Galleries

YucGaleria in San Jose' del Cabos : Photo Art Gallery & Portrait Studio Calle Alvaro Obregon #1-A San Jose' del Cabo, BCS, Mexico..............CP 23400 Tel +52 624 1420462 Yuca Inn direct +52 (624) 11-75103 The Yuca Inn is a real groovy place, and when I was offered to open a Gallery here, I did not hesitate to accept the offer. However, I am very much engaged in promoting clean energy, thus I want to go a step further: The YucGaleria will be the first Outdoor Photo Gallery, showing my works and offering fine Portraiture for locals and visitors. Main print formats are 12x18 and 12x36 for selected landscapes. Individual sizes are available, also alterations to adapt your selected photos to your home environment. The gallery presently is in test mode and is intended to open to the public in November of 2013. The lighting of the almost 100 exponats is solely done by LED, powered by Solar Energy Depending on the location, the gallery is build upon shots showing the unique beauty of the Gulf of California, however also presenting selected works from the book: "From Anchorage to Cabo San Lucas - 5000 miles of pristine Pacific Coast" and from other parts in our Great Blue Planet.

YucGaleria in San Jose' del Cabos

Photo Art Gallery & Portrait Studio Calle Alvaro Obregon #1-A San Jose ...

Updated: May 19, 2013 8:51pm PST

The Book of Pelicanos : Why "The Book of Pelicanos"? Well, this is mostly about Mexican, i.e. Brown Pelicanos, thus I choose it over Pelicans. < Insert Text > Brown Pelicanos are Fascinating Birds. You know, what I mean, when you ever watched them hunting. Black Cormorants search the proximity of Brown Pelicans, that is very obvious. It looks, like they admire them. It also gives me the impression, that Pelicans are wise birds, and Cormorants and other species want to know, what they have to say! I call them "The Black Guard" (Gulls and Fregate Birds also search the proximity of Brown Pelicans, just for another reason: They follow them hunting and feed on the "overspill" during the hunt, even disturbing them trying to trigger a loss of Sardines from the Pelican's beak) During hunting, a pelican winds up to a certain hight, aims at his prey, and turns over one wing in a spiral turn into the water - if you ever watched a German Stuka starting an attack, that comes closest! (I remember having videos of Pelican Hunting from Baja California Sur, yet no chance to post the material yet) I hope, you can imagine by my inferior pictures! In this posting, you see shots taken under equal conditions with a D700 and with an A55 (...DSC...) with my legendary 25 year old "Beercan" Shooting wildlife with an SLT DSLE like the A55 is way more challenging, but the results surpass the NIKON results. Sorry, my NIKON Afficionados, it is time, that NIKON shines with some innovation, Professional Photographers can't get fooled too long; Michael Reichmann from "Luminous Landscape" detected the advantages of A77 / NEX 7 just now, read his very good blogs!

The Book of Pelicanos

Why "The Book of Pelicanos"? Well, this is mostly about Mexican, i.e. ...

Updated: May 19, 2013 3:14pm PST

Mexico BCS Loreto April 14 Isla Coronado with challenged kids :

Mexico BCS Loreto April 14 Isla Coronado with challenged kids

Updated: May 19, 2013 9:42am PST

Terns - Seeschwalben :

Terns - Seeschwalben

Updated: May 17, 2013 1:01pm PST

From Anchorage to Cabo San Lucas - 5000 miles of pristine Pacific Coast : It all started very simple. I had sold my house in Canada; before returning to Munich, I wanted to visit Oregon again, where my North American Venture started almost 20 years ago. However, when my head became clearer as to what rout to go, I went towards the pacific coast and soon decided, to follow 101. At that time I tested some digital cameras, and soon the idea was born, to make a photo book of picturesque Hwy 101. The cameras i tested on my first trip South from BC, Canada had been: RICOH GX200 vs Samsung EX1 Samsung NX10 vs SONY NEX3 NIKON D300 & D700. My vehicle was a Ford Econoline E350 "Chateau'

From Anchorage to Cabo San Lucas - 5000 miles of pristine Pacific Coast

It all started very simple. I had sold my house in Canada; before retu ...

Updated: May 17, 2013 12:42pm PST

The Book of Cactus :

The Book of Cactus

Updated: May 17, 2013 12:34pm PST

Book of Lenses :

Book of Lenses

Updated: May 17, 2013 10:52am PST

Print & Edited May 12 :

Print & Edited May 12

Updated: May 14, 2013 8:16pm PST

BizarreMobil :

BizarreMobil

Updated: May 10, 2013 4:21pm PST

empty gallery

Loreto BCS Mexico - Juncalito

Updated: May 10, 2013 6:34am PST

Loreto - Green & Clean? : Loreto, BCS in the Southern Gulf of California is the center of the Loreto Marine Park, a World Heritage site. A friend asked me, to help showing catastrophic environmental issues, even causing me to create a GREEN QUESTIONMARK!?? Thus I pictured the issues http://volkerschenkphotography.smugmug.com/Travel/Loreto-Green/28998763_SXSsjX#!p=1&n=10, but to balance the negative with positive elements I also showed the "Green" Loreto trying to point city hall in the direction to create an "esturio" based on what is there already http://volkerschenkphotography.smugmug.com/Other/Print/29414138_DDFX9V#!p=5&n=10 (not on my website yet as "Green Loreto" http://volkerschenkphotography.smugmug.com/Other/Print/29414138_DDFX9V#!i=2512754038&k=G8zbFx6&lb=1&s=A Here onother one to rise awareness of the marine Park endangered: http://volkerschenkphotography.smugmug.com/Other/Print/29414138_DDFX9V#!i=2512936632&k=2wwFCJC&lb=1&s=A

Loreto - Green & Clean?

Loreto, BCS in the Southern Gulf of California is the center of the Lo ...

Updated: Apr 22, 2013 12:26pm PST

Loreto 2013 :

Loreto 2013

Updated: Apr 19, 2013 3:10pm PST

San Jose del Cabos March 2013 : Recommended for viewing Volker Schenk Photography: Choose “Slideshow” from the very right upper corner of the menu bar, this gives you a SLIDESHOW in FULLSCREEN. You can select the speed on the left. If you want to get EXIF data, select any other mode in “Style”, -> click photo, -> “Show details” -> Info Every Thursday is Art Walk in the "Cultural District" here. The artwork is at an amazingly high level and very inspiring. If you consider visiting Baja California, San Jose' del Cabos is an excellent choice.

San Jose del Cabos March 2013

Recommended for viewing Volker Schenk Photography: Choose “Slideshow” ...

Updated: Apr 17, 2013 6:21pm PST

Prints :

Prints

Updated: Apr 06, 2013 5:54pm PST

The Book of Vultures :

The Book of Vultures

Updated: Mar 31, 2013 7:12pm PST

password protected gallery

Ladies

Updated: Mar 30, 2013 8:39am PST

Leonora Carrington i San Jose del Cabo :

Leonora Carrington i San Jose del Cabo

Updated: Mar 28, 2013 10:17am PST

Jonathan's Travels: Istanbul : Recommended for viewing Volker Schenk Photography: Choose “Slideshow” from the very right upper corner of the menu bar, this gives you a SLIDESHOW in FULLSCREEN. You can select the speed on the left. If you want to get EXIF data, select any other mode in “Style”, -> click photo, -> “Show details” -> Info Jonathan now travels quite a while with me. Usually he shows up the next day after my arrival. Gulls seem to be a true cosmopoltan species!

Jonathan's Travels: Istanbul

Recommended for viewing Volker Schenk Photography: Choose “Slideshow” ...

Updated: Mar 22, 2013 11:43am PST

Colors of Turkey: Istanbul in March 2013 : Recommended for viewing Volker Schenk Photography: Choose “Slideshow” from the very right upper corner of the menu bar, this gives you a SLIDESHOW in FULLSCREEN. You can select the speed on the left. If you want to get EXIF data, select any other mode in “Style”, -> click photo, -> “Show details” -> Info Correct: Istanbul Feb 28 - Mar 3. However it was raining on the day of my arrival, see the pictures, so we just forget about it. A lovely setting around Galata Tower is becoming the "Boutique" part of the huge city. I can see many similarities to Mexico, however Islam is the religion and not Christianity. Many cats stroll around. My location is just besides Galata Tower, so the most interesting part of town is just a stone throw away! Yesterday in the rain I had my little SAMSUNG EX-2 with me, which is becoming my favorite nightshooter with its 24mm f/1.4 Schneider lens. This morning I wanted to shoot all the "Moscheen" on the other side of the water in the light of the rising sun, however I had a dilemma: I left my favorite telezoom in San Diego, just took the extreme 500mm for wildlife with me. When I tried to use this, it proved impossible, see the photos in the early morning mist. However, I got lucky with the shot in the rising sun, showing a Minarett! As you can see, Turkish Licence Plates look exactly as The new European ones, I guess, Turkish Authorities had the licence plates designed hoping to join EU pretty soon, now they are hoping for several years already! I shoot 85% ofmy pictures at sunrise or around sunset. Colors of Istanbul Please see, what Turkish Airlines writes in their Skylife Magazin March 2013 DISCOVERING LIGHT IN ISTANBUL "Experiencing no modification in their technique as students of the West’s neoclassical, romantic, realist and impressionist movements, European artists only discovered light in Istanbul. And when they did, their colors became more vibrant and dazzling, the tones of their palettes brighter red and yellow, the light in their canvases warmer, the contrasts more pronounced. Each one of them produced numerous orientalist works ranging from sketches to large compositions, in which they can be distinguished by their sensibilities, their skill and experience, the positions in which they found themselves, and the styles they employed.... My pictures this evening ( of the anglers at Galata Bridge around sunset and other panoramas) may be proof, that nothing has changed more than 100 years later. The warm colors of the sunset enhance those rich colours additionally. Please read on at the article in the Turkish Airline Magazin here: http://www.turkishairlines.com/en-int/skylife/2013/march/articles/the-bosphorus-through-the-eyes-of-european-travelers.aspx here Please find the second part of photos covering my 3 days in Istanbul is under Jonathan's travels: http://volkerschenkphotography.smugmug.com/Other/Jonathans-Travels-Istanbul/28349236_zdntVm#!i=2400033331&k=2MW66jq

Colors of Turkey: Istanbul in March 2013

Recommended for viewing Volker Schenk Photography: Choose “Slideshow” ...

Updated: Mar 22, 2013 11:24am PST

Ironman Los Cabos - Triathlon 2013 42km Running event : March 17, 2013 A Big Day for Cabo San Lucas and San Jose' del Cabos!

Ironman Los Cabos - Triathlon 2013 42km Running event

March 17, 2013 A Big Day for Cabo San Lucas and San Jose' del Cabos!

Updated: Mar 20, 2013 7:15pm PST

Nightshooter SIGMA 30mm 1.4 on NEX VG20 : 2 years ago w hen I tested the new SONY SLT DSLE I decided for the SIGMA 30mm f/1.4 as my standard lens, especially considering the video capabilities of the A55. The A55 turned out, to be a really hot camera and greatly had me moving from NIKON (I waited just toooo long for the D800) to SONY. The hottest thing at the A55 however was the sensor, the camera turned out, to be UNUSABLE for serious video, as the sensor overheated. The combination A55 / 30mm f1.4 was excellent, and it was one of the few lenses staying in my bag for 2012, and will be there in 2013 as well, as the results on the A65 are even better.. My NEX VG20 (Kind of replacement/addition of the disappointing NEX 6) arrived ( Body only 1090.00 vs 998.00 for the NEX 6 with the NEX-like 16-50mm, I hated to return this lens, as it fits the NEX so well). I like 24-70/76mm as a standard zoom, f/2.8 required, shot it on CANON 1D as well on the D700. (Each of those prolike 24-70mm 2.8 rigs is about 3-4 times the weight of a NEX with the collapsible 16-50mm zoom) I got the 16-50mm APSC tailored SONY A 16-50mm to shoot it on my system, however, that was a not expected disappointment. Testing and disapproving this lens on the A65, I ran it on the NEX VG20 with LA-EA2, and finally - before it goes back to the dealer - this lens could score heavily -> see "test" Anyway, almost every evening here waiting to get my chores done and get my equipment for Baja Trip III - I take cameras with me shooting night videos to get an idea about the video capabilities; thus this evening I put the SIGMA 30-> 46mm f/1.4 on the VG20 and started. First, on my way, I took some stills with the same excellent results like using a NEX 5n 1 week ago. I haven't looked at the videos yet, just too much to do, and I also want to compare videos and ease of taking videos before... While the SONY A 16-50mm 2.8 was blazzzzing fast using the LA-EA2, the SIGMA did not want to communicate on all channels and refused AF, no problem; however my experience over the years is, that SIGMA is always behind Manufacturer/Tokina/Tamron adapting their electronics to the manufacturer, in this case SONY. I heard, there is a software update, however the lens has to go to SIGMA to probably get rechipped for free - let's see... The quintessence: 1.) While the 30mm 1.4 SIGMA renders (TOO) pleasantly warm colors (TOO warm IMO) at daylight, the colors delivered here are excellent (AWB) 2.) I love that 16MP sensor: BLACK is BLACK and stays so for higher ISO; I use a 1.4 lens to keep ISO moderate and do all nightshots handheld; All shots of the Juncalito Century moon were shot handheld (with a beercan @ 210-> 320mm f/4) while I needed a tripod for the D700 shots with the 300mm f/2.8.

Nightshooter SIGMA 30mm 1.4 on NEX VG20

2 years ago w hen I tested the new SONY SLT DSLE I decided for the SIG ...

Updated: Mar 20, 2013 5:45pm PST

30 -> 46mm Comparison on SONY 24MP sensor : Recommended for viewing Volker Schenk Photography: Choose “Slideshow” from the very right upper corner of the menu bar, this gives you a SLIDESHOW in FULLSCREEN. You can select the speed on the left. If you want to get EXIF data, select any other mode in “Style”, -> click photo, -> “Show details” -> Info

30 -> 46mm Comparison on SONY 24MP sensor

Recommended for viewing Volker Schenk Photography: Choose “Slideshow” ...

Updated: Mar 20, 2013 5:25pm PST

Nature's Beauty Prints :

Nature's Beauty Prints

Updated: Mar 16, 2013 6:23pm PST

NEX SIGMA 19mm 2.8 / 30mm 2.8 / 30mm 1.4 / 24mm 1.4 Comparison : B&H sent me the new SIGMA 19mm & 30mm NEX E-mount primes, I got the 19mm on 5n and the 30mm on NEX 7. Both are f/2.8. I shoot the same A-mount lenses with the adapters on NEXes as on A65. I also wanted to see, how my 3 f/1.4 lenses compare: 24-72mm Schneider on the EX2, 24mm Samyang & 30mm SIGMA. The first 5 photos show pictures from the EX2 at 24mm 1.4 and 50mm 2.4. Not bad for such a little camera-sensor. Following are 8 pictures with the 24mm 1.4 Samyang at 1.4The next photos are with the NEX 5n, the only camera I dare to shoot on ISO 3200! Recommended for viewing Volker Schenk Photography: Choose “Slideshow” from the very right upper corner of the menu bar, this gives you a SLIDESHOW in FULLSCREEN. You can select the speed on the left. If you want to get EXIF data, select any other mode in “Style”, -> click photo, -> “Show details” -> Info

NEX SIGMA 19mm 2.8 / 30mm 2.8 / 30mm 1.4 / 24mm 1.4 Comparison

B&H sent me the new SIGMA 19mm & 30mm NEX E-mount primes, I got the 19 ...

Updated: Mar 15, 2013 5:53pm PST

Istanbul to San Jose' del Cabos :

Istanbul to San Jose' del Cabos

Updated: Mar 13, 2013 2:51pm PST

Mercado Organico San Jose del Cabo : Recommended for viewing Volker Schenk Photography: Choose “Slideshow” from the very right upper corner of the menu bar, this gives you a SLIDESHOW in FULLSCREEN. You can select the speed on the left. If you want to get EXIF data, select any other mode in “Style”, -> click photo, -> “Show details” -> Info

Mercado Organico San Jose del Cabo

Recommended for viewing Volker Schenk Photography: Choose “Slideshow” ...

Updated: Mar 11, 2013 11:12pm PST

Birds :

Birds

Updated: Mar 11, 2013 7:04pm PST

Daily Blog from Munich 2013 : Recommended for viewing Volker Schenk Photography: Choose “Slideshow” from the very right upper corner of the menu bar, this gives you a SLIDESHOW in FULLSCREEN. You can select the speed on the left. If you want to get EXIF data, select any other mode in “Style”, -> click photo, -> “Show details” -> Info

Daily Blog from Munich 2013

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Updated: Feb 27, 2013 5:53pm PST

Samsung EX-2 La Paz & andere : With a superfast German Schneider Kreuznach lens this little gem shines: 24mm f/1.4 - 70mm 2.7 35mm equivalent. A streetprice of 380$ (B&H per Jan 2013) is acceptable. To better understand, WHAT I am talking about: I shoot NEX, since this fine camera was on the market, presently a NEX 5n (the NEXiest of the NEXes) and NEX 7 I shoot on APSC SONY f/1.4 lenses: SIGMA 30mm, ROKINON 24mm, MINOLTA 85mm Besides one main point, their excellent 24.3 & 16 MP APSC sensors, the EX-2 has some major advantages over the NEXes: - WiFi that actually works (I had to return my NEX 6 for that reason) - A HiQ MagAl housing - A better, simpler and less confusing Menu with dedicated wheels and buttons - A better AMOLED screen - A protected screen folding against the back - A fully articulated screen, compared to the flimsy NEX screens - A completely SILENT shutter - you can shoot in stealth mode with silent shutter "around the corner" looking in a different direction than your lens points. - The NEX body is - despite its way larger sensor - considerably smaller than the EX-2 body; however having a 16-48mm 24-72mm 2.8 equivilent on the NEX means carring a lens double the size/weight of the NEX around! And yet, Pros are still waiting for this lens for the NEX 7....! I took the EX-2 on a night shooting around the busy streets of LaPaz, (see also my f/1.4 comparison)- easy to carry and hide and make really low light shooting and red light milieu videos..(In the f/1.4 comparison I had the 24mm on A65 and the 30mm on NEX 7, later with the LA-EA1, both big rigs - in mirrorless or SLT terms Only at total darkness with punctual light sources like "modern" headlights directly into the lens, the SONY rigs were - considerably - better! While the beautiful statue of the Sirena and the Dolphin were my favorite objects in La Paz, I tried the same artwork on the EX-2 shots with similar success..... As the NX20, the EX-2 is an underrated SAMSUNG product. DP review seems to bypass those products, and many "reviewers" just seem to modify "results" of the "main" and most visited site. While Richard Butler certainly is one of the best reviewers around, do not forget, that DP Review is Amazon owned! Recommended for viewing Volker Schenk Photography: Choose “Slideshow” from the very right upper corner of the menu bar, this gives you a SLIDESHOW in FULLSCREEN. You can select the speed on the left. If you want to get EXIF data, select any other mode in “Style”, -> click photo, -> “Show details” -> Info

Samsung EX-2 La Paz & andere

With a superfast German Schneider Kreuznach lens this little gem shine ...

Updated: Feb 24, 2013 12:40pm PST

Recommended for viewing Volker Schenk Photography: Choose “Slideshow” from the very right upper corner of the menu bar, this gives you a SLIDESHOW in FULLSCREEN. You can select the speed on the left. If you want to get EXIF data, select any other mode : Der Dom St. Maria und St. Korbinian in Freising – oft verkürzt und inoffiziell auch Mariendom genannt – war Kathedralkirche und Bischofssitz des früheren Bistums Freising, bevor das Bistum 1821 als Erzbistum München und Freising nach München verlegt und der Liebfrauendom zur Kathedrale erhoben wurde. Auf Betreiben des früheren Erzbischofs von München und Freising Joseph Kardinal Ratzinger, des heutigen Papstes Benedikt XVI., hat er den Rang einer Konkathedrale. Hier finden die Priesterweihen des heutigen Erzbistums statt. Der zweite Patron der Kirche, der Heilige Korbinian, ist auch gleichzeitig der Schutzpatron der Stadt Freising und des Erzbistums München und Freising (Von WIKIPEDIA). Falls interessiert, lesen Sie hier weiter: http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freisinger_Dom Das ist fuerwahr ein ungewoehnlicher Dom: Die Freundlichkeit und Lebensfrohe des Bayerischen Barock von den Gebruedern ASAM meisterhaft in ein Romanisches Kirchenschiff implementiert, eine Dimension, die die original Rokkoko/Barock-Kirchen Bayerns bei weitem sprengt. Dies ist die Kirche, die mich soweit am staerksten beeindruckt hat, und ich habe viele Kirchen in meinem Leben gesehen und fotografiert; allein 3 Jahre habe ich "mein Kloster", das Klosterrichterhaus in Frauenzell bei Regensburg vor mehr als 30 Jahren renoviert und fast taeglich die angrenzende Asamkirche besucht, in Mexico habe ich auf den Spuren meines Freundes Padre Francisco ("The Lost Treasures of Baja California) alle Kirchen in Baja California - angefangen mit der ersten Gruendung der Jesuiten in Loreto - fotografiert, jedoch eine auf so freundliche Weise beeindruckende Kirche habe ich noch nicht gefunden, und beim Besuch der Papst Ausstellung am Domberg hier in Freising (Siehe separate Gallerie) konnte ich feststellen, dass der ehemalige Bundespraesident Theodor Heuss gleichermassen beeindruckt war. Hier ein paar Bildchen schnell vor meiner Rueckreise mit S2 nach Muenchen in der zur verfuegung stehenden Zeit von 70 Minuten geschossen - entschuldigen Sie die Qualitaet. Recommended for viewing Volker Schenk Photography: Choose “Slideshow” from the very right upper corner of the menu bar, this gives you a SLIDESHOW in FULLSCREEN. You can select the speed on the left. If you want to get EXIF data, select any other mode in “Style”, -> click photo, -> “Show details” -> Info

Recommended for viewing Volker Schenk Photography: Choose “Slideshow” from the very right upper corner of the menu bar, this gives you a SLIDESHOW in FULLSCREEN. You can select the speed on the left. If you want to get EXIF data, select any other mode

Der Dom St. Maria und St. Korbinian in Freising – oft verkürzt und ino ...

Updated: Feb 16, 2013 10:27am PST

Papst Benedikt XVI 19.04. 2005 - 28.2.2013 20:00 : Als ich den weissen Rauch bei meinem Rundgang am Freisinger Domberg aufsteigen sah, dachte ich unwillkuerlich an Joseph Ratzinger, der mir als Papst Benedikt XVI in Mexico taeglich ueber den Weg laeuft - nicht wissend, dass hier am Domberg eine Ausstellung ueber "unseren" Papst Benedikt XVI in der Bibliothek stattfand. Ich machte - vorwiegend fuer mich selbst - ich "studiere" Gesichter und benutze mein eigenes Fotomaterial dazu - einige Aufnahmen innerhalb dieser Ausstellung, dies sind also NICHT meine Fotos, sondern eine Wiedergabe dessen, was ich in der Ausstellung vorfand. Es waere wohl nie zu dieser Gallerie gekommen, haette ich nicht am Montag, den 11. Oktober begonnen, das Bildmaterial von Freising aufzuarbeiten, waehrend die Meldung vom ueberraschenden Ruecktritt des Papstes "hereinplatzte", dies gab dem Ganzen natuerlich eine andere Dimension. Zu erst einmal Gratulation an Papst Benedikt zu diesem Schritt, waehrend er noch "Im Vollbewusstsein seiner geistigen Kraefte" ist, um diesen Ausdruck zu gebrauchen. Es scheint ihm allerdings nicht allzu schwer gefallen sein, er wollte schon nicht in seiner Position bei seinem Vorgaenger im Vatikan sein, geschweige denn Papst werden. Gnadenlos haben ihn dann die gewieften Kardinaele zum Papst gewaehlt, wissend, dass sie von allzuviel Reformen geschont bleiben.... Diese Reformen sind aber dringend noetig, um den Fortbestand der Kirche und damit die fuer unsere Gesellschaft grundlegenden Werte zu sichern. Ich bin humanistisch erzogen und sehe diese Werte grundlegend fuer die Staerke unseres "Europaeischen Abendlandes". (Ebenso - mit dem Niedergang der USA - sollte unser "Europaeisches Abendland" von den USA als Schutzmacht abruecken und sich seiner eigenen Staerke bewusst werden) Ich sehe in Europa und besonders in Deutschland wunderschoene - und geisterhaft leere - Kirchen, waehrend in der 3. Welt und Laendern wie Mexico und Polen z.B alle Kirchen, ob armselig oder besser ausgestattet - gut besucht sind. (Ein Schluesselerlebnis war der Besuch der Michaelskirche ( Von Jesuiten erbaut wie die ersten Spanischen Missionen in Baja California: Googlen Sie: wikipedia St.Michael München ) in der hochfrequentierten Neuhauserstr. - Muenchens Einkaufszeile - Waehrend draussen der Consumentenstrom mit einer Frequenz von 10 000 consumenten/h vorbeistroemte, war gerade eine Besucherin im Gotteshaus - es gab halt nichts einzukaufen hier ;-). Ein bizarrer Kontrast, machen Sie selbst den Test, wenn Sie das naechste Mal in der Fussgaengerzone sind! Waehrend in den USA ein hoher Anteil von tief glaeubigen Menschen ist, kommt eine Tendenz von dort, die ich "Die Amerikanische Krankheit" (The American Greed) nenne, welche die Werte in unserer Gesellschaft ebenfalls verschiebt, zu Ungunsten bestehender Werte wie Familie, Ehrlichkeit und Aufrichtigkeit, Freundschaft etc. Natuerlich ist man stolz, einem Freund in Mexico erklaeren zu koennen, wie nah am Wohnort des Papstes man in Oberbayern (Schliersee) aufgewachsen ist, dies kann aber nicht von den Notwendigkeiten ablenken: Die Kirche ist dabei, die Jugend zu verlieren, und es ist fuer einen Neuen Papst erforderlich, sie zurueckzuerobern. Quo vadis, Papa? Nun, das wird unter den Gegebenheiten genausowenig eintreten, wie unter Benedikt XVI. Vielleicht werden die in immer kuerzeren Abstaenden auftretenden und immer hoeher ausschwingenden Wirtschaftskrisen letztendlich dazu beitragen, dass sich mehr Menschen auf wahre Werte besinnen....eine Renaissance des "wahren" Christentums? Ich selbst bin ein protestantisches Ueberbleibsel Preussischer Zuwanderer ( Mein Grossvater war ein frueher Erbauer eines grossen Ferienhauses in Neuhaus/Schliersee in 1936, (was seine finanzielle Position als Versicherer des Russischen Pelzhandels in Berlin erlaubte) Die Familie blieb durch und nach dem Krieg hier, zusammen mit vielen NS Groessen. Nach dem Krieg entdeckten Sterne und Stars des aufstrebenden Deutschen Films diesen malerischen Ort, sowohl Curd Juergens als auch Romy Schneider hatten hier Haeuser, wir Jungs kannten all die "ins". Meine Beziehung zu der 95%igen katholischen Mehrheit hier war blendend, der damalige Kalpan Ernst Zollbrecht gab mit seiner Stimme den Ausschlag, dass ich als 13-jaehriger einen Fotowettbewerb des Kulturkreises gewinnen konnte, was allerdings zu Unstimmigkeiten innerhalb der Glaubensgemeinschaft fuehrte! ;-)) Allerdings erfuellte die Kirche nicht die strengen Anforderungen, die ein rebellierender Student an seine Glaubensgemeinschaft richtet; ich trat aus der Kirche aus. In den USA stehen an jeder Baustelle Schilder: Fines double in Traffic Zones, und solche Gesetze muessten auch fuer Priester gelten, die sich an Schutzbefohlenen vergehen. Das mag fuer ein schlechtes Verhaeltnis zur Kirche deuten, jedoch mein Verhaeltnis zu Gott ist hervorragend; Ein Gott fuer alle Lebewesen auf dieser Welt - Kein Machtkampf um die zahlende Seele! i Es sind in letzter Zeit viele Berichte ueber "unsern" Papst Benedikt XVI erschienen, den besten Ueberblick erhalten Sie hier (SEHR lesenswert): http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benedikt_XVI. Recommended for viewing Volker Schenk Photography: Choose “Slideshow” from the very right upper corner of the menu bar, this gives you a SLIDESHOW in FULLSCREEN. You can select the speed on the left. If you want to get EXIF data, select any other mode in “Style”, -> click photo, -> “Show details” -> Info edit

Papst Benedikt XVI 19.04. 2005 - 28.2.2013 20:00

Als ich den weissen Rauch bei meinem Rundgang am Freisinger Domberg au ...

Updated: Feb 16, 2013 3:05am PST

Freising, Oberbayern, Germany : Am 7.Februar stand eine Operation an fuer mich im Kreiskrankenhaus Freising bei Dr Zeller; zur "Begutachtung" des Patienten musste ich am Vortag mich dort vorstellen. Es war der erste schoene Tag nach Schneefall ueber Nacht, und ich nahm meine beiden "kleinen" Kameras mit, die SAMSUNG EX-2 24-70mm & meine altbewaehrte NEX-7 mit dem 16 -> 24mm f/2.8 Objektiv, so war ich gut geruestet fuer alle Eventualitaeten. Meine S-Bahn (S2) kam um 10:45h - nach gut 30km ueber verschneite Ackerlandschaft - in Freising an, und ich nutzte den Weg zum Kreiskrankenhaus, die Eidruecke entlang des Weges festzuhalten. ...Der erste Eindruck ist der beste....sagt man bei Menschen, und das gleiche trifft fuer Orte zu. Es war Zuneigung auf den ersten Blick, und ich wundere mich, dass ich nie frueher Kontakt mit Freising hatte, nicht waeheren meines Studiums in Muenchen, und nicht waehrend ich "mein" Kloster in Frauenzell bei Regensburg renovierte; es solte mir wohl als einzige Stadt im Oberbayrischen fuer mein Alter vorbehalten bleiben.... Natuerlich nahm ich zur Operation am naechsten Tag die Kameras wieder mit, zu viel, was da auf den Sensor gebannt werden sollte; sodann bei meiner Entlassung 2 Tage spaeter bekam ich von Schwester Mechthild die Empfehlung, den Mariendom auf dem Klosterberg zu besuchen, was einer gesonderten Gallerie vorbehalten bleibt. Es waren 3 angenehme Tage in Freising, und ich darf mich an dieser Stelle bei Herrn Dr Zeller und dem hervorragenden Personal recht herzlich bedanken: moegen sie die Bilder “Ihrer” Stadt als kleines Dankeschoen annehmen! Freising (früher Frigisinga, Frisinga, Freisingen, Freysing, lateinisch: Frisinga) ist eine Große Kreisstadt undUniversitätsstadt in Bayern. Sie liegt an der Isar ungefähr 30 Kilometer nördlich von München. Die Stadt war Herzogssitz im ersten bairischen Stammesherzogtum (ab 555 n. Chr.) und erlangte als frühmittelalterlicherBischofssitz (seit 739) und später als Zentrum des Hochstifts Freising große Bedeutung. Mit dem Aufstieg Münchens und der Säkularisation verlor die Stadt an Bedeutung. Heute ist Freising Verwaltungssitz des gleichnamigen Landkreises Freising und nach München, Ingolstadt und Rosenheim die viertgrößte Stadt imRegierungsbezirk Oberbayern. Freising ist die zweitgrößte Stadt in der Region München und im noch laufenden Landesentwicklungsprogramm (LEP) als mögliches Oberzentrum ausgewiesen. Im neuen LEP soll Freising neben München das zweite Oberzentrum werden. Rund um das ehemalige Kloster Weihenstephan liegen dasWissenschaftszentrum Weihenstephan der Technischen Universität München sowie die Hochschule Weihenstephan-Triesdorf. Direkt vor den Toren der Stadt im Erdinger Moos liegt der Flughafen München. (Aus Wikipedia) Falls interessiert, lesen Sie hier weiter: http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freising Recommended for viewing Volker Schenk Photography: Choose “Slideshow” from the very right upper corner of the menu bar, this gives you a SLIDESHOW in FULLSCREEN. You can select the speed on the left. If you want to get EXIF data, select any other mode in “Style”, -> click photo, -> “Show details” -> Info

Freising, Oberbayern, Germany

Am 7.Februar stand eine Operation an fuer mich im Kreiskrankenhaus Fre ...

Updated: Feb 12, 2013 8:46am PST

Snowflakes (EX-2) : Recommended for viewing Volker Schenk Photography: Choose “Slideshow” from the very right upper corner of the menu bar, this gives you a SLIDESHOW in FULLSCREEN. You can select the speed on the left. If you want to get EXIF data, select any other mode in “Style”, -> click photo, -> “Show details” -> Info

Snowflakes (EX-2)

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Updated: Feb 08, 2013 12:09pm PST

2013 San Diego San Jose del Cabo La Paz Loreto LA Istanbul Munich :

2013 San Diego San Jose del Cabo La Paz Loreto LA Istanbul Munich

Updated: Jan 26, 2013 1:13pm PST

Loreto - Where Time stands STILL! : Recommended for viewing Volker Schenk Photography: Choose “Slideshow” from the very right upper corner of the menu bar, this gives you a SLIDESHOW in FULLSCREEN. You can select the speed on the left. If you want to get EXIF data, select any other mode in “Style”, -> click photo, -> “Show details” -> Info My 3rd visit to Loreto. The clock at La Nuestra Senora de Loreto - the first Mission in Baja California from where Western Missionaries under the lead of the Spanish crown "Christianized" Baja California - shows the same time:10:40. For years now. Exact and consistent - maybe the only thing consistent here... "Yesterday I met a Tourist" could be a good statement. It is cold here, unusually cold. Normally, the heat slows down the town and makes it unlivable for "Westerners" from end of June to mid of September. I have a hard time, to edit my photos on a laptop, feels, like your entire body shuts down. The first rays of sun are welcome to "defrost". This year, you get a feeling of Apres' Ski - just from the cloth people wear, far apart from the elegance of a Ski Resort. It seems, every third business is for sale, many locales for rent. No, this town does not feel "right".... Many death recently. Motorization takes its toll, cars kill! On the positive side, the Malecon comes along nicely. When this economic crisis is over, maybe, Loreto is fit for the next upturn? They should handle this wisely. It seems, the periods between up and down become shorter and shorter. A new "restaurant" in town, a lady from Uruguay, very good pasta real Italian style. Get a Lasagne! Adorable kids on the streets. Some new friends... The

Loreto - Where Time stands STILL!

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Updated: Jan 25, 2013 2:22pm PST

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Festakt und Rasur

In einem Festakt der besonderen Art zelebrierte ich die Ernte der erst ...

Updated: Jan 20, 2013 11:54am PST

Kids : Some shots taken in the last couple of days caused me to create a KIDs Gallery. There is so much within a child's personality!

Kids

Some shots taken in the last couple of days caused me to create a KIDs ...

Updated: Jan 20, 2013 4:22am PST

MINOLTA Gems: Beercan & Secret Handshake; SONY WB issues : The church clock of the very first Mission in Loreto, Baja California Sur serves ideally for a comparison of those 2 MINOLTA heritage lenses. Both are shot at 135mm and at f/8. The 70-210mm "Beercan" is my faqvorite lens for many purposes, and I often prefer it over my 200mm 2.8 APO. The 28-135mm "Secret Handshake" is tested to be "sharper" than most Minolta comparable primes (!!)... As a byproduct, I could proof again, that the WB in SONY's A65 is far off, rendering an ugly too warm color in AWB (first and last shots), while daylight gives a more neutral color. WB was long time the only setting I left to the camera's brain (which worked perfectly with NIKON D300&D700), however leaving everything in a neutral setting, AWB just changes the colors unrealistic, if not sunrise/sunset.... Also, the Secret Handshake is a "Real" Macro, see the thorn. Also, to show the limits of a small sensor, a comparison with the Samsung EX-2. To make the "Test" more complex, I shoot the 200mm APO MINOLTA F/2.8 versus the Beercan at 200mm. I am always pleasantly surprised by the quality of the TAMRON 500 -> 750mm Mirror lens Recommended for viewing Volker Schenk Photography: Choose “Slideshow” from the very right upper corner of the menu bar, this gives you a SLIDESHOW in FULLSCREEN. You can select the speed on the left. If you want to get EXIF data, select any other mode in “Style”, -> click photo, -> “Show details” -> Info

MINOLTA Gems: Beercan & Secret Handshake; SONY WB issues

The church clock of the very first Mission in Loreto, Baja California ...

Updated: Jan 19, 2013 4:14pm PST

Where to stay in Loreto: Damiana Inn : While shooting alongside Hwy 101 and 1 following the Pacific Coast some Inns and Motels became my favorite stay, and I recommend them wholeheartedly to other travellors. My favorite Hotel in Loreto, BCS is The Damiana Inn run by Debora and Gerardo, the best hosts you can find here. I enjoyed room #3, where the photos are from. If you pay attention, you can see as many as 13 lenses on the bord! The rooms are embedded in a luscious garden, even the tower of the church looks better from this garden. Contact them early, they are often fully booked!

Where to stay in Loreto: Damiana Inn

While shooting alongside Hwy 101 and 1 following the Pacific Coast som ...

