Comet Spotting
January 15, 2007 by Eric Richardson
I took this shot last night from Elysian Park. Turns out it's got a comet in it.
If you click for the larger view you'll see a diagonal white highlight in the upper right part of the image. I'm pretty sure that's Comet McNaught, which has been visible here in LA for the past few days.
I didn't notice that at all when I took the shot. Another one of those things where you get back to the computer and say, "Wait a minute..."
Expanding My Range
January 05, 2007 by Eric Richardson
I got another lens yesterday. Well, actually I got two, but one was just because it was really cheap. The one I'm particularly excited about is the Minolta 70-210 f4, known in Minolta circles as the "Beercan" (pictured). Set on the A100 (or any other APS-C sensor), the lens is effectively a 105-315mm.
For Christmas I had asked for either this lens or the 50/1.7 I ended up getting. I love that I got the fast 50mm for while I was home, since it allowed some very cool indoor portrait shots, but it did leave my long end pretty short (the kit lens, at 70mm, was longest). When I saw this beercan for a particularly good price on KEH I went ahead and picked it up. From playing around inside the apartment last night I'm very happy with it. Tomorrow I'll have to go walk around and take some real shots with it.
At the same time I also picked up a Sigma 24 f2.8 for $35 or so. Is it a great lens? Not particularly. It's loud and the focus isn't as smooth as you'd like. In the end, though, it's absolutely worth the $35 to have it around and available. It took the picture of the beercan above.
Now I need a bigger camera bag.
Another Cat Photo?
December 31, 2006 by Eric Richardson
I promise you that this will not turn into a cat photo blog, despite this now making two posts in a row (half of my December output, no less) with a feline visual focus. Kathy and I fly back to LA on Tuesday and the cat stays here.
That said, I just took this shot with the cat sitting on my lap. My 50mm lens has a minimum focus distance of a little under a foot and a half, so to take the shot I had to hold the camera well off to my side and completely guess on focus and aim.
The shot was taken at f1.7, which is what accounts for the super shallow depth of field.
I fear I might be turning a bit obsessive monitoring the used lens market on eBay. I haven't found any great deals there yet, though. So far KEH has appeared to be the place to look for second-hand Minolta glass.
Mmmm... Photos
December 25, 2006 by Eric Richardson
A week or so before heading back here to MI for Christmas I bought myself a present: a Sony A100 dSLR. I've coveted a dSLR for a while now and hadn't acted on that, but finally it seemed time to go ahead. After playing with a Canon 20D for the weekend and then handling both the Sony and the Canon Digital Rebel XTi in the store I ended up going with the Sony.
One of the big determinants in my decision was that there are tons of second-hand Minolta lenses available that work on the A100 and can instantly take advantage of its in-body stabilization.
Yesterday I got my first additional lens, as my parents gave me a Minolta 50mm 1.7f. With the A100's smaller than full frame sensor that makes the effective length of the lens 75mm, right in the sweet spot for portrait shots.
It's the first time I've shot with something that could do so much with available light, and the shots I took of family opening presents turned out great. Instead of posting those, though, I've posted this shot of the cat sitting in a basket my mom got for Christmas. It's amazing how well a cat will sit still for photos when there isn't a flash going off in its face.
Mmmm... Pocky
December 08, 2006 by Eric Richardson
Two years ago I had a meeting at my apartment and one of the attendees brought a box of Pocky and some "Drink It Black" cold coffee. Both were enjoyable. Somehow, though, it wasn't until today that I walked over to Famima!! and picked some up again. Time really does fly.
Anyway, if you ever have the chance go ahead and pick up some Pocky. It's like a cookie in stick form.