Well is it?? I decided that it is, so I got a top box for the bike so I can just get my camera bag in it, well just!! (Need a new Top box now!!) You see I would always travel with my dogs as they love going with Dad on all his adventures, (well it is for them, Dad still takes hours taking pictures, and they take hours sniffing out the local wildlife!!) but I thought in my infinite wisdom that the Motor bike is the way forward, and so I set off without my faithful friends by my side to Sunderland to grab some Oilseed rape in full bloom and to get some lovely pics of the Windmill, it was a good day for it as the sky had great depth of clouds, so it was a good shoot, but I still missed my old friends, so is it time to go back to the car I wondered??
I met up with my mate James who suggested we both go to a type of Bikers rally, well more like a gathering. In case you are interested it’s on a Wednesday and Sunday at the Wetlands in Washington, so of we both Biked. Around 400 – 500 bikes were there that day, nice folk with some lovely bikes, anyway I spotted this bike for sale with an unusual top box, with closer inspection I discovered that there was a hole in the top with a Perspex screen around it, (Now what’s going through your head at this point?) I got the owner and asked him about it, he explained that the dog loved going with him so he cut out the hole and popped some Perspex on it so the dog won’t get flies in his eyes. The bike was for sale without the top box.
Now where can I find a top box big enough for 2 Terriers?????
Friday 21 May 2010
Sunday 28 March 2010
Pentax Pro's & Cons
If you are new to Photography you will have a massive choice of Camera to choose from. I cant advise from here what to buy and what not to buy but I thought I would let you know how things have developed with me using a Pentax.
Firstly be prepared not to get just as many gadgets for your Pentax, but it's close to Canon and Nikon. There have be a couple of occasion's when I thought maybe I should have bought a C or N just to get the lens I want, or the learning DVD or the... etc, but if you search and persevere you will eventually get nearly everything you want for your Pentax Camera, I have!!. (But dont tell the wife!!)
The first stumbling block is the world of Camera is companies slanting towards the big names. My first example was walking into Jessops and asking for K mount Pentax Lenses, the response was "Do Pentax still make Cameras!!" So of I went to another camera shop in the City and asked the Same question, The Reply? " Sorry Mate Canon and Nikon only" so I decided from then that I would take my business to the Internet, where I can say has saved me loads of money in purchases. So in the future I may have to scum to the purchase of the 2 big names but for the moment I want to champion the underdog.
Now the Pros that I have found -
Its slightly cheaper than the leaders and there are plenty on lenses, you just have to hunt them out. I may mention some companies while in my Blog state but I will appologise now as these companies will usually be in the UK or you may be able to purchase on the Internet, just for friends outwith the UK. So back to the pros, The Pentax has wobble function built in (Anti shake for the posh!!) unlike other makes who have it built into the lens, so Pentax will save you a bob there. Reliable? Yes, no problems what so ever, Sanding on the Quayside in Newcastle for a hour or so at -9 in the winter, no problems what so ever apart from the Photographers fingers nearly falling off and that reminds me!! why is that we think of everything when going out for a shoot, yet!!! 10 mins in and you need the toilet!! why is that?? so once we have scared all the deer and wildlife away we can get back to shooting :o)
Firstly be prepared not to get just as many gadgets for your Pentax, but it's close to Canon and Nikon. There have be a couple of occasion's when I thought maybe I should have bought a C or N just to get the lens I want, or the learning DVD or the... etc, but if you search and persevere you will eventually get nearly everything you want for your Pentax Camera, I have!!. (But dont tell the wife!!)
The first stumbling block is the world of Camera is companies slanting towards the big names. My first example was walking into Jessops and asking for K mount Pentax Lenses, the response was "Do Pentax still make Cameras!!" So of I went to another camera shop in the City and asked the Same question, The Reply? " Sorry Mate Canon and Nikon only" so I decided from then that I would take my business to the Internet, where I can say has saved me loads of money in purchases. So in the future I may have to scum to the purchase of the 2 big names but for the moment I want to champion the underdog.
Now the Pros that I have found -
Its slightly cheaper than the leaders and there are plenty on lenses, you just have to hunt them out. I may mention some companies while in my Blog state but I will appologise now as these companies will usually be in the UK or you may be able to purchase on the Internet, just for friends outwith the UK. So back to the pros, The Pentax has wobble function built in (Anti shake for the posh!!) unlike other makes who have it built into the lens, so Pentax will save you a bob there. Reliable? Yes, no problems what so ever, Sanding on the Quayside in Newcastle for a hour or so at -9 in the winter, no problems what so ever apart from the Photographers fingers nearly falling off and that reminds me!! why is that we think of everything when going out for a shoot, yet!!! 10 mins in and you need the toilet!! why is that?? so once we have scared all the deer and wildlife away we can get back to shooting :o)
10 months in a heart beat!
I have learned so much in the 10 months with my new DSLR and in this time I have trawled the Internet to learn as much as I can about photography, the do's and donts etc and it's these type of blogs that have at time's given me my greatest learning periods, so in appreciation I thought I would try and share with you how I'm getting on, what I'm learning and where I'm learning from.
SO where did it all start?