Updated: Jan 19, 2013 8:26am PST

San Jose del Cabo BCS : Recommended for viewing Volker Schenk Photography: Choose “Slideshow” from the very right upper corner of the menu bar, this gives you a SLIDESHOW in FULLSCREEN. You can select the speed on the left. If you want to get EXIF data, select any other mode in “Style”, -> click photo, -> “Show details” -> Info

San Jose del Cabo BCS

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Updated: Jan 17, 2013 11:04am PST

San Jose del Cabo to La Paz : It was a beautiful Sunday, when Patricia, her son Pato with his fiance' and Victor and Blancaescorted me from San Jose del Cabo to La Paz. Victor knows the area very well, and choose the route through Caduano Santiago San Bartolo San Antonio and El Triunfo Recommended for viewing Volker Schenk Photography: Choose “Slideshow” from the very right upper corner of the menu bar, this gives you a SLIDESHOW in FULLSCREEN. You can select the speed on the left. If you want to get EXIF data, select any other mode in “Style”, -> click photo, -> “Show details” -> Info

San Jose del Cabo to La Paz

It was a beautiful Sunday, when Patricia, her son Pato with his fiance ...

Updated: Jan 17, 2013 10:16am PST

La Paz : Recommended for viewing Volker Schenk Photography: Choose “Slideshow” from the very right upper corner of the menu bar, this gives you a SLIDESHOW in FULLSCREEN. You can select the speed on the left. If you want to get EXIF data, select any other mode in “Style”, -> click photo, -> “Show details” -> Info

La Paz

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Updated: Jan 17, 2013 2:14am PST

F/1.4 Comparison SAMSUNG EX-2 VS NEX / 30mm SIGMA : To understand better, why I made this little test, first have a look at my 2013 equipment: Lens first, that is my motto in photography. I strongly advise, to invest in good glass, it will be an investment for 10-20 years, many of the MINOLTA lenses I use are over 20 years old! Cameras: SONY A65 (Main, the additional features of the A77 are not worth the price difference - IMO) SONY NEX 7 SONY NEX 5n (The nexiest of the NEXes) NEX lenses: f/2.8 16mm -> 24mm (My main NEX lens) f/2.8 12mm -> 18mm Wide Angle Converter f/2.8 19mm -> 30mm SIGMA Wideangle f/2.8 30mm -> 46mm SIGMA Normal f/3.5/ 18 -> 28mm - f/5.6/55 -> 84mm (I barely use it, being not a friend of slower than f/2.8, it performs better than other Kit zooms and comes close to the Panasonic) SONY adapters LA-EA1 and LA-EA2 to shoot the following lenses on Both, E-mount NEX and A-mount alpha A65: F/2.8 20-35mm -> 30-53mm TOKINA AT-X PRO (77) F/2.8 24 -> 36mm MINOLTA F/1.4 24 -> 36mm ROKINON (manual, excellent) F/1.4 30 -> 46mm SIGMA (APSC only) F/4 / 28 -> 53mm - 4.5/135 -> 205mm MINOLTA "Secret Handshake" F/4 70 -> 105mm - 210 - 315mm MINOLTA "Beercan" F/2.8 200 -> 300mm APO MINOLTA F/4 100 -> 150mm - 300 -> 450mm TOKINA AT-X Pro (Which I sell, just too heavy for frequent traveling) F/8 500 -> 760mm TAMRON Mirror ( my favorite Wildlife Hiking lens ) SAMSUNG EX-2 F/1.4 24 - F/ 2.7 70mm (The EX-1 was my "camera of the year" 2012) I was quite impressed by the properties off the EX-1 last year and bought its successor in 2013, to have a quality companion especially for night shots. Price is essential for judging a camera, and for 380$ - as my "24mm f/1.4 "lens", the price was right. The EX-2 has many features which I prefer over the NEX series und is well underrated by "reviewers". A comparison between the 2 later, now just for the performance at f/1.4 during night shots. I had a 30mm 1.4 SIGMA with a LA-EA2 connected to my NEX 7. The SAMSUNG files have 1 SAM XXXX and a time print on them. IMO, the 390$ combi stood up quite well versus the 1800$ rig; ISO was set to 1600 on both cameras. Recommended for viewing Volker Schenk Photography: Choose “Slideshow” from the very right upper corner of the menu bar, this gives you a SLIDESHOW in FULLSCREEN. You can select the speed on the left. If you want to get EXIF data, select any other mode in “Style”, -> click photo, -> “Show details” -> Info

F/1.4 Comparison SAMSUNG EX-2 VS NEX / 30mm SIGMA

To understand better, why I made this little test, first have a look a ...

Updated: Jan 15, 2013 6:57pm PST

La Paz to Loreto : Recommended for viewing Volker Schenk Photography: Choose “Slideshow” from the very right upper corner of the menu bar, this gives you a SLIDESHOW in FULLSCREEN. You can select the speed on the left. If you want to get EXIF data, select any other mode in “Style”, -> click photo, -> “Show details” -> Info

La Paz to Loreto

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Updated: Jan 15, 2013 3:46pm PST

NEX 5n SIGMA 19mm 2.8 Artwork: Postcards Baja California : Recommended for viewing Volker Schenk Photography: Choose “Slideshow” from the very right upper corner of the menu bar, this gives you a SLIDESHOW in FULLSCREEN. You can select the speed on the left. If you want to get EXIF data, select any other mode in “Style”, -> click photo, -> “Show details” -> Info

NEX 5n SIGMA 19mm 2.8 Artwork: Postcards Baja California

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Updated: Jan 12, 2013 8:13pm PST

La sirena y el delfín - Sculptures La Paz Malecon : Recommended for viewing Volker Schenk Photography: Choose “Slideshow” from the very right upper corner of the menu bar, this gives you a SLIDESHOW in FULLSCREEN. You can select the speed on the left. If you want to get EXIF data, select any other mode in “Style”, -> click photo, -> “Show details” -> Info

La sirena y el delfín - Sculptures La Paz Malecon

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Updated: Jan 12, 2013 8:00pm PST

SIGMA 19mm f/2.8 E-mount (on NEX 5n) : Recommended for viewing Volker Schenk Photography: Choose “Slideshow” from the very right upper corner of the menu bar, this gives you a SLIDESHOW in FULLSCREEN. You can select the speed on the left. If you want to get EXIF data, select any other mode in “Style”, -> click photo, -> “Show details” -> Info

SIGMA 19mm f/2.8 E-mount (on NEX 5n)

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Updated: Jan 09, 2013 5:36pm PST

People of Baja California : Recommended for viewing Volker Schenk Photography: Choose “Slideshow” from the very right upper corner of the menu bar, this gives you a SLIDESHOW in FULLSCREEN. You can select the speed on the left. If you want to get EXIF data, select any other mode in “Style”, -> click photo, -> “Show details” -> Info

People of Baja California

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Updated: Jan 09, 2013 3:50pm PST

Cardoncito (Shipwrecks) Arroyo with Ituri : Recommended for viewing Volker Schenk Photography: Choose “Slideshow” from the very right upper corner of the menu bar, this gives you a SLIDESHOW in FULLSCREEN. You can select the speed on the left. If you want to get EXIF data, select any other mode in “Style”, -> click photo, -> “Show details” -> Info

Cardoncito (Shipwrecks) Arroyo with Ituri

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Updated: Jan 09, 2013 3:02pm PST

My Portraits : Recommended for viewing Volker Schenk Photography: Choose “Slideshow” from the very right upper corner of the menu bar, this gives you a SLIDESHOW in FULLSCREEN. You can select the speed on the left. If you want to get EXIF data, select any other mode in “Style”, -> click photo, -> “Show details” -> Info

My Portraits

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Updated: Jan 07, 2013 9:48am PST

2012 Munich - Vancouver - San Diego to Baja California Sur : As I started the "Munich" blog with a photo of Vancouver, BC, while I was in Transition from Baja California, I will start my 2012 Baja California blog with the cityscape of Vancouver, BC. I had a recommendation from the German Consulate for a German/Canadian Lawyer, and while visiting, I recognized that marvellous view from his office. Fortunately, I had my little NEX-7 with the 16->24mm 2.8 lens with me! Vancouver, BC has a similar feeling to Munich, and this visit was just another confirmation: QUALITY OF LIVING! Later I added the photos from FRA Airport, my stroll through Vancouver adding an A65 with my 70-210mm Beercan ( a favourite for street photos) and my arrival in Salmon Arm! Recommended for viewing Volker Schenk Photography: Choose “Slideshow” from the very right upper corner of the menu bar, this gives you a SLIDESHOW in FULLSCREEN. You can select the speed on the left. If you want to get EXIF data, select any other mode in “Style”, -> click photo, -> “Show details” -> Info

2012 Munich - Vancouver - San Diego to Baja California Sur

As I started the "Munich" blog with a photo of Vancouver, BC, while I ...

Updated: Jan 07, 2013 8:10am PST

New Years Day 2013 SAMSUNG EX-2 :

New Years Day 2013 SAMSUNG EX-2

Updated: Jan 03, 2013 4:29pm PST

New Year - New Man SAMSUNG EX-2 :

New Year - New Man SAMSUNG EX-2

Updated: Jan 03, 2013 3:14pm PST

Nightshooter ROKINON 24mm 1.4 :

Nightshooter ROKINON 24mm 1.4

Updated: Dec 29, 2012 8:57pm PST

200mm APO 2.8 MINOLTA - : Today, 2 days before Christmas, I finally got my dream lens, the 200mm f/2.8 MINOLTA APO Minolta Maxxum AF High Speed 200mm f/2.8 APO G 200 mm Prime Lens. The best lens so far in the -200mm range is the MINOLTA 70-210mm f/4 "Beercan", a lens I swear by. Thus, I grabbed my Beercan, another legendary MINOLTA lens, the 35-105mm "Secret Handshake", a SIGMA 50-500mm f/4-6.3 "BIGMA" (old version, as SONY A has IIS, you don't really need the latest version, despite the fact, that it seems also upgraded in some other areas), SONY A65 and NEX 7 with a LA-EA2 and stuffed it into my electric Smart "Car2go" and went to Pacific Beach, an area quite nice, especially for doing some equipment tests. The BIGMA was intended for wildlife video, I never will shoot a lens with 6.3 in stills, oh, I am lying and forgot the 500mm TAMRON mirror tele, I also grabbed to compare with the SIGMA at the long end. The BIGMA lost, especially, as this version has to be upgraded and works in MF only, the 500mm f/8 is designed for MF and has a very nice finetuning via the focusing ring! Anyway, that was for the 200mm f/2.8, it is focusing ultra fast on A65 and on the NEX/LA-EA2, the difference in focus speed is marginal, both work very fast.... Now, here at the Beach is always something to shoot, I switched Beercan and 200mm between A65 and NEX-7 - and could not tell the difference, besides the fact that a beercan is 10x less expensive, you can grab a good copy for ~100$1 Of course, with more difficult shooting situations this will change in favor of a f/2.8 lens... I did night character shots using the MINOLTA 85mm 1.4 with very good results, but alltogether I do not favor the results with this lens, so im am eager to shoot it at night. Another all time favorite of mine is the TAMRON 180mm f/2.5 'Anniversary Edition" for its qualities and compactness, and I am surprised, the APO 200 is not bigger or heavier, despite the autofocus. OK, the pictures are low resolution JPEGS, I just do not have the time any more, to edit everything in RAW, and this is good enough for a first comparison! Recommended for viewing Volker Schenk Photography: Choose “Slideshow” from the very right upper corner of the menu bar, this gives you a SLIDESHOW in FULLSCREEN. You can select the speed on the left. If you want to get EXIF data, select any other mode in “Style”, -> click photo, -> “Show details” -> Info

200mm APO 2.8 MINOLTA -

Today, 2 days before Christmas, I finally got my dream lens, the 200mm ...

Updated: Dec 22, 2012 9:28pm PST

SONY A 16-50mm f/2.8 - Disappointing! : I just got an answer from a friend to my warning NOT TO BUY this mediocre lens: "I also thought, I found a lens for my video, the 16-50 SONY 2.8 Stay away, it is crap! Answer: What is wrong with it. I heard great things about it ..... So did I. The reviewers must be on SONY's payroll, I did not get such a mediocre lens in my hands for years. I started a test this morning and thought, I have a wrong lens shade on it, vignetting was that pronounced, see pictures. However, it is just the nature of this "lens". Some reviewers mentioned "slight" vignetting; as I am spoiled by using mainly 35mm glass on an APSC sensor, this lens is NOT ACCEPTABLE for me shooting stills, not even for a 100$. It fails similarly shooting video, what I selected it for, as the zoom ring is way too tight for smooth zooming. My recommendation for this lens: Just STAY AWAY! Update: Today this lens scored heavily using it at the VG20 with a LA-EA2 (Which my intended use) Autofocus is blazzzzing fast! While "Old School" photographers strictly use manual (follow) focus, SONY is up to something, which I will follow closely, they are not too far away to introduce video AF to pros, face detection goes "Follow Target' BRILLIANT! A pity that the China made lenses just lag behind, my verdict is still: NOT USABLE FOR VIDEO! Recommended for viewing Volker Schenk Photography: Choose “Slideshow” from the very right upper corner of the menu bar, this gives you a SLIDESHOW in FULLSCREEN. You can select the speed on the left. If you want to get EXIF data, select any other mode in “Style”, -> click photo, -> “Show details” -> Info

SONY A 16-50mm f/2.8 - Disappointing!

I just got an answer from a friend to my warning NOT TO BUY this medio ...

Updated: Dec 19, 2012 10:38pm PST

NEX 5n 6 7 compared - or, why 5 may be more than 7 : 2010 was an exiting year. Samsung (NX10) and SONY (NEX-3) both brought full featured DSLE with APSC sensors on the market. While the NX was the far better camera, SAMSUNG lacked the competence in Marketing what their engineers showed off in design. The NEX was the camera everyone talked about! I embraced the mirrorless system early and shot Olympus (for their built in IIS) and Panasonic m4/3rds from the beginning, compared them thoroughly versus each other (See "my G-spot") As everyone knows, I put "Lens First" and advise, to invest in good glass. "I don't care, which sensor I put on my lens" when I was asked, "which brand to choose" Looking at the 70-210mm zooms attached to the NEX sensors, you understand, what I meant ;-) I try to explain, why the mirrorless system is the system of the future, a technical aspect I did not read of anywhere: Ever wondered about the fame of Leica and Zeiss G lenses? Now, that has to be looked into further: Actually, the Leica and Zeiss RANGEFINDER lenses rocked. Leica R lenses for their SLRs just worked fine, not stellar! Why? Simple. If you design an optimal lens, it (the rear element) will have a certain distance from the film plane or the sensor, defined by design. In a rangefinder or mirrorless camera this design can be realized, not so in a SLR or DSLR: The "mirrorbox" adds some distance, and the optimal lens design is compromised. I expect many great lenses in the future, especially with Full Frame E-mount cameras like SONY's NEX VG900. SONY exercised a good example already with the exiting RX1, which however should have a 24mm lens as basics and not a 35mm. Sony's sensor is that good, that you easily get a 34mm + 48mm shooter out of it and thus have the 3 most important focal length....at least on this type of camera, you won't use it for wildlife anyway... A NEX-9 is on the horizon, with the APSC and m4/3 (Olympus OM-d EM-5) cameras becoming that good, the question is: Do we really need FF digital cameras? Receiving the all new NEX 6 gave me an opportunity, to compare the latest NEX derivates. My favorite: Be surprised, it is the NEX 5n! Why? Well, all the techspec aside, price is also a factor, especially in a time, where you have to exchange your bodies every 12-18 month, to shoot the latest equipment (One of the reasons, I decided for the A65 instead the A77 fo my main camera (I replaced NIKON D700 + D300 2011 with SONY A55 and NEX, after I shot them parallel for one season. NIKON just took too long to issue the D800, which I expected for PhotoKina 2010, and again looking at the pricepoint, I would prefer a D600 (~US$ 2000 body) with the SONY 24MP sensor versus any other 24MP FF on the market, INCLUDING THE A99) Why NEX 5n? Now, for 498.00 $ including the standard kit zoom, you can not get a better camera on the market. Hurry, to get one, SONY is sold out, some Retailers still have it per Dec 15, 2012! We best can see the differences of the SONY Trio from above: The best (I mean best fitting in size, not properties of course) lenses for the NEXes are: 16 -> 24mm pancake f/2.8 and the new 16-50 -> 24-75mm (Power!!)-Zoom, where SONY engineers even managed to squeeze OIS in, one of the reasons, I got the NEX-6. Another reason was the mode dial of the NEX-6, which seemed to make shooting more streamlined than with NEX5n or NEX-7. However, the main reason to purchase the NEX-6 was the wireless built in. Not for silly upload to silly "social networks", but for serious wildlife shooting (You could have the camera observing a nesting bird etc watching the action on your "smart"-phone or tablet, or do kid's portraits, and let them see themselves how they appear, and let them even press the shutter ;-)) While - again- Samsung were the first to introduce this system, and it worked perfectly between my Galaxy Tablet and the NX20, it did not work with the NEX-6, after every shot the wireless connection disconnected.... I do not know the reason, why, and I do not care; if a major company brings a product on the market, it should be working... The lens however worked fine and is the right NEX-like Standard zoom, and I believe, with some training, the powerzoom will be video usable, while I did not manage, to get smooth transitions... I am no fan of touch screens, however this is perfect on the NEX 5n, and I wonder, why SONY did not integrate it in the NEX-6? The most significant change is the implementation of a standard hot shoe. While this was welcome by the (new) user community, some (old) users shooting A and E system combined with a stock of expensive flashes etc might not like it.... The combination of phase detection and contrast AF is a nice feature, I tested the NEX-6 with E mount lenses and A-mount lenses using the LA-EA2, but I could not find in my superficial testing a difference between 6 and 5n/7, the autofocus on all 3 cameras is just excellent... Both 16 and 24MP sensors are top of the line, so are the processing engines. The 24MP sensor has more cropping power, thus the 16 -> 24mm 2.8 goes with my NEX-7; the 16MP sensor has better High ISO properties, however both sensor types are good enough, just use them according to their properties! The video release button was a terrible solution from the beginning of the NEX series, the "new location" on NEX-6 goes in the same line, not understandable for a camera, which otherwise has quite good layout, imagine, in a software "update" you now can disable the video button!! The NIKON - type shutter buttons on NEX 6,7 are intuitive and perfect, while for whatever reason the 5n has an on/off button additionally - would make more sense, to assign a video button on top of the body... Another design flaw are the eye cups for 6/7. I heard some users complain, theirs came off the NEX 7 and they had to replace it - I lost mine so fast, I even did not realize, it had one, or thought, I left it in the box at home, while shooting in Mexico Baja California. Besides coming off easily, it is hard and not very comfortable to the eye. I read in a review, the NEX 6 got a better eye cup, however it is exactly the same. Sony should offer a better eye cup, probably will come up soon from a Chinese supplier, as demand for replacement rises..... The 3 cameras have different hot/system shoes, which fit very well to each type of camera, for the BabyNEX is even a mike available, quite nice! The screens are of decent construction, but could be much better like the Samsung EX1/2, where they fold against the body, that the screen is protected against scratches from your car keys etcetera, while you carry it in your pocket. Also, the screens of both NEX-3 and NEX-7 seem to disintegrate under certain climatic conditions, I can not speak about the NEX-6, as I will not have it long enough to tell, it is on its way back to NEW YORK, and I will stick with either NEX-5n or NEX-7. I am leaning now more towards exploring video - I have to learn a lot - am exited about how the NEX VG20 will integrate in my system... I shot the VG10 2 weeks after it came out..... ... and for 2 weeks only, there was an article: Sony NEX 5N *vs* FS100 and NEX VG20 – hands on comparison ... www.eoshd.com/.../sony-nex-5n-versus-fs100-and-nex-vg20-...ShareSep 7, 2011 – http://www.vimeo.com/28731943 Full NEX 5N review here ... Well first of all let me tell you that the VG20 is an absolute piece of crap. This is a ... While I do not like the use of those words generally, in case of the VG10 I sometimes had this word in mind, but what I heard so far, it should work for me - within my system. More, when it is here..... Recommended for viewing Volker Schenk Photography: Choose “Slideshow” from the very right upper corner of the menu bar, this gives you a SLIDESHOW in FULLSCREEN. You can select the speed on the left. If you want to get EXIF data, select any other mode in “Style”, -> click photo, -> “Show details” -> Info

NEX 5n 6 7 compared - or, why 5 may be more than 7

2010 was an exiting year. Samsung (NX10) and SONY (NEX-3) both brought ...

Updated: Dec 16, 2012 10:30am PST

NEXessories : Since I came across the NEX 3 two years ago, I embraced the NEX system. Compared to "Systemcameras", this is actually the most complete System, "Reviewers " talking about a lack of lenses don't know, what they are talking about. I presently shoot from this system: E-mount NEX 7 / 16mm 2.8 NEX VG20 /18-55mm, Adapted 24mm KIRON 2.0, 28mm KIRON 2.0, ALL MINOLTA AF with LA-EA1/2 A-mount: A65 16-50mm ZeiSony 2.8, 24mm 2.8, 30mm 1.4, 28-135mm 3.5-4.5. 70-210 4, 50-500mm 4-6.3, 500mm TAMRON TELE Mirror 500mm 8 I was tempted getting a SONY RX100 as "always around" camera, however the NEX5/7 is a much better camera and is already part of my system and is not much bigger with the 16 -> 24mm 2.8. I also was tempted integrating the RX1 as my 35/50/70mm "lens", however I am quite happy now with having not too much gear ( It is amazing, how little people understand, and sure they do not get smarter reading "reviews" A big compliment to SONY, and I can see, there is at least ONE "REAL" photographer in the development team - anyway, the 3 most important focal length to shoot with a FF-Point&Shoot are 24 - 36 - 48 mm, not 35 - 50 - 70 mm as the RX1 delivers. ( I shoot 24mm 1.4 on A900 -> 36mm on A65/77, -> 48mm on OM-D EM-5 using ONE A-mount lens)) Many of my gear I developed myself. I absolutely hate having anything around my neck decreasing the bloodflow to my little brains, whether it is a tie or a camera. Testing the marvellous Samsung EX1 (24-70mm 1.8-, EX2 starts at 1.4 now!) last year, I created a "Beltclass" camera type. The device, you see here connects a small camera to your belt, not obtrusive and fast to shoot. As I shoot (way faster) often with 2 cameras instead changing lenses, I carry the A65 around the neck ;-) and one or 2 NEX(es) on the belt. While I switch from the NEX to the A65, I just let loose the NEX with the 16mm attached and switch to the A65/Beercan for street scenes, or if during a landscape shooting an animal appears... The Nex is secured to the beltclip with a yoyo....

NEXessories

Since I came across the NEX 3 two years ago, I embraced the NEX system ...

Updated: Dec 14, 2012 3:51pm PST

MINOLTA 28-135mm 4-4.5 "Secret Handshake" : Just received this lens. In Photography, I prefer primes. Doing video changes the game. Being a big fan of the "Beercan", the 70-210mm f/4 MINOLTA from 1986, I got this lens to give it a try. On my way to lunch today I could give it a first test. For colors and sharpness, I am quite pleased, seems promising for the purpose I want it. Let's see....

MINOLTA 28-135mm 4-4.5 "Secret Handshake"

Just received this lens. In Photography, I prefer primes. Doing video ...

Updated: Dec 08, 2012 11:12pm PST

Adapters for NEX and NEXt generation mirrorless cameras :

Adapters for NEX and NEXt generation mirrorless cameras

Updated: Nov 21, 2012 10:43am PST

TAMRON 28-105mm f/2.8 in 2 Flavors : An extraordinary chunk of Glass - if you design a 4x "Standard zoom" that covers the most useful range for a "Walkaround" lens, you have to use lots of glass ;-). This lens is huge, as contenders are, Zeiss, SIGMA, NIKON 24-70mm f/2.8 are huge as well, covering 35mm or Full Frame sensors. The SIGMA also uses 82mm Filters, which are quite expensive. I solved the problem, using multiple lenses with a 82mm Front element when shooting NIKON D700 & D300: This TAMRON in NI mount as well as the 500mm f/8 Mirror Lens, SIGMA 24-70mm and 20mm f/1.8. In the meantime I switched gear to SONY, as they provide the most promising concept, as well with their A-mount line, as with the revolutionary NEX System. The photos of the 2 lenses - taken with a GALAXY smart Tablet show the AF lens on an A65, where I took the single lens photos with the manual ADAPTALL-2 version mounted on. I can recommend both versions, if you find one, don't hesitate to buy it. They come up once in a while on eBay and are advertised similar to this ad: TAMRON 28-105mm F/2.8 ASPHERICAL INTERNAL FOCUS LD SP WITH HOOD & CAPS FOR MINOLTA MAXXUM AND SONY A rare lens from Tamron with a great medium to tele zoom range. The f/2.8 constant aperture makes this lens a unique and versatile zoom range. A great walk-around lens. Works perfectly on Sony/Minolta full frame film or digital cameras. A low light lens, it is great for portrait photography. • Lens is in mint condition with no wear on the body • Takes sharp pictures wide open at f/2.8 • Includes front and rear lens caps, lens hood, lens bag, and 82mm slim UV filter • All metal and glass…built like a tank. • Front and rear glass are clean with no scratches, fungus or mold. The • Made in Japan Product information: For photographers looking for a single-lens solution, the Tamron SP LD AF Aspherical zoom lens is ideal for their purposes. This Tamron Aspherical lens can be used for wide-angle as well as telephoto shots, as it has a focal length of 28mm to 105mm. The f/2.8 maximum aperture of this camera zoom lens enables you to shoot bright photos even in poor light conditions. With a 15 elements in 13 groups lens construction, the Tamron SP AF LD Aspherical lens corrects aberrations while capturing photos. The minimum focusing distance of 0.44 m of this Tamron aspherical lens enables the photographer to capture sharp photos, while standing close to the subject. The Tamron SP AF LD Aspherical lens accepts 82 mm filters that enable you to add different types of effects to the photographs. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 24-70 mm Full Frame lenses today - as of 2012 cost ~1500 US$. A lens like this manufactured today will probably exceed 2000.....

TAMRON 28-105mm f/2.8 in 2 Flavors

An extraordinary chunk of Glass - if you design a 4x "Standard zoom" t ...

Updated: Nov 11, 2012 12:35pm PST

Robson Square Variations Smart Photo Editor : Editing photos - lots of choices!! I was always shooting RAW&JPEG simutaneously: JPEGS lets you scroll through your photos swift. You can eliminate not wanted photos for further editing quickly. RAW renders the complete information of the shot. If you have a really good shot - or a really complicated one - you want to scratch the last bit of information out of the shot. SONY delivers its RAW Imaging converter as a standard with higher end cameras, the results are quite good. However starting a photo converting from RAW is a time consuming process. I had one photo shooting Munich in a beergarden, where enhancing a cloud of blue grey smoke did not succeed to my likings and got a trial version of "Smart Photo Editor. Using it, I became interested and hooked and got also some very good results from JPEG, so I eventuelly bought the full version for under 40$ - I never regreted this. Now I strolled one afternoon through Vancouver City Center and Waterfront visiting the German Consulate at World Trade Center. Vancouver's Architectural layout has lots to offer for a demanding photographer. Here I use one shot at Robson Square to show some options using Smart Photo Editor, hoping to help Fellow Photographers for their decision choosing a not complicated to use Editing Software.... The original shot with a 16 -> 24mm on SONY NEX-7 at the beginning. You can download a free trial and find many more....

Robson Square Variations Smart Photo Editor

Editing photos - lots of choices!! I was always shooting RAW&JPEG sim ...

Updated: Oct 08, 2012 12:54pm PST

Muenchen leuchtet - Daily Blog from Munich : I left Loreto International Airport June 22 Air Alaska had to fly in a Mechanic from La Paz airport, as the Bombardier - a Canadian airplane with the charm of an Afghanistan Troup Transporter - had a problem with the landing gear. After 3 h, the problem was solved, however, Mexican authorities had a problem with my German Passport, they corresponded with US immigration, as they thought I needed a visa to go through the US. Moreover, the already late plane filled with impatient passengers had to wait another 20min, until I got my passport - cleared! Arriving in LA in time to jump on my Vancouver flight at 8 PM, US customs just could not get enough checking my luggage. Finally, I made it! Arriving in Vancouver, BC, again customs took their time, to thoroughly examine my luggage - anyway, arrival was at midnight, my connecting flight with Air Transat departed 18h later.... ....which gave me enough time to pay Vancouver a short visit and check out the latest Olympus MD-5, which I - after a thorough inspection - intend to buy soon. The first thing after clearing customs was to go out and enjoy the rain on my skin - I had not experienced rain in 18 month! Since I visited Vancouver the last time, the shuttle by rail was connected to downtown, an interesting solution without a driver - all traffic is automaticly steered! Flying through the night, I had a very pleasant journey with Air Transat, so I could get out of Frankfurt Airport exactly at the scheduled time at 12:30 anh headed South picking an Intercity right at the Frankfurt Airport! Muenchen leuchtet was a very good movie by Helmut Dietl in the 80ties, and when I visited it after that long journey, seems like Munich is leuchtend above all other places in the world... one reason I will retire in the city, where I was born and studied. Suedeutsche Zeitung, the leading newspaper reflecting best Munich's sophisticated spirit, classifies Munich: .... München ist die bayerische Landeshauptstadt und eines der bedeutendsten kulturellen und wirtschaftlichen Zentren in Deutschland. Zu den wichtigsten historischen Gebäuden und Plätzen der Stadt München gehört der Marienplatz mit Neuem und Altem Rathaus, die Theatinerkirche, der Odeonsplatz sowie die Pinakotheken. Vom Großstadt-Trubel erholen sich die Münchner im Englischen Garten, dem größten Stadtpark Europas, und in den grünen Auen der Isar. Blog is closed October 1, 2012 Thank You, Munich, it was a GREAT time!

Muenchen leuchtet - Daily Blog from Munich

I left Loreto International Airport June 22 Air Alaska had to fly in ...

Updated: Sep 30, 2012 12:52pm PST

A Filmcrew visiting Baja California :

A Filmcrew visiting Baja California

Updated: Sep 30, 2012 2:14am PST

Lost and Found : Starting to clean 120 GB of SD, XD and CF - cards from last year I frequently come across files that are worth to look at them. This folder is, where you will see them....

Lost and Found

Starting to clean 120 GB of SD, XD and CF - cards from last year I fre ...

Updated: Sep 30, 2012 12:42am PST

Interesting Photos :

Interesting Photos

Updated: Sep 30, 2012 12:26am PST

A Rainy Day : Using BOB I visited an old friend in Tegernsee - BOB stands for Bayerische Oberlandbahn While speeding through Bavarian Oberland avoiding the stress and congestion of the "Autobahn" I admired the foresight of the Region to build up a modern railway system using the pre war tracks.... I attended "Volksschule" in Neuhaus am Schliersee from 1946 to 1952 and had to travel by train - steam locomotives - from Fischhausen-Neuhaus to attend "Oberrealschule" in Miesbach from 1952 to 1962. Nobody can imagine the difficulties of the after war travelling by railway, especially in the - at that time - strong winters. The track lead along west side of lake Schliersee on the fragile shoulder, and some times the entire track sunk down towards the lake. I even remember, that on some occasions we were transported in one single "Viehwagen" (Cattle wagon) due to the difficult conditions. Travel time was between 30 - 45 min, an ideal opportunity, to do your home work ;-)) An idea ripened, to do a video upon my return to Bavaria, and I took a couple of "test" shots... Now

A Rainy Day

Using BOB I visited an old friend in Tegernsee - BOB stands for Bayeri ...

Updated: Sep 30, 2012 12:02am PST

Oktoberfest 2012 - I Trachten Festzug : Lieber bayerisch sterben als kaiserlich verderben - auf den Spuren von Franz Marc und dem Schmied von Kochel.... Manche verstehen zwar bayrisch, Bayern verstehen sie deswegen noch lange nicht! Der Trachten- und Schützenzug wurde im Jahre 1835 zum ersten Mal zu Ehren der Silberhochzeit von König Ludwig I und Therese von Bayern abgehalten. Seit 1950 ist dieser Trachten und Schuetzenzug nun fester Bestandteil des Oktoberfestes. Jeweils am ersten Wiesn-Sonntag ziehen die Trachten- und Schützenvereine durch München zur Theresienwiese, etwa von 10:00 – mittags. Rund 9.500 Mitwirkende präsentieren eine Vielfalt von Trachten, Brauchtum und Volkstanz. Sie ziehen von der Maximilianstraße durch die Münchner Innenstadt zur Oktoberfestwiese. Die Bilder hier sind zwischen Karlsplatz Nord und Lenbachplatz entstanden. Viele deutsche Bundesländer sind mit Trachten- und Musikgruppen vertreten, ebenso wie Gäste aus Italien, Kroatien, Österreich, Polen, Schweiz. Festlich gekleidete Trachtler wechseln sich in bunter Folge mit Sport- und Gebirgsschützen, Musikkapellen, historischen Trachtengruppen, Spielmanns- und Fanfarenzügen und bunten Fahnenschwingern ab. Neben den Münchner Brauereien, die hier mit ihren prachtvollen Gespannen vertreten sind, machen mehr als 40 festlich geschmückte Festwägen und Kutschen diesen Zug einzigartig. Jede der Musikgruppen marschiert zu anderer Musik, eine imposante Erscheinung – optisch wie akkustisch. Ich war nur ca 1h hier fuer 100 Fotos und einige videoclips, die einen Eindruck der Musik wiedergeben koennen, Allerdings hatte ich auf der NEX-7 nur ein 24mm Weitwinkel, da ich nicht an video dachte und das Objektiv daheim blieb ;-(( Angeführt wird der Zug vom Münchner Kindl, dem Wahrzeichen der Stadt München.

Oktoberfest 2012 - I Trachten Festzug

Lieber bayerisch sterben als kaiserlich verderben - auf den Spuren von ...

Updated: Sep 29, 2012 10:33am PST

Portraits - Bavarian People :

Portraits - Bavarian People

Updated: Sep 29, 2012 2:43am PST

Photographers in Action : While I am taking pictures, I always glance at other photographers - amazing those expression of satisfaction in their faces...

Photographers in Action

While I am taking pictures, I always glance at other photographers - a ...

Updated: Sep 29, 2012 2:22am PST

Street Beauties : So much beauty in the world - beautiful people, not on magazines, on TV or movies. Right in the streetcar, in a cafe, restaurant, or coming right your way on a walkway! Beauty is a mirror of the soul, not a product of plastic surgeons and make up artists! Shooting a beauty on the "street" is as demanding as shooting a wildlife or action shot, you have to be quick! If you like street beauties, check my group "Street Beauties on google Panaramico: http://www.panoramio.com/group/20413

Street Beauties

So much beauty in the world - beautiful people, not on magazines, on T ...

Updated: Sep 29, 2012 1:30am PST

Oktoberfest 2012 Kinder- und Familientag : Dienstag, 24.09.2012. Familientag Kinder und Riesen auf der Wiesen... Anfahrt ueber U-4 Festwiese Hab's nur 1h ausgehalten...

Oktoberfest 2012 Kinder- und Familientag

Dienstag, 24.09.2012. Familientag Kinder und Riesen auf der Wiesen... ...

Updated: Sep 25, 2012 8:22pm PST

Rotwand-Letztbesteigung : Aktiv-im-Alter Dies war das Motto, unter dem wir uns zu meinem Geburtstag am 14.9. zum Film: "Und wenn wir alle zusammenziehen" getroffen hatten. Je nach Wetterlage hatte ich fuer Samstag oder Sonntag eine Begehung der Brecherspitze von Neuhaus, wo ich aufwuchs, geplant. Allerdings war dies wohl zu kurzfristig, als ich dann von meinem alten Freund Helmut Reinhard die Einladung bekam, ihm bei der Installation eines neuen Kamins am Alten Rotwandhaus - das jetzt seiner Studentenverbindung, dem Corps Palatia gehoert - zu helfen, habe ich dankend angenommen. Die Bilder erzaehlen die Geschichte.... Ich hoffe, wir koennen bald - vielleicht im Verein "Aktiv im Alter" eine - oder viele - aehnliche Wanderungen unternehmen!

Rotwand-Letztbesteigung

Aktiv-im-Alter Dies war das Motto, unter dem wir uns zu meinem Geburts ...

Updated: Sep 19, 2012 9:11am PST

password protected gallery

AKTIV im ALTER

Dies ist unsere "private" Webseite, nur zugaenglich mit Passwort:"Akti ...

Updated: Sep 15, 2012 2:02am PST

SONY NEX-7 & A65 Sensor : The Sensors of the NEX-7 & A77/65 are of outstanding Quality and is used for recording 100% of the image.. iI had a Zeiss Contax G 28mm on the NEX-7, when I saw that beautiful gal glancing at me. For street shooting, I prefer a 90mm Zeiss Contax G on an Olympus OM-D5. Crop 2 however did give me a similar result ;-))

SONY NEX-7 & A65 Sensor

The Sensors of the NEX-7 & A77/65 are of outstanding Quality and is us ...

Updated: Sep 13, 2012 12:34am PST

24mm - 450mm Vergleich / Comparison on same sensor : Taking photos on Koenigsplatz in Munich gave an ideal base to show the difference between a 16 ->24mm lens compared to a 300 -> 450mm shot from the same location using a 24.6 MP SONY sensor. When you look at that photo of the Glyptothek at Munich's Koenigsplatz, will you bet, that you can read the time on the lady's wrist watch in the group of 3 sitting at 18:30? You will loose the bet assuming, you can't! Photo #2 shows the 3 ladies taken with a 100-300mm TOKINA f/4 @300mm, not even a prime. Photo #3 shows a crop, you not only can read what is on the plastic bag, you also can read the time, it is 17:00 (5pm) corresponding with EXIF data: 16:59/17:00 SONY NEX-7 with 16mm f/2.8 @ f/5.6 (Still on West coast setting: 9+8 = 17:00) SONY A65 with 100-300mm TOKINA at f5.6 300mm

24mm - 450mm Vergleich / Comparison on same sensor

Taking photos on Koenigsplatz in Munich gave an ideal base to show the ...

