May 30th – As is traditional on a day when you have a new camera to try out, the light was crap. It was dull and overcast and less than inspiring – but the views over the Brownhills and Shenstone countryside were green and lush.
That limpid-looking pool is a surface drainage lagoon for the M6 Toll. You’d never know to look at it.
May 30th – I have a new camera to try out. I usually use a Panasonic TZ70, but having used that brand for 8 years, I often try alternatives to see how they are when I get chance.
Courtesy of a generous friend, I’m currently using a Nikon S9900… and I rather like it. With similar ultra zoom performance, it seems a bit more solidly build, and I have to say, in most situations I’ve used it in, the camera has produced excellent images.
They seem a little vivid, but the macro mode is excellent, and much better than I’m used to, as I found when I tried it on various flowers.
I have this for a couple of weeks, so plenty of time to find the issues, I guess.
March 25th – Cruising down the canal, a great sunset seemed to be building up, and near Bridgman Street in Walsall, I stopped to capture the view towards Birchills. I was interested to note the colour balance change between the tow images, and that soon after taking them I discovered what happens if you forget to charge the camera properly the night before hand: it goes flat.
Ah well, never mind. That’s a great view, and you’d never think it was right in the heart of Walsall. Roll on spring and let’s have some leaves on the trees, then it’ll be even better!
March 18th – Gone 6:30pm, and still not dark. I stopped on Catshill Junction Bridge, and took a throwaway shot of the Humphries House flats, looking ghostly in the half-light.
The more I use it, the happier I am with this camera. There’s clearly a lot more fiddling to be had yet, and I must sit down and read the manual. But for a point and shoot operated by a monkey, it doesn’t do bad.
March 2nd – Fiddling with a next camera. After a brief flirtation with a Canon at Christmas – I hated it – I’ve just acquired the new Panasonic TZ70, the upgrade to last year’s TZ60. I’ll be twiddling with it for a while to find out what’s improved – and low light handheld images have definitely improved.
People often think I must carry a large camera around; I don’t – I just go for a little compact in my pocket, that’s easy to pull out and take spontaneous images with. I’ve tried big stuff in the past and find the size to be a hinderance.
No doubt for a few weeks I’ll be swearing at moved, changed or lost features – but having tried alternatives, I’m still resolutely a Panasonic chap.
As an aside, the works are very intense at Bentley Mill Way under the aqueduct – I won’t look at the plans as I want to gradually see the outcome. But that’s a very big culvert in there, I must say.
December 12th – I’ trying a new camera out. It’s got similar specs to the one I normally use, a Panasonic TZ60, but this one is made by Canon and is a Powershot SX700. I’ve got it on loan, just to check the competition, as I have the feeling the spring may not bring a new Panasonic model like it usually does.
Shooting out at teatime after a day in Birmingham, darkness probably wasn’t the best time to try and use a new camera, but it wasn’t so bad.
I like some of the features of the cannon, but the images seem a bit colder, if I’m honest. Also, the controls seem quite pointlessly complex, but I’m sure I get used to them…
I’m sure coming days will give me a better idea.
November 6th – I returned home in light but penetrating drizzle in early evening, and again, hopped the canal for a bit of light relief. Canal cycling at night requires good lights and can be mentally demanding, but I do enjoy it, as much for the chance to spot a fox or two as anything.
At Catshill Junction I thought I’d give the camera a go on the tripod. I’ve not done much night photography with this one yet, and and I’m quite pleased with the results, even though rain was getting on the lens.
Those LED streetlights in Chandlers Keep give a wonderfully ghostly white light.
June 10th – Waiting in the queue at the Arboretum Junction in Walsall this morning, I was pleased to note that this Ricketts Ltd. tipper wagon was kitted out with safety features – a reversing safety camera, cyclist warning notice. He seemed to have extensive mirrors too, but I couldn’t get them in shot.
The wagon was driven professionally and courteously, and I couldn’t fault it – it was nice to see. More and more tipper trucks seem to have these safety features – shame they aren’t on some bigger HGVs.
Well done, H. D. Ricketts – very considerate.
March 13th – Today, an old friend entered retirement. I replaced my trusty Panasonic Lumix TZ40 for a brand spanking new, just released TZ60. The little red compact camera has been through an awful lot, and survived, and still takes good pictures, but it is probably on the verge of death; it makes ominous grinding sounds when switching on now, and sometimes, the auto lens cover doesn’t open.
I have had and used the camera for a little over 12 months. Apart from the odd day when I forgot it, it has travelled with me every day in a little sleeve in my pocket. It has taken about 21,000 photos, and doesn’t owe me a penny. This little metal-bodied gem of a camera – boasting 20x optical zoom and great adjustability in a small size – has been dropped, got wet, covered in mud, sweat, tea, and on one occasion, was bled on. It’s operated in frost, snow, howling rain and hot sun. It has been a faithful friend and tool. Almost all the images posted here in the last twelve months here have been taken with it.
Panasonic cameras are a bit Marmite – loved and hated with equal passion. I’ve used them since 2007 and adore them, despite their foibles. With Leica lenses and tank-like build quality, I couldn’t change now. I tried a Sony for a bit in 2011 and loathed it. You get used to stuff.
Several of my cameras have come to sticky ends. Dropped down steps, bounced while riding, stolen. This one seemed to have had a real survival spirit.
The little red camera shows the marks of life, and wear and tear. Ingrained dirt, dents, buckles and chips. They are, although the camera probably disagrees, the marks of love.
The newcomer is the direct model replacement, the TZ60 (oddly, there was no TZ50) – it boasts a higher resolution, 30x optical zoom and more features to fiddle with than I can shake an SD card at. It’s slightly heavier, and larger, but feels good. Just enough features have moved button or changed to drive me mad for a good few weeks. Incredibly, it cost exactly the same as the TZ40 when I bought it. Progress.
I shall pass the red one on to someone who needs it for free, as I do with most of my old tech, and I shall become as attached to it’s black replacement as I am to the red one.
Yes, I’m a geek. But not for the sake of it. Tech I have has to prove itself and be useful. These cameras have proven themselves over and over again. Long may it be so.
September 19th – I found myself out and about in the sunshine after rain with an empty camera case – which isn’t good. Rather than whizz home for my camera, I figured I’d have a play with the phone camera. It isn’t too bad, as it happens. The contrast seems a bit harsh, and it seems a little over saturated, but not unpleasant. The panorama mode is really better than the one in my camera.
I’d headed across the common and back down the old rail line and onto the canal. Apart from a few tinges of orange-brown and the obvious crimson hues of hawthorn, rowan and rose hip, you’d think we were still in late summer.
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