Tag: camera

#365daysofbiking Night ride home


February 9th – A run out to lichfield for shopping, some air, a coffee and hopefully to catch a decent sunset over Stowe Pool.

Fortunately, the sunset was dire as when I pulled out the camera, the battery was flat. Oh dear.

Returning after dark over the mortuary bridge at Summerhill on the A461I tried the camera on a couple of classic night shots. It didn’t do too bad to be honest.

I realise most of the magic is in software but it’s still remarkable how well these tiny little cameras perform.

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#365daysofbiking Convergance

December 30th – The long exposure experiments continue, this one from the cycle and equestrian bridge over the A38 between Weeford and Little Hay.

The hope was to catch a vehicle turning off to Little Hay to the right, but time ran out.

A good excuse to return for another go. I’ve missed being out so much.

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#365daysofbiking On reflections:

December 10th – Passing Silver Street and crossing the pedestrian bridge time for a quick, classic shot of the waterside.

I don’t know why but it’s hard with the Canon to get a shot here I’m happy with. It just doesn’t seem to like this view much.

This didn’t come out to bad though: The water was till, and the way the reflections taper to gather in the distance always fascinates me.

Brownhills really can be beautiful sometimes.

#365daysofbiking The experiment continues:

November 15th – More camera experimentation, this time the other direction from Catshill Junction Bridge. 

I’m interested in the way this camera picks up stars in the sky, and the colouration.

Tat’s not a bad result to me for a handheld phot in near pitch darkness.

February 24th – An abortive ride out to Lichfield from which I planned to arc back around to Chasewater and catch the sunset, which looked like it would be a cracker. I got as far as Ogley Junction Footbridge and discovered the camera battery was flat. 

I was very annoyed, but investigated the bridge restoration, and was pleased to note that they’ve replaced the bolt whose absence was irritating me. And the replacement looks authentic, too.

Nice work. Terrible phone photo.

February 2nd – It had been a busy day where I’d headed everywhere at top speed (well, as top as I get at the moment, which is still less than my normal average) and it was fairly late when I came home, then headed to Stonnall on an errand.

The weather was cold again, the woman on the train had been right. The moon was hidden behind cloud and is was quite dark for this point in the moon’s cycle. Coming back up Main Street in Stonnall, I couldn’t resist a quite shot of the old swan, but it didn’t turn out how I hoped, the shot of the Shire Oak and junction, currently operating on temporary traffic lights came out much better.

I’m loving this Canon camera – I really am – but I must make time to read the manual. Something I don’t yet understand is making taking night shots a bit of a lottery…

December 30th – I was in Brownhills at dusk again, sorting out questions for the annual quiz on my main blog, and also fiddling with a new camera I have on loan – a Panasonic TZ100. This is a one-inch sensor compact that I’ve been curious to try.

I haven’t read the manual; I popped in a card, charged it up and off I went. So far, it’s very much like the TZ90 but with less zoom and a more strident low-light response, which is warm and pleasant.

Hopefully, the weather will improve soon and I’ll be able to get out and try this, and the Canon GX7 Mark II I also have been loaned side by side.

I’m ready for a more flexible camera in low light. I wonder if these will be the answer?

December 11th – After getting one or two bits of shopping in, it was dark so I went up onto Pier Street Bridge to take in one of my favourite views with an added snowy flavour.

What’s interesting about these images is one is taken with an iPhone, and the other with a pretty decent camera. Apart from the dirty lens on the phone camera, you’d barely tell the two images apart for quality.

How technology marches on…

December 3rd – A quick, snatched photo taken while on an errand to the shops, my only bike ride of the day. It was much, much warmer, and quick damp: The sorry of oily, greasy, muddy day that leaves everything filthy and wet without raining properly. It was dismal.

At the moment I’m up to my ears in financial stuff for work, as I am at this time every year, but this year it’s worse as we’ve been busier and there’s lots more of it.

I slid out as darkness fell, and took some photos around the Pier Street footbridge that I though would be good. They are all grainy, out of focus mush. 

Which could equally describe my brain right now, too… still, soon be over.

October 11th – Again returning as darkness fell, I caught sight of the Walsall skyline from North Street Bridge, and gave it a shot in a different mode.

The TZ90 is streets ahead of the TZ80 for night shots – and it needed to be; the last decent poor light performance from this range of camera was two generations back in the TZ70. This seems a lot better.

And Walsall, with the modernist buildings of the risibly named Gigaport, was a good subject.