Updated: Sep 12, 2012 8:38am PST

Smart Photo Editor : PHOTOS SHOW FILE NAMES: 1sp -> Smart photo editor from JPEG 1SPSR -> ....from converted SONY RAW file DC... -> SONY JPEG Original

Smart Photo Editor

PHOTOS SHOW FILE NAMES: 1sp -> Smart photo editor from JPEG 1SPSR -> . ...

Updated: Sep 09, 2012 7:53am PST

SIGMA SD15 : Especially for portraiture and my project "EYE" I was looking for a special camera which should render skin tones more naturally: The SIGMA SD1. To test the Foveon sensor, I acquired a new SD15 at Limal GmbH for 370 EUR, including a decent kit zoom. I took it together vwith my SONY NEX-7 and A65 to the Hellabrunn Tierpark to see, what it is capable of. For a 370 EU package this is reasonable, however I decided not to keep it, my SONY's do a great job!

SIGMA SD15

Especially for portraiture and my project "EYE" I was looking for a sp ...

Updated: Sep 07, 2012 2:56am PST

Franz v Stuck Villa: Terunobu Fujimori Walking Teahouse : The Stuck Villa Museum in Munich featured Japanese Architect Terunobu Fujimori until Sept 2012. "Showpiece was his "Walking Teahouse"... While I leave thoughts about his merits to your opinion, I found interesting information here how Franz von Stuck "produced" his portraits, read under Franz von Stuck's "Selbstbildnis", which I find a very descriptive characterisation; A picture tells more than a 1000 words, true today as well as 100 years ago!

Franz v Stuck Villa: Terunobu Fujimori Walking Teahouse

ISPO Munchen 2012 : The Munich ISPO is the largest sports goods exhibition in the world. I was particularily interested in the development of e-Bikes.

ISPO Munchen 2012

The Munich ISPO is the largest sports goods exhibition in the world. I ...

Updated: Aug 26, 2012 2:44am PST

Smart Photo Editor Lodenfrey Vogue :

Smart Photo Editor Lodenfrey Vogue

500$ - does this give me a decent Digital Camera? (Standard lenses on NEX7 and A77/65 : A 28mm lens turns into a 43mm lens on an APSC sensor, a 30mm into 46mm. I had to take some photos for eBay and took the chance, to shoot on: 1.SONY NEX-7 2. MINOLTA 7D 3. SONY A65 three "Standard" Lenses: A) Zeiss Contax G 28mm (Only on NEX7) B) MINOLTA MAXXUM 28mm f/2.8 C) SIGMA 30mm f1.4 As we see, the difference is not that dramatic. While I shoot the 600 $ SIGMA 30mm 1.4 as my standard on the A65, the 80 $ MINOLTA 28mm 2.8 renders the nicer colors. Also interesting, the 7 year old MINOLTA 7D keeps up quite well. The question is: How much money do I have to shell out for a decent equipment? Now, that always depends on, what you want to achieve. However, a 500 $ MINOLTA 7D (with 2 lenses) or one of the 2012 advanced 500$ cameras like Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX7, SONY Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 or the SAMSUNG EX2F (See my test of the predecessor, the EX1 (TL500) can do the trick. If you want to limit your spending to 500$, I recommend the MINOLTA, if you want to go Pro, one of the three, if you want to travel light! All shots at f/8 from JPEG.

500$ - does this give me a decent Digital Camera? (Standard lenses on NEX7 and A77/65

A 28mm lens turns into a 43mm lens on an APSC sensor, a 30mm into 46mm ...

Updated: Jul 20, 2012 1:13am PST

Mr. Quaile :

Mr. Quaile

Updated: Jul 15, 2012 11:21am PST

Window with a View - Daily Blog from Loreto Baja California Sur : I finally arrived at my winter domicile, the House of the Rising Sun, on the cliff in El Juncalito, in Baja California Sur, Mar de Cortez. Immediately I started the renovation, I had the huge cast iron doors covering the big windows redesigned, and yesterday the work was accomplished, just in time to enjoy the March Full Moon and the stunning Sun Rises. It was also time, to give my new equipment a thorough test. I replaced my NIKON D700 gear according to the extensive test last year with SONY DSLE A65 and NEX 7 and shoot identical lenses on the NEX 7 as on the A65, a good basis for comparisons. Additionally, on the NEX 7 I shoot the Carl Zeiss 28 -> 42mm f/2.8 Contax G lens, the Leica M mount Voigtlaender Nokton 40 ->60mm f/1.4 and the SONY 16 -> 24mm 2.8. Using the SONY adapter, I can shoot all Minolta Lenses I use on the A65 on the NEX 7, interesting for real comparison.

Window with a View - Daily Blog from Loreto Baja California Sur

I finally arrived at my winter domicile, the House of the Rising Sun, ...

Updated: Jul 15, 2012 7:02am PST

Loreto Morning with Beercan : ( I don't mean the beer bottle next to the Sunrise onlooker, the MINOLTA 70-210mm f/4 used for the entire series has the Nickname "Beercan"The Last May weekend I had business in Loreto and stayed for a couple of days. Saturday morning I had a chance, to shoot some impressions from the malecon and the little harbor there..... The orange light of the sun rise shows through all of those pictures. S U N R I S E The Gallery is "Loreto Morning". Those are all photos during sunrise. Thanks for the kind comments!

Loreto Morning with Beercan

( I don't mean the beer bottle next to the Sunrise onlooker, the MINO ...

Updated: Jul 15, 2012 6:52am PST

Colibri - Architekt und Baumeister :

Colibri - Architekt und Baumeister

Updated: Jul 11, 2012 9:26am PST

SONY A65 & NEX7 White Balance Issues : AWB - Auto White Balance is the only setting I leave to my camera's "brain" to decide. In the bright light and permanent blue skies I never experienced a problem, using AWB on the A65. However, when II was studying a German SONY pamphlet and went through my menue, I took a testshot on an overcast sky with the result of a distinct greeen color of the building. I repeated the shot set White Balance to "Cloudy sky) and got the right colors. Later I repeated the test with the NEX7 with a less obvious result. A side effect on the NEX7 are the tinted sides of the image, which happens occasionally. If you have similar experiences, just let me know!

SONY A65 & NEX7 White Balance Issues

AWB - Auto White Balance is the only setting I leave to my camera's "b ...

Updated: Jul 11, 2012 7:36am PST

Humming Tree : There is a huge, shade providing tree at my South entrance which I call 'THE HUMMING TREE" Just after sun rise, thousands of insects populate the tree, just like the wasp in the photo. It has beautiful yellow blossoms, which turn amber in the course of the day and fall off....

Humming Tree

There is a huge, shade providing tree at my South entrance which I cal ...

Updated: Jul 01, 2012 10:32am PST

Flutter-bye : Sitting at my little table overlooking the bay to the islands of Carmen and Mistiza and takinging some Mexican Cotta cheese, I saw a whole array of Butterflies playing.... No light any more, the sun was gone hours ago, dim pale light just before nightfall. However, I took the A65 with the 100-300mm Tokina AF and started shooting, especially, as this reminded me of a mating ceremony. As the light got darker, I switched to manual focus. Butterflies are very playful, so became I, mixing some colors into the fading scenery....

Flutter-bye

Sitting at my little table overlooking the bay to the islands of Carme ...

Updated: Jun 11, 2012 3:35pm PST

Hermit Crab - Einsiedler Krebs : Almost every time I return from the beach in the evening I stumble about a hermit crab. As I am a hermit myself, that caught my interest, here I examined one of those guys. No one got hurt:-)) Amazing that "apparatus" which allows the animal to entirely withdraw in that little houses. I can see many different dwellings of shells and snails and already thought of gluing a toothpick with a flag on top for identification. Might be funny to look at reminding knights in full armor at a tournament ;-))

Hermit Crab - Einsiedler Krebs

Almost every time I return from the beach in the evening I stumble abo ...

Updated: Jun 11, 2012 11:18am PST

Ligui Mar de Cortes : A short visit with Fabian from Juncalito to Lingui. An amazing landscape facing isla Danzante. While I was walking the beach I spotted a Great Blue Heron Towering on top of a tree. I only had a wideangle with me on the NEX7, so I had to approach carefully keeping out of the bird's escape distance and managed to position the camera, that the Great Blue Heron also was towering above Sierra La Giganta!

Ligui Mar de Cortes

A short visit with Fabian from Juncalito to Lingui. An amazing landsca ...

Updated: May 27, 2012 11:26am PST

500mm TAMRON SP Mirror F/8 : Examples, how to shoot Mirror lenses! A mirror lens has about a quarter of the weight of a conventional design. If you know, how to shoot it, you will get quite pleasing results! The out of focus areas do not dissolve nicely, the speckles distract from the photo Try always to shoot a Mirror lens versus a neutral background, you will have quite good results! i did NOT expect that picture quality of a mirror lens, and was quite pleased by the result. This photo was taken with a NIKON D300, and the excellent Viewfinder made accurate focusing possible at f/8. While I normally prefer a body image stabilized camera like an OLympus E510, E3, the brighter viewfinder of the D300 made shooting this (slow, f/8) lens on the D300 preferable. Image quality is so good, that I could detect a wasp attracted by the salmon stinky osprey on a distance of 1000m!

500mm TAMRON SP Mirror F/8

Examples, how to shoot Mirror lenses! A mirror lens has about a quarte ...

Updated: May 22, 2012 12:30pm PST

Last Year's equipment - Olympus E3 + TAMRON Mirror 500mm : I traded my E3 to a fellow photographer last year, however he did not get along with the equipment, so I am about to take it back. Included I had a 60-300mm TAMRON lens, which turns into a 120-600mm 35mm equivalent zoom with a nice Macro Function. I found, that the adapter was missing a spring - which I could replace with a homemade rubber part, and more importantly, that the Macro Function was blocked. I tested the camera briefly with the Olympus AF lenses to my satisfaction, and than took it with me to my favorite fish restaurant "Vista al Mar" where I had seen some Pelicanos hunting and a beautiful blue bird in the evening recently. The TAMRON 500mm reflex lens turns into a 1000mm Tele Gun; it worked as expected. Together with the Image Stabilization of the 4/3 and m4/3 (Not the E500!) Olympus family, this worked excellent for dolphin shots last year, and worked as well for my intended purpose.... I got an E5 after the E3 - a wonderful camera - however I wanted to slim down. My results with the E-P2 and the electronic viewfinder were good. For 2013, I am aiming at an OM-D E-M5, especially for street shooting and wildlife! On another occasion, I heard dolphins far out, too far to see them. I got quite a decent shot (About 30% are usable on this distance, due to the excellent viewfinder of the E3)

Last Year's equipment - Olympus E3 + TAMRON Mirror 500mm

I traded my E3 to a fellow photographer last year, however he did not ...

Updated: May 22, 2012 10:56am PST

Loreto Fest 2012 Hidden Yacht Club : May 4,5,6 the Hidden Yachtclub had its annually Loreto Fest, which was a great success - (I could count even 4 German guys there...) I used a NEX7 and an A65 with 2 1.4 lenses for the nightshots ( I dislike flash, because it freezes faces)... This is just the first part to start the gallery on the internet...Stay posted!

Loreto Fest 2012 Hidden Yacht Club

May 4,5,6 the Hidden Yachtclub had its annually Loreto Fest, which was ...

Updated: May 18, 2012 2:41pm PST

Contaflex Super BC : The Contaflex system had a very unique “Convertible” lens changing system: The base lens stayed with the camera being one unit with the Compur Shutter, while you could achieve different focal length via screwing in that lens you desired: • Zeiss Pro-Tessar 35/4 (49mm filters), later replaced by the Pro-Tessar 35/3.2 (60mm screw-over filters) • Zeiss Pro-Tessar 85/4 (60mm screw-over filters), later replaced by the Pro-Tessar 85/3.2 (60mm filters) • Zeiss Pro-Tessar 115/4 (67mm filters), closest focusing distance: approximately 2,95 meters Adapting this system to our new mirrorles cameras would make sense twofold: 1. The sensor is enclosed and stays clean 2. Weight and volume of your lenses will be small The Contaflex Super BC was introduced in 1965, and was a Super B with the selenium meter replaced by a CdS . It still had a black rectangle marked Zeiss Ikon on the front of the prism. It had a battery compartment at the bottom front, which you have to inspect very carefully upon buying an old one, many compartments are corroded! The Super BC and S could take the magazine backs, as well as the usual supplementary lenses. Both the Contaflex Super BC and S were sold in chrome or black; they were the only Contaflex models to be produced in black!

Contaflex Super BC

The Contaflex system had a very unique “Convertible” lens changing sys ...

Updated: May 10, 2012 11:14am PST

Frigatebirds - Flight Studies : Frigatebirds are Flight Machines - I doubt, whether you are able, to construct a flying machine by computer as perfect, as nature did. When you see a frigate bird, it appears just black in most cases, females have a white breast, and males a red spot, which extends in the mating period into a huge red sack to attrack the opposite gender. Males have a wingspan of up to 2.3 meters, however the entire body only weigs 300g! They got their name from Pirates' fregates, as they seem to appear from nowwhere and disappear to nowwhere. I tried to show the colors in the iridescent black using a SONY NEX7 in manual modus as well as an A65 in AF modus using a 100-300mm TOKINA and a 70-210mm MINOLTA "Beercan" on both...

Frigatebirds - Flight Studies

Frigatebirds are Flight Machines - I doubt, whether you are able, to c ...

Updated: May 05, 2012 6:41am PST

Cactus Flowers : ...Each one of the flowers only lasts for one day....

Cactus Flowers

...Each one of the flowers only lasts for one day....

Updated: May 04, 2012 10:11pm PST

Sea Gulls :

Sea Gulls

Updated: May 04, 2012 10:08pm PST

Sharing my Hammok: Tarantula : As big as a man's hand - poisonous, but obviously not as bad as commonly thought. Here in Baja California is a struggle for surviving, thus many critters bear poison or thorns like cactus or thornbushes or even poisonous stings like the very common sting ray.....

Sharing my Hammok: Tarantula

As big as a man's hand - poisonous, but obviously not as bad as common ...

Updated: May 04, 2012 9:58pm PST

Cliffhangers - Universidad de Loreto : Some Sundays a group of young women come out from Loreto University to enjoy the beach and climb the cliff. As I hang around on the cliff almost every day, I was curious and shot some photos....

Cliffhangers - Universidad de Loreto

Some Sundays a group of young women come out from Loreto University to ...

Updated: Apr 22, 2012 12:44pm PST

Das fruehe Ende einer Politischen Laufbahn oder Der Kugelfisch :

Das fruehe Ende einer Politischen Laufbahn oder Der Kugelfisch

Updated: Apr 21, 2012 12:53pm PST

Free Screensaver : This is my free devotion to the photo-community and to smugmug. I will put some of my best photos here, which you can download for free. (If you find an interesting photo, just drop me a suggestion!) I want this site continue to be a help for photographers choosing their gear and getting inspired. With 60 years of photographic experience, there is a good chance, that dad is dead one day. Please help the continuation of my smugmug site by choosing a free trial using code...., or make a donation. Thank you!

Free Screensaver

This is my free devotion to the photo-community and to smugmug. I will ...

Updated: Apr 21, 2012 12:23pm PST

Beauty of Minerals :

Beauty of Minerals

Updated: Apr 15, 2012 1:47pm PST

Juncalito Moon :

Juncalito Moon

Updated: Apr 07, 2012 10:33am PST

Nature's Beauty :

Nature's Beauty

Updated: Apr 05, 2012 4:38pm PST

SONY NEX 7 & A77 Heritage MINOLTA 7D :

SONY NEX 7 & A77 Heritage MINOLTA 7D

Updated: Apr 02, 2012 1:29pm PST

Vultures : UNESCO Loreto Marine Park.Bahía de Loreto National Park Jaques Custeau described the Sea of Cortez as ”Aquarium of the World” However. Also the shore life is impressive. Only 2 decades ago, this area was declared as a National Park and adopted by UNESCO The National Park is located in Baja California Sur state, in Loreto municipality, the total surface of the protected natural area is 206 581 hectare. Those birds are gathering every morning at the beach, from where Local Fisherman launch their little fishing boats. At sun rise, those birds are gathering at the beach, from where Local Fisherman launch their little fishing boats. I was lucky to be able to capture the scene before the sun got above the mountains of Isla Carmen. The little Island in front is Isla Mestiza, known only to locals...

Vultures

UNESCO Loreto Marine Park.Bahía de Loreto National Park Jaques Custeau ...

Updated: Mar 16, 2012 12:33pm PST

Colibris :

Colibris

Updated: Mar 03, 2012 2:20pm PST

Cannon Beach just found :

Cannon Beach just found

Updated: Mar 03, 2012 1:22pm PST

Birds Mar de Cortes :

Birds Mar de Cortes

Updated: Mar 03, 2012 1:15pm PST

First Days in Mexico 2011 - Accident :

First Days in Mexico 2011 - Accident

Updated: Mar 03, 2012 12:28pm PST

SONY A65 :

SONY A65

Updated: Mar 03, 2012 12:25pm PST

Noche Gitana - Gipsy Night in Loreto March 1st 2012 :

Noche Gitana - Gipsy Night in Loreto March 1st 2012

Updated: Mar 03, 2012 12:18pm PST

Tokina 100-300mm f4 AF A-mount : I switched from my 300mm f/2.8 4kg chunk to the TOKINA ATX AF 100-300mm f/4 - and did not regret it. Here heavy crops of my first test shots. I actually did NOT expect such an image quality from a zoom and searched the internet for results. Dyxum, a renowned website for SONY A shooters, rates this lens at 4.88 - the highest ever result for a tele zoom!) The first photo shows Chou-Chou, my humming companion, on the tip of a drill bit, dark light, heavily cropped. I got sold on this lens. SONY asks 5000$+ for a 80-200mm, a lens like this would probably cost close to 7000 if produced new by SONY or Zeiss. pity, TOKINA does not produce it any more, as it is built like a tank and also focusses extremely fast on Sony's new SLT generation like the A77 or A65, where I use it on.

Tokina 100-300mm f4 AF A-mount

I switched from my 300mm f/2.8 4kg chunk to the TOKINA ATX AF 100-300m ...

Updated: Mar 03, 2012 11:36am PST

Juncalito Moon :

Juncalito Moon

Updated: Mar 03, 2012 11:22am PST

Second trip to Baja California :

Second trip to Baja California

Updated: Feb 18, 2012 1:25pm PST

NEX-5n NEX-7 Quick Comparison : The SONY NEX 5n is the biggest achievement in the successful line of NEX cameras, until the NEX-7 hit the market only a week ago. I ordered 2 NEX-7 in July, just to be sure, I will get one for my Baja California Shooting journey in February 2012. I did not even get an indication that it will be arriving soon (The entire camera industry was hit by the Tsunami in Japan and the flooding in Bangkok) I saw a demonstration of the NEX-5n while being in Germany and was impressed: This is the smallest, lightest NEX ever with a 16MP sensor, which is said to deliver better High ISO usability than a NEX-7! Being back in the States, I ordered a NEX-5n black Magnesium Alloy body - and was instantly impressed! I took a couple of pictures of and with the body, the picture quality and handling are amazing! SONY 5n ISO better than Canon EOS 5D Mark II? see the test here: http://www.eoshd.com/content/3784/nex-5n-demolishes-ep-3-at-high-isos-even-beats-5d-mk-ii-nikon-d7000 This objective test confims my subjective feelings - as of now, I do not have enough material to add actual photos - will follow, saty posted! Do not mix this up with a SONY NEX-5, which is a very good camera indeed, however, the NEX-5n plays in a totally different league! Sure enough, 3 days after purchasing this NEX-5n here up for sale my NEX-7 was delivered, and I could compare the 2 cameras. The NEX-7 interface is still as confusing to me, as the NEX-3/5 interface had been, while the 5n has the advantage of a touch screen, which lets you rush throughb the settings and shoot as fast as you are used to with your DSLR. I could only do 5 night shots to compare the high ISO noise tolerance, however I believe, the 16MP sensor of the NEX-5n delivers better results due to the higher photocell density than the NEX-7. Anyway, I was waiting that long for the NEX-7 and hope, I will figure the menue quickly to shoot faster, so the NEX-5n is up here for sale

NEX-5n NEX-7 Quick Comparison

The SONY NEX 5n is the biggest achievement in the successful line of N ...

Updated: Jan 06, 2012 1:28pm PST

Google Panoramio NOT selected by Google : Google Panoramio ;-) I am pretty upset with this service. there are so many ambitious collegues putting a great deal of effort into panoramio. Fine, if they only shoot landscapes and places. However, if you try to build a gallery like wildlife, birds, Street Beauties, Girls etc, many of those will be out of luck soon. They probably don't know, that Google limits the amount of NOT SELECTED by GOOGLE photos to 2GB - this limit is reached pretty soon. I submitted several photos to a group named girls..girls..girls, Just my street shots by Dec 1, 2011 amount to 2230 views. Google does not respect photographers intentions, they just use them to fill their portfolio and fullfill their purpose.. I just collected all shots NOT selected by google, as one day I have to erase all those. I'ld like to hear your experiences!

Google Panoramio NOT selected by Google

Google Panoramio ;-) I am pretty upset with this service. there are s ...

Updated: Dec 17, 2011 6:30am PST

It's SNOWING (and raining ;-(( - leaving tomorrow to Vancouver) : Leaving tomorrow - a last visit to the city! This time, with 2 MINOLTA 7D oldtimers. I want to use 7Ds for my photo classes. Rain makes always for nice reflections!

It's SNOWING (and raining ;-(( - leaving tomorrow to Vancouver)

Leaving tomorrow - a last visit to the city! This time, with 2 MINOLTA ...

Updated: Dec 11, 2011 2:36am PST

Munich - 2h visit with NEX-3 and A-mount lenses : yesterday evening I visited Foto Sauter and found a wonderful MINOLTA 70-210mm f/4 "Beercan". I have sold all my present photo equipment, my NIKONs and the Olympus E5, and had no SONY A-mount camera any more; the new A65 awaits me in Canada. But I had the SONY LA-EA1 still with me, and decided, to take some photos of the Christkindl Markt. Here are the results:

Munich - 2h visit with NEX-3 and A-mount lenses

yesterday evening I visited Foto Sauter and found a wonderful MINOLTA ...

Updated: Dec 10, 2011 12:11am PST

Eine Reise in die Vergangenheit: SCHLIERSEE : I was born in a war striken Munich in 1942, however raised in my grandparents house in Neuhaus am Schliersee in the Bavarian alps. Before my return to Canada, I had to see my lawyer in Grassau at Chiemsee, and as it was one of those early Dacember days with low light and low light intensity, I used the return travel to Munich to drive parallel to the Bavarian Alps to Wessling, where I resided for 2 weeks in Andrea Grabowski’s Filz Factory – handmade things like shoes and garment using the wool of sheeps she grows herself around the house.( Numerous galleries resulted from that stay). My first visit of this “Queralpentrip” stopped at the famous Wallfahrtsort in Birkenstein, where I shot the “Resurrection Light” photos. It was a travel into the past. My father was “Kreisbaumeister”, and I remembered many locations, where I was accompanying him inspecting roads or even helping as a boy. I passed locations like a famous Winkelstueberl, where I happened to have my first affair with a Munich starlet as a young man, just everything came into my mind…. I confess, I was not interested in Religion than, I see however Religion as a necessary means to establish rules for a community. I also appreciate the value our Western Christian Culture established, and I observe the degradation of it together with an eroding intrusion of other cultures into it, mainly due to the incompetence of the Catholic Church to flow with the current and become appealing to our young generation. While exploring Bahia California I came across the works of the early missionaries there and followed their tracks. There is a binding link between the three countries I like most: Bavaria – Mexico – Poland, and most of the similarities are based on the Christian base they – still – have. There is no village I stayed, where not the churches attrack my interest…. To be continued…

Eine Reise in die Vergangenheit: SCHLIERSEE

I was born in a war striken Munich in 1942, however raised in my grand ...

Updated: Dec 06, 2011 12:58am PST

Das Licht der Auferstehung - Variationen : A very difficult shot, against the sun, on a very dim day. Fortunately, I always shoot RAW+JPEG. This way, I was able to resolve the problem in SONY's excellent RAW developing program, if you want to see how, just see the explanation on my smugmug site - so far, what I posted on Panoramio. Now here, how it works and the steps, how to obtain spectacular photos from otherwise not usable files in some simple steps using SONY's Image Data Converter SR and Corel Paintshop Pro: DSCxxxxx is the original (JPEG version) file 1SR, 1sr is the RAW-version, developed with SONY I... SR 1cSR, 1caSR a "c" added determines, that the file is fine tuned in Corel Photoshop Pro (Mr. Reichmann from Luminous Landscape had a very negative comment on SONY's Image Data Convertter SR while reviewing a SONY camera ( Image Data Convertter SR comes FREE with upper class SONY cameras) This does not wonder, as Mr. Reichmann sells (Very good) tutorials about Adobe Photoshop. Amazingly, after promoting a Panasonic GH-2 last year obviously Mr Reichmann fall in love with a SONY NEX-7, which uses same technology as the NEX-3 I had to use for those photos (My A55 sold already, awaiting my A65, which will accompany me through 2012 together with a NEX-5n and the ever delayed (Flooding in Bangkok) NEX-7. When I see Michael Reichmann's (luminous landscape) photos of this blog, for me those are just the better (Luminance ;-) photos there... Mr Michael Reichmann's opinion to photo gear is very much appreciated by me, and I prefer his reviews over (!Amazon owned!) DPreview, which is (still) used by most photogs to check on new gear.... ..other than that, we have little in common, despite the fact, that we both prefer to spend the winter month in Mexico ;-) Anyway, this almost mystic photo "The Light of Resurrection" is an excellent example, how to get the best out of your (SONY) Files (without cost and learning procedure involved in Photoshop&Lightroom) I hope, you can get good results soon!

Das Licht der Auferstehung - Variationen

A very difficult shot, against the sun, on a very dim day. Fortunately ...

Updated: Dec 05, 2011 11:15pm PST

Hohenbrunn - Village South of Munich : Munich is very expensive during Oktoberfest. I was glad, that my sister could reserve a room in a Pension in one of Munich's suburbs for me.. While in the plane approaching Munich, I decided to cancel my rent car and use the S-Bahn for transpoprt, and during my one week stay I NEVER regretted my decision... Within just 15min, the S-Bahn brings me to Marienplatz, Munichs Center, in only 5min more to most destinations including Oktoberfest. If you consider visiting Munich, Hohenbrunn for your stay is an excellent choice. The morning of my "awakening" I could shoot the beautiful scenery from my room in "Pension Fritzmeier", testing 5 different lenses on the A55. Gaestehaus Kotter is another good choice Tel +49 171-7737591 , as well as Ludwig Schulz (+49-8102-1255 // - 785890, mobile +49-171-9366000, web www.LudwigSchulz.de, email info@LudwigSchulz.de A week ticket to Munich is under 20 Euro and allows unlimited use in the chosen area, the best way, to get around. I also tested briefly the sound quality of the A55, if you are interested to "hear" the video, set quality to web, otherwise it will take too long loading!

Hohenbrunn - Village South of Munich

Munich is very expensive during Oktoberfest. I was glad, that my siste ...

Updated: Dec 03, 2011 1:56am PST

Effeltrich - 1000 year old tree and "Wehrkirche" : Effeltrich ist eine kleine Gemeinde im Landkreis Forchheim. Der Name bedeuted "Apfel-reich", so war vom Mittelalter an Apfel- und Obst Kultur der Haupterwerbszweig in der Gemeinde. Effeltrich hat 2 Sehenswuerdigkeiten: Eine 1000 Jahre alte Linde, von der aus die Aufnahme #2 gemacht wurde, und eine Wehrkirche spaeten Datums.( Ich habe nie eine derartige Wehrkirche so spaeten Datums gesehen, das Innere ist Barock, die Wehranlage ist Jahrhunderte aelter) Der Linde besitzt heilende Energie, vielen Dank an meinen Guide Eva Maria, falls Sie Interesse an der spirituellen Verknuepfung haben, sollten Sie Ihre Webseite: www.kristalliner-sternenklang.de , http://www.kristalliner-sternenklang.de/uber_mich.html ansehen. Planen Sie einen Besuch fuer die Mittagszeit, in der Gaststaette gegenueber der Kirche an der Linde koennen Sie excellent Fraenkische Spezialitaeten speisen! Nicht weit von hier ist der Druidenhain, ein weiterer spiritueller Platz in Franken.

Effeltrich - 1000 year old tree and "Wehrkirche"

Effeltrich ist eine kleine Gemeinde im Landkreis Forchheim. Der Name b ...

Updated: Dec 01, 2011 11:19pm PST

Wessling am See : Take S8 from Marienplatz South to Wessling - within 15min you are in Upper Bavaria. Some time between 2 appointments allowed for some shots around that beautiful lake!

Wessling am See

Take S8 from Marienplatz South to Wessling - within 15min you are in U ...

Updated: Nov 26, 2011 6:14am PST

Quick Visit to Munich :

Quick Visit to Munich

Updated: Nov 23, 2011 12:21pm PST

Samsung P1200 Tablet : I never take photos with a phone. I still remember an accident, I had 2 cell phones in my pocket and a 300mm 2.8 in the van, where I needed a special bracket welded on. I ended up walking 1/2 mile back to be able to take a photo of the accident ;-), unable to shoot with a cell phone I do not use Zooms either and shoot with primes - everything is engineered for that special purpose: phones for making conversations, lenses to work best at a certain focal length. Today, I did not bother taking any camera with me for lunch - just one of those foggy November days. Returning home, I saw one of the huge trees with the fog caused icing on it and regretted, not having taking a camera with me, when I remembered that the tablet (Samsung) I bought last week just to have a wireless access point for my Internet must have a camera in it. I could figure quite quickly how to use it - and got some - IMO - acceptable results capturing the foggy autumn mood. I enhanced the photos in Corel Paintshop Pro, however to get an acceptable result, the original file already has to be good, meaning, it has to have enough information to "scratch" out. I am very pleased with the results, just decide for yourself!

Samsung P1200 Tablet

I never take photos with a phone. I still remember an accident, I had ...

Updated: Nov 23, 2011 11:47am PST

An Autumn Walk in the City :

An Autumn Walk in the City

Updated: Nov 11, 2011 12:44am PST

Quick Visit to Garmisch - Partenkirchen : I lived for some time in Garmisch-Partenkirchen and started Volksinternet here. As my prperty here was stolen, I had to do some research - of course I had my cameras with me!

Quick Visit to Garmisch - Partenkirchen

I lived for some time in Garmisch-Partenkirchen and started Volksinter ...

Updated: Nov 10, 2011 8:19am PST

Munich : Munich I was born in Munich - my Mother did not hesitate, to took a trainride in 1942 to Munich from our save haven in the Bavarian Alps, just to have Munich as BIRTHPLACE IN HER FIRST SON'S PASSPORT.... So I was born in a night with heavy allied air attacks... I studied in Munich at Technische Hochschule I married in Munich I witnessed that horrible Terror Attack in 1972 during the Olympic Games with that deadly outcome due to the incompetence of the Bavarian authorithies.. I became a successful entrepreneur in Munich, and decided to have my Office right in the very center of 'The Weltstadt mit Herz' - see the photo of Petersplatz... And I enjoy visiting Munich each and every September, from whereever in the world I visit - MUNICH IS ONE OF THE CITIES WITH THE BEST LIVING QUALITY - and a solid Historical and Cultural background with unbelievable friendly inhabitants!

Munich

Munich I was born in Munich - my Mother did not hesitate, to took a tr ...

Updated: Nov 10, 2011 8:13am PST

Oktoberfest : Oktoberfest People of the world gather in Munich to celebrate for 2 weeks - until it closes the first Sunday in October thus the name. The multicultural crowd and the fancy colors are a Fest for each and every photographer as well. I attended the 2011 Oktoberfest with a Sony A55 and an Olympus E5 with the 12-60mm lens attached, to use 24-120mm effective Focal length without having to change lenses. My main camera, however, is a SONY A55 with: 11-16mm Tokina 2.8 20mm MINOLTA 2.8 30mm SIGMA 1.4 (All Nightshots free hand) 85mm 1.4 MINOLTA 70-210mm f4 MINOLTA (The Beercan), mostly used for street portraits

Oktoberfest

Oktoberfest People of the world gather in Munich to celebrate for 2 we ...

Updated: Oct 24, 2011 1:59pm PST

Poland - Wroclaw - my Friend Jan : Janek just arrived a year ago, but I had no chance to visit until now. Jan picked me up in Munich, and we drove to his house 50km outside of Wroclaw, an idyllic location on a little lake. I came to Wroclaw last time more than 10 years ago, and was impressed by the ultra modern Autobahn and city renovation....

Poland - Wroclaw - my Friend Jan

Janek just arrived a year ago, but I had no chance to visit until now. ...

Updated: Oct 24, 2011 10:53am PST

Poland - Waldspaziergang : My last day in Poland. My operation seems to heal well, Tomorrow I'll return to my son in Munich, to stay there for the reminder of my European trip. Janosch and Angelica suggested a Wald Spaziergang, and I was happy to join in. Normally, for such a trivial event you would not take your camera with you, however, I wanted to try a 500mm mirror lens (Previously just used as 100mm lens with 4/3 E3/5 and m4/3 with E-P2) see Waescheklammer - and the horizontal pano function of the A55 which gives you much better results than the widest wideangle -

Poland - Waldspaziergang

My last day in Poland. My operation seems to heal well, Tomorrow I'll ...

Updated: Oct 23, 2011 6:39am PST

Poland Sonntags Wald Spaziergang :

Poland Sonntags Wald Spaziergang

Updated: Oct 23, 2011 5:45am PST

Poland Wroclaw Old City Center :

Poland Wroclaw Old City Center

Updated: Oct 16, 2011 2:43pm PST

Depth of Field (DOF) : You want it wide, which requires manual shooting, or you want it narrow....

Depth of Field (DOF)

You want it wide, which requires manual shooting, or you want it narro ...

Updated: Oct 13, 2011 7:56am PST

NIKON D700 w TAMRON 180mm 2.5 & 300mm2.8 & TC16AF : Those photos demonstrate, why I love my D700! With no other (affordable) camera I could get results as excellent as this. My unbeatable setup for Night Concerts, Wildlife and Sports... Nikon's best kept secret, your dealer won't tell you. I shoot manual quality lenses in AF for a fraction of the price of AF lenses: MINOLTA "invented" the AF camera with the groundbraking A7000 in 1985. The other manufacturers were taken by surprise.... Nikon answered with a " Auto Focusing Tele Converter", the TC 16AF to help their pro clientele. This performs like a focus limiter: You roughly focus, the TC makes the rest... no hunting, important for night concerts with dim light. Action quick and spot on. Savings 5000 $ over 200mm AF+300mm AF The TC16A worked with the electronics of F4, F6 etc; the D2X was the last model where the electronics corresponded... ...One of the reasons, why I kept my D2X for such a long time.... Now, we found a way, to convert a TC16AF to work with D300 - D700 and D3 Series ;-) I will launch a small series of converted TC16AF for US$ 350, 4 weeks orders accepted....

NIKON D700 w TAMRON 180mm 2.5 & 300mm2.8 & TC16AF

Those photos demonstrate, why I love my D700! With no other (affordab ...

Updated: Oct 11, 2011 11:40pm PST

Englischer Garten Munich :

Englischer Garten Munich

Updated: Sep 29, 2011 12:29pm PST

D300s - Munich : D300s Before I headed to Munich and Cologne Germany, I sold my D700 in expectation of NIKON introducing a D800 there. As I used the trip to make a documentation of Oktoberfest in Munich, Photokina in Cologne and also continue with "The Great DSLE Shootout" with the new APS-C sensored NX and NEX, purchasing a D300s was ideal, to have a comparable semi pro DSLR, which also is capable of video.

D300s - Munich

D300s Before I headed to Munich and Cologne Germany, I sold my D700 in ...

Updated: Sep 27, 2011 7:29am PST

Ostfriedhof Muenchen : I was on my way shooting Oktoberfest in the S-Bahn, when I realized the beautiful light within the huge areal of that grave yard. I turned and took a couple of shots...

Ostfriedhof Muenchen

I was on my way shooting Oktoberfest in the S-Bahn, when I realized th ...

Updated: Sep 26, 2011 11:17am PST

Olympus E5 - Back in Rosarito, BCS, Mexico : After driving continuously for 4 days, I arrived Friday evening in Playas de Rosarito. I eventually got my hands on an Olympus E5, the shots here are all with the 12-60mm Standard Zoom. This lens was already the fastest Autofocusing zoom on my E3, and here on the E5 it is even faster! I always shoot RAW+JEPEG, however the JEPEGS from the E5 are outstanding, this will be the only rig I shoot in JPEG only. The Pano from my friends property and the seller resting in the saddle shop are shot with the A55.

Olympus E5 - Back in Rosarito, BCS, Mexico

After driving continuously for 4 days, I arrived Friday evening in Pla ...