About 10 years ago when I bought a Chinon CP-9AF my very first SLR camera (Chinon?? I hear you cry!! what the hell was that??) It was a Dixons Camera, not very sure if this bit is true but I was told it was made by Nikon!!) I have always been the underdog supporter :o) I bought this camera from a second hand shop like Cash Converters, I bought the camera the day before I went on my holidays you have no idea how chuffed I was! So off on my hols in the Caravan in Slingsby North Yorkshire, I loaded the film and off I went snapping very happily. It was only when I got the photos developed that I realised that the pictures were quite soft,I thought the Dogs were licking the end of the lens or something!! but when I took it to Ffords in Beauly they looked at the lens and told me there was a growth of mould bigger than a fur coat on the lens, and then they showed me!! You see we are on the learning curve already!! The the lens was ditched and a second hand Sigma was purchased there and then for £40, the rest they say is history.
So lesson 1. Check all second hands lenses for mould and if your eye is not that keen get someone else who knows to check it and if in doubt, Just don't buy it!!
I don't have any photographer friends to ask for info so I'm one who searches until I find out what I need to know, so I'm hoping that these Blogs will help you on the way while starting out. As we are all on a learning curve till the day we die, I may cover information that may have a better angle to it so this is where you come in, interject any way you can and share what you know, it's just the right thing to do :o)
So where are we at at the moment then, Well my kit consists of a Pentax K20D which is in my opinion a cracking camera at that given price (Purchased from Simply Electronics) The cheapest on the net at that time. I bought body only as I had the K mount lenses from my old Chinon Kit, problem was that this camera will show up any problems with a less than a good lens, so back to Ffords in Beauly and Purchased a Sigma F2.8 24-70mm Lens, that was a good investment!! as I was going on holiday and... well... sometimes you need to treat yourself :o)
All my old kit was passed to Friends of ours to make good use of. So in the 10 months I have had my Pentax the accumulation of gadgets that I had in my bag has gone to -
Pentax K20D
Sigma F2.8 24-70mm
Sigma F4 100-300mm Macro
Sigma Flash EF 530 DG ST
2 x Remote Flash triggers
Polarizer x 2
Cokin ND Grad Filter
8 Point Star (Very 80s!!)
Infra Red
Snoots & Filters for the flash
Studio Kit -
2 x Interfit 100w heads
Snoots
4 x Brollies Reflect & Shoot through
3m Back drops
Large Soft box
Post Production -
Photoshop CS4
Adobe Bridge
Adobe Lightroom
Auto FX
Photomatix
That's it!! apart from Hollie and Hamish who are my constant companions when I head off taking pictures and they chase the birds etc!!
I hope this will be the first of many Blogs (and maybe not quite as long!!) about the pics I take and how I got there.
Until Next time :o)
SO where did it all start?
About 10 years ago when I bought a Chinon CP-9AF my very first SLR camera (Chinon?? I hear you cry!! what the hell was that??) It was a Dixons Camera, not very sure if this bit is true but I was told it was made by Nikon!!) I have always been the underdog supporter :o) I bought this camera from a second hand shop like Cash Converters, I bought the camera the day before I went on my holidays you have no idea how chuffed I was! So off on my hols in the Caravan in Slingsby North Yorkshire, I loaded the film and off I went snapping very happily. It was only when I got the photos developed that I realised that the pictures were quite soft,I thought the Dogs were licking the end of the lens or something!! but when I took it to Ffords in Beauly they looked at the lens and told me there was a growth of mould bigger than a fur coat on the lens, and then they showed me!! You see we are on the learning curve already!! The the lens was ditched and a second hand Sigma was purchased there and then for £40, the rest they say is history.
So lesson 1. Check all second hands lenses for mould and if your eye is not that keen get someone else who knows to check it and if in doubt, Just don't buy it!!
I don't have any photographer friends to ask for info so I'm one who searches until I find out what I need to know, so I'm hoping that these Blogs will help you on the way while starting out. As we are all on a learning curve till the day we die, I may cover information that may have a better angle to it so this is where you come in, interject any way you can and share what you know, it's just the right thing to do :o)
So where are we at at the moment then, Well my kit consists of a Pentax K20D which is in my opinion a cracking camera at that given price (Purchased from Simply Electronics) The cheapest on the net at that time. I bought body only as I had the K mount lenses from my old Chinon Kit, problem was that this camera will show up any problems with a less than a good lens, so back to Ffords in Beauly and Purchased a Sigma F2.8 24-70mm Lens, that was a good investment!! as I was going on holiday and... well... sometimes you need to treat yourself :o)
All my old kit was passed to Friends of ours to make good use of. So in the 10 months I have had my Pentax the accumulation of gadgets that I had in my bag has gone to -
Pentax K20D
Sigma F2.8 24-70mm
Sigma F4 100-300mm Macro
Sigma Flash EF 530 DG ST
2 x Remote Flash triggers
Polarizer x 2
Cokin ND Grad Filter
8 Point Star (Very 80s!!)
Infra Red
Snoots & Filters for the flash
Studio Kit -
2 x Interfit 100w heads
Snoots
4 x Brollies Reflect & Shoot through
3m Back drops
Large Soft box
Post Production -
Photoshop CS4
Adobe Bridge
Adobe Lightroom
Auto FX
Photomatix
That's it!! apart from Hollie and Hamish who are my constant companions when I head off taking pictures and they chase the birds etc!!
I hope this will be the first of many Blogs (and maybe not quite as long!!) about the pics I take and how I got there.
Until Next time :o)
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