that counts. I totally agree with Giulio on this point.
 
 
The fifth, final concern is "what will my colleagues think?" Giulio's point here is that it's not your colleagues' opinion that counts. It's your clients.
 
 
I have experienced this one, even though I'm not a pro. One of my good friends is an ardent Nikon DSLR user. He asked me
 
 
"What does Lumix give you that Nikon doesn't? What got you started with it?"
 
 
Well, I have to admit, this got me thinking. What really got me into Micro 4/3 was the ability to adapt legacy lenses. That's a minor advantage for me, now that there are great native Micro 4/3 primes. What really sold me was size, weight, reduction in back pain. What keeps me in Micro 4/3 is the awesome progress it has made recently. One final note on this. It is my belief that being a photographer who takes a different approach, one that is not initially accepted in the professional community, has a history of ultimate success. Just look at the Leica. Pros turned their noses up, with very similar concerns about the "small format" of 35mm film that we hear today about Micro 4/3. Then they saw the images that could be made with a small, flexible, fast camera. The rest is history.
 
 
Giulio's article was thought provoking and useful for me.
 
 

Sumo Crossing, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF1, Lumix 20mm f1.7 lens

iso100, f5.6, 1/100 sec

 
One of the things I love about this image is that the sign on the store across the street, which sells sumo souvenirs and the like, has a sign that reads "Kingu Saizu" in Japanese ("King Size" in English).
 
Small, fast cameras are fun and productive.
 
DMC-365.blogspot.com
 
 
 
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Big News for Today? - dpreview Gets Their Hands On The New Panasonic Lumix 12-35mm f2.8 Fast Zoom!

Image Source: http://shop.panasonic.com/shop/model/H-HS12035

This is a lens that Micro 4/3 users, especially Panasonic shooters, have been waiting for. I won't recount dpreview's impressions on a lens I have not yet seen. I will just point out two things that are important to me:

1. The lens is NOT equipped with powerzoom. GREAT! In my mind, powerzoom is primarily for videographers. I want the tactile response of a manual zoom. In fact, it's one of the very few tactile controls left in still photography.
2. The size is very nice for such a wide zoom. While it doesn't have the shallow depth of field of it's equivalent field of view 24-70 lenses in full frame 35mm format, it is tiny compared to those beasts. dpreview indicates that it's best balanced on a camera with a grip, like the DMC-G3. Again, GREAT!

(Click Here) to read the rest of their impressions on the lens over at dpreview.com. I hope it's ready for delivery soon.

 
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