Updated: Sep 19, 2011 7:36am PST

On the streets of Victoria BC :

On the streets of Victoria BC

Updated: Sep 12, 2011 12:42am PST

D300 vs A55 - SONY and NIKONs APSC sensor SL : I was preparing my Van for departure to San Diego, when an almost full moon popped up at the horizon. As I had my gear ready, I thought: Why not shooting the moon with the NIKON D300 and the SONY A55? I used the TAMRON 180mm f/2.5 with the NIKONTC- 16A AF Teleconverter with it, which gives an equivalent focal length of 432mm; the TAMRON 300mm f/2.8 on the A55, which ends up at 450mm; very comparable. Long time ago I used a tripod last, both shots free hand: NIKON allows high shutter speed due to excellent High ISO noise resistance -> EXIF: ISO 2500, F/6.3 1/4000 SONY has an excellent IIS ->.............................................................................. EXIF:ISO 800, F/ 4 1/4000

D300 vs A55 - SONY and NIKONs APSC sensor SL

I was preparing my Van for departure to San Diego, when an almost full ...

Updated: Sep 11, 2011 9:46am PST

Ospreys in Salmon Arm,BC : Tue, Sept 7, 2011 Had late lunch in the Prestige Hotel on the lake in Salmon Arm. I could watch the juvenile Ospreys roaming around from the patio. Their parents already left - now they are on their own, practicing catching fish and flying with their prey to a safe place. Catching a fish does not really mean, they have secured their meal - many other birds like sea gulls or frigate birds just wait for a predator to make a mistake and looses its prey - when they finally arrive in their winter quarters in the South. Melancholy caught me for 2 reasons: - I will see many of them down in Baja California again - In 2010, I stayed in the Hotel and was able, to shoot into the nest from above, or got both nests on the same level. Here the photos are taken from the ground. Last year I used NIKON D700 and D300 for the shots, yesterday I took my SONY A55 and attached a "Beercan" MINOLTA 70-210mm f/4 - 25 years old - to it; I felt, I had to walk a bit after the big Steak Sandwich (Blue Rare with tossed salad, a' la' Volker) In just 20min I could capture all those pictures. The Marsh in Salmon Arm has the same meaning for me like the Rotary Waterpark in Kelowna, and I can recommend both for gaining some quick rest AND some exiting shots - may be;-) Many of those ospreys will stay in Baja California for the winter, as I will, and they will leave within a few days, as I will.. Some of the shots are heavily cropped, image quality of the A55 is very good. I was astouned, how sharp the images are, part due to SONY's IIS. Tomorrow I will get my new NIKON, maybe there is another opportunity to compare. Sony claims a rapid firing speed with the A55 and the new A65 and A77, however this is ONLY in JPEG mode, as soon, as you shoot RAW, the blind out of the image gets really bad, I was lucky (part of the luck however is anticipation), that all the files turned out good. For this kind of shooting (Wildlife, action, kids photography) I prefer shooting a fast camera like the D700 or D300 or the new D800 BIG TIME!

Ospreys in Salmon Arm,BC

Tue, Sept 7, 2011 Had late lunch in the Prestige Hotel on the lake in ...

Updated: Sep 07, 2011 4:37am PST

Blind Bay Fare Well : Sept 5, 2011, Labour day in Canada, Labor day in the States. We are just labo(u)ring... I was glad, that my friend Dave pulled me out of the office chair away from the computers this morning. "Let's go up the hill in Blind Bay" A very welcome opportunity, to add some SONY A55 Panorama photos to my numerous Shuswap Galleries. After I got the hang of it with many beautiful Panos shot - check the Baja California Galleries as well as the latest Victoria at Canada Day and Kelowna Gallery - The A55 refused to shoot panorama. Period. Anyway, it is good to be outside and be able to do some creative work. Thanks, Dave! Shots were taken with A55/SIGMA 30->46mm 1.4 prime, if not otherwise stated.

Blind Bay Fare Well

Sept 5, 2011, Labour day in Canada, Labor day in the States. We are ju ...

Updated: Sep 05, 2011 11:05pm PST

Roots and Blues Salmon Arm Aug 20-21, 2011 :

Roots and Blues Salmon Arm Aug 20-21, 2011

Updated: Aug 23, 2011 9:13am PST

Roots and Blues Salmon Arm Aug 19, 2011 : Roots and Blues Festival in Salmon Arm, BC in the beautiful Shuswap I accidentally came to the festival in 2010, and was surprised, which kind of amazing event this little town could pull off. When I had a chance, to visit the Shuswap again in 2011, I was eager, to return there and see, which performers are here, and whether the quality was as good as 2010. The Roots and Blues started on Friday, Aug 19 and ended on the evening of Sun, Aug 21. Additionally to progressive music you hear, you can see music lovers, many of them real “Characters”, a couple of them I’ll try to portraiture below. Last year’s photos were taken mainly with a NIKON D700 ( See the K’Naan gallery further below, while NIKON was not able or willing to furnish me with a D300s or D700 this year, I used the SONY A55 for the shots with good results. The A55 however has limitations: • For still shooting at night time under difficult light the electronic viewfinder just isn’t as usable as an excellent optical viewfinder. However, in contrary to an optical viewfinder you can control the light balance in your picture; excellent, when you use spot metering, like I do. • The viewfinder together with a time lag between shutter activation and shot has similar limitations for action shots; photographing artists requires anticipation in how their facial expression changes while performing and pressing the button in the “right” moment – just much better with a D300 / D700. I needed more than twice the files than last year with the D700 to get the shot I wanted – and sometimes failed at all. • Sensor Overheating: In video mode, the A55 shuts down after 50 seconds, with shorter periods in the following sequences, as the sensor starts with a higher temperature already. While most “normal” video sequences are shot in no longer sequences than 12-20 seconds, for music you want to record the maximum length and later edit the better parts for a movie. THIS IS A DISAPPOINTING LIMITATION OF THE A55. I will download some video samples later, however! Enjoy the photos, and don’t hesitate to include Salmon Arm’s Roots and Blues Festival in your 2012 Summer Agenda, it is always held in the middle of August, which guarantees for good weather as well!

Roots and Blues Salmon Arm Aug 19, 2011

Roots and Blues Festival in Salmon Arm, BC in the beautiful Shuswap ...

Updated: Aug 20, 2011 5:37pm PST

Direct Comparison: Samsung NX10 vs Sony A55 : The Great DSLE Shootout: 1) Terminology: While SONY creates a new Class (SLT = Single Lens Translucent reflecting on the rigid semipermeable mirror they use) and many Photo Journalists still struggle with the right name (….is a DSLR without mirror, and so on), I simply call this new group of cameras DSLE, where “E” stands for electronic viewfinder, compared to the optical viewfinder in a DSLR. We all know, what a SLR is, SLRs developed into DSLRs; however, here is no R for Reflex, so DSLE is a logical consequence naming the new group. D S L E : Digital Single Lens Electronic View Finder…. 2) The 4/3rds System Olympus deserves the merit for developing that new standard introducing their 4/3 line of cameras. Those still had that swinging mirror and thus were DSLRs. 3) The micro 4/3rds System The smaller sensor of the 4/3rds cameras did not bring a significant advantage in size. However, Olympus wasn’t sitting idle and used this new sensor to build a Digital Pen class. “micro” relates not to a new sensor size, but to the elimination of the swinging mirror in favor of an electronic viewfinder, resulting in way smaller lenses and a “micro” lens mount for them. Olympus always made excellent cameras with electronic viewfinders, my first digital camera was a RS100, followed by the E10, E20, I did not hesitate to buy an E-PL1 as well as a Panasonic G1 to start my experience. 4) Lenses first It is no secret, that I put lenses first. This was important in the SLR era, but now in the digital era it is crucial. The lifespan of a digital – even high end – camera is 12-18month, after that it is either outdated or – due to Producer’s Quality Standards – outworn. The lifespan of a lens – I am not talking of the class that usually comes with your camera as a “Standard Zoom” (Some call those “Tupperware” lenses) is more than 20 years. Select your lens(es) with that in mind and rather invest in “glass”! “Lenses first” was the leading motto, that let me buy a Panasonic G1, as I could adapt superior lenses like Carl Zeiss Contax G or Leica M to shoot them on a digital camera – with amazing results, see the “G-Spot” on smugmug and my website. Did you ever wonder, why Leica and Contax had superior lenses for their rangefinder cameras, while the SLR lenses were “just” very good? Imagine this: A lens designer develops an optimal lens for 35mm (or a “Full Frame” digital camera), his colleague from the Rangefinder Department is happy, while the colleague from the SLR department tells him, they can’t use the lens. Now, a swinging mirror needs space, to be able to swing up, when the shot is taken. The mirror box artificially extends the distance between the rear element of the lens defined by the lens flange and the film plane or sensor surface. A mirror box always extends that distance, and the “sweet spot”-meaning optimal distance- can only be used by mirrorless camera designs. There is a lot to expect in the future… 5) The contenders In the test were the following cameras: m4/3rds sensor DSLE: Olympus Pen: E-PL1 and E-P2 Panasonic Lumix DMC: G1, GH1, GH2, GF2 APSC sensor- DSLE: Samsung NX10 SONY A55 Pro equipment as reference: NIKON D700 Full Frame sensor 24x36mm NIKON D300 APSC sensor Olympus E3 4/3 sensor On the side line: Samsung TL 500 with 24-72mm f1.8-2.4 I shoot the D700 with a 24-70mm f2.8 as my standard walk around rig. It is tiring because of weight and size, especially at nighttime. Result: Many times, you are “out” without a camera. Solution: A “Belt” camera you have with you ALL TIME! 6) Requirements and preferences: There is a fast and steady developing thanks to competition. Features introduced by one company soon become an industry standard. Above those, my preferences are: • RAW capability • Intuitive use - manual controls to change main parameters fast • Internal Image Stabilization (IIS) • Fully Articulated Screen protecting Screen when folded in. • Viewfinder either optical w >95% view or High Res Electronic • Rugged body, preferable stainless steel /titanium frame or magnesium alloy • Dedicated Video Button in a good position • Remote control capable • Sufficient battery life for one shooting session or one shooting day Considered as a +: GPS, built in flash, metal body and Panorama mode 7) Test conditions: The test went for more than a year starting in Spring 2010 under “Real Life Conditions” including a trip to Europe covering PHOTOKINA in Cologne and Munich Oktoberfest as well as a Journey along side Hwy 101 and 1 covering the Pacific Coast from BC Canada down into Baja California, Mexico, more than 10000km return… 8) Test-Results: Let us start with some direct results, as of August 2011: A) SONY A55 vs SAMSUNG NX10 This is an interesting comparison, as both use the same sensor size and both have an electronic viewfinder; I shot both with a 30->46mm wide standard lens. SAMSUNG were the first, to bring an APSC sensored DSLE on the market, thus the NX10 was the first APSC size DSLE added to the test. The NX10 looks like a miniature Mamyia, and also has many features of a pro camera, like a separate SD card slot. I decided to get it with the pancake 30->46mm f/2 lens, which blends nicely into the design. The optical quality of this lens is excellent and produces stunning quality in combination with that relatively big sensor. I took photos of a large log home with the D700 as well, however the client decided for the 24x36” NX print, proving that in some situations the results of a 700$ rig can equal the results of 4000$ equipment. The NX10 replaced the GH1 as my dashboard camera, and even at nighttime I could get very good shots and videos using the bright f/2 setting. The AMOLED screen is industry standard and with its large viewing angle the next best thing to a fully articulated screen. Battery life is sufficient, the viewfinder is very good. The NX10 is excellent for landscape shots, however the shutter lag is too long for action and wildlife, you certainly will miss some shots. Amazingly and unexpected, the NX series has a very long flange/sensor distance, so you can NOT adapt Contax G nor Leica lenses to it. As so many Samsung decisions, hard to understand. Verdict: Best bang for the buck. Get it with the 30mm pancake. Samsung made a hype about the NX100, probably aiming at SONY’s success with the NEX series. However, the NX100 has no viewfinder and IMO is a downgrade to the NX10, despite being more expensive. Compared to the ~600-700$ you have to shell out for an NX10 rig, you have to spend 750$ for an A55 - Body only – 850 $ for the rig with the Standard Zoom, which IMO is not worth it. I found the ideal lens in the new SIGMA line with the 30->46mm f/1.4, designed for an APSC sensor. With the relatively high ISO capabilities of the A55, even for night shots I rarely use a tripod. 1400$ spent gives you a perfect combination! The A55 was the last to join the club, however it turned out to be the most intensely used camera, especially for the exiting shots down in Baja California. Even reaction time is fast enough for action and wildlife, so I shot it parallel to the D700 using a 25 year old MINOLTA 70-210 -> 105-320mm f/4 “Beercan”. The Autofocus is very fast and accurate, even with a 25 year old lens! The A55 was elected “Camera of the Year 2010”, and compared to other “of the year choices” which turned out to be a lemon fully deserves that title. As the conclusion of that long and intense test, I will use the A55 as my main camera and build around it. It features all my preferences as well as the ++. On the negative side, Battery life is ridiculous and the Video button needs a better place, it is impossible to switch to video mode, while having the camera on the eye taking a picture, and this is the point about a camera like this: You see something developing, that is worth a video while taking a shot – mission impossible. Germany had some ingenious spirits developing the Leica or the Rollei 35 like Heinz Waaske (The Rollei 35 being a 24x36 is still more compact than any DSLE). I wonder, where those talented engineers went, just one of them could create the “Killer” camera or Digital “Volks-Leica” we are all waiting for. Compared to the other DSLE’s, size and weight of the A55 is a huge disadvantage, but unless more intelligent engineering flows into new DSLE designs, I keep shooting the A55 and even re-build my entire system around this camera. Smugmug gives the viewer a chance, to check on equipment used and parameters when you click “Show Details - > info” in Thumbnail mode, feel free, to see gear used with the published photos! You will see size comparisons below and can find photos to compare yourself in the galleries!

Direct Comparison: Samsung NX10 vs Sony A55

The Great DSLE Shootout: 1) Terminology: While SONY creates a new Cla ...

Updated: Aug 12, 2011 10:36pm PST

password protected gallery

Landlord

Updated: Aug 10, 2011 10:41am PST

Direct Comparison: Sony A55 vs Olympus E-PL2 : I was shooting equipment with the A55 - just had the TAMRON 180mm f/2.5 on the Olympus E-PL2, when I heard sparrows twittering. I could spot the nest, switched the lens on the A55 to a 70-210 f/4 "Beercan", and a comparison at "Real World" conditions started.... For the equipment shooting both cameras were set to JPEG fine. While the A55 clearly beats the P2 using RAW, the JPEGs from Olympus E3/E5 and E-PL1, 2 and EP2,3 are excellent! I was lucky, to get some usable shots from both cameras, however when I go "hunting" NIKON D300s/D700 are my tool of choice, the brightness of the viewfinder combined with the intuitive handling is unsurpassed... While D300 / D700 equipment ranges from 3000 - infinity for such tasks, both riggs used are just below the 1000 $ Mark - the "Beercan" works in AF, while the TAMRON 180mm in MF on the EP2, however on D700 & D300s this lens gives me an option to work as a F4 308mm AF on D700 or a 432mm F4 AF lens on the D300s using NIKON's TC-16AF, which I have converted to work with the latest electronics! Please do not forget: The results with the mft (m4/3rds) E-Series is only possible using the Olympus Electronic Viewfinder, which I rate Industry's best. Without it, the m4/3 E-Series is just another boring P&S with interchangable lenses.

Direct Comparison: Sony A55 vs Olympus E-PL2

I was shooting equipment with the A55 - just had the TAMRON 180mm f/2. ...

Updated: Aug 06, 2011 12:44am PST

West Kelowna :

West Kelowna

Updated: Aug 03, 2011 9:01pm PST

US -> Canada: Port Angeles, WA to Victoria, BC : I just made it in time for the 7pm ferry to Victoria. Approaching Canada left me with mixed feelings after coming North for 4300km from Baja California Sur.... Where is my home? It was the eve of Canada Day 2011, and Victoria was busy preparing for the event!

US -> Canada: Port Angeles, WA to Victoria, BC

I just made it in time for the 7pm ferry to Victoria. Approaching Cana ...

Updated: Jul 27, 2011 3:27pm PST

Best of Ospreys :

Best of Ospreys

Updated: Jul 25, 2011 5:28pm PST

Guerrero Negro - Whale Watching -> Meeting some Canadian Friends: Ospreys : I saw an Osprey nest only 3 miles before the Whale Watching Station at Ojo Liebre, which is not unusual, as they migrate South iavoiding the Canadian Winter, but I could not believe my eyes, when I saw Julius, that beautiful Juvenile from Salmon Arm, who already found a spouse to listen to his travel narrations in the long Mexican Winter nights.... ...I can't wait to see them back in spring up there.

Guerrero Negro - Whale Watching -> Meeting some Canadian Friends: Ospreys

I saw an Osprey nest only 3 miles before the Whale Watching Station at ...

Updated: Jul 25, 2011 4:46pm PST

Kelowna - Rotary (Water) Marsh Park : I had late lunch with my old friend Basil in the Kelowna Yachtclub, after running some errands I decided to take a walk to the Rotary Marsh Park - I just call it The Pond. this is an Oasis in the middle of that busy and buzzzing city - within 15min you calm down.... I never miss an opportunity when I am in Kelowna, to visit. And NEVER - as a photographer - you come home without some impressive shots. Whether it is the osprey family of last years, a beaver, a dear, muskrats, Herons, you name it - in the middle - or better in the periphery - of the city, yet less than a mile away from City Hall! It was overcast, yet I decided to take my camera with me, which was a good decision. I had an interesting talk with a gentleman at the viewpoint, when it started to clear up, and the dramatic sky made for amazing photos...... All Galleries during my 2 day stay in Kelowna had been shot from here, even the night shots started from that area!

Kelowna - Rotary (Water) Marsh Park

I had late lunch with my old friend Basil in the Kelowna Yachtclub, af ...

Updated: Jul 23, 2011 6:55pm PST

Kelowna - The Lagoons : Kelowna at its best - no stay in Kelowna without visiting the park (I call it "The Pond). The dark clouds of a rainy July afternoon made an ideal background for this beautiful architecture.

Kelowna - The Lagoons

Kelowna at its best - no stay in Kelowna without visiting the park (I ...

Updated: Jul 23, 2011 3:45pm PST

Kelowna New Waterfront : Integrating High-Risers into an originally rural setting: Thumbs up for the Kelowna Planning Department: Good Job! Visiting a friend in Westbank - now West Kelowna - the afternoon sun broke through the clouds and I could stop at The Bluff, to capture the beautiful setting. On my way back, I stumbled over the First Nation Cemetery and had my thoughts: This Band is one of the wealthiest in North America - it certainly does not show up in this cemetery: You can not make money with a cemetery! What will the ancestors say?

Kelowna New Waterfront

Integrating High-Risers into an originally rural setting: Thumbs up f ...

Updated: Jul 22, 2011 7:09am PST

Kelowna at dusk. : Kelowna is getting more and more beautiful every year. I lived here 3 month in the Summer and 3 month in the Winter for 15 years, the recent photos were taken during a evening stroll in the rainy summer of 2011 I have plenty of photos especially at night, just scroll through the galleries or visit www.VolkerSchenk.com. Especially the Night Shots after a rain are impressive, as the wet surface multiplies the color effect. If you are interested in my course "Shooting with available light" drop me an email please. If you want to know, how "The Dolphins" were shot, read this below the picture.

Kelowna at dusk.

Kelowna is getting more and more beautiful every year. I lived here 3 ...

Updated: Jul 22, 2011 6:23am PST

Kelowna - aspects of a sculpture : The Sails and The Dolphins may be the most photographed sculptures in Kelowna. I was lucky enough to find Dolphins and surroundings tinted in the beautiful colours right before sunset. I approached them from The Lagoons, shooting first with a tele followed by the 30mm f1.4 which I also used for the night shot 2h later

Kelowna - aspects of a sculpture

The Sails and The Dolphins may be the most photographed sculptures in ...

Updated: Jul 21, 2011 10:35pm PST

Victoria to Vancouver/Richmond NIKON :

Victoria to Vancouver/Richmond NIKON

Updated: Jul 19, 2011 6:24am PST

Sorrento Festival of The Arts 2011 : "Art is lie to tell the truth" I was back from the 5300km trip alongside HWys 101 and byways just in time, to enter my photos into The Shuswap Festival of the Arts in Sorrento. On Friday they have their usual evening reception for members. As I had my volunteer shift the next day, I decided not to return to Salmon Arm, but stay in Sorrento at "The Maples" Bed&Breakfast" on the lake, which is a beautiful resort, should you come to the Shuswap, that is the place to stay! My decision to stay was rewarded by the vista of an outstanding sunrise, when I woke up at 5:00 pm - it is amazing, I never have an alarm, I sleep sound, when its raining, if there is an unusual view, I wake up. Thank God! I just had to grab my Sony A55 with the 1.4 Standard lens and could capture some amazing photos. "Art is lie to tell the truth" - a word from Picasso exposed at the Sorrento Festival of the Arts became my motto, and I played a little bit with the files. I hope, I could create an impression that you can enjoy what I could experience in original.....

Sorrento Festival of The Arts 2011

"Art is lie to tell the truth" I was back from the 5300km trip alongs ...

Updated: Jul 17, 2011 5:45pm PST

Astoria WA US to Port Angeles, WA : If the journey went right, this should be my last day on 1/101 in the US. I started in the very morning from that fabulous Pier Hotel in Astoria, to be sure to reach at least the last ferry to Victoria .... Right after the start, I took the loop on the North side of the Columbia Mouth - this area played a major role in the development of the Pacific Northwest.. Interesting, to see those old fishing towns here, and also interesting is the Lewis and Clark Interpretative Center built at Cape disappointment.

Astoria WA US to Port Angeles, WA

If the journey went right, this should be my last day on 1/101 in the ...

Updated: Jul 03, 2011 3:09pm PST

Victoria, BC, Canada : I left my Place in Baja California (The house of the Rising Sun) on June 3rd. After more than 3 weeks on the road and exactly 4586km on the odometer, I stood on the ferry from Port Angeles, WA to Victoria, BC. Approaching the Inner Harbour, I could take advantage of the excellent high position on a huge ships stern; even the panoramic mode worked fine on the SONY A55 worked fine. I had the other equipment in the van and did not bother to take it out. During the 9 month test fying to Europe and following 101/1 into Baja California Sur shooting all new generation cameras without a MOVING Mirror (Mirrorless & Semipermeable mirror like A55) comparing against Pro and Semi Pro equipment, the SONY A55 turned out, to be used at least 10x more often than its closest competitor - that speaks for itself. After the uninspiring drive through Weyerhaeuser Land following 101West on the Olympic Peninsula approaching Victoria was one of the Higlights of the travel. Compared to US "Homeland Security" being checked out by Canadian Immigration is a Real Treat: Polite and Profesional, a welcome to Canada. I was able to shoot some photos in the evening, while Victoria was preparing for Canada Day..... Victoria always has some interesting events and exhibitions - see, what was up this weekend: http://www.tourismvictoria.com/Eventcalendar.aspx

Victoria, BC, Canada

I left my Place in Baja California (The house of the Rising Sun) on Ju ...

Updated: Jul 03, 2011 9:51am PST

Canada Day 2011 Victoria BC, Canada : I was glad, I could make it yesterday to the ferry from Port Angeles in time to shoot Canada Day in BC's Capital, Victoria. Victoria greeted me with sunshine, which stayed for the weekend. For photographers it will be interesting to check where I shot the photos, especially for the fireworks. While I had reserved a table in "Vista 18" in the Harbour area, I found out, that this is an excellent location to shoot the fireworks above the Inner Harbour, however I wanted to have the illuminated Parliament Building in the background, which was quite a challenge. I found a location, here is a map: http://maps.google.com/maps?client=opera&rls=en&q=1010+Woodsworth+Building,+10th+Floor+405+Broadway+Avenue&oe=utf-8&channel=suggest&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&hl=en&tab=wl I had to shoot almost from the same spot, where the fireworks were shot from which was the western corner of the Delta Hotel. A couple of month ago, I had put a mounting device on my mountainbike, which came in quite handy to move quickly between different locations and take shots while bicycling. I had to go several times to the van, to get equipment and batteries (A caveat shooting a SONY A55) and with all streets closed and jammed I had not been able to move quickly as required. For the fireworks, I had prepared a Manfrotto and a Velbon carbon fibre tripod, but decided, to leave both in the van in favor of the clamppods I developed myself - in a dense and animated crowd it is impossible, to avoid people hitting it. The clamppods came on the reling of the veranda of the DELTA Hotel long before the fireworks started and (Kinda) reserved my space, so after shooting the street scenes leading to the fireworks I just had to fix the camera. All photos in this gallery taken with SONY A55, lenses SIGMA 30mm -> 46mm f1.4, MINOLTA Beercan 70-210mm ->105-315mm f/4 and MINOLTA 24mm ->36mm f/2.8. I had loved to shoot with the "Normal" lens, however the difficult situation required a wider lens to get the illuminated Government Building as the desired background. Despite being new to the location and my remote coming off the A55 in the darkness, the results are quite representable. Later I shot the Parliament building with the "Beercan", which delivers outstanding results. A quite satisfying day, I had all the equipment used and needed in a little bag and mounted on the bike...

Canada Day 2011 Victoria BC, Canada

I was glad, I could make it yesterday to the ferry from Port Angeles i ...

Updated: Jul 02, 2011 9:28pm PST

Victoria, BC Chinatown :

Victoria, BC Chinatown

Updated: Jul 02, 2011 6:13pm PST

Tillamook to Astoria Wdn, June 28 : One of those typical Oregon Coast June days - grey and wet ;-) I met some friends in Cannopn Beach, where I stayed for the winter 2010/11, and unfortunately I could not meet with one I really had appreciated - that is just, how life goes.... Hifghlight of the day was the beautiful Cannery Pier Hotel built in the restored warehouse of the "Union Fishermen C0-Operative Packing Co Warehouse (See that contemporary painting around 1900). I like revival this way, 30 years ago I bought and restored an old monestary in Bavaria: http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kloster_Frauenzell A stay in this Hotel will be always to remember: http://www.cannerypierhotel.com/

Tillamook to Astoria Wdn, June 28

One of those typical Oregon Coast June days - grey and wet ;-) I met s ...

Updated: Jun 29, 2011 11:40pm PST

Mexico BCS Loreto - Puerto Escondido Loreto Fest 2011 : First Rules: All my photos are protected by copyright and most of them have a copy protection. In some cases, as for the outing to Isla Coronado with challenged kids from Loreto in behalf of Gerardo and The Loreto Fest 2011, I remove the copy protection under the following condition: Use for PRIVATE purpose only - NO Download on "private" or Commercial Websites If you want to use any of the photos other than that, please ask my permission: V.Schenk@gmail.com You can download files to your computer and save them on your desktop for further PRIVATE use. You can make big prints yourself, if you choose the largest size before downloading. I offer prints for the members: 12x18 matte 49.60, 12x36 matte 98.00. Will take some time, as my printer sits in San Diego..... The download might be limited at my choice at any time. 15th Loreto Fest 2011 - Organized and hosted by the Hidden Port Yacht Club.... ...was - again - a great success. More than 400 attended the fest, and during the 3 days over 200 boats adorned the main harbor. As I am new to the little community, I can not supply you with more data and names, stay posted, work in progress... Thanks to everyone engaged and involved in the Loreto Fest. As a Juncalito Rooky, I enjoyed it very much... You can read more about the Hidden Port Yacht Club here: http://www.hiddenportyachtclub.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&id=34&Itemid=27

Mexico BCS Loreto - Puerto Escondido Loreto Fest 2011

First Rules: All my photos are protected by copyright and most of them ...

Updated: Jun 29, 2011 7:54pm PST

Oregon Lighthouses : http://web.oregon.com/trips/lighthouses.cfm In winchester I had a great chance to get heads up on Lighthouses. There is a great museum...

Oregon Lighthouses

http://web.oregon.com/trips/lighthouses.cfm In winchester I had a gre ...

Updated: Jun 29, 2011 3:14pm PST

Coos Bay to Tillamook,Tue, June 28 :

Coos Bay to Tillamook,Tue, June 28

Updated: Jun 29, 2011 3:02pm PST

Sea Lions Cove : Sea Lions Cove is an absolute MUST for 2 reasons: 1) You get a pretty good information about this amazing animal 2) You are on the best spot on the Oregon Coast to capture that "typical" dreamy impression the mist coming from the ocean creates. Check the pictures only 10min later taken from the viewpoint - where you stumble across all kinds of "Pro" photographers - you can see the mist coming in: TYPICAL OREGON COAST!

Sea Lions Cove

Sea Lions Cove is an absolute MUST for 2 reasons: 1) You get a pretty ...

Updated: Jun 29, 2011 1:16pm PST

From Phillipsville to Coos Bay Mon, June 27 : I left Hwy 101 to take the route through the OLD Hwy 101, which is labelled "Avenue of the Giants" to join 101 back shortly after Miranda. You can spare this part, when you go the OLD Hwy just after the Redwood Information Center on the beach from to which shows more impressive trees and many trails - see the following photos from the afternoon of this day... Map: http://avenueofthegiants.net/Zoom/map.htm

From Phillipsville to Coos Bay Mon, June 27

I left Hwy 101 to take the route through the OLD Hwy 101, which is lab ...

Updated: Jun 28, 2011 11:04am PST

Nick's Cove to Mendocino & Phillipsville Sun Jun 26 : That was an amazing and demanding drive as well. I hardly can believe that there is so much "untouched" beauty so close to San Francisco. This was a Sunday (June 25,2011), and there was only little traffic... I started at Nick's cove around 6:00 taking some shots and ended in Phillipsville at the "Avenue of The Giants" around 22:30. There is much moisture coming from the ocean, the morning was tolerable for shots, it intensified over the day, and became clear against evening. Also, the drive is an accumulation of beautiful spots, so just mark your's! No polarizer used on the MINOLTA 24mm ->36mm 2.8 used on the A55; the mist gives the photos that dreamy effect, which your eye experiences.... It is worth checking the "African Sunset" - 1SR : Files are developed using Sony's Image Data Converter - which is supplied WITH the A55 and other SONY cameras AND Corel Paint Shop Pro 1c Files are developed from the JPEG version ONLY with Corel Paint Shop Pro You can see a slight difference. The Situation files gives you an idea, how the "African Sunset" was created: The 24 -> 36mm Minolta has - even on APSC - a very wide Field of sharpness AND a manual dial. You set the camera in manual mode, choose f16 or even higher (You might have to increase ISO), set Infinity to the aperture chosen, you are all set! If a location name is missing, I always shoot D700 and A55 with GPS on , just go into Show details ->info

Nick's Cove to Mendocino & Phillipsville Sun Jun 26

That was an amazing and demanding drive as well. I hardly can believe ...

Updated: Jun 28, 2011 10:43am PST

Carmel to Nick's Cove :

Carmel to Nick's Cove

Updated: Jun 26, 2011 6:19pm PST

Sta Barbara :

Sta Barbara

Updated: Jun 26, 2011 4:31pm PST

MINOLTA AF 24mm f/2.8 on A55 : I already decided to keep shooting the SONY A55 and added a "Beercan" 70-210mm and a 24mm f/2.8, both 20+ year old AF MINOLTA lenses and shot this afternoon Hwy #1 exclusively with the Minolta 24mm, which is now my "Standard" 36mm lens, a very important focal length for landscapes. Originally, I intended to acquire a Fuji X100, I just do NOT think it is worth the 1200 $ you have to shell out for it in the moment! It was a hazy day as usual on the coast in June, I could use some openings to place shots. Judge for yourself, I like the lens!

MINOLTA AF 24mm f/2.8 on A55

I already decided to keep shooting the SONY A55 and added a "Beercan" ...

Updated: Jun 25, 2011 11:53am PST

California - Hwy #1 Cambria to Carmel : I visited Really Right Stuff in San Luis Obispo and missed friends there fron ElJ, so I decided to continue North. Obispo had its Thursday Farmers Market and was extremely busy.. From San Luis Obispo you enter Hwy 1 North, after a short ride you meet the Pacific Coast again. Historic #1 opens to a stretch of 140 miles of unsurpassed beauty. Thanks to the pioneers and promotors of Highway #1 like Dr.John Roberts, who started mapping the area parallel to doing house calls on horseback from Monterey to Big Sur and eventually managed to get government support for the idea to connect Carmel with San Simeon. In 1915, he brought his work to the state legislature with help of Senator Rigdon of San Luis Obispo and 1937 Dr. Roberts could enjoy the fruits of his work attending the opening ceremony at the side of President Roosevelt! The breathtaking vistas in this mix between rollercoasting climbs through scissored coastal mountains and gliding along colorful meadows rolling into the sea is one of the most - again - beautiful roads I ever had the privilege to ride. After a long time of creative idling this caught my inspiration again, and I will be hopefully back in autumn to do a closer exploration of the area.... John Steinback lived here (Cannery Road, Monterey) as well as the government ousted Henry Miller, who was welcomed in BigSur, while his work was banned for almost a decade... As I add Mexico #1 to the Higway 101 Photo-Book/Website I will now add #1 as well, as it actually goes in line with my intention to cover the magnificent road accessible Pacific Coast between Lund, BC, Canada in the North to Cabo San Lucas, BC Sur Mexico in the South. to make this beauty available to us common people... Carmel was the little town I stayed in, to find out more about it, use that link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carmel-by-the-Sea_California The original Spanish Mission San Carlos Borromeo de Carmelo founded 1770 in the nearby settlement of Monterey was relocated to Carmel by Father Junípero Serra. Besides this there is a Nunn Monestary founded by Carmelitans; a double cause for naming the city Carmel bye the Sea!

California - Hwy #1 Cambria to Carmel

I visited Really Right Stuff in San Luis Obispo and missed friends the ...

Updated: Jun 25, 2011 10:56am PST

Elephant Seals : Just a short way South of Piedras Blancas Lighthouse is an Elephant Seal Observation Station. Please do not miss this. 3 thumbs up to the Agency in charge of it! The video clips are not edited, Sorry, never enough time! As of now, none of the clips uploaded ;-))

Elephant Seals

Just a short way South of Piedras Blancas Lighthouse is an Elephant Se ...

Updated: Jun 24, 2011 10:31pm PST

Mexico BCS Loreto / El Juncalito / Puerto Escondido :

Mexico BCS Loreto / El Juncalito / Puerto Escondido

Updated: Jun 24, 2011 7:56pm PST

Mexican Oddities : There are some oddities in Mexico own to this country, have fun!

Mexican Oddities

There are some oddities in Mexico own to this country, have fun!

Updated: Jun 24, 2011 3:12pm PST

Junk equipment :

Junk equipment

Updated: Jun 24, 2011 3:10pm PST

Heading North Day 5 Bahia Los Angeles to Rosalito :

Heading North Day 5 Bahia Los Angeles to Rosalito

Updated: Jun 15, 2011 8:49am PST

Heading back North : It was time to say Good Bye to this wonderful part of the world. The test of the camera equipment is completed, yet not published. I found the most amazing house between the cliff and the beach. I am in 30 sec on top of the cliff, and in 20sec in the water. I sleep in to the soothing sound of the waves, and I wake up with the light of the rising sun filling the room, plus the reflection of the water. I do not have to go to a location - I am ON LOCATION. A Photographer's Dream! In the morning just after sun rise I see the Pelicanos flying to feed using the unlimited supply of the Ocean. While Custeau called it "The Aquarium of the World" I might add, it is the feeding resource for humans, birds and fish.... Summer is arriving here quick, and it will become unlivable for Europeans and North Americans, it is just too hot, and the cooling wind from the ocean will cease. I had to load my vehicle between 8:00 and 2:00, and just that little work caused so much dehidration, that I got cramps in my hands while driving. I eventually could buy Magnesium in Sta Rosalia to fight the symptoms... So I am heading back to Canada to take care of some unfinished and unpleasant things there... ...to return in October 2011. At the end of the trip I will have covered more than 3000 miles (almost 5000km) of Pacific coast, combining the test of all new mirrorless cameras against Pro equipment with a photo adventure. One result is already obvious: The SONY A55 turned out to be a real winner, so I will probably leaning further towards SONY and might get a Full Frame A850/A900 to make use of the excellent Minolta lenses, which you still can pick up pretty inexpensive. I will abandon the ENTIRE m4/3 system, AND the NEX system. Both I solely acquired to use my excellent Carl Zeiss Contax G glass, which rendered great results, so expect a lot of material showing up at eBay. In one way I regret this, as the results on both systems are better than anything else, clearly visible! However, I have to reduce my gear to be able to travel lighter... I already managed to put all the Pelican Photos on smugmug, do not miss them... I was late for my first destination San Ignacio and wanted to complete photos of Sta Rosalia, so I had to drive at night from Sta Rosalia to San Ignacio. I have the experience, that if you do not stick consequently to your own "rules", you get struck, and, well, here it almost happened: A huge truck came towards me, and I slowed down. When it passed, I accelerated again, just to hit the brakes hard almost the same moment, as 3 longhorn cows crossed the road. They had waited for the truck passing as well, I could not see them because of the truck lights coming from there, they probably paid attention to the truck and did not see me either. In this kind of emergency braking I could see, how bad my brakes were, sliding on 3 wheels, with the 4th not locking up.... 3m more, and adios.. DO NOT DRIVE AT NIGHT here, it is OPEN RANGE! Anyway, I arrived towards 10 pm in San Ignacio to find my favourite campground locked, took a nice shot of the church with the moon above and got the last burrito on the plaza... Every campground was locked up already, and I slept across from the Motel at the entry, after giving the guard 20 pesos to watch my van ;-) Had a sound sleep and headed at 7am back to the plaza to get my permit for shooting the cave paintings, and filled the waiting time to do some shots in and around the church and did other errands to fill the gap until the office opened. After waiting there for more than 1/2 h, the employees which were in contact to LaPaz office told me, I am not allowed to shoot there ( cave paintings Sierra di San Francisco), what a disappointment, all despite my credits from the government of BC! Now, I will shoot there in October upon return and with the permits supplied... ...instead, I used a very good display in the museo to give you an impression of those witnesses 10 000 years old, way before the Mayan and Inka time...

Heading back North

It was time to say Good Bye to this wonderful part of the world. The ...

Updated: Jun 08, 2011 12:12pm PST

Heading North Sta Rosalia : I could not shoot too many photos of Sta Rosalia on my way down Baja, so having to buy some Magnesium to fight my muscle spasms gave the chance, to do this! Sta Rosalia is an old mining town, the French company Boleo operated a Copper mine here, and the town is showing this.. A lively 10 000 people here hoping, that the reopening of the mining brings new prosperity to the town. French influence can be seen everywhere, even the girls are pretty here....

Heading North Sta Rosalia

I could not shoot too many photos of Sta Rosalia on my way down Baja, ...

Updated: Jun 08, 2011 12:08pm PST

Heading North Day 3 Vizcaino to Bahia Los Angeles : June 8 13:30, my work with padre Francesco was finished and I headed towards Bahia de los Angeles. The road was good, after briefly inspecting the town I decided to stay in the first campground towards La Gringa, which turned out to be excellent - run by Antonio from Mexico City. Palappas are roomy with a brick back and very nice built, shower and washrooms in good condition, very clean, you appreciate this, when you are in Mexico! I did not see other ones, but I can recommend this one. I spent the next day on the beach enjoying the strong warm wind blowing off land, which did only create a very small wave, ideally suited for speed

Heading North Day 3 Vizcaino to Bahia Los Angeles

June 8 13:30, my work with padre Francesco was finished and I headed t ...

Updated: Jun 08, 2011 11:04am PST

Cave Paintings Sierra San Francisco : The planned trip on day 2 to Sierra San Francisco to shoot the cave paintings... However, I did not get the required permit and will do the shooting upon my return in October 2011. To give you an impression of those ~ 10 000 year old - older than Aztec, Inka and Maya cultures - I shot the excellent reproduction in the museo in San Ignacio, to give you an idea... It always strikes me, how close the colors used resemble temporary Mexican pottery.... Some A55 photos had to be resized, as the upload stalled.

Cave Paintings Sierra San Francisco

The planned trip on day 2 to Sierra San Francisco to shoot the cave pa ...

Updated: Jun 08, 2011 9:59am PST

Mexico BCS Lost Treasures of Baja California : After leaving Guerrero Negro South, I met Padre Francesco in Vizcaino. Padre Francez did an amazing job in photographing all missions in Baja California - 20 years ago, with very basic 35mm equipment and published them in his book The Lost Treasures of Baja California. While they are not all lost, this book is an important contribution to the colonisation of Baja California and the initial work of the Jesuits. I try to help him to preserve the real treasures, his photos on 35mm film!

Mexico BCS Lost Treasures of Baja California

After leaving Guerrero Negro South, I met Padre Francesco in Vizcaino. ...

Updated: Jun 08, 2011 8:39am PST

Heading North Day 2 San Ignacio to Vizcaino : Day 2 was designated to shoot the 10 000 year old Cave Paintings in Sierra de San Francisco, and to visit my "old" friend, Padre James Donald Francez in that little pueblo close to Vizcaino - however, I did not receive the permit. I extended my visit with the padre and downloaded some photos of day 1 & 2 here... Most amazing, he found the camera, he took the photos for his book "The Lost Treasures of Baja California" - and even more amazing, I took pictures of his 25 year old lens with my modern D700!

Heading North Day 2 San Ignacio to Vizcaino

Day 2 was designated to shoot the 10 000 year old Cave Paintings in Si ...

Updated: Jun 08, 2011 8:29am PST

Mexico BCS Loreto / El Juncalito :

Mexico BCS Loreto / El Juncalito

Updated: Jun 04, 2011 8:42pm PST

4/3 and m4/3 samples Olympus E3&P2 : Everybody knows, that I put lens first.... A reason, why I shoot a 12-60mm 2.8-4 Zuiko on E3 4/3 and with adapter on E-P2 m4/3 translating to an excellent 24-120mm lens in 35mm terms. This is industry's fastest Autofocus, and one of the few AF lenses I trust. On the long side, I use a manual 500mm Mirror lens f8, which is ideal for wildlife, if hiking is involved. Translating to 1000mm Image stabilized this is priceless, and precise manual focusing is neither a problem with the bright E-P2 electronic Viewfinder nor with the optical VF in E3. I started using the 500mm TAMRON f8 mirror lens with a NIKoN D300, when I shot an osprey on a poplar tree at a distance of more than 1000m and thought, I saw something like a wasp around the osprey, and when I edited the file, there clearlh was a wasp,,,, ,,,a second proof of the accuracy of that lens happened, when I shot it on an E-PL1 in the crown of a fir tree to determine, how good the EVF will do the job - just to detect, that the camera captured not only the little twig perfectly, but also showed a bug in stellar sharpness, where the EVF could not show it - or I could not see it! A challenge of each Mirror lens is the unusual - in many cases horrible - bokeh, but you learn to work around it..... The first badge of 19 photos here is shot wit the E3.... Speaking of the 4/3 - m4/3 format: I do not like that format in landscape orientation and crop 80% to 6:4 ending at 12x18 prints I do like the 4:3 in portrait oriented shots, where I prefer it over 6:4!

4/3 and m4/3 samples Olympus E3&P2

Everybody knows, that I put lens first.... A reason, why I shoot a 12- ...

Updated: Jun 04, 2011 1:09am PST

White Pelicans :

White Pelicans

Updated: Jun 03, 2011 12:03am PST

Mexico BCS Loreto Juncalito- House of the Rising Sun Sunrise to Sunset :

Mexico BCS Loreto Juncalito- House of the Rising Sun Sunrise to Sunset

Updated: May 30, 2011 9:27pm PST

A55 w "Beercan" Minolta 70-210mm : Today I took my Sony A55 with a 25 year old MINOLTA AF 70-210mm f4 down to my beach, which is right below the cliff. I could shoot some interesting studies, and as recently similar photos had been taken with Olympus E3 and a 500mm Mirror lens translating to 1000mm Image Stabilized, very interesting to see a comparison. While of course for a task like that I prefer a NIKON D300/D700 for the bright view and the fast action, as well as a Olympus E3/E5 for the bright viewfinder and Image stabilization. The E3 is shot in Manual Focus, and sharp focusing is no problem with the excellent viewfinder. The A55 with the 25 year old lens focuses amazingly quick, the limitation here is the viewfinder, especially, when you set it to -1 EV. Some acceptable results. Later in the evening I came across a noisy Oystercatcher on Northern Schenk Island, those guys are getting rare, it caused quite a sensation, when I detected 4 at Cannon Beach Haystack, as they were absent there for some time...

A55 w "Beercan" Minolta 70-210mm

Today I took my Sony A55 with a 25 year old MINOLTA AF 70-210mm f4 dow ...

Updated: May 28, 2011 10:28pm PST

E-P2 w Tamron 60-300mm : An E-PL1/2 or E-P2 is an excellent partner for the 60-300mm TAMRON. I call this a BBD lens: Bear - to stay away far enough from danger Bird - to get the little creatures big enough Daisy - when there is a flower to shoot on your hiking trip, where I prefer it to a heavy 300mm 2.8 lens.

E-P2 w Tamron 60-300mm

An E-PL1/2 or E-P2 is an excellent partner for the 60-300mm TAMRON. I ...

Updated: May 19, 2011 10:04am PST

Mexico Juncalito / House of the Rising Sun - Hummingbirds :

Mexico Juncalito / House of the Rising Sun - Hummingbirds

Updated: May 13, 2011 4:20pm PST

Mexico BCS Loreto-El Juncalito / House of the Rising Sun - What's around? :

Mexico BCS Loreto-El Juncalito / House of the Rising Sun - What's around?

Updated: May 13, 2011 4:05pm PST

Mexico BCS Loreto / House of the Rising Sun - Dolphins : While having breakfast in my new house (House of the Rising Sun) I saw a group of dolphins travelling North. It took me a while, to get the right equipment out of my van, thus most photos had been taken, while the Dolphins were already leaving. To give you an idea about the quality of the equipment used: The Photos were taken with a NIKON D700 and a TAMRON 300mm 2.8 with a converted NIKON 1.6AF autofocusing Tele Converter. Isla Coronado is 27km away, the dolphins in the bay were 2.5km distant...

Mexico BCS Loreto / House of the Rising Sun - Dolphins

While having breakfast in my new house (House of the Rising Sun) I saw ...

Updated: May 01, 2011 5:52am PST

Mexico BCS Loreto / San Javier :

Mexico BCS Loreto / San Javier

Updated: Apr 06, 2011 2:35pm PST

Mexico BCS Loreto :

Mexico BCS Loreto

Updated: Mar 31, 2011 8:12pm PST

Mexico BCS Ciudad Constitucion : Ciudad Constitucion is a very clean city - for Mexican Standards. My stay here was not planned, as it has no beaches to offer. However, it was a very positive stay waiting for my Insurance Company to allow the operation and for Dr Garcia to execute it. If you are down here in Baja California Sur and run into more serious medical problems, this is the place to go. The Hotel is Posadas del Ryal, posadas_delryal@hotmail.com, if you need a Doctor (Chirurg) here please refer to Dr Ismael Guiterrez Garcia, tel (613) 137 0346. If you need a Family Doctor in Loreto, Dr. Gerardo E. Ramos Hinojos is an excellent choice tel 044-613-109-5259, ramoshge@hotmail.com

Mexico BCS Ciudad Constitucion

Ciudad Constitucion is a very clean city - for Mexican Standards. My ...

Updated: Mar 19, 2011 10:08am PST

Guerrero Negro - Grey Whales :

Guerrero Negro - Grey Whales

Updated: Mar 13, 2011 8:56pm PST

White Crane Hunting :

White Crane Hunting

Updated: Mar 12, 2011 4:31pm PST

Guerrero Negro Cranes, Egrets :

Guerrero Negro Cranes, Egrets

Updated: Mar 12, 2011 3:53pm PST

Guerrero Negro - Salt producing :

Guerrero Negro - Salt producing

Updated: Mar 12, 2011 3:31pm PST

Mexico BCS Guerrero Negro Bird Sanctuary :

Mexico BCS Guerrero Negro Bird Sanctuary

Updated: Mar 12, 2011 12:53pm PST

Guerrero Negro - Capital of Dirt and Whale Watching :

Guerrero Negro - Capital of Dirt and Whale Watching

Updated: Mar 12, 2011 11:54am PST

San Diego Old Centre and Conference Center : This Gallery ought to be "A Century of Aviation" (link see Spruce Goose Museum), however, The Hotel printed a nice map leading me to an airport far away, while the show was at Coronado. When I arrived there, the whole area was clogged, and Coronado bridge jammed, so I decided to test the gear downtown: Full Frame: NIKON D700 TAMRON 180mm 2.5 w 1.6 AF converter APSC size sensor: SONY A55 SiSo 30 -> 46mm 1.4 SONY NEX3 16 -> 24mm 2.8 4/3rds sensor: Olympus E3 12-60 -> 24-120mm 2.8-4 (The ONLY REAL AF lens I like, AF is fast AND reliable Olympus P2 17 -> 34mm 2.8 Panasonic GH2 20 ->40mm 1.7

San Diego Old Centre and Conference Center

This Gallery ought to be "A Century of Aviation" (link see Spruce Goos ...

Updated: Mar 11, 2011 11:55am PST

Cannon Beach - The Waves & Ecola mouth :

Cannon Beach - The Waves & Ecola mouth

Updated: Mar 08, 2011 8:14am PST

Guerrero Negro Wildlife : Most visitors come to Guerrero Negro between February and March, to observe (and pet!) Grey Whales nursing their babies (Well, this baby weighs in at about 500kg!). However, there is some interesting widlife around the city as well. Drive West towards the Salt Mill and than follow the signs to the lighthouse (Faro), this is a wetland with kind of a bird sanctuary within. I was late this Sunday afternoon and had the 300mm 2.8 still on the D700, most shots taken after sun set - darkness follows sunset always very fast so far South!

Guerrero Negro Wildlife

Most visitors come to Guerrero Negro between February and March, to ob ...

Updated: Mar 05, 2011 6:34pm PST

MEXICO - BC - Rosarito : I could hardly believe, that the day after my visit with the mayor an article showed up on the front page of the Rosarito News - a community of 100 000+ people which grew from 65 000 in 1995 to more than 100 000 in 2011. Rosarito or using the full name Rosarito Beach is ideally located for tourism catering mainly to US clientele as for any major manufacturing, as the US/Mex border is only 35 min away. Please find more information about Rosarito here:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosarito_Beach and here: http://www.rosarito.gob.mx/rosaritov/ You can read an article about my visit here: http://www.rosaritoenlanoticia.info/2011/01/artista-canadiense-visita-al-alcalde.html

MEXICO - BC - Rosarito

I could hardly believe, that the day after my visit with the mayor an ...

Updated: Mar 03, 2011 7:23pm PST

Cannon Beach Haystack : http://www.cannonbeachgazette.com/entertainment/article_4287bd5e-258b-11e0-bb72-001cc4c002e0.html

Cannon Beach Haystack

http://www.cannonbeachgazette.com/entertainment/article_4287bd5e-258b- ...

Updated: Feb 28, 2011 1:20pm PST

Guerrero Negro - Whale Watch-> Meeting some Canadian Friends: Sand Cranes : 1 700_7140 Sandhill Crane - Grus canadensis in Mexico While I had to wait for a guide from the whale watching tours to come ashore, I could see a crane in the far distance. I had an Olympus E3 with a 500mm -> 1000mm f/8 and the D700 with a 180mm 2.5 x 1.6 NIKON AF converter -> 300mm f4.5 on it, which could not do a lot, so I switched to a 300mm 2.8 TAMRON. Fortunately, the bird came closer, and while waiting I could observe his gaming tactique and playful behaviour....

Guerrero Negro - Whale Watch-> Meeting some Canadian Friends: Sand Cranes

1 700_7140 Sandhill Crane - Grus canadensis in Mexico While I had to ...

Updated: Feb 26, 2011 7:39pm PST

San Diego next evening SONY A55 B&W : I was working all day in the Motel uploading photos to my website. It came close to sunset, and I wanted to drive down to Pacific Beach again to get some more shots. Due to a traffic jam, I was late for the beach, and just could make a "drive by" shot. I shoot 99.9% of my photos in Aperture Priority mode - Always RAW + JPEG - no need to often change settings. When I got out of my van, I must have changed the settings. I first thought, there is something wrong with my viewfinder, as I only got a B&W image, but the files in PASM and Panorama mode all came out in B&W. I choose one of the 2 Auto modes to get at least a color image, with a surprising result: When I edited the photos I detected, that the Auto mode chosen also delivered a RAW file, and the photo turned out pretty good, so I will give it another try. I NEVER trust any auto mode besides White Balance, where I do not trust my judgement. Also I soot AF very rarely and only consider the Zuiko 12-60mm 2.8-4 a "Real" Autofocus lens!

San Diego next evening SONY A55 B&W

I was working all day in the Motel uploading photos to my website. It ...

Updated: Feb 26, 2011 1:48pm PST

397km Rosario to Guerrero Negro : I stayed in El Rosario for the night, as I got pretty tired, and driving at night is nor recommended. The next day around 1pm - after uploading the shots from the previous day - I continued South with just 4 gallons left in the tank. Previously, every 30 miles there was a gas station in a small town. After 5 miles already, the country got more desolate by the mile, rising concerns about my gas, and God told me to turn around and fill up. At the gas station back in EL Rosario, I learned, that the next one will be 497 km from here, thus I filled er up... ...probably the best idea I had so far in the month of Februar - it was good, I did the next gas station actually was just close to Guerrero Negro! Also, I was lucky, to overnight in El Rosario, no Hotel either!

397km Rosario to Guerrero Negro

I stayed in El Rosario for the night, as I got pretty tired, and drivi ...

Updated: Feb 25, 2011 12:14pm PST

Rosarito - Ensenada - El Rosario - On my way to Guerrero Negro :

Rosarito - Ensenada - El Rosario - On my way to Guerrero Negro

Updated: Feb 24, 2011 11:18am PST

San Diego where to stay: Comfort Inn or Rodeway Inn : When you visit San Diego, you want to stay in the Old Downtown Area - See my other Gallery - or better in the Pacific Beach / Mission Bay Area close to Sea World and other attractions and easy to access from I5. I stayed frequently in the Comfort Inn {4540 Mission Bay Dr, SD, CA 92109 - Reservations: mbuser@comfortinnmissionbay.com, (858) 274 7888, ask for Christine} and in the Rodeway Inn, which I detected later exploring the area on my mountainbike. I like both hotels in the US$ 50.00 class, which is pretty decent for San Diego (As per Feb 2011), however decided to stay in the Rodeway Inn, where you feel more within a "family", and access to the rooms is easier, especially, when you have lots of expensive equipment, which you do not want to leave in your vehicle. The Rodway Inn even has kind of a "Romantic Feeling" within the city, see the photos taken at the last day of my stay before heading back to Mexico - I have a new Panasonic Lumix GH2, a new SONY A55 added to the "Great DSLE Shootout" and a semi underwater case ( down to 5m, which should be good enough for the Greywhales with their babies) As this is a website about photography, you might check the different light situation within a 5 min timeframe only. Rodeway Inn, 4345 Mission Bay Dr, San Diego, CA 92109 (858) 273 1121 fax 273 2944, RodewayPB@gmail.com, Refer to Dan, Ariadne or Robert!

San Diego where to stay: Comfort Inn or Rodeway Inn

When you visit San Diego, you want to stay in the Old Downtown Area - ...

Updated: Feb 22, 2011 9:11am PST

San Diego Rainy evening w SONY NEX&A55 : My first trip with both SONY - A55 and NEX3 - on my mountainbike from the Rodeway Inn to Pacific Beach. I had the excellent SIGMA 1.4 30mm->46mm on the A55 around my neck the NEX3 with the 2.8 16mm -> 24mm in my Jacket pocket the Beercan 4 70-210mm -> 108 - 324mm in my Jacket's inner Pocket One Reason, why I consider DSLE, in the first step to add to my Pro equipment, in the next step, to substitue my Pro equipment: TRAVEL LIGHT!

San Diego Rainy evening w SONY NEX&A55

My first trip with both SONY - A55 and NEX3 - on my mountainbike from ...

Updated: Feb 22, 2011 8:52am PST

Samsung TL500 - EX1 : Volker Schenk's Camera of the year 2010

Samsung TL500 - EX1

Volker Schenk's Camera of the year 2010

Updated: Feb 13, 2011 12:56am PST

Mexico - Tijuana - 2 step entry ;-) : I entered Mexico through the port of Tijuana on Jan 25, 2011. I heard terrible things about line ups in the US propaganda and was prepared for the worst. Watch the video taken with my front camera, that says it all. As my van is rather unusual, I was waived out, which I expected. After a quick look in my van, I could continue and had not even my passport controlled or stamped, which I was used from each and every border I crossed, maybe 200. Last time I experienced a similar situation was at the Berlin wall port between East and West Germany, which was heart braking inhuman, and East German kids in uniform were trained to shoot East German brothers and sisters, more than 120 died here, and more than 1200 confirmed death alongside the entire, 845 mile border…. Today I had to go to the Tijuana border a second time to get my documentation in order, I decided to travel light and take the not intrusive E-P2 with only 2 lenses, the 17-> 34mm 2.8 Zuiko and the Carl Zeiss 90 -> 180mm 2.8 with me. The Zeiss 90mm E-P2 combo is my favorite rig for many tasks.

Mexico - Tijuana - 2 step entry ;-)

I entered Mexico through the port of Tijuana on Jan 25, 2011. I heard ...

Updated: Feb 10, 2011 4:00pm PST

MEXICO - BC - Rosarito / Popotla : Eventually I found a Panasonic Lumix GH2 - took me 2 month, to get ahold of one. I had to go to San Diego, where it was shipped to. I also found an underwater casing, which would help me doing the intended Grey Whale shots and videos in Guerrero Negro - meaning, a 3rd time to Tijuana - anyway, I had to do it. I wanted to start at 5:30 in the morning to avoid traffic at the border, but was advised against it - Monday morning should be the worst traffic towards San Diego. I decided to drive after lunch and took the time to shoot the Fish Market in Popotla, which is just South of the Fox Studios on the southern outskirts of Rosarito. This is more of an insider tip; while everyone tells you to go to Puerto Nuevo, Popatla is the better choice. The boats arrive in the morning with their catch, tables and umbrellas are put up, and the fresh fish is offered for sale. Tip: Choose your fish fresh and get it prepared in one of the restaurants. At noon, boats and tables are removed, the seagulls have a fiest here with the stuff left. I had my van packed already, available were: SONY NEX3 w. 16->24mm 2.8 SONY SONY A550 w 30-> 46mm 1.4 SIGMA OLYMPUS E-P2 with 17-> 34mm 2.8 and Zeiss Contax G 90->180mm 2.8 MF, which I prefer for not intrusive street shooting. Getting the focus adjusted when your prey is still in shooting position is a permanent challenge! Please do not forget: You WILL NEED the electronic Viewfinder for the E-PL2 (1) or E-P2, this makes a "Real" camera out of this ......

MEXICO - BC - Rosarito / Popotla

Eventually I found a Panasonic Lumix GH2 - took me 2 month, to get aho ...

Updated: Feb 08, 2011 7:51pm PST

Going S - Cannon Beach - Ecola Park :

Going S - Cannon Beach - Ecola Park

Updated: Feb 08, 2011 4:51am PST

California- Between Capistrano and La Jolla :

California- Between Capistrano and La Jolla

Updated: Feb 05, 2011 3:12pm PST

La Jolla : Mary, Star of the Sea is a wonderful Catholic Community committed to worship,praise and community, located in San Diego, California, in the heart of downtown La Jolla. Those entering the doors of the church to see the interior of Mary, Star of the Sea will be touched by the hush of its simple beauty, and no one who leaves the church ever leaves it without a sense of the peace it imparts.

La Jolla

Mary, Star of the Sea is a wonderful Catholic Community committed to w ...

Updated: Feb 05, 2011 3:03pm PST

Cannon Beach Haystack Magic :

Cannon Beach Haystack Magic

Updated: Feb 02, 2011 11:11pm PST

Mexico - BC - Puerto Nuevo : Puerto Nuevo considers itself as “Lobster Capital of the World” From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosarito_Beach Puerto Nuevo is a community located in the municipality of Playas de Rosarito in the Mexican state of Baja California; it is famous as the "Lobster Village" of Baja California. Puerto Nuevo is a 10 minute drive south of the town of Playas de Rosarito, Baja California, and roughly 40 miles north of Ensenada. The well-known lobster village, Puerto Nuevo arose in the 1970s and 80s, just fifteen minutes south of Rosarito, originally as a fishermen's neighborhood who would offer the daily catch in their living room, and now is a tourist/culinary destination. Lobster, rice, and beans, washed down with Margaritas is the "comida del dia." Lobster "Puerto Nuevo Style" can be advertised anywhere in Baja, where the recipe is lobster, doused with butter and grilled, although if a customer insists it will be prepared in the traditional method. I ate my lobster on the last Sunday in January at The Lobster Restaurants are located on a 100” high cliff with w 210 degree panoramic view, quite beautiful. What impressed me even more than the quality of the lobster for 15 bucks was the melody of the waves filling the air at sunset providing a romantic scenario. At occasions like this you regret not being able this with someone you are in love with!

Mexico - BC - Puerto Nuevo

Puerto Nuevo considers itself as “Lobster Capital of the World” From ...

Updated: Feb 02, 2011 7:39pm PST

Spruce Goose Museum McMinville : This Gallery is dedicated to David Forrester, a friend of mine, who phoned me, hearing, I am in Oregon doing shots of the Oregon Coast. He is a Canadian Entrepreneur and avid pilot and knows 10 times more about flying than I do. He pointed out, that Howard Hughes famous Spruce Goose is in a Museum in McMinville. I first did not find any information on that and even heard, the goose was relocated to California. On my way to San Diego I managed to touch down in McMinville and had even a hard time to find it here, not too many signs here. I was very surprised, to find a full blown Museum here and regretted, not having planned a lot of time here.. I might come back, as talking to employees here I was granted a free tour through the immense cockpit, maybe a video tour with David?? Due to recent events I had no time to post the "real" Photos, I just started the gallery. However, I am momentarily in San Diego and pick up some underwater equipment for my Grey Whale Shooting in Guerrero Negro, BC, and to shoot the celebrations for: "A CENTURY OF FLIGHT - 100 years of naval innovators, aviators and aircraft" (http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/special/aviation/) Check it out!

Spruce Goose Museum McMinville

This Gallery is dedicated to David Forrester, a friend of mine, who ph ...

Updated: Feb 01, 2011 7:14pm PST

Cannon Beach Blue Thursday :

Cannon Beach Blue Thursday

Updated: Feb 01, 2011 12:48pm PST

Mexico - Rosarito - Los Pelicanos : I was lucky enough to stumble across that fabulous Hotel/Restaurant while trying to find a good spot to shoot the sunset upon arrival. Hotel: Best location right ay the beach, pool, spa, quiet, reasonable prices Restaurant: Excellent Food, the owner maintains his own farm delivering lamb, rabbit, beef fresh to the restaurant, very romantic setting .... tI started shooting here in the morning and ended shooting here in the evening, many shots from Rosarita are taken here, so I decided for a gallery of its own...

Mexico - Rosarito - Los Pelicanos

I was lucky enough to stumble across that fabulous Hotel/Restaurant wh ...

Updated: Feb 01, 2011 12:22pm PST

Photos for Sale - Oregon Coast : I do not sell photos. During my 3 month stay in Cannon Beach I was asked to make some of my work available. Well, here it is! Expect, you have to wait a while before I can ship them, I am very busy! Order by v.Schenk@gmail.com, payment by check or paypal.

Photos for Sale - Oregon Coast

I do not sell photos. During my 3 month stay in Cannon Beach I was as ...

Updated: Jan 28, 2011 9:36am PST

Going South - Arriving S California Capistrano : I arrived after driving - without any interruption from Cannon Beach but a Portrait Shooting in Carlson OR and the shooting of the Spruce Goose, which I will devote to my friend David Forester - with only 2 overnightings in my van ( Hotels with Check in, Check out just don't allow that fast track shooting, I have my van built for that. Also, I feel neither comfortable leaving 30 000$ camera equipment in my van over night, nor luging it into a hotel for just a one night stay... I promised to do some photo shooting for a lady I met in Cannon Beach, HARPER's Bazar has a contest, we could not do the shooting due to some mis-information allowing enough time, so I did it in 30min on a rainy morning..GOOD LUCK with it anyway! (Being born German, I keep promises under any circumstances) Speaking of older ladies which would fit at least my age, I have very mixed feelings and feel abused, as each tends to just use me for their intended purpose, whether it is being company for a meeting because you are that sharp looking guy, or whatever. In one respect I might be lucky that I lost my beautiful house in the Okanagan during the crisis (get prepared, the worst is still to come), do not know, how many "ladies" were friends thinking I am still "rich". Now, the fact is, I am poor now. In fact, when I hit down Santa Monica Freeway avoiding even heavier traffic on I5, just 4 years ago I stayed some nights in the fanciest hotel there, now I could not even afford to park my van on their parking lot! Anyway, maybe focusing on my photography helps me to overcome all the bad things that happened to me during this time... ...thinking of ladies, I might just become available getting abused by younger exemplaries matching my vigorousity and stanina ;-) I bought a new A550 SONY, as I wanted to add an A55 to the Great DSLE shootout, but had no luck to get one (yet), just to use the already bought 30mm 1.4 SIGMA, which translates to a 46mm fast lens which I intend to use on my VG-10 SONY for video shooting as on the A55. The results are quite promising! I never intended to do any shots here in my rush to San Diego and Mexico, I just thought, I could avoid I5 and take 1 down, which led me to the scenery.. I am very thankful to god, to lead me to all those beautiful places! To the shots: All with A550 + 30mm 1.4 - I will add some NEX 16->24mm shots later; Inside the Mission - A rising sun just renders beautiful colors, and the SONY A550 used in combination with the 1.4 SIGMA 30 = 46mm, developed with SONY's excellent Image Data Converter - First Sun Rays at the San Juan Capistrano Mission - Inside the Mission A rising sun just renders beautiful colors, and the SONY A550 used in combination with the 1.4 SIGMA 30 = 46mm, developed with SONY's excellent Image Data Converter. Had to climb the walls for this photo, and later a nice priest told me to attend a tour at 10:00 - unfortunately, I had no time, as I had to develop some portraiture photos for a friend, which I promised and executed for the next 3-1/2 hrs in the Starbucks opposite... While I was working here, I also edited the just shot photos...

Going South - Arriving S California Capistrano

I arrived after driving - without any interruption from Cannon Beach ...

Updated: Jan 23, 2011 1:38pm PST

Cannon Beach - Nightshots :

Cannon Beach - Nightshots

Updated: Jan 19, 2011 7:23am PST

Camera - Wide - Normal Comparison : In an environment like Cannon Beach / Haystack area a 35mm Focal Length is the most attractive, combined with a "normal" 50mm lens. My tests are all scattered over multiple memory cards, and I can only add as I come across. I am shooting: • K****NIKON D700 /K****SIGMA 24-70mm 2.8, most at 24-38mm • E***OLYMPUS E-3 / K*****12-60mm 2.8-4 Zuiko, mostly at 12-20 and 60mm = 24-40 and 120mm • K****GH2 / 12-60mm 2.8-4, most at 12-20 and 60mm = 24-40 and 120mm planned for movie, already shooting this lens on Pens Primes: • K***NEX 3 K****SONY 16mm 2.8 = 24mm • K****Samsung NX10 30mm 2.0 = 46mm • K*** NEX Sigma 30mm 1.4 = 46mm  use on E***VG-10 low light • E*** Sony A550 Sigma 30mm 1.4 = 46mm  A55 hard to come by, shoot A550 • K**NEX+NX w KIRON Ni 24mm 2.0 = 36mm …….added recently 3 m4/3: • K***E-P2 K*****Pana 20mm 1.7 • K***NEX 3 K*****Carl Zeiss 28mm 2.8  43mm • E**E-PL1 E****Zuiko 17mm 2.8  Fuji X100 w 35mm f2 P&S  I call it Beltcamera • K***Samsung TL500 24-72mm 1.8-2.4 Tendency: K = Keeper E = Exchange Rating * - *****

Camera - Wide - Normal Comparison

In an environment like Cannon Beach / Haystack area a 35mm Focal Lengt ...

Updated: Jan 17, 2011 7:51pm PST

Oregon Coast - Seaside : During my stay in Cannon Beach 2010/2011 I had to go to Seaside a couple of times. Not nearly as photogenic as Cannon Beach, but I force myself to have ALWAYS a camera with me.... In the case of the sun set, it was a new Olympus E-P2 which I received a day before from B&H, with the 17mm 2.8 Zuiko, translating to 34mm f/2.8. While my main lens on the small m4/3 IIS bodies is the Panasonic Lumix 1.7/20mm, I am surprised by the capabilities of the 2.8/17mm, which are way better than what I could read in "Expert" reviews. I originally thought to sell this lens, it is a keeper yet. The sunset photos were not planned, on my way to an appointment with an insurance agency suddenly the sky cleared, I took the chance to get the pics in and was only 5min late! The E-P2 is way more intuitive to shoot than the E-PL1 (I always got confused with the menue), I will stick with the E-P2. Olympus showed their E-PL2 at CES this month, they took care of some of the issues the E-PL1 has..... The late afternoon photos were taken a week before with E-PL1 and Zeiss G 2.8/ 90mm and SONY NEX3

Oregon Coast - Seaside

During my stay in Cannon Beach 2010/2011 I had to go to Seaside a coup ...

Updated: Jan 16, 2011 9:03pm PST

Oregon Coast - Driftwood :

Oregon Coast - Driftwood

Updated: Jan 15, 2011 10:56pm PST

Cannon Beach - Sun Sets and Rain Bows :

Cannon Beach - Sun Sets and Rain Bows

Updated: Jan 15, 2011 6:26pm PST

Oystercatchers :

Oystercatchers

Updated: Jan 14, 2011 5:19pm PST

Going South - Oregon Coast - Cannon Beach Arrival : Wednesday, November 3rd: After taking those stunning photos at Fort Stevens Park in the stormy morning, I had to get some 8GB SD cards at Costco in Warenton (the new generation of video shooting DSLes just eat bites ;-), found a storage place and headed towards Cannon Beach, which I intended to make my Headquarters exploring the Oregon Coast. I came just right for a beautiful sun set. This place has an astounding energy. I saw many beautiful places in my life, this one is just unbelievable, if you ever have a chance to visit The Oregon Coast, do not hesitate to do so. As I was in a rush and did not want to miss the 5 critical minutes to take photos during sun set, I took most pictures with the D700/24-70mm//2.8 It is always interesting to see EXIF data, you get them as follows: Choose style: Thumbnails (preferred) Click Thumbnail Choose size Click: Show Details Click info.......

Going South - Oregon Coast - Cannon Beach Arrival

Wednesday, November 3rd: After taking those stunning photos at Fort St ...

Updated: Jan 14, 2011 5:05pm PST

101 - Lighthouses - Tilly :

101 - Lighthouses - Tilly

Updated: Jan 11, 2011 7:56pm PST

Zeiss Sonnar G on E-PL1 @ f/2.8 : My First Day Without NIKON While I had proof, that the concept with the DSLE worked, I never went out for shooting without the Back-UP of my Pro Nikon. Especially on a trip like that - Oktoberfest Munich and Photokina Koeln - I was lugging around 8kg - 17 pounds around my neck. While I needed all this when I visited the lens manufacturers to check the lenses intended to purchase for the new Quartett, and the efficiency of the adapters choosen, I decided to stay away from the fair on Saturday, as I switched Hotels and went close to Dome and Hauptbahnhof for my return via Airport Frankfurt Sunday evening. I had with me: Olympus E-PL1 with Zeiss Contax G translating to 180mm 2.8 on the E-PL1. This lens is my favorite Street Shooting lens. ALL photos @ f/2.8. If a lens does not perform at the max aperture, simply stay away. Paper Tigers do not help us in Photography Samsung NX10 with the excellent 30mm f/2, translating to 45mm, a rig which establishes itself as my "Standard lens". Why giving CANIKON tons of money, when you get for less than a lens a whole setup? Additionally, the video quality is excellent. For a moment I regretted not to have my Nikon with me, when I saw a wild bunch of kids on boards jumping from the Dom Place, which allowed to take photos with the Dome as background! I anticipated the shutter action and managed to get some quite spectacular shots. Third camera in my equipment was the NEX 3 with the quite good 16mm f/2.8, translating to 24mm, which is very useful in narrow urban environment, especially, with such a high building like the Cologne Dome reigning the City! Downloading seemed to last for ever, so I interrupted the first download with the Zeiss Sonnar in the morning. Those are all shots RIGHT OUT OF CAMERA, unaltered. My friend wanted to check audio capabilities of his 5D MKII, so I followed him in the deep woods..(Part II) Conversion of my 2.8/90mm Contax G : The conversion was made in Japan at a cost of 260$. I tried to shoot with those cheap and cheaply made Chinese adapters, which proved impossible. The "Metabones" expensive adapter is not working either, and the company is stubborn enough not to acknowledge that the concept is faulty. I thought, I am a single complainer, until I found a video at YouPoop - which shows the exact same issues I had. I wanted to use this magnificent lens exactly like being used on a G2, and I had it permanently converted to mFT and used it mainly on the Pen like E-PL1, E-P2 because of the image stabilisation, which becomes crucial with an effective Focal Length of 180mm in 35mm terms. The focusing ring also shows distance marks, which the G lenses lack, as they are designed for AF, an additional nice feature not available with any adapter. I tried to shoot the 90mm f/2.8 with several adapters, none of them worked, so I had it professionally converted to mFT mount

Zeiss Sonnar G on E-PL1 @ f/2.8

My First Day Without NIKON While I had proof, that the concept with ...

Updated: Jan 10, 2011 9:47pm PST

Ol E-PL1 + Zeiss 90mm f/2.8 Munich :

Ol E-PL1 + Zeiss 90mm f/2.8 Munich

Updated: Dec 24, 2010 9:48am PST

4/3rds - Olympus E3 : It is raining here every day, and I do not trust the NIKON D700 with the 24-70mm for water resistance. I shot a 4/3 Olympus E3 years ago and just purchased one with a 12-60mm 2.8-4 Zuiko. Autofocus is a class faster than NIKON, noise resistance is mediocre for night shots, water resistance seems superior to D700. I decided already to shoot PANASONIC GH2 (videos) in 2011, together with belt class m4/3 E-PL1 Olympus. With either of the OM or Pana adapters, I can operate 4/3 OM lenses on m4/3 with ELECTRONIC AF and aperture control. This could go in favor of the E5. It is time for NIKON to launch the D800! While I get a stabilized image with a D700 cranking up the ISO, E3 has IIS; both work well with long teles. E3 shots at 640 ISO, noise is already visible, I should have remembered and cranked down to 200, disappointing, but an E3 is 5 years old... This is a test here of creative possibilities of the 180mm 2.5 and 300mm 2.8 SP TAMRONs on a 4/3rds sensor, which gives 2x crop factor. The Sea Gull Landing strip between the wild Pacific Ocean and the calm Ecola River is 300m away, the Lighthouse "Tilly" 4 miles. I wanted to see, if I could create a dramatic effect, if any!

4/3rds - Olympus E3

It is raining here every day, and I do not trust the NIKON D700 with t ...

Updated: Dec 22, 2010 8:43pm PST

Shuswap Sunnybrae :

Shuswap Sunnybrae

Updated: Dec 12, 2010 11:12am PST

SONY NEX3 + NEX5 : You find good reviews here: Jeff Keller on DCResource, LetsGoDigital, Richard Butler at dpreview.com Michael_Hohner TechSpec

SONY NEX3 + NEX5

You find good reviews here: Jeff Keller on DCResource, LetsGoDigital, ...

Updated: Dec 12, 2010 11:04am PST

Shuswap Blind Bay : Copper Island in the Shuswap is a Landmark, left towering out of the lake after the glacier carved out the lake bassin.

Shuswap Blind Bay

Copper Island in the Shuswap is a Landmark, left towering out of the l ...

Updated: Dec 12, 2010 10:46am PST

Okanagan Winfield Turtle Bay : Those NEX photos are edited with the excellent SONY supplied Software. Check out the variations!

Okanagan Winfield Turtle Bay

Those NEX photos are edited with the excellent SONY supplied Software. ...

Updated: Dec 12, 2010 10:34am PST

Blue Friday - Crop of the day : After a stretch of almost 2 weeks without one day lacking rain, I already had that feeling when I woke up : This is the day! I had my 2 adapters received for the MINOLTA/Sony A-mount to Sony E-mount NEX cameras and could try the Beer Can finally, where I was desperately looking forward to. See the sunset pictures – I was amazed, I thought, I captured it with the D700! Around 3pm, the battery in the VG-10 said good night, I had to rush “home” and put it on a charger, as I neither received the spare batteries (YOU NEED AT LEAST ONE!) nor my Car Charger. Two days later – this Sunday – I realised, I had forgotten my cute Intellipod when I took the first video, it is gone! Gear used that day: D700 w 24-70mm 2.8 NEX 3 w 16mm 2.8, kit zoom and “Beer Can “ Minolta 70-210mm f/4 NEX VG-10 w kit zoom, 300mm 2.8 TAMRON SP & 180mm 2.5 SP, Beer Can for sun set SAMSUNG NX10/30 for videos while driving SAMSUNG WT500 @ F/1.8 1HR AFTER SUN SET. I had to go twice to Indian Beach, as the battery of the VG-10 went dead, and I had to give it a boost at the hotel and gave it more charge with the 110V inverter installed in my van during the ride back - enough to capture that beautiful sunset. I could test the "Beercan" on both NEXes today, and they work beautifully with the lens! When I returned in the dark, I took a chance to capture the lights within the town already preparing for Christmas, using the on-dash Samsung NX. Enjoy – was lots of work!

Blue Friday - Crop of the day

After a stretch of almost 2 weeks without one day lacking rain, I alre ...

Updated: Dec 12, 2010 9:23am PST

Shuswap Copper Island :

Shuswap Copper Island

Updated: Dec 12, 2010 6:31am PST

CANNON BEACH Tilly :

CANNON BEACH Tilly

Updated: Dec 12, 2010 5:56am PST

Olympus E-PL1 :

Olympus E-PL1

Updated: Dec 11, 2010 9:17pm PST

Photokina September 2010 : The Great DSLE Shootout made station in Cologne at Photokina, by far the largest exhibition of everything Photo and Video! This gave me a great chance, to execute different lenses on various bodies. Mostly I shot: NIKON D300S w. NIKON 35mm f/1.5 & 135mm f/2 //TAMRON AD2 180mm f/2.5 SONY NEX 3/ 16 -> 24mm SAMSUNG NX10/ 30 -> 46mm Olympus E-Pl1 Zeiss Contax G 90mm f/2.8, see Cologne Street shots as well I had adapters with me for all TAMRON and NIKON lenses to all bodies. I was already impressed by the combination of the E-PL1 with the 90mm Zeiss Sharpshooter from my shots in Munich, during Photokina this was my preferred "people" rig. The EV for the E-PL1 works amazingly good and is a must, which brings the E-PL1 from a P&S with interchangeable lenses in the Pro Class.

Photokina September 2010

The Great DSLE Shootout made station in Cologne at Photokina, by far t ...

Updated: Dec 11, 2010 7:23pm PST

SAMSUNG NX10 : Exactly, when I wanted to use the excellent sound of my NX10 to videograph the K'NAAN concert - event, the NX10 did not wake up.... My experiences with Samsung "Customerservice" are terrible, so here a copy of my letter to them: Hello, I am a Pro Photographer ( www.VolkerSchenk.com )with a website testing innovative products. Here is the link to WB650: http://volkerschenkphotography.smugmug.com/123-110-cm-CCD/SAMSUNG-WB650-HZ35W-GPS-15x-Zo/Belt-Cameras-Digital/12347025_BfyLm#887820793_yEPqu ////, here the link to the NX10: http://volkerschenkphotography.smugmug.com/Cameras-DSLE/APS-C-sensored-DSLE/SAMSUNG-NX/12521831_Tw3QF#966712420_Y9VJa /// I contacted SAMSUNG a couple of times already before with issues, but NEVER got a response. The test of the WB650 is almost finished, the test with the NX10 just started. There are 4 issues: the WB650's photos show on closer examination artifacts, that look like dust specks on a DSLR sensor (I still was not able to make GPS working), the NX10's phantastic 30mm lens lost a ring covering the front element (See photo on the website), which is not of any meaning for function (just should not happen). More importantly: Yesterday the camera went completely dead. The sound quality of the NX10 is amazing, and I use it together with my Pro Nikon equipment when I shoot concerts. Sadly enough it did not work, when I had to shoot K'NAAN in an exiting performance. http://volkerschenkphotography.smugmug.com/Regions/BC/Shuswap-Salmon-Arm-Roots-and/13333788_atDMx#969329714_tX6wZ Bad for me, Not good for Samsung....I hope, I get in contact with a decision maker soon and some help. It makes no sense to support SAMSUNG with my photos and website, if being treated this way, instead of being happily supported. If I get no response again within an acceptable timeframe, I might just switch to SONY and shoot NEX-5 instead - I already have an appointment @ Photokina in Koeln end of September to meet with their manager in charge. Update: The NX10 was not completely dead. It must have overheard a conversation with customer service and woke up just in time, that I could videotape the last day of the event. The NX10 was most likely more frightened from customer service, than I had been. It woke up from the dead! On Monday I could get in contact with `Customer Service` in Canada. Took only 45min to take all mine and the camera`s data. The conversation ended, they will send me an email to confirm in a couple of minutes. I am still waiting, some billion minutes later.. I know, why the NX10 woke up from the dead. Let`s go back to the start of the review: We are all tired of lugging around heavy Pro - or Semi-Pro DSLR gear. Fortunately, Olympus made a great move with the 4/3 System towards smaller cameras. Surprisingly enough, they did not design their system around the sensor size, which had lead to smaller cameras without the size and limitation for optimal lens design a mirror box causes. Olympus already has great experience with eFV, the RS10 was my first digital camera, it had an excellent electronic viewfinder, image stabilisation and could shoot 15 fps. In my test of the NX10 I started to love it. After getting the details of the SONY NEXes, I thought, I will sell the NX10 after the testing is finished. Now I will keep it in my bag as my "standard lens" - a 45mm f/2 works excellent as standard lens. I could compare it with my D700 with 24-70mm 2.8. Some photos, especially nightshots and action shots, are much better with the NIKON D700, some are close, especially in good light. 12x36 prints could be easily accomplished. Verdict: For landscape and travel photography, the NX10 with the tiny 30mm f/2 pancake might be all you need. I did not and do not want to try the kit zoom lens, as I have better options and prefer primes, using different sensor sizes to get the desired focal length with a prime. The video function is a nice addition with excellent sound. The AMOLED screen is the best screen among comparable cameras. For 600.00 as of fall 2010 you will have a hard time to find a similar deal. Depending on your preferences, Panasonic G10 or SONY NEX-3 are to consider as well. dpreview.com compares it with other DSLE and states, it is larger, not considering, that a Olympus E-P2 or E-PL1 with viewfinder is actually way bulkier than the NX10. The experience with the NX10 caused a total change in my camera bag; together with the NX10/30@45mm I use the NEX5-3/16 @24mm and the E-PL1/17 @ 34mm and my NIKON lenses with adapters with any of them. Please consider my review more like a Test Drive of a car with emphasis of use and Bang for the Buck instead of a scientific test. If you want to read this, one of the best is here: http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/samsungnx10/page3.asp I found the best prices from a very reputable reseller here: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/672421-REG/Samsung_EV_NX10ZZBABUS.html/BI5575/KBI6425 http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/672421-REG/Samsung_EV_NX10ZZBABUS.html/BI5575/KBI6425

SAMSUNG NX10

Exactly, when I wanted to use the excellent sound of my NX10 to videog ...

Updated: Dec 11, 2010 6:48pm PST

Heritage Lenses and Adapters on your DSLE : You can see, how far away the adapter puts the lens from the sensor. Sony has surprisingly the shortest lens flange sensor distance: 18mm - meaning, it has the fattest adapters for 35mm lenses. I measured the thickness at 38mm - this equals the space, a conventonal mirror box for a 35mm camera requires. If you design a lens from scratch with the required image circle for APS C, you most likely will end up with 18mm for an optimal lens design, as SONY shows. The 16mm is good, the Kit zoom is far better than the alpha Tupperware Kit zoom is. I will receive my 18-200mm shortly, but I am no friend of f/6.3 on the long end. I will shoot 120-300mm f/2.8 Sigma in this area, making a compromise for the videos, because shooting a film you want to stay put; with still i shoot primes only and zoom with my legs ;-) Ever wondered, why Zeiss and Leica lenses have such a legendary fame: Amongst other reasons, the main factor is the absence of a design limiting mirror box - they are mainly Rangefinder Lenses. Now this is exiting! In my test from earlier this year of the G1 I was shocked to find, that a 800.00 $ combination of Pana G1 and Zeiss Sonnar 90mm 2.8could match a 8,000.00 $ combination between a D700 and a 200mm f/2.0 Nikkor! We can expect a lot here with new lens designs, that will blow the DSLR competition out of the water! Additionally, legendary 35mm lenses have a wider image circle, another reason for their outstanding properties on smaller sensors! the pictured 60-300mm TAMRON is a good lens on 35mm, but an excellent lens on m4/3 or APS-C. I call this a BBD lens, as you can stay far enough away from a bear, zoom close enough fro a bird, and have a macro function for a daisy.. it is still heavy, but light compared to a 300mm f/2.8! A very important thing are quality and properties of an adapter. I choose the Ciel Dot product because of the following properties: 1) Tripod mount - those tiny bodies get easily destroyed by a heavy lens attached, if this has its own tripod, latter solution is preferred! 2) Aperture adjustment. Newer lensdesigns do not allow to change aperture manually - All is done by the camera electronics. With a simple adapter you have to shoot the adapted lens always wide open, with a more sophisticated adapter you can choose it manually.

Heritage Lenses and Adapters on your DSLE

You can see, how far away the adapter puts the lens from the sensor. S ...

Updated: Dec 11, 2010 6:30pm PST

Sunsets in the Okanagon and Shuswap, BC : http://www.cannonbeachgazette.com/entertainment/article_4287bd5e-258b-11e0-bb72-001cc4c002e0.html

Sunsets in the Okanagon and Shuswap, BC

http://www.cannonbeachgazette.com/entertainment/article_4287bd5e-258b- ...

Updated: Dec 04, 2010 1:54pm PST

cuties : Some photos result from an unexpected event; if you have your camera ready, you get lucky. You will find more photos in the "cute" section of www.VolkerSchenk.com , just scroll down to the "cute" gallery.. And don't forget: ALWAYS have a camera with you. I am now wearing a lttle Samsung WB650 with GPS steady on my belt! ( See my report here on Smugmug )

cuties

Some photos result from an unexpected event; if you have your camera r ...

Updated: Dec 04, 2010 1:02am PST

Canada Geese : As crocuses are the first new flowers after the winter, the first animals with newborn are Canada Geese. The monogamous pair has 7-10 young goslings, which can be seen as soon as April. While they are annoying in flocks in our city parks, a single pair as observed can well add to the serenity of a scene. Canada Geese can be seen as a good training for family behaviour. The pair stays together for the rest of their life after mating 2-3 years old. During the nesting and incubation period, the male stays near the nest and keeps a close eye on the female and the eggs. After 4 weeks the goslings are out, and are soon led to the water. Usually there is a marching order – female in front, goslings, male in the rear. Voila! Canada Geese were close to distinction in 1900; the Giant Canada Goose subspecies was believed to be extinct in the 1950s until in 1962 a small flock was discovered in Minnesota. Due to strict protection, the population of Canada Geese increased dramatically, especially due to a lack of natural predators. In a couple of years, we will be glad, if they are not called the Canada Pest….

Canada Geese

As crocuses are the first new flowers after the winter, the first anim ...

Updated: Dec 04, 2010 12:59am PST

24-70/72mm RAW Shooter : 24-70mm f/2.8 -> this is the lens 70% used on my Pro Nikon D700. I always shoot RAW - to be able to have a max of information - and small JPEG - to go quick through the images. No question, that RAW is a must, the question is, whether I need to lug all the time that neck braking heavy rig with me? This spring, I needed GPS for my NIKONs, but switching one GPS receiver between them is a nono as the prohibitive pricepoint for 2 receivers. There are GPS receiver around, which can synchronize per software with your shots, but I decided for a SAMSUNG TLA with built in GPS. You could make a shot from the location and gather the GPS data in one move, also you had a camera "always with you". The files of the RICOH are recognizable by the data imprint (Which is eliminated in the RAW file). As I never intended to keep either of the 2 contenders, I did not bother to adjust time, so it is shot how it was out of the box. The images had been taken in The AMOLED screen of this Samsung camera was amazing, so I was confidential when I bought the next SAMSUNG product, a NX10, which I needed for the DSLE comparison. when I finally had time to do the intended 24-70mm RAW Shooter comparison, I limited this to the most difficult task: Night Shooting with available light. As I know the outstanding capabilities of my D700, I did not have to include this monster and could just concentrate on the pocketables: The RICOH GX200 and the SAMSUNG WT500. The shots were taken in CANNON BEACH, OR on 2010-11-24 23:56:20 and later, as you will find in the WT500 files. I did not bother adjusting the time settings of the RICOH, which I just took out of the box for the 56 comparison shots. The 2 cameras tested are both of amazing quality, and I can recommend both. I am especially amazed by the photo quality of the RICOH GX200, which also showed better results for precise autofocus. While I myself prefer the bigger size of the Samsung WT 500, people with smaller hands may prefer the Ricoh GX200. Clearly a "His" and "Her" pair!

24-70/72mm RAW Shooter

24-70mm f/2.8 -> this is the lens 70% used on my Pro Nikon D700. I alw ...

Updated: Dec 01, 2010 9:15pm PST

Video Tests :

Video Tests

Updated: Nov 30, 2010 8:41pm PST

D700 compared to...A330 :

D700 compared to...A330

Updated: Nov 13, 2010 4:04pm PST

Going South - The way to Astoria : After a long ride through the mountains with plentiful of photographic impressions, I arrived shortl after sun set in Astoria, the goal for the day, and did not get the D700 out, because it was getting darker by the minute, and I want to get in at least some shots of Astoria, where I will start off to explore 101! All photos Samsung NX10 and SONY NEX3

Going South - The way to Astoria

After a long ride through the mountains with plentiful of photographic ...

Updated: Nov 11, 2010 7:54pm PST

Going South - Okanogan - Pateros Lake : OK, already on my way South! Not really South, 78.3 miles down the Canada-US Border, though! In Canada it is called The Okanagan, I lived in Kelowna on Lake Okanagan for more than 15 years, had a huge exhibition in The Rotary Center for the Arts in Kelowna for the month of May 2008 (my last photo of the Old Okanagan Bridege adorns City Hall; and now I was lucky, to find a beautiful and inspiring place, work goes well here. I was in this area very often going to my home in Kelowna or coming from Portland, and never thought of stopping here in Pateros; the first nice place after my SA Prestige stay! Rooms are clean and quiet and give lots of space - especially in my case sorting through my equipment and arranging my Camera Bag 2011. I arrived Friday night (night starts at this time of the year here already around 6:000 pm!), Saturday morning the Inn-Beaver greeted me, it was dripping light rain all day; and after a big shower Sunday morning October showed its best side saying good bye, a good opportunity, to test some of the new equipment! `The Great DSLE Shootout` is back from Europe - Munich and Cologne Photokina - the test goes for more than 3 month and 18 000 miles now, and will lead me with the contenders most likely into Mexico - I have no rush, though, and stay just, where I like (and afford!!) it.... The Contenders: • Olympus E-PL1: Got a Tilt - Shift lens after a mountainbike tour, the Tupperware Lens mount broke, some contacts are bent in....Kudos to Olympus Canada, though, they responded to my call the same day, I should have it back soon. Besides braking, it did what I expected with IIS in low light situations and on Tele lenses up to 1000mm effective. • Samsung NX10 + WB650: I got the WB650 for GEO-Tagging only, saved me, to buy 2 for my NIKONs. it showed spots on the sensor... The NX10 lost the cover around the front group - not tragic, only cosmetic. I predicted this 2 month ago. After It took more than 7 weeks, to get the WB 650 in, I will wait for the experience here • Sony NEX 3 ( I kept the NEX-3 and returned the NEX-5, as I assumed, I will shoot video with the VG-10, which I returned. The NEX-3 endured the long term test best until last Tuesday, when she bounced out of a belt bag on the pavement – totally my fault. Fortunately enough, the fall stepping out of my van only bent the UV-filter, good, to have one. New in the club: mFT will – amazingly enough – add the most lenses in 2011: a Pana 14mm 2.5 Pancake, a VC 25mm f/0.95 and likely the 14-140mm Video – Zoom together with the GH-2. I sold my D-700 flying to Photokina/Cologne expecting the long awaited D800, but got a D300s for video work at Oktoberfest/Munich and Photokina. Working with it, I could not believe, how poor Noise capability is compared to the D700, so I bought a D700 again – like marrying the some woman after divorce ;-) • D700, I can adapt all my Nikon Lenses to the DSLE in the test. • Using strictly primes between 24 and 50mm, here is how I shoot those: 1. 24mm SONY NEX/ 2.8/16mm 2. 28mm PANA G2 & Olympus /2.5/14mm 3. 35mm Fuji X-100 23mmf/2.0 4. 46mm SAMSUNG NX10 30mmf/2.0 5. 50mm E-PL1 0r E-P2 VC 25mm 0.95 and GH-2 for video

Going South - Okanogan - Pateros Lake

OK, already on my way South! Not really South, 78.3 miles down the Ca ...

Updated: Oct 31, 2010 7:48pm PST

Distributor : I like to see photos on Smugmug - the best way, to get an impression, especially, when you have to decide between several similar copies. Time is a factor, and I have 100s of photos, which never make it to smugmug and are buried on a harddrive. I from now on will try to post newly edited photos directly here and after making a decision put whatever I choose into the according galleries.

Distributor

I like to see photos on Smugmug - the best way, to get an impression, ...

Updated: Oct 25, 2010 10:12am PST

Shuswap Salmon Arm :

Shuswap Salmon Arm

Updated: Oct 24, 2010 11:18pm PST

180mm TAMRON SP 2.5 Anniversary Edition :

180mm TAMRON SP 2.5 Anniversary Edition

Updated: Oct 24, 2010 9:41pm PST

Shuswap Salmon Arm Roots and Blues Festival : Amazing! If you are in the area, don't miss it. Highlight of the first evening on Friday, August 13, 2010 was K'NAAN. This is a real Canadian story: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K%27naan Sadly enough, my Samsung NX10 went dead, and I could not record any music video!

Shuswap Salmon Arm Roots and Blues Festival

Amazing! If you are in the area, don't miss it. Highlight of the first ...

Updated: Oct 24, 2010 8:59pm PST

Corn :

Corn

Updated: Oct 23, 2010 10:54pm PST

Tractors :

Tractors

Updated: Oct 23, 2010 10:52pm PST

Bald Eagles :

Bald Eagles

Updated: Oct 23, 2010 9:59pm PST

Mushrooms :

Mushrooms

Updated: Oct 19, 2010 8:15am PST

empty gallery

Urban Crows

Updated: Oct 19, 2010 7:56am PST

Heritage Lenses on DSLE: Voigtländer :

Heritage Lenses on DSLE: Voigtländer

Updated: Oct 11, 2010 8:36am PST

SONY NEX Image Data Converter SR : On my way to Kelowna from Vernon through Predator Ridge I could take some nice scenery employing the 3 cameras momentarily in the GREAT DSLE SHOOTOUT. See here photos with the NEX 3/16 edited. The supplied software that comes with the NEX gives EXCELLENT results and can't be underestimated when comparing the 3 DSLEs - it is included in the package. That you understand the process right, I posted the final result before the developed image. The SONY NEX RAW Files went through 3 steps: 1) SONY Image Data Converter SR 2) Volker's secret HDR enhancer 3) Corel Paintshop Pro Please compare those files to the ones shot simultaneous with the SAMSUNG NX10/ 30 -- image Quality is very comparable, yet SONY supplied software gets a bit more out of the files!

SONY NEX Image Data Converter SR

On my way to Kelowna from Vernon through Predator Ridge I could take s ...

Updated: Oct 09, 2010 8:11pm PST

Contax 167MT :

Contax 167MT

Updated: Oct 03, 2010 8:51am PST

Photokina SAMSUNG NX10 30mm 2.0 :

Photokina SAMSUNG NX10 30mm 2.0

Updated: Sep 26, 2010 2:12am PST

60-300mm TAMRON SP #23A F/3.8-5.4 : In the array of available lenses from rentAprime™ and prolensshop it is # 21. Please check with us, if we have one for sale in the moment; you may buy or rent it with a buy-it-option: Toll free 888-531-6903, Skype: Sky-Peter, or just drop an email to lenses@prolensshop.com I call this lens a B B D P lens?? Bear - allows you to stay away far enough... Bird - allows you, to zoom in close enough Daisy - while you are hunting wildlife, good Macro capabilities allow you to collect that beautiful flower you came across... Portable - My NIKON 200mm f/2, which can probably do similar things even better - has a net weight of 3kg - sometimes it feels like 10! I have workout enough already lugging a D2x and a D700 with some heavy lenses. Momentarily I test a Panasonic G1 with lenses and usability in addition to those 2 cameras. I picked this lens especially for use with a G1 on Hiking Trips. I do not like bagpacks for storing photo equipment - a 'Brotzeit' is better stored here, while it takes wayyyyy toooo looong to unpack, when "that" situation comes up - I hate things hanging on my neck either. For the hiking tours I decided for the phot*Star intelli™belt, which allows to carry 1-2 G1 seized cameras as well as 3-4 lenses in protective Neoprene pouches on a belt - well weight distributed and easy to reach - comes in handy when shooting sports or kids portraits also. The 60-300mm TAMRON Macro is the heaviest (1000g) lens on this belt, the 20mm f/1.7 stays on one camera in the bag, the 45mm Carl Zeiss f/2 Planar and the Kit Zoom are in one pouch, the 7-14mm in another, and the 60-300mm with the second G1 attached in the 3rd belt attachment. If I like, I can take another lens like the 90mm Carl Zeiss Sharpshooter f/2.8 or/and a 200mm f/4 Rokkor in another of the small pouches! This lens was long time neglected by me - and is obviously by the photographer community - you still can pick it up for way below 100.00$ - worth every penny. I liked the 70-210mm TAMRON SP or VIVITAR S1 for those properties, and compared some to use it for a light hiking package with a Panasonic G1 - actually liked the 60-300mm better, it has a longer reach and better Macro properties.. The grass is always greener at neighbour's side, and of course with HDR also. I like HDR using for cloudy skies, to increase the photo's dramatic effect. I do not like the oversaturating as a result without further treatment, but leave the photo in - decide for yourself!

60-300mm TAMRON SP #23A F/3.8-5.4

In the array of available lenses from rentAprime™ and prolensshop it i ...

Updated: Sep 07, 2010 12:38am PST

300mm TAMRON SP f/2.8 :

300mm TAMRON SP f/2.8

Updated: Sep 07, 2010 12:12am PST

Vivitar Series 1 135mm f/2.3 made by Komine : There are many great lenses out for Portraiture. A 85mm 1.4 lens was for a long time the "Standard" lens for portraiture I prefer a longer - and even faster - lens. A 85mm on a 35mm Film camera or a Full Frame DSLR translates into a 170mm 2.8 with a 2x Tele Converter or a 130mm f/1.4 on an APS_C size sensored DSLR or DSLE Kudos to SAMSUNG (NX10) and SONY (NEX-system, which even includes the VG-10 camcorder) for adding APS-C sensor size to a market dominated by m4/3 - until summer 2010. On the various DSLEs, the NX10 as well as the NEX provide me with an outstanding 200mm f/2.3 lens, exactly the focal length I prefer for portraitures. I can adapt this lens to an E-PL1 and end up with a medium, image stabilized 270mm Wildlife Shooter, having 3 excellent usable primes in only one lens: 135mm, 200mm, 270mm. While I prefer my 200mm NIKKOR F/2.0 AF for this kind of work, we will compare a 8,000.00 $ package to a 800.00 $ package. I shoot mostly manual lenses as I just like the control, Portraiture, especially fast moving kids, is an area, where I actually prefer AF. The mimik of a person can change within fractures of a second, as a good photographer you can anticipate this and get the "right" expression. (Here also comes in the lag of DSLEs, but they are getting better from generation to generation, and you will always have you shutter button halway pressed to bring the lag to a minimum! I was so lucky to find a NIKKOR 135mm f/2.0 ( for 3x the money!), this way I can use a 135mm fast glass 6-fold: 135, 200, 270mm and 405mm f/2 @ 6MP (D2x in High Speed crop mode) and as an excellent Autofocus lens: 220mm f/3.2 on D700, 650mm f/3.2@6MP (D2x in High Speed crop mode) with the NIKON TC-16AF. You better read this twice ;- This excellent lens is for sale for 198.00 US$ - a bargain!

Vivitar Series 1 135mm f/2.3 made by Komine

There are many great lenses out for Portraiture. A 85mm 1.4 lens was f ...

Updated: Sep 06, 2010 11:48pm PST

Vivitar Series 1 :

Vivitar Series 1

Updated: Sep 06, 2010 11:37pm PST

The Great DSLE SHOOTOUT :

The Great DSLE SHOOTOUT

Updated: Sep 06, 2010 10:45pm PST

empty gallery

The Bear and the Fairy (Nomfusi & the Lucky Charms)

Updated: Sep 06, 2010 7:04pm PST

MINOLTA ROKKOR MD 200mm f/4 :

MINOLTA ROKKOR MD 200mm f/4

Updated: Sep 05, 2010 5:43pm PST

Konica Hexar RF - Leica Killer? :

Konica Hexar RF - Leica Killer?

Updated: Sep 04, 2010 8:42pm PST

Golden Eagles : Since I heard of a fight between a Bald Eagle and a Golden Eagle in the Blind Bay area of the Shuswap, I have my gear ready, whenever I visit friends in the area. Recently, I watched him for to hours in freezing cold, waiting to make a move towards the ducks in the bay. I could shoot one - unsuccessful - attack. The Golden Eagle plays a huge roll in ancient mythology, especially in India, in Mexico, in Europe - the Golden Eagle was the model for the Roman 'Standarte" In Mongolia, they are still hunting with Golden Eagles: http://www.mongoliaphoto.com/index-471-one.html

Golden Eagles

Since I heard of a fight between a Bald Eagle and a Golden Eagle in th ...

Updated: Aug 28, 2010 10:02pm PST

HDR : In the HDR part we show, how using HDR can further improve your photos. You can bracket more photos to get the max of information out of it, but most software work with one single RAW file. Many also work in JPEG, but the results are not satisfying. It is obviously, which one is the "HDRed" file, so no further comment neccessary. The grass is always greener at neighbour's side, and of course with HDR also. I like HDR using for cloudy skies, to increase the photo's dramatic effect. I do not like the oversaturating as a result without further treatment, but leave the photo in like they were delivered - decide for yourself! IMO, the RedRobbin and the Locomotive are 'overdone' - those are just samples for you to see, how using HDR software can influence your photos.

HDR

In the HDR part we show, how using HDR can further improve your photos ...

Updated: Aug 27, 2010 7:15am PST

Deals and Scam - Buyer Beware! : We are all looking for deals, it makes sense, to shop around to get the best deal. I will regularly post deals I get offered, and I will post sites trying to take advantage of an unassuming customer here as well! Stay posted and just place the model you are looking for in the search box to see, what comes up. Be very careful going by customer ratings, real scammers know, how to blow this up. Digitalelect, who are in the same league like infamous Broadwayphoto, had a Nextag rating of 4 out of 5..

Deals and Scam - Buyer Beware!

We are all looking for deals, it makes sense, to shop around to get th ...

Updated: Aug 17, 2010 4:31pm PST

Belt - Cameras Digital : SAMSUNG WB650 {HZ35W} GPS, AMOLED screen, 24-360mm Schneider Kreuznach Zoom, US$ 345.00 street. 3 days ago, I received the WB650, it is an amazing camera. //// I had an issue with downloading the GPS software and contacted SAMSUNG, with absolutely no response. Right before I wanted to take the NX10 to a concert, it died on me. Here is my letter to Samsung: Hello, I am a Pro Photographer ( www.VolkerSchenk.com )with a website testing innovative products. Here is the link to WB650: http://volkerschenkphotography.smugmug.com/123-110-cm-CCD/SAMSUNG-WB650-HZ35W-GPS-15x-Zo/Belt-Cameras-Digital/12347025_BfyLm#887820793_yEPqu ////, here the link to the NX10: http://volkerschenkphotography.smugmug.com/Cameras-DSLE/APS-C-sensored-DSLE/SAMSUNG-NX/12521831_Tw3QF#966712420_Y9VJa /// I contacted SAMSUNG a couple of times already before with issues, but NEVER got a response. The test of the WB650 is almost finished, the test with the NX10 just started. There are 4 issues: the WB650's photos show on closer examination artifacts, that look like dust specks on a DSLR sensor (I still was not able to make GPS working), the NX10's phantastic 30mm lens lost a ring covering the front element (See photo on the website), which is not of any meaning for function (just should not happen). More importantly: Yesterday the camera went completely dead. The sound quality of the NX10 is amazing, and I use it together with my Pro Nikon equipment when I shoot concerts. Sadly enough it did not work, when I had to shoot K'NAAN in an exiting performance. http://volkerschenkphotography.smugmug.com/Regions/BC/Shuswap-Salmon-Arm-Roots-and/13333788_atDMx#969329714_tX6wZ Bad for me, Not good for Samsung....I hope, I get in contact with a decision maker soon and some help. It makes no sense to support SAMSUNG with my photos and website, if being treated this way, instead of being happily supported. If I get no response again within an acceptable timeframe, I might just switch to SONY and shoot NEX-5 instead - I already have an appointment @ Photokina in Koeln end of September to meet with their manager in charge.//// It actually gives a Pro Photographer new options to be creative, results one could have never achieved with a large sensor pro camera.. Now, why would I bother with a 'point&shoot’ anyway? A portable camera, which you carry all the time just like a wristwatch or a cell phone, was on my wish list for a long time. There had been some limitations so far: 1. The unacceptable lag time between shutter actuation and shot 2. Zooms started at 28mm - at most. My main lens on a NIKON D700 is a 24-72mm f/2.8, which is mostly used at 24-26mm 3. Image quality not acceptable. I DID NOT WANT TO WASTE THE MONEY FOR SOMETHING I DID NOT REALLY LIKE. Recently I purchased a GPS Geotagging system for my pro NIKONs. Average price in NA is 259.95 US$. Shortly after shooting with GPS, I knew, I will not buy a second GPS for my other NIKON. It is a rare occasion that I only shoot one camera at a time, and I would not be able to justify the expenses for 2 systems. There are some solutions: You can carry a separate Geo Tagger, and on a computer you can marry those files time synchronized, meaning, the time on your files equals the time in your EXIF (if it is set right ;-). NIKON came out with a GPS enabled rather big camera, the P6000, which did not fill the bill, nor did it ever become successful... During PMA, I saw the SAMSUNG WB650 (or WZ350W in some countries) and kept an eye on `her` I compared her with the Panasonic DMC-ZS7 / TZ10 with built-in GPS and decided for the Samsung. One of the reasons is, that I will soon have a SAMSUNG NX10 here and already spent some month with the G1, to experience PANASONICs very successful mFT DSLE approach – SAMSUNG will be the first company utilizing a 50% larger sensor than MFT - (m4/3), APS-C sized. 70% of DSLRs built these days use a sensor of this size, like the semi pro D300 Nikon. What - on paper - made my decision in favor of the WB650 was the use of AMOLED technology, and to say it right away, my decision was right. I do not only like the bright screen, I especially like the crispness of the color and most importantly the angle of view you can use this screen with. A modern DC requires an articulated screen, Olympus were the first to gave this tool to their users, CANIKON will follow. Some may remember that post on photo.net: Will you buy the E-P1 (Olympus m4-3) and I clearly responded “NO” explaining the need for an articulated screen in a modernDSLE constructed and - designed from scratch - without the limitations of a mirror box. PANASONIC thankfully heard that and realized it in the G1, but not in the smaller GF-1, as they did not implement body image stabilisation, what the initiator of m4/3, Olympus, did. A shot in their own foot, as now D-pen users buy the 20mm f/1.7 Panasonic, which is better usable with an Olympus stabilized body for night/street shooting…. Somebody wanted to convince me: YOU CAN’T – which an engineer should never accept, as SONY showed with the NEX: WE CAN DO IT! (Didn’t we hear that a while ago?) I have no great expectations for the NX10 I receive next week, especially seeing SONY`s NEX on the horizon, which will take the market in a storm, also with an APS-C size sensor, but with the way better form factor. Let`s see, maybe, the AMOLED screen is a game changer! With that wide angle of view, you can do a lot you otherwise would need an articulated screen for.. Last year I wanted a Belt-Camera (That is how I classify this size of camera) shooting RAW and tried to defend the SIGMA DP1, but this camera is UNSHOOTABLE mostly because of its poor screen, and I regretted the afternoon wasted with it. Also, I am just laughing, when I see photographers `finecomposing` their pictures on their LCD, you do it right on your computer later. I shot all pro Cameras from the beginning from 2”to 3” screens, they are fine for checking generally, that is it. Maybe “One Fine Day” someone with gutts and funds available and brains will design a 24x36mm sensored file recording device you put in front of your Zeisses or Leica lenses with a full 4” tiltable AMOLED screen covering the back with new innovative controls designed away from the back (All manufacturers rely so much on the cheap Chinese function buttons they have in tons in every company, and the cameras are actually designed around that….. OK, I am still talking about the SAMSUNG WB650 here: First Impressions with the SAMSUNG WB650 - The negative side: • Hard to follow and understand instructions for GPS • Registration is a nuisance, and I still haven’t figured how to set the GPS… some obviously did, maybe smarter than I, but as the camera is aimed on consumers (not computer pros, and not cell phone users as well, despite the fact, that a lot of influence from those gets into the design of DCs in our days, which can actually be beneficial…), SAMSUNG still has to do a great deal of homework in this department… • No articulated screen • Surface in the grip area could be more ‘grippy”, see PANASONIC G1 for Industry's best surface • Remote control is in the specsheet and promised with the camera, but it is obviously missing – or I am missing something.., • Battery can only charge in the camera; no big deal, because with using the GPS you better have a spare battery ready, which you should buy with an extra charger. I have always car-chargers with me travelling, just did not find one yet to recommend for the WB650 • P&S shutter lag – better than others, limited due to design The positive side: • INDUSTRY LEADING AMOLED screen – PRICELESS • Nice, uncomplicated and easy to navigate menu • Excellent 24-360mm SCNEIDER KREUZNACH lens • Works surprisingly good on the short end in 24mm mode • Works excellent on the long end in Super Tele mode, good Image Stabilisation • With an obvious excellent sensor and an obvious • Excellent Developing Engine – see pictures • 12MP effective sensor gives recognizable low noise results for this kind of size and pixel density • File sizes are large enough to print large prints, if desired • Form Factor: This is the most compact – packed P&S ah- sorry Belt Camera I came across so far • Elegant and stylish appearance – Form follows Function : FFF • For a Pro: 1. Due to the enormous DOF totally new creative options which can not be achieved with a big sensor sized DSLR. 2. A camera, you have with you 24/7/365 – on your belt 3. Get all your GPS data and shoot simple things like set, location, suggestions just with this camera 4. You obviously can also use this as a mini GPS – I want to test it better, before I elaborate on that What I do not care for: • Shooting RAW – questionable on this sensor size anyway. I pseudo HDRed some files with good results, though • Available colors ;-} • Price comparison – a camera you like better or better fits your bill ALWAYS is worth a plus Those are my first impressions. I might add a longer review based on picture quality later, after I shoot a while and am familiar with the GPS capabilities. My NIKONs might get jealous – this is a little gem!

Belt - Cameras Digital

SAMSUNG WB650 {HZ35W} GPS, AMOLED screen, 24-360mm Schneider Kreuznach ...

Updated: Aug 13, 2010 8:45pm PST

Shuswap Salmon Arm Prestige Harbourfront :

Shuswap Salmon Arm Prestige Harbourfront

Updated: Aug 10, 2010 9:33pm PST

Shuswap Squilax or Squlax : I was here almost exactly one year ago and shot that wedding photographer at work: http://digitalimaging.photium.com/news14222.html Every time I am in the area, I visit the lodge in Squilax and have dinner here, staying over night, to continue early next morning

Shuswap Squilax or Squlax

I was here almost exactly one year ago and shot that wedding photograp ...

Updated: Aug 07, 2010 12:22pm PST

Ospreys : The first badge of ospreys is on my website www.VolkerSchenk.com. I found the battery chargers for my NIKON D2x yesterday night between all the damaged and stolen stuff and could shoot it after more than 4 weeks again today, July 28, 2010.

Ospreys

The first badge of ospreys is on my website www.VolkerSchenk.com. I f ...

Updated: Jul 28, 2010 4:58pm PST

Shuswap Sorrento Maples : The Maples is a beautiful tranquil place in Sorrento right at Shuswap Lake. I will add content, as soon, as I have more experience!

Shuswap Sorrento Maples

The Maples is a beautiful tranquil place in Sorrento right at Shuswap ...

Updated: Jul 28, 2010 7:03am PST

Corel Paintshop Pro : Recently I visited a friend living on the South Thompson River next to the old Pritchard Wood Bridge, an amazing construction - the classic wooden bridge was built in 1920 and is still in use today - see my pictures of the bridge - when I saw his sun exercising flips and landing in the water. The photos turned out quite good, and the kid liked the 12x18 prints he got a week later, an ideal opportunity to develop them in Corel Paint Shop Pro!

Corel Paintshop Pro

Recently I visited a friend living on the South Thompson River next to ...

Updated: Jul 26, 2010 9:24am PST

Shuswap - Canoe : Canoe is East of Salmon Arm following Hwy #1 from SA to Sicamous. While SA has no beaches, where you can swim from, Canoe just has a very beautiful beach with a park. While the appearance of Canoe is still determined by the mill, the location is a very peaceful setting. I came back to SA visiting a friend in Sicamous just about sunset and took some photos there....

Shuswap - Canoe

Canoe is East of Salmon Arm following Hwy #1 from SA to Sicamous. Whil ...

Updated: Jul 23, 2010 6:56pm PST

Railways : Railways: Connecting, Transporting, Exploring. Canada started really developing after the last spike was set in the East-West connection, which is memorized after the glorious cut through the Rockies near Revelstoke. If you are in that area, it is well worth visiting the RAILWAY MUSEUM Iin Revelstoke!

Railways

Railways: Connecting, Transporting, Exploring. Canada started really d ...

Updated: Jul 23, 2010 8:25am PST

Shuswap Lake Festival of the Arts 2010 :

Shuswap Lake Festival of the Arts 2010

Updated: Jul 16, 2010 10:24pm PST

Smokers :

Smokers

Updated: Jul 16, 2010 6:45pm PST

Parents & Children : Taking pictures of parents and kids is a rewarding and challenging task. While it is easy to photograph Toddlers, as soon, as they are able to run, they will, and a studio is not the most appealing place for a child; almost impossible if they occur in plural. I do not like the stereotype look of tuned up kids in a studio, I like them best, when they are in their element, where they behave natural: Playgrounds or at least interacting with each other.

Parents & Children

Taking pictures of parents and kids is a rewarding and challenging tas ...

Updated: Jul 16, 2010 5:57pm PST

Weddings :

Weddings

Updated: Jul 04, 2010 11:55pm PST

P&S-Art : Point&Shoot Art - The small sensor and great macro capabilities of P&S cameras actually allow compositions, which are impossible with Large sensor Pro DSLR. I am curious about your contributions..Please send files to PandS@artofdigitalimaging.com

P&S-Art

Point&Shoot Art - The small sensor and great macro capabilities of P&S ...

Updated: Jun 22, 2010 9:46am PST

D-Day! Donkey Days @ the Donkey Refuge : I own a little collection of Classic Cameras. Amongst them Zeiss SLRs. Zeiss developed a unique system of lenses for the Contaflex: You just remove the front element - The shutter is within the lens - and add a wideangle or one of 2 available tele lenses. The results are quite good...SONY recently introduced the Nex System, which soon will be the most successful APS-C sensored DSLE AND Video system. With the 24mm lens, they use an Ultra Wide (20mm) and Fisheye lens to attach on the front. My interest on the Super BC increased, and I came across this cute Donkey ad. I read about the Donkey day event at lunch just 1h before the event closes, and rushed up to Turtle Valley. I had 2 new cameras I am testing in the van, so I did not have to drive home to pick up equipment! I received just that day the first NIKON/NX - adapter and had 2 TAMRON SP lenses with me, to see, how they work on the NX, and how shots compare to those taken with the D700 DSLR and G1 DSLE. The first part of the photos is taken with the nice little P&S WB650 (file contains "SAM), mostly ay 24mm, the second part with the NX10 and the TAMRON SP 180mm f/2.5, translating to 270mm due to the crop factor of the sensor; attempts to use the excellent 30mm (=46mm) kit lens did not work out, but I was fine with the extremes 24mm - 270mm. You can also study the differences between DOF on a small size sensor compared to an APS-C sensor, which is presently used by 90% of DSLRs. Samsung has the honor to be the first to introduce this sensor into a mirrorless DSLE!

D-Day! Donkey Days @ the Donkey Refuge

I own a little collection of Classic Cameras. Amongst them Zeiss SLRs ...

Updated: Jun 22, 2010 9:22am PST

Print Format 12x36 : 12x36: I came across that format through an offer from local Costco. They charge you 9.90 only for the print - unbeatable. Since I got my FF D700 - NIKON calls it a FX format - I did many shots with the SIGMA POPeye 12-24mm - actually I started with a FF Kodak 14N, which had a FullFrame sensor 10 years ago, but far from the easy handling of a NIKON D300 or D700. I almost exclusively use the POPeye at 12-13mm; for less dramatic effects I shoot a 17mm f/3.5 TAMRON SP and for available light a 20mm SIGMA f1.8, dramatic night city scenarios! I start this Gallery with a lens you would not expect to be suitable for this stretch format: a 200mm f/2.0 NIKKOR on the D700. Check the sharpness of the focus point (Middle section Bulrushes) - you can even see the little pieces the wind took off flying in the air!

Print Format 12x36

12x36: I came across that format through an offer from local Costco. ...

Updated: Jun 17, 2010 9:37pm PST

Today : This gallery will be like a diary!

Today

This gallery will be like a diary!

Updated: Jun 04, 2010 11:28am PST

Sample Portfolio :

Sample Portfolio

Updated: Jun 02, 2010 9:02pm PST

Houseboat Cruise SA Photo Arts Club : On May 30 2010, the SA Photo Arts Club held a cruise on a huge houseboat, enabled by Tim Tompson, the boat owner and a member of the SA PAC. Tim is an avid photographer and owns "Shuswap on Canvas", a store selling and large format printing in the strip mall in Sorrento on the North side, right below "Beryl's Books and Beans" If you are in the area, don't miss to check out his huge portfolio of the Shuswap. Tim is also a pilot and takes many photos from the air of the Shuswap generating very unique photos you won't get elsewhere. I travelled "light", as I wanted to see, how far I can get with my first Point and Shoot camera, albeit a very sophisticated one.. As I am very pleased with the picture quality of the SAMSUNG WB650, on this trip it clearly showed its limitations. I could get some artistic effects with the camera utilizing the excellent 24-360mm SCHNEIDER mini zoom, but with the difficult light situation I will get way better results with my Pro Nikons. While I can compare my Nikons to other pro-grade cameras, I have no clue about the other players in this field of Belt Cameras... I shot altogether 203 files until the battery was exhausted around 5:00 without using GPS or flash intense, maybe 20 fill flash shots. There are many more files I could put up, it is just a matter of never having time - so I have those here on the website as thanks to Tim.

Houseboat Cruise SA Photo Arts Club

On May 30 2010, the SA Photo Arts Club held a cruise on a huge housebo ...

Updated: May 31, 2010 2:25pm PST

Samples: Kids :

Samples: Kids

Updated: May 26, 2010 12:32pm PST

TAMRON 80-200mm f/2.8 : 70-210 mm is an important focus length, as well on 35mm film cameras, as on digital SLRs. While the wider range of 70-210mm is - or was - limited to f/3.5 or f/4, I prefer f/2.8, which gives you a very good range, especially, when you shoot the TAMRON ADAPTALL-2 system. My range here is from 80-200mm on FF cameras like the NIKON D700, CANON 1Ds, SONY A900/850; from 120-300mm for APS size cameras like Pentax, SONY FROM 160-400mm on 4/3 like all the Olympus Es - check the Osprey photos and the Butterflies on my website, most of them are shot with this lens.

TAMRON 80-200mm f/2.8

70-210 mm is an important focus length, as well on 35mm film cameras, ...

Updated: May 17, 2010 11:16pm PST

Fall :

Fall

Updated: May 17, 2010 7:12pm PST

My G-Spot : What started just as a fun comparison is getting so much attention, that I decided to give it a separate Gallery.

My G-Spot

What started just as a fun comparison is getting so much attention, th ...

Updated: May 13, 2010 9:02pm PST

3in1 gear : Macro extreme including 4 separate usable items. During the booming era of SLRs 25 years ago, VIVITAR was a good and innovative company. Series 1 meant something. The very best Japanese lens manufacturers built lenses for Vivitar, amongst them Komine and KIRON .... They developed an unique 2x Macro Focusing Teleconverter, which can use many lenses to work with as an excellent Macro Lens. Best suited is a "Normal" 45-56mm f/1.4 lens, like the pictured MINOLTA ROKKOR 50mm f/1.4 Many legendary lenses are from this era, like the famous ROKKOR 50mm f/1.4 MINOLTA built lenses for LEICA and co-developed the Leitz Minolta CL which later became the Leica M CL and CLE; the LEICA R4 was based on the earlier MINOLTA XD11, I still shoot both once in a while! The pictured set contains of a MINOLTA 50mm f/1.4 ROKKOR, 4 lens-caps (1 front and rear for each) the S1 TC, an UV protection filter and an adapter. You get many uses out of it: 1. A fast 50mm f/1.4 Normal Lens 2. An excellent fast 100mm Portrait f/1.4 lens on a 4/3rds size sensor 3. An excellent Macro lens in combination with a suitable lens like the pictured MINOLTA ROKKOR 50mm f/1.4 4. An ideal travel companion, as it saves space and weight to carry an extra Macro lens - When I go hiking, a converter is always in my bag and enables close focusing and high magnification with my 80-200mm tele.. 5. A decent 2x Tele-Converter 6. An adapter, which can be used to add different lenses to your lens arsenal We have stock of suitable lenses as well as the S1 2x Macro Focusing Tele Converter in different mounts and the requested adapters. The pictured rig is built to work with all SONY DSLRs and MINOLTA SLRs and DSLRs. Other adapters available - ask, and we can post it on eBay. Depending on the lenses used and the adapter required, prices start at 138$ - not bad for a 5in1!

3in1 gear

Macro extreme including 4 separate usable items. During the booming e ...

Updated: May 13, 2010 6:15pm PST

Leitz Leica R4 : On Oct. 5, 1982 Calgary-born Laurie Skreslet becomes the first Canadian to set foot on Everest's top. Before, Cameraman Blair Griffiths is killed in an icefall. Three Sherpas die in an avalanche. The media calls it a successful attempt to climb the worlds highest mountain. (I prefer success without sacrificing human lifes) Leica cameras joined the expedition, and Leica cameras and lenses were manufactured in the Leitz plant in Canada. (It was the time of the Cold War, and Leitz sourced out part of its production to Canada, in case Germany was run over by the Russian Army). To promote sales, Leitz issued this special Mt Everest Edition - Made in Portugal ;-) There are many reports and reviews about the Leica R4 on the internet, so I will just stick to the essentials. Why would you buy a 35mm SLR in the Digital Age anyway? There are some reasons: First, it is an investment, which does not loose value. If you want to buy one, search for one of the many “Special Editions” The camera lasts so long due to its quality, there are way too many around to expect a steep value increase soon. Second, it is a very nice looking camera Third, it is a Leica! Fourth, it is a very good back up camera, especially, if you are shooting an APS size sensored DSLR, you still can enjoy wide angle lenses in their native length. If you – like many- have no Leica R-mount lenses, get some TAMRON ADAPTALL-2 SP lenses and an R – adapter as well as the appropriate adapter for your DSLR – SHOOT THEM ON BOTH – like I do. The R4 was a co-development between Leitz and Minolta; it is based on the Minolta XD11 / XD7 (same, just in different countries). Some just deny that, you might check photos in the gallery “Brothers” and see pictures of the 1982 Canadian R4 edition and the XD mounted actually on a R4 Motorwinder – it mounts perfectly. Leica was always leading in RF cameras - from pre and after war Leica I, II, III Screw mount cameras which actually made Leica cameras famous over the little Leica CL, another Co-Production with Minolta, up to the M-Series, when Leica switched to a bayonet mount. Leica NEVER was lucky with any SLR, (and their excursion into DSLR was not accepted by photographers). The help from MINOLTA came at the right time. The first badge of R4 had problems with the electronics supplied by Minolta. If you buy a R4 today, this problem most likely has been corrected already, and you will not experience problems. If you want to buy one, eBay is a good place to do so. Avoid auctions, that state: “my friend gave me this” “from my father’s estate “ “I can not tell anything about working condition” etcetera and instead put your bid on a camera, where the seller clearly takes responsibility for the working condition. Leicas are expensive to fix. Some sellers try to sell a R4s as an updated version of the R4, which it is actually NOT – Leica got way behind the expectations of sales, because NIKON, CANON and also OLYMPUS just had SLRs out at that time, which offered more features than the R4 for way less money – so Leica responded with a DOWNGRADED version with lesser features and cheaper than the R4. As “Collectors” like to spread their money (still!) without knowing too much, and the R4s sold in lesser #s than the R4, amazingly prices seem to be higher! Shooting a 1982 SLR, named Leica R4: Well, I am still driving a 1986 Mercedes Benz 560SEC in the winter and a 1987 560SL Roadster in the summer – that should tell you everything. While I hope, I still can enjoy the virtues of my 560s when I am 85, my Leicas will still work in 20 years as well, but I doubt, that we have film available to use it. Costco just gave up scanning 35mm film, that might tell you something. A camera is a tool. The more precise a tool is, the better are the results of your work. This applies especially to cameras. A Leica still in our days has little to distract you from shooting, and this especially applies to their cameras. A Leica makes you the driver in the seat and not some 19 year old Programmer, who knows nothing about the essentials of photography. After my switch to DSLR I could see my photographic skills deteriorate, and I went back for a while reactivating my old 35mm manual SLRs. The R4 is one of the highlights in my collection. You have to actually use it, to FEEL the difference to other cameras. I will save you reading through TecSpec here, plentiful available in the internet. Photography is a lot about feeling, as is the use of a Leica Camera. A new S Series is 22 000 $, a new M9 8 000 – prices which photographers are willing to pay – FOR A REASON. A used R4 in excellent cosmetic and perfect working condition can be picked up for 180 – 250 US$ on eBay – a NO BRAINER, which will get you in Leica World. Be careful, it might become addictive, and AFTER “FEELING” a Leica you perhaps do not accept lesser quality any more, it also will become expensive…..

Leitz Leica R4

On Oct. 5, 1982 Calgary-born Laurie Skreslet becomes the first Canadi ...

Updated: May 09, 2010 3:22pm PST

Battery-Grips and Batteries : Adding a Power Grip to your gear can be a very useful option- You got: 1.) A spare tire, whenever your battery runs flat 2.) Nice Balancing of the weight when using a heavy tele lens 3.) If you are using a second single NIKON Battery - in the 300A, or even 2 extra single batteries in the 300P - you can re-charge them while you are driving 4.) You can have 8 AAs filled in the Battery Cartridge, good Choice for a Hike!

Battery-Grips and Batteries

Adding a Power Grip to your gear can be a very useful option- You got: ...

Updated: May 09, 2010 11:07am PST

Brothers :

Brothers

Updated: May 09, 2010 10:24am PST

G1 + MINOLTA Rokkor 50mm f/1.4 : The Photo Arts Club in Salmon Arm had a meeting with some models involved to give members an introduction in Portrait Shooting. I used the opportunity, to test different Lens/Camera combinations; depending on the sensor size ending up at 90-105mm. In the case of the Panasonic G1, the small sensor size gives you a magnification of 2x, ending up in perfect 100mm f/1.4. This little Gallery was shot with a Panasonic G1 and a MINOLTA ROKKOR 50mm f/1.4 without flash. The lighting was set up by professionals, Thank you, Ian and Craig Pulsifer, to give us that opportunity! The supersharp Zeiss 45mm G - tested proven SHARPER than the legendary Leica Summicron 50mm f/2 - is very hard to focus under those circumstances. It was originally the AF "Standard" lens for the landmark Contax G1/G2. The ROKKOR was pleasant to focus under those circumstances. It was originally the fast "Standard" lens for the MINOLTA Series of manual cameras, which were quite famous at their time. MINOLTA co-developed quite an array of cameras with Leitz/Leica. The MINOLTA XD11 was the father of the Leica R4, I still shoot it once in a while. You can buy a lens like that for less than 50$ and will need an adapter, which are readily available, see adapteradviser.com To make it work in manual mode on the Panasonic G1, you just use the normal rings on the lens for distance and aperture. The results good, but far from perfect. I used another MINOLTA ROKKOR 50mm f/1.4 on a Pro Olympus E3, which has the same sensor size. The results are much better, I have to check the settings used, I assume the criteria was in ISO used on the G1. If you do occasionally portraits, this works perfect, I can not recommend it for professional work, though! All shots full aperture f/1.4 w/out flash!

G1 + MINOLTA Rokkor 50mm f/1.4

The Photo Arts Club in Salmon Arm had a meeting with some models invol ...

Updated: May 08, 2010 6:35pm PST

CONTAX G1 :

CONTAX G1

Updated: May 08, 2010 12:41pm PST

Common Merganser :

Common Merganser

Updated: May 07, 2010 9:46am PST

Ducks : Ducks are easy to shoot everywhere, and they show a huge range of colours. Add some reflections in the water to it, and you can get stunning results!

Ducks

Ducks are easy to shoot everywhere, and they show a huge range of colo ...

Updated: May 07, 2010 2:59am PST

Great Blue Herons : Great Blue Herons are amazing and beautiful animals, whether they are in flight or searching for prey in the shallow water of a swamp. While I was watching and photographing this Blue Heron, a Red Winged Blackbird considered this 20 times larger animal an intruder and attacked it. The Great Blue Heron got stunned by the attack, watch that photo, where the feathers on his long neck stand up. After the attack, the Blackbird sat besides the still stunned Heron. It looks, like the little Blackbird said: "This is now the last time that I tell you: GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE...Later the courageous little Red Winged Blackbird got some help from a dozen birds in the colony, and they managed to have the Great Blue Heron leaving the area...

Great Blue Herons

Great Blue Herons are amazing and beautiful animals, whether they are ...

Updated: May 04, 2010 2:03pm PST

Kelowna :

Kelowna

Updated: May 04, 2010 12:12am PST

Right Angle Finder : In the booming time of SLRs, a right angle finder was an accessory used by many photogs for their MINOLTAs, CANONs, NIKONs, PENTAXES and OLYMPUS Cameras. Smart photogs in our days use a DSLR or SLE with an articulated screen. The only company that realized the importance of an articulated screen in a Pro DSLR per 2008 was OLYMPUS with their E3. Others will follow, until than a right angle finder is a welcome accessory. I used it on my E-Series Olympus, until I could afford the E3. The pictured right angle finder is a Seagull 1-2x, a renowned Chinese company known for their excellent products.

Right Angle Finder

In the booming time of SLRs, a right angle finder was an accessory use ...

Updated: May 02, 2010 8:50am PST

Today :

Today

Updated: Apr 29, 2010 7:49am PST

Pentax K-7 : My experience with both Pentax, the K20 and the more sophisticated K-7 had both been very pleasant. If I started shooting DSLR today and would not care about FF, a K-7 would be my choice!

Pentax K-7

My experience with both Pentax, the K20 and the more sophisticated K-7 ...

Updated: Apr 29, 2010 6:43am PST

Finches :

Finches

Updated: Apr 28, 2010 11:20pm PST

Magnolia :

Magnolia

Updated: Apr 28, 2010 11:12pm PST

Homes :

Homes

Updated: Apr 25, 2010 7:19pm PST

David vs Goliath :

David vs Goliath

Updated: Apr 25, 2010 11:09am PST

Intellishooter MKII : The intelliShooter concept is far superior to anything else on the market. I was a compettitive gun shooter since I was thirteen, and I know, what I am talking about. When you look at comparable products, you can see a difference in an instant. Most annoying is the inappropriate handling of the rig, even through military photographers. With the Intellishooters MKI , MKII and the OwlShooter your body supports the camera lens unit like a competition gun. Check this out: http://i.gizmodo.com/5142970/us-soldier-explains-why-he-uses-a-rifle-stock-to-shoot-photographs

Intellishooter MKII

The intelliShooter concept is far superior to anything else on the mar ...

Updated: Apr 24, 2010 1:52pm PST

17mm TAMRON f/3.5 eBay : While this lens of course also works on APS-size sensor NIKONs, CANONs, SONYs, PENTAXes, and 4/3 size OLYMPUS & PANASONIC, I recommend it for use with a FF Camera like a SONY A900, NIKON D700 or D3, D3s, CANON 5D OR 1Ds - or even still on 35mm film • Cosmetic Condition: Used in very good (SN 0004050) or excellent (SN 000 3273) condition - please refer to pictures. • Functional Issues: None, works smooth, feels like new • Warranty: 7 day inspection - 30 days prolensshop warranty Auction includes: One 17mm f/3.5 TAMRON Aspherical SP Model # 151B - SN 0004050 or 0003273- I accidentally photographed my own 17mm TAMRON SP f/3.5 .. ;-)) .. so it is YOUR choice getting mine - 0004050 - or the newer 00003273. Both act like new, 0003273 also looks like new. Whatever you choose, you will get the newer lenscap of the 0003273 included - Customer First! See here the Feedback left from the last customer who bought exactly the same lens from us: Superb item, communication and shipping. Highly recommended! Buyer filmforever ( 181 ) on 22-Mar-10 item# 170456174832 Reply by prolensshop: Thanks 4 paying fast. You got, what you bid on. We strive, to keep our customers satisfied! 17-Apr-10 The pictured Lens has a NIKON adaptall-2 on it, but Buy-it-Now gives the Winning Bidder the adapter of choice. Please ask before bidding, TAMRON made more than 20 adapters, we have many, but yours might be missing. I had several questions about Pentax PKA adapter, which we do not stock, but I found a RICOH adapter with 1 (one) electrical contact only, wonder, whether this will work? You are bidding on the last version of this marvellous lens, which can be used on each of the modern DSLR and DSLE with an adapter. Winning Bidder, please specify on checkout, which adapter we should ship the lens with. Auction includes: 1. 1 lens like described 2. Front Cap ( Nicer than the one pictured) 3. ADAPTALL-2 Rear Cap or brand Rear Cap for whatever Adapter is chosen Buy-it-Now only: • FREE Shipping • GIOTTOS Lens Cleaning Travel Kit (last one) • ADAPTALL-2 Adapter of your choice (if available) - please contact us BEFORE Bidding! • Matching round leather case, slight using marks, with straps IF YOU WANT TO USE THIS LENS ON A MICRO 4/3rds like PANASONIC G1, you have to buy an extra adapter; we can include a NIKON -> m-4/3 adapter as example for an extra 39.00 $. (I shoot NIKON&PANASONIC, that is how I use it, you might have other preferences, m-4/3 adapters are available for all mounts! Let me know, what you need! Please see Technical Data of this lens at www.adaptall-2.com

17mm TAMRON f/3.5 eBay

While this lens of course also works on APS-size sensor NIKONs, CANONs ...

Updated: Apr 23, 2010 11:13am PST

OwlShooter :

OwlShooter

Updated: Apr 22, 2010 9:11pm PST

IntelliShooter MKI : The intelliShooter concept is far superior to anything else on the market. I was a compettitive gun shooter since I was thirteen, and I know, what I am talking about. When you look at comparable products, you can see a difference in an instant. Most annoying is the inappropriate handling of the rig, even through military photographers. With the Intellishooters MKI , MKII and the OwlShooter your body supports the camera lens unit like a competition gun. Check this out: http://i.gizmodo.com/5142970/us-soldier-explains-why-he-uses-a-rifle-stock-to-shoot-photographs

IntelliShooter MKI

The intelliShooter concept is far superior to anything else on the mar ...

Updated: Apr 22, 2010 7:15pm PST

CANON 1Ds MKII : A race from the house down to the lake - the double rainbow started to detororate already, when sun (FROM THE BACK) got strongera again. Many think, that is photoshopped - it is original, check EXIF. SIGMA 24-70mm f/2.8 on FF CANON 1DsMKII. The downside from my decision to shoot NIKON only because of the usability of my huge arsenal of manual lenses is, that I can not shoot my beloved Zeiis Contax lenses any more. The CANON Pro Cameras are the Mercedes Benz in DSLRS, NO other pro camera is as sturdy (I do not qualify the low quality 5D a Pro level) as a CANON 1D. Also, with this camera I had the lowest rate of unusable pictures of ANY DSLRs I compared...

CANON 1Ds MKII

A race from the house down to the lake - the double rainbow started to ...

Updated: Apr 22, 2010 5:48pm PST

28mm Carl Zeiss Contax f/2.8 :

28mm Carl Zeiss Contax f/2.8

Updated: Apr 21, 2010 1:30pm PST

Night Sky :

Night Sky

Updated: Apr 19, 2010 10:10pm PST

24-48mm lenses : 24-48mm - a rather rare category, however with more and more Full Frame DSLRs emerging, this zoom length makes sense again. The Vivitar Series1 was built by famous Japanese lens maker KIRON (Kino Precision), those lenses I rate second to Carl Zeiss, a heavy piece of glass and metal. The Smallest - and the Tallest - both have equally good optical properties; The TAMRON is way smaller and lighter and an ideal travel lens. Find available 24-48mm Wide Zooms and a review here: http://www.adaptall-2.com/lenses/13A.html

24-48mm lenses

24-48mm - a rather rare category, however with more and more Full Fram ...

Updated: Apr 18, 2010 2:17pm PST

....Wildfires :

....Wildfires

Updated: Apr 17, 2010 2:38am PST

..in the Okanagan - Kelowna & Summerland :

..in the Okanagan - Kelowna & Summerland

Updated: Apr 17, 2010 2:18am PST

Rainbows :

Rainbows

Updated: Apr 17, 2010 12:42am PST

Summer : Each season gives a photographer different characteristics and different challenges. With your photo, you can give the impression...

Summer

Each season gives a photographer different characteristics and differe ...

Updated: Apr 17, 2010 12:22am PST

Contest winners :

Contest winners

Updated: Apr 16, 2010 2:56pm PST

28mm MINOLTA f/2.8 : A 28mm effective Wideangle is very useful for a photographer, whether at FF, or at 42mm on an APS sized sensor.

28mm MINOLTA f/2.8

A 28mm effective Wideangle is very useful for a photographer, whether ...

Updated: Apr 16, 2010 2:42pm PST

20mm SIGMA f/1.8 : This lens works 3 times trifold in Ultra mode: Ultra-fast Ultra-wide Ultra-extended DOF - from a handspan to infinity on 3 sensor sizes, giving 3 very usable Focal Length FF (D700): 20mm APS (D2x, others): 30mm m4/3rds (PANASONIC LUMIX G1) : 40mm A must for a creative photographer

20mm SIGMA f/1.8

This lens works 3 times trifold in Ultra mode: Ultra-fast Ultra-wide ...

Updated: Apr 16, 2010 2:32pm PST

NIKON D300 : The D300 NIKON - ImhO - is per spring 2010 the best consumer camera. I am still very thankful to a friend at Lens and Shutter, who recommended this to me. See my DSLR comparison.

NIKON D300

The D300 NIKON - ImhO - is per spring 2010 the best consumer camera. I ...

Updated: Apr 11, 2010 12:42am PST

Time Machine and Filters : Yes, Photography is almost 200 years old! Check this link and read about the early days - there is even a photo from 1839 there! Corel Paint Shop Pro contains a nice feature under Effects/Photo Effects/Time Machine. I checked on a near by "Oldtimer Museum" to see, whether the location is suitable for shots for our local Photo Arts Club. Some of the screening shots are very well suited to show, what you can do with this feature. I added B&W, IR, Sepia to it and you can see, what an orange filter can do in this rusty environment and try to find a HDR developed file as well, so you can see a couple of different options. I use those creative tools within Corel Paintshop Pro mainly, to cover imperfections within a file - hope, this gives you some inspiration... Tip: Best viewed in style "slide show", shows you a gradient.. ...Will Monsieur Daguerre have anticipated the rapid development of photography? Here is the link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_Daguerre

Time Machine and Filters

Yes, Photography is almost 200 years old! Check this link and read abo ...

Updated: Apr 10, 2010 4:22pm PST

Print Preselection : Here I display printable photos to help the decision: TO PRINT OR NOT TO PRINT?

Print Preselection

Here I display printable photos to help the decision: TO PRINT OR NOT ...

Updated: Apr 10, 2010 10:04am PST

12-24mm SIGMA 4-5.6 "POPeye" :

12-24mm SIGMA 4-5.6 "POPeye"

Updated: Apr 09, 2010 10:57pm PST

Kite - Surfing :

Kite - Surfing

Updated: Apr 08, 2010 10:18am PST

...Winter :

...Winter

Updated: Apr 07, 2010 10:23pm PST

...Fall :

...Fall

Updated: Apr 07, 2010 10:11pm PST

35mm f/1.4 :

35mm f/1.4

Updated: Apr 07, 2010 10:03pm PST

Sun Rise :

Sun Rise

Updated: Apr 07, 2010 9:55pm PST

Rollei and Rolleiflex : Rollei 35: Made in Singapore - those are the better ones eh - better than 'Made in Germany"?? YES! (Amazingly, the lenscap says 'Made in Germany', while the body says 'Made in Singapore' - I did not change the cap on this camera, so when Rollei outsourced production to Singapore, they must have sent their remaining parts from the German Production to the Singapore plant.... As new in 2010 - and also working as new as well... Wikipedia is the best source. The Rollei 35 meets my understanding of German engineering. Heinz Waaske did an excellent job. If you like the precision of a Leica, check this one out. This Rollei 35 is significantly smaller than the hyped Olympus E-P1 or the Panasonic GF-1. You can see an article at photo.net, where I compared them, and you can see them side by side in the comparison as well, and I posted some photos - where the Rollei has the lens in shooting position. You see other photos, where the lens is retired in the body.....Imagine, this is a 24x36mm Range Finder Camera; compare it to a Full Frame Digital - even a Leica M9 looks like a giant besides this technical marvel! Rollei SL26: Cost in 1972 was DM 628, equivalent to one thirds of a Beetle's price....This was the very best and most sophisticated Typ 26 camera. It is very rare.....

Rollei and Rolleiflex

Rollei 35: Made in Singapore - those are the better ones eh - better t ...

Updated: Apr 07, 2010 9:48pm PST

KODAK DCS Pro 14N : The Kodak DCS Pro 14n is a very underestimated camera for Landscape Photography. The sensor renders extreme fine tonalities. This camera is a bit slow in some functions compared to our days DSLRs. But, again: LANDSCAPE PHOTOGRAPHY, especially like I used it exlusively with a 12-24mm Popeye SIGMA. You can pick up one for as low as 700$ fine working, just to check out, whether or not you 'need' Full Frame, why I got it for. My answer: YES, I needed it, and switched from my excellent D300 to the D700!

KODAK DCS Pro 14N

The Kodak DCS Pro 14n is a very underestimated camera for Landscape Ph ...

Updated: Apr 07, 2010 9:46pm PST

Black & White and Sepia : Photos give an impression - and some impressions just get stronger converting your photo into B&W, Sepia, or even IR

Black & White and Sepia

Photos give an impression - and some impressions just get stronger con ...

Updated: Apr 07, 2010 9:39pm PST

Wide Zooms : 24-48mm - a rather rare category, however with more and more Full Frame DSLRs emerging, this zoom length makes sense again. The Vivitar Series1 was built by famous Japanese lens maker KIRON (Kino Precision), those lenses I rate second to Carl Zeiss, a heavy piece of glass and metal. The Smallest - and the Tallest - both have equally good optical properties, is way smaller and lighter and an ideal travel lens. You can see available 24-48mm Wide Zooms and a review here: http://www.adaptall-2.com/lenses/13A.html

Wide Zooms

24-48mm - a rather rare category, however with more and more Full Fram ...

Updated: Apr 05, 2010 5:44pm PST

90mm TAMRON SP F/2.8 :

90mm TAMRON SP F/2.8

Updated: Apr 05, 2010 5:16pm PST

Macro Lenses : 'Digital' sells - 'Macro' sells as well. 80% of lenses sold as 'Macro' lens are no macro lens. The Macro King got its name for a reason, is built for more than 30 years now in AF version - I do not need an AF lens for macro. I am a fan of MINOLTA lenses, but I think their 'macro' lenses are silly - probably marketing detected that adding macro to AF HD USM VR AS DE QR IF DADI DADA..; ;-) helps selling, and other companies followed suite. The best price/performance ratio has the 90mm f/2.8 TAMRON. A fixed focus macro lens can be a challenge, while a macro zoom gives you more freedom. What I like especially about the TAMRON Macro dedicated lenses is, that you go from infinity right to 5cm, avoiding the neccessarity to push a button on the lens, or change a setting on the lens. Practically speaking, when you are on a hike taking photos of the landscape, and a beautiful butterfly sits on that flower besides you, you just turn the lens towards the new subject and adjust focus, without taking your eye away - no missed shots that way.... One of the few lenses that add a macro feature to a lens is the 60-300mm TAMRON BBD lens, just because it saves me, taking an extra lens with me on hikes. Each and every lens manufacturer has an excellent Macro lens in their portfolio, just do not fall for a 'universal' lens including macro capabilities, go for a 'macro' dedicated lens! If you are interested in the 90mm f/2.8 TAMRON SP, you might check 'Bees" on www.VolkerSchenk.com

Macro Lenses

'Digital' sells - 'Macro' sells as well. 80% of lenses sold as 'Macro' ...

Updated: Apr 05, 2010 12:44pm PST

National Model Railroad Association (NMRA), Pacific Northwest Region : The Annual Spring Meet of the National Model Railroad Association (NMRA), Pacific Northwest Region was hosted this year by the Salmon Arm Model Railroad Association. The 2010 Annual Spring Meet of the NMRA was a great place to get inspired – and reminiscent of my first model train “Marklin” 60 years ago – a Christmas surprise! The show took place at the Prestige Harbourfront Resort and Convention Centre, 251 Harbourfront Drive NE, Salmon Arm on April 2nd and 3rd. I had a chance to meet a friend there on Saturday the 3rd, and it obvious, that my favourite became # 73.

National Model Railroad Association (NMRA), Pacific Northwest Region

The Annual Spring Meet of the National Model Railroad Association (NMR ...

Updated: Apr 03, 2010 11:40pm PST

....Summer : You can't blur the background doing regatta-shots - your subject is close to infinity. Instead, you can take those shots around sunset shooting towards the sun. You can be lucky and have a mountaineous area, where the opposite shoreline is in the shadow already. This describes exactly, how I shot the regattas from my house in Kelowna in 2009..

....Summer

You can't blur the background doing regatta-shots - your subject is cl ...

Updated: Apr 02, 2010 12:15pm PST

....Death and Birth :

....Death and Birth

Updated: Apr 02, 2010 11:17am PST

Sun Stars : You can shoot directly into the sun! Check your viewfinder carefully and try to collect sun stars at one spot!

Sun Stars

You can shoot directly into the sun! Check your viewfinder carefully ...

Updated: Apr 02, 2010 11:12am PST

Night Shots :

Night Shots

Updated: Apr 02, 2010 10:31am PST

Checkpoint : I am a hunter, not a cook! I am not good in choosing the "best" photo out of a series. I have hundreds of photos still in my drawers, with the best intention - to put them in an album "when I have time"- collected since I was 13, and I have 1000s on my hard drives, which became quietly my electronic shoe box. SmugMug should help me, to avoid getting so many pictures burried, I try to get them online, as soon, as shot. Please help me decide, whether photos here are worth of being published, and if yes, which one. It is so easy to judge the best of some photos from other photographers, it is never easy (at least for me) to eliminate inferior pictures. HELP ME!

Checkpoint

I am a hunter, not a cook! I am not good in choosing the "best" photo ...

Updated: Apr 01, 2010 12:45pm PST

Bokeh : The lens is your most powerful tool, 'real' lens quality shows at full aperture - we want to separate our subject from fore- and background. As it is obvious, which the photos with full aperture are, no comment necessary - check DOF as well!

Bokeh

The lens is your most powerful tool, 'real' lens quality shows at full ...

Updated: Apr 01, 2010 2:42am PST

Anne-Marie : All shots NIKON D-700 + NIKKOR VR 200mm f/2.0 @ f/2.0. Some beauty obviously needs a lens, to be detected - and emphasized. This gallery will be reduced to 8-10 shots soon. Crop # already turns out, to be the viewers favourite - mine as well ;-) I still leave many photos in, to give the members of the Photo Arts Club an idea, what they can do, and how the crop chosen makes a big difference. You do not need an 8000$ equipment, to make good Portraiture Photos. Most important is lens quality and properties, second the distance from the model, to give a natural look. For 30 years, a 85mm f/1.4 lens - on 35mm film, 24x36 format - was considered the 'best' portraiture lens. 85mm f/1.4 lenses are relatively easy and inexpensive to build. I prefer 110-150mm for portraiture, though. A fast f/1.4 lens shot wide open dissolves the background best and makes your model 'stand out'. You have to know your lens, though; you will be surprised, how narrow DOF gets @ f1.4. Rule of thumb: eyes in focus, best focus between the eyes (John Wayne)! If you watch the photos on smugmug closely, you can see some, where the focus is only on one eye, useless in most cases! With some files you can play around and alter them digitally, just to make use of a file - I put 2 at the end to check. Most popular fast f/1.4 are 50mm so called 'Normal' lenses. I can not be normal, as I don't use and do not see any sense of using a 50mm f/1.4 lens on an APS sensor sized DSLR - it becomes a 75mm effective focal length lens, way too long for everyday shooting, way too short for portraiture.... 85mm f/1.4 lenses for NIKON & Canon are the most popular Portraiture lenses, also Carl Zeiss makes an excellent 85mm f/1.4 - all meant for Full Frame DSLR or 24x36mm Film cameras, all around 1500 $ new, grab a used one for 850 $, that will be an excellent match for your D300 etc. I did a couple of shots with a G1 + MINOLTA 50mm f/1.4 Rokkor ( under 50$, adapter needed, which had turned out quite good, if I had not chosen ISO 1600 on this camera; an ISO this sensor/engine combination can not handle still, no matter, what the advertisements say. I saw photos of the new G2 (with touch screen and movie capabilities, which will be available in Canada end of June), which show the same graininess at higher ISO, despite an improved engine. If you want to get the very best results shooting portraits, get a used NIKON 105mm or 135mm DC lens (DC=Defocus Control) for ~900$ on a Full Frame (needs a master to operate, patience and experience), or a 85mm f/1.4 on an APS-sensor sized Camera like a D300, which turns into a perfect 130mm f/1.4 or 136mm f/1.4 on the CANON APS-C sized sensor (7D etc). Both will give better results than my 200mm f/2 used for the samples here – but this will add an extra lens to your bag – and how often do you use it? Almost everyone has a 70/80mm-200/210mm f/2.8 lens, this will be the best all round lens including wildlife and an absolute must – I can’t wait to see the excellent results of the members next meeting..... 2 Red robins in my garden wanted a new passport photo (They fly South in 6 month), so I used the opportunity to show the difference between f/8 and full aperture....

Anne-Marie

All shots NIKON D-700 + NIKKOR VR 200mm f/2.0 @ f/2.0. Some beauty o ...

Updated: Apr 01, 2010 2:01am PST

NIKKOR 200mm f/2 : I am an engineer, and selected this lens just by the technical data.... It did everything I imagined, that is a lot. Check Anne-Marie's model shots, all taken @ f/2, read the review: http://www.nikonians.org/nikon/nikkor-200mm-VR/index.html

NIKKOR 200mm f/2

I am an engineer, and selected this lens just by the technical data... ...

Updated: Apr 01, 2010 1:44am PST

Red Robins : Shooting birds is simple. You already got that many around your house! Red Robbins are very photogenic. You might be lucky and have a nest on or close to the house, where you can take photos from the feeding! Using DOF is an important tool. The bird gets separated from back- and more important background and becomes the Subject of the picture without distractions. Try to: Shoot a fast lens wide open, f/2.8 preferred Most red robins are lens tests for the TAMRON BBD 60-300mm. I recently still had a 200mm f/2 on my D2x and show you some comparisons how Bokeh and DOF changes - watch the shots @ f/2! Shoot a long Tele Lens, minnimum 200mm Try to gett as close as possible - the closer you are, the back/foregrounds get more heavily blurred!

Red Robins

Shooting birds is simple. You already got that many around your house! ...

Updated: Apr 01, 2010 12:50am PST

OLYMPUS E3 + Carl Zeiss Contax 50mm f/1.4 : I used the opportunity, to test different Lens/Camera combinations; depending on the sensor size ending up at 90-105mm. In the case of the OLYMPUS E3, the small sensor size gives you a magnification of 2x, ending up in perfect 100mm f/1.4. This little Gallery was shot with an OLYMPUS E3 and a Carl Zeiss Contax 50mm Planar f/1.4 without flash. The lighting was set up by professionals, Thank you, Ian James and Craig Pulsifer, to give us that opportunity! The Carl Zeiss Contax 50mm Planar f/1.4 was pleasant to focus under those circumstances. It was originally the fast "Standard" lens for the CONTAX Series of sophisticated but simple to use DSLRs, manufactured by Kyocera. I used to collect Carl Zeiss Contax lenses for use with my CANON gear, but decided to move to NIKON and still have plenty of Carl Zeiss Contax lenses. You can buy a lens like that for less than 350$ and will need an adapter, which are readily available, see adapteradviser.com. The CONTAX mount lenses work only on CANON and m4/3 as well as 4/3rds cameras, probably also on the new SAMSUNG NX. To make it work in manual mode on the OLYMPUS E3, you just use the normal rings on the lens for distance and aperture. The results are very good, not far from perfect. The Carl Zeiss Contax 50mm T* Planar f/1.4f seems to be from another planet, maybe, the reason, why they call it T-star ;-) Color rendering is the best of comparable lenses, and it separates the subject better from the background! Most importantly, that is not based on lab tests nobody can figure, this is based on a visual experience, see for yourself! If you do occasionally portraits, this works perfect, I can partially recommend it for professional work, though! A 85mm f/1.4 is around 900-1700 $ added to a Pro DSLR. This one is 350 $, a decent E3 body 1100, so you pay less money including a backup camera! All shots full aperture f/1.4 w/out flash!

OLYMPUS E3 + Carl Zeiss Contax 50mm f/1.4

I used the opportunity, to test different Lens/Camera combinations; de ...

Updated: Mar 30, 2010 9:21am PST

NIKON D2x + NIKKOR 35mm F1.4 (+ TC 16A) : The Photo Arts Club in Salmon Arm had a meeting with some models involved to give members an introduction in Portrait Shooting. I used the opportunity, to test different Lens/Camera combinations; depending on the sensor size ending up at 90-105mm. In the case of the NIKON D2x , the APS size sensor size gives you a magnification of 1.5x, ending up in 53mm, which works good as a ‘normal’ fast f/1.4 lens, but far from perfect for portrait, where you want to have a 90mm focal length. I prefer 105mm f/1.4 which you can achieve through the D2x in HSC mode, you end up with a perfect (manual) Portrait lens. NIKON was a bit behind in developing AF, so it brought out a 1.6x AF teleconverter which AUTOFOCUSES manual lenses! How smart – you focus roughly, and let the AF do the job! This little Gallery was shot with an NIKON D2x and a NIKKOR 35mm f/1.4 without flash. The lighting was set up by professionals, Thank you, Ian James and Craig Pulsifer, to give us that opportunity! The NIKKOR was pleasant to focus under those circumstances. It was originally the fast "35mm" lens for the NIKON PRO Series of manual cameras, which was famous at their time, each Photojournalist had at least one 35mm f/1,4 in her bag! The lens was very expensive at it’s time used on 35mm film. It is even more usable 20 years later; on the D700 I use it as an excellent street lens for available light, so I have a fast lens covering 35mm – 53mm – 105mm - 163mm, even autofocusing in some settings! If you do professionally portraits, this works perfect, I can really recommend it for professional work, if you substitute my D2x with a D300 or D200, the AF 1.6 will NOT work in AF mode, NIKON changed the chipping! All shots full aperture f/1.4 w/out flash! I did not bother adding photos of our young beauty, because I got ~ 300 of her with the D-700 and the magnificent NIKKOR 200mm f/2.0. Stay posted!

NIKON D2x + NIKKOR 35mm F1.4 (+ TC 16A)

The Photo Arts Club in Salmon Arm had a meeting with some models invol ...

Updated: Mar 30, 2010 9:13am PST

Portrait Shooting SA Photo Arts Club : Salmon Arm Photo Arts Club, Monday, March 22, 2010, 7:00 PM The Photo Arts Club has prepared a studio for portrait shooting. I take a chance to test several camera/lens combinations, all manual lenses with the exemption of a NIKON D700 + NIKKOR 200mm f/2, which I used to take those shots here. While I prefer manual lenses, portraiture has it's own specifics, and as a Pro (which I am not) in our days you just will not have the time to bother with manual focusing lenses. 3 stations were set up and 2 non pro models were posing: Anne-Marie and Marie-Anne. I have Galleries for each camera/lens combination, and for each of the models. During the event I filled a 8MB CF card on the D700 completely in 90min, and additional 2MB on the other 4 cameras in the test. I also use shootouts like this to test new gear I am developing - here a battery grip on the D700 with a D3 battery installed, raising the burst rate to almost D3 level. All shots are taken at full aperture with available light, no flash or tripod used. ( I do not like either of them, nor do I like things hanging around my neck or any kind of rings..) Those shots of the members are my tribute to the club as a new member; I only used low res JPEGs for the posted shots, if anyone (of the club) is interested, I have the RAW files available ...You have probably recognized, that 2 female shooters are missing - they demanded their (very nice) shots to be removed....The gallery had been visited more than 1100 times between March 27 and March 31, so someone must have liked it!

Portrait Shooting SA Photo Arts Club

Salmon Arm Photo Arts Club, Monday, March 22, 2010, 7:00 PM The Photo ...

Updated: Mar 30, 2010 9:06am PST

Marie-Anne : From the photos submitted for the models I had a totally wrong impression - of both models. I judged Marie-Ann as a robust weathered smoking Westerner - she turned out to be that filigran little lady in beautiful chosen Western Style cloth. My idea was to enhance that impression, stting her at the piano (There was a fraction of a white brickwall, where I had the piano moved to get a nice background), surround her with smoke and give the impression of a weathered Western Saloon Fly....I was glad, though, that I brought 2 candles and built a 1 candle reflector on a tripod - at least some use for a tripod;-)). If I had to judge my own photos of Marie-Anne, I would give credits to 'Generation', a shot from a situation which arose inexpextedly...hard to do this from a tripod....

Marie-Anne

From the photos submitted for the models I had a totally wrong impress ...

Updated: Mar 30, 2010 8:27am PST

Night Shots : The very best time for nightshots in a city is after a rain. Colours just look like poured out on the asphalt.....

Night Shots

The very best time for nightshots in a city is after a rain. Colours ...

Updated: Mar 28, 2010 7:57pm PST

Flutter-byes :

Flutter-byes

Updated: Mar 28, 2010 1:11pm PST

Konica Auto S3 :

Konica Auto S3

Updated: Mar 27, 2010 9:19am PST

35-70mm Carl Zeiss Vario Sonnar f/3.4 : The 35-70mm Carl ZeissT* Contax Vario Sonnar f/3.4 is pleasant to focus under all circumstances. It was originally the fast "Standard Zoom" for the CONTAX Series of sophisticated but simple to use DSLRs, manufactured by Kyocera. I used to collect Carl Zeiss Contax lenses for use with my CANON gear, but decided to move to NIKON and still have plenty of Carl Zeiss Contax lenses. You can buy a lens like that for less than 850$ and you will need an adapter, which are readily available, see adapteradviser.com. The CONTAX mount lenses work only on CANON and m4/3 as well as 4/3rds cameras, probably also on the new SAMSUNG NX. To make it work in manual mode on any CANON, you just use the normal rings on the lens for distance and aperture. The results are excellent! This Zoom was tested sharper than the top class comparable Primes! The 35-70mm Carl ZeissT* Contax Vario Sonnar f/3.4 seems to be from another planet, maybe, the reason, why they call it T-star ;-) (Actually, it is the patented Coating of CZ) Color rendering is the best of comparable lenses, and it separates the subject excellent from the background! Most importantly, that is not based on lab tests nobody can figure, this is based on a visual experience, see for yourself! If you do occasionally portraits, this works perfect, I can only partially recommend it for professional work, though! A 85mm f/1.4 is around 900-1700 $ added to a Pro DSLR. This one is 850 $, a decent E3 body 1100, A new CANON 7-D 1500 (it will be a short 80mm 1,4 here; you pay less money including a backup camera! If you are a Pro and do landscape panoramas, You will NOT find a better lens out there, so, if you do both, THIS is the lens for you! All shots full aperture f/3.4 w/out flash!

35-70mm Carl Zeiss Vario Sonnar f/3.4

The 35-70mm Carl ZeissT* Contax Vario Sonnar f/3.4 is pleasant to focu ...

Updated: Mar 25, 2010 7:24am PST

50mm Carl Zeiss 1.4 Contax : This lens on a 4/3rds sensor simply is THE BEST CHOICE for Portrait Photography! The Carl Zeiss Contax 50mm Planar f/1.4 is pleasant to focus under all circumstances. It was originally the fast "Standard" lens for the CONTAX Series of sophisticated but simple to use DSLRs, manufactured by Kyocera. I used to collect Carl Zeiss Contax lenses for use with my CANON gear, but decided to move to NIKON and still have plenty of Carl Zeiss Contax lenses. You can buy a lens like that for less than 350$ and will need an adapter, which are readily available, see adapteradviser.com. The CONTAX mount lenses work only on CANON and m4/3 as well as 4/3rds cameras, probably also on the new SAMSUNG NX. To make it work in manual mode on the OLYMPUS E3, you just use the normal rings on the lens for distance and aperture. The results are very good, not far from perfect. The Carl Zeiss Contax 50mm T* Planar f/1.4f seems to be from another planet, maybe, the reason, why they call it T-star ;-) Color rendering is the best of comparable lenses, and it separates the subject better from the background! Most importantly, that is not based on lab tests nobody can figure, this is based on a visual experience, see for yourself! If you do occasionally portraits, this works perfect, I can partially recommend it for professional work, though! A 85mm f/1.4 is around 900-1700 $ added to a Pro DSLR. This one is 350 $, a decent E3 body 1100, A new CANON 7-D 1500 (it will be a short 80mm 1,4 here; you pay less money including a backup camera! All shots full aperture f/1.4 w/out flash!

50mm Carl Zeiss 1.4 Contax

This lens on a 4/3rds sensor simply is THE BEST CHOICE for Portrait Ph ...

Updated: Mar 25, 2010 7:20am PST

Canon 1D MKII+35-70mm ZeissT* Contax Vario Sonnar f/3.4 : The Photo Arts Club in Salmon Arm had a meeting with some models involved to give members an introduction in Portrait Shooting. I used the opportunity, to test different Lens/Camera combinations; depending on the sensor size ending up at 90-105mm. In the case of the 1D MKII , the special size sensor gives you a magnification of 1.3x, ending up in 46- 91mm, which works good as a f/3.4 Portraiture lens. Special to the 1D MKII is a fast burst rate – I call her the machine gun – which comes in quite handy. If you are in an area with lots of grizzly bears that camera might come in handy as well for your defense – the sturdiest body in the industry! (Far different from mirror disposing 5D commercial consumer low quality bodies…At this point an advice: If you intend to buy a new DSLR, lookk at a used Pro model, usually this is a way better deal…. The 35-70mm Carl ZeissT* Contax Vario Sonnar f/3.4 is pleasant to focus under all circumstances. It was originally the fast "Standard Zoom" for the CONTAX Series of sophisticated but simple to use DSLRs, manufactured by Kyocera. I used to collect Carl Zeiss Contax lenses for use with my CANON gear, but decided to move to NIKON and still have plenty of Carl Zeiss Contax lenses. You can buy a lens like that for less than 850$ and you will need an adapter, which are readily available, see adapteradviser.com. The CONTAX mount lenses work only on CANON and m4/3 as well as 4/3rds cameras, probably also on the new SAMSUNG NX. To make it work in manual mode on any CANON, you just use the normal rings on the lens for distance and aperture. The results are excellent! This Zoom was tested sharper than the top class comparable Primes! The 35-70mm Carl ZeissT* Contax Vario Sonnar f/3.4 seems to be from another planet, maybe, the reason, why they call it T-star ;-) (Actually, it is the patented Coating of CZ) Color rendering is the best of comparable lenses, and it separates the subject better from the background! Most importantly, that is not based on lab tests nobody can figure, this is based on a visual experience, see for yourself! If you do occasionally portraits, this works perfect, I can only partially recommend it for professional work, though! A 85mm f/1.4 is around 900-1700 $ added to a Pro DSLR. This one is 850 $, a decent E3 body 1100, A new CANON 7-D 1500 (it will be a short 80mm 1,4 here; you pay less money including a backup camera! If you are a Pro and do landscape panoramas, You will NOT find a better lens out there, so, if you do both, THIS is the lens for you! All shots full aperture f/3.4 w/out flash!

Canon 1D MKII+35-70mm ZeissT* Contax Vario Sonnar f/3.4

The Photo Arts Club in Salmon Arm had a meeting with some models invol ...

Updated: Mar 23, 2010 6:03pm PST

G1 + Zeiss 45mm f/2 : The Photo Arts Club in Salmon Arm had a meeting with some models to give members an introduction in Portrait Shooting. I used the opportunity, to test different Lens/Camera combinations; depending on the sensor size ending up at 90-105mm. In the case of the Pana G1, the small sensor size gives you a magnification of 2x, ending up in perfect 90mm f/2. This little Gallery was shot with a Panasonic G1 and a Carl Zeiss G 45mm f/2 without flash. The lighting was set up by professionals, Thank you, Ian and Craig Pulsifer, to give us that opportunity! The supersharp Zeiss 45mm G - tested proven SHARPER than the legendary Leica Summicron 50mm f/2 - is very hard to focus under those circumstances. It was originally the AF "Standard" lens for the landmark Contax G1/G2. To make it work in manual mode on the Panasonic G1, a very small wheel is driving the focus ring. The results are acceptable, but far from perfect. I could not focus sharp in the limited time and prefer the Zeiss 50mm f/1.4 for this kind of work, it has a 'normal' focus ring, as it is a manual lens. If you do occasionally portraits and have enough time to focus, this works perfect, I can not recommend it for professional work, though! All shots full aperture f/2 w/out flash!

G1 + Zeiss 45mm f/2

The Photo Arts Club in Salmon Arm had a meeting with some models to gi ...

Updated: Mar 23, 2010 9:49am PST

28-90mm effective PANASONIC 14-45 : The 14-45mm PANASONIC f/3.5-5.6 is the best kitlens I came across so far, and the only kit "standard zoom" I will keep. It is 28mm - 90mm (EXIF indicates 97mm) effective, that is already a limitation for a photographer's creativity. It is just unbelievable, how much marketing people have to say - they probably wanted 90mm on the long side - Olympus shows with their excellent 12-60mm f/2.8-4 lens the way to go. A 12-36mm lens will be a much better choice - a pity, it is not available! Anyway, this lens has an excellent OIS, and delivers excellent results. You can compare a highly cropped shot on the tele side with the shot taken with the 8000.00+$ combination D2x + NIKKOR 200mm f/2. Colors are excellent as well, you know the colors (and taste??) of the liquors - shot in my restaurant with dim light. A lens I can recommend!

28-90mm effective PANASONIC 14-45

The 14-45mm PANASONIC f/3.5-5.6 is the best kitlens I came across so f ...

Updated: Mar 20, 2010 11:46pm PST

NIKON D2x : I use the Nikon D700 on the WIDE side, the D2x on the WILD side. The D2x is the last camera in the NIKON Pro line, that works with the TC 16-A, a teleconverter, which AUTOFOCUSES manual lenses. When the first AF-lenses and cameras appeared on the market pioneered by MINOLTA, NIKON got a bit behind and created this wonderful autofocusing teleconverter. In addition, you can shoot a D2x in HSC (High Speed Crop) mode, where you get a 3x magnification, my 200mm f/2 AF VR NIKKOR turns into a 600mm f/2 lens, my 400mm f/2.8 manual NIKKOR turns into a 1920mm f/4.5 AF Ultra tele. PRICELESS! NIKON created this to compete against the CANON 1D machine gun to increase the burst rate, I mainly use the other side. Sensor is reduced to 6MP, enough with the excellent NIKON sensor/engine combination to get even the largest prints.

NIKON D2x

I use the Nikon D700 on the WIDE side, the D2x on the WILD side. T ...

Updated: Mar 20, 2010 3:14pm PST

PANASONIC LUMIX G1 :

PANASONIC LUMIX G1

Updated: Mar 20, 2010 11:20am PST

Full Moon in the Shuswap :

Full Moon in the Shuswap

Updated: Mar 17, 2010 10:50am PST

Fire Colors - Notch Hill Sorrento, BC : In August 2009 we had furious wildfires in Kelowna, They just did not stop expanding. Bad memories returned from the Okanagan Mountain Park fire in 2003, when I almost lost my house to the fire and could not enter it for more than 6 weeks - the whole surrounding area was burnt, more than 230 houses lost. My new place on the lake was just opposite, where the furious Terrace Mountain Fire raged day and night. I was glad to be invited from a friend in Sorrento to visit - just to run into the worst fire, they had there for years. When I returned to Kelowna after a week, the city was tainted in the most amazing colors I have ever seen there - from a fire more than 100km North of Kelowna!

Fire Colors - Notch Hill Sorrento, BC

In August 2009 we had furious wildfires in Kelowna, They just did not ...

Updated: Mar 17, 2010 12:21am PST

24-70mm f/2.8 SIGMA - The Allrounder : As soon, as I tried this lens - first on a FF CANON 1DsMKII, I got lazy - it does 65% 0f all work. This focal length is a must for FF cameras, or equivalent 16-50mm on an APS size sensored camera. I do not like the cheap version, where most manufacturers start at 14mm at 4/3rds sensored cameras, meaning 28mm, or 18-70mm at a SONY kit lens, just to name an example. Those lenses are of minor quality, when I get a Kit supplied with such a lens, I usually put the Tupperware on eBay and spend the 35$ got for a cheap dinner with a friend, that is best spent money. Check a test here:http://www.digitalreview.ca/content/Sony-Alpha-A350-Compared-to-Nikon-D80-pg1.shtml My advice: Start at 24mm, whether you shoot APS size or FF! Those are mostly 1000$ lenses, as the excellent OLYMPUS 12-60mm f/2.8-4 or the Pentax 16-50mm f/2.8, also the less expensive CANON 24-105mm f/4 is a good choice; we can discuss this endlessly, the best bang for the buck is this SIGMA available in many mounts; making sense only for a FF camera! Used from 400.00$ at eBay, try to get the later version; the newest as per Mar 2020 is still 750$ used, ~ 890 new

24-70mm f/2.8 SIGMA - The Allrounder

As soon, as I tried this lens - first on a FF CANON 1DsMKII, I got laz ...

Updated: Mar 16, 2010 11:30pm PST

SONY A100 :

SONY A100

Updated: Mar 16, 2010 10:23pm PST

24-75mm effective Pentax 16-50mm f/2.8 :

24-75mm effective Pentax 16-50mm f/2.8

Updated: Mar 16, 2010 9:54pm PST

17mm TAMRON SP f/3.5 :

17mm TAMRON SP f/3.5

Updated: Mar 16, 2010 5:05pm PST

Postcards :

Postcards

Updated: Mar 16, 2010 4:50pm PST

Salmon Arm :

Salmon Arm

Updated: Mar 16, 2010 1:04pm PST

Running :

Running

Updated: Mar 16, 2010 12:36pm PST

NIKON D700 :

NIKON D700

Updated: Mar 15, 2010 11:53am PST

D700-G1 shootout : D700 versus G1 Sonica versus E3

D700-G1 shootout

D700 versus G1 Sonica versus E3

Updated: Mar 07, 2010 2:25pm PST

empty gallery

2010

Updated: Feb 24, 2010 11:18pm PST

empty gallery

client's

Updated: Feb 24, 2010 11:15pm PST

Your Bio

First of ALL: THANK YOU for visiting this website, which is solely established for fellow photographers.

• I show, what which equipment can do.
• I show, what a certain technique can do.

New: Volker Peter Schenk on Google: http://www.panoramio.com/user/6122312
Click the link and follow my travels!
Selected photos from the smugmug galleries will be published in the 2 books:
"Hwy 101 and byways" and
"From Anchorage to Cabo San Lucas - 5000 miles of Pristine Pacific Coast"

Fellow Photographers might get some help in choosing their equipment and applying certain photo techniques to improve their photographic skills.
"A picture tells more than a thousand words" - nothing is truer than this, especially in the field of photography, and nowhere else can photos be seen so excellent like on Smugmug.
Of course I check all the major sites that do reviews. I use those reviews to pre-scan the properties of a camera or a lens. A decision though can only be made after an extensive test drive, and what I show here in the hardware part is nothing else than reports of my test drives. I hope, it can help your decision ;-)
/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

One day dad will be dead, and this site is dead dad's contribution to the world. I wish, that it continues, but that only can happen through contributions from the living :-)

Well, you can make a contribution which actually SAVES you considerably money, by getting YOUR own smugmug site using the link below:

You save $5 on your SmugMug subscription and the site earns $10 towards renewal for one year.

Simply use this link to try Smugmug out for free:

https://secure.smugmug.com/signup.mg?Coupon=D0zHB2vd1ql4w

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If you just want to enjoy the photos, the best way is, to hit "Slideshow" in the right corner, sit back and watch the show.

As this is a site from a photographer for photographers, it is always interesting to see EXIF data, you get them as follows:
1. Choose style: Thumbnails (preferred)
2. Click Thumbnail
3. Choose size
4. Click: Show Details
5. Click info.......
JUST SCROLL DOWN TO THE GALLERIES!

My website is http://www.VolkerSchenk.com

My partners and myself run a couple of photography related Websites.
See here the photos of the day from Fotopedia, a quality site I really like, which reflects some of my ideas about the UNESCO World Heritafe project I have in mind:


Generally I do not sell prints. During my stay at Cannon Beach I was asked, whether I can make some of my work available, well, here it is - if you see a $-tag on a photo, you can order it. Drop me an email: V.Schenk@gmail.com
I am available for complete jobs and can assure you, you will be amazed by the results!
Learn more about me reading press articles during International Assignments:
http://www.cannonbeachgazette.com/entertainment/article_4287bd5e-258b-11e0-bb72-001cc4c002e0.html
http://www.rosaritoenlanoticia.info/2011/01/artista-canadiense-visita-al-alcalde.html

"The Great DSLE Shootout" is now on for more than 6 month, while taken more than 20 000 shots and traveling about 10 000 miles per air and 5000 miles per van.
"The Great DSLE Shootout" is in its last phase, all DSLE are used together and in comparison with Pro Equipment. You can always have EXIF data available as previously described, however to make it easier to see which camera used for a shot, I left file description with the photos.
Cameras with file#s used:
A) Pro equipment:
1) NIKON D700 Full Frame, Files start with 700xxxx
I use the D700 for:
- its outstanding noise handling, you can shoot night scenes at ISO 3200 and still get clean images (at least my previous D700 did - see special report about issues after inspection through Nikon Canada)
- Its actual 24x36mm sensor size, allowing the use of a wide spectrum of excellent Nikon and Nikon mount lenses without a crop factor
- its unsurpassed handling, NO other camera allows fast shooting as the D700 (+ upwards). Ideal for sports, wildlife, kids portraits..
I shoot wildlife with the long manual Tamrons + Nikon Autofocusing Teleconverter 1.6x - this 25 year old AF rig allows FASTER AF than conventional AF teles....
Lenses:
Sigma 20mm f1.8
Kiron 24mm f2
Nikon 35mm f1.4
Sigma 24-70mm f2.8
Nikon 135mm f2
Tamron AD-2 :
17mm f3.5
60-300mm Macro
180mm f2.5
300mm f2.8
500mm f8 Mirror

2) Olympus E3 (Will be followed by the E5)
I shoot the E3 because of the following properties:
- The best and fastest Autofocus Standard Zoom in the industry - one of the few AF lenses I trust
- Internal image stabilisation (IIS)
- Rugged, dust and splash proof
- almost every MF lens can be adapted to the 4/3 mount
- IIS and 2x crop with long tele lenses for wildlife allows me shooting up to 1000mm effective handheld - priceless.
- Amazingly good JPEGs - if you are time constraint or just don't like the time consuming RAW developing process, this is the camera for you!
Verdict: An E3/5 with a 12-60mm 2.8-4 lens is the ideal reporter camera!
I use the following lenses with the E3 - please understand, that all lenses have a 2x crop factor, meaning a 24mm f2 wideangle will be a 48mm fast "Normal" lens
Sigma 20mm f1.8
Kiron 24mm f2
Nikon 35mm f1.4
Contax Carl Zeiss 85mm f1.4 -- an excellent 170mm 1.4 Portraiture lens
Nikon 135mm f2
Tamron AD-2 :
60-300mm Macro
180mm f2.5
300mm f2.8
500mm f8 Mirror

B) DSLE (Digital Single Lens Electronic Viewfinder - this is the terminology I use, as none of the so far used terminology hits the nail)
What I did not read in any reviews yet is the following advantage of all DSLEs:
The lens rear element/camera flange distance is not determined - and extended - by a mirror box. That allows for an optimal lens design. Imagine, a lens designer creates an optimal lens for a given sensor size. That theorethical OPTIMAL lens will not allow a mirror box "extension", but of course with a SLR or DSLR now you have to artificially extend the flange distance, and your lens will have less than optimal theorethical properties. That was the background, which manifested the fame and legacy of Leica and Contax Rangefinder lenses. Here is much to expect considering new HQ lenses. The lower disance is also the reason, why SLR lenses can be adapted to almost all of them...
Sony has the smallest distance with only 26mm
APSc-sized sensor
1) Samsung NX10
Samsung deserves the merit being the first manufacturer to offer a compact APSc camera which looks like a miniature Mamiya and actually has everything a DSLR offers, just in a smaller form factor. I bought it with the excellent 30mm f2 lens, a good combination. It shoots nice photos right out of the camera, the video is good as well. I used the NX10 for a long time to document the journey per video and shot it alongside the D700 with very good results. I can recommend this camera, seems to be the best bang for the buck.. especially as prices deteriorate pretty soon due to Samsung's non existent marketing. The AMOLED screen is industry's best I like the camera but doubt that Samsung will have success with it. They just can't market high end photographic equipment the same way like refrigerators.. It is lacking an IIS, so you won't find some long tele lenses here
Lenses used (1.5x crop factor)
Samsung 30mm f2 AF and with adapters:
Sigma 20mm f1.8
Kiron 24mm f2
Nikon 35mm f1.4
Contax Carl Zeiss 85mm f1.4 -- an excellent 1.4 Portraiture lens
Nikon 135mm f2
Tamron AD-2 :
180mm f2.5

2) SONY NEX3
Sony created quite a splash with the consequent design of the NEX Series around the sensor size.
I integrated a NEX3 with 16mm -- 24mm 2.8 lens into my equipment, which works very well. Just check out the photos of the Cologne Dome. That day I just had this camera with me and an Olympus E-PL1 with an adapted Zeiss Contax 90mm f2.8 for street shooting with me..
The rear screen on the NEX gets easily scratched. A solution like the E3, or brother A55 shows how, you just have to be able, to fold the screen inwards to have it protected.
The handling of the A55 is preferred menu-wise, Sony released an update, which can be downloaded and is a little bit better. The hand grip of the NEX5 gives a bit firmer grip, I did not care for the NEX5 AVCHD video capabilities, as it is no video camera anyway. I shoot video with the VG-10.
The NEX cameras also have a very good A-mount to E-mount adapter which allows (slow) Autofocus and use of 25 year old Minolta AF lenses, which can be purchased cheap.
One of the reasons I decided for the NEX system was, that I could use all my excellent Contax G lenses with this camera with excellent results - check the Cannon Beach photos!
Lenses used:
Sony 16mm -- 24mm 2.8 (Very Good) + manual lenses (~1.5 crop factor) with adaptor:
Sigma 20mm f1.8
Kiron 24mm f2
Nikon 35mm f1.4
Contax Carl Zeiss 85mm f1.4 -- an excellent 170mm 1.4 Portraiture lens
Nikon 135mm f2
Tamron AD-2 :
60-300mm Macro
180mm f2.5

Contax G lenses:
28mm f2.8
35mm f2.8
90mm f2.8

SONY and MINOLTA A-mount lenses with AF function

3) SONY A55
(Sony uses the terminology SLT for Single Lens Translucent Mirror).
Canon used this technology years ago - without success. With the excellent electronic viewfinder and a great 16MP sensor (appx 1/3 is used for signal transmitting) the A55 delivers outstanding files.
Sony seems to have a winner here. The A55 came late into the shootout, as in the beginning it was only available with the kit zoom, and I refuse to pay 100$ for a Tupperware Type lens, which does in no way match the camera's quality.
I choose instead a 30mm f1.4 Sigma, which delivers. Another winner!
Files starting with DSCxxx
an excellent 170mm 1.4 Portraiture lens Nikon 135mm f2 Tamron AD-2 : 60-300mm Macro 180mm f2.5 300mm f2.8 500mm f8 Mirror B) DSLE (Digital Single Lens Electronic Viewfinder - this is the terminology I use, as none of the so far used terminology hits the nail) What I did not read in any reviews yet is the following advantage of all DSLEs: The lens rear element/camera flange distance is not determined - and extended - by a mirror box. That allows for an optimal lens design. Imagine, a lens designer creates an optimal lens for a given sensor size. That theorethical OPTIMAL lens will not allow a mirror box "extension", but of course with a SLR or DSLR now you have to artificially extend the flange distance, and your lens will have less than optimal theorethical properties. That was the background, which manifested the fame and legacy of Leica and Contax Rangefinder lenses. Here is much to expect considering new HQ lenses. The lower disance is also the reason, why SLR lenses can be adapted to almost all of them... Sony has the smallest distance with only 26mm APSc-sized sensor 1) Samsung NX10 Samsung deserves the merit being the first manufacturer to offer a compact APSc camera which looks like a miniature Mamiya and actually has everything a DSLR offers, just in a smaller form factor. I bought it with the excellent 30mm f2 lens, a good combination. It shoots nice photos right out of the camera, the video is good as well. I used the NX10 for a long time to document the journey per video and shot it alongside the D700 with very good results. I can recommend this camera, seems to be the best bang for the buck.. especially as prices deteriorate pretty soon due to Samsung's non existent marketing. The AMOLED screen is industry's best I like the camera but doubt that Samsung will have success with it. They just can't market high end photographic equipment the same way like refrigerators.. It is lacking an IIS, so you won't find some long tele lenses here Lenses used (1.5x crop factor) Samsung 30mm f2 AF and with adapters: Sigma 20mm f1.8 Kiron 24mm f2 Nikon 35mm f1.4 Contax Carl Zeiss 85mm f1.4 -- an excellent 1.4 Portraiture lens Nikon 135mm f2 Tamron AD-2 : 180mm f2.5 2) SONY NEX3 Sony created quite a splash with the consequent design of the NEX Series around the sensor size. I integrated a NEX3 with 16mm -- 24mm 2.8 lens into my equipment, which works very well. Just check out the photos of the Cologne Dome. That day I just had this camera with me and an Olympus E-PL1 with an adapted Zeiss Contax 90mm f2.8 for street shooting with me.. The rear screen on the NEX gets easily scratched. A solution like the E3, or brother A55 shows how, you just have to be able, to fold the screen inwards to have it protected. The handling of the A55 is preferred menu-wise, Sony released an update, which can be downloaded and is a little bit better. The hand grip of the NEX5 gives a bit firmer grip, I did not care for the NEX5 AVCHD video capabilities, as it is no video camera anyway. I shoot video with the VG-10. The NEX cameras also have a very good A-mount to E-mount adapter which allows (slow) Autofocus and use of 25 year old Minolta AF lenses, which can be purchased cheap. One of the reasons I decided for the NEX system was, that I could use all my excellent Contax G lenses with this camera with excellent results - check the Cannon Beach photos! Lenses used: Sony 16mm -- 24mm 2.8 (Very Good) + manual lenses (~1.5 crop factor) with adaptor: Sigma 20mm f1.8 Kiron 24mm f2 Nikon 35mm f1.4 Contax Carl Zeiss 85mm f1.4 -- an excellent 170mm 1.4 Portraiture lens Nikon 135mm f2 Tamron AD-2 : 60-300mm Macro 180mm f2.5 Contax G lenses: 28mm f2.8 35mm f2.8 90mm f2.8 SONY and MINOLTA A-mount lenses with AF function 3) SONY A55 (Sony uses the terminology SLT for Single Lens Translucent Mirror). Canon used this technology years ago - without success. With the excellent electronic viewfinder and a great 16MP sensor (appx 1/3 is used for signal transmitting) the A55 delivers outstanding files. Sony seems to have a winner here. The A55 came late into the shootout, as in the beginning it was only available with the kit zoom, and I refuse to pay 100$ for a Tupperware Type lens, which does in no way match the camera's quality. I choose instead a 30mm f1.4 Sigma, which delivers. Another winner! Files starting with DSCxxx"